Tag Archive | suffering

Feelin’ Squeezed

Mar9

Sour Lemon FaceIs life throwing you lots of lemons right now? Does it feel like the weight of the world is upon your shoulders? Do you feel squeezed from every direction?

Job, David, Apostle Paul…they all went through a lot of squeezing in life. Between losing everything they owned, losing family, friends turning their backs on them and being put in jail. It didn’t look like there was any way out of the mess. They couldn’t break the chains of bondage. They didn’t deserve what happened. They had no clue they would have to go through so much pain and sorrow. The only thing they could do was stand on their faith, believing God had a plan that they couldn’t see.

BUT THEN…God moved in their lives, restoring what was lost, giving them health and the strength to go on. God has a way when you don’t see one. Stand up and dig in church! You might be squeezed from every angle of life. You might be crushed and heartbroken. But our heavenly father collects all those tears. He will help you every step of the way even when you feel all alone and no movement of God.

  • Psalm 30:2 “O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.”
  • Psalm 34:2 “I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.”
  • Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
  • Psalm 107:4-6 “They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. They were hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses.”
  • Psalm 118:5 “Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.”

Dig your heels in and keep standing in faith. Your God is bigger, stronger, lovelier, and is unlimited in ways we simply don’t understand. Today I ask you all, let God help you turn those sour lemons into your very own sweet-tasting lemonade. He won’t let you down nor will He forget your struggles while standing in faith. One small faith a size of a mustard seed is all it takes.Tasty Lemonade

He promises to take all your hurt, pain, sickness, disease, poverty, failed opportunities and relationships AND TURN THEM AROUND into your favor! Get ready to have an amazing testimony for when He squeezes so tight and everything falls apart, you can bet that He has something so amazing in store for you!

So today, let that squeeze come upon you. Rejoice in the midst of your pain and sorrow. For God is up to something in your life and your best days are just ahead! Stand firm and know that God can make the most heavenly lemonade there is! Dig in church! Dig in for that sweet taste of victory that’s coming your way today!

 

 

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Jehovah Jireh ~ Lord My Provider

Jan22

battle_fight_cartoonHave you been brought to your knees with nowhere to go? Have you found yourself fighting a battle that seems to only intensify? Are you drowning in debt with no relief in sight? Have you lost loved ones unexpectedly? Have things in your life continued to spiral downward and you find yourself at the bottom of a pit?

What are you battling today? What is missing in your life? What illness, loss, addiction are you fighting? What has a hold on you?

Satan came to steal, kill and destroy us. He will do everything in his power to stop God’s plan for your life. Whether he steals your job, home, car, relationships or destroys those around us with sickness, addictions and disease. He has one purpose and one purpose only…and that is to sway you away from your faith by constantly bombarding your life with difficulties and tragedies; making you wonder where God is or why God would allow such things to happen.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say only good things happen to those who love the Lord. It actually says just the opposite…

…Luke 6:21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22“Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.”

Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) He wants the absolutely best for you and your loved ones. Jesus took our sinful place on the cross so that believing in Him, we are made righteous and right-standing with our Heavenly Father. We don’t have to earn His love…He already loves us. We don’t have to change…He’ll change us. We won’t lose our salvation…Jesus is our salvation.

Satan is a liar and today, we are standing in faith that Jesus is Lord of Lords and Kings of Kings. He is our Jehovah Jireh. God’s eternal grace, continual provision and all-encompassing wisdom is available to all those who believe. Jehovah-Jireh is not “The LORD Did Provide,” but “The LORD Will Provide.” His name doesn’t simply indicate that He provided once and won’t do it again. No…it anticipates a future action, a constant help. God is, was, and will always be the same. He doesn’t change.

jehovah-jireh-blessing

When satan’s fiery darts are constantly shaking your world, it is so important that you do not weaken in your faith. Our God is our provider and is more than capable to provide, satisfy, and help you overcome. You might not see a way but our God has a way. Don’t let your faith waver or unbelief creep in. Stand boldly at the feet of Jesus. Give Him your worries and doubts. Let Him know that through it all, you will praise His name above all else. It doesn’t matter what we see, what matters is who lives within us. He is far greater than anything that comes against you.

So today, let’s stand in faith together. Whatever your need is today, ask God for it in prayer and then believe that you receive it. (Romans 4:18-21) It doesn’t matter if your circumstances don’t fit what you’re asking for. God is not limited by our circumstances. He created the whole universe and has unlimited power. He wants us to ask, believe and know without a shadow of any doubt, He can provide you with unlimited resources. It’s not for us to show off but it’s for His glory!

Think of it this way…

  • Is your vehicle broken and run down? Ask God for a debt-free vehicle and then say out loud…Thank you Lord for providing my awesome new vehicle. I believe that I receive a debt-free vehicle that is top of the line in the name of Jesus.  You are the all powerful, almighty, all loving God and I praise your name.
  • Do you need a home to call your own or something larger to fit your family’s needs? Ask God for the perfect debt-free home and then say out loud…Thank you Lord for providing my family’s incredible home. I believe that I receive a debt-free home right now in the name of Jesus. You are the all powerful, almighty, all loving God and I praise your name.
  • Do you or someone you love need healing? One small touch from God is all it takes. Ask God for His swift healing and then say out loud…Thank you Lord for providing my healing. By Jesus stripes we are now healed. I believe that I receive your healing, in the name of Jesus. You are the all powerful, almighty, all loving God and I praise your name.

Whatever you need, God can provide. The key is to stand in faith and keep believing until everything is manifested and restored in your life. Don’t let satan steal your joy anymore. Stand strong and keep the faith for your Jehovah Jireh can and will provide. It’s not about being able to boast about your new job, car or home…it’s about receiving an incredible testimony about what God did for you to share with others. Because you will know that you know it was your Heavenly Father that provided and there was absolutely nothing you could have done to make it happen. It will defy all human logic.

God gives you breath and grace that is sufficient every single day. Why wouldn’t He give you your heart’s desires in order to Praise His Name? (Psalm 37:4) He is and will forever be…all you need! Don’t let fear and doubt stop you anymore. Take the limits off God and see His mighty hand swiftly come upon you.

Speak up ~ Thank up ~ And Get Ready To Share Your Testimony!

jehovah-jireh

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Checkmate

Jan17

Broken HeartTragedy has struck so many of us, rocking into our very core. We don’t understand why these things happen, there is no reasonable explanation. There is no justification of how something so terrible could be allowed into our lives. We have no idea why this painful event had to happen and the grief that has stricken us is so deep and painful. There are no words that can comfort. There are no reasons that make sense. God is love. He is perfect. He is all-knowing. So how can He allow such debilitating things happen in our lives?

As we all go through such tragic events in our lives, satan loves to call “Checkmate”. He knows we can not understand the why. He knows we try to rationalize these terrible events. He knows we need to process them and try to reason them out. He wants us to feel that he has our chess king totally surrounded. He wants us to feel there are no more moves to make. He wants us to feel completely helpless.

Well I have news for satan today, we all can say “I Don’t Think So”. We all have one more move and that is down to our knees. We serve an all-loving, all-knowing, all-amazing God that always has another move to make. There maybe nothing we can do in our circumstances but our All-Powerful Heavenly Father says give it to me, I’ll take care of the pain, of the sorrow, of the unknown and will replace it with peace that surpasses all understanding, joy that rises in the morning and He will make a move in our lives that will make satan realize…he messed with the wrong person.

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Never alone

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

So when your heart aches like no tomorrow, you feel there are no more moves to make and you are desperately trying to find your way in the midst of the storm…

Stop Drop and Pray

Pour your heart out to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Explain your frustrations. God has big shoulders that you can lean on.

Let the King of Kings and Lord of Lords hear you speak for He will not leave you stranded. He will not leave you crushed, sad or alone. He will rise up on your behalf and show you HIS next move! God always has another move and nothing…and I do mean absolutely nothing…will stand in His way.

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In The Craziest Moment

Nov26

Early yesterday morning, as we heard a loud crash and ran to see, we quickly realized something was terribly wrong. At first, we thought we were dealing with an intruder as it sounded like a very big crash. What we actually heard was my dad falling when he had blacked out and was unable to cry for help. As my mom rushed to the phone to dial 911, I was holding onto my dad with all my might trying to make sure he didn’t fall any further. As dad became conscious enough to realize something was wrong, being the stubborn man he is, he tried to get up and walk. While begging him to sit down, unexpectedly another blackout occurred and I found myself trying to do everything in my power to hold him up so he didn’t hit the floor. There were no warnings to what we encountered. There were no signs that would have given us a glimpse of what we were about to face.

As the paramedics rushed through the house, they found themselves staring at a very clammy sweaty man who could not comprehend what was happening. The paramedics rushed my dad to the hospital. For the remainder of the day, he was whisked from one end of the hospital to the other having tests being performed to try and figure out the cause of the blackouts.

While dad was being wheeled for another test, mom and I decided to take a break and get some air. As we walked down a hall, I had an overwhelming sense to stop and turn back. Now of course, I’m not in the right mind frame to determine what was happening but when God speaks, I always try to listen. So I asked mom to hold on a second and I turned back. When I did, I noticed a young lady sitting in a waiting room. She was doing everything she could to compose herself. I instantly found myself by her side asking if she needed help. And then that’s when the tears started flowing. She explained that she came to the waiting room to take a minute for herself as they had just lost her grandfather. As mom came to my side, somehow – some way we had the strength to be there for this young lady. We started hugging her and just listening, letting her speak to strangers without judgement. Letting her show all her emotions so that she too could find the strength in helping her family through their difficult time.

It is in moments like these that you have absolutely no clue why this happens. We had heard the code blue. We had instantly prayed for the family and the doctors, yet at the time of hearing the commotion, I found myself being grateful that it wasn’t dad.

But there in a tiny waiting room, we found ourselves caught up in this young lady’s hurt and pain…comforting, loving, and hugging until her strength returned to face all the decisions they were finding themselves unexpectedly having to make the day before Thanksgiving.

A while later, we ran into this young lady’s family as they were being whisked to the funeral hall. The young lady looked up with such grateful eyes and whispered a soft thank you to mom and I. In the middle of their sadness, the young lady had an uncompromising peace found on her face that the other family members did not. She was going to be the rock in the middle of the family’s turmoil. God was using her to bring comfort and peace to the family.

So as you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal, I pray that Thanksgiving has a whole new meaning for you today and I hope that you realize that there is so much to be thankful for. Whether you are with family or you find yourself miles way…be thankful to the Lord for he knows the how, why and when. He will always place us where we are needed the most in sometimes the craziest of moments. But if we will listen and obey, it will always work out for someone’s good. Because in the middle of your chaos, help arrives when you least expect it and in very unexpected ways.

11.26.15 Thanksgiving Card for Website

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