Breaking FREE of FEAR!

I have found over time, that suffering is a part of this life we live.  This suffering takes MANY forms... from personal illness, illnesses of those we love, storms that destroy, marriages torn apart, persecution for your beliefs....Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, suffering became real to us in our everyday lives.  

The "WORLD" would tell you that God does not want you to suffer... that you can have your "Best Life NOW"... it is only for those who don't know Christ that this "Life" here on earth will ever be "Your Best Life Now", because for those in Christ... this is NOT our BEST LIFE... this World does NOT hold our HOPE... it is the ETERNAL KINGDOM OF HEAVEN that sets us apart and gives us HOPE!  

It's when we accept the suffering and look to God for comfort while we're there and trust Him for the endurance to run the race that we find true PEACE.  Philippians 4:7 says: "Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything you can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Everyday trials of the past few months have kept me in my knees for God's Provision.  Most people would say they don't want to "rely" on anyone... but oh the Peace and Comfort you can find when you surrender it all and rely solely on God.  In Matthew 11:28-30 says: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my buren is light."

Each month unexpected financial burdens would crop up... bring with them the fear that if I tithed... I might not have enough to cover all the costs... but I was reminded of Malachi 3:7b "Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts." then says later in Malachi 3:10 "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."  Each and ever month.. there has been enough... ever need has been met, without exception.

After receiving very trying news this week... again, as usual, my flesh was tempted to go back to it's old ways and cling to FEAR!  Oh, how our flesh clings to the lies of the Enemy!  Last night when I was feeling most troubled, weak an broken, a friend posted a short lyric from Natalie Grant... what an amazing reminder of what I needed to do:

"I will stumble, I will fall down

But I will not be moved

I will make mistakes, I will face heartache,

But I will not be moved

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,

all other ground is sinking sand... 

I will NOT be moved!

I decided this morning, to do the one place I KNEW I could find TRUTH... God's Word.  I decided to lay the fear down at the foot of the cross and confidently approach the Throne of Heaven and see what my God had to say..... WOW.... is all I can say!  His Faithfulness NEVER ceases to amaze me!

I found myself in Psalms... which is often the place I go for comfort when my heart feels heavy and my spirit feels tempted to listen to the Enemy.... Here, today, God brought me right to Psalm 138:7-8

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you preserve my life;

you stretch out your hand against the 

wrath of my enemies,

and your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands."

Psalm 139:10 then reminded me: "even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."

When we are IN HIM, we are never APART from Him.  It it only in the moments that we separate ourselves from God, that we feel His absence from our lives.  He NEVER LEAVES US, or FORSAKES us... if we are feeling separated from God... it was NOT Him that moved... it was US!

So today, I will return to how I know best to "Walk in Him".... I will pray through scripture and let God speak to me!  I will pray Psalm 139: 23-24 in my heart, in my thoughts and in my spirit....
"Search me, O God and know my heart!

     Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me

     and lead me in the way everlasting!"

It is our own thoughts that separate us from God.  When you surrender them to God... 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ."  

In the moments when we need Spiritual Strength the most, God gives us everything we need in His Word... The Truth is the Truth, and it's hasn't changed since the beginning of time... if you're needing strength today... open up the Word of God... and read: Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen!"

So now, I will leave you with one of my favorite verses embellished a bit with The Message version:

Proverbs 3:5-12

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go, he's the one who will keep you on track.  Don't assume that you know it all.  Run to God!  Run from evil!  Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!  Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.  Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.  But don't, dear friends, resent God's discipline; 

don't sulk under his loving correction.  It's the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father's delight is behind all this."

Seek Him today ... it is in Him that you will find Comfort, Peace and most importantly... HOPE... 

The only thing STRONGER than fear...... HOPE!

Suffering Well

This week I was asked to write down some of the things I have learned through Counseling & Discipleship the past 6 months… although I have learned and grown far more than what I’ve written… these are the things I have fresh on my mind this week.  I’ll continue to ponder, write and share more as God inspires me to!  I pray God will bless you with these words as He has me!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, BUT NOT crushed; perplexed, BUT NOT in despair; persecuted, BUT NOT abandoned; struck down, BUT NOT destroyed. (emphasis added)

How has God shown His excellent Power through me?

1) His strength has been made perfect in my weakness.

2) He has shown me that I'm a work in progress, and that I can see Him most clearly defined when I'm in my deepest valleys.

3) He's taught me to rely on Him FIRST... Which for me has been a big lesson.  in the past when I was faced with difficulties or serious decisions to make, I would talk about it to everyone.  Now, I am "still" before Him FIRST, pray, wait, pray some more, then seek wise counsel in or or two for confirmation.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Farther of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

It is through the suffering that God has been growing me and will ond day be able to use me to comfort others who have suffered in similar ways.

Learning to Suffer Well.... now THAT has been an interesting journey.

I'll start by what I've learned I am NOT:

1) I am NOT self-sufficient

2) I am NOT self-sustaining

3) I am NOT Independent

4) I am NOT autonomous

As long as I believe myself to be these things, the farther I separate myself from God.  ONLY GOD IS ALL THOSE THINGS!

Luke 12:28-31

But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow it thrown into the over, how much more will he clothe you.  O you of little faith!  And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.  For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

I've learned that God is the ultimate source of provision for all things.  God provides for everyone and everything.  I not longer let myself sit and worry about tomorrow... Tomorrow will take care of itself.  I don't "got it", But God DOES!  God has shown me that worry produces NOTHING & accomplishes NOTHING!

Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

I think most of all, I've learned that God is all around me, inside of me.  If I listen, there's a still small voice of truth, leading me, talking to me, and telling me that I can SEE God's face, FEEL His presence and TRUST in His love... (See, Feel, Trust)  Three little words... my new best friends!

Life is about faith, relationships, character and integrity.  God has a purpose and calling for me that goes far beyond the circumstances of life that surround me at times.  These truths are slowly becoming my new heartbeat, the foundation of my future life.  

I have learned that my value, purpose, true identity and self worth come from one and only one source: GOD!

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good:

And what does the Lord require of you, But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Pastor Brad said it so perfectly in his sermon yesterday:

"You stop trying to be so strong- and you learn to embrace weakness and uncertainty,   KNOWING that's when Jesus gets put on display most fully in your life!"

https://www.graceky.org/index.php?  option=com_preachit&tmpl=component&id=366&view=videopopup  

Yes, I have been Hard Pressed on every side, BUT NOT crushed

I've been Perplexed, BUT NOT in despair or without Hope

I've been Persecuted, BUT NOT forsaken or abandoned by my God

I've been Struck Down, BUT NOT destroyed!

God NEVER lets me walk alone... I just lost sight of Who He is and who I am IN HIM!

Sometimes the only way OUT... is THROUGH... and He's leading me every step of the way!

Something New

I've said for years that I wanted to start writing again... it's funny how time seems to allude us!  Life has a way of taking us for a ride. My ride has been filled with ups and downs, twists and turns and plunges that seemed to never end.  The greatest blessing in it all has been the FAITH that the light at the end of the tunnel is never completely out of reach.


The last 4 years have been filled with tragedy and loss, but in the midst of the darkness there have been sweet moments of victory and joy, grace and mercy and much growth.  I have come to believe that it is in our darkest valleys that we grow the most.  It's in those moments alone in the dark that God's light shines brightest.  It is those times that we see God clearly, where we learn to be Still and Listen.  


A new friend asked if I had a Blog where I shared my testimony and the story of our lives.  I guess I have not created a blog before now because I thought I didn't have much to share.  Now I can see, through God's Grace, that I was wrong.  
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says:
³  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.


As Christians, we can expect to suffer as Christ did, but also.. as Christians we are never without Hope.  God is with us through it all.  As I have come through to the other side of suffering, I can see now that He used all the circumstances we have endured not only to strengthen us, but also to give Hope and Strength to others who are in the midst of their own storms.


The greatest lesson I've learned can be summed in a passage that has come to mean much to me:
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We areafflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.


Our circumstances do not define who we are, our Heart does!  I take joy in the trials we have come through because without them, I would not have come to know my Savior with such intimacy, now would I have come to truly trust and rely on Him for all things.  He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me!  I couldn't always see Him while I was standing in the middle of the storm, but I can look back now and see the Fingerprints of God all over our lives.  He never once let us walk alone!


So as this first post comes to an end.... I pray that there will be someone out there that finds hope in these words and will come along with me on this new journey.... as I share "The story of us" just 4u!


"Until the Whole World Hears......"
~Heather