When Trouble Comes. . .Look to the Hills

The other day my husband Harry started out on a trip. Everything that could go wrong did. He wrecked the shock on his truck. He tore my bumper loose from my car. He all but ruined a car dolly we own. One disaster after another was happening to him. All of Satan and his imps were out in force against him. He called me and we prayed the bad things that were happening would cease and desist. Later that afternoon he had a blowout on a brand new tire. Talk about trouble, he was experiencing trouble on major overload. His problems didn't go away, they stayed a while.

If I can, I will go out of my way to avoid trouble. But we cannot go through life without facing everyday struggles, trials, concerns. Misfortune just happens. It comes in all shapes, forms, sizes, and strengths. However, living as long as I have, I’ve learned over the years how to cope with and handle difficulties when they come my way. I can’t say I’m successful all the time, but when I place my trust in God, my troubles seem to lessen or completely vanish before my eyes.

Sometimes difficulties come and stay a while. That’s the kind I like least of all. Other times, trouble comes then goes just about as quick as it came. If I had my druthers, I would live without any type of conflict, battle, or misfortune. But the Bible tells us that we are born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. Meaning we cannot avoid facing problems in our life.

I have learned to cope when I am faced with situations that are not of my making or I do not have any control over. I lean wholly upon God’s word and upon His ability to work in my behalf. He is the author and finisher of my faith. When I turn my worries, heartaches, any disappointments over to Him, I release Him to work on my behalf. He is always faithful to bring me through my difficulties victoriously. Sometimes it’s instantly. Other times my pesky torments are here to stay a while. My secret of living in and through my troubles is Psalm 121:1-3.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”

We as Christians can stand upon God’s word. And when we do we can watch God move in our behalf. So if you are in the midst of troubles, difficulties, or even dilemmas. . .lift up your eyes to the hills – He will be your strength, your provider, your everlasting joy.

Go for the Gold

By
Janice K. Olson
I would hazard to say that for two weeks everyone owning a TV, at one time or another, tuned in the Olympics while the games were being played. Every country for four years or even longer have prepared their athletes to become the very best they could be. When the Olympic day rolled around, only the very best athletes were sent to China to compete. There goal. . .WIN THE GOLD!

When I think of the race that is set before me, the training I continue to go through—the mental gymnastics, the foot races, the tug of war, hand-to-hand combat, the leap of faith, etc.—I have to remember I’m in a race for the gold.

While in this race, I don’t want to carry any needless or unnecessary baggage, nor do I want anything to hinder me. If I’m successful, at the end of my race, I will stand before the Judge. He has my name before Him. My score card is in his hand. He will tally my score. If I have persevered and run my very best, if I have stayed to the course marked out for me, I will have won. And for my victory I will receive a crown and all the awards that go along with being a winner.

My motto while I run for Him is. . .GO FOR THE GOLD!

Paul speaks of this very thing. “. . .let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1b NIV

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

As a child I loved to play Hide n’ Seek. My grandson to this day still plays the game. I love the hiding part, but wasn’t so keen on the finding. Sometimes, the kids were easy to find, then other times, it would take me forever to locate them.

So many times in our walk with God, we play Hide but not necessarily the Seek part. We hide things in our life even though we are fully aware that God sees and knows all about them. We simply try to forget that He knows.

David became all too conscious that nothing was hidden from God. He speaks about this very thing in Psalm 139:1-16: O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.. . .Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? David continues speaking of how God is and sees and know all about him.

Everywhere we go, anything we do, every word we say, all of it is in full view of God. There is nothing hidden. In those private moments, when no one is around, God is there and sees us. Those times when we speak those words best left unspoken, God hears us. Every one of our actions and deeds do not go unnoticed for God is fully aware of what is taking place, because we cannot flee from His presence. He is everywhere. . .all knowing.

We as Christians need to become deeply aware that God’s Spirit dwells within us, and grieves over us when we do those unseemly things—un-Christ-like things. But He also rejoices over us when we walk upright and strive to live our life in a Christ-like manner.

So we need to remember, when we try to hide those deeds that even we know are wrong, it is impossible. God knows, but He still loves us. However, just as with David, the murderer and adulterer, God wants us to step out of hiding, expose our sins, confess them to Him, then walk uprightly before Him.

Father, as we seek Your face, help us to uncover those unhidden sins. Yes, those sins that You saw the moment we did them. We confess them all and lay them at the feet of Your Son Jesus. Remind us over and again how Your Spirit dwells within us, that He will lead and guide us in the path of truth. Father we love you and we pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen

Seeing is believing. . .or is it?

Have you ever told a friend about something that seemed too good to be true? Or something that was too preposterous to believe and the only way for them to believe would be to see it for their self? However, even after seeing it, they still didn’t believe, but instead thought there was some kind of trick involved. Much like with a magician. A slip of hand.

In John 6:16-36 we have the account of Jesus walking on the water after he fed the 5,000. Then He met the same people that were fed by the little boy’s lunch in Capernaum. These people had seen the miracle of the loaves and fishes, actually took part in the miracle. They heard a rumor Jesus somehow got to the other side of the lake, but didn’t board a boat to get there. They questioned how He got to Capernaum? They asked what they must do to do the works of God. They inquired as to what miraculous sign He would do so they could see and believe.

These people questioning Jesus are the same people that were just fed by a miracle. No doubt many of them had seen miraculous healings that Jesus had done with their own eyes. They had even heard Jesus was the Son of God. Yet they did not believe.

Jesus heard them grumbling, heard their complaints, even heard their discord, but he still had compassion upon them. He said, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. John 6: 47-48 niv. He offered them life, still they did not believe.

There were many that day returning to their homes still in disbelief in what they saw. Or worst yet, they believed, but turned back to their old ways.

All that is asked of us is to believe without seeing, trust in His abilities, and have faith in the one true and living God. If we believe that God sent His Son Jesus for our sins, that all who believe upon Him shall not perish but have everlasting life, then we too will be saved.

We don’t need to see with our eyes to believe. The words that He has spoken to us are spirit and life. In faith we believe as we place our confidence in Him.

God Moments

I had the opportunity to attend a small writing conference that offered several mini-workshops. The first day, my friends who were also attending the conference got to the class early. When I arrived, a woman was sitting where I thought I should have been sitting. Though I hate to admit it, I was a little piqued at my friends for not saving me a seat next to them, and a little disturbed at the women sitting in my chair.

After a few minutes of stewing, I told myself, Well ninny, you have an opportunity to meet someone new—go for it.

Not overly anxious to put myself forward because of fear of being rebuffed, I did anyway. I introduced myself. In turn, she did the same. I began making polite conversation with genuine interest. But to my every question or remark she gave a short and to the point answer. My one-way conversation was falling flat and going no where fast. After deciding it wasn’t my breath or smell turning her off, I determined I would continue to be friendly.

After completing a writing exercise, everyone had to read their story. When this woman read her piece, it exposed the reason for our one-way conversation.

From the time she was little, she had a hard time putting thoughts together except on paper, but there she excelled and wrote elegantly. Her learning disability and how she worked to overcome it, was a testimony to her hard work and tenacity. It was also the reason for her short answers to my questions. It wasn’t me or something I said after all. It had everything to do with her inability to articulate her thoughts. I was glad I had continued to be friendly.

Jesus said it so succinctly, If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:47-48 LB

The Bible tells us to put our feelings—our inhibitions—aside, and emulate our Father. We are to be friendly to the friendless. How else are we to reach the lost? So often, that timid person or the person who is a little different than we are is looking for someone to show genuine interest and love and make them feel wanted.
We need to take advantage of those God moments—those appointed meetings. As Christians, we are to reach out to others known and unknown to us. We are to become friendly and show genuine love toward those we meet daily.

Father, when we have the opportunity to be friendly to those we do not know, help us take advantage of those occasions as a God moment for a new friend or witness of your love and compassion. May we look beyond our own familiar group and become available to those in need and alone. Teach us Your ways, Your love, Your kindness towards the lost and lonely. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

Saved Alone

Just about every Christian has heard or even sung the song written first as a poem by Horatio G. Spafford, “It Is Well With My Soul.” That wonderful old hymn came into being due to a tragic loss.

Mr. Spafford received a telegram from his bereaved wife about the lost of their four young daughters at sea due to shipwreck. Her message said, Saved alone.

On his way over to England to be with his wife, as the vessel passed over where the ship went down, it is said that Mr. Spafford penned the verses to the all too familiar song. The first verse says:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,It is well, it is well, with my soul.

How can someone in such tragedy and utter sorrow, say it is well with my soul? Dr. Spafford knew where the foundation of his faith came from. Even though his loss was profound, and his grief deep, he knew God, his Father.

I can’t help but believe that this man of God in the face of the unthinkable, was encouraged by the Word of God. The Word his life was based on. The Word he taught his children to believe in. The Word he now had to stand upon and declare.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. . .Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the Lord, who remains faithful forever. Ps. 1461-2 & 5-6 niv.

God hasn’t promised that when we become a child of His everything will be good and wonderful. No, we are human, made of flesh and blood, and because of the sins of Adam and Eve, we are susceptible to the tragedies of this world. But when those tragedies do come, we don’t have to allow them to affect and rule our life or even steal our joy. We have a peace that passes all understanding. We have a heavenly Father that is touched by our infirmities. We have a Savior that will bear our burdens. If we trust in God our Father, when tragedy comes into our life, then we too can say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

"Who Touched Me?"

Scripture Reading: Mark 5:24-34; Luke 8:40-48

And Jesus said, “Who touched me? . . .” Luke 8:45a

A simple question, or was it?

With the people that were crowded around him, touching and possibly reaching for Him, how could He know? But, the moment the woman, with the issue of blood for twelve years, stretched out her hand and touched His hem she was made whole and He said, “. . . the power has gone out from me.” Luke 8:46b(niv)

Everyday we need to touch Him. We may not have a great need, as this woman did, but in this world that is begging for our attention and our affections, we need daily contact with Christ. We need His power to sustain us through times of testing, trials, and daily living. There is no other power that can banish the effects of this world like the power of Jesus Christ.

Whether Jesus is your only hope for your needs today or you just want His touch in your life, you can reach out and touch Him through your prayers of belief, through the Word of God, and through your praise. Just as the women with the issue of blood had faith to reach out, we need faith to reach out and touch Him and expect results.

Lord, help us today to know that You care and are concerned about us and want the very best for our lives. When we have a need of healing in our spirit, mind or body, please help us to have the faith to reach out and touch the hem of Your garment. We pray this in the wonderful name Jesus. Amen.