Category: Moments, Thoughts, Life

Bible word find!

I pray that the fellowship

• Communication
• Transfer
• Release

of your faith may become effective

• to begin to work
• to begin to produce

through the knowledge

• acknowledge
• to admit to existence
• to admit the truth and reality
• having force or power

of every good thing with is in you!

Translation:

I pray that the release of your faith may begin to work when you admit to the existence of every good thing which is in you!                  Philemon 1:6

Apparently there is something very important about realizing all the good things that God has put within us!

…figure it out!

I was the queen of  …figure it out!  If I were in a talent competition, my talent would be figuring it out.

As I learn more and more about Fear not – only believe, I no longer work at figuring it out.  In fact, it makes me feel ill when I hear those words. Just speaking them creates a feeling of uncertainty; it also puts all the responsibility  for a solution on me!

…figure it out!  is usually followed by great insight:  I have to figure it out… so __________ .   I guarantee when you fill in the _________ it is filled in with fears.

• Fact: God says put Him first in all things, He WILL direct our path.  Proverbs 3:5
• Fact: He makes our path straight. Stop looking down and look up!  Proverbs 3:6-7
• Fact:  God directs us in the way of wisdom, He shows us the upright path. We will not stumble. Proverbs 4:11-13

When we FEAR we are forced to figure – When we BELIEVE, God does it and its impossible to fail.

Don’t fool yourself!

Another one of my favorite stories is the story of Esther. The orphan who became Queen and saved her people. There is a point in this story that Esther’s uncle is informing her of a deadly plot; which if allowed to go forward will eliminate the entire Jewish population.

She hesitated; for her to approach the King could cost Esther her life. A very valid fear.  Esther wasn’t saying NO, she was calculating the cost.  Her uncle’s response; “Esther, don’t fool yourself. God’s plan to save these people will happen. If you choose not to obey, the consequence will fall on you. Whose to say, perhaps you are Queen for this very purpose.”

So often we feel the pressure of needing to take care of and  rescue the world. Rescuing the world is quite a challenge. Our responsibility is to obey God. Sometimes that is a specific assignment, but most of the time it is simply obeying His word. If we mess up, we need not worry – we can’t screw up God’s plan. If we choose to disobey, we will know it’s consequences. When we find ourselves in a tough situation, stop, look around, and ask “for what purpose have I been brought here?” 

My Good Friend Nebbie

There is a story in the Book of Daniel Chapter 4 about a king named Nebuchadnezzar; my friend Nebbie. Nebbie claimed to know about God, but he did not know God.

Nebbie had a bad, bad dream. No one was able to interpret this dream except for a man named Daniel. Daniel knew God. The dream was a warning; if Nebbie refused to change his ways, a long list of terrible things would happen. Nebbie didn’t and exactly one year later, as he was proclaiming his greatness, God stepped in. God’s line of attack, to allow him to go a bit crazy (well, he went really crazy!).

Verse 34 says; But at the end of that time, I raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High.  It wasn’t until Nebbie raised his eyes toward heaven that his reason returned to him. I wasn’t until he recognized his need for God.

Nebbie’s final statement; Now I praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven …His ways are just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

• Fact: God will humble those who are proud.
• Fact: They will always have a warning.
• Fact: I don’t need to worry about it!

What comes first – fear or faith?

It’s a simple question.  It’s answer is all telling! When life happens, where does your mind go – fear or faith?

Hands down, no question about it, my mind resided in fear:

• what if…
• that means…
• who’s making these decisions…
• we have to get them to understand…
• if that happens than…

Changing this mindset isn’t easy. For me, it had been a way of life for 50 years; it took time…a lot of time. At first my new responses were the opposite of the fear thought. It was a step in the right direction, but it felt shallow.  One can say, “It doesn’t matter what others think” a million times, but unless there is something to back it up, they are just words.

Back to my quest to know what do I believe;  I no longer wanted to have concepts to live by, I wanted to know, to believe. I began to find verses in the Bible that explained why I need not worry. I wrote them down, I read them over and over. When the fear thoughts come to mind, I refused to think anything except, “I have to go find my verse!” Once found, I would read it over and over and over. No longer did I repeat concepts. I was speaking my belief, my faith.

What comes first…I believe for all of us fear comes rushing in, it’s Satan’s first line of attack.  Faith is the only way to conquer fear!

The fact of Joshua 1:5

No one has been, is or  will be able to stand against you

all the days of your life.

Just as I was with Moses,   I am with you.

I cannot fail you or forsake you!

What amazing confidence there is when we     Fear not – only believe!