Day 1 - Week 81 - Let's look around and see where we are!

Here we are, starting our 81st week of our journey.  We haven't tracked our progress along the Appalachian Trail in quite some time.  Have any idea where we are? 

Well, with 80% of the trip behind us, we are passing through Vermont, just about to cross over into New Hampshire.  We have been hiking through the Green Mountains of Vermont, aptly named, don't you think?  Beautiful, beautiful pictures of nature...never forgetting the Creator behind these pictures!

Yes, the northeast is a beautiful place, just as so many of the places we have come through.  And God's Word is full of beautiful places...we have travelled through so many beautiful places of His Word, places of promise and places of assurance, places that encourage us and places that comfort us.  This week we'll add our last verse in our 12-verse section of "FAITH" verses.  Faith - the intangible that makes all the difference in our life---the difference that makes all the places we travel through, places of beauty.

Let's review and then let's add one more verse of faith....

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our final "FAITH" verse is a great one, it is so basic, and yet speaks volumes.  Let it settle in to your heart, and explore it with me this week.


Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

 

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. 

Day 2 - 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."

Do you ever need strengthening in your journey of life?  You wouldn't think someone whose heart is fully committed to God would need to be strengthened, would you?  I mean those Christians that I look up to as steadfast and faithful...they don't ever seem to be in need of strengthening...they seem to be continually strong.  But not me.

That's one of the reasons that I find encouragement in this verse...that even though fully committed, we can still need to be strengthened.  Our hearts, no matter how far along we've gone in our journey of faith, still need God's superior strength to enable us to remain faithful during times of duress.  And I'm just starting to think that even those who I view as never lacking in strength, have their own moments of weakness.  But God's eyes are ranging the earth to see those who are in need of Him to come to their aid.  We all have times when we feel the attack of the enemy.

That's actually the context of this verse.  You see, Asa, the king of Judah, was being attacked by Baasha, the king of Israel.  And rather than turning to God for His power, Asa made a pact with the king of Aram to help him defeat Baasha.  Afterward, Asa was reprimanded by Hanani, who told him,

"Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.  Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.  For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war"  

Asa was reminded that when he had relied on God, his powerful enemies had been defeated...because God is always ready to lend His power to those who are committed to Him.  When we are attacked by the wiles of our enemy (by issues of pride, greed, lust, envy, etc.), we should be wise to turn quickly to God to seek His power, His aid, for any other source will keep us vulnerable, and we will remain at war within ourselves.

But when we recognize our enemy, and call on God as our defender, He is ready and waiting to come to our aid with His supernatural power. Don't you think He moves with the speed of light in response to a call of need from one of His children?  I think that before the words leave their mouth, God is already working on behalf of those who are calling on Him.

Know that God is ready to fight for you...He is your defender...He will strengthen you when you commit your heart to Him.  He is watching and He is ready.  Rely on Him.

Day 1 - Week 80 - I'm putting in one of my favorite verses!

For the most part, I follow right along with Robert J. Morgan's list of verses.  But this week, while we're still in the section of verses regarding faith, I'm substituting one of my very favorite verses in place of the one that Mr. Morgan would have us focus on this week.  Just to be fair, I'll give you your choice if you'd like!  The verse included in our referenced text, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, is Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, LORD, make me live in safety."  That's a great verse to remember late at night, and I do appreciate it's assurance, but I just can't get through this section of faith verses without including 2 Chronicles 16:9:

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." (NIV)

or as the Holman Christian Standard Version phrases it,

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His."

or again as The Message paraphrases:

"God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to Him."

I love the word picture that this verse paints...I picture God's ever-seeing eyes, constantly scanning the whole globe...watching to see who is being faithful, who is standing for Him in the face of opposition, who is extending His love at the moment that it is most needed.  And when He sees those people, He is there ready to give them the extra strength that their faithfulness is requiring in order for them to continue on in even greater faithfulness. 

Fully committed...that's my goal.  To me, that's the definition of mature faith...full commitment.  No diversions.  Pushing forward toward the goal of being made complete in Jesus.

God's eyes ranging throughout the earth...hopefully finding my eyes focused completely on Jesus.

Don't think you're getting by without a weekly review....here's where we are:

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3  "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9  "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

 

Day 4 - Week 79 - Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

Be not dismayed what e'er betide,

God will take care of you.

Beneath His wings of love abide,

God will take care of you.

 

He will take care of you,

Through all the day, o'er all the way.

He will take care of you,

God will take care of you.

 

Civilla D. Martin - 1904

 

 

When I learned the words to this old hymn as a very young girl, they brought such comfort and assurance to me.  Up until this point, I had been a very worrisome little girl, a true hypochondriac, convinced that I would procure every disease that I learned of.  These were the days of Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey, M.D. and I couldn't watch an episode without going to bed convinced that I would die before morning due to the "disease of the week." 

 

I had Christian parents who introduced me to Jesus very, very early in life, and I had started developing my faith due to their influence and the influence of my Lutheran church and parochial schooling.  But when I let the words to this hymn soak into my soul, I started understanding the trust

component of faith.  I started realizing that with God as my Father, and Jesus as my Savior, that I had nothing to worry about.  Years later, when I read the verse in Romans 14:8, I recognized that this verse expressed the realization that I had come to.  "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

 

We belong to the Lord...in the here and now, and in the there and then.  We can trust God...always. 

 

Childhood fears fade, but we find ourselves with adult fears as well.  There is much to fear in this broken world of ours.  But if we know whose hands our lives are being held in, we have nothing to fear.  We know that God is a good and loving Father. 

 

My prayer is that your fears are relieved tonight knowing that God will take care of you, what e'er betide.

 



Day 3 - Week 79 - Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

I was reminded this evening by Caroline, a young Christian friend of mine (I believe she's 14), that we are told 365 times in the Bible not to be afraid.  And yet, David says, "When I am afraid.."  As many time as we are instructed not to be afraid, our human tendency leans toward fear.  Maybe that's why God tells us so many times not to be afraid, He knows who we are and how easily fear can overcome us.

David follows the statement of his natural tendency with the perfect antidote..."I will trust in You."  No matter what it is that is causing us to have a spirit of fear, when we turn that fear over in prayer to our Father in heaven, He will start turning our minds to Him and bringing to us His peace that passes all understanding.

We have to believe in a God who is truly working all things together for our good in order to have a trust that will overcome fear.  If not, then we still have room to fear, don't we?  If God is not 100% on our side, then we have nothing to combat the many "what ifs" that this life can bring with it. 

But no matter how confusing life's circumstances can be, and how little sense they can make to us, if we have developed a faith that is based in our God who is always good, always loving, always working on the behalf of His children, then we can trust even when we don't understand, even if we can't make sense of things, that He is on our side, and that our lives are still securely in His loving hands. 

I am told over and over again, "Do not be afraid."  But "when I am afraid"...

"I will trust in You."