Tag: Worry

Judge Yourselves

Romans 14:10-12

Why do I judge you, when I see flaws in myself? Why do I take time to worry about your life, when mine has its own issues? Why do you get away with the same things I’ve been punished for doing? Why is it so hard to leave you alone, and focus on me? These are valid questions that come from those who have devalued their self-worth. When a man knows his place in God, he’ll spend most of his time working to keep himself humble, and less time worrying about others and their issues or criticisms.

The time will come, when all men will stand before God, and give account of himself, and how he lived in the earth. So, rather than waste precious time concerning yourself with the affairs of others, and how they choose to live, keep your mind on the things of Christ. This way, your inevitable meeting with the Father will be peaceful and pleasant, rather than hopeless and dreadful.

“Real men don’t make excuses, they make adjustments”

-Ell

Just A Touch

Luke 8:42-48

Have you ever struggled, dealing with a physical or mental condition for about a week or two? I can only imagine, whatever it was you dealt with brought only misery and headaches, while you prayed fervently for God to relieve you of your condition, and bring healing to your body, and peace to your mind. The moment your issue was fully removed, I’m apt to believe you felt a sense of joy, the likes of which you haven’t felt in a long time.  Now, take a moment to revisit that temporary condition, and imagine suffering with it for 12 years! Yeah, 12 looooooong years. This was the case with the woman in our text.

For 12 years, the Bible mentions this woman had an issue of blood, that could not be resolved by conventional means. After spending all her money on medical treatments with multiple physicians, the woman’s condition only grew worse! I can’t even begin to fathom how this woman felt, while going through a seemingly endless season of suffering. After placing all her trust in those who were trained to study and understand the human body, the woman’s faith in physicians had no doubt run out.

One day, the woman who had a suffered a physical ailment for over 4,000 days, heard about Jesus. The Scriptures aren’t descriptive on what she heard, or who she heard it from, but whatever she was told, was enough to move her to seek this Jesus.

Jesus had just returned from casting a legion of devils from a man on the other side of the sea, and was greeted by a great crowd of people, who were awaiting His return. As the crowd continued to swell around Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood arrived, then pressed her way through to get to Jesus. She said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” That’s what you call faith in action. The woman had no other options to turn to, because everyone and everything she tried failed. But, the instant she touched the border of Jesus’ garment, the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Twelve dreadful years of excruciating pain and suffering, was gone in an instant! Not only was the woman astonished, but the Son of God literally felt virtue leave His body, after the woman’s touch. It was the woman’s faith that made her whole, and Jesus was pleased to see another body and soul healed by the power of God.

While we may not have a similar condition as the woman in our lesson, we too struggle with other things that seem to weigh us down. The power of God is still relevant today, as it was during the time when Jesus walked the earth, but the key to overcoming our struggles is, placing all our faith, trust, and confidence in the power of God, knowing that He alone can deliver us, and free us from all that we may experience in our earthly bodies.

Weary Worry

Luke 12:22-34

Aside from death, taxes, and corrupt governments, there’s another thing men can’t seem to avoid in this life. If you were able to survey every sensible person on the planet, and ask if they harbor worry in their minds, I’m apt to believe, your results would be a resounding “yes” for most of them. When we worry, we actually give way to anxiety or unease, while allowing our minds to dwell on difficulty or troubles. On the surface, worrying seems inevitable, and unavoidable, because there are times when we experience moments of unease and stress. For example, parents often worry about the safety of their children while away from home, whether at school or participating in other activities. Men and women who are poor and destitute, worry and wonder, whether or not someone will take time to offer them food, clothes, or a monetary gift. The longer we live on this earth, the harder it seems to escape worry, but Jesus offered a solution, in our text, to help us worry less (especially concerning things we can’t control), and refocus our thoughts on matters that are relevant to kingdom business.

The longer we cloud our minds with thoughts of food, clothing, drama at work, keeping the children safe and healthy, keeping ourselves healthy, whether we are doing enough good deeds, or whatever the case is, Jesus commanded His disciples to think not on those things, but have faith in the God who knows what they have need of, and will supply all of them, as long as they remain in His will.

While it’s necessary to work and plan responsibly, dwelling on how your plans could go wrong, or not work out, is unwise. Besides, worrying is pointless, because it can do absolutely nothing except bring harm to your physical and mental states of being. God made all things, and He knows what we need, before we ask, so it’s foolish and unhealthy to allow worry to invade the beautiful mind God placed in you.

God isn’t oblivious to what we experience in this life, despite how bad things seem to be, and He promised to supply all our needs, not necessarily our wants. But, Psalm 37:4 reads, “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” When we think on those things that are relevant to God’s plan and purpose, He’ll take care of our earthly issues, while at the same time, prepare us to take care of His spiritual assignments during our journey.

If you struggle with worry, and are seeking the strength and wisdom to regain your faith and confidence in God, empty all thoughts that cause you to doubt. After you’ve cleared your mind of worry, practice thinking on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. God watches every moment of your life, and He’s rooting for you to endure.

“Place all your trust in God, and allow Him the chance to prove that His words are true, and you mean the world to Him.” – Ell

Why Pray?

Luke 23:9-15

Why pray, when it seems like God isn’t listening? Why pray, when the world continues to deteriorate, before our very eyes? Why pray, when the enemy works diligently, to defame the reputation of the church, and those who were once strong in the faith, have taken sides with that wicked one? Why pray, when those we love battle for years with sickness and pain, never seeming to get better? Why pray, when our family, friends, and others suffer untimely deaths, regardless of our fervent petitions? Why pray, when evil, vile, and corrupt men continue to thrive, and live successful lives, while the members of Christ’s body struggle to live from paycheck to paycheck? Why pray, when social injustice, “systemic racism”, and all other forms of unethical treatment toward minorities, continues to reign in lands with “organized governments”? What’s the point of praying, when bad things continue to happen to good people? Well, I’d like to pass the mic to a great friend of mine, and allow Him a moment to share His thoughts on the aforementioned questions…

…”Why did I choose to leave Heaven, to come down to the earth? Why did I give up riches, royalty, position, and authority, in order to take on the form of a created, lower being? Why did I willingly endure hurt, shame, lies, abuse, threatenings, beatings, slander, hate, injustice, ridicule, being misunderstood, despised, abhorred, detested, loathed, scolded, battered, spit on, pierced in the side, whipped, and torture beyond belief, when I held the power to instantly vanquish all who rejected me? Why did I suffer, and lay down my life, so that those same men who disfigured my mortal body, could one day be forgiven, and receive the gift of salvation?” Okay Jesus, I’ll take it from here. Whew!

Have you considered lately, how intense the suffering of Jesus actually was, or have you read all the things the apostle Paul endured, while still writing books of the Bible? Life is tough, I won’t deny that, but we pray to God to acknowledge that He holds all power in Heaven, and in earth, and while He can step in and right all the wrongs in the earth, He must allow His will to be done. Sin caused nothing but chaos and destruction in the earth, but God will soon rectify all wrong, then purify His people for all eternity. We may have to suffer a while in this life, but don’t allow your struggles, to keep you from communicating with God. Our Father knows, and sees all that’s going on, but we should continue to pray that His will be done, even in times when we don’t understand what it actually is.

We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.

Ell

ATTEN-TION!

Luke 6:20-26

Fret not, because of those who appear to be living life a little (or a lot) better than you. Worry not, about men who seemingly have the upper hand concerning matters of finances and other resources. Mind not those things which the world considers as “fancy”, or “flashy”. Don’t lose heart, when your life is full of sadness and pain, while those around you are filled with laughter. Stand strong, even when men hate you, and literally defame your good name. Walk with your head held high, in the midst of snakes, fakes, and ravenous wolves. Be strong, and very courageous, while facing trials and temptations. Get excited, in those moments when you get rejected from the crowd, and appear to be left all alone. While the world makes attempts to keep you in the fog negativity, God will give you strength to endure all of their ploys and distractions. Not only will God keep you in perfect peace during hard times, but He will reward you greatly in Heaven.

Those who seem to be living the “good life” here on the earth, and willfully reject God, will only enjoy good until their death. After this life, comes the judgment, and every man and woman who rejected God, will mourn and weep throughout all eternity, as they spend their next life in that horrible, bottomless pit.

Saints, be encouraged, and continue fighting the good fight. The battle belongs to God, and He’s already won the victory! Soon, and very soon, all our troubles, worries, and struggles will be over, but until then… fight well!

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Soon, The Sighs Will Cease

Isaiah 35:3-10

Soon, and very soon, all our troubles in this life will be over. The long days and nights of struggling to make ends meet, will forever be changed, when Christ comes to receive His church. On that day, there will be no more stressing, worrying, wondering, contemplating, pondering, wishing, hoping, doubting, disbelieving, crying, moaning, hurting, yelling, screaming, shaking, kicking, running, hiding, or blocking out anything and everything that could potentially push us over the edge.

Soon, and very soon, the things we thought mattered in this world, will mean absolutely nothing. We concern ourselves with all the distractions the enemy floods in media streams, and cause ourselves to lose focus on the simple fact that God is still in control, while Bible prophecy fulfills itself. We lose hope in the power of God, when we make life’s problems bigger than He is, but His mercy is everlasting, and He knows that we are only human, and can only take so much. But, there’s no excuse to lose heart, even in a world of unyielding wickedness, because many before us endured worse situations than we’ll ever face.

Soon, and very soon, we won’t have to sigh anymore, because, “…God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev 21:4). Soon, the sighs will cease, then the rest of our days will be lived enjoying the presence of the almighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing God of all creation!

Don’t give up! Don’t give in! Do not quit! You’ve ran the race well this long, so trust God to give you strength to finish.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Don’t doubt; Trust God’s promises

Numbers 13:1-2, 17, 25-28; 14:1-2, 5-10

Knowing God the way I do today, allows me to see things in Scripture differently than I did when I first began to meditate on the Word. When I use to read about the children of Israel, I had a slight case of envy for them, being that they were God’s chosen nation, set apart to establish His kingdom in the earth, and to be the line by which Christ was to come through. Unfortunately, the more you read about the ancient Israelites, the more disgust I’m certain you’ll develop for their consistent disobedient behavior, as I have as well.

God literally proved Himself, His amazing power, and sufficient grace and mercy to His people on multiple occasions, yet those miraculous acts weren’t enough to convince the privileged Israelites to commit their trust totally to Him. When they complained about being in bondage, and suffering persecution, God delivered them with a mighty hand. When they cried as they stood facing the Red Sea, while being pursued by a bloodthirsty Pharoah and his army, God parted the sea, allowed His people to cross over on dry land, then closed the waters to drown Israel’s pursuers. As the people roamed the wilderness, following God’s path to the Promise Land, their complaints reached elevated heights, as they assumed God brought them out of Egypt, only to kill them in the wilderness. So, God miraculously provided food for them, day and night. God provided top-notch protection for the people as He allowed pillars of cloud and fire to go ahead of them by day, and night as well. Out of all these things the Lord did for the children of Israel, they were nowhere close to being sold on His promise of Canaan, especially following the evil report of Giants and fortified buildings in the land.

I’m having trouble understanding the logic and reasoning of the people, because they saw God’s handiwork before their very eyes, yet when facing giants, they cowered in fear. God told them time and time again, the land was theirs, even though someone else attended to it until they arrived (which was actually a good thing). They were also promised God’s personal protection to aid them in taking what was rightfully theirs. But……some people…..no matter what you say, or do to convince them that their victory is indeed assured, they’ll prefer to hold on to their own fear, rather than confide in someone who’s already proven they can take care of them.

Things got even worse when the people threatened to stone the very men who led them, and had faith in God to deliver the land into their hands. While Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the people, no doubt as a sign of “what do I do now, these people are hopeless”, Joshua and Caleb became angry, tore their clothes, then reminded the people that with God, there is nothing to fear. If God hadn’t stepped in to protect His men, that mob of cowards would have probably stoned them to death.

Fear can cause us to make unwise decisions. The next time you’re faced with a challenging situation, rather than doubt God and react out of fear, pray to Him, and ask for wisdom to make the right choices, and courage to see the process through. God wants the best for you, but you must trust that His word is true, despite what comes against you.

Walk in love,

Ell