Posted in Bible Journaling, Faith, Fear, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

What to do when the Walls close in

Written by talk2shari Published June 20, 2016 Discussion Leave a Comment

It’s a dreadful feeling to feel like the walls of life are closing in on you from within and without. I’m a frequent flyer with that emotion because I’ve a constant supply of things on my plate. I’m not the authority of teaching how to prevent it, although in my heart I’m relatively sure I know the answer (God). But my only problem with telling people “no” is that it always comes out of my mouth, “No… I wouldn’t mind.” Followed by the wall of emotion and the thought running through my mind, “What were you thinking!” But then…I finish the task at hand and that oozy goozy feeling that occurs when you’ve helped someone out comes over me and the overwhelmed feeling goes away…until tomorrow.

This morning as I pondered the 20 things I have on my plate and the three I have time for, the verse in Exodus stirred my soul with a word from Heaven. The wall of water for which the children of Israel walked through wasn’t to overwhelm them in its vastness or to create fear; it was to make the way while God held the world in its boundaries. And that became my prayer for today. Lord, keep the world in its boundaries and me on the path.

Exodus 14:13 gives us three points to ponder today if your plate is like mine:

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Fear Not

Fear is a marvelous tool of the Devil to stop you in your tracks. It will put the journey of life on hold. I speak truth because I speak with experience. I’ve had some notions in my noggin for several months of a path I’d like to take, but I’ve allowed fear to stop me. Because it’s a great deal of work, and it’s a path I’ve never trod, it’s had me overwhelmed. I didn’t know where to start, even though God’s said go. I have a feeling when the children of Israel seen the sea before them and the Egyptians closing in behind, their apprehension level soared. What had they done?! They even ask Moses “have you taken us away to die?” At least in bondage they weren’t hunted down! That’s how they felt.

Well, that’s how I’ve felt since I began serving the Lord. Hunted. And Satan is a mighty hunter! But Moses give us the second point to ponder…

Stand Still

What?! With the enemy on our tail and you want us to stand still? That doesn’t work for me Lord. I like and need to be busy doing stuff. That’s my response. But my methodical busy work is often undoing what God is doing. The Lord wanted the Israelites to see that it was He who would make the way to their freedom, if they’d just stand still and not try to make another way. And then those miraculous walls went up! The ground was dry, the path was straight and they were going places! But not until they shushed and let God move.

And See

And so they did. They seen the walls go up and Pharaoh’s army go down. They seen what protected them had destroyed the enemy. That’s exciting news for me today, how about you? Rather than looking at the wall closing in, I’ll just stand still and wait for God to do something amazing!

Posted in Life Inspiration

What More Can I say?

Written by talk2shari Published April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 Discussion Leave a Comment

Hebrews 11:32a – And what shall I more say?

The writer of Hebrews asks that question and this morning so do I? I wake up and my mind is pummeled with doubt and frustration and the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart, “Have you looked back at your life lately? When have I ever failed you?” If you’re a child of God that statement just hit you like a ton of bricks. Because God has never failed you. But then I say to you shuck off the bricks, Jesus carries our load.

The writer, who I assume to be Paul, continues on with examples. (vs. 32b-40)

For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Time would fail me as well if I told you of the many times that Jesus pulled my fanny from the fire. Often times with my back pockets singed because I’d just about waited too long to ask Him for help. I hear the song in my mind (Oddly enough it’s the Veggie Tale version) – “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!” That’s not a cartoon quote, that’s bible!

Psalm 66:1-4

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

God knew the Veggie Tales before they were famous. And He knows you and I, and He knows our heartaches and struggles. He has fought our foes, He has shut the mouth of the lions that we were sure would devour us, He has stopped that fire that crackling the thread on our pockets and delivered us time and time again. If you’re honest you can recall, because you remember what an awesome feeling it was when you were raised to life again!

I love, love, love verse 40 where God says “God having provided some better thing for us.” How awesome is that!

Glory I just wrote myself happy!

Are you struggling with something today? As my finger hits the last key on this blog, I’m praying for you. I’m asking my God (and yours) Who is so great and so mighty, believing there is nothing my God cannot do.

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Posted in Christian Service, Grace, Leadership, Life Inspiration

When You Can’t Fix What’s Broken

Written by talk2shari Published March 29, 2016March 29, 2016 Discussion Leave a Comment

I absolutely love serving the Lord and I love serving people but when you’re in the business of serving you’re suddenly expected to be all things to all people. And if you’ve recently ask me to do something, this is seriously not about you, this is about me. But it may be for you, because you may be like me, and that my friend is a scary place to be.

I’m a fixer. If I see a problem I need to fix it now. My life and problems go on hold and the immediate problem before me is the task at hand, which explains a lot about my life. The problem with being a fixer is I’m not always qualified, which doesn’t stop me nor seem to matter because I’m pretty sure I got this. I think someone needs to start a group called “Fixers Anonymous,” but then the meeting would probably be dominated by us trying to fix each other and we personally would never get fixed. Wow… I just gave myself a headache. But it’s a true story and it’s on my heart today.

I’ve just discovered that I can’t fix everything. I’m still partly in denial, so don’t mention it if you happen to see me.

So what’s a fixer to do when something’s broken that’s irreparable… like a heart or relationship?

In Philippians 4:6, Paul writes “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Be careful for nothing… meaning, don’t be full of care, don’t be stressed. Usually by the time I get around to reading a verse like this, I’m already past the point of stress, but it still doesn’t mean I shouldn’t follow through with the rest of God’s plan. Regardless of what it is, (everything) should be taken to God in prayer. That conversation portal to Heaven that we tend to forget how big a deal it is. With the first utterance of His name, spoken aloud or just in your mind, you are ushered by the Holy Spirit into the presence of God. That’s powerful! How awesome that with a breath you can be before He Who can fix it all. It is there that we can plead our case (supplication) and tell God everything that we feel nobody else in the world wants to hear, but God wants to hear it. Not because He doesn’t know already what’s going on, but because He wants us to believe on Him to fix the problem, or possibly help us through when the problem is there for another reason we weren’t meant to understand.

Today I’m in a quandary with a problem I can’t fix because it’s not my problem. God doesn’t want me to stop caring, which is what I’m trying to do, it seems that would be an easier fix. It’s unfortunately not a part of my DNA. Because when the Holy Spirit came into my heart and filled me to the brim with Jesus I also was filled to the brim with care. That’s what makes me want to be a fixer in the first place. So there seems to be two kinds of care. Stress – the wrong kind. And Concern – the kind that drives you into the arms of Jesus, Father, Friend and Fixer. Who understands that you’re a fixer because you’re trying as best you can in this feeble body to be like Him. And today you feel like you’re failing miserably.

So I’m thankful. That I can lean on Him and when I can’t fix the problem, I can fix my eyes on Him and He’ll guide me through until the problem is past.

Are you a fixer? Are you in midst of a problem. Take it to Jesus and leave it there, He’s got the tool box.

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Posted in Christian Service, Life Inspiration

He knows my Limitations

Written by talk2shari Published March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 Discussion Leave a Comment

Matthew 6:24

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Probably one of the most misused verses to date in my life. Yes, I know there are many, many misused verses, but this is one that I (personally) keep hearing again and again, but only in part. “No man can serve two masters.” Being used most of the time to insinuate people are serving another god if they don’t do what someone thinks they should do. Scripture taken out of context is a dangerous game. If you read the entire chapter of Matthew 6, there’s a lot packed in there for the believer struggling with life and living by faith. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I’ve had to work my entire adult life, so when leaving that station in life (or rather having it leave me) faith was amped up to a new level. And I’d be a liar if I told you it’s been easy. It’s an every other day thing. About every other day I have faith. The other day is a doubt day, filled that way by myself and Satan who always has plenty to contribute. So when I read in Matthew 6

²⁵Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

You are what you eat and fashion makes the man the world says, and guilt is laid on pretty thick. And so I keep reading 26-32

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

And then I am reminded, God know my needs and He knows my desires, but better than all that He knows my limitations. So He gives me some instruction that was Manna for the day for me.

Verses 33-34

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God is limitless. America defines success by the dollar. And that’s where verse 24 comes into context. The other god is money. Hey, I like money! I’ve prayed for money. I need it to pay my bills and when I don’t have it, I get scared. But I cannot allow money to define who I am and how I serve; then I’m serving it and “it” is a god. It’s ruling my decisions and those decisions may put me out of the will of God and that’s scarier than being broke.

But if I seek the Kingdom of God, desiring first to find Him, all of a sudden life’s purpose becomes very clear.

The wise Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:11-13

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Knowledge and money may protect you from the elements of life that can be seen, but around the bend for which we cannot see, and must travel by faith, lies limitless blessings, that shouldn’t ever be traded for the things of today.

God’s got this…

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Posted in Uncategorized

Determination for the Day!

Written by talk2shari Published October 18, 2013October 18, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

A Psalm of Determination

Psalm 27:13-14 ~ I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

I highly recommend you read the whole Psalm 27, only 14 verses, but it help you gain an understanding of where David’s coming from. He’s determined in his heart that, come what may, “God’s got this.” The whole world can walk out on him, family can leave him, the enemy can set their mind on destruction but he will continue on doing what he’s called to do and he’ll do it in confidence. Not because he’s a mighty warrior, but because he serves a mighty God. Not because he’s got great wisdom, but because He serves the God of all wisdom. David said he’d have passed out if he didn’t believe that he would see the goodness of God, the victory!

Been there? Where you just want to “wake up when it’s over.” Frustration has mounted to the point that you think it’s going to topple over and crush you. It’s blocked your vision of all else, especially hope of a good end and then you hear…“Wait.” A four letter word in the vocabulary of someone like me who doesn’t understand why anyone would want to wait, when you could leap. So God says it again, because He knows I likely won’t listen to the first one. “wait, I say, on the Lord.”

This is a very short blog post this morning, I have to be on the road at 5:30 a.m. But I didn’t want to start my day without an encouraging thought. I’ve had a couple of hard knocks this week. Nothing major in the scope of life, but none the less a thorn in my side that I really would like God to remove. But I hear “wait, I say, on the Lord.” I’d still rather jump. But if I put my confidence in Him (that’s courage) He’ll give me strength to wait. Waiting takes restraint. Again… something I’m not very good at. But I’ll wait. Because God said, “it’s good, not I’m good.” He knows me, and praise His Holy Name, I know Him.