My Portion

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"My Portion" By Diane Webb

Lamentations 3: 24—"The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

In what or whom do you place your hope? Is it financial security, staff benefits, your spouse, your child, your retirement account, or your pastor? Do you look to something or someone for your security? If you have or if you do you know there are times you are let down and disappointed. The best of friends can't always be there for you. The most loving of spouses sometimes are not completely honest with you. Jobs can be changed or lost altogether. The stock market drops and retirement accounts shrink. Placing hope in anything or anyone but the Lord is a risky thing to do. Your security and your prosperity come from God and God alone. He controls the stars, the moon, the tides, and the seasons. He can certainly manage your boss, your friend, your child, or your spouse so you don't have to. It's not necessary for you to have back up plans when God has told you what he has in store for you. You do not need to manipulate situations to ensure God can keep his promise. You do not have to help God figure out a way to help you. Being confident in your hope is not the same as being arrogant. Sometimes, in your effort to remain humble, you portray a lack of confidence. Confidence in the Lord is a good thing. Sharing that confidence with others is spreading the gospel. Any sign of hesitation or discouragement demonstrates a lack of faith in what God has promised you. You pray for guidance and God gives guidance. You recognize he has led you a certain way. You are excited about the prospects. After a day or two—when things don't happen as quickly as you thought they would—you begin to doubt. Never doubt God. When God says something, he means it and he never makes mistakes. Your act of disobedience is what slows things down. If God promises one job, don't take precautions and apply for two. Trust he will provide the one job he has promised to you. Any delay in the deliverance of a promise God has given us is either because God knows the best timing or we have demonstrated a lack of obedience. God does not take away his promises but he is on his own time schedule. Be patient. God is with you. He has your life in his hands and under his control. Listen to your soul because your soul says "the Lord is my portion".

Heavenly Father, I am sorry for not trusting you 100%. Like Sarah, I tried to hurry things up a bit or hedge my bets "just in case". Forgive me, Lord, and erase any negative consequences of my disobedience. I repent and turn my life back over to you. You do a much better job than I do. I submit; In Christ's name, Amen.

Seek Guidance

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"Seek Guidance" By Diane Webb

Psalms 34: 10—"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing".

How many major decisions have you made without praying for the Lord's guidance? How did those decisions turn out? What about the ones you did pray about in advance? Can you tell when the Holy Spirit is leading you? Sometimes, we just need to ask. It does not take but a few minutes—maybe even a few seconds—to say a quick prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your decision making. It's important to ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in your prayers as well. Ask the Holy Spirit, "what or who do I need to pray for today?" You will be surprised at the things and people you are led to pray for. When you pray according to the will of God, your prayers will be answered. Now, this does not mean we will always get what we want. Psalms 34: 10 promises we will not lack for any good thing. Good is defined by God. Food is for our body's energy and is necessary to sustain life. It is not an end in and of itself. Whether we get to go out to eat in restaurants or be able to buy the best cuts of meat does not matter in the kingdom of God. God, of course, likes us to have good things but, as said before, good is defined by Him. God may think the inexpensive, economical car is better for us than the tank-sized SUV. God knows what is best for us. Given past experience, isn't it always best when we follow God's will? Isn't it obvious when we have made a mistake by deciding something on our own? Did any of the decisions work out well when made without God's input? Put your trust in His word and you will not lack any good thing. Seek the Lord in all your decisions and you will be taken care of.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for providing for me and my family. I know I have failed to seek you in many of my life's decisions. I commit myself today, Lord, to always seek your will. I pray Lord for guidance and help from the Holy Spirit in all decisions I make—large or small. Help me remember to seek your guidance in all things. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.


 

Guardian Angels

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"Guardian Angels" By Diane Webb

Psalms 34: 7—"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

What an awesome promise this verse gives to those of us who fear the Lord. We have angels camping around us! There is not one among us who cannot remember being delivered of mortal danger at one time or another. Think about that time you ran a stop sign or red light and was barely missed—but you were missed. Remember other close calls as you think about today's verse. Fear of the Lord shows deep respect, deference to his authority, and fear of his judgment. Fear of the Lord is the only fear we need have. If we fear the Lord there is no other thing that has the power to harm us without God's permission (or our own permission given we have free will). God, in the life of Job, gave permission for Satan to do many things to Job but declared Satan could not take Job's life (Job 2: 6). You may say that God's angels have not protected you and can name many harms that have come to you over your lifetime. However, if you are reading this then you are still alive and have, therefore, been delivered from death. Like Job, we may suffer terrible loss and physical ailment. But, also like Job, our life will be spared and when are trial is over God will give us back what we lost and more. There is an old Victorian era painting which shows a guardian angel protecting two children. In some paintings the children are crossing a rickety, damaged bridge. In another paining they are perilously close to the side of a cliff. In either painting, the protecting of the children is obvious and comforting to those of us who believe God can, and does, protect us. If God chooses to bring one of us home it is because he knows what is best for us and, perhaps, wants to spare us from the suffering on earth. The concept of a guardian angel has been overlooked and even disputed by many Christian denominations. The verse today, however, is clear in the implication that, yes, we do have angels protecting us. Psalms 91: 11 says, "For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Daniel 6: 22 confirms the concept: "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me: and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." What could we possibly have to fear other than God himself? God has the power of life and death in his hands. He can say "yes" or "no" to Satan himself. The whole world is subject to His authority—even those who have rebelled. Even when we give permission for Satan to harm us (by doing things outside God's will and by willfully doing things that can cause our own death), God still tries to save us—from ourselves and our stupid decisions. There is a man who has been diagnosed and treated for five different cancers—one at the time—yet none have been found to have metastasized (spread). This man is not within the will of God in his life and continues to rebel against God's authority. What is interesting is that he is getting so many chances. It is God's intention that not one single one of his children will be lost. He wants to gather each and every one of us under his wing. Even those of us who are refusing to stay under his wing—he wants to protect us. He does not want any one of us will die without accepting Jesus as our savior and being in a right relationship with Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for second chances. I fully accept what you offer and submit myself to your will. I accept Jesus as my savior and dedicate the rest of my life to serving you in Jesus' name, Amen.

Good Student

"Good Student" By Diane Webb

Lamentations 3: 25—"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him".

The Lord is good to us when we seek him and wait for him to tell us what to do. If we endure and continue to open ourselves up to God's will, he will take care of us. The waiting period can be the difficult period. There are those times where we have to wait through what seems the darkest period of our lives. When it's over God provides an opportunity that takes us away from the dark period. In the meantime, he is training us for what he has prepared for us. During dark times we turn to God for hope, encouragement, strength, and answers. We can feel ourselves growing in the areas that were formerly weak. We learn to control our tongues, our tempers, and our assumptions. We grow to communicate better, to listen more patiently, and to have greater compassion for others. Our sharp edges round out and our tender areas are toughened. The waiting time is really the growing time or for some people the resting time. Looking back you can call these periods "the best of times and the worst of times" (Dickens). They are the worst because of what we are going through—what we have to put up with. They are the best of times because of what we learn and how we grow. Are you in one of the dark periods? If you are, have faith that things will get better. Stop resisting the process because resisting makes the struggle worse. Submit in the areas you have no control over. Adapt and be flexible. Take stands when you feel the Lord prompting you to. Stand back when he tells you to stand back. Look inward at the areas you need to improve and grow in. You can shorten your dark periods by cooperating with God on smoothing out the rough spots. The more we struggle against God the worse it will be. You will find that when you stop resisting and accept in a particular area the struggle in that area suddenly disappears. You can feel the tension leave as you have accomplished that lesson. Many times our struggles have more to do with us trying to change someone else or an unchangeable situation. We argue, debate, and discuss things over and over again to no avail. Then we find ourselves right back in the same situation again and saying the same things over and over again. God does not expect us to fight every battle. All great causes are not our causes. Each of us has a very specific role to play in the kingdom of God. Everything we go through is to enable us to perform our task more excellently. Are you a good student? Do you follow instructions? The biggest struggle we face sometimes is in not accepting ourselves and in not accepting others. If you find yourself trying to change others look to see if you truly accept yourself. Accepting yourself and giving up the struggle against yourself and God will lead to acceptance of others. Sometimes non-resistance is the most powerful stance we can take in dealing with others and situations. It's not necessarily our place to change the world. We can work with God to change ourselves and by doing so have a greater opportunity to change the world. Changing things indirectly, by changing ourselves first, is the most successful method of change.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for this word today. I appreciate your instruction even when I am a bad student. Lord, help me to be a good student and to cooperate better with you. I want to be molded into the person you want me to be. Help me recognize those areas you are changing in me through circumstances. Keep me from getting distracted by other people's problems or flaws. I ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

All Hope

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"All Hope" By Diane Webb

Psalms 33: 22—"Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee".

As we place hope in the Lord (expecting good things) his mercy towards us increases. Mercy is having compassion and leniency towards someone who has done something wrong. All of us have done something wrong and need mercy from God. The more hope we have the more mercy we will receive. One is in proportion to the other. Psalms 33: 22 is a prayer asking for mercy in accordance with the amount of hope one has. It seems the psalmist is making the connection between hope and mercy. This makes hope, like faith, a requirement for receiving mercy. Hope is based on faith. We hope because we have faith. Without faith we cannot hope. How much hope do you have in the Lord? Are you "putting all your eggs in one basket" so to speak or are you keeping some back-up plan just to make sure? As Paul saw in Athens (Acts 17) the Greeks tried to worship all gods—they had idols to every god they could think of. They even had one to "an unknown god". By worshiping everything, they really worshipped nothing. The one true God does not share his worship. Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14); he does not want us putting our faith or hope into anything or anyone but him. The mentality of the Greeks still persists today where some people and non-religions try not to offend anyone so the policy of "anything goes" is developed over time. In the effort not to offend people, they end up offending God. They accept any and all religions or beliefs and propose that all religions are right. By declaring all religions are right, what they are really saying is that all religions are wrong. Anyone who believes their religion would not accept the likelihood of another religion. Believe what you believe and hold to it. Do not dilute your beliefs just to keep other people happy. They can believe what they want to believe—that's free choice and God honors our choices. But you have to choose. No choice is a choice. Choosing to accept parts or all of other religions is a rejection of Christianity. Christianity does not have room for a variety of ways to God. Christianity does not have room for scriptures or beliefs outside the Bible. The gospel is clear on this (Galatians 1: 6-10). It is not something recently determined to create disharmony in the world. The Bible is the final word and Jesus is the final way. If you do not believe this then you are not a Christian—which you have the right of free choice to reject the gospel of Christ and choose another religion to follow. But you cannot have it both ways. Placing your hope in God means placing your hope in Christ 100%. This means all hope not just some of it. It means that you are leaving no room for any other way than the gospel of Christ. It is putting all hope in Christ. This places you squarely in the hands of God and only his mercy can save you then. The more hope you place in God, the more mercy he will show. He wants nothing less than 100% of you—everything. He does not want just a piece of you. He is not satisfied with an anonymous statue to him amongst the hundreds of statues to other gods. If you are going to place your hope in Christ, place all of it with him. Leave nothing in reserve "just in case". Demonstrate your total faith and commitment to Christ. Your mercy will be great.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me understand what this means to me today. Tell me what it is I need to do to demonstrate my hope and trust in you. If there is any area I am holding back in, please point it out to me Lord. I want to place all my hope in you and hold nothing back. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

You are important

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"You are important" By Diane Webb

Psalms 33: 21—"For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name."

Trusting God leads to rejoicing. It's a great feeling to rejoice. Rejoicing in your heart is even better. It comes from deep inside. It's from pure joy. This is what happens when we trust God. God proves himself to us over and over again when we trust him. When we think there is no hope yet we still trust; God reveals his goodness, mercy, and grace towards us. He moves mountains for us. He heals, he provides, he works miracles—for us. We all can think of a time God answered our prayers in an obvious and spectacular way; when no amount of logic could explain it away. God has moved in our behalf in large and small ways. Sometimes he does it just to show how much he cares about us and our little life. God is amazing and the great news is that each and every one of us is important to him. None of us is greater or lesser to him. He has no favorites among his people. Many of us grow up with a subtle but powerful message we are not important; that we don't count. This can carry through to adulthood; in our relationships, our homes, and our work settings. People reinforce the feeling we don't count or are not as important as others. We do this to ourselves as well; by always putting ourselves last to the point we feel insignificant and unworthy. We end up not taking good care of ourselves because our time and resources are taken up by others. God does not want us to be selfish (self-serving) but at the same time he does not want us to feel like nothing or nobody either. He expects us to take care of ourselves so we can better serve him. We cannot serve him if we are physically and emotionally depleted. Even Jesus had to go away by himself at times to renew himself (Matthew 14: 23). One of the greatest commandments according to Jesus is to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22: 39). Notice it says "as" not 'instead of" or "above" or "ahead of". We are to love others the same as we love ourselves. If we hate ourselves and treat ourselves like dirt then we really are not capable of following this commandment. You cannot give what you do not have. If you do not have any respect, love, or value towards yourself then you do not have any of those things to give another person. The belief that you are less than someone else does not come from God. God holds all of his children in the same esteem. We are all worth the death of his one and only son, Jesus Christ. None of us—regardless of gender or race—are considered of a lower value to God himself. Many on earth would have you believe differently but it's only to serve their purposes not God's purpose. If we choose to lower ourselves out of humility, love, compassion, or respect then that is different. You can choose to lower yourself but you still know you are worth the same as other people. As long as you know you are a child of God and as such are very important to him it is a good thing to humble yourself. Trust God and rejoice! You are important to the only one who really matters. He loves you and he is interested in every aspect of your life. He knows when you are happy and he knows when you are sad. He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10: 30). God loves you !

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me in spite of my mistakes and weaknesses; thank you for taking me as your child. Help me, Lord, live up to your love and be a light shining bright before others in this dark world; help me Lord minister to others as you would have me to; help me, too, to take good care of myself. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.


 

Quietly Wait

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"Quietly Wait" By Diane Webb

Lamentations 3: 26—"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

Waiting and waiting quietly are two different things. Some of us are in situations we do not like and are making decisions which will, hopefully, lead to a positive change. In the meantime, we need to avoid grumbling or complaining about the situations we are still in. It's good to hope for something better and to seek changes for our own good but we need to be patient as the opportunity may not come right away. When opportunities are present, we can pursue them with hope of a better future without verbally downgrading our present position. We should also not boast of these opportunities and not use them as an excuse to gripe. We can pray for deliverance from bad situations and God will respond. It is not always evident right away that God has answered our prayers. We, therefore, need to be patient and not declare God has said "no" too soon. As humans, we tend to be impatient and once we have made a decision to leave a situation, we want it to happen quickly—in our time. God, however, may move a little slower than we would like. Patiently waiting will help you avoid creating even more of a bad situation than you already have. Let's look at Daniel 9: 23 and 10: 12 & 13 for a good example. Daniel had fasted and prayed to God for the people of Israel and for understanding of the visions he was experiencing. Daniel 9:23 indicates an instant answer through the angel Gabriel: "At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee: for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter and consider the vision." However, in 10: 12 & 13, Daniel has to wait 21 days before receiving his answer by way of the angel Michael. "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." During the 21 day waiting period, Daniel hoped for an answer to his prayer and continued to fast and pray while waiting. He did not give up the second time when he did not get the immediate response he had gotten before. He, obviously, knew God would answer him either way. On the surface, 21 days does not seem like a long time to wait for God to answer a prayer. Look at it from Daniels point of view. He remained without food and did not cease to pray for 21 days. Picture yourself not eating and remaining in a prayerful body position (on your knees or prostrate on the floor) for three weeks. Daniel never stopped prayer. Because he was praying, he did not have time to fuss and complain about his situation. He remained hopeful the entire time. This is the example God gives us on waiting for his answers. Looking at the prophecy in Daniel—the answer Daniel actually received, he was promised salvation through the messiah—Jesus Christ. Daniel did not get to experience Jesus Christ in his own lifetime. He received understanding after 21 days but the actual fulfillment of the prayer was long after his death on earth. Always know your prayers will be answered. The timing may not be as you expect or hope. However, do not grumble and complain. Do not get discouraged. Understand, just as Daniel did, that salvation will come.

Dear heavenly Father, once again I pray for patience. Help me to quietly wait for your salvation to the troubles I face today. Help me endure with silence and remind me to pray my way through. Thank you for the hope you give me through Jesus Christ. In His name I pray, Amen.

Perfect Timing

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"Perfect Timing" By Diane Webb

Psalms 33: 20—"Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help
and our shield."

The Lord is always on time. His timing is perfect. Many times we jump ahead and do our own thing because we get tired of waiting, we are scared, or we think the Lord has said "no" to our prayer. Sometimes we mistake the wrong thing for God's answer or help. There is an old saying, "never marry the first person who asks you"; indicating the best person is not always the first person. This applies to opportunities as well. Sometimes the first opportunity that presents itself to you, especially if you are experiencing a bad time, is a decoy to get you diverted away from the Godly opportunity which is still on its way to you. We don't wait long enough for God sometimes. Then we get caught up in mistakes that sometimes take years to sort out. Wait on the Lord. It will be worth the wait. Nothing is worse than making a major life decision wrongly because of impatience, discouragement, or fear. People marry the wrong person because they are afraid to be alone. People take the wrong jobs because they are afraid of not being able to get a better one. Waiting on God means to trust him to provide and fulfill what he has promised to you in his own time. His perfect time is never late. God will shield you as you wait and he will help you endure what you have to endure. God's biggest gift of help to us, after Jesus Christ, is the Holy Spirit. Right there is your source for strength, hope, patience, and wisdom. Ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide you. Ask the Lord to advise you on every decision you make. Wait on his time so you don't lose years learning things the hard way. Submit; it's the easier way to learn God's will and fulfill his purpose for you. Do not get discouraged as you wait on God. Discouragement is another thing that prompts us to make hasty decisions rather than wait on God. We are discouraged and feel we will never get the help we need. We grasp at the next chance to have some semblance of hope in the future. But it's a false hope because it is not what God has willed. Just like Ishmael was not the promised son of Abraham, for years he appeared to be. Abraham allowed himself to be convinced this was the fulfillment of God's promise when, in fact, it was not. Because Abraham listened to Sarah and did not wait for God, Ishmael and his mother ended up suffering for the error. Ishmael was sent away by his father thereby suffering the consequences of his father's mistake. There are sometimes many people who pay the price when we do not wait on God. Sometimes the effects of our errors go for generations. Waiting on God is not only wise it is mandatory if we want to have the life God has ordained for us. God will help us clean up our mistakes and he will help us get back on the right path—just as he still gave Sarah and Abraham Isaac. It just involves more hardship, suffering, and time when we try to do it our way first. None of us are perfect and God understands that. He tries to help us in spite of ourselves (Thank God). He shields us from danger and Satan's influence when we don't even know it. He ensures his will is eventually fulfilled—he just needs our cooperation and obedience if we want his will in a smooth and perfect way. Otherwise, his will is evident after much wailing and gnashing of teeth so to speak.

My Father, help me discern your will and especially know when I am suppose to just wait. Keep me from grabbing at the wrong opportunities when they present themselves. Help me have faith you will guide me and protect me in a perfect way. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Learning Patience

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"Learning Patience" By Diane Webb

Ecclesiastes 7: 8—"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit".

Sometimes when something happens it seems really bad—such as a job loss, breakup of a relationship, or other trials we go through. However, by the time it's over we can see the good that has come of it. We get better jobs, we have a more Godly relationship, and we are motivated to make some changes that have been needed for a long time. None of us enjoy going through trials. We think it's the worst thing ever to be suffering what we are suffering. We don't think we can make it; but we do make it and when it's over we are stronger than we ever thought possible. At first, it seems the two parts of today's scripture don't go together. They seem like two separate messages. Upon closer examination, it's obvious the last part is telling us how to get through the first part. Pride makes any hard time worse. It is often the pride which causes the most suffering. We are more upset about losing our standing, what people think of us, and having to ask for help than we are the original problem. Being patient, therefore, makes any trial more endurable. Planning, in advance, to trust God and see things through will reduce much of the misery associated with many of our hardships. Think of the last thing you had to suffer through? Did you utilize patience or did pride cause you to feel worse than necessary? Are you suffering now? Is pride keeping you from getting the help you need? Are you talking to people to let them know what's going on with you? If not, are you ashamed for people to know? Do you worry what they might think? Take heed of Ecclesiastes 7: 8 today. The beginning of a trial is worse than the end of it. Being patient is better than being proud. Imagine something as simple as having to wait a long time in line at a store. To start with we are a little irritated because the people in front of us are too slow—they are paying with pennies it seems, the price is not on the item, the light is on for a manager. We can think "how inconsiderate of those people", "they should plan for more cashiers", "they knew better than to bring all that change", and "I should not have to wait like this". All of these are prideful thoughts and only make the waiting worse. Before it's over we've given ugly looks to people, rolled our eyes, and been rude to the clerk. As all of this is going on we get more and more upset, tense, stressed, and agitated. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure goes up and we get a headache. On the other hand, we could wait with patience, smile, talk to the people around us, look at the shelves by the register, pray, and otherwise enjoy the break we are getting in our busy day. With this second attitude, by the end of the wait we've made a new acquaintance, discovered a new product, and relaxed for a while. With the second approach, the end was better than the beginning. By waiting patiently, we have benefited from the wait and are better for it. It ended up being a positive thing. Patience is a difficult thing to learn because it requires much practice. You can speed up the development of this great skill and trait by thinking to yourself "learning patience" every time you are in a situation that requires patience. This simple thought and attitude will help you get through many rough spots without getting too upset. The next time you are dealing with a difficult person (a child, a spouse, a co-worker) think the same thing—"learning patience" (but don't say it aloud).

Dear heavenly Father, I know people say to never pray for patience but patience is exactly what I need. Please, God, help me learn patience the easy way—which is by obeying you promptly without fuss and by trusting you in all situations. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.




 

In hard times

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"In hard times" By Diane Webb

Psalms 33: 19—"To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."

God watches over us and saves us in times of famine—or other disaster. He keeps us alive to fulfill his purpose according to his will. Although God does chose to take individuals home with him sometimes, he delivers people from death when it is not time for them to die. He also looks after his children during hard times like now. In the midst of these troublesome times, there are still people and businesses prospering. Those who are righteous have food, shelter, and clothing even if it's through the charity of others. Sure, Christians face hard times like everyone else but there is something different in the way a Christian faces hardship in comparison to a non-Christian. Also, God uses hard times to better his people—to help them grow strong in character and faith. Those who accept Jesus as their savior are taken care of one way or another. If they lose their job and they trust God will provide—and God does provide. Can you think of a time you were delivered from physical death? How many "close calls" have you had? How are you faring in this economy? Do you have what you need? Just as God took care of Joseph and his family during the time of the Egyptian famine (Genesis 41), he takes care of us through hard times as well. After being saved and getting your life in line with God's will, how often have you had to go hungry? Do you trust God to provide for you or are you still worrying about things you can do nothing about? Luke 12: 24 says, "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouses nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?" These are difficult times for families and individuals. The cost of living keeps going up yet salaries do not. So many people are losing jobs, homes, and life savings. People are getting down to just surviving from day to day. Whole families have had to move in with relatives. People are spending less on non-essentials. As people spend less, businesses close and others lose their jobs. Then the cycle repeats itself with another family. It's a downward spiral. Notice the change in values over the past few years. People are learning to prioritize and figure out ways to save. People are drawing closer together. Men and women are reaching out to help others in need—friends, families, co-workers—like never before. There seems to be an increasing spirit of compassion in many communities. We are realizing that hard times can happen to anyone—even to us. We understand it's not always laziness, sinfulness, or low character that leads to joblessness, poverty, or homelessness. We are no longer judging others who are facing hard times. There are stories about good will towards fellow men too. For example, there was a landlord who, rather than evict a jobless tenant, went to work himself to pay his bills since he had previously been relying on rent. This is just one example of how people have been moved to help others going through a hard time. Everyone suffering cannot be called unrighteous. Let's not make the mistake of Job's friends who blamed him for his own hardship. What you can be sure of is that God is in control in the lives of his children. It may not make sense to us why some people are losing jobs and others are not. However, if we trust God, we understand that he knows what he is doing. God is in control and in the end he will deliver his children from death.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for my prosperity and that of my family. Thank you for providing for us in these difficult financial times. I pray, Lord, you will lead me to exercise compassion towards others and demonstrate your love and good will as you would have me to. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Foolish Anger

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"Foolish Anger" By Diane Webb

Ecclesiastes 7: 9—"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."

Who is the angriest person you know? Would you agree they act foolish? Have you seen them do some unwise things when angry? People who cannot control their anger are normally seen as being incompetent and of lower intelligence than those who remain calm. Showing your anger to others is not wise if you want people to be confident in your abilities. Anger is not strength, courage, or heroic. Proverbs 25: 28 says not being able to control your anger makes you weak and vulnerable. It almost always leads to bad decisions and bad behavior. We can all remember times when we said, or did something we regret because of anger. Ecclesiastes 7: 9 advises us not to be quick to anger. Although anger is a natural emotion, it does not have to be out of control or have free rein in your life. Out of control anger has destroyed many homes and made others miserable places to live in. Loud, angry people are not enjoyable to be around and eventually end up alone. The root of anger most often involves demanding someone or something to be different that it is. We, basically, get mad when things aren't the way we want them to be or think they should be. We get mad when people don't respond as we expect them to. We get mad when things don't go our way. Managing our own anger is one thing but how can we respond to someone else's anger? Proverbs gives several suggestions for answering anger in another person. It suggests responding with a gentle answer, and showing patience (chapter 15). The natural reaction when someone is angry is to be angry back. Answering anger with gentleness and patience will often lower the anger in the other person. Chapter 19 says to ignore wrongs and allow those with a bad temper to suffer the consequences for their anger. A lot of anger is the result of a wrong done to us or someone we love. Ignoring those wrongs, means you just don't sit around trying to analyze, process, or right the wrong. Allowing people to suffer the consequences of their anger is pretty obvious. Don't go get them out of jail every time they get arrested for fighting. Don't buy them a replacement when they break something in anger. Don't lie for them to help them get out of trouble. When their anger has led them to break the law, do not interfere with the process of justice when it takes place. Chapter 22 says not to make friends with people who have a hot temper. Most times, people who have a bad temper are known for it. It's usually no secret. If, by chance, you have not heard of their temper but it becomes obvious soon after meeting them, break off the relationship. Having a relationship with a perpetually angry person will only lead to hurt and harm. Margaret Thatcher, when she was prime minister of England, demonstrated many of the suggestions mentioned today. She was spat upon by a citizen when walking in public once. She calmly pulled out a tissue, dabbed her face and walked on. She did not comment, show anger, or waste any time on the matter at all. She simply ignored the wrong and patiently walked on. Now, surely she had staff around her who took care of the offender. That part of the story is not known. Regardless, she was seen as a very intelligent, strong, and capable woman because she was able to control her anger in public in spite of an offense that would have pushed most of us over the edge.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me be slow to anger. I pray I will never let my anger get the best of me or cause me to say or do something I regret. If I have any anger now, Lord, I turn it all over to you. I thank you for taking this burden from me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Fear and Hope

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"Fear and Hope" By Diane Webb

Psalms 33: 18—"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy."

The Lord does watch over you. He works in your life even when you do not know it. When you have the proper respect for God as your creator you will fear him out of this respect. Fear, when of God, is a good thing and only leads to God's protection over you and his mercy when you repent of your mistakes. He is your father who loves you enough to correct you, to mold you, and to teach you what you need to know. He is merciful and forgiveness is always given when sincerely asked. God is not to be feared in a human sense but in a Holy way. You are meant to have a good relationship with God but not a casual or disrespectful one. God is not your "buddy" or your personal assistant. God is not at your disposal to pull out as needed for your ego or for show. It is important to always remember God's place in the universe—supreme creator and omnipotent ruler. He is God. As such, God commands respect. The first four of the Ten Commandments all relate to our reverence and respect of God (Exodus 20). This, obviously, is important and a requisite to having a right relationship with God. In Psalms 33: 18, you see having God's eye upon you (to watch over you and protect you) follows fearing him. If you want God's protection you have to have the right fear of him. Fear leads to making choices which keeps you within God's will. Can we logically expect to have God's protection and disrespect him at the same time? Do we really think we can use his name in vain, disregard the commandments, dabble in sin and still be under his protection? It does not work like that. To fear God is to respect, honor, and obey him. Then and only then can we reap the benefits of his protection and mercy. Mercy is granted to those who fear God. Living a life of pleasure, vanity, arrogance, or dishonesty does not demonstrate fear of the Lord. Mercy flows from a right fear of the Lord. Those who do not fear the Lord cannot expect mercy. We cannot have it both ways—we cannot live a life of the world and then expect the mercy of God. Our fear belongs to the Lord. No other fear is beneficial to us or part of his plan. Fear of the future contradicts today's scripture. Hope is how we look towards the future when we fear God. If you have a fear of the future, look at your attitude toward God. If your fear in not leading to hope you may want to examine it further. Fear of the Lord is why God spared Abraham's son, Isaac (Genesis 22: 12). Abraham's fear of God led to God's mercy in sparing Isaac. The wrong kind of fear—such as the fear dictator's inspire—leads to cruelty and a chronic anxiety. Those under the thumb of authoritarian control are fearful of the future and lose hope over time. If, for example, Hitler (or another dictator-type person) was the one calling the shots for Abraham, then he would have had Isaac die to prove his power over life and death and to strengthen control over Abraham. God, on the other hand, uses mercy to demonstrate his power. God is not mean or cruel. Everything he does is to help us in some way or another. God has no need to scare people into obedience. We obey God because we fear him but this fear is an understanding of his power and authority in the universe. The hope comes from our knowledge of his mercy. The right fear of God includes trust.

Father, please help me understand today's scripture so I will have the right fear of you. Erase any wrong ideas I have. Give me discernment to know your truth, your will, and your mercy. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

High, Rocky Places

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"High, Rocky, Places" By Diane Webb

Habakkuk 3: 19a—"The Lord is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."

The back two feet of a four legged animal are the strongest. Habakkuk, therefore, is indicating the Lord will make his feet like those strongest back feet of an animal such as a goat. He is expressing his faith in God to give him the strength he needs to walk in the high, dangerous places of the mountain. Think of a mountain goat which has to navigate the rocks and cliffs of mountains relying on his feet to keep him from falling. A mountain goat must be sure-footed in order to live in the high peaks of mountainous areas. When Habakkuk refers to high places, he is talking about dangerous places. He expresses his faith that God will give his feet the strength to get him through the rough spots. We all go through rough spots. There are times we are vulnerable to a possible miss-step that could cause us to fall. Like Habakkuk, have confidence in God's ability to strengthen you in the areas you need to be strengthened in order to get through the high places of your life. What are some of the high places you've had to walk through? Have you had to go through a bad marriage and then a bitter divorce? Have you been deeply betrayed unexpectedly? Have you had to cope with a difficult child? Have you been mistreated by someone you love? All of these are rough, high places. Looking back on it, can you see how God strengthened you? Aren't you a much stronger person now than you were before? Climbing up and walking over the rocks is not always pleasant but somehow we do make it through with God's help. Notice Habakkuk says "he will make me to walk upon mine high places". He does not say, "When I walk upon mine high places". This verse clearly states that God does, in fact, force us into some areas we may not be comfortable in. The places he pushes us to go may, in fact, appear dangerous. The scripture here, however, assures you that no matter where God sends you he will strengthen you so you can walk where you need to walk. Have you been surprised at times about where you have been able to go and what you've been able to go through? With God's help, we have accomplished and can accomplish things we never before would have thought possible. How many times have you said, "I didn't think I could do it" or "I didn't think I'd make it"? You did make it and you did do it. All of us are stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We doubt ourselves and our abilities which hampers our progress. The uncertainty is because we have our eyes on the rocks, the edge of the cliffs, or what's over the side if we fall. When we keep our eyes on our goal—the kingdom of God—we are not so scared by the terrain around us. Do you remember as a child being somewhere very dark—having to walk through the dark to get to the house or another room in the house? Didn't you make it through the dark by keeping your eyes on the light? Jesus is the light. As you navigate the high places, keep your eyes on Jesus. You won't notice so much the things of this world—the dangerous or high places will not seem so bad. Your feet will be like the strong, back feet of the mountain goat as you walk across the high mountain paths. The high mountain paths sometime go around the rocks and sometime go over them. Regardless of which path you take, as long as you are moving toward the light of Jesus, you are making progress.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for strengthening me in the areas I need to be strong in. Thank you for the high places in life which help me increase my faith and dependence on you. Without you, Lord, I have no strength. Please help me remember this. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.

The yellow bricked road

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"The yellow bricked road" By Diane Webb

Psalms 31:24

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

Courage is simply facing what you have to face without showing fear, discouragement, or frustration. We all face what we have to face because we have no choice. All the "I can't stand it's" and "I can't handle its" amount to nothing because we handle what we have to and we stand what we have to. But do we do it with grace, dignity, and poise? If we don't then that is OK—we are surviving. If we do, we have courage. Courage is standing firm, not backing down, and not giving in. Courage is not necessarily being unafraid although it is not showing our fear. It is not retreating out of fear. According to our scripture today, we must show courage first and then God will strengthen us. Sometimes all it takes is one split second of demonstrating courage. We have to take the first step towards facing our battles or fears. After that first step then our heart (our spirit) will get the extra dose of encouragement and power we need to finish what we have started. Hope is future focused in a good way. It is looking forward to something better and believing it will come. Hope in the Lord is trusting, and knowing God will come to your aid as soon as you demonstrate courage. What is it you need courage for today? Who is it you have to face? What situation is causing you to tremble on the inside? Do not be afraid. God is with you and he will give you the strength to press forward. There is always hope in the Lord. As a Christian you cannot lose because you have eternal life. No matter what battle you face on earth you cannot lose. If you lose your life on earth you will gain your life in heaven--instantly. There is nothing to fear. Death is not to be feared. Pain and suffering is not to be feared. It will bring you closer to God. He will strengthen you in your pain. Think for a minute about the one thing you believe you cannot handle. Now think of someone who has been through that very thing. Think of how they managed. Did they show courage? Did they endure? There is nothing we can fear that someone somewhere has not already experienced and made it through. Some people face amazing things with courage. Others cannot face even the slightest thing (locking the keys in the car) without falling apart. Hope in the Lord is the difference between those who show courage when facing adversity and those who crumble. He is on either end of your struggle—before you take a step and after you take a step. Do you forget he is there? Let this be your reminder. God is there—past, present, and future. Your hope—your only hope—lies with God. As you place your hope in him, you can gain the courage you need to face what you have to face. Think of the lion in "The Wizard of Oz". It was his hope of being granted courage that enabled him to demonstrate courage the entire time. He hoped the wizard could give him courage, he believed the wizard could give him courage, and he therefore exercised courage in seeking courage. The wizard had no real power. God, on the other hand, has all the power. God can grant courage and he does give us the courage, and the strength, to face what we have to face. But we, like the lion, have to exercise our faith by stepping out on that yellow bricked road of life.

Dear Lord, thank you for the courage you have already given me. Strengthen me Lord as I face what I have to face today. Help me exercise courage and demonstrate grace, poise, and serenity no matter what happens today. I do, indeed, place my hope in you. You are my only hope. I pray in Christ's name, Amen.

God’s supply

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"God's Supply "By Diane Webb

Zechariah 4: 6—"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."

Here, in Zechariah 4, an angel of the Lord is reassuring Zechariah that God is sufficient to His church. God does not need help to supply the needs of His Kingdom. In other words, Zerubbabel would rebuild the temple through God's power rather than depending on the Persians who controlled Babylon where the Jews had been captive for about 70 years. It is not by power or might we accomplish God's work; but by His spirit. We do not need anything but the spirit of God to do His work. He will provide what is necessary to accomplish His will. Faced with the task of rebuilding a temple, perhaps Zerubbabel was concerned about practical things—like building materials, food for the workers, shelter for the people and all the things required to build back the temple. It seems the angel is answering those concerns by saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Have you ever been faced with a task that seemed too overwhelming to begin much less complete? You know God called you to accomplish something and yet you wonder how you are going to go about doing it. How will you pay your bills while going back to school? Who will take your children to class when you are serving in a shelter? Who will pay the taxes on the property? All of these are practical concerns and just like Zerubbabel, you wonder where it all will come from. Have you ever had to face a person or organization seemingly bigger, stronger, or more powerful than yourself? Imagine for a minute you are in captivity. Your captors have been defeated by yet another group of people. The new people in charge have agreed for you to go back to the homeland of your people—a homeland you have never seen because you were born in captivity. You have been granted permission to return to your homeland and rebuild the great temple which had been destroyed when your family was defeated and captured as slaves. Now, as a slave, you are wondering where you are going to get the funding to rebuild the church building. You begin to think it's a cruel joke—for your captives to grant you permission to build a building yet give you no idea where you will get the materials. This is the situation Zerubbabel found himself in. In the vision of Zechariah, God tells Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel not to worry about practical matters and to depend on Him for what is needed. Just as Zerubbabel worried about practical problems, you may find yourself doing the same thing. You can be assured, just as Zerubbabel was, that God will provide for you to accomplish His calling in your life. If you are called by God for a specific mission, task, or function you need not worry about the particulars. Just step out in faith—one foot at a time. Marvel at His miraculous ways of providing for you. What a joy to serve God who has the riches of the universe at his disposal. How silly to think He cannot provide for His people. This is the God who fed His people in a wilderness for 40 years—2 million people. He created food where food did not exist. He poured water out of rocks. He made time stand still. God does not need a budget or a five year strategic plan.

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to realize you are all I need. You are my supply for each and everything necessary to accomplish the things you have asked me to do. I do not need to worry about clothes, food, shelter, or supplies. You will provide for me while I do what you have asked me to do. Thank you, God for your spirit and your unlimited supply for your children. In Jesus' name, Amen

Children of the King

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"Children of the King" By Diane Webb

Ephesians 3: 12—"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him".

By having faith in Jesus, we can approach Him confidently and boldly—without fear. Jesus came to earth and walked with us. He experienced first hand what it is like to be human. He, as God the Son, got down on our level. That is why He came to earth—to represent God to us in a way we could comprehend as humans. The more you get to know Jesus the more faith you will have in Him. As your faith grows, so does your comfort with talking to Him boldly. He becomes your role model and your teacher. He becomes your friend. Jesus is the center of our salvation and our faith. Don't you speak more plainly with someone you have known a long time? When someone has proven themselves to you year after year is it not natural to be more confident in their presence? Aren't there people in your life who inspire your boldness and confidence? This is where Jesus wants to be with you. He does not want to be someone you are afraid to talk to. He wants you to "bother" Him with your concerns. How does one go about accessing Jesus with boldness and confidence? There is no special formula or required set of introductory words needed to talk to Jesus. Just talk. As you walk to your car—talk. As you go about your day—talk. He is your best friend. He is on your side. He loves you and you are important to Him. You are the reason He was born as a baby in Bethlehem and you are the reason He was crucified and rose again. Accept your place in the kingdom of God as equal heirs with Jesus (Romans 8: 16-17). Stop cowering in a corner as if you had no Savior or no friend in Christ. Demonstrate you understand and appreciate your place in God's kingdom. You are a child of God. You are co-heirs to His kingdom. You are a son or daughter of a king. Low self-esteem is an insult to Christ. There was once a lady (we will call her Jill) who was speaking with another woman (we will call her Betty) about Betty's low self-esteem. Betty was not convinced of her worth and felt like she was an unimportant no-body. She allowed people to use and abuse her and put herself down in her own thoughts and words. She called herself names and in many other ways demonstrated a lack of respect for herself. As Betty was leaving Jill's company she mentioned, "I will pray for you". Jill, replied, "I wish you wouldn't". This surprised Betty. Jill tried to explain why she felt uncomfortable with Betty praying for her given Betty's low opinion of herself. (To Jill, Betty's low self-esteem was a sign of being outside the will of God). It was a month before the two ladies talked again. Betty had given the matter much thought and had finally begun to address her low self-esteem. This is an important message to anyone who suffers from low self-esteem. You do not honor God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit by dishonoring yourself. It is time we all stopped acting like neglected orphans and stepped up to the throne. As we wallow in self degradation we are neglecting our duty to pray for our country, our leaders, and other people as well. We do not represent our Savior very well with our heads hanging down and shuffling our feet. We have to boldly and confidently advocate on behalf of others before Jesus just as Jesus advocates for us before His Father.

Dear Lord, help me to understand my worth and my place in the kingdom of God. Take from me any signs of insecurity or hesitancy in my faith. Help me access Jesus boldly and confidently before others so my testimony will be strong. By my testimony, behavior, and prayers let me lead others to Christ. I ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

You are worthy

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"You are worthy" By Diane Webb

Psalms 31: 7—"I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities."

God knows you. He knows the number of hairs on your head (or lack thereof). He knows your fears, concerns, worries, and deepest thoughts. He knows where you came from and he knows where you are going. He knew you before you were born or conceived. He designed and created you. He knows what you are going through and understands how you feel. Listen to Him and he will comfort you. Trust Him and he will take care of you. His mercy is great and everything He has done in your life is for the good of His Kingdom. What is good for God's kingdom is good for you. Do not despair during trouble and adversity. Remember your creator and be confident in His plan. Even bad times or apparent hardship works toward the good of His kingdom and in your best interest. Submit unto the Lord and trust in His infinite wisdom and mercy. You do not have to figure things out. You do not have to plan or strategize; just listen and obey. Ask Him for strength, courage, and patience to endure. Military training instills in soldiers the ability to obey orders without hesitation or questioning the source. Soldiers are taught to trust the decisions of superiors and to implement instructions promptly. This, in the end, saves lives. By hesitating or questioning orders, one soldier can jeopardize the safety of an entire squadron. If soldiers can trust and obey human leaders—who have flaws—then how much easier it should be for us, as Christians, to trust and obey our creator who has no faults—who is perfect. Why do we think we can do without God on even the simplest things? Trust in God, who has never let us down, should be easy. Some please don't trust God because they blame Him for their mistakes. They do not listen to God, they do not follow God's lead; they disobey His word yet blame God when they find themselves in a bad situation. If, on the other hand, you know you are listening to God and following His word and still experience tragedy or hardship; then this is where trust comes into play. In these times, God is still working and you can trust He knows what he is doing for the good of both you and His kingdom. God does not make mistakes. Turn your life over to Him then let him lead you. Spend each and every day submitting to God's will. There will be many things you don't understand. The answer God provides may not make logical sense at the time. You will be rewarded with many miracles in your life and your eyes will be opened to witness His work through you. Nothing, no nothing will be meaningless. You can rejoice during good times and you can rejoice during seemingly bad times. God knows you. He loves you. He sent Jesus to die for you. You are special and important to Him. If you feel you are not worthy then you have made the first step in turning your life over to Him. That is where mercy comes in. None of us are worthy. We don't have to be worthy. Jesus made us worthy. He is our Father and we are His children— all the time. Submit to your Father and stop trying to do things on your own. Stop waiting until you are where you think you need to be. Admit you can't do it on your own and turn it all over to Him. He will take care of you as surely as He takes care of me or anyone else who trusts Him. His mercy endures forever.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me accept I cannot do things on my own and need you in all parts of my life. Help me recognize I cannot earn my way into grace. Lord, I accept your mercy and thank you for it. Without your mercy I am lost but with your mercy I am saved—not by my own works but by Jesus Christ. Thank you, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be ye Angry

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"Be ye Angry" By Diane Webb

Ephesians 4: 26—"Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

It's OK to have feelings of anger. Anger is a natural emotion that pops up in many situations. It comes without permission. It is not logical to try and prevent anger from occurring—doing so will only lead to health problems or outbursts. It's your behavior when you are angry that causes a problem and needs to be controlled. The actions taken when angry are most often harmful in some way. The scripture today warns of the danger of sin when acting out of anger. It also warns not to hang on to your anger all day long into the night. (Some people hold onto anger for years never mind more than a day.) Anger breeds more anger. The thoughts from anger lead to behaviors that are not Christ-like. Decisions made in anger are usually regretted. The Bible has countless scriptures referring to anger—none of which encourage it. Some may ask, "What about righteous anger?" No anger coming from man is righteous—only God has righteous anger. However, if you feel you do have a right to be angry, remember, it's not the emotion o f anger that is wrong—it's the behaviors from anger that can be (and usually are) sinful. For example, perhaps a man is rightly angry when he sees a 300 pound parent slap a 20 pound child in the face. The anger may be a reasonable and natural response but what happens next can either be within the will of God or outside the will of God (a sin). What are the options? If this man goes over and punches the 300 pound parent because of his "righteous" anger then he has let the anger cause him to sin. Just because someone deserves to be punched in the face does not mean you have the right or privilege of doing so. On the other hand, if the man, being a Christian, walks over and offers assistance, invites the man to church, talks calmly but firmly to the parent, or makes a report on the child's behalf, he has not allowed his anger to cause him to sin. Sin is never justifiable regardless of how good you make it sound. Even in understandable circumstances (like the one mentioned here) sin is still sin. Anger often leads to un-Christian behaviors: cursing, dirty looks, rude gestures, name calling, bad-mouthing, retaliation, and hurting another person. How many times have you said something you had to later go back and apologize for? Have you ever had to go back and undo a decision made in anger? The best way to cope with anger is to admit you feel it and then go to scripture for a way to fight the urge to act on it. Some helpful scripture to cope with anger includes: Psalms 37: 8, Proverbs 14: 17, Proverbs 14: 29, Proverbs 15: 1, Proverbs 15: 18, Proverbs 16: 32, Proverbs 19: 11, Ecclesiastes 7: 9, Ephesians 4: 26-27, 31, 32, Colossians 3: 8, and James 1: 19-20. None of us have the right to act on our anger towards another person. Wrath, justice, and vengeance belong to God and God alone. No matter what someone has done to us, it is between them and God. You never have a scriptural reason for taking anger out on someone or holding onto it forever. Focus your attention on resolving your anger in a Biblical way not a worldly way. Don't deny, suppress, or avoid anger—just don't let it control you and don't act on your anger.

Heavenly Father, I pray today for discernment in the area of anger. Help me recognize when I am letting my anger cause me to sin. Help me stop myself before I act in anger. Give me your strength to control my behavior so I don't do anything when angry to offend you. Help me, Lord, resolve any anger I've been carrying around with me. Lead me to the scripture I can use to fight my personal anger. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

No room for fear or anger

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"No room for fear or anger" By Diane Webb

Ephesians 4: 27—"Neither give place to the devil".

Do not make room for the devil in your life. Do not allow Satan space in your mind or your life. Pay attention to what you allow yourself to think about or dwell on. Are you giving Satan power by dwelling on fear-based thoughts? What about anger and resentment? Fear and anger are just two ways we give room for Satan to live and grow. Thinking about fears and worries—especially worries—leads to bigger fears and bigger worries. As you sit there and imagine "what-if" scenarios, it opens the door for even more "what-if" thoughts. Before you know it, you are so anxious you feel it physically. What good does it serve to imagine and re-imagine fearful things that have not even happened? What we dwell on mentally will show up physically. Sometimes we cause the very thing we fear because of the fear itself. Fear attracts what we are afraid of. For example, let's say a woman has a fear of being robbed in a parking lot. As she thinks of this fear she clutches her bag and begins to take on a fearful appearance. Meanwhile, a robber is scanning the parking lot looking for a potential victim. He sees one woman walking confidently along looking strong and independent. Then he sees the fearful one—she is looking very weak and fragile. Which one do you think he will go for? Another example is a parent constantly telling a child to be careful. The child develops a fearful persona because now he knows there are so many terrible dangers to encounter. As he walks down the steps he stumbles and falls. The anxiety had increased levels of a certain chemical in his brain which interferes with his coordination. Another man is afraid of dying. He is afraid of being killed in his home. He has several bolt locks installed on each door. He puts bars on his windows. His house catches on fire and he cannot get out. He is dies in his home where he tried to feel safe and protected from the outside world. The insurance industry is prosperous because it plays on fears. An insurance sales pitch is a series of "what if" questions which leads to you purchasing excessive insurance. Worse than thinking fearful thoughts is voicing them. One we begin to verbalize fears, worries, and doubts it's like pouring fertilizer on them. We have given them space to occupy. Fear cripples, hinders, and blocks the work of God. Giving space to fear and worry is making room for the devil. Taking it one step further, fear and worry leads to fear-based rituals—like checking and rechecking. Then, time is being taken up on useless behaviors which are supposed to reduce fear but really only increase it. It's another trick of Satan to make you believe if you do certain things (like wash your hands over and over again) that you will be safe. It's a strategy designed to eat up your time so you don't have time to do what God wants you to do. Anger and resentment are just as bad if not worse than fear and worry. People can spend years not speaking to someone out of anger and resentment never realizing God meant for them to be witnessing to this person. How hard is it to be Christian towards people we like or those who have never offended us? The real challenge—and test—is how we treat those who have hurt or offended us in some way. Resentment and anger allows room for Satan. It is not a productive activity. Anger does not lead to Godly behavior. It, too, affects your health.

Dear heavenly Father, I pray today that I will not allow room for Satan in my mind or my life. Please block any thought, Lord that opens the door for the devil to occupy and grow. Help me, Lord, to fear nothing except you. Help me release any anger or resentment that's blocking my spiritual growth. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Your Father loves you

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"Be strong in His power" By Diane Webb

Ephesians 6: 10—"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might".

We don't have to be strong using our own strength; we can be strong using the power of the Lord. When facing something you do not feel strong enough to deal with, ask the Lord for His strength to see you through. Have confidence because your God can handle anything. Lean on Him. Tell Him your troubles. Recognize you cannot do it on your own. Someone the other day said they do not pray for God's help unless they feel it's very important. In other words, they don't bother God with small "unimportant" matters they can handle themselves. This person is under a misconception of their life and of God. There are no small unimportant matters in our life. Everything is important and worthy of God's involvement; and really, what can we do without His help? How can anyone make it through one single day without the Lord's help? Imagine not talking to the Lord but once every now and then "when it's important". It's like a friend who only calls when they need something. You know when you hear their voice on the phone they are going to ask you for a favor, money, or advice. They never call just to have a regular conversation. It always has to be a crisis or need of some sort. It makes you feel used and unimportant in their life. A real friend calls regularly to see how you are doing, to see if you need anything, or just to talk to you. When we wait until "it's important" to call on God we have usually messed up and need His help bailing us out of the problem. We rely on Him to sort things back out again. If we had been talking to Him regularly, we may have been able to avoid the situation entirely. The truth of the matter is we need the power of His might every minute of every day. In a fraction of a second we can find ourselves in a bad, scary, or dangerous situation. We need our heavenly Father holding our hand all the time. We need His strength all the time. Just getting out of bed some mornings (all mornings) requires His strength. We need the power of God not just to fight battles but to live in this world we have to live in. We are assaulted on every level whether we realize it or not. Turn on the television and you are exposed to negative, downgrading, spiritually defeating words. Turn on the radio and you are pelted with rated X lyrics. Stand in line at the store and you suddenly over hear words or conversations you wish you hadn't. Sit in a restaurant and the people at the next table are glorifying sinful behavior. You—we all—need God's strength just to protect ourselves spiritually all day. Never mind the "important" things—whatever those might be. Think about your relationship with your earthly father and make sure this is not affecting your relationship with God. Some people get confused between their earthly father and their heavenly Father. If your earthly father was a distant figure who only appeared in your life to handle "the important things" you may have gotten the idea you cannot call on your heavenly Father unless it's important. This is not true. Your heavenly Father thinks everything about you is important. He likes to just spend time with you. You don't have to be "in trouble" to speak to your Father in heaven. Accept you cannot do anything in your own strength—not even breathe. Turn your whole self—your whole life—over to God. Rely on the power of His might for everything.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for being there for me even when I don't realize it. I recognize I cannot do anything in my own strength. I need you every day all day. I pray Lord for the power of your might as I face this day. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.