Day 4 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our age of modern technology allows us some wonderful things...as well as some not so wonderful things!  But, like many of you probably, I get some daily Bible verses via e-mail, or messages via Facebook, that bring God's Word, or good thoughts to me throughout my day.

 

Yesterday, my Facebook had a "God Message" for me...and these particular messages are always prefaced with, "On this day of your life, Janice, we believe God wants you to know..."

 

Now, I really don't believe that wherever this post originates from receives a specific message from God to direct specifically to me.  But some days, it is strange how applicable they are to where I am and what I am going through at the time.  (More than likely, everyone who reads these thoughts feels the same way!)

 

But yesterday's "message from God" was,

 

"Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!"

 

That's a great definition of faith and it was the affirmation of faith that I needed...to be reminded that I don't have to know how things are going to work out, I have faith in my God that He will work them out; that He will get us through to the other side; that He is my strength; and that He is the light that shines in my life no matter how dark my surroundings may be.

 

I praise God that He, through His Holy Spirit, keeps faith alive in me...I will praise Him all the days of my life.  He is faithful, even when I am unfaithful (2 Timothy 2:13), He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5), and I will rely on Him.

 

 

Day 3 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Sometimes God strengthens us in very humorous ways. 

Sometimes He does it in ways that we would never expect.  Like the other night....

We have a black cocker spaniel, Tux.  He's a good dog, a really good dog.  Robert and I had never had a dog all our years of marriage until 3 years ago when I decided it was time.  We went to the SPCA and found Tux.  Sometimes we wonder why in the world we acquired this little black dog of ours, and sometimes we are very glad that we have him. 

Tux spends a lot of time outside, but in the evenings he is inside with us.   Even though we have welcomed him into our home, he is not welcome in our bedroom and we do not allow him to sleep in the house unless he is crated. (I do not like waking up to morning surprises!)  So in the summer time, and as long as the weather allows, Tux would prefer to sleep on our patio, on his pillow, than inside in his crate. 

Well the other night we had a freeze warning, and Tux was forced to bed down in his crate.  He went in, reluctantly, I went to bed and thought all was well.  It was.  Until about 1:30a when I started hearing him rattle his crate door.  Rattle, rattle, rattle...silence...good, he's stopped.  Ten minutes later, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, silence...finally, he's stopped.  This went on for hours, really.  But I was determined that I was not going to get up and let him out or he would never get readjusted to sleeping in his crate.  A miserable night, except for the lesson.

At some point I had the very clear thought, "Don't let his rattling rattle you.  Ignore it."  And when I said it again in my mind, "Don't let his rattling rattle you," I connected it to another area of my life.  I have shared before that during times of grief and the death of someone very close to you, that you are vulnerable to attacks on your faith, doubts arise, and Satan takes advantage of the opportunity to "rattle" you.  "Don't let his rattling rattle you."  The ancient serpent loves to throw his words of doubt and accusation at us, just as the venomous rattlesnake raises his tail and causes us to hear his rattling, striking fear in us.  He uses any opportunity to do this, not just in times of grief.  Any time that we are faced with questions or doubts, his "rattling" can distract us from where our focus needs to be....on God and His faithfulness to us as His children.

God promises that He is always with us, that He never leaves us.  We know that "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)  We know that God is the ultimate Victor, and that the enemy will be eternally defeated. 

I thanked God that He used Tux in the middle of the night to remind me not to allow the rattling of my enemy to rattle my faith in Him.  To assure me that He is so faithful to me, that He is ready to strengthen me as I commit my heart wholly to Him.

Strengthen me, Lord Jesus.  Strengthen me when I am weak...my heart is yours, but sometimes I feel so weak, so fearful.  I need your strength.  Let me fully commit my heart to You, nothing held back.  Thank You Lord...you have answered my prayer...now strengthen me a bit more, and then a bit more...let my life show a continual increase of my commitment, and of Your strength.