by Alisha | Jul 30, 2012 | Uncategorized
As mothers, there are numerous occasions when one of our children may fall down and hurt themselves. Or perhaps they get their feelings hurt by a sibling or someone else. Or maybe they are afraid of something. At those times, there is only one place that will bring comfort and peace to that little one – our arms.
We naturally scoop them up into our lap, wrap them in our arms, and begin to reassure them. We may gently rock them, kiss them, sing to them, quiet them. We give them our time and attention. We give them our love. We tell them it’s going to be all right.
Our loving embrace brings comfort, peace, and consolation like nothing else can. And usually, after just a few moments, that little one calms down and jumps out of our lap to run and play and be all joyful once again!
Have you ever been hurt or afraid, and wished that you were a small child again so that you could be held, comforted, and reassured that everything – the circumstances or situations you are facing – will be all right?
If so, then I’ve got wonderful news for you!
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) says, The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
And, Psalm 68:19 (NLT) tells us that …each day He carries us in His arms.
I love the picture this gives us of our heavenly Father! This is just like what we as mothers do for our children. We “quiet them with our love.” We sing to them to comfort and console them. But our Father can do this so much better!
Zephaniah tells us that He takes great delight in us! He loves us like no other can. Our problems, our hurts, our fears all matter to Him. He wants us to come running to Him. And He will scoop us into His lap, wrap us in His arms, sing songs to us, and quiet us with His love!
As much as we love our children, desire the best for them, and would do anything for them, God’s love for us is far greater!
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:11 (AMP), If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!
He loves us so much more than we could ever love our children. And because of Jesus, we can run to Him fearlessly and confidently any time we need Him (which is every moment of every day)!
Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) says, Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace…that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
Isn’t that wonderful? Aren’t you glad you can come into His presence – His throne of grace – without fear or condemnation, and receive His grace to help, “appropriate and well-timed help…just when you need it?”
He is so good and so faithful!
I don’t believe we can even begin to fathom God’s great love for us, but we can rest assured in the following truths about Him:
- He has a great and wonderful and intense love for us! (Eph. 2:4 AMP)
- He delights in every detail of our lives. (Ps. 37:23 NLT)
- He cares for us affectionately and cares about us watchfully. (1 Pet. 5:7 AMP)
- His goodness and unfailing love pursues us all the days of our lives. (Ps. 23:6 NLT)
Whatever you are going through today, whatever hurt or fear you may be experiencing, whatever the situation or circumstance, run to your heavenly Father. Allow Him to scoop you up and wrap you in His loving arms. Receive His love, His comfort, and His encouragement. Listen as He rejoices over you with singing. Let Him quiet you with His love.
He will make everything all right.
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by Alisha | Jul 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
So many people today are living a life of constant worry, anxiety or fear. They are deeply troubled – even depressed – about many areas of their life. They have no joy or peace, and their insides are all knotted up due to the stress, anxiety and apprehension they continually feel.
Does this describe you? Are you worried or fearful concerning a circumstance or situation you are facing? Are you in the midst of a test or trial that seems impossible to make it through?
If so, listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25, 31 (AMP). He says, Stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…do not worry and be anxious…
The Lord Jesus Himself has said to stop worrying.
“What?!? How can I stop worrying???”
I’m so glad you asked!
Remember, Jesus wouldn’t tell us to do something that He knew we couldn’t do. With His help, we can be obedient to His words in this scripture.
The first step to living a life free from worries, cares and anxieties is to know the character and the nature of God. Let’s look at several verses that reveal that nature:
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. And throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us that we are of great worth and value to the Father – more so than the wildflowers or the birds of the air. God even has the very hairs of our head numbered. (Mt. 6:25-34; 7:7-11; Lk. 11:9-13; 12:7, 22-32)
And Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) tells us, For God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! According to this scripture, we can be assured that the Lord will never fail us or let us down.
Psalm 37:23 (NLT) assures us that, The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. This shows a loving, compassionate Father who loves us so much that He cares about anything and everything that concerns us!
In Exodus 15:26, the Lord declares, I am the Lord that heals you. And in Psalm 91:16, He says, With long life will I satisfy you and show you My salvation. These verses reveal a Father who cares for our physical health and well-being, and wants to give us a long, satisfying life.
In Philippians 4:19, the Apostle Paul tells us, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So, here we see that the Lord is concerned about any and all of our needs. He has promised to supply whatever it is that we need.
When you truly understand the character and the nature of God – how much He loves you, how He has healed you, provided for your every need, directs your steps, and delights in every detail of your life, then you can cease from worry, because you are trusting in Him to take care of every one of your needs.
The Apostle Peter, who was part of Jesus’ inner circle, understood the Lord’s love, care and affection for His children. That is why he wrote: Cast all your cares [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).
The second step to living a life free from worry is to cast (throw) your cares – once and for all – on the Lord. That means you give them to Him AND leave them with Him. Once you give your cares, anxieties, worries and concerns to the Lord, you trust Him to take care of them. How can you trust Him to do that? Because you know that He “cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” You must trust in His love, faithfulness, and ability.
The third step in living a life with no worries is found in Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP):
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours…and that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
After you understand God’s love and concern for you, and after you have cast your cares upon Him, you must refuse to fret or worry about the circumstance or situation anymore. You have prayed and asked the Lord for His help and He will answer you.
When you think about the problem, remind yourself of the scriptures concerning what you’re believing for. Also remind yourself that you’ve given the situation over to the Lord and that He is handling it for you. Then continue to thank Him for taking care of the situation – thank Him for healing your body, thank Him for meeting your needs – whatever it is, thank Him that He’s got it all under control. Then you can begin to receive His peace that surpasses all understanding!
I would trade worry, fear and anxiety for the peace of God any day! Wouldn’t you?
Remind yourself of the Father’s great love and concern for you. Then cast all of your cares, worries and anxieties on Him – once and for all. Refuse to fret. Refuse to be anxious. Refuse to worry. Instead, thank the Lord for taking good care of you, and receive His peace that passes all understanding.
He is faithful. He will never fail you, forsake you, or let you down!
Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You love me and that You care about everything that concerns me. Today, I cast the care of _________________ on You, knowing that You will take care of me. With Your help, I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about it. Instead, I thank You in advance for meeting all my needs and working out this situation for Your glory. I trust in Your faithfulness and provision. I receive Your peace. In Jesus’ Name.
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by Alisha | Jul 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
What a wonderful, loving Father the Lord is to His children! He loves us with a love so strong that we cannot even begin to fathom it!
And yet, there are so many people that avoid His presence because they believe that He is angry with them. Somewhere along the way, they have messed up, tripped up, or flat out failed the Lord, and they can’t bring themselves to come before Him because they think He wants to punish them for their actions.
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever messed up over and over or struggled with that same old sin, then felt as if you couldn’t come before the Lord?
Well I have some great news for you! The Lord is not angry with you and He wants you to come to Him so that He can show you His great love!
Micah 7:18 (AMP) says, Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness.
The Lord delights in mercy and love!
The New Living Translations says the Lord …delights in showing unfailing love. And the Living Bible says He …loves to be merciful.
But my favorite version of this verse is in the Message Bible:
Where is the god who can compare with You – wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear, to the past sins of Your purged and precious people? You don’t nurse Your anger and don’t stay angry for long, for mercy is Your specialty. That’s what You love most.
Mercy is God’s specialty. Showing mercy is what He loves most!
I don’t know about you, but knowing this truth thrills me! I find I’m always in need of His mercy, so I cling to this verse.
Mercy is so much more than just God’s forgiveness and forbearance toward us. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, two of the Hebrew words translated as “mercy” are chesed and rechem.
Chesed means: loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion. And rechem means: bowels; womb; mercy. Rechem gives the picture “of ‘tender love,’ such as a mother has for the child she has born,” (Vine’s).
I love that!
The Lord God Almighty and Creator of the Universe has a tender love for you – in the same way a mother tenderly loves the child of her womb! Yet His love for us far exceeds any human love!
His steadfast, unfailing love includes tenderness, mercy, grace, faithfulness, goodness, and devotion. He delights in showing these qualities to His children! He delights in showing His mercy and unfailing love to you!
So, I want to encourage you the next time you slip up, fall or fail, don’t withdraw from or avoid the Lord’s presence. Don’t run from Him – run to Him. He wants to take you in His arms, love on you, show you His tenderness, forgiveness and mercy.
Showing mercy and unfailing love is what God loves most. He delights in it. Mercy is His specialty!
by Alisha | Jul 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
The Father loves you so much! And He wants to be your closest Friend and Confidant. He wants you to draw near to Him on a daily basis, to fellowship with Him and to seek Him continually.
I know that it’s so easy to get distracted with the cares of life and the busy-ness from day to day, but we must pull ourselves away from the world and spend quality time with the One who loves us more than any other.
Psalm 27:4 (Amp.) says: One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
I encourage you to make this scripture your prayer and pray it from the depths of your heart!
We all have vital needs: wisdom, strength, finances, healing, help with relationships, etc. But the one thing that we need most is Him.
In the story of Mary and Martha, while Martha is busying herself with all kinds of work, she quickly gets frustrated with her sister. Instead of helping Martha in the kitchen, Mary has seated herself at the feet of Jesus and is intently listening to His teaching.
Martha comes to the Lord and complains to Him in the hopes that He will “get on to” Mary and make her help. But instead, the Lord chastises Martha and commends Mary, saying:
Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her, (Luke 10:41-42 NIV).
Other Bible translations say that Martha was:
- Overly occupied
- Too busy
- Distracted with much serving
- Anxious and troubled about many things
- Pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen
- Fussing far too much
- Getting herself worked up over nothing
But Mary seated herself at the Lord’s feet, listening to Him, hanging on every word He said, (AMP, MSG).
Jesus said that what Mary chose was better. What did she choose?
She chose His presence.
As a wife and mother, there is always something that seemingly needs to be done – cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands, etc. But only one thing is needful, and that is making time to be in His presence.
Yes, there are things in life that are extremely important, and yes, we have to take care of these things. But we must also put first things first—and that means making time for the Father instead of making excuses. Our children should grow up seeing us make our time with the Lord a priority.
He loves you immensely! He desires to bless you with every spiritual and earthly blessing. He wants to give you the desires of your heart. (Eph. 1:3; 2 Cor. 9:8 Amp.; Ps. 37:4)
When you give Him your time and attention, He will give you all of Himself! He wants your life. He wants your moments. He wants your heart to be His and no one else’s. And He wants to lavish His love upon you!
So make time for the one thing that is needed. Make time to just sit in His Presence and let Him speak to your heart. He can fix any problem. There is nothing too difficult for Him!
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by Alisha | Jun 25, 2012 | Uncategorized
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” — Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
Unforced rhythms of grace.
I love the sound of that. Just reading this one phrase brings peace to my entire being. Stillness floods my heart, quiet pours over my mind, calm flows through my body. I begin to de-stress and unwind. My perspective begins to realign as I remember that there is grace.
There is a gentle, flowing, movement of grace continually made available to me. And it’s available to you, too, if only you will receive it.
As women, we wear many hats – wife, mother, teacher, cook, breadwinner, financial manager, student, coach, cleaning lady, chauffeur. And it’s so easy to get caught up in the daily-ness of life, so easy to get stressed out, worn out and burnt out, that we often forget to tap into this ever flowing fountain of God’s grace.
With all the things that we have to do, how do we recover our lives? How can we learn to take a real rest, living freely and lightly? The answer is right here in this passage of scripture:
Jesus says, Come to Me. Get away with Me. Walk with Me. Keep company with Me.
In the midst of the busyness of life there is one key to maintaining rest and peace:
Being with Him.
It’s when we make the time to be with Him that the cares of this life melt away. It’s when we are in His presence that His peace floods our hearts and minds. Only with Him can we receive refreshing for our souls. It’s by being with Him that we learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
It doesn’t take hours and hours to receive His grace. It can be just a few quiet moments in which you focus your heart and attention on Him, allowing His unfailing love and amazing grace to enfold you.
I encourage you to make some time today (and every day) to get away with Him. Receive His peace. Receive His rest. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
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