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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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

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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The Promise

Open Doors

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46: 1-3

The faithful of God

are not promised forever happiness,

that isn’t the way life works.

Life happens, devastating in its brutal reality.

God did not promise

a trouble-free existence.

We endure loses we do not think we can bear,

but we do.

God does promise to be present with us.

God gives us backbone,

Christ gives us comfort,

The Holy Spirit gives us understanding. 

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Blessings

Count your blessings, name them one by one

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Psalm 100:1-2 (NLT)

Life is a day to day opportunity to rise and shine. My husband likes to quote my sister-in-law, who in her last days asked him as he was leaving after a visit if he was going to go out and look at that "...great big beautiful world." In her limited perspective, so close to the end of her life, she saw each new day as a gift. She saw the future in seconds not hours or days. She was happy for the smiles of her family and probably brokenhearted at the tears they tried not to shed. 

Get up and get moving. It isn't a negative thought, but our days are numbered. How we count them–in joy or sorrow, working or complaining, sharing our gifts or keeping them hidden–is up to us.

Get out there, look at that great big beautiful world and engage in life.

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Trust: Our Unchangeable God

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

When everything is falling apart

there is One and only One you can trust.

The world may tell you to trust in your job,

or your friends, or your own devices,

but no one but God can get you through a crisis,

or through joy. And yes, He does get you through joy

otherwise in the ecstasy of accomplishment

you may believe you did it on your own.

We are nothing and have nothing

that does not come from our heavenly Father.

Our faith is not based on empty promises

or worldly establishments built on human desire,

Our faith is in the unchangeable God

who loves us all the time, in joy and in sorrow.

today, yesterday and tomorrow.

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Day Light

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Psalm 100:1-2

Red rays weave in and out

Through threads of mauve clouds

Touched with pearl grey

Highlighted with ocher and red

Crimson and gold.

It is day light touched gently

With mist rising out of the

The dark horizon of night.

Rising, rising changing the sky

Brightening, shining, warming

Pulling the day into being.

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The Lord Takes Delight In You

 Be the Reason Other People Smile

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For the Lord takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:4

When you have done your best and you’ve been told by critics that your best isn’t good enough, it’s easy to get down on yourself. More volunteers are discouraged by criticism than are retained by praise. Pointing out the chinks in a plan rather than looking for ways to shore it up accomplishes nothing. The Lord takes delight in all of us. What kind of world would it be if we delight in others? Take delight in the people around you. Be the reason they smile. Help them succeed.



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