14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV)

The grace of God is an amazing gift to behold.  You cannot earn it.  It is a gift – a gift from an infinitely loving and compassionate Father Who understands what each of us is facing at any and every single moment.

In faith, we have the ability to go to God and talk to Him at any time.  He is always with us.  He never abandons us.  And, not only can we go to the Lord, we can go confidently – or, as the King James Bible puts it, boldly.  It means we can be open and candid with our Heavenly Father.  We can speak with Him with the assurance that He hears us and understands our hearts and needs far more than we do.

Think about it: when we sin, what is our first instinct?  It is akin to Adam and Eve when they discovered they were naked – hide from God.  That is the voice of shame.  That is the misplaced thought that we cannot to go to the Lord to seek forgiveness and mercy.

Now, don’t misunderstand me.  We do not deserve forgiveness and mercy.  Sin is what got us into this relationship mess with God in the first place.  But God, being Love Himself, made a way for us to come to Him once more, able to confess our sins and repent.

Likewise, there are a lot of things that keep us from boldly going to the Lord.  Worry, doubt, busyness, low self-esteem, misunderstanding Who God is, legalistic beliefs, impatience… these can all build a barrier between us and the Lord.

But the truth of the matter is that we – God’s children – can approach the Lord at any time, day or night, no appointment necessary.  We can tell Him what is bothering us.  We can seek His peace.  We can ask Him for His help.  Even if you have no idea what to say or where to begin, just cry out “Help!”  He will hear you.  And He already knows what you need before you even take in a breath to speak.

And we can trust that He is Who He says He is, and will do all He says He will.  Not only that, the Lord will act in just the right way, at just the right time.  A literal translation of Hebrews 4:16 may read, “Approach God on His throne with great confidence and faith and boldness, that you may receive His compassion and His unmerited favor to throw you a lifeline at just the right time when you are in need.”

Place your faith firmly in Jesus Christ.  Know that who you were before is no longer who you are.  You have been forgiven – your sin record expunged.  Know that He loves you.  Know that He is real, and His promises are true.  And go to Him expecting nothing but God.  He is all you need.

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV)

8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah – Psalm 62:8 (ESV)

The more we seek the Lord, the more we let go and look to God and spend time with Him, the closer He draws to us… the more we love Him.  The more we crave time with our Heavenly Father.  

One of the astounding aspects of God that I have discovered is His unmovable steadfastness.  He never changes.  He is all He says He is.  

Always has been.

Always will be.

God does not merely love us.  He is Love.

God is not merely true.  He is Truth.

God is not simply holy.  He is Holiness.

God does not merely exist.  I AM THAT I AM He told Moses.  He is Existence.

He is utterly perfect, flawless, in all His ways.

And, because of all things things and so much more, God is our refuge.  He is our strength.  He is our guide.  He is our Savior.

Trust Him at all times.  Take Him at His Word.  God is absolute in His love us, in His caring about His children.  No ifs, ands or buts.

Just a simple reminder: cast your cares on the Lord because He dares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  Trust Him at all times, in all circumstances.

Rest easy.  Sleep well.  Have a blessed week!

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Have you ever had a wad of gum in your mouth that you have chewed a bit too long?  It has no flavor, it’s stale and nasty and, with every chomp, it seems to grow.

And grow.

And grow.

Until you have no choice but to spit it out as soon as possible, before it overtakes your entire oral cavity.

Worry is like that wad of gum.  The more you mull your problems over, the bigger it seems to grow.

And grow.

And grow.

Until you have no choice but to spit it out as soon as possible, before it overtakes your entire cranial cavity.

The problem with getting rid of worry is that, while you realize that old piece of chewing gum isn’t actually growing in your mouth, worrisome thoughts seem to be real.

And big.

And nasty.

Getting rid of worry isn’t as simple as spitting out the thoughts.  It requires replacing the bad thoughts with good.  First, pray in faith to God, giving thanks to the Lord and recognizing that He is with you.  Always.

Then, instead of worrying, rest in Christ and fill your thoughts with the truth.  What we worry about rarely comes to pass.  The reality of life is that God is in control.  While there are things we can control (such as our thoughts and actions) there is far more we cannot (like outcomes and the thoughts and actions of others).  God is truth.  And if He says don’t worry, don’t worry.

Think on whatever is honest, of good character.  What character does exhibit?  One of Truth and Love and Grace and Strength.  Whatever God says is honest.  And if He says don’t worry, don’t worry.

Think about what is just, pure and virtuous.  Evil cannot touch you if you are a child of God.  Will bad things happen?  We all face hardships at some point in our lives, but we need not fear.  Even when we don’t understand why we’re going through what we’re going through, we can trust that God’s plans and intentions are just, pure and virtuous.  And if He says don’t worry, don’t worry.

Ponder what is lovely, of good report and praiseworthy.  In other words, stay positive.  Stay grateful.  See that the Lord is with you always.  Understand that Jesus died for you.  Accept that the Lord loves you.  Realize that His grace – all we truly need in this life – is there for you.  It is a gift.  No one deserves grace.  But our Heavenly Father gives it to us out of love.  And, yes, God loves you.  And if He says don’t worry, don’t worry.

If you’re mulling around worries and doubts, don’t give in to anxiety.  Don’t bow to fear.  Trust in the Lord.  Rest in His promises.

Spit out that old, stale gum.  It’s time for some fresh thoughts.

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah- Psalm 62:5-8 (ESV)

Selah.  What a beautiful word.  When you are reading a psalm and you cone across the word “Selah”, stop.  

Go no further.

Look back and re-read the verses you just took in.

Ponder them.

Soak in their meaning. 

Meditate on the message.

Consider what the psalmist is saying.

Only God can save you.  He is our only true, strong, steadfast, unmovable help.  Don’t twist around anxiously.  Find refuge in the Lord.  He alone is our strength.  He alone is our safe place.

Trust in God always.

Always.

No conditions.

No fine print or legal clauses.

No “unless” or “until” or “ifs, ands or buts”.

No reason to doubt.

No need to fear.

The Lord is our immovable rock.  He will never let us down.

There is no circumstance beyond God’s help.

There is no hurt beyond God’s healing.

There is a deep sweetness to be found when we seek the Lord and begin to discover how great is His love for us.

Trust in the Lord always.  Rest in Him.  Grow in Him and marvel at His love, grace and mercy.

Wait in silence.  He alone is our hope.  But what other hope could we possibly need?  We have the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of all on our side.

On your side.

Because He loves us.

Because He loves you.

You. 

And He has you in His strong, capable hands.

Selah.

October has not been an easy month for my family.  It’s been a time of grieving and, for some of us, a time of anxiety on top of the sorrow.  

I tell you this not to elicit sympathy or attention but to tell you that, through it all, God has been – and continues to be – faithful.  He has poured His grace on us, showered us with His love.  He hasn’t left us.  He hasn’t abandoned us.

I am so grateful.  The Lord has shown His love to me in so many ways… 

Through the love of others.

Through strength for the weak moments (right down to hearing just the right song on Christian radio with just the right reminder and just the right time).

Through His Word.

Through prayers answered.

I share this to simply encourage you.  If you’re stressed, worried, anxious, depressed, mournful, bitter, hurting, sick… give it to God.

Let go of the worries.  Rest in the Lord.  Don’t twist around in anxiety.  Just trust Jesus.  He said to cast your cares on Him.  He said be anxious for nothing.  He said take on His light yoke and leave your burdens behind.

His perfect love casts out fear.

The Lord is right beside you.

What is there to fear?

Why feel hopeless?

You can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you.

Embrace the sweetness of our Father.  Trust in Him.  Rest in Him.  Let Him lavish you with mercy and grace and perfect love.

Let Him heal you deep in your soul.

Let God be your strength.

And turn your (Christian) radio on.  You just might hear the very words you need.

 

22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. -Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Find your joy in God.  Find your peace in Christ.  Find your strength in the Lord.

We are not defined by your circumstances.  The truth comes from what God does with our lives, not what we fear might happen.

We are not defined by our weaknesses.  When we are weak, then God is strong within us.

We are not defined by our faults or failures.  When we fail, God can come in and change our defeats into victories.

You see, we are not who we think we are.  We are who our Heavenly Father says we are.

We are recipients of great abounding grace, unmerited favor with God when we need it.  When Paul was so troubled by his enemies, he went to Jesus three times, asking Him to take away the problem.  Instead, Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).  Paul discovered that the strength of Christ working within him was far greater than trying to rely on his own insufficient strength.

We don’t have to be perfect.  We just need to be faithful.

We don’t have to worry about results.  We just need to trust God.

Don’t listen to the voice of fear.  Trust God.

Cast your cares on the Lord.  He loves you.  He cares about you.  He knows your needs better than you do.  He knows your hurts.  He knows your weaknesses.  He knows your needs.  He knows your past, your present, your future.

God knows you.  He loves you.  He created you.  He sent His Son to die for you.

Fear not.  Just trust in God.  He can work out our circumstances.  He is sovereign over all.

In other words, trust in God for He is in control.

And we are not.

And that, friends, is a good thing.

Rest in the Lord.  Seek Him first and foremost.  Trust Him, for He loves you deeply.

Anxiety stinks.

There’s your major understatement for the week.

Recently I’ve been battling anxiety a lot.  Loads of stress and grief punctuated – for extra fun – with panic attacks that jolt me out of bed between 1:30 and 2:30 in the mornings.  The combination of losing a loved one, work overload and stress from life in general have created a huge wave that seems to barreling straight toward me.

And I took my eyes off Christ, fixing my frightened gaze on the storm.

And I’m crying out to Jesus for help.  Help He has promised.  Help of which I am assured.  Help of which I have no doubt is here.

The problem for those of us with depression, anxiety and panic disorders, is that it becomes difficult – usually quite quickly – to rest in the Lord, to find peace in Christ, to get past the physiological factors that cause the disorders in the first place.

But, the Truth is still the truth.  It is important to seek God.  Stay in His Word.  Stay connected in prayer.  Stay as focused on the Lord as you can.

And trust Him.  Remember that the anxiety and fear stem from an imbalance, not from abandonment.  God is still with His children – always.

Always.

During times like this, when I am overwhelmed by life and it’s stresses, I clutch tightly to several promises in Scripture.  Like this one (Philippians 4:4-7, ESV):

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

• Be glad, with a joy that is rooted in Christ.  Be glad in Christ always.  Not “unless”.  Not “until”.  But always.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

• Rejoicing during dark times is only reasonable and right for those who believe in Jesus.  After all, He is near.  He is with you.  He promises to never leave us, never abandon us, never fail us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5).  Just because we cannot see Him or sense His presence does not mean He is not right beside us.

6  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

• God is with us!  So why be afraid?  He is our Father Who loves us, cares for us, helps us… It doesn’t mean we will never face troubles or pain or difficulties.  We live in a fallen, sinful world.  But it means “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).  We can go to the Lord, our Father, the Creator of the Universe, with all our troubles and doubts, our pain and sorrow, our fears and worries, and know He is in control.  And we can do so with great confidence, thanking God for His provision and His care, knowing by faith that He has every aspect of our lives in His hands.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• When we understand these things, we will find true, deep peace – a peace beyond understanding because, while circumstances say we have every reason to fear, God is far above all circumstances.  And He says, “I love you, my child.  Come to me.  Give me your burdens.  Rest in me.  I am in control.  Not you.  Not your perceptions.

I don’t know what you are facing today, but – whatever is troubling you – take it to God.  Cast your cares on the Lord.  He loves you.  He is with you.  He will give you the strength to see you through.

Don’t stare at the storm.  Fix your gaze on Jesus.

And rest.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

I find it interesting that Jesus begins His Beatitudes – indeed, His entire Sermon on the Mount – with this call to humility.  One of the keys to true happiness (not fleeting emotional giddiness but deep, abiding, unshakable joy) is possessing the humility to recognize that we aren’t perfect.  We cannot make it through this life without God.  His help, His guidance, are absolute necessities for us.

Like water.

Like oxygen.

We all have problems we face.  Some are small, niggling problems.  Some are huge, seemingly insurmountable issues. Sometimes we are dealing with an aggregate of problems that feels more like an avalanche hurling snow and stones down at us from above.

When we encounter trouble, where do we find strength?  Is it within ourselves?  When we remind ourselves that “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me”, is the emphasize on “I can do” or Christ?

Remember this: God is sovereign over all.  Nothing happens without His awareness.  In fact, sometimes He leads us into troubled times to teach us, or strengthen us. If we go about the battles of life on our own power, we will exhaust our batteries.

We were never promised an easy life.  But we were promised comfort, and help, and true blessing when we humbly set aside our ways, our will, our stubbornness, our egos… and recognize that God is in control.

Whatever we face, we can face with the Lord’s power.  The Holy Spirit is within us: our Guide, our Strength, our Counselor, our Comforter, our Helper.  When we try to plow through life on our own reserves, we end up stressed out, banged up, worried, tired, anxious…  Trust in the Lord.

The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one.  The first step to admitting you have a problem is humility, the ability to say, “I am not perfect.  I need help.”

We all need help.  We all need to be poor in spirit.  We all need to realize that we need God.

Quit trying to figure everything out.  Stop attempting to hoist the whole world on your shoulders.  Go to God.  Humbly cry out to Him for help.  Seek Him first.  Faithfully take on His yoke, cast your cares upon the Lord, and rest in His goodness.

Fight the good fight.

Do what you need to do.

But understand that what we need to do is follow the Lord and trust Him with the results.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

No one is perfect.  No one ever has been.  Except for Jesus, that is -and He was fully man and fully God, so that puts Him in a special category.

Being imperfect means we are going to make mistakes.

Blunders.

Stumble.

Fallow.

Hurt and get hurt.

Not necessarily out of malice or ill will.  But simply because life is imperfect.

When we think of mourning, we think of a widow in black, or someone who has lost a loved one and is grieving.  But mourning comes in many different varieties.

We can mourn a relationship gone sour.

We can mourn any loss – a job, a position, you name it.

We can mourn our old home when we move away.

We can mourn bad financial decisions or any number of poor choices.

We are human.  We are not perfect.

We are not perfect.

And God – the infinite, all powerful, all knowing Creator and sustainer – knows that.

He knows your weak spots.  He knows where you have tripped. He knows where you will fall.

God is bigger than our failures and faults.  And He will help youout of every jam.  There is no trouble beyond His abilities

God is love.  Trust in His love. Rest in Him.

Tonight, stop worrying.  Start praying.  Start trusting.  Expect the Lord to move in your life, and rest in Him.

 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

The other night my wife, son, dog, cat and I were all snugly seated on the sofa, watching The Incredibles.  And I learned a valuable lesson: if you’re going to be a superhero, don’t wear a cape.

They’re dangerous.

They get you sucked up in jet engines, caught on ledges… They cause any number of entanglements that will put you in mortal danger.

I also learned that trying to be a superhero when you are not – trying to live beyond your capacity for self-aggrandizement – is a bad deal.  

How often in life do we feel like we need to be a superhero – for ourselves or for others?  Sometimes it feels like we need to don a mask and cape just to survive the day.  The burdens in our lives and the lives of those around us get so heavy that we end up bogged down.

Smooshed.

We can’t do it all.  We can’t fix everything.  We cannot make all of life right.  Superhero is not part of our job description.

What we can do is lay down our heavy yoke of burden and take up the yoke of Christ.  We can choose to take off the burden of sin, of shame, of hardship and pain and sorrow.

And we can face life with faith in Jesus.  We can believe that God has it all in control.  We can accept the fact that we cannot go it alone.

One of the many remarkable things about faith is the strength it brings.  We are not responsible for the end results.  We are called to believe in Christ, to find strength in God (not self or other people), to love others and be salt and light…  When we realize these things and let God rule in our lives, fully trusting in His faithfulness and love and grace and mercy, that we find the strength we need – His strength – to face life with peace and hope.

To focus on God and not troubles.

To help others with their burdens.

To be salt and light, an shining example of Christ.

To be who God created you to be.

Today, cast off your burdens and cares.  Turn to Jesus.  Trust Him with your situations, your journey, your life.  

And take off that cape.  You don’t want to end up sucked into a jet engine, do you?