Tag: Jesus

If not you, than who?

I haven’t always valued the opportunity and privilege of interceding for others in prayer. In my younger years, it was kind of hit or miss. As I get older, my prayer times are more regular and even more frequent. There are so many situations and people to pray for.

Let me ask you, do you know who prays for you? Can you name a person or two who regularly carries you and your life to God and asks Him for His blessing? What a special thing. The older we get, I might say the less people there are to offer prayer. Often a parent or grandparent prayers for their children and grandchildren. But we are in that upper generation. It is now more important than ever.

I have really been working through my prayer list in the evening and in the morning. I start with my immediate family circle, then I pray for all the siblings/spouses and children, then I take it out to the cousins. I also pray for close friends and neighbors and others I know of who are traveling through illness or grief. Sometimes I just go state-by-state and I usually add in the people I know in other countries. Sometimes God brings people into my view and I know it is so I remember them in prayer and to reach out with some encouragement.

If you don’t pray regularly, I encourage you to start today by praying for that inner circle of your favorite people. Ask God to bless their mental, spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial health. Or simply name them and ask God to meet their needs as He is the one who knows them all. As you place these people into God’s loving arms, you can be confident He will meet their needs. And, don’t hesitate to call or message them with. “I prayed for you today!” Or even ask them, “Is there anything I can pray for you this week?”

Compassion

It is much easier for me to think about forgiving others when I have taken stock of my own sins. I have plenty of them. Some have been traveling companions throughout my life.

I have a little stockpile of regrets and I imagine others might, too. How do I want my regrets received when I verbalize them? And how might I respond when others speak of their own regrets? We have all done things we shouldn’t have and we have all left things undone.

I don’t have to look very far to know that showing grace, mercy, and compassion to those who are sitting with regret. Sometimes the stories are difficult to hear. Sometimes there is no earthly resolution. But, there is the peace that God can give.

Confession is good for the soul. Our own regret can deepen our compassion for others. God longs for us to come to Him in confession. And we can offer to others the forgiveness and comfort we have received from Him.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

Background noise

I have been a little more sensitive to noise lately. I wore headphones when I flew earlier this month. They were not total noise cancelling headphones but, wow, they sure dulled the roar of the plane. It was amazing the difference when I had them on.

What kind of background “noise” is going on in your mind and soul as you move through a day? Is it helpful? Kind? True? Sometimes the rumblings are anything but positive. And it is important to root those out and replace them. Sometimes they are one liners that were tossed your way during your childhood, maybe they were words from someone you trusted, or maybe they are thoughts you have about a circumstance.

Sometimes we are so used to hearing background noise that we don’t even realize its there. But it can shape our day, our week, and even our life.

Below are some Scripture verses you might consider inserting into the “noise” of your day. Turn up the volume on these! They are powerful and worth pondering. You can doodle them, embroider them, write them out and put them in places around your living space. They probably all have a song written based on them. Surround yourself with good news — good words. And share those with others, too!

Be willing to investigate some of the background noise you have been listening to. Chances are they are not good, helpful, kind or true.

Have some other favorites to share? I would love to see them!

John 16:33 (ESV)
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 34:4–5, 8 (ESV)
I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God’s future work

We’ve been talking about being thankful for the day. And thankful for things that happened long ago. And, I hope you found at least one thing from you past that you could identify where God was working in and through it all. Since we know God does all kinds of things and weaves them all together in a very personal way,

So, let’s offer up thanksgiving for the work God will be doing. Think 5, 10, 20, 40 years into the future. It could be in our lives but it can also be in the lives of our family and others we hold dear — friends, children, nieces/nephews, cousins, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I call this “Praying Forward” and it is a great opportunity to think in a bit bigger way.

We know God is working now. We know He has been working through the years of our life. And we know He will continue working through our lives. But, we also know that all of what God is doing is much bigger than us and God has always been working — through the generations. And, He will continue to do that.

I pray you look forward and trust God with your future. There surely will be difficult times because this is life on Earth. But may you trust God as He weaves it all together.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to this time. I entrust my future to You. And I entrust my people to You. Help my steps today reflect that trust. Help me “Pray Forward” even though I don’t know the details of the future. What I do know is that You are there!

Taking a look back

Sometimes our thankfulness has us in the present, which is great, But, for today, I encourage you to also reach back and consider those people and circumstances you can give thanks for in your earlier years.

I will tell you a one of mine:

My mom was pretty frustrated with church politics so there were a number of years when we weren’t in a regular, healthy, Christian congregation. My brother was an organist and started working at a Lutheran church. He needed some more singers for the choir and he invited me to come and help. I was about 12 years old at the time. I joined the youth group and confirmation classes and became a very active member of the church. My mom supported me, but she did not regularly attend. I was never shamed or questioned about my mom’s lack of involvement. And, when my brother took another organist job somewhere else, I stayed at that church and found my way there for almost every service. That church welcomed, embraced, supported, and loved my awkward teenage self. And, believe me, I was sorting through lots of things during that time. That congregation held onto me, steady as ever.

I have come to realize that not many congregations are like that. What a blessing to have been in that place at that time. How God orchestrated all that, I will never know. Why I even mattered that much to Him still amazes me. And for all of that, I am thankful. God provided for me in some amazing ways and I hold onto that, knowing His love and care for me has not lessened.

I pray that you have at least one powerful example of God’s love, care, protection, or provision in your life. It is worth remembering those times because they remind us what God does over time. Sometimes we are so used to immediate solutions that we don’t remember that God works over time.

May you be comforted and encouraged by God’s provision in your younger days and look to Him with anticipation for your future.

Adjusting

Have you ever had your life turn upside down with little warning?

Honestly, having a warning doesn’t really seem to help anyway. It’s all hard. It could be a death, a debilitating illness, a job loss, a change in schools, a new boss or _________________________ (fill in the blank.)

How we adjust to what is in front of us is important. And we cannot expect to always do it with finesse.

How do you typically respond to a big change that isn’t welcome? In my younger years, I was quite reactionary. I dwelled, I stewed, and I was very verbal about all of my processing. As time has marched forward and I have encountered more difficult situations, I have learned how to pace my response. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel my feelings (anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness, etc.) I do. But I have learned to pause. I don’t have to have an answer or solution immediately unless it is a 911 emergency. I can take the time to regroup. For me, the most essential way to adjust and calm my system down is to take time with God — not only at that time, but ahead of that time. The work before really paves the difficult roads to be a little calmer.

This isn’t to say there aren’t difficult days or the “Why God?” questions. Of course, there are. But I know God can handle all of those. And He knows that I want to see His work in difficult situations. I want to see the hope that He can show and the glimpses of good and beauty that can arise from dark days.

Loss is difficult — when we lose our place, our people, or our health it takes time to adjust. But there is no better place for me to go than to God to have my perspective adjusted. He always sees and knows the bigger picture. And as I try to sort out the incomprehensible things in my brain, He doesn’t expect me to understand it all. He simply asks that I lay these disappointments at His feet and that I follow Him for my next steps.

As I wake up each day, I ask God to be with me as I move through the day. Yes, I have a general plan, but I know that is just a plan. God is the one who really knows how the day will unfold and I trust Him to walk beside me every step of the way as I adjust to the situations that come my way.

We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go. Proverbs 16:9 CEV

Respecting Rest

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV

Do you find yourself feeling guilty about resting? I find that my mind has been trained to think that rest is for the weak. I don’t always notice my own subtle thoughts along those lines but sometimes I hear them in conversations with others: “I slept in and was lazy today.” or “I feel lazy when I sit for just a few moments.”

Those with busier personalities may have a harder time with sitting still. And others of us may do a good job resting and recovering as they prepare for the next thing. Do you allow time for physical and emotional rest?

Not all situations are demanding physically. Some circumstances require heart and soul work, but they each use our energy. I am just thinking about regular life here — you know, when things seem to be ok. We are working and doing life and day-by-day things are going smoothly. But throw in something that is demanding either short term or long term and we will find we need even more rest.

If we are living and breathing life on this Earth, we will all experience something that is demanding and maybe even soul crushing. I pray that you are in regular communication with God before that happens. Or that you start resting in Him now. When we are weary and burdened He will give us rest. As we seek God’s will and wisdom for our circumstances, He will give us the rest we are desperate for.

Sit a while and consider His offer for rest. Rise refreshed with renewed strength for your day. Let Him carry you through your circumstances.