Be Anxious for Nothing and Other Seemingly Impossible Commands

Sometimes I come across verses in the Bible that sound utterly impossible for me to do. Verses like:

• Be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:13)
• Do all things without complaining or disputing (Philippians 2:14)
• Give thanks always for all things (Ephesians 5:20)
• Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
• In your anger, do not sin (psalm 4:4)
• Do not fret because of evildoers (Psalm 37:1)
• Take no thought for your life (Matthew 6:25)
• Do not fear, nor be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:9)

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Beating Discouragement

(Re-post) When faced with a problem, no matter how big or small, my mind can easily be distracted by my troubling circumstances, causing me to forget God’s past faithfulness in my life and leaving me feeling discouraged. At times, I’m like the Israelites who have witnessed God work in amazing ways in their life, yet panic when a problem arises (Exodus 16:3) because I’ve forgotten the awesome ways the Lord has worked out my past problems and that He will surely help me now. Maybe you can relate.

Photo courtesy of Stockxch

Have faith! The best is yet to come!

“All things are against me!” cried Jacob. (Gen. 42:36) Have you ever felt like this? Just when things can’t possibly get worse, something else happens. Up to this point Jacob had endured the devastating loss of his beloved son Joseph. Joseph had received special treatment from his father because Joseph’s mother, Rachel had never been able to have children. So when she gave birth to Joseph, he became known and esteemed as a miracle child. This quickly got old among his older brothers. Roots of bitterness soon took root within his brothers so much so that they schemed to get rid of Joseph—ultimately selling him into slavery. (Genesis 37:28) To cover up their evil scheme, they slaughtered an animal, covered Joseph’s multi-colored coat in the blood and told their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. (Genesis 37:31-33) (On a side note: It’s interesting to me that Jacob, who had a history of deceiving others (Gen 27:19; 30:40-43), was deceived by his sons for years before learning the truth.)

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

The Benefits of Memorizing Passages Over Individual Verses

Though memorizing Scripture is always time well spent, whether random verses or complete passages, I want to tell you the benefits of memorizing a passage over individual verses.

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchnge

The Worst We'll Ever Know

My favorite thing about trials is that they all have a definite end date. Like me, if you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior this life is the worst you’ll ever know. (And for those who reject Jesus, this life is the best they’ll ever know) When life disappoints, frustrates, and saddens me, I rejoice that these “momentary light afflictions” are momentary and are the worst I’ll ever know.

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Because the Lord IS My Shepherd

"Psalm 23 is the best loved of all the Psalms and it is the one least believed!"--Dr. Harry Ironside. Here Ironside beautifully personalizes Psalm 23:

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Since the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...

Overcoming the Bondage of Overeating

For the longest time I have struggled to lose the same thirty pounds. It was easy for me to eat right when I was pregnant, and nursing, but as soon as I was done with that season of my life those good eating habits began to slip away and I began "making up for lost time" eating whatever I wanted whenever I got a craving. As soon as those habits took root,  practicing self-control in my eating became a real struggle. Like the Apostle Paul, I knew the good I ought to do--in my case eat in moderation, but I did the very thing I hated to do--eat without restraint. (Romans 7:15)

Today I found a great article from Family Life about conquering this area of weakness. It is jam packed with Biblical counsel on how to be an overcomer in  overeating. So if you can relate to my struggle, and crave to overcome the area of overeating, but need a little motivation to get started, read on and you will be empowered, as I was to discipline yourself in your eating so you can experience the freeing deliverance from unrestrained eating.

Our God is Mighty to Save

In Ezra’s day, traveling was so dangerous that it wasn't unusual for the king to provide a military escort to protect the people and possessions he sent out on business. Yet when Ezra was given royal orders to travel a great distance, Ezra couldn’t accept a military escort with good conscious.

Ezra admitted, “I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." ( Ezra admitted, “I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." (Ezra 8:22)

Ezra faithfully witnessed to the king, telling him about the greatness of God, and how He is mighty to save. Ezra had the utmost confidence in God. However, when King Artaxerxes ordered Ezra to take a large group of people from Babylon to Jerusalem, along with much silver and gold, Ezra’s faith was put to the test. Ezra would have nearly 5,000 people with him—some being women and children. The trip would be practically 1,200 miles, taking about four months to complete at a rate of 10 ½ miles per day.

All Things are Possible

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

When two blind men came to Jesus, crying out for mercy, Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28) Jesus wanted them to examine their faith and ask themselves “Do I believe Jesus can restore my sight? Do I believe Jesus can do this?

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Whenever we face trials of any kind, we are faced with this same question from Jesus, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

What the Gingerbread Man Teaches Us About God's Love

Today I while listening to Pastor Chuck Smith teach on Hosea, he told the story of the Gingerbread Man. Not sure, at first, where he was going with it, and how it related to his study of Hosea, as he finished the story I though, "This is perfect! I love it!" Though Pastor Chuck was teaching from Hosea, I think Isaiah 43:1 especially relates to the story of the Gingerbread man.  In this verse God encourages us, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

Now sit back and enjoy as Pastor Chuck brilliantly illustrates this verse through his telling of the Gingerbread man.

Quieted by God's Love

I watched in horror as my little girl leaned over the chair she was sitting in, and hit her head hard as she fell out of the chair. Screaming crying, my little girl had a robin-egg sized lump on her forehead. I immediately scooped her up, held her in my lap, and rocked her while speaking words of comfort to her. Before I knew it, she was quiet and content in my lap, quieted by my love. All of a sudden the words of Zephaniah 3:17 “…He will quiet you with His love...” illuminated in my heart. This is what Zephaniah was talking about!

Why is God Allowing This?

Why is God allowing this? Why hasn’t He delivered us from this yet? I’ve prayed and prayed. Whenever these questions fill my mind, I am comforted by the following truths:

HisChannel.com

I recently found out about HisChannel through Cheryl Broderson on Facebook. HisChannel is a one-stop resource for excellent Christian television.

You can watch videos on demand or watch the current program playing live. Here is the Monday line up, to get a taste of what programs HisChannel streams live. The line up changes from day to day, so make sure you check the schedule to find your favorite programs if you want to watch them live.They even have a few videos for kids.

The Failure of Joshua

A.W. Tozer said, “Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to me.” Tozer knew how powerful and profitable time in God’s Word is and therefore knew what was at stake if he let his time in it get crowded out by the other activities of his day.

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Just one way we benefit from being in God’s word is by learning what God has to say regarding any situation we are in, and anything we may face. Being that He knows all past, present, and future, who better then could I turn to for wisdom and counsel? This was the failure of Joshua. (Joshua 9)

Blessed are the Obedient

Had Donald Trump lived when God called Noah to build the ark, I imagine Trump’s unsolicited advice to Noah would go something like this. “While I admire your determination to accept a monumental challenge, you really should not put all your eggs in one basket. Think multiple investments. If one fails, the others will keep you afloat. If you invest solely in this project, the only thing you’ll have to show for it is an embarrassing testimony to your faith that will invite the ridicule of passersbys. The daily mockery you are sure to receive from your neighbors, as you build the ark, is going to make recruiting helpers next to impossible. Anyone willing to put up with those discouraging working conditions is going to expect extra pay, and that means an even greater expense to you. Take it from someone who knows about investments. Quit while you are ahead.”

 Despite the difficulties that Noah faced during the one-hundred twenty years it took him to build the ark, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22) Here Noah reveals the importance of living in obedience to the Lord in a corrupt and depraved world.