Yes. Yes He does. Or... maybe it's not really about God GIVING us more than we can handle, but the fallen world we live in being more than we were created to hold up under. Maybe it's because the first sin, all the sins after, and our own sins that cause consequences that are more than we can bare.
Deadly diseases conquer on bodies, other people's decisions conquer our situations, our own sins conquer our righteousness. We were created in the beginning, in the garden to have perfection. Perfection in ourselves and perfection in our walk with God. The first sin destroyed all of that. Now we live in a fallen world full of "more than we can handle" situations.
If I could handle my life by myself and all of my victories as well as all of my defeats, why would I need a Savior? Why would Jesus die on the cross, restoring my broken relationship with God, if I could do this all on my own? I understand that people get through some really tough stuff without depending on God ... but they do it depending on something or someone. What God wants for us to depend on is Him. He is the only one who can see the WHOLE picture and whether we believe it or not, the One who has the power to transform our circumstance and even more so, our lives.
Ephesians 6:10 talks about the ever raging battle around us against good and evil. Paul wrote this book while experiencing more than he could handle on his own. He was a prisoner in Rome arrested for preaching about God. Paul says this, " 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (This is my favorite part...) 14 STAND FIRM THEN, WITH the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
After I have done all I can do to stand. KEEP standing but not on my own. Stand WITH all of the tools that God has equipped us with to fight the battle against everything against us. It doesn't say stand on your own and hope that everything is going to turn out ok. Hold to TRUTH, PEACE, FAITH, YOUR SALVATION, and GOD's WORD. Paul knew this world was more than he could hold up against, he knew it was more than any of us can hold up against. And I believe that if we forget any one of those items of "armor" we are vulnerable to the attacks of Satan.
Our lives are filled with more than we can handle, but God has equipped us so that WITH and THROUGH HIM we can be more than conquerors.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Cravings
Why is it that anywhere from 9:00 to 11:00 at night do I start craving things... ok, not things... food. Not just any kind of food, but things that aren't good for me - ice cream, chocolate, nachos from taco bell. The other kicker is that my cravings are always things that I don't have in my cabinet or refrigerator. This is probably a blessing in disguise because by this time of night I really don't want to get up and drive somewhere to get whatever food I wish I had.
The human heart craves things too - comfort, security, affection. Unlike my chocolate brownie addiction, these things aren't bad for me. They are molded into us as humans and are part of how God created us. What IS bad, however, is when we turn to places other than God to fulfill our deepest desire for comfort, security and affection. To some extent people in our lives are made to provide that community, belonging and being needed we so desperately want. We should have affection and love within our families and friends. We should feel secure in our homes and relationships. But all of these things at some point can fail and disappoint us, unfortunately can wound and hurt us. They were never intended to reach us to the core of our soul and meet those needs in our heart. That place is reserved for God and him alone.
I believe that at times God removes the comforts and security we have in our lives because we become so dependent on them that we have replaced our need for God. We tend to fill our lives up with people, activities, possessions because there is a need we want met by something, someone, somehow...
We will never be satisfied until we live by this verse:
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge,
my place of safety; he is my God and I trust him.
Psalm 91:2
The human heart craves things too - comfort, security, affection. Unlike my chocolate brownie addiction, these things aren't bad for me. They are molded into us as humans and are part of how God created us. What IS bad, however, is when we turn to places other than God to fulfill our deepest desire for comfort, security and affection. To some extent people in our lives are made to provide that community, belonging and being needed we so desperately want. We should have affection and love within our families and friends. We should feel secure in our homes and relationships. But all of these things at some point can fail and disappoint us, unfortunately can wound and hurt us. They were never intended to reach us to the core of our soul and meet those needs in our heart. That place is reserved for God and him alone.
I believe that at times God removes the comforts and security we have in our lives because we become so dependent on them that we have replaced our need for God. We tend to fill our lives up with people, activities, possessions because there is a need we want met by something, someone, somehow...
We will never be satisfied until we live by this verse:
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge,
my place of safety; he is my God and I trust him.
Psalm 91:2
Monday, August 5, 2013
No Fear
I heard an amazing testimony on Klove this morning. A gentlman called in and explained that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He referred to it as a "bump in the road" and his "testimony". If he was going down with this he would do it in a way that was going to bring glory to God. And if he was going to live and survive it would be all for God's glory. He said he had nothing to fear because either way, it was all in God's hands.
I don't know how everyone else reacts, but when the doctor in the ER mentioned cancer as a small possibility with Brayden's cyst... I was not thinking to myelf, "eh, just another bump in the road". And why not? Fear. It's fear that strangles out that kind of faith. I'm not saying that cancer is no big deal... or that life's struggles are no big deal. They are huge and sometimes they mean life or death. Grieving is real, pain is real. Life is difficult and struggles can hurt. But I need to remember to live out of faith and not out of fear. God's got me in his hands and there's no better place to be.
Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
For me, fear comes because of my lack of control over a situation. I have no control over my children's health and future, job hirings or firings, what others can say or do to me, how people react, or what any day of my life holds for me ... But, God is holding me. And just like this man on Klove, I DO have control over choosing fear or choosing faith.
I don't know how everyone else reacts, but when the doctor in the ER mentioned cancer as a small possibility with Brayden's cyst... I was not thinking to myelf, "eh, just another bump in the road". And why not? Fear. It's fear that strangles out that kind of faith. I'm not saying that cancer is no big deal... or that life's struggles are no big deal. They are huge and sometimes they mean life or death. Grieving is real, pain is real. Life is difficult and struggles can hurt. But I need to remember to live out of faith and not out of fear. God's got me in his hands and there's no better place to be.
Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
For me, fear comes because of my lack of control over a situation. I have no control over my children's health and future, job hirings or firings, what others can say or do to me, how people react, or what any day of my life holds for me ... But, God is holding me. And just like this man on Klove, I DO have control over choosing fear or choosing faith.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Deserts and Desserts
A teacher explained to my class one time how to know the difference in spelling between desert and dessert. You always want more dessert, so it has and extra "s". I usually do want more dessert, more good and sweet things in my life. Who doesn't? :)
The best "good" in my life, the one thing I should always want more of is Jesus. And I find myself seeking and craving him the most when I'm in the deserts of my life. David wrote this when he was in the desert of Judah, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Sometimes we find ourselves in yucky place in life. Bad things happen ... even tragic things happen. They don't happen without God knowing and allowing them. That's hard to swallow and understand for me sometimes, but I do believe that there is always a purpose and reason God has for bringing us to the desert. It's in the desert that we usually find our "dessert" :) The sweetness of depending on God, of growing in our faith and becoming dependent on Him for our next step, our next breath, our hope.
May it not take a desert to make me crave the dessert. May I desire God and cling to Him in all of my circumstances all the time.
The best "good" in my life, the one thing I should always want more of is Jesus. And I find myself seeking and craving him the most when I'm in the deserts of my life. David wrote this when he was in the desert of Judah, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Sometimes we find ourselves in yucky place in life. Bad things happen ... even tragic things happen. They don't happen without God knowing and allowing them. That's hard to swallow and understand for me sometimes, but I do believe that there is always a purpose and reason God has for bringing us to the desert. It's in the desert that we usually find our "dessert" :) The sweetness of depending on God, of growing in our faith and becoming dependent on Him for our next step, our next breath, our hope.
May it not take a desert to make me crave the dessert. May I desire God and cling to Him in all of my circumstances all the time.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
But even if He does not
I've been reading through the Bible and when I come across familiar Bible "stories" that we learned as kids in Sunday School, I ask God to give me a new perspective ... or show me something I have never noticed before.
Today I was reading in Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the blazing furnace. Verse 17 and 18 really spoke to me today. These three men were willing to worship God no matter what. Even in facing death they would not back down and worship the idols of the king. That kind of faith in itself is pretty incredible, but if you read closely it goes even deeper. It's the faith in God's choices, His decisions as to what He decides is the outcome of our lives, of our cirmcumstances, of our situations.
This is what they tell the king," If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up".
God has the ability to do more than we can imagine. He can move every mountain in my life, every valley I'm facing, grant me success, bless me beyond measure. God can defeat the giants, calm the storm, protect my skin in the blazing furnance. He can save me from my enemies, crush Satan's schemes against me, and part the waters for me to cross on dry land.
But... Even if He does not...
Even if He does not, will I doubt that He cares, wonder if he hears me when I cry out to Him, question His love .. His goodness ... His compassion on me - His daughter. Even if He does not, will I seek comfort in things that will bring me temporary relief and happiness but in the end leave me empty and wanting something more.
Or like these men, will I stand before those around me and say, I will worship God. I will love Him and serve Him and pray that the love and life He gives me pours out to those around me until they see His goodness and joy and peace in my life that comes from God alone. Even if He does not ... I will not turn away from God.
Today I was reading in Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the blazing furnace. Verse 17 and 18 really spoke to me today. These three men were willing to worship God no matter what. Even in facing death they would not back down and worship the idols of the king. That kind of faith in itself is pretty incredible, but if you read closely it goes even deeper. It's the faith in God's choices, His decisions as to what He decides is the outcome of our lives, of our cirmcumstances, of our situations.
This is what they tell the king," If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up".
God has the ability to do more than we can imagine. He can move every mountain in my life, every valley I'm facing, grant me success, bless me beyond measure. God can defeat the giants, calm the storm, protect my skin in the blazing furnance. He can save me from my enemies, crush Satan's schemes against me, and part the waters for me to cross on dry land.
But... Even if He does not...
Even if He does not, will I doubt that He cares, wonder if he hears me when I cry out to Him, question His love .. His goodness ... His compassion on me - His daughter. Even if He does not, will I seek comfort in things that will bring me temporary relief and happiness but in the end leave me empty and wanting something more.
Or like these men, will I stand before those around me and say, I will worship God. I will love Him and serve Him and pray that the love and life He gives me pours out to those around me until they see His goodness and joy and peace in my life that comes from God alone. Even if He does not ... I will not turn away from God.
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