Tag: strength

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Flying Above The Turbulence

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

 

I don’t want to do this anymore.

How did I get here?  Why is this happening to me?

We all ask these questions when life gets bumpy.  I’m asking them right now.  Life is beyond bumpy. It’s downright turbulent.

I used to think that if you questioned, you were weak in your faith.  But I don’t anymore.  It may be an indication that you are exactly where God wants you to be.  He knows the turbulence causes us to walk closer to Him, press in, listen more, and strengthen our trust muscle.

Looking up in the sky, we see beautiful blue skies with puffy clouds.  It looks serene, but I promise if you fly through the clouds or directly under or over them, you will bounce around.  As a pilot’s wife for nearly 40 years, I’ve experienced everything from a little bumpiness to continuous prayer turbulence. What you can’t see are the powerful updrafts and downdrafts.  You can’t see it, but you can feel it if you get close enough. Life is like that.  Everywhere you turn, there’s turbulence. 

So how in the world do we soar like an eagle above it all? 

We see practical help in today’s verse – a familiar one to most of us. “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.”

 What should we do?  Trust in the Lord.  I need to do it too. Trusting is deep, strong and stabilizing.  When we trust, we can stand firm. It’s not because of us, it’s because of Him.  It’s because He alone is faithful.  Want to hear something comforting?  Nothing we experience surprises Him.  He knows the end from the beginning.  I love that!

How can we soar high?  Did you know eagles can reach an altitude of over 10,000 feet?  They continually soar up and glide down.  Sounds like life – constant ups and downs.  With eagles, the stronger the updraft, the higher they soar. We can do that too.

 

Most birds of prey look back over their shoulder before striking their prey.  But not eagles.  They stay singularly focused and undistracted. I want to be like an eagle. I want to trust undistracted, looking forward, not behind.

Surrender the circumstances and turbulence to Him.  It’s not easy in the midst of life’s bumpy ride, but He will strengthen us.   Our verse connects trust and new strength.  “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.” 

Can you use some new strength?  Want to soar like an eagle?  Me too!

No matter what it is, cry out to Him – trust Him.  He will give strength to fly above the turbulence.

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Every Part of My Heart

Oh Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets…… Jeremiah 11: 20a

When you watch a magician, do you ever long to know the secret of the trick?  I do.  Intellectually I realize much of it is slight of hand, hidden elements or trap doors.  But the experiential, looking at it right now, in me is frustrated because I can’t figure it out.  I don’t have a clue.

The magician has mastered the covering of secrets.  He’s cloaked it all so well that no one can explain.

We do that too.  If we’re honest, there are deep thoughts and secrets buried in our hearts.  Perhaps some are awful things.  But I know in my own heart, some are often simply too personal to share. . . with anyone.

But God knows.  He sees. 

We’ve all heard that God knows “the thoughts and intentions of the heart”, taken from Hebrews 4: 12.  But did you realize that idea is expressed in other places in scripture?

Back in Genesis when Noah presented a sacrifice to God after coming out of the ark, we see that God looks on “the intent of man’s heart” in Genesis 8: 21.  In Samuel 16: 7, we see God telling Samuel that  “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”. And today’s verse says in the New Living Translation, “You examine the deepest thoughts and secrets“.

Everyone else around us would never know, but God knows.

That can be frightening when we harbor sin in our heart.  It’s more than a little uncomfortable thinking about God seeing those thoughts we work hard to cloak.  Scary…….guilty…….confession & forgiveness – the only way out.  And praise Him for that process !  He’s provided a way for that dark stuff to go away. . . forever.

But what about the other stuff?  The intense hurt.  The stark loneliness.  The fear.  The flood of tears held in secret.  The uncertainty.  The searching.  The doubt.

God sees all that too.  And instead of being frightened, we feel seen, understood, comforted and loved.

I’m glad God can see these things in my heart.  I’m glad I don’t have to work at hiding them from Him.  He will never judge me as others would.  He knows I’m dust.  He knows my weaknesses.  He knows it all and loves me just as I am.

Familiar phrase, but it seriously blows me away to think the God of the Universe would even want to look at my heart.  Do you get the magnitude of this deal?  Billions and billions and way beyond that – all those hearts stretching across past, present and future.  Every. Single. Heart. And He not only takes the time, but wants to look at my heart.

Yep.  It scares me a little to think He will find some secret sin I have forgotten or buried so deep even I can’t see it.  But I am so incredibly thankful to know He sees my struggles and wants to help me through them, loving me beyond what I can understand, but so desperately need.

So go ahead and be the magician of your heart with people around you.  But open your heart to the One that loves you no matter what.  No matter what deep thoughts and secrets He finds, He won’t beat you up.   He won’t kick you out of the family.  He will love you through every moment.  He will forgive.  He will strengthen, comfort and encourage.

He will love – because He is love itself.

That makes my heart feel better just knowing it’s true.  I hope it makes your heart feel better too.  

Lord – Only You know every part of my heart.  Thank you for loving me no matter what You find there.  Help me to be honest in confession.  And please give grace, comfort and love as we tackle the hard things together.  I would be so lost without You.  Thank You for never giving up on me.    Amen

 

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But The Lord Stood With Me……….

2 Timothy 4:17   But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength. . .

Last week I was standing alone at the hostess desk in Applebee’s. There were happy groups everywhere, but I wasn’t joining any of them. It’s a continuing theme for so many. It’s particularly striking during the holidays. Lunch isn’t a big deal, but dinner certainly is tougher.

I know you may be thinking, “your faith can carry you through” or ” you are never alone because God is with you”. True. But those who walk this life alone can’t be strong all the time. At some point we fold, we let down. And that makes us vulnerable to loneliness or at the very least sadness.

Remember the famous “Footprints in the the Sand” poem by Mary Stevenson? It talks about what happened when there was only one set of footprints. That picture goes perfectly with today’s verse. None of us can be strong all the time. But we can rely on God being there to carry and strengthen us.

Sometimes we don’t even have the strength to walk beside God. It’s those times He carries us. Other times we need the strength God brings as He walks with us. We rely on His strength. His wisdom, His love and comfort.

Strength. . . being strong a capacity for exertion or endurance. . .power of resisting attack. That’s how Webster defines strength.

You need God’s strength.

I need God’s strength.

I love the 2 Timothy verse so much. A dear friend bought me a necklace that says – But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength.

Each of us faces situations alone. But God stands with us. With Him I can face whatever may come because He gives me strength.

Maybe you never thought of it that way before.

Maybe you never noticed that verse before.

When you feel alone – when you don’t feel strong enough. . . remember this verse.

The Lord stands with you & gives you strength.

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A Different Looking Kind of Warrior

Judges 6:12  When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”   

Galatians 1:10    Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

I feel like I’ve been just getting through stuff.  Sometimes I feel warrior-like and other times I want to hide away like Gideon.  You too?  But that’s how it goes right?  Sometimes we’re brave and sometimes we want to sit it out. 

In Gideon’s story, the angel makes a startling announcement.  “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”  God was letting Gideon see what He saw in him.  Gideon wasn’t buying it and truthfully, I don’t either on most days. 

It’s not easy feeling fully confident in our calling.  Whether you are a people pleaser or not, at some point we are afraid of other’s opinions.  And what makes this fear worse is social media and lots of folks who don’t filter what they say or post.  And so we live a little scared.  We may not admit to it, but we are.

Recently the verse in Galatians has given me courage and hope.  People’s opinions mean nothing stacked up against God’s.  I know that solidly in my head, but my heart doesn’t believe it as much.  Maybe it’s a matter of trust?  Do we trust other’s thoughts and opinions more than God?  If we are honest, sometimes we do.

So maybe like me, you need to repent.  Because I love God SO much and want desperately to please Him, it crumbles my heart to know I’ve chosen to believe others opinions over God’s firm affirmations and direction.  I’m a wreck.

But as I look closely at scripture and see the people God used, I see how they were wrecks too.  God used ordinary people who were so incredibly far from perfect to do great things.

For me, it ends up being a choice – every day and often every hour.  Do I believe God when He tells me I’m a warrior princess?  Am I going to listen and bend to others opinions or am I going to rest solidly in God’s opinion and sovereignty?  We forget, I think, that He created everything – not just planet earth, but the whole universe.  If He did all that and still holds it all together, can’t He take care of us?  If He’s really all that, and He is, can’t He know what is best for us and give us what we need at just the right time?  Yes – to all that.

This is easy for me to write and for you to read, but it’s not easy to implement.  My heartfelt advice, and the only thing that works for me, is to talk to God honestly.  Lay it all at His feet and cry out to Him for courage, wisdom and strength.  In faith tell Him you trust Him, you need Him, you will obey and follow Him.  It’s helpful to speak it, not just pray silently.  Declarations made out loud are powerful.  I pray with all my heart that you will do this and find that peace that transcends all understanding.

As I close, let me offer a prayer for you, yes, but for me too.  We are walking this together.  

Lord – We come to You with all our weaknesses.  We have a hard time believing we are warriors.  And we can be distracted and swayed by the opinions of others.  Remind us of who You are, of Your promises and declarations over us.  Take us to Your word where You give us examples of how You use ordinary people for the kingdom.  Help us be courageous when we would rather hide.  Help us hold up the Shield of Faith to quench the fiery darts of the enemy – those we can see and those we can’t see.  May we stand firm in who You say we are, not bending to the opinions of others.  Thank you for Your word that sustains us – Your grace and wisdom as we move forward – and Your love that is way more than amazing.  Amen