Ps 37:39

 

39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord ;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

NKJV

 

Life can be tiring. Take yesterday for instance.  I was wearing all of my "hats" that day.  I was trying to finish my billable contacts  for my social work job, typing my case notes, washing clothes, tidying the house, planning for an upcoming ministry event this Saturday night; one on Sunday morning; one on Sunday night; some quarterly scheduling for church, paying bills and running errands.   This necessitated a trip to a town 45 minutes away.  One of my kids (who, because I am merciful, shall remain nameless) was out of sorts all day. I was constantly counseling, threatening, warning and disciplining.  Life can be tiring!  By the end of the day all of this blog I could eek out was two sentences.

 

The frustrations of life can not only leave you tired,  but weak as well.  It can zap our strength and leave us feeling weary and unmotivated.   I am so  grateful  that my salvation does not depend upon me.  God is my strength in times of trouble.

 

He reveals His strength to me in so many ways.  In innumerable ways, really.  When the harried(ness) of my day could cause me to have a total fit of carnality, I feel Him holding me together.  When I am at the end of myself, He is there!  When I no longer know which end is up, He  is there.  In Him, and Him alone, I live, move and have by being.

 

On the way home from such a day, I turned out some praise music and immediately, I felt Him rain down His love and compassion on me.  Like a frantic child being soothed by a parent, I felt the Lord holding me near and assuring me that everything was going to be alright.  We expect the Lord to show up on our behalf when we are facing major life catastrophes.  But I am grateful that He offers His strength on days that it is just the little things that cause me to fray!

 

 

 
Dear Lord, You are so good to me!  I thank you and praise You that You are faithful to me, even when I am too stressed to feel You.  Thank you for the strength You give in troubled times.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri

The Companion

    

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord  your God is with you wherever you go."  Josh 1:1-9 (NKJV )

 

 

Be honest.  Do you ever get weary of being strong and courageous?  Yep!  Me too.  Sometimes I fall into temptation to sit down and pout.  I give in to the desire to throw my weapon down and hide in fright. I don't feel strong, I feel weak and exposed.  I don't feel courageous, I feel frightened and timid.  At times like that, it is OK to just go with your feelings, right?

 

Obviously, this is one of those verses that negates our right to act on our feelings.  In fact, it is presented as a command!  Why can't the Lord just let us be who we are?  Because what He has for us is so much better than we can see or perceive when we are weak and weary.  But if we can just hold on to the good report.  If we can just believe the promise, we have such great and precious assurances that He will be with us; He will strengthen us; He will fight for us.

 

Usually, when I feel most lonely is when I feel most vulnerable.  But this verse assures me that I am never alone.   Jesus goes where no other human can go.  If you are  alone in a MRI machine, He is with you. There is no situation too dangerous or cramped for Him to keep you company.

 

Lord, it is  just one of those days.  I need you to show up and be Who you are.  I need Your strength, Your courage, Your presence.  Show Yourself mighty on my behalf.   In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri

 

Tired of Trying?

 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9

Have you ever had a verse grate on your nerves?  This is that verse for me. Perhaps you are lifting your eyebrows in astonishment, saying how on earth could she feel that way about such an encouraging word?  But many of you are nodding with understanding.

The truth is, that the Lord never seems to put this verse in my path until I am so weary in doing good and ready to give up and never think of something again.  It is the human condition to tire, become bored and disgusted.  I think about the night that Jesus was in Gethsemane praying to be delivered from his upcoming betrayal, crucifixion and death.  Even when his burden was at his heaviest, his 11 closest friends on earth became weary and went to sleep, unable to keep watch with him.

It is true that we often become weary in our well-doing and feel like giving up the dream, or letting the project go undone.  But bear in mind that usually when you most feel like you cannot go , that is when you are closest to your harvest.  The old saying that “quitters never win” is true in the spiritual sphere as well.  We have to have tenacity and perseverance if we want to enjoy the good things in life that God has for us.

Let me encourage you today- do not throw in the towel, do not walk away.  You WILL reap a harvest if you keep on.  God has spoken.  And that settles it.

Dear Lord, help me to be a faithful believer.  Give me the strength to stand, and the hope and joy to keep believing.  Give me the grace to see this to the end. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.