Taking the Time to Grieve…

It has been a week of hard things. In my heart, I know everyone has times of grief and loss. Loss ebbs and flows into the life of everyone at some point. It visited my heart once again. I am going to be real with you. This time of year has always been hard for me as I remember my mother and now my father. My mother’s birthday is March 13th, and she went home to be with Jesus on April 6, 1990, 32 years ago. Dad passed just last year. I miss them so much. I miss the phone calls; I miss their words of affirmation. I miss the hugs. I just miss them. So, in the spring, they are in my heart and mind more often. This is my time to remember them and grieve them again. I think of them and let God comfort me once again. I am so thankful God understands loss and my need to take it to Him again. God understands the loss of a loved one, and I love that God is always ready to hold me close when I am in the hold of grief again because I need him again.

A few weeks ago, my beautiful friend took her last breath and awoke in the presence of Jesus. After a long hard-fought battle with cancer, her faith has become sight. Heather is in the presence of her Lord, yet I will miss her so very much. I met Heather in college as we were both freshmen newbies. We were in a lot of the same classes with education as our major. I admired her ability to play the piano and sing. Heather was always kind to me, and kindness can sometimes be hard to find. After we met and married our husbands, we found a friendship on a deeper level as our husbands were both preachers. Heather was a friend who I could share the ins and outs of being a pastor’s wife for the first time and navigate the challenges that this position often held for new pastor’s wives. While there much joy in serving God in this capacity, it does come with heartbreak and challenges. I shared with her, and she shared with me. Often, I would call, and we would pray over the needs in our lives. I will miss her wisdom, gracious spirit and listening ear. I have to say that this loss has made me keenly aware of Heaven. It has stirred up the loss I have felt over my mom and dad. I have just taken the last couple of weeks to go over memories and grieve the loss.

 “Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!” John 11:35-36

I am glad Jesus understands and knows that sometimes I need to take the time to grieve. Grieving is not a weakness or character flaw. When I cry and grieve over someone I loved, I am following Christ’s example by processing the pain I am feeling in a way that will bring healing to my heart. I can run to the God of all comfort knowing that he has felt the feelings that I have felt and will give me grace as I grieve. Everyone grieves differently. While several factors are involved in this, I need to be sensitive how someone grieves their loss. I need to be quick to show love and sympathy to them. I need to be quick extend grace. I need to remember that grief does not have a timetable. This week will be 33 years since my mother passed, and I still miss her and grieve for her. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone who is grieving is to be there and not say anything at all.

If you are grieving today, go to the Lord, and spend time in his presence. Let the God of all comfort hold you close. As a child of His you are never alone.

Blessings to you Today!

Pray What… (“Seek My Face Series”)

As I continue to study II Chronicles 7:14, the following phrase in this verse after humble yourselves is “and pray…”. My first thought on this is to pray for “what” exactly. I know that God wants me to pray. I know God wants me to seek his face above all others, but where to start after I have removed pride and humbled myself before Him can be challenging. In my mind, I know there are so many things that I can pray about. So, to start, let’s look together at the pattern that Jesus gave to us in Mathew chapter 6. In verses 5 and 6, we read,

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

These verses cover the first direction in II Chronicles 7:14, “…humble yourselves…”. Seeking God’s face needs to first be a private matter between God and me. Matthew 6:7-8 goes on with how God knows us because we are his children. God knows before I ask what I need and what I should pray about. I will say that just because He knows me and what I will say does lessen the time that I need to talk with Him. God wants to hear from me all day long. God wants to hear from me in the night watches. King David spoke of this often. Seeking God’s face must be a first priority for me if I want to not only meet His conditions for revival but also increase my fellowship with Him. In Matthew 6:9-13 we continue to read,

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Jesus began His prayer by giving praise and glory to His father. “…Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name…” Our God is a Holy God. I should strive daily to give to God the Glory that is due to Him. To praise and honor God should not happen only in our worship services on Sunday. This should be a daily occurrence whenever I bow my head to pray. Have you ever just begun praising God for who he is just driving down the highway? I have and what a blessing it is to praise God while you go about your daily activities. Next, I need to pray for His “...kingdom come..” which means for souls to be saved and lives changed by the power of God. I must seek God’s face for this and do my part about sharing the good news with others that I come in contact with in my life. After this, I need to pray for “God’s will to be done.” This is where many Christians get hung up in praying for revival and seeking the face of God. “My will” often gets in the way of “God’s will.” Pride again can rear its ugly head even in the middle of my prayer if I am not careful to squash it quickly. “My will” puts me first ever time. That is my human nature crying out to be recognized. “Me first” has no place if I am truly going to move forward in seeking God’s face with no hindrance between God and me. “God’s will” must take priority in my heart. Following this, I can pray for daily provision. God wants me to know that He cares and sees me where I am and He will take care of me always. I can then pray for forgiveness for my sins. As I fully follow the first steps in this prayer, God has said I can ask to be forgiven with the qualifier “...as we forgive our debtors.” Here is where pride can sneak in again. Why would I not be willing to forgive someone else? I have been hurt. Does this give me the right to withhold forgiveness in God’s eyes? No! God tells me to turn the other cheek and to forgive someone 70 times 7 to start. He wants me to have nothing between me and someone else so I can come to God unhindered and free to seek His face fully. Once we forgive we can pray “led us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:” In other words, God keep me clean. Please help me to help my heart and mind so focused on you that I am not tempted to do anything that will get in the way of me seeking your face in all things. In closing my prayer, give God more praise and glory.

Let me encourage you today to seek the face of God following the model prayer. Take time with every phrase to let God speak to you and follow his leading on what He needs to do in your heart. I know what God has done in my heart today, and I pray this will encourage and strengthen your faith. God will meet with you and me. We need to pray for this.

Blessings to you!

Are You Prepared? (“Seek My Face” Series)

Over the past few years, I have made a concentrated effort to get myself healthy. I have taken vitamins and minerals, made healthier food choices, and in general tried to move toward a healthier weight. The first thing that anyone who wants to achieve a healthier weight knows is that it takes a lot of work. I cannot wave a wand, and whoosh, I am a healthy size. I must be consistent in my plan every day if I want to achieve a healthier me. In the same way, I cannot generate revival on my own. Revival comes from God. I must prepare my mind and my heart if I want to see it. I also need to put aside praying for God to revive everyone else until I first ask God to revive me.

In my husband’s message in church this past Sunday, he shared, “There is a difference between praying for revival and asking God to revive me personally…” I have gone over this phrase in my mind for the two days. I have often prayed for revival for the last few years. I want God to revive my church, my country, and my world. Revival is a good thing to pray about. I want to see my world changed through the transforming power of God. God pricked my heart this Sunday that I first need to pray for God to revive me. This is the first step in revival sweeping our land, not that God will revive someone else first, but that God will revive me first. In looking at God reviving me first, I need to go to scripture. II Chronicles 7:14, the first step I need to take is to humble myself before God. Let me tell you pride has no place before God!

James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” If I want to take the revival of my own heart seriously, I need to be humble before God. This includes asking forgiveness for my sin. ALL SIN! I must be willing to be specific with God about where I am with Him. I must confess every ugly thought, and every evil deed because I have heard my husband preach that at the core of every sin is pride. If I covet, it means I care more about me. That’s pride. If I hurt someone, it means I care more about my needs than theirs. That’s pride. If I fail to honor my parents, it means I am putting what I want first. That’s pride. I act more like Satan when I act in pride, and God will resist me. I don’t know about you, but that is the last thing that I want to happen to me. I want to be humble before God. I want Him to revive my heart, so I choose to let go of my sin and move toward God in humility. I need to realize that moving in humility toward God is serious to Him.

Are you prepared to move in humility toward God with me? I do not want to miss revival in our land because I am acting in pride and not being willing to make the choice to ask God to revive me first, and I want to do it today. I want the grace and mercy that God offers to me when I have a humble heart.

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

Table for Two: “Seek My Face” Series

Revivals of the past have not begun with the masses. Revival starts when individuals begin to seek the face of God. I want to focus on the first phrase from II Chronicles 7:14 today.

“If my people…”

The Scripture is speaking to those who are already the children of God. Technically, It is speaking of Israel, but to be current, I want to focus on those who called themselves Christians. If I name the name of Christ, God has a plan for me. Many years ago, I accepted Christ to be my Savior, repented of my sin, and accepted God’s provision to cover my sin through Jesus Christ. Revival is a renewal of my commitment to my relationship with God. My relationship with God is secure. I know that one day I will spend eternity with him. Perhaps, after reading so far you realize that you do not have a relationship with God. If this is the case with you, I would be glad to discuss this with you privately. I will be glad to give you more information on how to begin a relationship with God. My email address is acloud818@gmail.com.

“Which are called by my name…”

When I am called by God’s name, I have a secure relationship with Him. It will not change. I will never be able to do anything to undo the relationship that I have with God. I do, however, have the responsibility to pursue fellowship with Him. I need to talk to God every day. I need to read His Word daily and pursue what God wants me to do every day. This involves time with Him. Often I hear Christians lament how busy they are every day. “There are not enough hours in the day to get it all done,” and that may be true. I may be busier now than I have ever been, but there comes a point when I have to decide if I am going to continue to do what I have been doing, or let something go so I can take the time to slow down, be still, and sit across the table from God to hear what He has to say to me. This is a personal meeting between God and me. I make the choice to sit down with Him. I was especially convicted this morning as God lead me to Psalm 10. In verse 4, David is describing the wicked. Read what he says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” The wicked as they are lifted up in pride do not seek after God. I do not want this to be definitive of my walk with God. I do not want to give pride a leg to stand on in my life. I want my thoughts to be focused on God. I want to actively pursue God from the time I wake up till I go to bed at night. I do not want to wake up one morning and realize that I did not seek God the day before. If you want to begin personal revival, don’t wait till it’s convenient for you. If you wait till it’s convenient, it will not happen.

I pray as I begin my walk into personal revival I will follow God’s leading every day. I want to follow God so closely that if he stops I will run into Him. If you haven’t met with God today, stop right now and take a few minutes to just be with Him. Talk to Him, open your Bible, and let Him talk to you. He is waiting for that quiet time across the table from you.

Blessings to you!

Revival is… : Seek My Face Series

I have seen the stirrings of revival over the last several weeks in various places around America. This has caused me to give some serious thinking on the subject of revival and what it is according to the Scripture. Let me preface this by saying, it is not for me to say if this group or that group is having a true revival. Revivals of the past have begun, and you can see the lasting effects years after they have ended. It could be argued that revival will stand the test of time.

So, in my opinion, revival is not just a meeting. My church can schedule time set aside for a revival meeting, but the preacher cannot bring revival in his pocket. Revival is not a group doing crazy things that do not coincide with Scripture. Revival is not given to those who move and operate in pride thinking that they can manufacture the stirrings of revival. It says in scripture that “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” There is no place for pride in the heart of a Christian seeking after revival. If one studies the revivals of the past, you can see that revival often began with just one or two or three, seeking the face of God. Revival can and will come to any individual who meets God’s requirements for it.

One of the most popular verses that represents revival is II Chronicles 7:14 which reads, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” This scripture gives 4 things anyone can do to hear from God. For this post I would like to focus on the one that has been on my mind and my heart all week, “…seek my face…” God wants me to seek his face every day. Seeking God needs to capture my focus and be the beat of my heart. Seeking after God can take place during the time, I set aside to be with him alone while reading His word and in prayer. Seeking after God can be a simultaneous act as I go about my day accomplishing the responsibilities, he has put in front of me. I Chronicles 16:11 reads, “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” God wants us to continually seek His face. God wants me to seek Him with passion. I must admit that even this week God has renewed my passion of following after Him. I had been going through the motions of my Christian walk. When I go about my daily activates, I want more of God. I want to talk with Him more. I want to crave more of Him. When I go to church, I want to meet with Him. When I go through my day, I want to meet with Him continually. I want to be renewed and revived. This is my heart’s cry, “To seek the face of God.”

If you want to join me in seeking personal revival, I am going to be sharing what God is teaching me in a “Seek My Face” Series.

May God give us Revival of our hearts and lives.

Blessings to you!

Doing Hard Things.

Sometimes life gets in the way of doing something you love. It is not because that thing that you want to do is not important to you. It is more that lines of priorities must be drawn, and it may pull you away from doing the things that you love. I say that to say the one of the things I love to do had to be put to the bottom of a list of higher priorities.

When hard things in life are put in front of you, you have a couple of choices on how to deal with them. You can tackle them head on, or you can push them to the back of your mind and ignore them and hope they go away. I hate to say at times I have chosen the latter approach and it has led to disastrous results. It is not easy to do hard things otherwise they would be considered easy. When I push away from what is hard and ignore it, it will come back up and usually come back with a vengeance.

Over the last three years, I have found myself in the midst of hard circumstances and had to face some hard decisions. Year 2020 was turned upside down with the Covid-19 virus surfacing. I found myself saying that if I could get out of 2020, we would be ok. God has been with us and carried us through. Then 2021 came along and with it more sickness, shut down of various businesses, and churches to try to deal with being safe physically. I learned to do things differently, and you did too. I learned to mask up, order groceries online, limit exposure with other people, and countless other things. I learned new ways to navigate what I was facing. I prayed and sought after God to get us through 2021 and He did. 2022 brought with it a whole new set of challenges and I had to continue to seek God to help me through each situation I faced in 2022. Doing hard things took on a whole new meaning for me in 2022, but I can say without a doubt that God was a faithful companion. God never left me, but rather walked with me, guided me, and sometimes carried me when I was just too tired to put one foot in front of another. God taught me things that I never could have learned any other way than to go through the hard circumstances. God used the suffering in my life to make me more into the christian He wanted me to be.

I can’t help but think about Jesus carrying the cross. It was one of the hardest things that Jesus would ever do. Jesus also calls to us to pick up our cross and follow Him. Jesus is calling us to do hard things. I am not sure when the mentality crept into our Christian circles that following Jesus would be easy and without conflict and suffering. The disciples followed Jesus and all of them had to endure the hardness of that calling. It is time that the people of God realize that God is moving them and taking them to a place of suffering to give them a makeover. Only Jesus is perfect. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but I am selfish. In my flesh, I want what I want. I want what is easy. I want a life that is free from suffering. When I have hard things in front of me, I want God to remove them. This is my human nature. Then there is the spirit, Paul talks a lot about the flesh and the spirit of the believer warring against each other. In Romans 7:18-20, “

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

This is the daily battle between the flesh and the spirit. Once I became a Christian, I was indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the battle of flesh and spirit began. I know that I can do the hard things because I have God’s Spirit now living inside of me. I can overcome because of Christ. I do not have to submit to the will of my flesh. I can wholly submit to God and see that the circumstances I am facing at this moment can be endured and I can even thrive in my faith in the same moment.

I don’t know what you are facing in your life right now. Everyone goes through trying times and seasons of life. I do know that I was not made to walk this life alone. God loves and cares for me like no other ever could. He will walk with me through every hard place. He will hold me close as I cry to Him for the help I need. With God at my side, I can overcome.

Don’t give up. The hard thing in front of you is going to be the victory to celebrate when you walk through it with God at your side.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57, KJV.

Burned, But I’m Ok…

I am thankful for the part time job I have at a small country church in the next county. It is approximately around 15 minutes from my house. So as the drive goes, It really is not that far, and I have some good one on one time with God as well as time on some days when I can have some quietness of spirit. Today, as I was zipping back toward the house I began looking at a woodsy area that lasted for a few miles. In that particular area, someone had done a control burn. This is popular in our area of Georgia to make sure the undergrowth is kept at bay, and if there was a fire started by lightening etc., it would be easier to handle. So as the burn happened a while back, I could see how the trees and flowers were recovering. I am amazed at the resilience of the foliage that God created. It was taking time, but it was recovering. The black ground had new growth and the leaves on the trees were greening out. It was something to see.

Here lately, I have encountered a lot of men and women in ministry who are going through suffering. They are being “burned” by people inside and outside of the ministry. More than once in the last few weeks, I have heard church ministry leaders say that church ministry is hard. You know what, my friend? It can be hard. I don’t always understand why things happen as they do. When I have more questions than answers, I take them to scripture.

In my searching and praying on this topic, I have come to some conclusions. Let me say that I don’t claim to know everything. Hey, I am not Jesus. I do strive to be like him every day and to be a willing pupil of His teaching. I can say that I have been in the trenches of church ministry for 27 years with my dear husband, and through suffering God has taught me some things that I never could have learned any other way.

So, here is one of my conclusions! Only one for now, so hang with me if you will.

Ministry is hard, but God never told me that following Him would be easy. I’m not sure why this point did not occur to me years earlier, but it really hit home for me several years ago. I am called to serve God. I am called to love the people in my congregation. I am called to follow the Lord and His Word. While doing these things, I have been in the position where somebody didn’t like it. I have been where I have been hurt by those who are hurting. I have suffered at the hand of those who disagree with my husband who was doing what was right. I have had times where someone tried to hurt my family members with cutting words and backstabbing. In these times, I have learned that I am not the first one or the last one to encounter this scenario. So I go to the Word!

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” II Timothy 3:12

Everyone who is trying to do what is right is going to suffer persecution. This verse in II Timothy says, “all”. Did not all of the disciples of Christ suffer bad things at the hands of others?

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:17-18

In these verses in Romans, when I suffer with Christ or because of Christ there is a benefit that I cannot get any other way. God’s glory will be revealed in me. Through suffering I am becoming more like Christ and a little less like me. You see, this suffering that I am facing it’s for my good. In my flesh, I can’t handle the emotions and arrows of hurt flung in my direction. However, I am not suffering alone. I am suffering with Him. In Christ, I know that I will receive the benefits far beyond what I can imagine. I may not receive the glory right now. The glory might not be till I get to Heaven, but that should not stop me from taking on the suffering with Him. I need to accept it as a part of being where I am right now, and doing what I am supposed to be doing. I may not like the suffering, but some things must be endured. I have to keep my focus on God through the midst of the suffering I am facing. I keep my focus on my God, and look forward to the glory that will come for the suffering I faced cannot be compared to it. I can experience joy today because I am in this place with Christ.

I need to be one who is willing to walk the hard road, and in doing that I may be burned sometimes. I must remember though the burning process new growth will take root and flourish. I will not stay as I am. I will recover and I will be closer than ever to the God who has walked beside me through it all.

At the end of the day, everything I suffer is for my good and for His glory. I have even heard a song written about this. I think it’s time to look it up again and take a listen!

Blessings to you,

Amy

The Last Time I Went Crazy…

Let me pose a question to you this morning that has been on my mind and heart for the last few days.

When was the last time you went a little crazy?

Now I know this may be an odd question so let me share my heart with you. A while ago, I did do something a little crazy. No, it was not sinful, or rude, but it was misunderstood. In that moment, I wanted to cry out and defend myself. Did those who misunderstood know that the thing that I did was carefully thought over, talked over with God, even agonized over, and only at the end of my thought and prayer process, did I do it. In my heart I knew that in the effort to be fair in the situation to everyone I needed to do it. However, I was not given the benefit of the doubt, and to be honest it hurt. I have gone over and over this situation in my mind, and praying how could I have done this differently. In the end I feel what I did was the right thing to do. It might not have been popular, hence I call this a little crazy.

In my devotions today, I started a new book of the Bible. I took up the challenge this year to read through the Bible and the book I came to today was the book of Hosea. Now, if you want to talk about someone who went a little crazy to outsiders, let’s talk Hosea.

“The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.” (Hosea 1:2-3)

Wait a minute! WHAT??? God tells Hosea, the prophet, to go take a wife who was currently a prostitute. God wanted to say something to his people so He told the prophet to do something that was a little crazy, and more than likely misunderstood. Hosea obeyed the Word of the Lord and did as he was told. I’m sure there were others who thought, “what is that man thinking?” In the middle of it all, He obeyed, and God blessed Hosea for doing what was right before God. God used Hosea to show God’s people what He wanted them to hear.

I will say in the effort of disclosure, my situation when compared to Hosea’s situation is very far apart from his…a light year even. Mine was not near as drastic or out there kind of crazy. I feel, however, that there is a principle here to be considered. Perhaps, you are in a situation right now where if you go forward with what you know to be fair and right, people will call you out. They will call you crazy, call you out publicly, and/or not give you the benefit of the doubt on the reasoning behind you doing what you are thinking about doing. There comes a point where you must decide, “Are you going to obey what God is telling you to do or what men may think of you? You may know that there will be those who will try to set you straight and point out all the ways you are wrong. If you feel like God is telling you to move forward, you need to do it anyway. Trust the one who has lead you this far. Let me also say that if you are going to do it, let the Lord be your defender to those who don’t like it, and make sure to extend grace to those who disagree. If they outright ask you about it, do your best to calmly and graciously explain if God leads you to. In all of this, follow God’s leading.

Has God asked you to go crazy? If he has, step out in faith and do it. You never know if he may use you to turn a group around to His way of thinking!

Blessing to you all,

Amy

The God Who Hears Me

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. II Samuel 22:7, KJV

When my boys were little around 6 and 5, I often let them play outside of the pastorium which was located behind the church where my husband was the pastor. We lived outside a small town in the country. They did have a few rules in order to keep them safe. They had certain boundaries they had to stay in, and one of their favorite places within that boundary was at the bottom of a large oak tree. They would play with their matchbox cars or pretend the tree was a fort. It was shady, and a cool spot in the summer. I could watch them from my kitchen window as I washed dishes or prepared supper. One thing I stressed to them was even if they wandered to the edge of the boundary they could hear me if I called them. As they grew older and the boundary expanded, I still wanted them to be able to hear me if I called. Even if they were out of my sight, I wanted them within ear shot. This worked both ways unbeknownst to them. If they could hear me, then I could hear them. I could hear them if they cried out for help, or had an immediate need. Now that they are grown up, their boundary has expanded far beyond ear shot. However, they do know that if they ever need to call for help or if they have a need, I will come as quick as I can to their aid.

Many times, when my boys have needed me, I have felt inadequate to meet their needs. Because I am human, there is a limitation to my physical presence, resources, and ability. As much as I want to help, I can only do so much. However, I am so thankful to tell you that God is limitless. His presence is always with us and active in our lives. Sometimes, I feel alone and these feelings at times can be overwhelming. It is in these times I need to rely on the one who has promised in His Word in I Samuel 12:22, “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” KJV. God will not forsake me nor leave me. His presence is always close, and active. God can hear me when I cry out to Him for help. “..my cry did enter His ears…” This is a fact and a foregone conclusion. God is not bound by time and space. His presence comforts me when I need Him the most. In the times when I do not keenly feel His presence, I must search my heart and see if I have put up barriers to block His presence. I must always remember that even though God may be seemingly silent does not mean that He is not active and near.

God’s resources are immeasurable. God does not have a cap to His resources. They never run out and are available to meet our needs. Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” KJV I must have faith and trust that God is going to meet the needs that I have. Often, these needs press on me, and I wonder will God come through. Faith comes in when we cannot see what is ahead. He resources are far beyond mine. So I must decide if I am going to trust God or not. Faith and trust go hand in hand. Do I really believe that God will meet my needs? Absolutely, Yes! I must rely on His Word. God said that He will supply my need. Faith is like a muscle. I must exercise it so it will grow stronger.

Not only is God’s presence active and His resources on time, but also God’s ability is massive and mighty. Many times, as the boys were growing up, I felt inadequate in my ability to raise them to be all God wanted them to be. I would often pray for God to intervene and make up the difference. I tried my best to be strong for them, but I would fall short so often. God has the power and ability to overcome any trial or circumstance that I may face. Where my ability ends, His begins. I had to learn early on to rely on His ability to accomplish His will. In fact, the world will tell you that you are enough, and if you don’t feel this way start to boost yourself up. You can do anything is the world’s cry. God has a different way for me. He wants me to realize that I am not enough, but Christ is enough.

He was enough to meet me where I was and save me, and God will do the same for you. He is enough to heal your heart. He is enough to calm your spirit. Christ is enough for any situation you may face in life. Jude 1:25, KJV, “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” No matter where you are today, God will hear you when you cry out to Him. God hears you, my friend! Your cry “did enter into His ears” in this very moment. He is the God who hears you!

When I am Overwhelmed…

Have you ever been overwhelmed? I know I sure have and especially in the last few days after several days of isolation. I have begun to get a healthy dose of cabin fever. When you get excited to go to the grocery store just to get out, it is kind of bad. I have been dealing with things the last few days that I have never experienced before in my life time. I had been going and doing and having full days of busyness. Now, I find my days being filled with a different set of things to fill my days. Today, I find myself identifying with David. In the verses we just read, David is crying out in great distress. He very well could have written this psalm as He was in exile or perhaps running for his life. From what I have studied on these two verses is that David cried out in prayer. He was loud and pouring out his heart to his God. I have had a few days where I have done the exact same thing. I poured my heart out to God and asked for help. I was overwhelmed and troubled. God was there in that moment and He is with me now just as He is with you too. So how can you and I move from the place of being overwhelmed to the place of victory with God. Let’s take a look at Psalm 102.

Do you see me? (Psalm 102:1-2)

I was watching the Andy Griffith show the other day and “Mountain Wedding” came on which is one of my favorite episodes. Earnest T. Bass was trying to get the attention of Charlene Darling Wash. His first act was to throw rocks through the windows. Then He decided to serenade her. So, He held up a lantern and held it close to his face and shouted, “Hey, look out here. Do you see me?” I know in my life I wonder if God really sees me where I am right in this moment. I can say with absolute certainty that He does. When I cry out to Him He sees me and asks me what do you need or want. When we are overwhelmed with everything that is going on in our life, God sees us! The first step the Psalmist took in this Psalm was in pouring his heart out to God. He uses the words afflicted and overwhelmed. David cried out with a loud voice. David wanted God to see where he was and the distress he was under. David entreats the Lord to not only see him but to hear him as well. David asks God to lean in (incline thine ear) to him and to answer right away. David was not guarded in his prayer, but had come to the point of getting real with God in a real way.

Please See What This Affliction is Doing. (Psalm 102:3-11)

The Psalmist was very specific with explaining to God what he was really feeling with very specific word pictures. v. 3, He speaks his days with one seeming to burn into another with no relief. Several times over the last few weeks, I have felt this way myself. I have had to ask Gordon, “what day is it?” One day seems to consume into the next with no end in sight. v.4, He speaks of being so dry and overwhelmed that he does not even want to eat. The problems of his life are such that no relief seems to be in sight, and in verse 5, he refers himself to feeling just like a bag of bones. No appetite, and so dry and in need. There have been times in my life when I have truly felt this way. So overwhelmed that the thought of eating just turned my stomach. While this has not happened often, I have been there. I don’t know what you are facing today. I do know that if you are relating to the psalmist here you are not alone which we will see in a few minutes. v. 6-7, He refers to himself to an animal that is not in his natural environment. We see pelicans at the beach, owls in the woods, and sparrows in houses or nesting for protection. Every area of the Psalmist life seems to be affected by what he was facing at the moment. He wanted to be completely and utterly open with God about what the affliction was doing to his mind and body. In your prayers are you specific with God about the details of how you really feel? Sometimes I think we try to “sugarcoat” things with God and only tell Him the things we think that He wants to hear from us. God wants us to be bold to come before Him with our hearts pouring out to Him. The Psalmist wraps up in v.10-11 that He feels beat up and so very dry. Then wonder of wonders we find the tone of this changes as we see God move him past the feelings and into praise of who God is and what He will do.

Praising the God of the Overwhelmed. (Psalm 102:12-18)

When was the last time you sat down, limited every distraction, and then took the time to think of as many ways that you could praise God.

God is Eternal. (v.12) A God who endures forever will not give up on me in my distress. He will always be there to encourage me and strengthen me for the days ahead. He remembers where I am at all times and will not abandon me or leave me alone where I am. Because God is Eternal, He will continue to do these things for all time. It is encouraging to know that God is always and will always be there.

God is Merciful. (v.13-16) I am so glad we serve a God who extends mercy to me. God’s glory is shown in His ability to show grace and mercy to me. So often, I am not worthy of the grace and mercy that He offers to me. Yet, That is the very definition of grace, unmerited favor. He gives us favor that we don’t deserve because of his love and because of Jesus Christ. Jesus took our place so we would be able to experience the grace and mercy God offers. It comes at a price that has already been paid. In v. 14 and 15, even those outside of God’s children will see the favor that God extends. It is a gift for all who will receive it. This becomes our testimony. I do not receive mercy because of me, but because of Jesus. In verse 16 we see the glory of God revealed. My husband several years ago found the parallel that whatever begins in grace will end in glory. God has given us grace to accept and then to glorify the Father for all He has done for us.

God answers prayer. (v. 17-18) God will hear the prayer of those who cry out to Him and He will indeed answer them. God will answer our prayers. Have you ever said to yourself, “I don’t know what God is doing in this situation, but I hope He’s doing something!” Believe me when I say, God is working! Sometimes I only see the trials and the dark places. The places may feel like they are closing in and around me and I am overcome with the gravity of them. I feel weighed down and sluggish as if I was wading through a bog. Even when I feel this way, God is there and He will answer my prayers. He will go with me through the trials and hard places and give me a firm foundation for my feet. I am not the first or the last to experience hard times. I can take comfort in the fact that as God was with those in the Old Testament God is with me too. All day, every day, God is there, and will answer when I call out to Him sincerely and with my whole heart. Because God answers prayers, I have another reason to praise Him I can praise Him for all He is to me!

The next time you feel overwhelmed run to your Heavenly Father. Let Him extend the grace and mercy to you that you need for the day. Pour out your heart to God and then praise Him for all He does for us every day. Rest in the presence of the God of the Overwhelmed.