Stand Still in the Battle

               Dear readers, I had to do a lot of waiting today. I’m having minor surgery, no worries I won’t even be put under for it, but I’ve had to go through hoops because it’s being done at a hospital. So months ago I went for an EKG and a Chest X-ray. Well because it’s been so long ago I had to do them again and I just found out this morning that I had to do the Chest X-ray again so I was very frustrated about this. I had to wait an hour and a half for the X-ray. At first I was frustrated but then I started to kind of really like the fact that I was waiting and couldn’t do anything but wait. It got me thinking about God’s word that says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth,” Psalm 46:10. This is ultimately telling us that God will be known even among the unbelievers. His glory will be revealed to everyone. So Psalm 46 is very meaty and I believe God is actually talking about being still in the battle. I would love to go through the whole Psalm because it’s so good. I encourage you to read it and think about the fact that God is fighting for you. So here’s some of the verses:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Psalm 46:1-2

So when there are wars or battles raging in our lives God is right there besides us and we can run to him and be sheltered by him. During this time there were battles and the psalmist is reminding himself and his readers that God is our refuge and strength. We need not fear because he is with us.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire. Psalm 46:9

So here we see that God fights the battle for us. He protects us no matter what we are going through. After this I got to thinking about Moses and the people of Israel and one of the toughest things they had to go through, and that was when they fled the Egyptians by crossing the Red Sea. Look what God tells his people through Moses:

And Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew you today: for the Egyptians you have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Exodus 14:13

The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

It is after this that the Lord tells Moses to stretch his hand over the sea to divide it. So what battle are you facing today? In what way can you stand still and let the Lord fight for you?

I’m so used to thinking that I can fight my own battles. This is a challenge for me. To just stand still, do nothing and wait is unheard of for me. However, I fully believe the Lord has me in a waiting period and is teaching me how to be still. That’s what I had to be for most my morning and you know what it actually was a blessing to have to do these tests again because it ultimately led me to the thoughts for this blog which in turn led me to you dear reader.

One last thought:

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Psalm 91:5-7

This is so a call to stand still. Nothing will harm you. Let the Lord fight for you.

So will you share your battles with me dear reader?

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

Look Up

            I lift up my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Look up. Lift up your eyes to you creator. When you look up it takes your eyes and mind off of the world and puts it on Jesus. I’m reminded of Peter when he walked on water. When his eyes were on the Lord his faith in Christ allowed him to walk on water. He knew Jesus could perform miracles. When he put his eyes on the storm his faith waned. It caused him to sink. We can have the faith it takes to put our eyes on the Lord and no matter what surrounds us we can keep the faith that God will perform a miracle in our lives. He will help us walk on water.

Jesus walks on water and so does Peter. When Peter sinks Jesus asks why did you doubt me? Is that where you find yourself today dear reader? I don’t doubt God, I doubt myself. Am I capable? Can I do this? But then I guess it is like doubting God because he created me and he called me to spread the gospel just as he’s called each one of us. I fear rejection but the word says when they reject you they are rejecting the one who sent you. So how do we keep our eyes on Christ? By praying to him and asking him to help us when we sink. By worshipping him for when we worship him our eyes are fixed on him. Truly thank him when you worship him. Remember what he has done. Call it back to him and thank him for the ways he’s been there for you. Serve. By serving him it puts your mind on loving others and on showing your appreciation for his love by loving others. We keep our eyes on him through the word. I encourage you to spend time in his word daily. It will bless you. For the word is actively correcting us and showing us how Christ wants us to live our lives. It is the word that gives us strength to stand on the water and it is when we keep our eyes fixed on him that we walk on water.

What can you do to look up to him and walk on water today?

What can you do to have a faith that walks on water?

Where does my help come from? The Lord the maker of the world. The almighty God. The one who created me knows my heart, my struggles, my successes, my fear and my worries. He is more than able to minister to me and provide help. Look up to him. He will help you.

Will you share the ways you look up to the Lord?

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z.

 

 

Tug of War: Growth or Fear

             My life coach asked me a profound question today. Is my desire to grow greater than my fear of the unknown. I’d love for my answer to be yes. However, my answer is no. Right now my fear is winning out. I hate to admit it dear reader because I want to be strong and say when you follow Christ your struggles are over. That’s simply not true and frankly a detriment to our walk with Christ. We will always be a work in progress but we can take heart for he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion just as his word says:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6 KJV

So I so want to be the strong version of myself the one who believes God will do great things with my life. Instead I am weak and I’m reaching out to God less and less succumbing to my old habit of staying in bed until the last possible second. I’m awake. I’m just lying there. I’m not even saying to myself Amy you should get out of bed I’m just lying there waiting for the alarm to go off. I can relate to the apostle Paul for he said:

 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. Romans 7:15 NLT

 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²² I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³ But there is another power^[b] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:21-25 NLT

Through the struggle this scripture shows us who will rescue us, Jesus. In chapter 8 of Romans following the above scripture it says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) So don’t despair dear reader if you find yourself in this tug of war between sin and the spirit for Jesus wins out. You don’t have to be a slave to sin any more. You can walk by the spirit. So again I say don’t despair dear reader if we would be still before the Lord he will speak and show us what to do next. So where do you find yourself today? Are you struggling? Lean into Christ. Give him your burdens for his word says:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Are you feeling joyful? Praise God so no matter what state you’re in praise God. Praise him in the storm and praise him in the sunshine.

I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

So I just encourage you today to find a friend who will encourage and strengthen you and shoulder your struggle. It is when we are at our weakest that we need Christ most and what better way to feel Christ in our lives than to be surrounded by the love of our friends? Believe me I have to stop trying to do this getting out of bed thing on my own and lean into Christ but also put plans into place that help me succeed my goal. I also encourage you to pray for God to help you. I haven’t even asked God to help me get out of bed. How foolish! The Holy Spirit lives in me and will help me even in something as simple as getting out of bed.

So where do you find yourself today dear reader?

Will you share it with me?

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

A New Beginning Dawns

                My cousin sent me an image that had this saying, “faith is not an epidural that takes away the pain. It’s a midwife who stands next to us through the whole process and says push it’s supposed to hurt.” What a good word and so true when we are stretched past our comfort zones it is going to hurt but there’s a blessed new life at the end of it. A new beginning is headed my way. It is not a beginning that is going to come easy for my old life has to die and come to an end so that I can be like Lazarus who walks out of the tomb. I have the grave clothes on, the stench of death is at my nose, but Jesus is right there holding his arms open wide ready to embrace me with the new life that he offers. God’s word says we are a new creation in Christ.

                 Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

                  Therefore, I need to embrace the new life and let go of the things in my life that need to die. The things that need to die are pride, ego, doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, procrastination, laziness, fear of starting new things and running from my emotions and from God. I’m tired of holding onto my old comfort zone. God is trying to bring something new into my life. I want to embrace the pain of the new beginning like a mother embraces the pain of giving birth for at the other side of that pain is a blessed new life and a new beginning.  

                     Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 KJV

                     I have to admit dear readers that I’ve been floundering lately. I haven’t been reading my bible in the morning or praying before work. I’ve been staying in bed until the last possible moment and then getting up and going for a walk. I can’t seem to find the zeal or the resolve I once had to get out of bed and read God’s word. I find that several Christians I talked to are having the same problem. I know the enemy is always out to get us, so isn’t it just like him to get us to stay out of the word of God and become stagnant? A couple people have told me to pray before I get out of bed. I do need to try that. So wish me God’s best on getting out of bed early in the morning dear reader.

                     What would you like to see come to fruition in your life?

                      Are you waiting for a new beginning?

                      Will you share it with me?

                        I’m here.

                        I’m listening.

                        Genuinely Yours,

                         Amy Z