Be Anxious for Nothing!

Lord, Your Word tells us to be anxious for nothing, yet anxiety tries to creep its way into my heart at any given time. Help me Lord to trust Your Promises in Prayer with expectations which will bring me great joy.

Philippians 4:4-9 (AMP) ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! ⁵ Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. ⁶ Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. ⁷ And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. ⁹ Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

My Help, My Trust!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty (Whose power no foe can withstand). I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I (confidently) trust! Psalm 91:1,2. So, how do we win the battle against worry, fear, and anxiety? The answer is found in these couple of verses of Psalm 91. First, we must "dwell", which means "to remain...to settle...to continue...sit (-down)." This is the same word Jesus used in John 15:4 when He told His disiples, Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. (Live in Me, and I will live in you.) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. Second, we must dwell in the secret place of the Most High, meaning a hiding place, a place of protection, a place with a covering over it so we will be kept safe from all our enemies. And third, we must remain under the shadow of the Almighty, meaning we must make the Lord our Refuge and our Fortress, leaning and relying on Him and confidently trusting in Him. As we do these things, He will deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. "Amen!" GOD HAS IN HIMSELF ALL POWER TO DEFEND YOU, ALL WISDOM TO DIRECT YOU, ALL MERCY TO PARDON YOU, ALL GRACE TO ENRICH YOU. Thomas Benton Brooks (1609-1680).

The Secret Place!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:1-2). These verses speak of The Temple of the Lord where the godly would find safety under the protective wings of the Lord. For us today, this "secret Place" means to lean, rely on, and to confidently put our trust in the Mighty Hand's of God. The secret place is the presence of the Lord. When we are in that secret place, we don't have to worry or fret or have any anxiety. We don't have to figure out everything. Our flesh may be screaming at us to "do something", but we can remain calm, cool, and at peace. We don't have to go emotionally "crazy". We can relax and be secure in knowing that in the presents of the Lord there is joy, peace, and rest in the Holy Spirit. Look at Moses for example. He had a very large task ahead of him in confronting the Pharaoh of Egypt on God's behalf to let the children of Israel go. Then as the Lord delivered them out of Egypt, Moses would have to lead them! Naturally, Moses was very concerned about it, just as we are concerned about what God has called us to do in our lives. But all Moses really needed was the knowledge and the assurance that God would go with him and help him. That is all we need to know too. Read and pray through Psalm 91 and Psalm 34. God promises to deliver us from all our fears! FEAR IMPRISONS, FAITH LIBERATES; FEAR PARALYZES, FAITH ENCOURAGES; FEAR SICKENS, FAITH HEALS; FEAR MAKES USELESS, FAITH MAKES SERVICEABLE-AND, MOST OF ALL, FEAR PUTS HOPELESSNESS AT THE HEART OF LIFE, WHILE FAITH REJOICES IN ITS GOD. Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

From Far, To Near

Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations whom the Lord had destroyed when the Israelites  entered the land…So the Lord sent the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. (2 Chronicles 33:9-14. Manasseh not only practiced evil himself; he led the nation of Judah and the people of Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations had thought of. He practiced the worship of idols, witchcraft, and sorcery, burned his own sons at a pagan alter, and if that weren’t enough, he even defiled the temple of God by placing an idol of the sex goddess Asherah there. God had had enough of Manasseh’s rebellion. So He sent many warnings to Manasseh for him to change. He would not listen, and God brought the Assyrian army to capture him and lead him away like an animal. Manasseh surely did not deserve God’s mercy. But in his captivity he cried out to God in humility and repentance, the Lord not only heard his cry for help, but also let Manasseh go back to Jerusalem and restored his kingdom. After what had happened to him, Manasseh would always know that the Lord alone is God. Many of us fall away from God from time to time either in open rebellion or in taking small steps off His path. But be encouraged, this passage tells us of God’s loving grace and His desire to forgive us and to restore us. He wants us to come to Him humbly so He can heal us and redeem our lives from whatever “pit’ we may be in. Please read and “pray” through Psalm 103. God Bless You!

THE MOST MARVELOUS INGREDIENT IN THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD IS THAT HE ALSO FORGETS, THE ONE THING A HUMAN BEING CAN NEVER DO. Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)                   

Ever Present Help!

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your Name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you. (Psalm 9:9-10. Oppression and trouble are difficult things to encounter in our lives. Oppression can push us down and block our ability to grow and to be all that God has intended us to be. Trouble Harasses and inconvenience us and causes worry and anxiety to creep into our lives. Oppression and trouble will “tag-team” together to keep us from enjoying day to day life. Either of these in little doses can turn our lives upside down! The Psalmist tells us that the “Lord” is the solution to “oppression and trouble,” and that knowing His Name means understanding, declaring, proclaiming, and confessing who God is and what His power can do to rescue us in the midst of these storms. That’s why having daily devotions in God’s Word is so vital to our Christian growth. He promises to rescue us, and His Word (The Holy Bible) helps us to know it! No matter the oppression, or the trouble, God’s character is foundational and unshakable! As we “PRAY” in His Name, seek Him in His Word, and allow the Comforter (The Holy Spirit) to work in our lives, we will see oppression and trouble lose their effectiveness. The Lord is our refuge, shelter, and strength. He has never abandoned anyone who sought Him, and He will never abandon us! “Dear Lord Jesus! Please help us to know that You are refuge and strength. Help us to know that being close to you will bring us peace and safety in the midst of the storms of life. You are our victory… to bring us the victory! “Amen!

WE MUST TRUST GOD. WE MUST TRUST NOT ONLY THAT HE DOES WHAT IS BEST, BUT THAT HE KNOWS WHAT IS AHEAD. Max Lucado.

Ever Present Help!

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your Name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you. (Psalm 9:9-10. Oppression and trouble are difficult things to encounter in our lives. Oppression can push us down and block our ability to grow and to be all that God has intended us to be. Trouble Harasses and inconvenience us and causes worry and anxiety to creep into our lives. Oppression and trouble will “tag-team” together to keep us from enjoying day to day life. Either of these in little doses can turn our lives upside down! The Psalmist tells us that the “Lord” is the solution to “oppression and trouble,” and that knowing His Name means understanding, declaring, proclaiming, and confessing who God is and what His power can do to rescue us in the midst of these storms. That’s why having daily devotions in God’s Word is so vital to our Christian growth. He promises to rescue us, and His Word (The Holy Bible) helps us to know it! No matter the oppression, or the trouble, God’s character is foundational and unshakable! As we “PRAY” in His Name, seek Him in His Word, and allow the Comforter (The Holy Spirit) to work in our lives, we will see oppression and trouble lose their effectiveness. The Lord is our refuge, shelter, and strength. He has never abandoned anyone who sought Him, and He will never abandon us! “Dear Lord Jesus! Please help us to know that You are refuge and strength. Help us to know that being close to you will bring us peace and safety in the midst of the storms of life. You are our victory… to bring us the victory! “Amen!

WE MUST TRUST GOD. WE MUST TRUST NOT ONLY THAT HE DOES WHAT IS BEST, BUT THAT HE KNOWS WHAT IS AHEAD. Max Lucado.

My Burden, My Help!

The Lord is faithful in all he says; He is gracious in all He does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads. Psalm (145:13-14). Life has become a grind for most of us! We have so many responsibilities and so much work that we can’t see any way to get it all done, and even if we did, a new pile of weighted responsibilities come the next day. The load can be the burden of  praying for a loved one who doesn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, worry of financial trouble or, despair over circumstances that seem to never change. Whatever the situation, God delights in helping the fallen and to help us up when we’re bent under our own personal load. When our hearts and burdens are heavy, we can give them to God and ask Him to lift our hearts and show us His faithfulness.”Lord! Please be the glory and the lifter of our heads!” Amen. “The Lord is kind and merciful….He showers compassion on all His creation (Psalm 145:8-9).

TO PRAY IS TO LET JESUS INTO OUR LIVES. HE KOCKS AND SEEKS ADMITTANCE, NOT ONLY IN THE SOLEMN HOURS OF SECRET PRAYER; HE KNOCKS IN THE MIDST OF YOUR DAILY WORK, YOUR DAILY STRUGGLES, YOUR DAILY “GRIND.” THAT IS WHERE YOU NEED HIM THE MOST.  Ole Hallesby (1879-1961)