Stand Firm in Faith Isaiah 7:9b NLT

Unless you faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.  Isaiah 7:9b

Without faith He cannot make me stand firm.  He's not talking about a huge amount of faith. A mustard seed amount will do.  I just have to have that faith so he an make me stand firm in it. Because when He makes me firm, my root will grow and I'll start to grow bigger in my faith and be established in my faith and soon my plant will flourish.

Another version (NKJ) of this verse uses the word believe instead of faith. "Unless you believe I cannot make you stand firm." And that's a true statement too. You have to believe in him first, to have faith in him, to get to faith in him for anything bigger. Right now I have faith in God and an believing God for some very big things.  Yet, I am also struggling to believe and have faith in some very basic areas. Is something wrong with me? No. I've just been hurt in that area and God just wants to do a deeper healing in that area than ever before. To make me walk even closer to him. To reveal something new and it will take faith on my part for him to do it.

Father, I thank you that we can have faith as small as a mustard seed and you will make us stand frm. I thank you that we stand firm in you.  thank you for being with us every day. And Daddy, I ask for each one reading this, would you pour out a special mesure of faith on them today for hatever they are believing for. I stand with them for it.  We love you, Amen.

God confidence 1st Corinthians 11:12

1st Corinthians 11:12 Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

Quit focusing on you. Your focus needs to be on God. Let him be your all. He is your everything. Don 't have confidence in yourself. You can't do anything apart from God anyway.  Put your confidence in God and see what he can do through you.  

People have put me down all my life.  So much so I have very little confidence in me.  When I start focusing on me and all I need to do in life I don't have confidence to do it.  I have a book I want to publish. In me, it wont get done.  But because my confidence is in God, I self publish in a couple week and actually hit the publish button when the time comes.  

I'm also very self-conscience about how I look.  Growing up with insults throw at home all the time damages a person at the core.  The only way to permanently rewrite those tapes is to go to God and have him tell you the things you need to hear.  Whether it is the "I love yous" that you didn't receive or "You're beautiful" or "You're smart" let God step in and fill that gap. He will sing it over you minute by minute day by day and fill you with the God confidence you need until you can do what he asks of you.  Will you be scared doing it? Yep.  But with God confidence you will have the courage to do it.

Abba, I pray for anyone reading this that is broken and needs your confidence to heal the breaks.  Step in and heal their heart and give them the confidence in you that allows us to step in faith and live for you.

Anger Psalms 91:14-16

Anger

Psalms 91:14-16 For the Lord says “Because she loves me I will rescue her: I will make her great because she trusts in my name.  When she calls on me I will answer; I will be with her in trouble and rescue her and honor her.  I will satisfy her with a full life and give her my salvation.

All I feel is anger.  What I thought were blessings from God are always taken away. Why? What am I doing wrong?  I have so many struggles in my life.  All my life I have been abandoned by the men in my life. Why can’t I have love?  No one has ever really stayed.  Why do men always walk away from me.  All I want is to be loved and cherished by someone for who I am.  I don’t want to hide who I am or become someone else. I just want to be  real.   Where do I go from here?  How do I ever trust again?

Abba, I want to be satisfied.  I want to feel your blessings.  I want to understand why your blessings come so hard for me. I have nowhere to turn but you.   I can’t feel your love.  I ask that right now and that you fill my heart to overflowing with your peace and love.  Fill my life with the good things that come from you.   Redeem what the enemy has stolen from my life.  In your precious hands, I place my life, amen.

Thrown Away Hebrews 4:15

Thrown Away

Hebrews 4:15

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 

Damaged goods.  I’m three times divorced now and that’s what I see.  Like a bruised melon no one wants.   How is anyone going to want me after three men have thrown me away? 

Is this how Jesus felt on the cross?  He was rejected and thrown away by everyone.  Even Peter, one of his most trusted disciples, denied even knowing him. But most hurtful had to be rejected by God, his father.  We think God rejected Him, how that must’ve hurt. But we must stop and think, his father rejected him, at the most painful point of his life. Yet he didn’t ask for all of it to stop.  He completed the path set before him.  His father welcomed him home  with open arms. Peter apologized, and some who had rejected him repented and accepted Him.  Others didn’t.  Some never will.

So in the deepest point of our rejection, we can be sure Jesus knows and shares our pain and cries with us.  He had victory over rejection and so will we.

Jesus, you know what I’m feeling. That gut wrenching pain I feel when I think I’m going to be rejected again. Thank you for your comfort.  Thank you that I can come to you and you know what I am feeling. Please be with me and help me with my insecurities.  And for those reading this let them know they are not alone.  Amen

Enough Matthew 11:30

“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Mathew 11:30

       When do we say enough is enough? Why do we wait so long to say I’ve had enough of me and all I need is you?  Why don’t we say at the start, Lord, this is your problem have your way with it?

We all have our problems we want fixed our own way. Mine was my marriage.  I wanted my husband to come back to me.  And to God.  And he chose not to. It devastated me for a long time. But within the crisis I got to say ENOUGH. My God knows me best and wants what is best for me.

       He loves me. He was rejected for me and he held my sin and shame on the cross for me. And now He asks in return that I let Him carry my burden and I carry the one He gives me. I don’t think that is a fair trade do you? His burden is so much easier than mine. And life is so much easier when we hand our problems over for him to carry and let him handle them.

       Father, I pray for all those who are saying enough. Enough of me.   Enough of my way.  Enough of my situation and my fixes.  Enough of filling the void with things of my own choosing.  Let them say all of you Jesus.   Let them say I’ve had enough of my burden, would you carry it for me Jesus. Let them fill the void in their heart with you   Bless everyone who reads these pages, Father, and let their lives be changed.  Amen

Faith like Diamond Heb 12:1-2

Faith like Diamonds
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, had he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne

It was a simple gold cross with diamond like stones on it. The kids gotten it for me for Easter and I wore it proudly. Church was basically the same Easter service as always. This year videos of “The Passion” are shown on the screen with the heart stirring music. But this year I didn’t feel the life. I only felt the sorrow, encased as I was in my depression. My husband wanted to end our marriage. The love of my adult life was throwing me away, rejecting me, telling me that once again, I wasn’t good enough.
As Hebrews 12:1-2 was read I followed along in my bible. One phrase jumped out at me. So different from any other time in my life: He endured, because joy would be the reward, He endured. He endured and gave us eternal life.
If I could endure this trial, this time would become like one of the diamonds on my necklace. The tragedy I was facing, another divorce, my sorrow would be turned to joy. And my sorrow would be like diamonds on my cross

Daddy,
As we start this journey together, for the joy you set before us, for the diamonds on our cross, I pray for your guidance with every step.
Amen

Trials of Today 1st Peter 1:7

These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tested as fire tests and purifies gold though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials it will bring you much praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is to the whole world..

My life is so stressed right now. I cry at the top of a hat. My mom had hip replacement surgery 6 weeks ago an I have been staying with her the last 2 weeks while my dad travels 4 days a week doing taxes.  I am taking care of my grandson full time who is 15 months, and I still have to take care of my own home and animals (2 cats, 2 dogs). My daughter, who has asbergers, is in the process of getting her license at 17. (not my grandsons mom) And then there is my own health, which is a fiery trial in itself. I have fibromyalgia, mostly centered in my hips and legs., CFS, migraines, and other minor things. But Peter says these things will show my faith is genuine, and I'll be purified as gold is tested and my faith is more precious than that gold.

Okay, I'll go with that. When I start to cry I'll take a deep breath and remind myself that this is just a test. And I will pass it.  My faith will be much stronger and Jesus will get the praise, honor, glory.

Jesus, give me the strength I need to get through today for today.  Help me to focus on today, not tomorrow , next week or next month. Just today. Also help me to count my blessings in all of this.
I love you,
Amen