Feeling Weak? Borrow God's Strength!

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40: 29

Many days can go by when one feels helpless. When nothing works out according to our plans, you feel put upon, embattled, weak. When the bill collectors are calling and threatening, and there is no money to give them, you just feel hopeless and powerless. Most people have been in this spot. I could give many more instances of feeling weak and powerless, but the fact is, we are never weak. And God is the most powerful and wants to help you.

Time and again, when you read God's word, you get promises that God will work it out. At the end of it all, we have to continue to trust in Him. When you feel bereft of hope and sapped of strength, look to God and use His strength to see you through. Despite everything appearing to be on the verge of being lost and/or destroyed, our trust should be in him. If you are sick, trust in God, not the doctors or medicine. Take the medicine and listen to the doctors, but your trust of healing is in God. (Sometimes it must be said plainly cuz you know.) Need justice? Trust God, not the lawyer or the judicial system. Even if both fail, He won't. 

It seemed like this week was one of those weeks where nothing was going to go right. I made two major mistakes. One was costly, and the other was avoided by an understanding person. As I began to focus on the loss and feeling so helpless, I remembered that would only lead to despair. I quickly began praising God, and thanking Him for His blessings. 

I trust God that everything will work out. When I feel weak, God is my strength. As His word says "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." (Psalm 28:7 NKJV) No matter the situation, He provides strength and we need to trust Him. Then whatever the trial or tribulation, we can endure it because our God is most capable of handling our situation. 

Think on this: recall for just a moment everything you have gone through and gotten through. Bad grades, untrustworthy friends, cheating boyfriends, lying girlfriends, shady co-workers, horrible bosses, bad investments, lost homes, lost wages, unscrupulous bill collectors, surgery, broken bones, horrific car accidents, and this list could go on. It left you feeling weak, but did He not bring you out? You thought you would never get out of that hole didn't you? Sometimes we forget about all of the things we've gotten out of and the things we were freed from. This is nothing new. And even if this situation is your first bad one or it's the worst ever, you will get out of it. You are your own witness. The bible is filled with many more. Draw your strength from God, and He will carry you through. We are overcomers by His blood and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11)

How has His strength helped you?

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

This Just In: Worry Can Make You Sick!

Do not fret--it only causes harm.

Psalm 37:8b

When I was younger, I did not worry. I caused other people to worry, but I didn't worry. Then before it became the fashionable thing to do, I lost my job. And the next thing I knew I joined the worry bandwagon. But worry ain't doing a thing for me. My pity parties are not fun. I am attracting the wrong people, and now I hear worry can make me sick?! No, I need off that bandwagon. It ain't for me. How about you?

It must drive God nuts when we constantly bombard him with pleas. All throughout the bible we are admonished to not worry. We are told to seek other things. Worried? Forget about that. Seek His wisdom. Why are you fretting when you should trust God? 

I have heard it all before. I have even said if you are worried, you are not trusting God. In 2009, I was so strong in my thinking that God will provide that my friends thought I was losing my mind. (I am not saying I am this big dog strong Christian, but I had to have my mind made up, you feel me?) We all watched with baited breath as time ticked away, and services was cut off. Then another job came through. Like I said, He was either going to save me or He wasn't. And if He didn't, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV) tells us: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own troubles. I remember back then when my friends thought I was nuts, I had a conversation with one of them and at the time she told me about that verse. I had no idea why she gave me that since I wasn't worried. If she heard worry in my voice, then thank you. But I was standing my ground. So, in my mind, I was not worried.

Flash forward two years, and I am standing on His word. It is hard out there for everybody, but I look at others who have lost or were losing everything, and how they worked through the worry. I think of the woman and her sons when her husband died and the bill collectors came to collect everything including her sons. She believed the prophet of God when he said get all of your oil, and sell it. The oil never ran out and all of the bills were paid. Each of us need to listen to what God is saying. Christ told us to not let our hearts be troubled, but to trust in God and trust in Him (John 14:1). 

The widow and her son had just enough food to have one last meal, when Elijah was sent to her. And he told her she would not run out until it rained again if she took care of him. I am not saying run out and make sure your pastor has food. I am saying it is all in God's hands. (Sometimes you have to make it clear, cuz you know.) 

You don't even have to pray about it. Sometimes I feel like God isn't there, when in fact, He's probably closer than He's ever been. Yeah, I did join the bandwagon, because a few of my avenues had been cut off. But I forgot. That seems to be a trend for me. I keep forgetting His blessings, and seriously, how? I waver, and maybe it's just me. (You all got it goin' on, so just give me a sec and let me continue assuming we all worry.) We waver, in spite of all that He is done. Behaving just like the children of Israel when they were in the desert. There was manna and quail. There was a cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire at night. They still had moments of disbelief. They saw the Red Sea part. They walked on dry ground while fishes flew by their heads. But they had their doubt. They questioned. They murmured and complained. They also got left in the desert. 

So I read about them, and I go over His promises, and when new scripture is illuminated for me like Psalm 37:8b, I get my mind back in order, and stand on His promises and give Him praise for what He's done; what He's going to do; and because He is God. I remember those God has helped throughout the bible, and I take myself back to when He helped me. I remember and I am back to my "crazy" ways. He has it under control. 

How has God helped you? Who are your witnesses? Do you sometimes forget? is it just me?

Be encouraged and blessed!

Understanding Is Key!

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

When I was younger, maybe about six or seven years ago, I heard a preacher say "God ain't call you to understand, He called you to stand!" Back then I liked what I heard, so it joined my growing repertoire of sayings and phrases. I recall being in a meeting, and one member of the group was trying to figure out something I needed all of them to do. I know they mentioned the word "understanding," because it triggered the phrase, and I said "He ain't call you to understand, He called you to stand!" Yeah. Of course, they said nothing in return, and it wasn't until recently that Proverbs 4:7 came back to me. 

Thing is, most people need that understanding. There are certain things you need to stand on: faith, His word, and His promises. I'm sure that is what the preacher meant, but I was too immature to hear it that way and then I used it inappropriately. 

A lot of people don't want to think, especially on trivial things. We want things easy peasy: insert problem, out comes the solution. Talk with your pastor, minister, teacher, priest and they will pray on it and it will get solved. It is not that easy. I have had many pastors, and one of them would stand at the front of his church after service, and a line would form. Some people expressed gratitude, most, however, would come with their problems. And he would receive each and every one of them. Sometimes he prayed over them right then and there, other times he gave words of encouragement. 

Another of my pastors would have none of that. After service was over, he was in his office. If you needed to talk to somebody, you better grab one of the associate ministers or deacons. And if you happen to grab him, you told him your problem, and the first thing out of his mouth, "What does God's word say? or Have you read your bible?" I won't lie. I thought that was such a cop-out. I would compare the two, and deem the kind minister who spent long minutes helping his congregation after service better.

But then a thought occurred to me: "why aren't you up there?" My answer would be because my problems aren't that tough. Other times my answer was "I've prayed over it and I am leaving it to God." Now, on occasion I have heard some of the requests, and yes, some of them, in my mind, were trivial things. But to that person it was major. I also understand wanting another person to be in agreement with you as you take it to God. But remember what I said about wanting things easy? Lots of people just take it to the pastor, minister, deacon, and teacher and leave it there. How many of you Christians have a friend who you only hear from when they have issues? People want to do the easy things. And as my other former pastor questioned, they will not read their bible. More on that on another day.

And getting wisdom? Whoo doggy. If you are not sighing with me, you haven't really tried to get wisdom. Look at Solomon, he was the wisest person on earth. And in his old age, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Throughout his life, he lived for wisdom. He tried everything in search of wisdom. And Ecclesiastes is depressing. Because sometimes that wisdom hurts. 

Recently, I have had a co-worker and a friend lament the terrible misdeeds of so-called friends. They have told me about friends who lied to them and excluded them. And for them it hurt. Gaining that knowledge or the truth provided each of them with the opportunity to gain wisdom. What will be hard is the understanding. But really, when you get the understanding, life is better.

Solomon got all that wisdom by doing everything under the sun, but at the end, he understood that the only wisdom he needed was Godly wisdom. I have had friends lie, use, and exclude me. I have had co-workers take credit for my work. I have been accused and mistreated. Some of my friends, I understand why they did what they did. Nope, I did not like it but I understood. And forgave them or I'm in the process of forgiving. And because of all that hurt, you found out who really will pray for you. You find out who really will help. 

God wants us to have wisdom, and He wants us to understand. The understanding may take some time to get, but when you get it, it turns the bitterness of the wisdom into a much treasured sweet. So get godly wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding!

Be encouraged and blessed!