He Strengthens Me

This morning, I had an important interview, and I was nervous, anticipating how it would go.  Doubts started to creep into my head making wonder if I was really "cut out" for this position I have been praying about and hoping for, and as I was waiting to go into the interview, my mom, who is the most amazing woman on the face of the earth, texted me this verse:

"The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."

~Psalm 29:11~ 

It was such a great reminder!  The Lord has lead me to this point.  The Lord has allowed for this opportunity to open up.  It is the Lord who is in control.  It is the Lord who is greater than my weaknesses.  It is the Lord who gives me the strength!   May I never lose sight of this truth! 

Unfulfilled. Unfulfillable. Unfulfilling.

"Not carried out or brought to completion" - [Definition of unfulfilled]   This word may leave us with a feeling of great emptiness or even sadness.  No one enjoys the sense of being unfulfilled. 


At a loss.  No meaning.  No value.  No purpose.  Void.  Vacant.  Gap.  Empty Space. 

To be at a loss in life, to have no meaning in life, to have no value in life, to have no purpose in life, to have a vacant, empty space in one's heart, is a recipe for a life of complete misery, depression, and even downright insanity. 

I recently watched a movie in which a strong, successful sergeant in the military, was critically injured in the Vietnam War.  The effects of his injury left him unable to walk.  This powerful man, who lived life as if he could accomplish anything and nothing could withhold him, was now humbled to the point where he would have to be confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.  After this tragic turn of events, this man's life spiraled downward.  Trying to cope with the loss of his rank, his dignity, and his prestige, he became an alcoholic and spent his days squandering his money, living his life as if he had no value, no purpose, no meaning, and no hope.   It was truly sad to see how this man went from such an honorable person in the worlds eyes to one who had no "life" left in him.

Yes, this may have been just a movie, and even about a fictional character, but sadly, it is a replica of so many people today who may live life completely out on top, living for the moment, acting as if they "have it all", and then suddenly their world comes crashing down and now what do they have to live for?!  Or, it could be someone living their days striving to achieve success, popularity, meaning, and they constantly look to "the next thing" to fulfill them, but instead of that awareness of value, purpose, and meaning, they are left with the dreaded sense of being unfulfilled, no matter what they may do to fill that void and space in their heart...it NEVER reaches the brim.


This morning, I read in the Psalms a very powerful and direct verse: 

"Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man

are never satisfied."  

~Psalm 27:20~ 

Meaning that, "man's desires are never filled up.  They are as insatiable (impossible to satisfy) as the place of eternal punishment which never overfills." (commentary by J. MacArthur) 

Those are truly strong words.  Yet, they are very true. 

All we have to do is look at examples in today's world.  Why is it that we see celebrities, who appear as if they have it all and who seem like they should be the happiest people on the face of the earth; yet, they are the ones who often have the most difficulties.  They are unfulfilled, unhappy, so they seek and seek to fill that void that is nagging inside of them.  

I am not wanting this post to leave you all with a sense of sadness and depression, but I wanted to expose to you the emptiness of this life....WITHOUT Christ.  

There is hope.  We are not destined to keep "grasping at the wind" nor wander around in this life as one who has no hope of ever being fulfilled or satisfied.

What is this hope?  It is only found through Jesus Christ, Lord of all!

The Lord has graciously opened my eyes to the truths contained in His will (the very Word of God), of which I am so thankful for.  He is continuing to show me the frailty of life, how it cannot fulfill man's deepest longings and needs no matter what the promises are of fulfillment.  I have seen so many people struggle and sink down into deep depression because of this very issue of being unfulfilled.  

There is no way out through the worlds way.  There is no therapy session that can cure the most troubled souls.  There is no "step by step" plan that can get one on the road back to "health, wealth, and success".   Even if some of the worlds ways of solving the problem may work for a time, it still leaves one grasping at one thing after the other still trying to fill that emptiness inside. 

There is only one way we can find true fulfillment in this world, and that is only through the narrow gate that leads to everlasting life.  It may not be a gate through which many go through for it may not seem appealing to most, but it is only by going through this door in which one will find what they have been seeking.

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  

~Matthew 7:13-14~ 

Until you pass through this narrow gate, you will not be able to find the peace, joy, and fulfillment you seek.  Come to Christ and He will "fill you up".  He is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life! 

Really think on these truths, friends.  Are you finding your fulfillment in the world or in Christ?  

It is good to examine our hearts now.  Do not waste another moment of your life with that which cannot satisfy.  The time is now.  Take it.

God bless!

Underneath the Everlasting Arms

"It is a long way from the recognition of a Logos, an Eternal Word who speaks and under whom we live, to the specific destiny to which you yourself as an individual woman (or man) are called.  Yet the God who controls the wheeling galaxies and who spoke before the foundation of the world must be the God who holds the smallest circumstances of your life in His hands.  We are encompassed on all sides by the Almighty.  'His tender mercies are over all His works', 'steadfast love surrounds him who trusts in the Lord', and 'underneath are the Everlasting Arms.'  Over, around, underneath.  

We are enfolded.  Can you think of a safer place to be?" 

~Elizabeth Elliot~ 

(Excerpt from Book Let me be a Woman)

His Handiwork

"The Heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 

Day unto day utters speech, and night 

unto night reveals knowledge."

~( Psalm 19:1-2)~ 

As we look at the world around us, we see the mighty handiwork of our Creator God.  His glorious Creation is a testimony of Himself!  We should look at what He has made and give Him praise, honor, and glory!!!  

The beach is one of my favorite places in the world!  Not just because of its warm, sunny weather,  its openness, and its very beauty, but because it reminds me of God's vastness and greatness!  

   

Next time you see something so breathtakingly beautiful, instead of simply focusing on the beauty of it, take time to praise the One who brought it into existence!  

 

What if I Don't Feel Like it?

I woke up to a beautiful morning, with sunlight beaming through the cracks of my window shades.  It was quite easy for me to roll out of bed before 7 a.m., go outside in the backyard, and just sit in the hammock and pray, with of course a cup of hot coffee in hand.  It was a wonderful morning, and I was feeling quite nourished and happy.  Yet, what if I woke up to a morning of rain, wind, and just cloudy weather?  Would I be so happy and eager to start my day rising early and with a time of prayer?  I would probably have to say no.  Hmmm.  I know that circumstances can alter how we feel and react to certain situations, but should that really be the case for a Christian?  Aren't we commanded to rejoice always?  There are so many verses in Scripture that command this very thing.  Let me list just a few:  Philippians 4:4, Psalm 13:5, 1 Thess. 5:16-18, Psalm 40:16, James 1:2-4, Psalm 30:5, Romans 5:1-4, Psalm 28:7, Romans 15:13, & Psalm 64:9-10.  

Now, is there anywhere in these verses that link our joy and happiness to our circumstances?  Nope! The only cause of our joy and contentment is found in the Lord and resting in His promises.  Yep, that is the answer. 

It is SO extremely easy and common for us to tie our feelings to how we react.  Most of the time we do respond based on how we feel, but as these verses indicate, our feelings have no leadership whatsoever to how we should react, which is with rejoicing and praise to our Lord. 

My pastor once spoke on this and stated very simply that "our feelings should follow NOT lead".  It is very easy to allow just the opposite especially when we live in a world where that is encouraged, but as seen through God's Word, we are to be led by the truth not on how we might feel.   My prayer for myself is that this would become more of a pattern in my life.  Allowing feelings to take the lead comes very naturally and easily, but that is why I must constantly be reminded of the Truth because more often then not, our feelings are not a good indicator of what is true.

So, if I woke up to terrible weather this morning instead of gorgeous sunshine, I am still to respond with rejoicing and praise even if my circumstances make it harder for me to do so!

Have a good day friends!  Keep your mind on the truth allowing that to be your base and then let your feelings and emotions follow.

Can Our Longings Get in the Way?

I love this quote by Jim Elliot: 

"Let not our longings slay the appetite of our living."  

We should accept and thank God for all that He has given to us (Psalm 107:1) and make no provision for the "not-given" to spoil our rejoicing and cause us to be discontent! 

There is no Independent Christian

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, 

and He shall bring it to pass."  

(Psalm 37:4-5)

This passage of scripture is underlined in my Bible (in a very bright pink pen I used to have when I was like 13), so I know that I have read it through before, but this morning, it was as if I read it for the very first time.  Isn't it strange how that happens?  The Lord uses passages of His Word to really "speak to us" in a sense and to reveal His truth.  He is the One who truly causes us to understand scripture, and He opens our eyes to it so that we can see and understand.

Now, I know that these particular verses here are not necessarily hard to understand.  Meaning, it is not like a passage in Revelation where you must really comprehend the context of what is being said, the history, the language, and even the meaning of the words in order to truly and rightly interpret the meaning of the verse.  These verses in Psalm 37 are very straightforward.  There are even no foot notes or commentaries in my Bible "explaining" what David is saying here.  It is plain and simple. 

Go re-read the passage again.

I am to take pleasure in and to be completely captivated by my Savior and Lord.  When my life portrays a spirit-filled likeness as David describes in verse 4 as "delight", the Lord will give us our hearts desires, which are also His!

Verse 5 really hit home for me.  The dictionary defines the word "commit" as stated in this verse (NKJ version) as to "pledge", to "bind", to "set aside", and to "entrust".   Also, it is from the Latin word committere meaning to  'join and entrust'.    So, I am commanded here to "pledge, bind, set aside, and entrust" my ways to the Lord.  Wow.  This part really convicted me.  Am I truly following what this verse says?

As the verse ends, we are also exhorted to trust (firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something) in the Lord for that which we have set aside and pledged to Him!

Lastly, there is a promise..."He will bring it to pass".   Wow.  We must completely bind our desires to Himself, to trust and rely completely upon Him, and then we are comforted with these last words in verse 5.   It is so amazing!

The Christian life is truly a life lived in complete dependence upon the Lord. (John 15:5)

Are you entrusting your ways to the Lord and relying completely on Him?  


We should ask ourselves this question every day!

We are not to live a life of independence.