Fearless Revisited Reminder

Face it, today's world is enough to give one nightmares. (Why DO people listen to the news right before bedtime? Seems like a recipe for night terrors for sure ...) It is a scary world we live in, but as a believer, we know that a fearful disposition does not come from God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

I like the way the New Living Translation says it:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

If you are bothered with fearful spirit, know it is not from God. Rebuke fear and dwell on the power and love God has given you - along with a sound mind. A calm self-controlled mind.

It does take self-discipline to not dwell on the fearful thoughts the enemy likes to plant in your mind. You have to weed out those thoughts and replace them with what the Master Gardener has said. (And how would you know what He has said if you don't read His Word? Just sayin'.)

Wouldn't the One who gave His life for you want to give you the gifts of power, love and a sound mind?

Be assured - God's got this!

~~~

I'm sharing this at Inspire Me Monday
#TellHisStory
Let's Have Coffee

#TuneInThursday

Fearless Revisited

While I'm in the depths of writing my trilogy, I've decided to gussy up a few of my favorite pieces and share them again with you. About 6 years ago, my One Word for the year was "fearless," and I wrote some posts hoping to encourage both you and myself to take heart and kick fear to the curb.

I find that fear is a weapon the enemy loves to pull out of his bag of tricks time and time again no matter how long you've been walking with the Lord. A review of reasons we should be fearless is crucial.

For example, look at Matthew 10.  Three times in seven verses we are told not to fear.

Matthew 10:25-31 (NKJV)

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

At the time Jesus spoke this, He was commissioning the 12 disciples to go out  unto the lost house of Israel and preach that the kingdom of God is at hand. They were to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead.  They were to rely on the hospitality of those who accepted their message.

I'd be a little apprehensive of these instructions.  "What?  No carry-on luggage?  No secret stash of cash?  No debit or credit cards in case no one takes me in?  You mean, I can't take extra outfits in case what I'm wearing is too wrinkled or I drop a taco on it?"

"WHAT IF I TAKE THE WRONG SHOES?" 

But I can't expect to be treated better than my Lord and master was treated.

What I must remember is that nothing can harm me apart from the Lord's will. His plan and purposes WILL get done.  Does that mean I will never have to suffer?  No.  He does not promise a pain-free life. He HAS promised this:

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose

He's also promised we will be more than conquerors. We can overcome even persecution through Him.  (Read Romans 8:37-39)

And, He also reassures us how valuable we are to Him.   He is a God of detail, who not only knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, He even keeps track of the amount of hairs on our head! That fact alone boggles my mind - I'm sure my hair-count changes hourly ...

The point is, if you are doing the will of the Father, you have nothing to fear.  He will enable you to accomplish what He has called you to do.

Fear not, chickie, you are of great value to Him!

~~~

I don't want you to miss a post on this subject - or any subject - so please, consider subscribing. It's easy-peasy. Just enter your email in the sidebar, right below the Blast from the Past feature.

I'm sharing at Inspire Me Monday and #TellHisStory

Day 20: Fear

How do you face your fears? We all have them and most of us have developed various coping skills.  When I was small and afraid at night I leaned on the scripture, "What time I am afraid I will trust in thee" Psalm 56:3.  I would repeat it over and over until I finally felt calm.

When my husband took a job that required him to work the night shift, I was afraid.  We lived in a suburb at the time, and I had always been used to living out in the country.  I would open my bible to Psalm 91 and read it over and over until I could sleep.  I would often wake up with the bible open laying on my tummy. Eventually I got over my fears and could sleep like a rock whether I was alone or not.

Every experience you face and get through becomes ground to stand upon when the next fear comes.  If He helped before, He can help again.  So far, I have faced:

• A wreck in which I was injured.  Sometimes I can close my eyes and still see our truck sliding off the road into a ditch flipping over until it came to a stop.
• The day I found out my husband had lost his job - and I had just found out I was pregnant.
• My labor with my second baby where I was truly convinced she was not going to be able to get out and we would both die. I was telling my husband what to tell our first daughter as she grew up without her mommy!
• The first time my husband had to be hospitalized and I was informed, "To be on the safe side, we are putting him on suicide watch." I thought that would be the lowest point of my life.
• The second time my husband was hospitalized, I had to take him to a facility 1 1/2 hours away at night and our vehicle kept breaking down.  We managed to get to the hospital and I had to spend the night in a waiting room crying and praying and trying to figure out how to get home.
• The day my husband's doctor said, "You know he will never work again, right?"  I felt as if I had been slapped in the face.  I was working only 20 hours a week with three kids.  I was definitely afraid I would never be able to support us.

Guess what?  Every. Time. God. Came through for me! I'm here to tell you we made it.  And all the other things that have happened since.  (You don't know fear until you live through the antics of some of my girls' teen years! I am. Not. Even. Kidding.)


You know what?  I still repeat Psalm 56:3 when fear tries to creep in.  Works every time.

~~~

I confess I wrote longer than 5 minutes on this topic. It's a subject I care deeply about and I've written other posts on being fearless.  Look under the tag fearless in my archives to read more.  (Subscribers, you will have to click through to my blog to find it.)

This post is Day 20 of a series entitled 31 Days of Life on the Journey where I share about my journey as a believer, wife, mom and grandmother.  I invite you to return each day to find the newest link here. Myquillin at The Nester is the creator of the 31 Day Challenge.  I'm linking this post to the category, "Faith and Inspiration." You can also visit Kate's blog, "Heading Home" to read the posts of all the other participants of the 31 day challenge who are writing on her daily prompts for 5 minutes. Today's prompt is "fear."

You can read each day's post in order as they are published by clicking on the link here. Or you could subscribe to my blog - I wouldn't want you to miss a thing! Just fill in your email address in the box below the words "Follow by email" second from the top in the upper right hand column.

What are you afraid of?

Everyone has fears, some rational, some irrational. Here are some of mine:

1. Mice: It's crazy, but not only am I afraid of them when they are alive, but I'm even more afraid of them when they are dead.  After all, someone has to dispose of their nasty little corpses.

2. Heights.  Anything taller than a step-ladder makes me dizzy.

3. Something happening to my children:  I'm a mom.  It doesn't matter that my kids are grown.  I still have this fear.

Our truck after our wreck

4. Car wrecks:  I've already been in one.  You can read about it here. Hey, I made it out alive once, I might not the second time.

5. Illness: I'm not sure if I'm more afraid of getting ill or trying to pay the deductible for my insurance ...

6. Disappointing my Lord and Savior. The word is out that I'm a Christian.  I want to be sure to not do anything that would reflect badly on Him.  I know as long as I abide in Him and stay in the Word, I should be fine.*

I also remember that fear does not come from God; instead, He gives us power, love and sound judgement.*

Using my sound judgement, I will stay away from mice, heights and dangerous drivers, and trust Him with all the rest of my fears!



* John 15:1-9  2 Timothy 1:7

This post was written in response to Writer's Workshop prompt 1.) List your top 6 biggest fears, choose one and tell us why.  You can link up at Kat's blog:  Mama's Losin' It.


Q4U:  What is YOUR biggest fear?

Epic Storm

Have you ever had an epic storm hit your life?  One that wrecked your life and changed everything?


I sure have. 

At first the storm started out slowly.  There were rumbles of thunder that preceded the storm - warning signs that I should have known what was coming.  The signs of mental illness. 

The signs of bipolar disorder.

I used to tell everyone that overnight my husband became a different person when he became ill with bipolar.  In reality, there had always been warning signals

Bipolar means two poles - the manic side of the person and the depressed side of the person.  The first thirty years of my husband's life, he was on the manic side.  Oh, at first, nothing drastic.  He had an overabundance of energy and he could exist on few hours of sleep. He got things done!  He was very hyper and talkative, funny and amusing.

Then stresses came:  a move from one state to another, then moving back home, a job change, the birth of our daughter.

One day the storm hit with a fury. The trigger was my husband's job - a job he didn't like and didn't feel confident in doing. He fell into a deep clinical depression and could not work.

Medications were given.  They didn't work well. There were times of hospitalization.  Finally, the storm upgraded into a typhoon, and in 1999, he was hospitalized again.  This time, he was diagnosed bipolar, and  his doctor bluntly stated, "Your husband will never work again."

A hurricane could not have been more devastating.  That day everything changed.  I was now the family breadwinner and life for our little family would never be the same.

I know a lot of you have experienced a storm hitting  your life and nothing afterwards was the same as before.

When Paul was headed to Rome to stand trial before Caesar, he experienced a storm.  The KJV calls it a tempestuous head wind, a Euroclydon.  Some versions call it a northeaster.  It is a storm like a typhoon or a tornado with a deadly whirling of wind.

Everyone on board Paul's ship began lightening the load, praying and fasting.  Finally on the 14th day of the storm, Paul stood up and told his shipmates that God had sent an angel to assure him that he would stand before Caesar.  What's more, God granted that none who sailed with Paul would perish.

In the midst of the storm, God ministered to Paul and gave him hope.  He was reassured the call on his life would continue and he would fulfill what God had ordained for him to accomplish.

You and I can have that same hope.  Until the call on our lives is accomplished, no storm can overtake us, no matter how epic its proportions.

When the storm ends, you'll find yourself, load-lightened, heading in a different direction than you ever thought you'd travel.  But if you put your hand in His, you can be sure He will go with you.

~~~

You can read the full account of Paul's epic storm in Acts 27.

I'm adding this post to my Fearless series because I realize there is no need to fear, my purpose WILL be realized.

I'm also sharing the story of my epic storm with the community at  #TellHis Story because His story is that He will anchor us through any storm that comes our way.  You can link up at JenneferDukesLee.com

A Waking Miracle

Do you ever fall asleep in church?

Sometimes, during sermons and such, I get sleepy. It's not really the fault of the speaker. I am just always doing something, so when I sit down and there is nothing to write, read or look up, I start to yawn.

If I ever start yawning, it is really hard to stop. The next thing I know, I'll start nodding off.

I will jerk awake, open my eyes as wide as possible, shift in my seat, and try to think of something, anything, to keep myself awake. I'll chew gum or pop a mint into my mouth.

Talk about torture! I am wired for sleep, and once my body is going into sleep mode, it is rough to try to delay it.

I'm glad I have a nice comfortable place to sleep sit in church. What if I had to sit in the window sill?

Once a fellow named Eutychus, was listening to the Apostle Paul. It must

have been crowded in the upper room where Paul was preaching because the young man made the choice of sitting in the window.

Maybe he was sitting there, hoping for a cool breeze to keep him awake.

Paul was really long winded that night. He was planning to leave the next day, so he just kept talking until midnight. The longer Paul preached, the more Eutychus fell into a deep sleep. (Some scholars feel the tenses used in the words in this passage portray a struggle to keep awake for Eutychus.)

If I fell out asleep in church, I would hit a nice carpeted floor. It would be embarrassing, and probably no one would let me forget it, but I'd be all right.

Eutychus drifted into a deep sleep and fell to his death out the window. A window on the third floor!

Paul went downstairs and fell upon him hugging him. Then he said, "Don't fret, he is alive!"

Talk about something that will. Wake. You. Up! They were so energized by this turn of events, they went back upstairs, celebrated the Lord's Supper (how appropriate after someone has been brought back to life!) and then talked till daylight. Paul and his fellow travelers headed on their way, and the young man and his church family went home comforted that all had turned out so well.

I bet they talked about that night during many a church fellowship to come!

What is the point in this story? I think there are two things to take note of in this account.

One is that the very first thing we should do when tragedy befalls us is to pray. Reach the throne room of heaven as quickly as possible.

The second is that the Word promises us that the things Jesus did - and greater! - we would be able to do by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul just proved it in this passage. Jesus brought back someone from the dead.  So did Paul. If the Holy Spirit leads, so could someone today!



If you'd like to read the story for yourself, here it is:

Acts 20:7-12  English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. ⁹ And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. ¹² And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

^{and also,}

John 14:12-13  English Standard Version (ESV)

¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

I'm linking this to my Fearless Series because sometimes what looks like something dead might be a miracle in the making.

I'm also linking this post to the #TellHisStory community at JenniferDukesLee.com because part of His story is that He brings dead things to life.

Speak Up!

I'm not a bold person.

For many years, I let the fear of what others think keep me a prisoner.  I was too shy to break those bonds and freely speak up.

Lately, I've been writing that coming into your fifties is wonderful because you have finally shook off those fears and are willing to be who you are.  Who cares if people don't like what you say?

It's a free country ... isn't it?

Paul didn't have the luxury of free speech. People took exception to what he had to say.  In fact, they hated his message so much, they tried to beat the messenger to death.  Sometimes, he got put into prison for his speeches.

But that didn't happen at Corinth.

Acts 18:9-10
Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

Paul kept on preaching and won Gentiles and even the Jewish leader of the synagogue to Christ.  The other Jews tried to imprison him but the authorities didn't want to mess with religious cases and threw it out of court.

Paul had favor and had no reason to fear.  The Lord said no one would attack him to hurt him. When God tells you that you can depend on it.

Am I saying that if you preach Jesus you will never suffer harm?  No.  We all know that we live in a sinful world that mistreats Christ-followers. But if God says you won't be harmed, you won't. 

I was thinking about this and remembered my pastor's wife, Ellen Hart, who sang the song, I'll Tell the World that I'm a Christian, back in the day when I was a teenager:  I looked for the song on YouTube and found this sweet little kids group version:




(Subscribers will have to click through to my blog to view video)

What about you?  Are you afraid to speak up and tell the world you are a Christian? Do you think we have reason to fear identifying with Christ?

How about speaking up when you believe God is directing you to do something unpopular?  Something you believe is biblical but the Christian community doesn't see it the same way you do? Knowing that sometimes the family of God wounds its own?

What then?

In the end, what matters most is fulfilling what Christ has called you to do. If He asks you to share a controversial message, be it among pagans or fellow pilgrims, you must speak up.  It will be like a "fire shut up in your bones" until you do! 

I'm sharing this at the #TellHisStory community at JenniferDukesLee.com because I believe it is everyone's duty to speak up and share the story.

I'm also tagging this as one of my Fearless posts because I believe when He directs you to speak, He will take away the fear.

Our Peace is in Him

I've had a troubling week ...

I've started reading a list of the top 10 Christian female bloggers (in one person's opinion) and frankly, I'm worn out, and I haven't even got halfway through the list.

Yesterday, it was all, is the bible the inerrant word of God?  Today, I've been reading about servant-hood, submission and the Jezebel spirit.

My head is spinning, but I do know one thing.

My little blog is never going to travel these same circles.

And I rejoice in that. 

It's times like this that I have to sit back re-evaluate what I'm trying to accomplish with blogging.  I feel that my gifting, that my calling, is to be an encourager.

I want to be a story teller that lifts up the name of Christ and encourages you to trust Him more.

That's it.

I'm not here to discuss social ills or controversy in the church. Thank you, Jesus!  I'm so glad You didn't call me to that. Please, Father, equip the dear sisters that You did call to such a work. (And, please, Father?  Give those who comment a little willingness to give grace to those sisters.)

Does that mean I will never write about any tough subjects? No, I don't think I will get off that easily. After all, no one's life is a bed of roses, mine included. So there will be times I share about being the child of an alcoholic father, because I've experienced that.  Times when infertility, depression, bi-polar disorder, joblessness, rebellious teenagers and all that goes along with those things will be addressed.  Because either I, or someone in  my family, has experienced it.

And it has made me who I am today.  It's my story to tell because it affected my life.

But when life gets down to the nitty-gritty, you have to get back to the basics:  trust God, believe He has your good in mind, realize trials must come, but there is always, always, always a deliverance...

In His timing ...

And that is where my little blog comes in.  I'm being open and honest, sharing the day-to-day with you and letting you know, hey!  If He's done it for me, He'll do it for you.  That's a fact, Jack!

The thing is, you can have peace when the world around you is crumbling. Not the kind of peace that worldly people know because their peace is based on bank accounts, networking contacts and the latest doctors of renown.

You can have peace based on the One who controls the universe because you know that not only is He all powerful and able to do anything that is needed, but He also loves you enough to have laid down His life for you.  If that doesn't show He has your best interest at heart, I don't know what would.

 John 14:27  (NKJV)

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It's interesting that Christ said this to the disciples before the crucifixion, yet they didn't remember it when they were in the throes of Holy Week. They needed to be reminded.

We need reminding, too, which is why we have the Bible.  We have to read it over and over to remember.  Also, I like to think that is why we have Christian bloggers in cyberspace - to remind us of what we already know.

Our peace is in Him.  

I'm adding this post to my Fearless series.  Jesus said don't be afraid, He is our Peace.

I'm also sharing at the community #TellHisStory at Jennifer Dukes Lee.

Your King Comes

Did you just ever need to be saved from something?
 
People need to be saved from tyranny, bullying and aggression, but most often from the bad choices they have made in their own lives.

Back in the time of the crucifixion, the Jews were only interested in having a political King. A King who could get them. Out. Of. Their. Mess.

They didn't realize the bigger mess was their spiritual lives and it was more important to be saved spiritually than politically. After all, your spiritual life lasts forever.

^{John 12}

¹² On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

¹³ Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

¹⁴ And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,

¹⁵ Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

¹⁶ These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

What a busy week in Jesus' life!  The resurrecting of Lazarus, the adoration of Mary with her alabaster box, the crowds paying homage to Jesus as He rode a lowly donkey through the streets. 

And that was just the beginning of the most momentous week this world has ever seen.

It's kind of ironic that the King of the Universe would show up riding the foal of a donkey.  I mean, it's not even a full grown donkey!  You'd think He would be riding a pure white palomino horse decked out in royal purple with trappings of silver and gold.

But God never does anything in the way we would think.  His ways are higher, purer.  

God has always intended that anyone at all can approach Him.  You don't have to be part of the upper crust, one of blue-blooded royalty, nor even Ivy-League educated. He came for the thief, the prostitute, the crooked politician (otherwise known as the tax collector in scripture).  You could be the cutter, the crazy person crying in the tombs. You can be the poorest of the poor and He will take you in. You just have to have a searching repentant heart and you can find your Savior.

In essence, He said on that long ago Palm Sunday, "You don't have to be afraid anymore.  Here I am, Your King comes, dressed just like you and riding an animal just like you do.  Come to me, just as you are. I will save you from yourself."


And isn't that what we all need?  Just to be saved from ourselves ....

 

I'm adding this post to my Fearless series because we don't need to be afraid; our Savior has come!

I'm also joining this post to the community at #TellHisStory at Jennifer Dukes Lee.  His story is that He came to save us from ourselves.

In Which I Admit I Got Scared.

I had a bad night last night.

Even though I knew better, I allowed fear to creep in and squeeze my heart with anxiety.

Do you ever have times when fear sneaks up and blindsides you?

I know I should be on guard at all times because that sneaky devil loves to ambush me, and his favorite time is in the middle of the night.

By the time he is done with me, I'm convinced I will end up widowed, homeless, and jobless.  It's pretty pathetic the misery I can conjure up with just my imagination, no doubt, fueled by the whispers of the enemy. 

I know better.  I really do.  In the light of day, I quickly did these things to make me feel better:

• Remind myself of who God is.  He is the lover of my soul, the all-sufficient one, my Jehovah-jireh who provides.  He is my Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals.
• Remind myself of what God has done in the past. He has been with me countless times before and worked everything out.  Why would He let me down now?
• Remind myself of what God has said. Dwell on His Word.  I consider this part of seeking the kingdom of God.  If you know His Word, and know what His will is for you, then you can stand on His promises .  

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Luke 12:29-34

I love the way the Message translates this passage:

“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.

 
He knows what you need. Don't fear.  It is His pleasure to give His children the kingdom.  The word translated pleasure means to think well of, approve an act, willing. If you seek Him, He is more than willing to give you what you need ... when the time is right.

I'm going to remember this the next time the enemy tries to take me down with fear. 

What do you do when fear ambushes you?  

I'm adding this to my Fearless series, and

to the community at Tell His Story.  You can find them at Jennifer Dukes Lee.

He Notices

Let me tell you about a time I thought God forgot about me.

My husband had lost his job.  He was at the beginning stages of an illness I had not even heard of or understood.  No one I knew had bipolar disorder.  (Unfortunately, now I know of many who are afflicted with the disease themselves, or affected by a family member who is bipolar.)



On the same day that my hubby was handed his pink slip, I visited the Birthright clinic to get a free pregnancy test.  Yes, we were that broke since Jim had missed so much work.


As I waited for Jim to pick me up, I was excited to be having another baby but worried because I knew Jim's place of employment could not put up forever with him taking so many sick days.  Also, I was starting a new job myself in the next few days and wondered how it would all work out.  Our daughter was starting kindergarten and Jim's aunt was going to be her babysitter after school. I was already experiencing severe morning sickness.  How was I going to cope?


Then my husband shared the news that he was now unemployed.  What about insurance?  How would we pay for this baby to be born? I wouldn't be earning enough at my new job to pay for everything.


I'm normally a very upbeat person but I began feeling low.  Very low.  Did God not even notice the trouble I was in?  I prayed and prayed but it seemed the heavens were closed to me.


It was winter as I began driving back and forth to work at my new job.  I began to notice the deep ditches on either side of the road.  Sometimes the roads were slick.  I began to think about how easy it would be for my car to slide off the banks of the road ....


No, I could never do that.


But I do understand the despair some go through. I know how it is when you just don't think God notices.

Then I read the King of the Universe not only notices me, but is so intimately attuned to everything about me that He even knows how many hairs are residing on my head at any given moment.

Luke 12:6-7 NKJV
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Just let that thought sink in.  Each of us are so valuable in His sight.  He doesn't just notice the talented, the rich and famous, the award-winning celebrities among us, but He sees each creation of His. 


If a bird falls to the ground and He sees it, then, of course, He knows what each of us are experiencing.


It's important to remember we walk by faith, not sight.  Just because things don't look like all is well doesn't mean it won't work out in the end.  


If you could see from the beginning of your trial that everything ends well, what is the value of your faith?  Anyone could believe that.  However, if you can hold on and trust even during the blackest of nights, you have a faith that will shine like a choice jewel.


A faith, when lifted up to the world, will draw people to Him.  Isn't that what every child of God really wants?

Oh, just to let you know, the baby was born, the hospital bill got paid, and everything turned out fine.  He was in control, after all!

I'm linking this post to my Fearless series, because He told us not to fear -  He notices us.

I'm also linking this post to the #TellHisStory community because my story would be nothing without Him.

That Moment When You Realize Who God Is And What You Are

As much as I love to write about the fact that God loves us so much and that we don't have to live in fear - He's not mad at us - I also know that when we truly come into His presence, His purity and holiness will convict us of any sin or wrong attitudes in our hearts.  He doesn't have to say a word, His very being says it all.

Do you remember when you realized God was real and that you were a sinner?

I do.  I was 14 and had had a "near death" experience with carbon monoxide poisoning.  I had thought I wanted to wait until later to give my life to God because I had "things" I wanted to do first. After coming so close to being in eternity, I realized my wanting to wait was nothing more than sinful desires to do things that were less than God's best for me. I knew God was real and I realized how selfish I was.  

Isaiah had such an experience.  He had a vision of God and he exclaimed: “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”  (Isaiah 6:5 NLT)

He realized how holy God is and how unholy he was. The problem was taken care of when an angel brought a coal from the Holy Altar and used it to purify Isaiah's lips.

It dawned on Peter that Jesus was God after a miraculous catch of fish and his first reaction was the realization of his own sinfulness.

Modern Day Fisherman

Luke 5:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

Once Peter realized his sinfulness, Jesus could begin the work of transforming Peter into the calling He had for him.  Jesus said, "Don't be afraid, from now on, you will catch men.

The bad news is, there will be many times we come into God's presence and realize all over again how impure and unholy we are.  It will ever be so this side of heaven. We can become paralyzed with fear when we truly realize what we are ...

The great fantastic news is, He is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess our sins.  The work of transforming us to be more like Him is an ongoing process. Don't wait to get started!

I'm adding this post to my Fearless series.

I'm also sharing this post at the #Tell His Story community at Jennifer Dukes Lee.