What are you thankful for?

In the busy-ness of life, it is so easy to focus on what is wrong, what we want but don't have, what is broken and what hurts us. But today, let's take time to be thankful, wherever we are, whatever we are doing, look around and give thanks. There is always something to be thankful for. 

If you are unsure of where to begin, Psalm 138 gives us a great starting point.

Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!"
Angels listen as I sing my thanks.
I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again:; "Thank you!"
Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness;
Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in;
you may my life large with strength.

When they hear what you have to say, GOD,
all the earth's kings will say "Thank you."
They'll sing of what you've done:
"How great the glory of GOD!"
And here's why: GOD, high above, sees far below;
no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand strike my foes,
With your other hand save me.
Finish what you started in me, GOD.
Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now.
Psalm 138 The Message

Why not make a list throughout this day of things you are thankful for. It may be surprising at the end of the day to see how many things are on your list.

Bless our God, O peoples' give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard, who put and kept us among the living, and has not allowed our feet to slip. Psalm 66:8-9 AMP

Where are you searching for answers?

This morning I was listening to Chris Tomlin's song, Good Good Father 

These three lines started me thinking about where we look for answers to questions, both the big and small questions of life.  
 
I've seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching
For answers only you provide

Immediately this scripture came to mind ...

Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. John 14:6 AMP

I remember my own search for the answer to the big questions, what is life all about? What is my purpose here on earth? I did go searching; attending seminars, asking questions of people, reading books, mainly in the New Age vein. I was purposefully looking for purpose. 

Eventually I found the answer I was looking for - Jesus. The Way, the Truth and the Life. Since that day when I was walking to work and made the decision to yield and make Jesus my Lord and Saviour, He has been revealing more and more of my purpose on this earth. 

Each day as I seek God for the next piece of that purpose puzzle, the answers I receive seem so right. And of course they are, because God had the plan for my life before I was born. He made me purposefully to fit that unique plan.

For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

Psalm 139:13-17 NKJV

God made you to purposefully fit the unique plan He had for you too. The plan He had for your life before you were born. He has all the answers before you ask the questions. He knows you, and He loves you.

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculptured from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Your thoughts - how rare, how beautiful! 

God, I'll never comprehend them!

Psalm 139:15-17 The Message

Question for today, where are you searching for the answers to life's questions? Are you going to the One Who created you uniquely for a purpose? Or are you searching elsewhere? 

Today, let's choose to seek out Jesus, and ask Him our questions, and wait expectantly for His answers, because remember,

Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me." John 14:6 The Message

 

Do you believe God is able?

Do you believe that God is able? His word tells us He is ....

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV

We can have areas in our lives in which we waiver in believing that God is able. Sometimes we can believe He is able to do this, and that, but when it comes to this thing, well, just not sure if he really is able to do that one. Faith is absent in that area. There is no condemnation, I constantly finding myself here with different aspects of my life, and am having to ask for forgiveness for my unbelief, re-align my thoughts with God's word, and declare in faith, that God is able.

If you have an area in your life where faith is seemingly absent, I encourage you to meditate on the different versions of Ephesians 3:20-21. Asking God to give you fresh revelation, recognising that this scripture is non specific in the 'do' for a reason - the truth that God is able.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imaging or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! Ephesians 3:20-21 The Message

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imaging, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work in us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [indefinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] - To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP


 

 

 

How do you cast the whole of your care?

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

How do you cast the whole of your care? or indeed as The Message bible says,

Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. 1 Peter 5:7 The Message

Here are some of my thoughts on how to cast your cares, based on my many years of (unwanted!) experience. I pray they are a blessing to you.

Before we can fully cast our cares we have to have heart revelation about these truths:

1. God cares about you. 

Declare His word ...

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about [your name]. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT

Remind yourself ... of what He has done in your life, in a practical sense, to care for you.

 

2. God loves you.

Declare His word ... 

For this is how God loved [your name]: He gave his one and only Song, so that [your name] who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT

Remind yourself ... that Jesus died for you, so you could be reconciled with your Heavenly Father who loves you.

3. God is faithful.

Declare His word ...

But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen [your name] and guard [your name] from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT 

Remind yourself ... of the times when God strengthened you and protected you. 

4. God has a good plan for you.

Declare His word ...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Remind yourself ... of times when things seemed hopeless and God gently reminded you that He is sovereign and He has a plan, and you were once again filled with hope.

Once we have these reminded ourselves of Who God is, and hopefully had a deeper revelation in that time of remembering, we can take the step of faith of giving our worries and cares to God. That means, we tell God what we are anxious about, worried about, and concerned about. Some days that will be short list, other days it will be a long list. And then we thank him for all He has done, just a Paul tells us to do ...

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Philippians 4:6 NLT

Then the next challenge comes, to leave those anxieties, worries and concerns with God. Because, when we leave them with God, we receive the blessing of His peace...

Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT

Leaving those anxieties, worries and concerns with God, in a practical sense means that if they start to surface in your mind again, before they get to fully present themselves, you cut them off. You say to them,

'No, I have given you to God. You no longer have a place in my thought life.'

And then you declare the scriptures listed above, and any other scriptures God puts on your heart, reminding yourself that 

• God cares about you
• God loves you
• God is faithful
• God has a plan and it is good
• God's perfect peace is yours. 
• God is working all things together for good.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

Some times it may be necessary to rebuke those anxious thoughts many times a day, and that's okay. There have been many days when I have continually declared God's love and goodness over my life and our family's life. 

As we get greater revelation of Who God is, and who we are in Him, the casting of cares and trusting of Him becomes easier and easier, releasing us to live out His purposes for us here on earth.

After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completed what he had begun. Romans 8:30 The Message
 

 

 

Who is the author of your life?

Who is the author of your life? 

 

Who are you letting write your story?

 

I am using these quiet holiday days to complete the writing of our story of the last six years with a daughter with brain cancer. It is not an easy task, many tears have flowed. Even six years later, there is grief on so many different levels to process. But every time I write I am reminded of all God has done in these six years and I understand more and more that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily en-snares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

 

I am understanding more and more that as much as these six years have been a 'cancer journey', they have more importantly been a 'Jesus journey'. A journey of growing in faith and love for our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It has been one of those seasons written about in The Bible in the Book of James,

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 The Message

Thankfully Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He shows us how to live that faith-life. We just have to be a willing participant, seeking Him and keeping our focus on Him. And when we waiver, He is there, ready to help guide us back to His ways, receiving His forgiveness and pressing on in His grace.

If you don't know what you doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:5-8 The Message

So here are the questions for today again, Who is the author of your life? Who are you letting write your story? Are you travelling on your own path to 'who knows where'? Or are you surrendering to Jesus and letting Him write your story? He will always write a bestseller, because He tells us,

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me,  you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." GOD's decree. Jeremiah 29:11-14a The Message

Our response

The apostle Paul is in jail ...

This is why I, Paul, and in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. Ephesians 3:1-2 The Message

The so-called outsiders, the gentiles, are all those who aren't Jewish. Me, and possibly you. Paul was in jail for speaking out about Christ, and here is his response, He is on His knees, praying, asking God to strengthen the outsiders, and exhorting them to live their lives fully in God, and trust that He can do anything.

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth.

I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. 

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. 

Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. 

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! 

He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:14-20 The Message 

Question for today, what is your response to your Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  We are all at different stages in our walk with God, but let's always be reverent, allow the Spirit to move in our lives and move to a deeper level of knowing, loving and trusting God, so we too can do our part in God's plan.

Let your trust rest in Christ's name

All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].  John 6:37 AMP

Jesus won't reject you. John tells us that Jesus came so that we might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. John 3:16 AMP

We all have a choice. Jesus communicates that to us very clearly.

"If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, the Word and no other is the last word." John 12:47-48 The Message

God wants us to choose Him - to choose His unconditional love for us. He created us. We are His children.

See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason the world does not know (recognise, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognise, acknowledge) Him.  1 John 3:1 AMP

Question for today, are you living as a child of God, with the confidence that you are loved, not rejected? If not, ask God to give you a tangible touch of His love today. Expect it and receive it.

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about - not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 1 John 4:9-10 The Message  

Who am I?

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message

Who am I? What am I living for? I remember asking myself these questions in my early twenties. And going searching in all sorts of interesting places to find the answers, including a new age festival. 

Thankfully, just as this scripture says, Christ had his eye on me. He had a plan. Gradually I lifted my eyes to see Him. And since that day when I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour, I have been on a continual journey of understanding more about who I am and what I am living for. 

I know I am His. I am a child of God. I belong to God.

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you in greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 AMP

Isn't that something we all yearn for - to belong? At school, we want to belong to a group of friends. At work, we want to belong with our colleagues. In our community, we want to belong somehow, whether in a sporting group, a service group, an interest group. Even in church, we want to belong to a group. We want to be connected.

Connection is great. It is part of God's plan for us to be connected with others. But we have to be careful that we don't let our membership (or non-membership) of a group, determine our identity. Our identity comes from Christ alone. 

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT

And from that identity, comes our purpose.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 1:9 NLT

Thank you Jesus, that when we know You as our Lord and Saviour, we can truthfully answer that question, Who am I? Thank you that as we progressively understand more about who You are, we understand more about who we are, and what You have called us to do. Please help us to stay true to You in all we do. Thank you that your grace is sufficient for us every day. Amen.

And we [have seen and] know [positively] that the Son of God has [actually] come to this world and has given us understanding and insight [progressively] to perceive (recognize) and come to know better and more clearly Him Who is true; and we are in Him Who is true - in His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). This [Man] is the true God and Life eternal. 1 John 5:20 AMP