Tag Archives: hope

September 18, 2013 · 8:02 AM

Fixing Your Life

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As I was pulling out of the parking lot at work yesterday, I felt God tell me to go the opposite direction that I should have. So I turned left instead of right. About a block away I saw a young lady trying to change her tire. I pulled up beside her and asked if she needed help. She was clearly frustrated and said, “At this point, I don’t think I can turn down help.” She had been trying to place the jack under the car in order to raise it up. She had it in position, but was having trouble turning the knob that lifted the jack.

I looked over at the styrofoam block that contained her jack and noticed there was an empty hole where the jack bar was supposed to be. I asked her where that was, but she didn’t know. I tried once or twice turning the knob by hand, but didn’t have the required strength to do it. I went to my car, got the jack out of it, slid it under her car and quickly raised it. In no time her spare was on and we were both able to head out. Having the right tool made all the difference.

I started thinking that’s how life is. When we get stranded on the side of life’s road broken down, we get frustrated trying to fix it without the right tools. We don’t try to flag anyone down to help us until we’re at the end of our rope. This lady had tried to call family members, but no one answered when she called. She didn’t know what else to do, but to keep trying even though it didn’t make sense. In the end, she was tired, worn out, upset and ready to give up.

I’ve been there in life. I lacked the strength and tools to make the changes necessary to get my life back on the road and moving again. I laid down in my living room and cried out to God, “I can’t do it! I don’t know how!” He met me there and said, “Finally.” I thought it was a strange response. He said, “Finally you’ve given up trying to do this in your own strength. Now try doing it in my strength. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” I had to come to the realization that we weren’t made to handle all the troubles and cares of this life on our own. He told us over and over in His Word to cast our cares and burdens on Him, but we don’t get it.

He has the tools necessary to fix your life when you don’t. He has the strength needed to pick you up when you don’t. He has always given us the choice to continue struggling on our own or to rely on His strength. It’s just a matter of when each one of us makes the realization for ourselves that we need Him to help us. It took a while for me to learn how to walk in His strength. I’m still learning, but I’m getting better at calling out to Him sooner for help. What will it take to get you to the point where you can’t turn down His help?

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September 17, 2013 · 7:57 AM

Out Of The Hole

It’s hard for me to believe that next week I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the lowest point of my life. I know it seems odd to celebrate such an event, but for me, it was a turning point in my life. It was the moment when I refused to go any lower than I was and made the decision that I would claw my way out of the hole that I was in no matter how much effort it took and no matter how long it took. I’m still clawing my way out of that hole, but now I’m starting to see daylight.

Ten years ago, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no hope of ever recovering from what I had been through. I was hurt, embarrassed and alone. Sure I had a few friends around me, but no one truly knew the depth of my pain or what I was struggling with. I made a conscious effort to never think about that time in my life. I felt that if I could pretend it was a bad dream, the pain would go away. I thought that if I never spoke of it again, then I could put it behind me.

I moved on with my life pretending that I hadn’t gone through a painful divorce, filed for bankruptcy, lost my business or ran away from those who cared most about me. I figured that the best way out was to start my life over fresh and new as if none of it never happened. The problem was it did happen. Underneath everything I was still a mess inside. I was still hurt to the core. I was mad at God for letting me walk through that. I was mad at others thinking my failures were somehow their fault. It all boiled down to bad decision making by me.

Once I was able to take responsibility for the things that happened, I began to move forward. It’s not easy to look in the mirror when you know the pain inside is caused by the person looking back at you. I know other people played roles in delivering the punches that knocked me down, but I made the decisions that put them there and put myself in that position. I left myself open for the gut shots that took the wind out of my desire to live or move on.

I hid the pain for over seven years as I moved on with life. It was then that God spoke to me through Dave Roever that I needed to expose the wounds and face them head on. Since that time, I have begun to share my story being open and honest about what happened. I have found healing for the wounds that were so deep. I still feel the pain like I did every time I open them up, but I know that through my wounds others can find help, hope and healing for theirs.

I don’t know what you’re facing today, but I know what it’s like to hit rock bottom and feel like there’s no way out. I know what it’s like to think that there’s only one way out of the pain and anger. I can tell you that there is another way out. I found it. It was through forgiving myself and others who hurt me. It was in finding forgiveness through Jesus for the unthinkable wrongs I’d committed. It was over the course of years, hard work, dedication and never giving up. If I can make it out of that hole, you can too.

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August 13, 2013 · 8:00 AM

The Great I Am

Last week a friend posted on Facebook, “Please say a prayer for my family right now.” I happened to look just as it was posted. My day was beginning, but I knew inside something was going on that was serious. I stepped out into the hall and not knowing what to pray for simply prayed, “God, this family needs you right now. They need you to be the Great I Am. If they need you to be their healer, be their healer. If they need you to be their protector, be their protector. Whatever they need you to be, I ask that you would be. Right now they need you to be their very present help in a time of need. Be their I Am of what they need.”

With that, I had to return to my work. I continued to lift them up throughout the morning. As I did, I kept thinking of that Initial prayer. I haven’t really prayed that before. Something began to click as I thought back to Moses in the wilderness. God had asked him to go lead the Israelites out of their captivity in Egypt. He protested to God in Exodus 3:13, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they will ask, ‘What’s His name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God responded, “Say this to the people of Israel: I Am sent me to you.”

He went on to say other names to tell them too, but that one has always stood out partly because I never really understood. I always thought, “What did God mean by ‘I Am’?” I believe He meant that He is who they needed Him to be. They needed Him to be their deliverer that day. They needed Him later to be their guide. Still later on, they needed Him to be their provider. I like how the Amplified version records what God said. He said, “I Am who I Am and I will be what I will be.”

Today, wherever you are, whatever you’re facing, God is who He is and will be who He will be to you. If you need a fortress from your circumstances, He will be that for you. If you need peace, He will be your peace. If you need hope, He will be your hope. If you need healing, He will be your healer. If you need help, He will be your very present help in your time of need. If you need provision, He will be your provider. If you need strength to face the day, He will be your strength.

I can tell you that my friend needed God to be healer for a family member. Her father in law had what looked like a stroke. During the time of everyone praying, God became his healer. There are no more signs of the stroke or effects. God came down in that situation as He said He would and restored him to who he was before the stroke came. If God did that for him last week, He can meet your need this week. He still listens to our prayers and is still the Great I Am.

Who do you need Him to be for you today? I’ll pray with you.

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July 25, 2013 · 6:55 AM

Get out of the Gutter

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As I was praying this morning, I began to think back to my teenage years and my early twenties. I saw places where God corrected my path and even prevented me from making decisions that could have affected the rest of my life. At the time, I didn’t see what was happening or know how close I was to making life altering decisions. As I began to thank God for helping me to stay on the right path, I saw this image of a bowling ball bouncing between gutter guards.

I see now that those guards where there keeping me in the lane. My life hasn’t gone down the center of the lane headed for a perfect strike. Instead, it has bounced from one guard to the other. I’ve gotten course corrections all throughout my life. The further down the lane I go, the less I’m hitting the guards. I’m glad they’re still there though. I know I still need them from time to time.

Just like in the game of bowling, the guards don’t always prevent the ball from rolling into the gutter. It happens. It happened. My life did roll down that gutter for a while. I went past the guards that God had in place to keep me in the lane. Thankfully, even in the gutter, God put a course correction for my life. I had the opportunity to bounce out of the gutter and back into where He wanted me.

When life rolls into the gutter, it’s easy to forget that you can get back into the lane God has for you. It’s easy to think that you’ve somehow messed up so bad that God can’t fix it. Your mind tells you that you should just stay there and keep rolling all the way to the end. It’s a hopeless place because so very few exit the gutter. But even in the gutter, God is still ready to put us back in right standing with Him. He knows that even when He rescues us from it, our lives will still bounce back and forth.

What I have found is that God is patient, kind and forgiving. He never stops loving us even if we go past the guards He set up in our lives. He’s constantly waiting for us to call out to Him for help. He’s looking down that lane to see if we’re ready for a course correction. I think He delights in getting us out of the gutter and putting us back into the lane where He wants us. There’s nothing that you or I could ever do to keep Him from loving us and wanting to put us back where we belong. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness.

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July 19, 2013 · 8:57 AM

Fighting God for Freedom

Last weekend we took my son’s crib and converted it into a bed for him. He was happy and jumped up and down on it. When we went Into his room the next morning, he was asleep on the floor. We put up a bumper for him, but he still ended up on the floor. As the week went on, taking him to bed became a chore. He didn’t want to sleep in his bed. He cried when we put him in there. So last night, we turned it back into a crib. He wasn’t 100% happy, but bed time was easier.

I think that’s how we are with God sometimes. We ask for more freedom or for walls in our lives to be removed. When He gives us what we want, we jump for joy. We’re excited about the newly found freedom and want to celebrate. It’s not long though before we find ourselves face down on the floor. With freedom comes more responsibility and a greater need for self control.

It isn’t always what we thought it’d be. God has walls up and boundaries in our lives for a reason. They’re for our protection and our own good. We fight against them and try to push the boundaries back. We think we can handle more responsibility and more freedom, but God knows better where the boundaries in our lives need to be. He knows us better than we know ourselves and how we’ll react to changes in our lives. He knows what is best for us, but is still willing to give us what we ask for at times.

It reminds me of the lyrics to an old Rich Mullins’ song “Hold Me, Jesus”. He says, “I’d rather fight you for something I don’t really want than to take what you give that I need.” We spend so much time asking for things rather than taking what He gives us. We think we know what we need better than He does. There is a purpose for the walls He has up in our lives. There is a reason for the boundaries that He sets for us. There is also freedom and protection in them as well.

If we get caught up looking at the boundaries God has set up in our lives, we miss the opportunities of freedom within them. Instead of trying to push them further out, why not do what we can for others within the limits He has set for us? We should spend less time worrying about where the lines are and more time wondering how we can serve Him better with in them. There is freedom, security and peace within the borders God has set up.

What walls and boundaries have you been trying to get God to move? What things has He given you to help others with where you are? How can you use the freedoms you already enjoy to be a blessing to others? We as Christians miss so many opportunities to be blessings to others because we’re fighting over where the lines are. Why not turn around and operate within the ones you know about? Like my son, you’ll find the rest you’re looking for there.

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July 17, 2013 · 9:59 AM

Spiritual Fever

My son has had a fever for a couple of days now. Like most parents, our first thought was to grab some Motrin or Tylenol to bring it down. My next thought was, “What’s causing the fever?” Fever is a symptom that something else is going on. It’s the body’s defense mechanism to fight infections. It creates a hostile environment for infections to grow in and it triggers the body to produce more white blood cells that fight infections. Low grade fever is not the problem. It’s an indicator that something else is wrong.

If I treat the fever and not the real problem, I can prolong his sickness. I end up stopping the one thing that truly is fighting the infection. It makes me wonder what “fever” looks like in my spiritual life. What are the indicators that something is wrong in my life? When they show up, do I try to mask them or get rid of them without treating the root cause? Or do I dismiss them all together?

The Holy Spirit works In our lives as an indicator of when something is wrong. If I’m being tempted or in a bad situation, He starts going off like an alarm. Warning me that I’m in danger. When I’ve sinned, He indicates that I need to repent. In John 16, Jesus was introducing us to the Holy Spirit. In verse 8, He said, “When He comes, He will convict the world of its sin.” It’s up to each one of us to decide what to do with the indicators He gives us.

Sometimes we choose to dismiss them. We say, “I’m all right. I can handle this.” That’s when we refuse to listen to His indications that something is wrong. We figure we’ll let the situation run its course. What happens is we don’t get better, the situation gets worse and we get deeper into whatever it is than we intended. By ignoring the indications of the Holy Spirit, we pass on the cure.

We need to recognize the indicators and then respond to them. The Holy Spirit tells us when we’ve sinned and helps us to get back into a right relationship with God. Our response to His promptings should be repentance. Seek forgiveness from whatever it is and then treat the root cause of the sin. If we only treat sin at the surface level, we’ll relapse and fall back into it. Let the Holy Spirit do His work to create a hostile environment in you for sin and to eradicate the infection of it.

What are the indicators He gives you? How have you ignored them in the past? What do you need o do differently in the future when He prompts you? How we respond to the Holy Spirit determines our overall spiritual health. We need to respond quickly and do the things necessary to stay healthy spiritually. Don’t dismiss the indicators that God has given us to keep us healthy.

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July 15, 2013 · 8:39 AM

Your Victory Has Been Won

We sang a song at church yesterday by Planetshakers. The words are still ringing in my mind this morning. It says, “Hallelujah! You have won the victory. Hallelujah! You have won it all for me.” As we sang it yesterday, I began to wonder, “How many Christians out there need a victory that has already been won for them?” Think about that for a minute. The victory many of us are looking for has already been won. Why do we still walk around defeated?

I see so many Christians who walk around with a defeated attitude. They aren’t walking in the victory that they are supposed to. Everything is doom and gloom. Nothing is going their way. They hang their head down and drudge along. They’ve allowed a culture of defeat to come reign in their life. That is not the life God intended Christians to live. That is not how someone who has had the war won for them should act.

Yes, we go through battles, trials and struggles. We aren’t going to be victorious in every one of them. We may even lose a lot in a row. Don’t confuse losing battles with losing the war. Battles are what we fight through to get to the end of the war. If you knew you were going to win the war in the end, wouldn’t you keep on fighting no matter how bad things looked now?

The person who has never lost a battle has not learned as much as those who have. It’s in our losses and failures that we find better ways to strategize and to grow. It’s in our losses that we get the determination to get back up. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The godly may fall seven times, but they will get up again.” It doesn’t say the godly won’t fall. We will. It’s part of life. It’s part of growth. Its part of what makes us who we are.

When I’m going through a time of multiple defeats, I hang on to Romans 8:37: Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours (mine) through Christ who loves us (me). I change it a little to personalize it. I make it my own promise from God. You should too. If you’re feeling defeated today, read that scripture again. Out loud. Proclaim it. Louder! Overwhelming victory is yours through Christ who loves you. You are not defeated. You are victorious in Jesus’ name.

You don’t have to walk around with your head down. You don’t have to keep your head down just because you’ve failed or lost a few battles. The war has already been won by Jesus. No matter how bad things get, keep that in mind. You can and will survive this and will be victorious in the end. Walk in victory today through Christ because He has won the victory for you. Hold your head up, child of God. You are victorious.

Click here to listen to that Planetshakers’ song on YouTube.

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July 11, 2013 · 6:30 AM

Delayed

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When you travel as much as I do, you’re bound to have days like I had yesterday. I left Mobile, AL early to get to New Orleans, LA for a noon flight. When it was time to board the plane, they said there was a short delay. Twenty minutes later, the incoming flight landed and deplaned. As soon as the announcer said we had to wait due to weather, the pilot walked up and said to let us board. Once we were on board, plans changed. The weather got bad again in Atlanta, GA where we were heading. We had a 45 minute delay on the plane now.

When the 45 minute delay was up, they came on and said it would be longer. People, like me, started to wonder about our connecting flights. The flight attendant got on the intercom and addressed our concerns. Not only were flights not being let into Atlanta, flights weren’t being let out either. So most of us should make our connections. When we finally got to Atlanta, the airport was crazy. Crowds of people were packed around each gate. People were frantically running. People were on their phones explaining to others what was happening. Above all, they were upset.

Aside from getting to my intended destination several hours later than I planned, there were no real hiccups. It looked like most of us were in the same boat. We were going to get to our destination, just not at the time we had hoped for or anticipated. I’ve learned (am learning!) not to get worked up when things don’t happen according to my time table. God is in control and this is a reminder of that.

If God had intended for me to get to my destination at the time I had planned and prepared for, He would have made a way. Who knows what all is going on behind the scenes that I can’t see? God could cause a delay to make sure I crossed paths with someone, open a door of communication to share His love with someone that wouldn’t have been there otherwise or to save a life from a disaster that could have occurred. The truth is, we may never know why we are delayed by traffic, weather or whatever so there’s no sense in getting upset and angry over something out of our control.

Delays aren’t a surprise to God. He knew when I got up yesterday what time I would arrive at my destination. The delay was built into His plan for my life. Getting upset and angry over it could put me on the opposite side of the argument from God. That’s not where I want to be. I’m sure that’s not where you want to be either. Learning to trust God through delays is something we all have room to improve on. Trusting Him when His answers are delayed takes even more faith.

How do you respond when you are delayed? Is there room for improvement? How do you react when the “deadline” passes and God hasn’t answered yet? Do you feel angry? Disappointed? Hurt? We may not understand now why we are delayed or why God delays in answering us, but we can trust in the fact that He is in control and we are not. He knows what is best for us even when we can’t see it. Trust Him through your delays and watch your faith grow. You’ll be a happier person because of it.

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July 9, 2013 · 8:06 AM

Knowing Without Believing

A friend of mine recently posted a quote from A. W. Tozer that resonated with me. He said, “Anything God has ever done, He can do now. Anything God has ever done anywhere, He can do here. Anything God has ever done for anyone, He can do for you.” To me, that’s powerful. It’s something I know, but don’t always believe. The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. That’s the scripture which Tozer based this on.

Think of all the amazing things God has ever done. You’ve probably read about them in the Bible. He still has that same power and ability today. Think of the testimonies you’ve heard from all over the world of what God is doing. He can do those same things right where you and I are. He can make a way where there is no way. He can part the seas that stand in your way. It takes faith to believe it and to see it.

What God has done for any individual in the Bible, He can do for me and you. If you need healing, it’s there for you. Reach out and touch the hem of His garment. If you need a miracle, He wants to do it for you. What Jesus did in the Gospels was not limited to that time period. He has the same power and the same ability today as He did then. It’s our faith that’s lacking.

Somehow we’ve let our knowledge trump our faith. We’ve allowed our intellect to allow us to believe in God, but not in miracles anymore. Faith is beyond knowing. Its about trusting God to do what only He can do. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen.” We all hope that God will move in our lives, bring healing and intervene in our circumstances. We’re just not that confidant.

How do we get that confidence? I believe it starts with reading the stories of people in the Bible whom God intervened in their lives. I believe it continues with hearing stories of people today whom God is performing miracles for. Then I believe it continues with asking and believing God to do it for me. I have to trust and have confidence that He will do it and that He wants to. I have to act like I believe it. I can just know that He can do it.

What are you needing God to do for you today? Do you know He can do that for you? Or do you believe that He can do that for you? What He has done for anyone in history, He can do for you today. He has not changed and will not change. When Jesus left, He said we would do greater things than He did. Is that a scripture we read or is that something we believe and have confidence in? It’s time to move beyond our knowledge of what God can do and move into faith of what God will do.

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July 2, 2013 · 7:27 AM

This Year’s Halftime

Today is the first day of the second half of this year. We reached the midpoint of the year sometime yesterday. I think it’s good to stop and reflect on the first half of this year before going into the second half. There are several questions I like to ask myself. Am I where I thought I’d be at this point in the year? If not, what course corrections do I need to make to get to where I want to be by the end of the year? What unforeseen events have happened so far that changed things in my life?

I believe in planning. I believe in setting goals for yourself, both physically, mentally and spiritually. In January, I decided that my personal spiritual goal this year was that Christ would increase in me and that I would decrease. There are areas where I have seen Christ increase in my life this year, but there are still a lot of areas where I’m not seeing the progress that I want to see. That’s where today fits in.

Just like in most major sports, there’s a half time. It’s a time to reflect on how things are going and what changes need to be made. It’s a time to be honest with yourself and God in where you are. I know I’ll never get to perfection, but that shouldn’t keep me from pushing towards it. Paul said, “I don’t mean to say that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection.” Paul understood the importance of understanding where he was and where he wanted to be.

He knew he wasn’t perfect or going to be, but he still pressed on for it. The next couple of verses in Philippians 3 give us more insight into his thinking. The next step is to forget the past and look forward to the future. You can’t change what’s happened so far this year. It happened. What I can do is learn from it, put it behind me and make a course correction with that in mind. I still have to move forward in Christ.

If you’re reading this, life has thrown you some curve balls this year. Chances are, you aren’t where you thought you’d be. That’s ok. You’re right where Christ knew you’d be. What’s happened in your life that has lead you to this point did not catch God by surprise. He’s built it into the plan for your life and who He is forming you to be. You may not be where you want to be, but that’s ok as long as you’re where He wants you to be.

I’ve dealt with set backs. I’ve lived through failures. I’ve watched as my plan for my life got thrown in the trash and burned. I’ve fallen down and tripped in places I never thought I would. I got up, dusted myself off, learned from my past and prayerfully created a new plan with God’s help. Does that mean those things won’t happen again? I’m sure they will, but now I know to keep pressing forward when things don’t happen the way I want them to. I know that my life is in God’s hands. He sees my tomorrow and knows what I need to go through today in order to be the person who can endure what’s coming.

How about you? Have your plans been ripped up and thrown away? Has your life veered off course? Did you envision your life differently than it’s turned out? It’s half time. Get your second wind, listen to what Hod has to say to you about the course corrections He wants you to make, pick your head up and get back out there. Keep pressing for the mark for that high calling in Christ. He will give you the strength you need to finish the second half of this year right where He wants you.

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