I Fee Like Going On!

Today I needed a word in my Spirit.  I don’t know about you, but everything is not terrific in my life.  I still have many struggles, bouts, and despairs.  There are times when I feel all alone and that the pain will never end.  Am I the only one?

But thank the LORD that I was afflicted a few years back, or how else would I know what to do?  You see God does not take us through trial, heartache and pain for nor reason.  He is desperately trying to teach us that HE is our source, HE is our provider, and HE is our comforter. No one else will do.

So in my affliction, I called upon the LORD, I sought Him in my heart.  And like a true Father, He came and reminded me of what He has spent a lifetime teaching me. 

Below is a song I learned in church while I was a youth.  The choir would sing this and I heard it so much that it is still with me today.  Thank you, Moms, for making me attend church and exposing me to teaching that would one day comfort my soul. 

And if that were not good enough, for Him to put a song back into my spirit, He also reminded me of the words He taught me throughout the years and especially last year.  Psalm 34, for anyone facing heartache and pain, exemplifies what we should keep at the forefront of our minds when trials come.

So today, early in the morning, Father I declare to my situation, “I Feel Like Going On” and I will, as you have taught me, I will “Come to You, and listen to You, for You will teach me Your awesomeness and love for me.  I love life, and I desire to see good, many days.  So I obey Your command and I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.  Today I purpose to turn from evil and do good in ALL that I do, and I seek peace will all, and I pursue it with all my might”  Psalm 34:11-14

I feel like going on. Though trials come on every hand, I feel like going on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-qrPYzQ5R0

Time To Grow

Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

When reading the bible we need to slow down and pay close attention.  God meticulously planned exactly every Word He wanted to give us and say to us.  We often get caught up in the busyness of life, and of course are distracted by the chaos around us (which is a trick of our adversary to take our focus off of HIM).

But careful dissection of the Word will lead you into a new and deeper understanding of revelation in Him.  Look at this Scripture closely.  Most would say, “Lord, help me to trust in You more.”  However, He is trying to pull a deeper meaning out to us here.

The Scripture actually tells us, “Blessed is the man…whose hope IS THE LORD!”  It is one thing to trust God, but is your hope in Him too?  Do you see the chaos and confusion in your life, but are unmoved?  To do this, we must be able to see beyond our troubles, fears, worries, and doubts, and put our entire HOPE in Him. 

Do you truly trust Him?  Then why not put your total Hope in Him, knowing HE will NEVER let you down?  What would or could happen if you not only trust Him, but also made your Hope Him? After all, He is All Powerful and able to exceed our wildest expectations! 

Are Your Limitations Based On The Past?

Scripture Reference: Genesis 27:19 "Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

This is one of our first encounters of Jacobs’s character.  Although we were previously introduced to him in the bible, we get a real look into his make-up and fiber of who Jacob is in this scene.  Jacob has already gotten Esau to agree to give him his birthright.  But now we see, with guidance from his mother, he clearly defines his upbringing and teaching of being a "trickster".  Something he would wrestle with all of his life.



As we progress through his life story, we see him begin to change after a true encounter with the LORD.  He not only was able to overcome his scandalous name and ways, but was able to impart to his children life lessons which would give birth to the destiny of the Jews and ultimately the linage of Christ who died to save the world.

What if they would never had seen him as anything but a "trickster", even though he legitimately changed his life?  Did he still have struggles and wrestle back and forth during the remainder of his life?  Yes.  However he refused to be defined by his past, but rather depended upon God for his future.  You don’t hear of people in his life continuing to call him "trickster".  They moved beyond what he had done and look forward to what he was becoming.  By doing so they also received part in the blessing which would become Life-everlasting!

 Are you holding someone hostage according to their past?  Has there been a true life-altering experience with God and now they look to make a new name in Him?  Can you go where God is taking them and receive part of the blessing attached to them?  Or will you continue to hold them guilty and limit them by how you met them?

Show Them Your Wounds!

“And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” - Luke 24:38-39

Here we find Jesus coming to the disciples after He had risen again and made atonement for our sins.  A little background interesting got note here is, they were scared and feared greatly what was going to happen to them, and had locked themselves into a room.  I wonder how many of us are scared of something God has done in our lives and have locked ourselves behind the closed doors of shut down emotions, fear, and anxiety?  But this is not my focus today. 


The disciples were hurt and scared by the recent events in their lives, and opted to secluded themselves from “more potential pain” rather than trust in the Jesus who had told them many times, “Fear not for I am with thee”.  What “room” of seclusion have you locked yourself into, because of past hurts in your life?

The beauty of the Gospel is, in the problem, there is already the solution.  As the Disciples anchored down in their fear, Jesus came to them, and having compassion for them begins to ask them, “Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” In other words, “Why do you fear your hurts and pains, not realizing I brought them about so I could get the glory out of your life?”  What hurts are keeping you from seeing the glorious work He wants to do in your life?

And then He displayed the ultimate showing of love and security.  He said, “Behold, My hands and My feet, that it is Myself.”  Imagine this, the God of the universe, is now showing  them “His wounds”.  He opened Himself up to His deepest pain, the agony of the Cross, in which He was separated from God and paid the full price for us on Calvary.  The place of His greatest pain was also the place of His greatest ministry. In the problem was the solution.

Today, I challenge us, to be more open with my pain and past hurts, trusting Jesus allowed them so He can get the ultimate glory out of them.  My desire is by revealing ourselves, openly as Jesus did, we will come to know Him as the True, Living, and Matchless Savior He is. He not only orchestrates our pains, but also has an ultimate plan to draw us infinitely closer to Him, if we will only trust in Him with ALL of our heart; Even through the pain!

What Defines You?

Scripture Reference: Job 1:20-21 "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Looking at the life of Job, he lived a long time.  He grew up, got married, had children and raised them, buried them, and ended up having more children and raising them also. I find it interesting we judge him and define him over something which took approximately nine months of his life.   Yet via the events of this brief period in his life, most of us define the entire man.

One thing we must remember is Job had a real relationship with the LORD.  He was not a part-time Christian.  He was not a once in a while church goer.  He was not a deacon on Sunday morning and sneaking out to the club on Friday and Saturday night.  No Job loved the LORD with all his heart and soul.  How do I know?  Well glad you asked me.  I will prove it in our Scripture reference.

You see, these tragic events came to him one on top of the other.  Not a moment to even catch his breath in between the news of the events happening.  Understandably he arises and rents his clothes and shaves his head.  These are signs of distress and of being loss or not sure which way to turn.  But then something interesting happens.  The bible says he "fell down upon the ground."  Fell down is denoted by the Hebrew word, "Napal" (Ney-pal).  One of its translations is literally "to settle down".  Why is this important? 

Like Job, most of us have had a series of events hit us all at once which tried to drive us "over the cliff".   Normally we react in distress, grief, and linger on the pain.  Job's lesson to us: he quickly found his center, his rock, his grounding place and he focused on His LORD and began to worship Him! He "settled down" in God. In this Job understood that it was the LORD who was in total control and He would never put more on him then he could bare.  Or you may say, "the steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD!"


Sometimes others will attempt to define you by a series of events or circumstances in your life.  They will say, "I know so and so, he's like this" or "You know they did this, right?"  But when you have spent time with the LORD, and He is your Rock; when you fully trust in Him, then you will always be able to find your center and come back to Him no matter what befalls you in any given day or period of your life.

Even if you have a moment of instability, remember it is the LORD who is in charge, and it is He who holds you in the palm of His hand.

Thank You, LORD, for my relationship with You!