Faith

In His Hands

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

The times we need faith most are the times we have our greatest fears. Will God take care of this? Does he fully comprehend how bad… worrisome… unmanageable… sorrowful… depressing… distressing… my life is? Why would He care enough to do anything? Maybe He wants ME to take care of it. And then you start thinking of all the ways you will “fix” your problems without Him, often making things worse, much worse. Faith doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing. It does mean prayerfully including God in every decision and trusting Him to give you wisdom and discernment. How life turns out from day to day is in His hands. Faith is the most powerful tool of the believer. Faith is the means by which you will get through it all.

God's Promise

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Action Plan

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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

What is the thing you most want to do today? Do it. 

Who in your life is hurting that you can help? Find them and reach out. 

How can you add to your spiritual knowledge base so when called upon you are fitted with the armor of faith? Take time for study and discernment. 

When in your day will you make time for renewal and reflection? Make it as important as any appointment on your calendar and stick with it. 

At what time and where will you be when trouble hits? Anywhere and anytime. Trouble is a surprise that happens at the least convenient moment.

God’s promise? To be with you wherever you go.

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Hope

On Wings Like Eagles

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

The image conjured by Isaiah 40:31 is of one rising always rising, caught in the wind of the Holy Spirit, fearless, courageous and trusting. When I see the people of Newtown, Conn. standing firmly with their sisters and brothers as they heal day-by-day, moment-by-moment I see God at work. When I walk into a store and see collection boxes giving me the opportunity to help out in some way with the recovery efforts in Oklahoma following the brutal forces of nature, I am lifted up. When I hear tolerance spoken in word and deed I am changed. I read somewhere that scary events do happen, that is a fact of life. Fear is a choice. We can let circumstances defeat us or make us stronger. I choose this day to soar like an eagle, to run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint lifted and sustained by the Holy Spirit, God with us.

Faith

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Life's little surprises

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 

Trying to make sense of life is a waste of time. Really. Who knows when a sinkhole will open up and swallow you? That is not a defeatist outlook; it’s a realistic view of life. You do not know from one minute to the next when that crest of success, power and self-satisfaction will drop right out from under you. Maybe you’ll survive it; probably you will, but not without a few bruises along the way. That’s when faith comes in. You no longer have what you had before, but you have something new, different, unexpected and sometimes in your mind unmanageable. That’s when God does his best work. It’s not like you can make a list of what you want God to do. He has his own list and it’s way better than yours. Trust. Have faith, not that you will get your way, but that God has a way ahead.

Lord, in all ways help me to be steadfast in faith. I trust you because I know I cannot trust myself to always do the right thing for the right reasons. Amen  

A Christmas Reflection

Tell the story simply and from the heart

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2: 8-9

There was nothing great and glorious about Jesus’ birth, any more than the birth of any child. In truth he arrived following the pains of childbirth, in a lowly setting. With the exception of the three kings who came bearing gifts, everyone and everything around the baby Jesus was simple, natural and rustic. He came from humble beginnings, but he was not forever trapped in a stable. He grew in stature and wisdom and became someone who would forever change humankind, not with physical might, but with compassion, mercy, wisdom and truth.

His birth was attended by a host of angels, so perhaps it wasn’t so humble after all. He is the Son of God, and there is nothing humble about that. How he lived is a testament to divine light; how he died is a commentary on the cruelty of humanity; how he rose from the dead is God’s love for us made manifest.

Good news of great joy. The divine and the human, one child, one night one incredible story. Christmas lights are a reminder of His equally incredible love for all humankind revealed when a new light – born in a manger – came into the world. Bells are angel voices, tolling out the story. Carols are the music of human hearts raised in praise and thanksgiving. Christmas is for Christians, yes this is so, but the story is for everyone, no exceptions. God’s love is remarkable, unfathomable and not subject to human interpretation. Does God hold each of us accountable? I believe he does, but that is God’s job, not mine. Thank the God of all creation it isn’t my job to decide how or if others will accept the joyful news of Christ’s birth. My job is to light the lights, ring the bells and sing the songs that tell the story, Christ is born.

Because of God’s love we who accept his truth are among the chosen, and it matters not to God what faith label we carry. How awesome is that? God in his glory, fully realized in every sense of the word, powerful beyond imagining, greater than anything human minds can conceive, creator and author of all of life, in all of the cosmos, God has chosen to love you and me. I am struck speechless at the idea of it, knowing full well I haven’t deserved this love and have at times forgotten that it is there, holding me up, protecting me in the storms of life, taking it as my due. God’s love for me is singular. It is based on his infinite love for his creations, you and me. The thing is that although it is singular to me, it is also singular to every person upon whom his favor rests. His choice. His love. Amazing beyond words.

I say thank you, God, for the babe in a manager and thank you that he didn’t remain there, a symbol of something. Instead he grew to be a man, God in human form, who taught and encouraged, healed and redeemed, a single individual who changed the world forever. I often don’t understand what I read in the Bible, I trust its message and give thanks.

No, God did not send the Child into a rich family, and the first people to hear about the birth were not the elite and educated. The message got out and about through working shepherds and a working class man and woman who would care for the child, a housewife and a carpenter. From these unlikely foundations the message blew through the world creating quite a stir. It drove one ruler to the mass murder of children. It created a longing to learn more in the hearts and minds of kings. It stirred the hearts of a young couple just starting out in life, two people willing to live in faith that their young charge was someone special.

In this time of grief over the loss of so many little ones, we can pray their heart-breaking deaths will cause us to make dramatic changes in the mental health care system to prevent more tragedies in the future. The God of all will bring comfort to those who turn to him, including the family of the disturbed person who pulled the trigger again and again and again. Honoring the birth of one Child strengthens us to cope with the deaths of 20 beautiful children and the deaths of their protectors. The horror of Dec. 14 cannot be denied. Our hope and comfort lie not in the hands of a madman, but in the hands and heart of God.

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This is from the mid-December issue of Happenstance Literary. Get your subscription today for only $12 at http://www.vandermeerbooks.com/Subscribe.html. Through the end of December purchase a subscription for yourself and get one free for someone else. Go to this link http://www.vandermeerbooks.com/happenstance11-15-12rev.pdf to access a complimentary copy.

Christmas

Go and tell...

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2: 8-9

Terror. Awe. Are they the same? I’ve read commentaries that say the shepherds were in awe when the angel appeared and that being terrified and being in awe are similar. I’m not sure I agree. Awe is reverence. Awe is worship. Awe is respect. Terror is something else entirely. If I had been out in the middle of a field with nothing but a bunch of sheep and a bright light popped out of nowhere, my initial reaction would likely be terror. As a shepherd my next reaction would be concern for the sheep in my care. Were the sheep frightened by the light? The bible doesn’t say, but my thought is they would be a bellwether for the shepherds. If sheep – notoriously skittish animals – didn’t run madly away, perhaps this light was something wondrous rather than something fearful. And then the shepherds got the word. An angel shared with these lowly men of the field that something wonderful was happening in Bethlehem. A heavenly host appeared praising God, bringing light into the darkness. The shepherds felt compelled to go to Bethlehem and see for themselves. Afterwards they shared the good news, a message we continue to celebrate. It is a story worth telling.

Your comments are welcome, and if this message touches you, please share. 

Stress: Victim of Cirsumstances

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.
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When stress is ruling (and ruining) your life, it’s time for a change. What kind of change? Therein lies the dilemma for most of us. We feel comfortable (Really? Yes, really) in the track we’re treading because it is something we know and with any kind of luck at all we can blame someone else for the anxiety that plagues us. “I’m stressed because…” You fill in the blank and for some there is more than one response. Those are excuses for being stuck. God has a better plan. He does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power. What we do with that gift is up to us.
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Being a victim frequently is a consequence of being unwilling to change our circumstances. No matter the reasons for our stress and distress God has a way over around under or through our circumstances. Does He make life easy for us? No. Life makes life hard. Circumstances beat us up. People disappoint us. We have horrifying health issues. People we love die. We die. The question isn’t what is life doing to us, but what are we doing with each day, each hour, each moment during all that upheaval? God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power. And the assurance we have is that He is with us every step of the way, every day and in all ways.

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Sharon Vander Meer publishes Happenstance Literary, an online magazine featuring her work and the work of other writers. Click here to learn more and to subscribe. Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below

Hope

On Eagle's Wings

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

One of my favorite faith songs is, “On Eagle’s Wings,” by Michael Joncas. The refrain sings of God’s power to protect and guide while giving encouragement.

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,

Bear you on the breath of dawn

Make you to shine like the sun,

And hold you in the palm of his hand.

On the days when life is at its most turbulent, God’s grace and mercy are present, his guidance is without fail, and his love raises us above the fray. We can soar on the breath of his love and move forward in the hope of each new day.

Trust

Rooted in God's Promise 

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

FROM CLIPART.COM

Make no mistake. There is one way and only way to stay ahead of the curves life throws you. God. His blessings, mercy, compassion, strength, and love are the roots that keep us firmly planted in faith and trust. Life is not perfect for anyone. Our need for God is constant. In times of joy he is in the fabric of our lives enriching our happiness. When tough times come it is those roots that keep us from being knocked down and run over. God with us is an absolute; everything else is transient.

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