Embrace the Within no. 202

“The Lord is my light and my salvation —

whom should I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life —

whom should I dread” (Psalms 27:1)?

People are not easy to love because they fail to remember that God is faithful to His promises. This is one reason why people live in a state of sadness, in a state of anger, or in a state of bitterness. BUT God promises to be “my light and my salvation”. The prophet Isaiah records the same when he writes, “Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not fade; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will be over” (Isaiah 60:20). He has promised us “everlasting light” that shines despite our situations. On this side of eternity it gets easy to miss that light with so many distractions that can hold our attention. I have nothing to fear because He has already proven himself victorious. He has fought my battles and won them all. I only need to claim the victory as Micah records, “'Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will stand up; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light” (Micah 7:8). He is “my light and my salvation” so who am I fearing? And why?

I used to talk a good game about not being afraid until the plague hit and then came the lockdowns and then the supply chain shortages. And I was afraid. I was afraid because I had been placing my faith in myself and I had failed in faithfulness to myself. I had been placing my faith in other folks and they had shown their unfaithfulness. I had been placing my faith in the kingdoms of the world and they had shown their unfaithfulness. There is only one that is faithful. There is only one that can take away fear. And when I started this journey back in March 2020, I found the truth as David sang, “The Lord is the strength of his people; he is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed” (Psalms 28:8).

“The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me” (Psalms 118:6)?

I know I forgot that. I placed my faith in things that were good BUT were not God. And what I needed wasn’t a philosophy that was going to lead me to death. What I needed and what I still need is a God that will provide The Way. And once I found Him, that fear was gone. Where I once worried about the next Caesar, I found hope in His sovereignty. Where I once relied on earthly systems, I found hope through His Kingdom. Where I once found fear in the news of the day, I found joy in His Truth.

Why are you afraid when He has won all your battles already? Why are you choosing fear when you can have His hope and grace and salvation?

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 201

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”(Matthew 5:4 CSB).

People are not easy to love because sometimes they suffer a loss that seems too much for them to carry. People begin to live a life filled with bitterness and sadness because they have lost something important to them on this side of eternity and they have lost their hope and confidence. People are filled with bitterness and sadness because they do not allow themselves to see the goodness in life and the abundant joy and peace God promises us now and in the world to come. People are sad because they have nothing and no one in which to put their faith. Faith is an action. Hope is my confidence. Courage is choosing to change. And there is no reason for those of us that have faith in Him to find sadness and mourning as our constant state because He will comfort us. Is there a greater comfort than having faith and confidence in Him?

People are not easy to love because they are hurt by other people. Sometimes this hurt is intentional and sometimes it is merely a part of life. There are many natural and unnatural causes of mourning.

“Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart be courageous.

Wait for the Lord” (Psalms 27:14 CSB).

God is there. He doesn’t go anywhere. He sent the Spirit to abide within us as we walk this side of eternity. And the Spirit is there to be our comforter in times of mourning. The Spirit is there to bring you and I peace. He has a plan for us to rely on Him. And sometimes we need to be reminded that He is our source of comfort and peace. I can get so caught up in the comfort that is around me. I can get complacent in my living and I can feel that I no longer need God to bring me comfort or joy or peace or life. I can get so used to how things are going that I can bury myself in the comfort of this world rather than the comfort with which He provides.

I can also find the opposite side of that coin and find no peace or comfort or joy or life. I can spend my time in sorrow for the things I lose in life. I can be sad about the ways I have been treated and mourn the loss of friendship. I can be sad about the death of someone I loved and mourn the loss of their life. I can be sad about losing a job and mourn the loss of income and status. I can choose to be sad about a lot of things and live a life in pain and sorrow. Or I can choose the comfort that He provides through His grace and mercy and love. I just need to choose.

I can’t live a life in mourning with the Spirit working inside me. I will bear the fruit that discerns what sort of tree I am, “In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17 CSB). I am promised that the Spirit will abide in me and that through the Spirit I will see its fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things” Galatians 5:22-23 CSB). What does my fruit say about me?

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH