BELIEVE God's got you. . .UNDERSTAND it is just a test . . .NEXT LEVEL preparation . . . TIME for action!!
BELIEVE– First you must BELIEVE that God is with you. The beautiful thing about this first step is that if you believe that God is with you and you know that God is omnipotent, then you know he is all knowing and all seeing. You know that because he is God, nothing catches him unaware. This would mean that this curve ball in your life, did not catch him by surprise. He’s not shaking in his boots. And if he is your partner in life, then you don’t need to shake in your boots. Remember, as your strong, capable covenant partner, when you are weak and he is strong, it is his responsibility to strengthen you in your time of weakness. Now, how reassuring is that? Yes, during tough times in life. When chaos surrounds you and things are unsure, remind yourself of what you Believe and in whom you Believe. UNDERSTAND – Second, we must UNDERSTAND that the challenges in life will come, but because you are a child of God, they will not break you. Begin to understand that challenges are just an opportunity for you to strengthen your faith muscle. If you never had challenges, then you would never need to exercise your faith. And, we do understand that anything that is not exercised or used in our life wanes. A muscle that is not used will atrophy. When you see an individual who is physically fit and whose muscles are “cut” or well defined, it is because they exercise them. They probably spend many hours working out. The act of putting stress on the muscle is what causes it to develop. The same is true for our faith. Troubles or problems are opportunities for us to work our faith. They challenge our belief level and cause us to dig deeper within ourselves to really define what we believe. Will we stand or will we allow this to knock us out the game? They are merely a test. This Is Only A Test When I was a teenager the television broadcasting systems would occasionally need to test their emergency broadcasting signal. When this would happen, the program we were watching on TV would be interrupted. The announcer would come on and say, “This is a test. This is only a test for the next 60 seconds this station is conducting a test of the emergency broadcasting system.” Then you would hear this long high pitch signal. After the 60 seconds the announcer would come back on to say, “This concludes this test.” When life starts throwing you curve balls; when challenges begin to break out everywhere; when you are facing problem after problem; realize it is only a test! Just begin to sound the emergency broadcasting signal and state to yourself. This is a test; this is only a test. Your systems are being tried to see if your Faith systems are working properly. Sound Your Faith Alarm For the believer, instead of a loud, high pitch signal, we use songs of praise and we speak the promises of God. We hold fast to the promise that God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us. We hold onto the promise that even though this may not feel good at the moment, we know that ultimately it is going to work out for our good. We understand that if God permitted this trouble to come our way then with God on our side, we will ultimately triumph over it. We know this is just a proving ground. There is something that we need to learn in this test that will help us on our journey. The trouble did not come to destroy us, but to prepare us for the next level. NEW THING/NEXT LEVEL- Thirdly we must get ready for the NEW THING. God said that he would do a new thing in us. As you have asked God for the new thing, the greater thing, the next level, he must get you ready for that new thing. By virtue of it being new or next level, means that we have not been there before. This would mean that we may not know how to handle it, because we have no previous experience in it. This fact seems to elude us when we are asking for more and greater. We miss the fact that more and greater comes with more responsibility, more stress, or more weight of sustaining the greater. God Our Heavenly Father Because God is a good Father, he needs to test us out to see if we can handle the more and the greater. As a loving parent, you wouldn’t just give the car keys to your child (even though they ask for them) unless you are certain that they can drive a car. There is a preparation time, a training time, a proving time. By the time you hand your child the keys to the car, you are sure they can handle it. It’s the same with our Heavenly Father. He wants us to grow to experience greater and next level. But he must prepare us to be able to handle the next level. So, we must go through the preparation. The trials, problems, situation, turbulence, chaos, and challenges are just the proving ground, preparing us for the next level. Arming us with the skills, the knowledge, and the wisdom to know how to succeed on the next level. This knowledge can help us to go through the challenges with grace. And because we know he is right there with us, we can not only go through them, but we are able to also GROW through them. TIMING/TAKE ACTION– And lastly, the fourth, is TIMING AND TAKING UNUSUAL ACTION. Timing is so important. The Word says, "To everything there is a season.” But there is something about those seasons of trials, that makes them seem to last forever. The problems and challenges of life can almost seem to make time stand still. You begin to wonder, will I come out of this? When will this be over? The struggle of it all can even begin to make you question your ability to overcome the challenge. Your self-confidence begins to waiver. The weight of it all feels as it will crush you at any moment. And you may begin to question, “will this ever pass?” Why BUNT? The topic of this post came to me this morning as I was contemplating the numerous curve balls that life had been throwing at me this year. I thought to myself, “What do you do when life throws you a curve ball?” I heard: “You bunt” That’s funny, because I am not a real big baseball fan. I did, however, understand the term bunt. I started thinking about, why bunt? I decided to research why do batters decide to bunt the ball? I found out that in most cases bunts are done to throw off the opponents. It’s an element of surprise. Because the opposing team is expecting the batter to act a certain way, when he (or she) switches up and bunts, it completely throws off the defense and they must react to what they were just given. When Trouble Comes Don’t Act Normal This made me think, this might be why God tells us to praise in a time of trouble. Because when the opposing team is throwing trouble your way, the normal reaction would be to cry, become frustrated, talk about the problem all the time, etc. But when you bunt, you throw them off. When you praise, sing, and begin to thank God for the answer, you totally knock the opposing team off their game. They will need to react to your bunt. This puts you more in control of the outcome. Your posture has moved from one of defensive to one of offensive. By taking this action you are putting the control of the outcome back into your hands. Yes, I like that! So, the next time life throws you a curve ball. Don’t sit around crying about the unfairness of the curve balls. . . . BUNT! Then run like your life depends on it!!
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So many of us aren’t moving forward in our lives because we are being hindered by fear. Fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of _____. You fill in the blank.
MAKE A DECISION TO FACE THE FEAR Whatever the fear that is holding you back, you must decide today that you are going to break out of its deadly clutches and to push through it. PUSH THROUGH THE FEAR The way to defeat fear is to face it, to push through it. When you push through the fear and then look back at it later, you will see that it really had no power over you other than that which you assigned it. FEAR MUST BE EVICTED Here’s another secret, fear will never just leave on its own. No, if you are waiting for fear to leave before you take action on a dream or a desire, you can forget it. Fear doesn’t just leave; it must be kicked out. I’m reminded of a situation that took place at my home church in Atlanta. I serve at the Welcome Center. We are there to assist first time visitors in getting acclimated to the facility (which is quite large) and helping them to feel comfortable so that they can enjoy their worship. One Sunday I met a young lady, let’s call her Tiffany (that’s not her real name). Tiffany approached the First Time Visitors table, with a smile. As I escorted toward the sanctuary, we chatted. She shared that she lives about 20 miles from the church, and she had wanted to attend the church for many years. As we got closer to entering the sanctuary, I noticed that she was becoming a little tense. We entered the sanctuary and she stopped. She said that she doesn't like crowds and that they trigger in her anxiety attacks. She was frozen in place and began to become more agitated. I could see the struggle raging with her. I stopped and embraced her, she was shaking and about to cry. I allowed her to calm down. Instinctively, I knew that her coming to church that day was her making a statement to this fear. She was fighting back. She had made a decision to push through it and take back her life. I asked her if it would be better for her to sit in the back. She agreed. I saw one of the ushers who wasn’t serving that day and asked if she wouldn't mind fellowshipping with Tiffany. The usher agreed and Tiffany seemed to be pleased. Throughout the service, I would peak in and check on Tiffany, she seemed to be enjoying the worship. Victory! After service, I saw Tiffany approaching the Welcome Center, I came out from around the table to greet her. She gave me such a warm hug, expressed her gratitude, and said she had a wonderful time. We were both teary eye. I invited her to come back any time she desired. She said she would and waved goodbye. However, before we had closed down the table, Tiffany showed back up with her 3 year old son. She said, "I wanted to introduce him to you." How precious is that? I was overwhelmed at the love of God and felt truly honored that he had allowed me to participate in the experience of one of his children overcoming a stronghold. TRIUMPHANT TIFFANY But even as wonderful as that testimony was, it didn't end there. The next Sunday, Tiffany showed back up, this time she not only brought her son, but also her daughter. When she walked into the church, she had the most beautiful smile on her face. She walked confidently up to me and gave me the same big warm hug as she did the previous week. After greeting her children, I asked her if she wanted me to assist her with finding a seat. She replied, "No, I got it!" She smiled at me as she took her children by the hand and walked them into the sanctuary. I watched her walk away, she looked so strong and confident. Wow God! I was overwhelmed. I actually had to take a quick break to get myself together, as tears of joy, just began streaming down my face. Even as I write this, I feel that same sense of pride in Tiffany as I did that day. Who knows how long she had been held captive by that fear? But that day, she had faced that fear and kicked it out. I felt as if I was watching her walk boldly into her future. Whatever it is that you might be facing that is holding you back, I hope this story of Tiffany’s triumph will encourage you to face your fears too. Don’t allow anything to stop you from living the life God has designed for you to enjoy. Tiffany had determined that day not to let that fear keep her from doing something that she had wanted to experience for years. I feel really honored that God called on me to help support her and to hold her up when she became weary. But it was Tiffany’s determination and God’s help that truly gave her the victory! Contributor: Sherrie Massie God’s Rainbow Promises Help in Times of Transition and Decision.
Have you ever been at a place in life when you needed to make a decision, but are unclear on the direction you should go? You wonder if you are making the right decision. You may even be feeling overwhelmed. Well, I’ve been there many times. One of the toughest times for me was when I was deciding to transition from a job to self-employment full time. I had juggled the responsibilities of a job and entrepreneurship for many years and had grown comfortable in these roles. However, at this point in my life I was really beginning to struggle. I was finding an increasing need for flexibility in my schedule in order to be there to support my husband in his health challenges. The stress of being pulled between work, home, and business was really weighing on me. This is not a time of complaining. No, God graced me to handle all the obligations and he kept me. But within me, I began to feel a growing sense that it might be time to step out of the job. I was hesitant, because I didn’t want to make a mistake. The fear of making the wrong choice stopped me in my tracks and held me captive for months. It was so heavy that I felt as if I were suffocating. I went about all my many duties as if in a trance. I couldn’t think clearly enough to make a quality decision, so I did nothing. I was paralyzed by the fear of regret. Have you ever been there? When I face times like these it’s best for me to get quiet before the Lord. That is where I draw my strength. And when your head and heart are filled with confusion, you can’t hear anything. So, it’s best for me to get away from it all. Now, because of the obligations of home, work, and business, I wasn’t going to be able to physically get away, so I started getting up earlier in the morning. This gave me some quiet time. I would pray, read, sing, but mostly, I would get quiet and listen. No, I never heard a resounding voice speaking from heaven telling me what I should do. But, what I did receive was a quiet peace. This peace helped fortify me, it helped strengthen me to carry forth, and mostly it reminded me that God doesn’t give me a spirit of fear. So, if I was being overwhelmed and beaten up by fear, it didn’t come from him. That really helped to strengthen my resolve. I decided to stop being whipped by fear and dare to step out in faith. One day, not long after that, I was coming out of church. It had rained while we were in church, but had stopped and the sun was shining brightly as I exited the building. Heading to my car, I turned to look back at the church and there over the building was the most beautiful rainbow, perfectly arched over the dome of the church. “Wow!” I exclaimed, “God, Thank you!” You see, for me rainbows are a sign of the promise of God that he’s with me and he would never leave me. This rainbow sighting began to boost my confidence that God would be with me, wherever I go. The next day, I was at work on break listening to a teaching by Pastor Joel Osteen about the signs and wonders of God’s promises to us. In the middle of his sermon, I remembered that I had forgotten to share with my friend about my rainbow sighting. We always share with each other when we see a rainbow. So, still listening to Joel, I sent a quick text to her about the rainbow. Then looking at my phone, realized that my break was over, so I gathered up my stuff and headed for the stairwell, heading back to my cubicle. Just as I entered the stairwell my phone binged with my friend’s reply. It said, “AMEN! Expect His promises to manifest in your life!” At the exact same time Pastor Joel is telling a story (see, I had never turned off his sermon, he was still talking as I was walking). He shares a story of a young lady needing confirmation from God on a decision she needed to make and God provided her 2 rainbows as a sign to her. “Oh, Glory!” I can still feel the shock wave that ran through my body when I heard those words. My spirit leaped and my emotions went wild, tears of joy began streaming down my face. What a confirmation! I was so glad that I was in the stairwell and no one else was around. The Glory of the Lord filled that stairwell with me. I was glorifying God and trying to get myself together because I needed to get back to my desk and clock back in. I finally got the water works to stop. I walked back into the bay almost in a trance. I was still in awe of God’s love at providing such a powerful confirmation of His promises in my life. As I went to sit down, I looked out the window and what did I see but a cloud surrounded by a rainbow! “Oh my!” The water works started again (yes, in the middle of the bay.) I don’t know if anyone else saw me and I really didn’t care. I was so excited because now I’m seeing rainbow all around me. To me, this was God giving me his confirmation that he was right there with me in my decision. I whispered, “God you are such an Amazing God.” I had never seen this type of rainbow surrounding the rim of the cloud before. So, I went seeking in the word for the promise for me to stand on as I made my transition. I found in the Word of God the scripture meaning of what these rainbows meant for me.
So, I stepped out, confident that my God goes before me. Has the road been smooth, without trials? No, many a day, there have been thoughts of doubt raising their ugly head. But, I can stand on the promises of God and stay the course. The rainbow promises remind me that God goes before me on this journey as a directional cloud. His rainbow is his promise of our covenant agreement. He will never leave me. He’s right there with me. Even as I write this, the water works threaten to break loose. But honestly, when I think of God’s all-consuming love for me it is really hard to fight back tears of joy. He truly is a good, good Father to me. I share this with you, not to share my personal story (because in truth, anyone who knows me, knows that sharing my personal life is not easy for me). I share it to encourage you. As you process through your journey take confidence in knowing that God will never leave you. I challenge you to seek to find your own scripture promises. Stand on them. Allow them to fortify you. Then step out in faith! You were created for a purpose. Discover it! Walk in it! Go forth in God! |
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