Be thankful

Ever get those times when you just feel like praising and thanking God? I know for me that they are few are far between. I certainly think that we should praise and thank him much more often.

I live in a very privileged society, and if your society is the same as mine then you know what I mean. You always have food on the table at meal times and you always have a solid roof over your head to keep the sun and rain out. You have a wardrobe so full of clothes that its such a big decision what to wear each day and you have plenty for when its both cold and warm. You have a comfy bed to sleep in and most often you have plenty of time to sleep. You have a computer, and probably a TV. You have a phone, or better still an iphone, or ipod, or ipad, or whatever else the latest technology has to offer. You have a job, you have friends, you have family. And you know what, you have a life a blessed by God! A life saved and redeemed by CHRIST!

So we all, in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves - privileged, or not so privileged - we must take time to thank and praise God for all that He, in His wisdom, has bestowed upon us.

...in everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you... (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

So often it is easier to grumble and complain about the 'no-so-good-things' in life. And in actual fact, the things we complain about are often blessings in disguse. We take for granted everything we have been blessed with, and at times even our thanksgiving is done out of routine, yet our hearts are not truly thankful.

It is in times like these that we just need to press the pause button on life and reflect on all that HE has given you. And then, truly, from the heart, be thankful from what God in Christ has done for you.

So when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10)

When peace like a river

I just love this hymn and wanted share....

It is well with My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,

it is well, it is well with my soul. 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 

let this blest assurance control,

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

and hath shed his own blood for my soul. 

It is well with my soul,

it is well, it is well with my soul. 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole, 

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,

it is well, it is well with my soul. 

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; 

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, 

even so, it is well with my soul. 

It is well with my soul,

it is well, it is well with my soul. 

Peace in my heart, peace in my soul

At times life is so busy. You are constantly moving from one thing to the next; your mind constantly thinking of what it needs to do next, your heart racing as it knows what still needs to be done. We are constantly on the go, driving here and there, speaking to so-and-so, doing work, studying, preparing lessons....whatever it may be. We are always busy with something. I know my thoughts alone are plenty enough to keep me busy all day long.

So how, in such a busy lifestyle, can one have peace? True peace?

Have you ever been some where quiet? I mean, real quiet. Maybe you have gone for a drive into the bush, away from the business of traffic and other people, and gone for a walk, lain down in the grass and just closed your eyes. Now all you can hear is the sounds of nature around you. There are no sounds of cars, because the closest road is far away. There is no one talking, for you are alone. In fact, it may be so quiet, you can hear the quietness; its a strange feeling. It's a feeling of peace. For as you lay there, you are alone. Alone with God. Its when you have put all the hustle and bustle of life away and are with God alone, you can find peace. And that is so wonderful!

Now I'm not suggesting that we have to drop everything we do in life and live by ourselves to experience peace (although it can be good to do it on the occasion), however, the essence is true. We can only find peace when we are with God. If your life is too busy that you have no time for God, then how can you expect to find peace? How can you expect to be comforted when you race out into the day without taking time to pray?

For God Himself is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14)

Through Jesus Christ, God has given us peace, rest from our souls. And the way to share in this peace is to make time for God in our life. He must be the No.1 focus of our lives. He is our God. He loves us in that He gave His Son for our sins; so we must love Him in return. Love Him above all things. Then we will experience the Power of Love, the power of God's Love. That is such an amazing gift He has given us.

And with that He gives us peace.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. 

(John 14:27)

HOPE

We all hope for good things to happen. We hope that we will do well in life. We hope that we will do well in our jobs. We hope to succeed in our exams. We hope to be a blessing to those around us. We hope to have an enjoyable day. We hope for so many different things. The list could just go on and on.

But when you think about all this and the things that we hope for, you will come to realise that there is always an element of uncertainty. You hope a family member will get better from his/her illness, yet there is a measure of doubt, or uncertainty that they might never get better. It is like that in every sort of situation. You hope, but there is always that nagging feeling that what you hope for won't actually happen.

However, there is a kind of hope that has no uncertainty. For scriptural hope, that based on God and His Word, has the strongest certainty.

Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

(Romans 5:5)

If we want surety in the things of the future then we must direct our attention to what God says about it. For what God has said is true. We can have hope in what He has told us and for the rest, we can trust in Him, for we know that He Himself is true. He is our HOPE.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast... 

(Hebrews 6:19)

So when things do not go the way we planned, when we wonder what the future holds for us, look to God. Find hope in Him. He will never let you down. His promises are sure and steadfast; find hope in them.

"And now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You." 

(Psalm 39:7)

Trusting in God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust. (Psalm 91:1-2)

To trust someone is not always easy. We often seek to place our trust in people, in friends and relatives; those who are generally closest to us. However there are times when your trust is shattered. When someone breaks your heart, when someone leaves you, or hurts you deeply. You then have a breech of that trust, and it is often very hard to build up that trust again. You are weary that the same thing might happen again; you are hesitant to building up that trust once again.

Nevertheless, any firm relationship must be built upon trust. The good news, however, is that the most important relationship of our lives can be built on trust because the One whom we trust is trustworthy. He is a refuge and fortress, He will not change His promises, but will bring them to fruition. God is faithful; we can trust HIM.

And so we must. For to believe and obey Him is to trust that His Word and promises are sure.

And isn't it such a great comfort that we can have the surety that He will never betray our trust. While friends may forsake and leave us God will remain. He is my refuge and fortress; my God, in Him I will trust!

When its all too much...

Ever feel like everything is just too much? Like you don't know where you are headed and you're struggling to stay afloat? I think we all experience such times in our lives, some more than others, but we all understand the general feeling. Life is just too much, and you struggle to find the meaning God has put in it for you.

When I'm feeling like this I know there can only be one solution. And that is to turn to God and hear what He has to say to me through His Word.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,  will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

God alone gives peace. When we come to him in prayer, seeking His strength; He will grant us peace. What a comfort!

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Isn't that so comforting! We can bring all our troubles to God and exchange our 'yoke'. Give all your troubles to Him in prayer. God will take care of them and in return He grants you rest and peace.

So when you are bowed down by life's troubles and when you are caught in a whirlpool of problems, remember, God alone is your answer. He alone will allow you to dwell in peace and safety.

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

God is faithful (2)

God is Faithful - Sheila Walsh

Are you weary?

Are you frightened?

When you go to bed,

Do you leave the light on?

When the cold win blows,

To disturb your peace,

Do you lock the door

So no one else can see?

Broken promises,

Have left their mark on you. 

In your unbelief,

One thing you must hold on to...

When the road becomes too rough,

When you're ready to give up,

When you're crying out for love,

God is Faithful. 

When your peace cannot be found,

He will never let you down.

You have chosen solid ground,

God is Faithful. 

No one said,

it would be easy.

To let go of,

All your worries. 

But it can be done. 

He has paid the price. 

And His mercy runs,

To every broken life. 

We will never be

Worthy of His healing,

but all He asks of you,

Is that you will be willing.

When the road becomes too rough,

When you're ready to give up,

When you're crying out for love,

God is Faithful. 

When your peace cannot be found,

He will never let you down.

You have chosen solid ground,

God is Faithful.  

If you are willing,

He will help

And never leave you. 

God is faithful. 

GOD IS FAITHFUL. 

God is faithful (1)

At times you can look at your life and not understand how God is at work. At times you may even feel like giving up because life as a Christian is harder than you thought. At times everything may seem too much and you feel like throwing it all in. And you know that its not right to feel this way, yet there seems little you can do. 

And that's true. There is little you can do, but there is something. And there is lots that God can do. For you, you can know that God is FAITHFUL; and God Himself will be just that!

"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)

There are many things in life which we do not understand, and as mere human beings there is a lot about God that we will never understand with our limited knowledge. However, God has revealed sufficient knowledge about Himself to us in His Word. It is there that we know God is Faithful. We may seek to look in our lives for surety of Him, however, we must not look to ourselves for God. That is where our problems lie; when we look to ourselves we only see our failures, and we become discouraged. So instead we must look to God, and His victory through Christ.

Consider the perfect love of God. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends (John 15:13). That's precisely what Christ has done for you and for me. His love was perfected in Christ, and we have been made to have fellowship with Him - we can thus share in that Great LOVE.

God is perfect. In such perfect love He has also promised to take care of you. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

Whatever you situation in life at the moment, know that this is God's will for you and He will get you through it! Hold fast to what you have learned. God is faithful and will not abandon you because HE LOVES YOU!