Risen Hope Ministries | Food for Thought | Inspirational Writings
Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain
|
After going through many years of surgeries...pain and deep heartache; God has now exchanged the weaknesses in Diane's life, for a heart that can now reach out and share words of hope that were first given to her by God.
Come and feast on God inspired thoughts; that will become spiritual food, for a tired and weary soul. Discover thoughts that will exchange the weaknesses in your life, for a lasting strength that can only be found through Jesus Christ. |
|
|
This morning, I was responding to someone via email and as I was encouraging them; God led my thoughts to a verse in John 14:6, which reads... "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Do we truly believe that God is our everything? If we were to think deeply on this verse, we would see that God is the life that breathes life within us...He is the truth that keeps us free from the prison cell of circumstance and He's the only way that leads us away from our problems and draws us closer to Him. Why do we search and search for answers that are already standing before us...through God and His word? When we are truly willing to cling to the promises and words of hope that He so free offers us; then we will find that peace that can calm any raging storm within us. Trusting in God means that we know without a doubt that He will be there...just in time, to rescue us from the total defeated hands of Satan...no matter how grim the circumstance appears to be.
Lord, help me not to have a limited faith. Help me to not look at what has happened behind me; but instead, help me to anticipate what is before me.
Psalm 37:7 reads…“Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don’t be envious of evil men who prosper.”
There can be times when our circumstances never seem to come to an end. We sit back and watch others, who have been relieved of these difficult times, which can only make us wonder why God hasn’t relieved us of our own moments of affliction. One thing we must remember; is that everything is in God’s timing…not our own and just because God has relieved others from moments of pain and heartache; that doesn’t mean that God loves them more than us. Waiting on God to help us through our difficult moments of affliction can sometimes make us feel as though the waiting never comes to an end but when we can see these moments of waiting, as a time to just rest in the arms of God; then He will hold us close to Him, until He is ready to act on our behalf. Last night, I was spending some quiet moments alone with God and as I was talking with Him; I mentioned to Him that I wasn't worthy of doing what He had called me to do...due to past failures in my life.
As I laid there quietly...staring down at a flickering light in my office; it was as if God was taking my thoughts back to the past but rather than allowing me to focus on the mistakes I had made; He was leading me to the moments, when I rose above these failures to pursue what He had longed for me to learn. From that moment on, I began to truly feel His love and heart of forgiveness for me because He wasn't reminding me of my failures but rather, He was reminding me of the moments; that I overcame these failures, with His help and guidance.What love! Satan definitely has a way of working with our weaknesses, as a means of keeping us trapped within the weakness but when we can look at our past failures through God's eyes, we will no longer see the failure but rather the moments of forgiveness. John 15:13 reads..."And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; " The greatest example of love was shown, when Jesus laid down His life for us. If we are true followers of Jesus Christ; shouldn't we be willing to lay down our life for another person? It's so easy to say "I Love You" but the other person is only going to understand what we are saying, by the way we live our words.
Just remember...God is only a prayer away. We don't have to make an appointment with Him because He is available anytime we need Him. In fact, He's even open on weekends and holidays. All we need to do is pay Him a visit.
We all have moments, when we attempt to walk down our own roads in life but today, let this be our prayer…
“Lord, all I see before me, is the dark moments of uncertainty but today Lord, I have come to see that this road is darkened because I have made this road on my own, while not allowing the light of your presence, to illuminate this pathway. Come Lord, and carve a new path before me; that is filled with the sunshine of your presence…a path, where only your beauty surrounds me.” *These words entered my heart, while walking down some difficult moments in my life and I would like to share this prayer with you today. Have we truly accepted God's gift of grace? I've learned that grace means God's riches at Christ's expense. In other words...God gave us His best, through the expense of a life, which was His only Son, Jesus Christ. Through His Son's death and resurrection, He defeated everything that would enter our path; so let me ask one question...why are we choosing to follow after a problem that has already been defeated, rather than simply accepting the free gift of grace?
A true connection with God causes us to run to Him, instead of the problem.
I don't know what you're feeling tonight but I'm sitting here...thinking about a God, who knows about my every thought...feeling and deep need. You know...there can be moments, when we want someone to understand what we're going through but they just can't seem to see it, in the same way we are experiencing it but I know a God, who can see the tears we cry and every thought we feel and as they become etched upon the wall of our hearts...God finds these little messages brought about by pain and heartache and from there, He takes hold of them and begins to do a great work.
Jesus' cross became the bridge for us to cross over, from the difficult moments we face, to a new place...where we can find hope, rather than despair.
When we face moments, when we have no other choice but to trust God; this only means that God is trying to get our attention, so we can see everything His way, rather than our own.
|
Do you know that God loves you just as much today, as He loved you yesterday? His love for you never wavers back and forth; for His love is a perfect love...a love that we never experience here on earth; so no matter what is taking place in your life today, just know that arms of love are open wide for you and His love will always be there, to help and sustain you through these difficult times you face.
If you're hurting tonight, just know that you can go to God...just as you are. In this world, we tend to disguise and cover up the pain we experience but with God, we can remove all the disguises and He will accept us, just as we are. What a great friend we have in Him!!
Walking in the footprints of Christ, means that we are willing to leave our own behind. When we choose to walk in our own man made footprints; then we will only come to see how exhausting it can be, while these footprints never lead us anywhere in life.
Do you realize that even though we cannot see the victory over a circumstance right now...we do have it? You ask me why? Because we have a God that is much more powerful than any weak moment that enters our lives.
This world we live in can feel overwhelming...to the place where we wonder if life will ever get better again; but the best thing we can hold to, during these difficult times; is the hand of a great and mighty God...a God who will hold us up and keep our heads far above the troubled waters that surround us.
Focus straight ahead to the prize and do not focus on the obstacles that may have caused you to stumble.
Psalm 34:18a reads..."The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking."
Are you walking through a difficult time right now? Do you feel as though no one could ever understand what you're going through? Just remember...that at the time, when you feel as though no one cares or understands...this is the time, when God is the closest. The way we survive life, with all it's struggles and circumstances; is when our love for Christ becomes greater than the fear that stems from a problem.
Trusting in God means that we take one step at a time...remaining in sync with Him, rather than figuring out all the uncertain steps ahead.
Life brings challenges and we must realize that our actions will either steer us in a direction that takes us further away from the problem or closer to a pit of despair.
Did you know that God truly loves you? A circumstance has a way of telling us otherwise but when we look up, rather than looking down into the moments of despair; we will find a ray of light that will bring enough hope into these moments...hope that will become a sustaining love, to hold us close to God; at moments when we need Him the most.
The greatest place to be, while facing overwhelming moments of affliction; is not in the rubble of the problem but rather under the wings of a powerful and loving God. When we choose to rest there; God will take over and work with the problem, while we rest in the peaceful presence of a God, who encircles us with wings of sustaining love and protection.
Problems only get worse, when we choose to walk down Satan's path of negative thinking.
Today...are we looking in the direction of a victory or are we looking in the direction of defeat? How we respond to a problem, will either point us in the direction of a powerful God, who is more than capable of fighting these battles for us or our reaction to a problem will allow Satan to lead us deeper into moments of despair. If you were standing at the fork in the road, what way would your reactions to a problem lead you?
Do we truly know God or do we just know of Him? It's good to know of Him but to know Him can bring about so much more within our lives.
I don't know what your facing tonight but through my own life experiences, I have come to see that Satan can attempt to put hurt, loss and deep heartache in our paths, as a means of making us feel defeated but tonight, as I've been sitting here, God has been reminding me that no matter what Satan attempts to take away from us; he cannot and will never be able to remove God's grace from our lives.
When Jesus died on the cross...what He went through and how He overcame evil was stamped and sealed in the precious blood that flowed from Calvary and no matter how hard Satan comes at us or what he attempts to remove from our lives, we have the assurance that God's grace will always remain. I don't know what kind of a day you've been having but isn't it good to know that we have a God who is only a prayer away. His words can bring comfort and peace, while riding the stormy waves of circumstance and no matter what He allows within our lives; He will be there to put up the boundary lines, so that these circumstances cannot destroy us.
Tonight, as I've been sitting here... I've been listening to a song titled..."Sometimes It Takes a Mountain" and a few of the words go like this... "Sometimes it takes a mountain...sometimes a troubled sea...sometimes it takes a desert, to get a hold of me. Your love is so much stronger; then whatever troubles me; sometimes it takes a mountain, to trust you and believe." You know...the mountains that enter our paths can seem so big and tall; that we begin to feel as though we will never get over them but I know a God who will be there to give us the strength to climb high. Tonight, we need to remember that God's love is so much stronger; then these moments that are troubling us and when we use these difficult moments to draw strength from a strong God, rather than allowing weakness to have control; then we will come to truly see that all things can be possible with God. |
