The Storm is Coming! Are you ready?

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

This powerful verse seems very timely given what many on the eastern coast have endured and what those of us in Northern Virginia and to the north are bracing for this morning. Whatever happens, may we draw strength from this verse now and for as long as we are on the earth. Regardless of what happens around us, our God reigns!

 

In John 16:33 Christ says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”

 

You see, we are here on the earth for a purpose…to bring Glory to God, and in doing so we will point others to Him. We have a mission here. We are God’s and under His care at all times, but He will not keep us from being affected by the same things nonbeliever experience. Rather He will harden us to difficulties, give us His supernatural strength to endure trials of all kinds and will not allow those trails to ultimately defeat us. As the world watches us endure the same hardships they will notice that the source of our strength must come from something greater than ourselves. And if we will hold to our faith and walk out this Christian life they will ask questions, and the door will be opened to take them into the throne room of our mighty God and introduce them to our Lord - the Source of our strength, the Giver of our peace, the Reason for our joy!

 

So “…count it all joy when you encounter trials of various kinds…” welcoming them as an opportunity to let Christ shine in you!

 

Living By Faith

“I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20 (AMP)

No doubt many of us have heard this verse over and over. But if you’re like me, you never cease to be stopped by it. There is so much power in it. And there is that moment of humbly searching myself asking, “Am I living this way? Am I continually in awe of all that Christ did for me, and is my everyday life a reflection of the change He has made? Or am I too often losing sight of His presence and power in my life and failing to let His grace be reflected in my every word, thought and deed?”

I am especially struck by the description in the Amplified Bible of the word “faith” in this text. “…adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in the Son of God…” Wow. Does my life - my everyday actions, interactions, and reactions – reflect this kind of faith? Do I live my life by faith or in spite of it?

Please take time to read this scripture over and over for a few days and ask yourself how and how much your faith factors into your everyday life. When you gave your life to Christ, did you leave it at the cross to be under His control or did you pick it back up and say, “Thanks, I’ll take it from here?” What would others around you (especially those closest to you) say about the evidence of your faith in the way you live your life?

Saturate your kiddos!

“And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (AMP)

As a mom I absolutely love these verses. It is the perfect road map for how to train our children in the ways of the Lord. Immersion! We must let the things of God saturate our every moment in every aspect of our lives.

Because Christianity is not a religion but rather an ever growing relationship, it is not something we can simply do a couple hours on Sunday morning so we can check it off the list and then move on to the rest of our lives. No, truly loving and growing in the Lord requires keeping His words and His ways in the forefront of our minds at all times. If you’re a Sunday morning Christian you’ll be lucky if your kids even hold to that much. Children can spot phoniness a mile away, and they are smart enough not to waste time with something that apparently doesn’t really matter anyway.

But here the Lord tells us how to write His words on their hearts, diligently impressing them on their minds. Speak of Him when you come in and when you go out. Let praise and thanksgiving to the Lord be on your lips when you get up in the morning and lie down at night. (No, a quick prayer before meals doesn’t cut it!  That’s great but hardly enough to saturate your family.) Tell your kids about the wonders of God. Point out His blessings in your life and in the world around us. Tell them about how God is with us always and show them in times of trouble that we don’t have to be afraid because our God never leaves us, and He is always in control. Live it and your kids will believe it!

Ambassadors for Christ

Though Paul was talking about himself, this is true of all who have been called by God and bear His name. We are all God’s ambassadors, His own picked representatives. Each of us who has accepted Christ was chosen on purpose. It was no accident.

“Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].” Colossians 3:12-14 AMP

We are not merely saved to get to heaven (though that is a huge perk). Once we accept Him and take on His name we have a job to do. God is love and we are to show God everywhere we go to everyone we meet. We must walk in love and discipline ourselves to display the qualities of Christ.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16