Tag: heartache

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A Dozen Promises for Your Day!

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on A Dozen Promises for Your Day!

In 2nd Timothy 1:1-2 Paul said to Timothy “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There’s a song on my heart this morning! Titled Jesus is Coming Soon

Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear
Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake
Humbling your hearts to God saves from the chastening rod
Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will surely sound
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies, heavenward bound

It’s a peppy little tune our choir sings that has your toe tappin’ and your eyes toward the skies because we believe in the twinkling of an eye we truly could be standing in the presence of God. But for now we are here… in this wicked place, with heartache and trouble on every side, and yet…(pause for special effect) there is unspeakable joy within my soul because I have that promise of life that the Apostle Paul spoke of. And as Christ said in John 10:10 it’s life abundantly!

Believe me when I say that I can get down in the dumps, crazy depressed because of situations in life. I’m not a millionaire, I have bills too. Lots of them! I’ve made mistakes, and not just a few. And if I focused on that I’d stay depressed, but it’s in verses like this that I find glory! Paul gave Timothy that threefold blessing that every believer owns and yet so many refuse to take the title.

Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. And Peace comes from knowing that God controls both and that He loves you.

I don’t deserve anything. I came into this world with nothing, and I’ll leave with nothing but God has sure been good to me in the meantime. I could tell, but it takes much too long, of the times that God has pulled my proverbial hinder parts from the fire in amazing ways! That’s called grace. I could also tell you of the times that I was sure my head was on the chopping block and as I cried out for mercy, He answered. And about that peace that Paul mentioned? You often don’t experience peace until you need it. As a young person I tried to imagine what it would be like when I lost a parent. That thought was so painful I couldn’t even fathom it. And then in 2003 my Dad went to Glory and the sweet peace that I experienced in those hours of grief were amazing!

Life’s tough, but we have a promise. How wonderful it is that in these troublesome times to have a promise that is far more sure than anything you’ve ever had your hands on. What is that promise? Here’s a dozen for your day, but there are countless others!

  1. That God is with me wherever I go – Joshua 1:9
  2. If I keep my mind on Him, I’ll have that perfect peace – Isaiah 26:3
  3. He’ll never leave us or forsakes us!  - Hebrews 13:5
  4. His peace will pass all understanding – Philippians 4:7
  5. He cares for me – I Peter 5:7
  6. All things work together for my good – Romans 8:28
  7. In this world I’ll have trouble, but in Christ we have victory over it or through it– John 16:33
  8. I can escape temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:13
  9. God will supply all my needs – Philippians 4:19
  10. If I ask for wisdom God will supply it – James 1:6
  11. I’m forgiven of all – 1 John 1:9
  12. I will have eternal life – I John 5:11

There are so very, very many more, that’s just a few! I even provided the links so you can read them yourselves. Isn’t God’s Word grand! These are troubling times, but God is faithful. Do you have a need that I can lift to the Lord for you? It would be an honor if you’d let me know!

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Caution! God at Work

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Heartache and sorrow are never in short supply. Turn on the news or scroll through a few Facebook posts and you’ll see every shape and kind from local, national to world levels. Some of them created by nature, others self-inflicted, many just happenstances of life, but all with purpose. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

All things work…

Life is a process. It is seldom seen until afterwards the intricate details that God worked into and through a circumstance in life to bring a specific event to pass. But it’s always amazing! Words that I gleaned from Psalm 46:1 this morning is “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God is always present, but in times of trouble He is “very present!” That’ll put a shout in your soul! He is as close as a breath away waiting for you to run into His arms (our refuge) and allow Him to carry the burden (our strength). It is not by accident that we turn to God in times of duress. The Bible is full of examples of both times when God used struggles to turn a wayward soul back to Him or allow a discouraged soul to see His power.

Our lives are much like a construction site, but rather than seeing the sign “men at work” you’ll see the sign “God at work.” He makes His presence known. He’ll place barriers to prevent you from going over a cliff (or making a bad decision). He’ll create a mudslide of events that will have you on a fast slope that seemingly leads to nowhere, only to have you end up standing somewhere thinking, “Wow, that’s my God!” That invisible hardhat you’re wearing is the helmet of salvation. You see, God takes care of His own…

 “To them that love God” there is a purpose in all things.

What if you don’t know God? Then you need a hardhat!

  1. ~ Admit you’re a sinner and you have a debt to pay. – Romans 3:23
  2. ~ Believe that Jesus paid that debt, once and for “all”. – Romans 6:23
  3. ~ Confess (meaning to agree) that Jesus was crucified for your sin, arose the third day and now is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you. – Romans 10:9-10
  4. ~ Decide. Heaven or Hell. It’s that simple.

God did not promise there would be no heartache in the lives of those who serve Him. But He did promise He’d be a very present help! Woohoo! It’s great having a friend in a high place. Do you know Him?

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Problems with Purpose

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I don’t know why it is that every time God pours His blessings out on me I’m surprised. But I just stand in awe!!! I never understood why it was that God would open doors for someone like me to share and encourage others, but He did. I feel like braggin’ on my God this morning. I feel like praising His name and weeping tears of great joy. I feel like there is someone out there reading this blog today that needs to hear about Jehovah God, our Provider, Who is never late but is often right down to the wire on time! I cannot tell you the times that I have shown up for the day dressed in drab, prepared for the funeral and God said put on your coat of many colors girl, I had purpose in your problems!!!

I began to think about those that God brought out of a trial only to make them greater than they could have ever imagined. I want to name a few and remind you of their journey to triumph that began with trouble.

Genesis 21:10, Genesis 22:2

Abraham had already had to send his son Ishmael away, he loved Sarah and Isaac, but the pain he must have felt as he watched Hagar and Ishmael walk away into the wilderness would have overshadowed any joy in that moment.  And then came new news, “You must sacrifice your only son Isaac.” How will he tell Sarah, how we he look into the face of his only child as he binds him and lays him on the wood? Isaac knew the ritual, what fear must have gone through his young mind and heartbreak that his father would allow it; and then… the bleating of a lamb in the thickets… Can you feel the pressure as it lifts from Abraham’s heart. “Jehovah!” Whew! No funeral here!

Genesis 50:20

As a young man Joseph feels God on his life, he’s dreamed dreams and perhaps he told them with a little more pride than he should have, but he knew in his heart they were of God. He’d grown up experiencing the favor of his earthly father and the jealousy of his siblings but never in a million years did he dream his brothers would betray him and hurt their farther in such a manner. But they did. Held captive by Pharaoh, imprisoned for crimes he did not commit and still in the pit of his soul he knew God had a plan, but it sure was rough hanging onto that hope in the damp darkness of the night. But favor came again. And he rose up into power and position and with godly wisdom saved his people from certain famine and death. It had to have been bitter sweet when he stood before his brothers and said, “You meant it for evil but God used it for his glory.” The heartache washed away with the tears as he finally understood God’s plan. No funerals here!!

John 11:43

Lazarus’s sisters sobbed with heartbreak at the death of their brother. They’d cried out to the Lord to save him, they’d believed in faith that He would. Healing never came but the funeral day did. As Jesus arrived they may have felt both joy and sorrow; failing to understand how their faith had not been enough. Seeing Christ weep would again bring a flood of emotion in the sisters, “But He’s God; if God cries it can’t be good!” And then He speaks “Lazarus, come forth.” No funeral here either!!!

God’s purpose in problems was sometimes a nail biting, pit in your stomach, ready to throw up experience. But when the plan is finally unveiled there are tears of joy and jubilation. Your problems have purpose. Keep holding on and waiting for Christ to come on the scene and say “Dry your eyes child… and watch!” I can say that from the other side of many journeys in the faith. Hold on!!!!

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Whoso is wise, do this…

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owlPsalm 107 begins in verse 1-2 ~ “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;”

And then ends in verse 43 with “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.”

The verse between 1 through 43 are filled with trouble and deliverance, backsliding and redemption, sorrow brought to rejoicing and again and again the psalmist reminds the reader that “men should praise the Lord.” I will not tell you that through every heartache and sorrow I have shouted the house down. I’ve shouted neither for joy, nor have I shouted for complaint… I fear God too much for that. Oh, I’ve whined; believe me! But how do you get in that attitude of praise when you’re in the midst of the storm sea?

I went to sleep last night praying God would remove a heartache, and I awoke this morning praying likewise and then I began to ponder the what if’s in my life; possibly with a little help from Satan, or the flesh I’m not sure. What if this would happen or that? What if it gets worse than this, what now? And then I had an urge to begin thanking God for the morning. I didn’t stop there, I thanked Him for family, friends, my home, right down to the coffee in my cup! …and then it happened. Whoooooooshhhhhhhhh. That ever calming breath that comes from the Lord calmed the waters of my soul. Whoso is wise…

Observe ~ look around you and see all that you have to be thankful for. Yes there is heartache, but so much greater than the troubles of the day is our Lord. In His providential ways He can speak peace into existence. The storm may be raging, but the soul of a saint of God can be stilled just as easily as the storm at sea.

Understand ~ boy, that’s tough sometimes. Understanding doesn’t always know why something is, or when it will end, sometimes its believing that God’s in control of it. I don’t understand how electricity works, but I believe when I hit the switch the lights will appear. I don’t know how God works, but I understand that He does, and He does it on my behalf. I fully believe that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28), but I still might whine about it. God’s lovingkindness is immeasurable. I fail, He forgives. I hurt, He heals. I mess up, He fixes it.

How’s your sea this morning? Feeling a little nauseous? Start praising God …whooooshhhh… Peace be still my soul. Amen. Let me know how God is working in your life.