Jesus could walk on water but this chick-a-dee
cannot walk on ice, which is currently covering every walking surface
here in our area. :( Yuck! Had to reschedule my Dr. appointment for
later in the week. Satan would like nothing more than to steal my peace
and replace it with anxiety. Yet, that isn't what God desires for me. He
wants me to turn to Him in prayer, to trust in Him, and to bask in His
joy and peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but
in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
In the days ahead, I will rest in the comfort He provides. When Satan
tries to attack, I will immerse myself in His word, spend time talking
to God in prayer, ask my trusted, faithful friends to be praying, feed
my soul with uplifting Christian music, lose myself in a good Christian
book, and engage in a tickle fight with my son as laughter is great
medicine. God didn't promise that life would be easy but He did promise
to always be beside us. Be blessed, dear ones!
Despite my nap earlier today, I am physically
exhausted. Sometimes, the burdens we face in life, whether job stress,
financial problems, relationship difficulties, addictions, health
issues, or some other hardship, can leave us feeling spiritually,
emotionally, and physically exhausted. The good news is that God offers
to carry our burdens for us and to give us rest.
Matthew 11:28 states,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest."
Whatever you are facing, dear one,
you are not alone for God is with you always. Dare to hope!
Psalm 62:5
says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him."
Romans
15:13 is my prayer for each one of you, precious friends: "May the God
of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you
may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." In Jesus'
name, Amen! Sweet dreams, dear ones!
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.--- NIV translation via BibleGateway
The words of Psalm 121 wrap around my heart with such a warm and tender embrace as I read that my Lord is the source of my help (vs. 2) and protection (vs. 7). To know that He is with me both now and forevermore (vs. 8) floods my soul with His amazing peace and comfort.
I had difficulty sleeping last night due to the burning sensation in my left knee, which is caused by nerve damage from my knee surgery over a year and a half ago. I awoke to even more pain. My Fibromyalgia flares-up when my body does not get the proper rest it needs. The damp, cold rainy weather also causes my Lupus to flare-up while the change in barometric pressure often triggers migraines. Can you see how very tempting it would have been for me to take my pain medication, which makes me sleepy, and burrow back under the warm, comforting covers this morning rather than to jostle about as I prepared myself to attend church services? Believe me, the thought was very enticing.
If I had given into the temptation to stay nestled in bed this morning, I would have missed out on all of the wonderful blessings God had planned for me from the worship songs that stirred my heart (one of which I have shared below in the hopes that it will also encourage you), to hugs and precious moments spent with friends: dear women of faith, to our pastor's wonderful sermon on making a choice to resist temptation, to soul-searching prayers of healing. If I had chosen to give in to the temptation to stay home, Satan would have won a victory today and he would have stolen my joy.
Does this mean that my body no longer aches? To the contrary, my body is in even more excruciating pain this afternoon. Yet, my soul is filled to overflowing with God's merciful love, His never-ending joy, and His unfathomable peace. In my time of pain, God is my source of helpboth now and forevermore. Spending time with my Lord and Savior helped to renew my strength and resolve so that I can overcome the pain and continue to be the mom my son needs me to be and the encourager God has called me to be. May you know Him this intimately as well, dear one. He longs to be your source of help and protection, as well, both now and forevermore.
