Worship Archives - Page 5 of 10

7 Truths To Meditate On as We Prepare Our Hearts for Easter

April 17, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

I’m not sure if it’s because Easter is in late April this year or if it’s just my general frame of mind, but I don’t feel like my heart is properly prepared for this season.

In case you’re in the same boat, I came up with a plan. I’m challenging myself to think about all that Jesus’ death accomplished. There’s not enough room to cover every aspect of that here, so I’m focusing specifically on what Jesus’ blood did for us.

None of these truths are likely new to us, but hopefully as we meditate on them, we’ll realize anew the redemptive work that was finished at the cross.

1. No matter how wicked we’ve been or how many times we’ve sinned, Jesus’ blood cleanses us.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” ~Isaiah 1:18

2. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that could redeem us. It is pure and precious.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” ~1 Peter 1:18-19

3. Jesus loved us so much that He willingly shed His own blood for us.

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” ~Revelation 1:5

4. It’s the richness of God’s grace that allows us to be redeemed and forgiven.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” ~Ephesians 1:7

5. Our redemption is eternal. His blood bought us a life with Him that will never end.

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” ~Hebrews 9:12

6. Because of Jesus’ blood, we can have fellowship with God.

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” ~Ephesians 2:13

7. Because of Jesus’ blood, we can have fellowship with other believers.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” ~1 John 1:7

And just for a bonus truth, I thought I’d throw in an appropriate hymn to remind us that Jesus paid for ALL of our sins. Don’t let Satan throw guilt your way! Jesus’ blood covers every sin. And because He paid it all, how much we should want to love and serve Him.

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Chorus:

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat.

Jesus Paid It All by Elvina Hall

May you be blessed and encouraged as you think about Christ’s death and resurrection over these next few days!

The Spiritual Truth I Realized While Riding with a New Driver

January 16, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

Our 16-year-old daughter is learning to drive. She has her beginner’s permit, has taken the classroom part of Driver’s Ed, and will have her first in-car driving lesson with an instructor next month.

In the meantime, she drives me around in our car whenever she has a chance. And let me say up front that she’s going to be a fine driver.

But just like with any new skill, learning to drive takes practice.

One morning last week, she was driving to school. I was in the passenger’s seat, giving occasional instructions. And I will say that I truly make an effort to speak calmly as I offer advice from my side of the car.

We were riding in the right lane, with two lanes of cars to our left. I’d already mentioned to her the possibility that cars in front of us might be turning into a row of businesses we were passing. I wanted her to be ready to brake and slow down. Sure enough, I noticed someone turning several cars ahead of us. The SUV in front of us hit its brakes.

I just didn’t feel like we were slowing down at quite the rate we needed to. In my mind, we were approaching that SUV’s bumper very quickly. I said, “Brake,” but it didn’t seem to have much effect. I repeated “Brake” a little louder, and then said it a third time, even louder.

She did brake at that point, and then calmly assured me she’d had it under control the whole time. (She also asked me why I’d gotten louder each time, and what I expected the increase in volume to accomplish!)

While she’s doing well overall, she’s still learning. And if she wants to avoid an accident, she’ll listen to what I’m saying. (And hopefully I’m saying it in a normal tone!)

As I was thinking about that experience later in the day, I realized that there’s a spiritual application for us.

As we navigate our lives, God wants to teach us and guide us. He wants to help us avoid “accidents,” and learn to stay focused on where we need to go.

Yet we have to be willing to listen. We can try getting by on our own, but there’s a good chance we’ll take a wrong turn or get involved in something we should have avoided.

Things will go much more smoothly for us if we’re listening to that first quiet instruction He gives us. And while we may think we know what’s best, we have to learn to trust that He will lead us in the way He wants us to go.

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” ~Psalm 32:8

If my daughter would have had the radio cranked up, she likely wouldn’t have even heard me tell her what to do. In the same way, we won’t be able to hear God if we’re tuned in to what the world is saying rather than listening for His guidance.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” ~Isaiah 30:21

We’re going to hear God speak to us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. We can choose to ignore His instruction, but it might not end well. We can also hurry ahead of Him, but it’s best if we wait on His leading.

“Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” ~Psalm 25:4,5

The more our daughter drives, the more experienced she’ll become, and the better decisions she will make when she gets behind the wheel of the car. In the same way, the more we make choices that are pleasing to God, the more we learn to respond to situations properly and grow in our faith and in trusting God.

My goal with our daughter is to make her a good driver. God wants to make us successful Christ followers. Let’s listen to and follow His instructions in the same way that I want my daughter to do that for me when she’s in the driver’s seat.

When You’re in the Pit, Look Forward to Your New Song

September 12, 2018 by Tracey 8 Comments

There are certain ways you can tell you’re getting old. From knees that audibly creak when I first walk across the floor in the morning to a new wrinkle I spotted on my face last month, there’s no denying it.

While trying to find some music on Alexa recently, I realized that the songs from my past tend to date me as well. I used to think of “oldies” as the tunes my parents listened to when they were teenagers, back in the 50’s and 60’s. However, considering that I went through my teen years during the 80’s, my music might now be considered “oldies” as well, especially to my own teenage daughters. Somehow that hurts!!

Today I wanted to look at how we can get a new song. Maybe life has drained us of our old song. Trials and difficulties might be keeping our voices silent. But whatever song we’ve had in the past, or how quiet our soul feels today, God can give us a new one.

This passage from Psalm 40 talks about getting that new song

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” ~Psalm 40:1-3

1. It starts with waiting.

There it is, y’all. It seems inescapable, that patiently waiting part that’s so hard to do in our flesh. We want right-now solutions and instant relief. But David says he waited patiently. He didn’t get annoyed with delays or anxious about the problems in front of him. He was calm, and didn’t complain. Ouch! I’ll confess that my waiting doesn’t always look like that.

2. We call out to the Lord.

In our waiting, we cry out to God. Yes, He already knows our situation. But when we come to the place where we recognize that we need His deliverance, we can look up to Him and seek His help.

3. The pit is horrible.

Your pit may be different than mine. The pit could be divorce, sickness, a lost friendship, a rebellious child, thwarted dreams, financial troubles, job failure, a terminal diagnosis, or a death in the family. It can be a dirty, muddy, sticky place in life that we desperately need to be rescued from.

4. God delivers us.

In this life and for eternity, only God can save us. Not only does He bring us up out of the pit, but He also puts us on a firm foundation. He sets us on a path back to safety.

5. He puts the new song in our mouth.

As he lifts us out of the pit to a place of safety, God gives us a new song to sing. No matter what our old song was, we now have a new one. God has once again been faithful. And this leads right into the next one.

6. The new song is all about praising Him.

The pit was hard and dark and deep, but God rescued us. No matter what we just came through, He is worthy of our praise.

7. Our new song is a testimony to others.

God brought us up. We waited, we called, He delivered. We can use our pit experience to teach others about trusting Him. As we’re willing, God can use what we went through to glorify Himself.

Whether you’re in the waiting, in the pit, or up on top of the rock, know that God gives the new song. And remember, this new song…it’s a song that we wouldn’t have gotten without the waiting and the pit. It’s even sweeter because we remember what we came through to get the song. The learning to wait, to trust, and to obey makes the new song a sweet melody that glorifies God and testifies to others.

5 Lessons I Learned from a 10-Hour Travel Delay

July 27, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

So remember last week’s post, the one about trusting God to orchestrate our days?

That published on Friday morning. The same Friday morning that we headed to the airport for a 7:40am flight to Chicago, where our family planned to spend a four-day weekend for our summer vacation.

We checked in with plenty of time to eat breakfast before we boarded the plane. We got settled in our seats, and all appeared to be well.

Until they deplaned us. There apparently was a leak in the cockpit, which, since it was raining, could lead to instruments in the control panel shorting out. Not good.

The captain gave periodic updates as we waited in the gate area, saying they’d found the leak, but were having difficulty sealing it. Then they weren’t able to maintain pressure in the cabin, another important concept when you’re tens of thousands of feet up in the air!

They finally canceled our flight just before noon, and we were able to get tickets for a 3:30pm flight. We left the airport to get lunch…and just as we got back to the parking garage, the “bad” news started coming in. The new flight was now delayed due to thunderstorms between us and Chicago. So back into the airport we went…and continued to be delayed.

We finally boarded the plane around 6:00pm. And yes, my husband noted the irony of the post I’d written, and the way our day unfolded. It was NOT how we would have orchestrated it…but what a great chance to live out the truth of what I’d written.

And, as always, there are lessons to be learned.

Here’s five of them.

This trip didn't start out as planned, but it gave me the chance to live out what I'd written.

1. God is in control. I am not.

How many situations do we face every day that we can’t control? Another person’s reaction, the weather, the traffic, how quickly the checkout line moves…the list goes on and on.

Every one of these situations is a chance to recognize God’s sovereignty, and to submit to whatever He has willed for us in that moment.

2. There is always, always, always something for which to be thankful.

Here’s a short list from last Friday.

~They deplaned us quickly on learning there was a problem with the aircraft. There was no sitting on the plane for a long period of time.
~We all kept fairly good attitudes throughout the long day.
~We were traveling with teenagers, not toddlers. Trying to entertain little ones for all those hours would have been a struggle!
~Our girls showed us the Game Pigeon app, which let the four of us play Crazy 8s together on our phones while we waited.
~We were upgraded on our afternoon flight, so had more spacious seats, and free Direct TV for the flight.

3. Don’t take your frustrations out on other people, especially those who, like you, have no control over the situation.

One passenger in particular was venting his frustration over the delay to the gate agent. My husband remarked to me, “Does anyone think the pilot or these airline employees got up this morning hoping that this flight would be canceled?” No way. They were as eager as we were for everything to go as scheduled. But it didn’t. And there was nothing they could do to get that plane in the air any faster than what they were already doing.

4. Laughter is good medicine.

If you’ve never visited the Charleston airport, let’s just say that it’s small. Not a lot to entertain yourself with if you’re stuck there for awhile.

However, on one of our strolls through the terminal, our 15-year-old and I walked through a store looking at what they had for sale. She grabbed a joke book from the shelf, and began reading jokes aloud. Admittedly, we’d been up since around 4:30am, so were a bit on the tired side and easily entertained. Regardless, the jokes made us laugh, and left us a little bit happier.

5. It’s okay to just trust that God knows best, without having to know or understand the reason why.

I can’t tell you what purpose God had in delaying our travel plans by ten hours. As far as we know, there was no life-changing impact on people around us. I can’t say that we avoided some major catastrophe.

The bottom line is that hanging out at the Charleston airport is just what God had for us that day. So my best option was to make the choice to trust His plan, and move on to the next thing.

All of this being said, maybe I should be more careful what I post about the next time we plan to leave town!!

Beware! Potential Danger Ahead if You Forget

June 21, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

I. am. forgetful.

“Old” age, perhaps? Information overload, maybe? Whenever my daughters ask me to do something, I give them free rein to remind me about it as many times as they need to! In the same way, if I don’t write something down while I’m thinking about it, it’s unlikely that I’ll remember it three minutes later.

Forgetting details like buying milk at the grocery store or what time I need to pick my daughter up from cheer practice can be inconvenient for us. But today I want to talk about a truth that’s important for all of us to remember.

When everything's going great, we can tend to forget God. Here's a warning to heed.

In Deuteronomy chapter six, Moses addresses the children of Israel as they prepare to enter the promised land. In verses ten and eleven, he shares the blessings that await them there.

“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land….to give thee great and goodly cities….and houses full of all good things….when thou shalt have eaten and be full;”

Sounds like things are going well here! But verse twelve follows with this warning.

“Then beware lest thou forget the LORD….”

When they finally reach the promised land…when they have plenty to eat, and are no longer surviving on manna…when they’re not moving a tent from one camping site to the next, but living in a house that’s “full of all good things”…that’s when they’ll be tempted to forget God.

In the wilderness, they needed Him for daily survival. Yet when they’re living in the midst of abundant blessings, Moses warns them – don’t forget.

They needed to remember all that God had brought them through, the deliverance from Egypt, the miracles in the wilderness. In a day when they might be tempted to look at what they had, and credit it to their own hard work, Moses says “no.” Remember all that God has done, and serve Him.

How about us? What a tragedy it would be, amidst all the blessings in our lives, to forget to give honor and praise to the One who provides it all.

I don’t want to forget how God worked through different situations this past school year. He brought us through some difficult days. He strengthened my faith, in spite of how weak it was in the beginning. Yet how easy it is to let days slip by without expressing gratitude to God for His goodness.

At times we, too, may start to take credit for what has happened. “It’s because I prayed for this” or “Since I’ve been living better, this good thing happened.” Yes, God answers prayer. Out of His mercy and grace, He moves in our lives. He blesses us as we honor and obey Him.

But I deserve nothing. And when the good and easy times come, I must remember to praise Him. Psalm 147:1 says, “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God…”

By verse 14 of Deuteronomy six, Moses is talking about the Israelites choosing to go after other gods. If we forget to acknowledge God in our lives, we’ll have the same temptation. We’ll want to honor ourselves or find something or someone else to follow after.

On the other hand, just as the Israelites would face many battles before they actually possessed Canaan, so we may currently be in the midst of a trial. Despite all we’ve been given, maybe we just don’t “feel” blessed. On those days, may our minds be filled with the truths that God’s grace is sufficient, our eternal future is sure, and His power is limitless.

As we make this conscious effort to remember what God has done, we can then follow the command of verse seven.

“….thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…”

In the day-to-day “busy-ness,” let’s remember to teach our children about the faithfulness and goodness of God. We can acknowledge all of our blessings, and give praise to the God who has provided them!

So beware! Be alert to the dangers of forgetting God and failing to praise Him. Then we can avoid the danger of living our lives outside of His guidance.

Can God Really Do That for Me?

May 30, 2018 by Tracey 8 Comments

Have you ever found that you believe something to be true in your mind, but it doesn’t translate to how you’re reacting in your circumstances?

Recently I was burdened about a certain situation. It came to mind often throughout the day. Whenever it did, I tried to take it to God. My prayer life became quite busy!

And while I’d like to say that I was a great woman of faith and trusted God to answer in His way and in His time, I wasn’t. Rather, I still found myself fretting and worrying about this situation that was mostly out of my control.

I knew God could answer. I prayed that His will would be done. In this instance, it was fairly clear what the right outcome should be.

After a whole lot of praying, and more time passing than I wanted to, God answered. And, as is often the case, I learned a lot through the hard days and in the waiting.

The Lord's hand is not waxed short. He is powerful to answer prayer and meet our every need.

As I look back on it now, I’m sure this thought hovered in the back of my mind, even though I didn’t vocalize it. “God, this one might be too hard for you.”

After all, there were people involved whose hearts needed to be changed. It was beyond my realm of control…but not His.

In Numbers 11, Moses doubts God. He’s in the wilderness with a multitude of griping Israelites. God just promised to provide meat for all of them to eat for a month. When Moses – who’s seen the ten plagues brought down on Egypt and walked through the Red Sea on dry land – questions God about how this can happen, God replies,

“Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

A quote about this verse from the Jamieson/Fausset/Brown commentary caught my attention.

“The great leader, struck with a promise so astonishing as that of suddenly furnishing, in the midst of the desert, more than two millions of people with flesh for a whole month, betrayed an incredulous spirit, surprising in one who had witnessed so many stupendous miracles.”

Actually, maybe it’s not that surprising. Moses was human. And I know how easy it is, in spite of all that God’s done for me in the past, to doubt that He’s able to do it again.

Slow to learn, that’s me.

But God did what Moses thought was impossible. Because there’s nothing that’s too hard for God. He “that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) is still in the business of answering prayer.

His power isn’t diminished. The same God of the Old Testament patriarchs is the One we pray to today. He’s just as able to meet our needs and answer our prayers as He was back then.

What do you need the Lord to do for you? Is there something you’ve been praying for – as best you know in God’s will – yet you struggle to find the faith to believe that He can accomplish it?

The Lord’s hand is not waxed short. Whether we have a personal need, a heartbreaking family situation, or any other circumstance we feel is too difficult for God to impact, remember – God is powerful. The “Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead” (Romans 8:11) is alive and active.

May we be faithful to pray and to trust, then stand amazed as we see Him work.

Related posts:

What Sarah Teaches Me About Faith?

Just a Fancy Way to Say We Ned to Learn to Wait

How I Want God to Answer My Prayers

On Trusting God’s Purpose When I Just Want an Easier Life

May 1, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Happy May 1st!! I’m so thankful that God built “fresh starts” into the rhythms of our world. Whether it’s a new morning, a new year, or a changing season, it’s good to begin again with a clean slate. Glad to be stepping into the next month!

Here’s a question for you that I think I already know the answer to.

Have you ever wished for something to be taken out of your life? It could be a person or a situation, any thing that makes your life more difficult.

I was dealing with this last week. One morning I thought to myself, “If I just didn’t have to deal with this person any more, things would be so much better.” I was tired of interacting with someone I had a hard time getting along with.

Then this question popped into my mind. “Why do you not want to deal with this person any more?” The answer came immediately – because it would make my life easier.

And then I knew what the root of the problem was. It wasn’t so much about that person as it was about my selfishness.

There was no thought that morning for the other person. I hadn’t looked at him/her through the lens of how God might be able to use me in their life. Nor did I consider what God might be trying to do in my life through them. It was all about making life easier for myself by not having to deal with the conflict that person inevitably brings along with them.

This struggle may not always center on a particular person. It might be a situation that’s hard to deal with, like an illness, a failed relationship, a job loss, or some type of persecution.

This shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation…”

I think of Paul’s thorn in the flesh mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. Surely his life would have been easier if God answered His prayer to take the thorn away, but God didn’t. God had a purpose in allowing it to continue in Paul’s life.

So how can I think differently about this difficult person? Maybe God has this person in my life so I can be a testimony and a witness to them. Perhaps as they see the joy and peace I have through Christ, they’ll want the same for themselves. I have no idea how He’s working in their life, but maybe I can be just a small part of that.

And how about what God’s doing in my life through that person? I have my doubts that he/she knows or cares how they’re impacting me. So what is God trying to teach me about myself?

Obviously He’s already used them to remind me again of how selfish I am. Life is not all about how I can get by with the least amount of trouble or irritation. No, those difficult people and hard days are actually a big part of maturing me in my faith.

Is God growing my patience, teaching me self-control? Is He having me deal with this person because He knows that I’m going to be able to use this situation to help somebody else later on?

I’m reminded of the illustration of a weaver creating a beautiful tapestry. All I can see from my perspective here today are the tangled threads underneath the tapestry. It’s not attractive, looks mostly like a tangled mess.

But God sees it from the top side, a work in progress. He’s weaving the pattern that will produce the beautiful finished product. And parts of my life – like that person I’d rather not deal with – don’t make sense to me. Yet it’s all orchestrated by Him as part of His master plan.

I like this wording of 2 Corinthians 4:17. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” When I consider eternity, this person or circumstance will just be a blip in the story of my life.

I don’t know if you’re dealing with a difficult person or a troublesome situation today. In our humanity, we don’t want to face either because it’s painful, exhausting, and hard.

But let’s try to look beyond how it makes us feel. Let’s move past our selfishness, and trust God’s purpose in it. Whether I can see it or not, God wants to use that person or that situation to grow me into being more like Him. He can also turn it into a blessing and use it to encourage others.

Let’s trust God for the grace to allow Him to accomplish His purpose through it.

Don’t Let Fear Take You Here

April 11, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

Can you identify with the following incident I shared on the blog a few years ago?

Recently I was lying in bed envisioning an upcoming situation with one of our children and letting myself imagine how badly it might turn out. “What if this happens?” or “What if a person responds to her this way?” or “How will we handle this particular outcome?”

I tossed and turned as the possibilities went from bad to worse. Pretty soon I was practically panicked, allowing fear of what might happen to make me a nervous wreck.

Here’s what’s interesting about that story. I could have written those same words last Friday night. Yes, I was basically in much the same boat, just regarding a different situation (one still related to my children, of course!).

A number of times in the Bible, people are told to “fear not.” Maybe that’s because fear is an emotion that’s easy to give in to. It doesn’t take much for most of us to let our imaginations run wild with all the possibilities of bad things that can happen.

I like these words related to battling fear from Melanie Shankle’s book, The Antelope in the Living Room.

“Isn’t that what fear does? It grows and magnifies everything to the point where all rational thought is lost and we can only see the city limits of Worst Case Scenario, which borders Crazy Town.”

In both cases of mine above (plus many more times I won’t mention), that’s exactly what happened to me. Fear crept into my mind. It may have started as a small concern, but I allowed it to totally blow things out of proportion. Not only that, but I was fearful of events and reactions that might not even occur.

Fear can take us lots of places in our minds that we don’t need to go.

One of my favorite Bible verses on fear is II Timothy 1:7.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Any feelings of fear we have are not from God. His plan for us is that we trust in Him. His Holy Spirit gives us the power to have peace ruling in our hearts. We can rest in His goodness and faithfulness.

So what do we do when those middle-of-the-night fears start to come? How about meditating on Psalm 34:4?

“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Pray. God will hear. And He has the ability to deliver us from ALL our fears. There’s not a one that’s too big for Him to handle.

And Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds me that He’s not going to leave me in my fears.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.“

I love that God wants to deliver us from our fears. Isaiah 41:13 says,

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

If I picture God holding my hand as I face my fear, and hear His voice saying He will help me, I can have the courage I need to send that fear packing.

Our fear will not accomplish anything positive. It will only make us citizens of Crazy Town! Let’s don’t let fear take us there!!

Have you struggled with fear? What helps you get through those times?

5 Bible Promises to Pray Over Your Life Today

March 13, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

“…What greater rebellion…or insult to God can there be, than not to believe His promises?” ~Martin Luther

Are you ever guilty of this, of not believing God’s promises? I know I am.

Or maybe it’s more that I just don’t make God’s promises a priority in my spiritual walk. I realize that the Bible is full of them. Yet how often do I look for those promises, and claim them in my life?

I like how E.M. Bounds talks about mixing prayer with the promises of God.

“Promises, like the rain, are general. Prayer embodies, precipitates, and locates them for personal use. Prayer goes by faith into the great fruit orchard of God’s exceeding great and precious promises, and with hand and heart picks the ripest and richest fruit.”

As I find a promise of God in His Word, I can take that promise and pray it back to Him. I can ask Him for faith to believe that He will fulfill that promise, because He is faithful and never changes. (Hebrews 10:23; Numbers 23:19)

Here’s five promises of God that we can pray over our lives today.

1. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” ~Psalm 84:11

If I am following God – with no known sin in my life and living according to the truth I know from the Bible – God will not keep from me anything that is for my good. He’s not holding out on me. Rather, He is blessing me in ways I see and in ways I can’t see with my human eyes.

Prayer: God, as I walk before you today, I’m trusting Your Word that You will not withhold anything from me that is good for me. I look forward to seeing all the good You have in store for my life.

2. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering…” ~James 1:5-6a

I find comfort in this verse as we parent two teenagers! I’ve seen God directly answer this prayer. But the promise also applies to our marriages, our careers, handling our money…every area of our lives needs wisdom, and God promises it to us if we’ll just ask Him for it, and have faith that He’ll give it.

Prayer: God, I ask you for wisdom for this particular situation. Because You’ve promised to give wisdom when I ask for it, I believe that you will give me the words to say and show me the actions I need to take when the time comes.

3. “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” ~Jeremiah 29:12-13

If I pray, God will hear me. If I seek God, He will reveal Himself to me.

Prayer: I want to know you better, God. I’m going to the Bible to read and learn more about You. I believe that You will reveal Yourself to me because You have promised that I will find You when I search for You with my whole heart.

4. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

We often think of this as a financial need, which fits the context of the passage. But God supplies all of our needs – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. His riches are not just monetary. He has riches of love, stores of grace, and an abundance of mercy.

Prayer: God, I have a specific need today. You have the ability to meet the need, and have promised to do that. Please let me see how You meet the need so that I can give you thanksgiving and praise.

5. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

Some days we just need rest. Maybe it’s a physical tiredness or an emotional exhaustion, but either way, God promises to give us rest.

Prayer: I’m weary today, God. I’m burdened with many cares. You’ve promised me rest. Let me feel that rest down in my soul.

I’m challenged by these thoughts to begin noticing and marking God’s promises as I come across them in my daily Bible reading. I’d like to start a journal page where I can keep an ongoing list of promises to refer back to on a regular basis.

What promise of God could you pray over your life today?

You Can’t Measure Hard, and You Can’t Measure Grace

January 30, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

There’s an abundance of hard things in the world around us. People we know and love are struggling or suffering in one way or another. Then there are our own personal trials we must work through.

There’s the hard of a job loss and limited income. There’s the hard of a family member getting a cancer diagnosis. There’s the hard of infertility, a wayward child, a physical limitation, or an unexpected tragedy.

I remember the hard of carrying a baby in my womb – a baby that kicked and moved A LOT – and knowing that she’d never live to grow up. There was the hard of random cashiers asking when you were due, not knowing what that date would bring for you. That was my hard in one season of life.

But what about a mom who’s lost her teenager in a car accident? How about the wife whose husband of 56 years just passed away? We all have hard, and there’s no point comparing.

‘Cause just like you can’t measure hard, you can’t measure grace.

Whatever’s hard for you and I today, God has the grace to get us through it. We don’t have to handle hard on our own.

We can't measure the hard things all around us, nor can we measure God's grace.

He tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient. Sufficient means enough to fully meet the need.

Isn’t that amazing? His grace isn’t going to fall short. My situation’s not going to be the one where there’s just not quite enough grace to cover it. A lack of heaven-sent grace to keep me going is not a problem I have to worry about. He will provide the grace I need today, tomorrow, and for every day in the future.

That verse also tells us that His strength is made perfect in weakness.

Relying on our own strength when we face difficulty is often our default method. But, if you’re like me, you know that doesn’t get us very far.

Instead, we can choose to admit our weakness, our lack of ability to handle the situation, and allow God to supply us with His strength. What a trade – my weakness for His strength!!

So whatever’s hard for you today, take it to God. Know that His grace is there for you. Admit your weakness. Lean into His strength. Let Him be glorified, whatever the outcome. And give Him thanks for His always sufficient, immeasurable grace.