Strength in The Storms

With the recent scare from Hurricane Irene and the damage it inflicted – including deaths of people in various eastern states – it’s easy to become anxious and frightened in today’s world. Natural disasters are increasing in the earth, as Jesus warned His disciples they would in Mark 13:8. When we see “storms” like these, though, we need to simply keep our eyes on Jesus and rejoice because our redemption is coming near!

Just as there are physical storms and disasters, we as Christians also experience spiritual storms: marriage and parenting struggles, financial crises, career and ministry challenges, medical problems with us or loved ones, depression and anxiety, tragedies, and more. As Christians we are not immune to problems; in fact, when we become believers in Christ, we become even greater targets for our enemy, Satan. His job is to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) He relentlessly attacks believers to cause them to become distracted, discouraged, or to get them off-course in their faith in Christ.

After awhile, you feel weary. Your strength is depleted. How do you overcome these intense spiritual battles?

Here are 3 practical tips to give you strength through the battle:

1) Stay prayed up! The Church at large doesn’t seem to realize that her strength truly comes from Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5) That includes fighting our enemy. Soldiers in an army must obey their commanding officer’s command. As soldiers of Christ, we need to hear and obey our commanding officer, Jesus. As we humbly come to God in prayer, acknowledging that Satan is too strong for us and that we need God’s intervention in our lives, He will help us and do battle on our behalf. The battle belongs to the Lord! (2 Chronicles 20:15) Take time each day to spend time with God and to be refilled and recharged with strength with His Holy Presence.

2) Study His Word daily. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the powerful weapon Jesus used was the Word of God. It is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Satan can not defeat God’s word! With it you will overcome any attacks of his, whether it is financial devastation, attacks against your marriage, parenting problems, depression or discouragement, fears or worries, challenges in your business, or whatever fiery darts he may try to throw at you today. The only way you will be able to wield this sword effectively is by knowing what the Bible says – through disciplined, daily reading and study.

3) Worship and praise God. This is an area that I believe many Christians don’t realize is one of their greatest weapons of spiritual warfare. We see throughout the Bible how worship and praise of God defeats the enemy, such as when Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before God in worship, the Levite priests began to praise Him, and the enemies of God’s people were destroyed in the battle. (2 Chronicles 20:15) King David wrote many psalms on the power of worship and praise, such as in Psalm 95 (shouting out praise to God for protection). If you are struggling in an area of your life, such as depression, anger, or fear, put on some worship and praise music and begin to praise God – and see the enemy defeated through the power of worship and praise! God is worthy of all our praise!

Above all things, it is faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6) and faith that will conquer Satan. In my new ebook, The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles (http://womensbattles.com/), eight women share their stories of their most intense spiritual battles, and how faith in Christ helped them to overcome these battles in victory.

In my new fall coaching group/book study, we will be covering each of the 10 chapters of this ebook for 5 weeks, and your payment includes a free copy of the ebook, handouts, worksheets, a Q & A time after each class, and mp3 recordings of each session. You will learn to get past your pain and become a strong, victorious, fulfilled woman who is fulfilling her unique purpose and great destiny in Christ.

To learn more, just click here: http://www.bethjones.net/articles/groupcoaching/.

I am also having a free preview call to answer any questions about this class on September 7 at 12 noon CDT. http://www.bethjones.net/preview-call-10-tips-for-how-to-have-a-fulfilled-life/

Beth Jones is a Christian speaker, author, wife and homeschooling mom. Beth loves encouraging women to fulfill their great purpose through daily intimacy with Jesus and pursuing their passion. You can find out more about Beth at http://www.bethjones.net/.

Waiting is Not Wasting Time...

Remember......God produces the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) in us by allowing us to encounter situations and people with characteristics that are exactly the opposite of the Fruit of the Spirit! So far we've looked at the love, joy, peace and today, patience. Patience is a virtue that carries alot of wait! Patience is the ability to let your light shine after your fuse has been blown! If God puts you on hold, don't hang up!

We all know what we need to do and be in order to show others patience....1) We should look at people and situations from God's perspective. He sees us as human, which means no one is perfect!

2) We need to develop a good sense of humor. Sometimes the only thing we can do is laugh. Humor is a great stress-disolver! "A cheerful heart is good medicine." (Proverbs 17:22)

3) We need to deepen our love for others. Ephesians 4:2 says it best..."Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

These three tips have dealt with people and situations that test our patience, but today I want us to look at how we handle our impatience with God.....

Let's be honest..many times we question why we have to wait for God to answer a prayer, perform a miracle or point us in the right direction. We wonder what good can come from waiting. What is the point of waiting when there is so much to do for God, but so little time. One answer could be that, while we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow! As we have been learning with the fruit of the Spirit, they are God's desire for us to have in our life and they are a representation of Christ's character.

Does this character develop overnight? Not usually. God's plan is to mold and shape us little by little until we are fully prepared for His assignment - and that may take time, lots of time for some of us! One of life's frustrations is that God's timetable is rarely the same as our own. The Bible is full of examples of how God used a long process to develop character. Abraham and Sarah. Noah. Moses. David. Joseph. The Bible is a book about waiting!

So what do you and I do during our waiting time? I can tell you what not to do ~ nothing! Waiting is not a time to waste. In the book of Psalms, David tells us several things we are to be doing (and I believe he knew something about waiting and character development!) In 27:14, he tells us to "Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." 37:7, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret..." 37:34a, "Wait for the Lord and keep his ways..." 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God..." and 130:5, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his Word do I put my hope."

Waiting is not something we enjoy doing; but we can make the most of our time by learning about God by being still, developing our character by obedience, building our confidence while staying strong and strengthening our dependence on Him by not fretting. As women, we often fall into the trap of thinking if we're not doing something, we must be wasting time. I hope these verses confirm the importance and desire God has for you to wait for Him. He can't speak to you or get your attention when your life is too busy, too loud, too distracted and too rushed.

What is God having you wait for today? Don't look at it as a denial to your requests. God's delays are never His denials. They are just another method He uses to continue to mold and shape us into women He can use for His purposes! Remember, if God puts you on hold, don't hang up!!

*Post from August 30, 2010
Material from a series on God's Power to Change Your Life by Rick Warren

Remind Us Again....

The final book of the Old Testament, Malachi, is significant in that his message of judgment on Israel for their continuing sin is the last word from God for 400 years before another prophet, (John the Baptist) arrives with a message from God. Have the people finally learned their lessons? Are they now ready to live God-fearing and honorable lives? Do they trust and believe all they have been told about God’s goodness, mercy and forgiveness? We’d love to see the Old Testament end with everyone living “happily ever after”, but in reality, they are human and they struggle with these things, as do we at times.

The theme of Malachi is a reminder to the people of his day as well as to us today: God loves perfectly and completely. His love is a love of action; not just words, but a love of giving, guiding and guarding. He is altogether faithful; true to His promises. Yet the people (then and now) needed to be reminded of this love. They ask God – “How have you loved us?” (Malachi 1:2) Can you even believe they had to ask this question? Had they lost all their long term memory of what God had done (action) for them throughout the generations? And how, out of love, He had disciplined them for their sin, only to restore them as a nation, just as He had promised? Do you ever ask – “You say you love me; show me how God? “ One verse that should answer that question, loud and clear, is Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Enough said!

The Israelites had lost their enthusiasm for worship and had become apathetic toward God because the prophecies they had been told were not being fulfilled in the time and manner they expected. In Malachi 1:6b, they needed to be reminded: “How have we despised/shown contempt for your name?” God pointed out that their sacrifices were defiled and polluted. They were not giving God their best, but instead they were using their injured, crippled and diseased animals as their offering to God. What about us? If we give God only our leftover time, money and energy, we repeat the same sin as these worshippers who didn’t bring anything valuable to God. What we give to Him reflects our true attitude toward Him.

Malachi 2:17 tells us that the Lord had become weary with their words. Yet, the people seem clueless by asking, “How have we wearied Him?” God had grown tired of their complacency, their false worship and their questions which were filled with doubt. We know God welcomes our questions, but sometimes we sound like a small child who asks the same tiring questions over and over again – even after being given an answer! We may change up the question a little to see if we’ll get a different answer, but in the end, it’s still a matter of doubt. It’s a lack of faith that what God said, He will do. I would hope you’d want your voice to be a sweet sound in God’s ear instead of a resounding gong or clanging cymbal (I Cor. 13:1) that He grows weary of.

“Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty….But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’” (Malachi 3:7). By now, I would have had enough of these people’s foolishness! Had they not been hearing a thing the prophets had been telling them? Had they not recognized the sin in their life? Were they in complete denial? But, God’s patience is endless! Throughout history, His people had disobeyed His laws, but He had always, and continues to be, willing to accept us back. Here, however, the people had the nerve to imply that they never had disobeyed! In their eyes, why did they need to return if they hadn’t strayed away? They did not recognize their sin as a separation from God. Many people today have turned their backs on forgiveness and restoration because they have refused to admit their sin. Don’t follow their example!

Finally, in Malachi 3:13, God is not pleased with the harsh things they have said against Him. The peoples’ memory’s need to be jolted again because they ask, “What have we said against you?” God reminded them that they were only concerned about what good it did for them to serve God. Not only was God weary of their words, He was tired of their lame actions. They were always looking for what it was going to benefit them by serving God. This kind of arrogant attitude asks, “What’s in this for me?” The focus is selfish. The real question should be, “What good does if do for God?” We should want to serve Him just because He is God!

There are times we need to ask ourselves:” “How have I disrespected your name God?” “How have I wearied you with my words of doubt?” “How do I return to you?” “What have I said against you God?” God will always give a response, just as He did with the Israelites, but it’s our responsibility to listen and act! What do you need to be reminded of today?

Another great reminder of how God loves – through action – is from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Claim God’s love for YOU and the world!

BLOG COMMENT: Share other verses that remind you of and confirm God’s love!!

Need a Helping Hand?

Are you already tired and it's only Monday? Are you trying to do everything in your own strength? Like the people in Zechariah's day, God gives the assignment - for them it was rebuilding the temple - and He also offers a helping hand. It's our job to reach out and grab it! Will you let go of all you're trying to hold on to (aka - control) and take ahold of the hand that has control over the entire universe - including what you're going through?

I want to share an encouraging word from the devotional, Heaven Calling, with you today:

"Sometimes in this difficult world, you just need a good, strong, helping hand to keep you going. And that is what I am holding out to you.

In your weariness, be comforted: I am the Lord All-Powerful; I don't expect you to stay the course on your own strength. I assured Zerubbabel of this when I charged him with rebuilding my temple in Jerusalem. So I say it to you about the work you have today: Do not depend on your own power or strength.

Instead, depend on my Spirit within you. I will give you the resources you need to keep going, the peace that you are in my will, and the hope and vision to complete the work. My spirit is in you, my child. That is all you need."

I am the Lord All-Powerful. So don't depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit. - Zechariah 4:6

BLOG COMMENT: What do you need to hand over to God today?

Who's Number One?

Do your words match up with your actions? Do you say you value one thing and then do another? God had a message for Haggai to bring to His people. They had returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile and were done with idol worship and wicked living. They valued their relationship with God once again!

Unfortunately, their actions were not matching up with their words. They said they loved God, but His temple remained unfinished. The Israelites had been excited and committed to rebuilding the temple, but after awhile became discouraged and quit. Now they were only interested in doing what they wanted to do to make their own lives more comfortable and prosperous. God instructs them in Haggai 1:5 to “Give careful thoughts to your ways.”

God’s people were, and still do today, suffer from confused and out of perspective priorities. We say we value one thing, but our priorities say another. Our values and priorities are reflected in how we use our resources – time, money, strength and talent. We say God is number one, but then we relegate Him to a lesser number on our “to-do” lists. We say others and our relationships are important to us, but we make no time for them. We say we value our health, but continue to make poor choices. We say we value our own well-being, but do nothing to strengthen our own spiritual, emotional and physical lives.

Here are three steps we can take to help clear up some of this confusion about our misplaced priorities:

1) Evaluate: We all have things in our day that must be done. I call these our “everyday essentials”. But what about all the extra stuff we try to cram into our lives? Sometimes we need to step back and evaluate what we are doing and why we are doing it? Is there something you’ve committed to that’s causing tension in your family/relationships? Are you devoting too much time and money doing something you don’t really enjoy, but were pressured into doing? Are there things you’d like to be involved in, but don’t have any extra time in your schedule?

Ask yourself: “Is my schedule full of temporary or eternal valued activities?” Do the hours I spend watching television, playing video/computer/online games, shopping, talking on the phone/texting, etc. have any kind of lasting, positive impact on others? (There are some women who spend so much time doing these things, they don’t have time to meet the needs of their family and unfortunately, that is creating a lasting impact, just not a positive one!)

On the other hand, eternal valued activities don’t have to be major things. It’s simply making sure you’re investing time in and making a lasting, positive impact on the lives of others. It could be by just giving someone your undivided attention (which requires all phones to be turned off!). Showing someone you care by doing something as small as sending a card of encouragement – remember what those are? They are made of paper and involve a hand-written message!

* Try incorporating an eternal valued activity in your day and see how you feel!

2) Eliminate: If you see from your evaluation that a majority of your daily activities are fleeting, time-consuming and time-wasting things, you need to seriously consider eliminating some of them. Eliminating things we enjoy from our schedule is painful; that’s why we try so hard to make it all work. We feel if we let something go, we may be seen as weak and that super-woman persona will be tarnished. Doesn’t the world tell us it’s respectable to be stressed-out and exhausted at the end of our day? It shows we’re being productive and accomplishing so much……but at whose expense?

It’s okay to eliminate things/activities/commitments and yes, even people from your daily schedule. And when you do, you’ll be surprised at how much more time and energy you have for investing in eternal valued activities – making a positive impact on other people’s lives!

* What one or two useless activities can you eliminate starting today? It may be hard to make the separation at first, but it will be so worth it.

3) Educate: We must educate ourselves on the things that distract us from what’s really important. These are usually different for everyone – that’s why it’s so vital that we learn to recognize them. Some people get distracted mentally with their thoughts, fears and doubts. Others are distracted physically, many times by other people pulling them away from what they value as important. Then some are distracted spiritually. They are allowing the enemy to “steal, kill and destroy…” (John 10:10a) all that is good in their life by filling it with temporary valued things. Busyness, out of control activities, an overbooked schedule and confused priorities are his main distractions.

* Take time today to acknowledge your biggest distractions. Don’t give the enemy another victory.

Can you imagine what your life would look like if you had time to pursue the unique purpose God designed you for? When you could spend the time He’s given you serving Him and others and not your schedule? And when you could easily recognize the needs of others and have the energy to meet them?

Joe Stowell reminds us that “Without a strong sense of calling and purpose, life is nothing more than routine busyness.”

BLOG COMMENT: Share with us what distracts you the most from filling your life with what’s most important?

Can You Hear the Music?

The little Old Testament book of Zephaniah probably doesn't get much attention from preachers and Bible teachers. It reiterates God's warning of Judah's destruction because of their sin, giving detailed descriptions of what and how He will destroy. But as in all the books we've studied on this topic, there is always a promise that God will regather and restore His people again one day...and that will be a day of worldwide rejoicing!

A few years ago, I found a verse from this obscure book that has become one of my favorites. It gives such a visual picture of God's rejoicing. It allows us to see another aspect of His amazing character - one that loves us unconditionally, despite all the times we've disappointed Him. If you've been following our Know the Bible study, you know we've been making a list of what we're learning about who God is. If you've ever wondered about the God of the Old Testament, take a look at our list!

I found an article on my verse, Zephaniah 3:17, that explains the greatness of God's ability to save us, take delight in us, quiet us and rejoice over us and I want to share it with you. Here it is:

"..... I’d like now to look at the universal desire for the assurance of being enjoyed, not just to be loved, but also to feel enjoyed and know we are delighted in. Many of us know what it is like to be in relationship with people who we know are supposed to love us, or even say that they love us, yet we never receive the assurance that they enjoy us; we are never fully confident that they actually like us being with them. While we “know” that we are “loved,” we can have torment in our hearts as we wonder whether they actually like us or are just bearing with us. The reality is that we often have difficulty fully believing people who say they love us but don’t smile at us and enjoy not just what we do, but who we are.

The same is true with God. We have heard all our lives that He loves us. However, if we don’t know that He actually likes us, if we never see Him smiling at and rejoicing in us, either our faith to believe that He actually loves us or the quality of love that we perceive at the heart level will be very low.

Fortunately for us, we don’t have to live that way, because the God of the Bible satisfies the longing of our heart, not just to be enjoyed, but also to know and experience that we are. Over and over the Word of God speaks of the abundant gladness in the heart of God and how he deeply enjoys us. One of my favorite verses on the subject is Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

First this verse tells us that God is with us, we are never alone, His unchanging presence is always with us. He is also mighty to save us: He is not some “nice guy” pushover floating on a cloud in heaven; He is a warrior, a fierce, victorious, mighty, conquering, heroic savior fighting on our behalf, fighting for our hearts.

It is this God who takes great delight in us. He is not like many people who will give you a (fake) smile when you see one minute and not care about you the next, because He is always with you, constant, reliable, unceasing in His presence and gladness towards You. He is also not like weak people who half-smile at you because they are so afraid of you not liking or rejecting them, emotionally needing your affirmation. No, our God is mighty, strong, and self-assured and from that place of confidence He freely rejoices over you out of the abundance and steadfastness of His heart. The intensity of His delight in you is so great that it overflows in song.

As the trials or even the mundane of life threaten to make you lose heart, remember the unchanging, ever-present, mighty warrior God likes you so much that right now in heaven He is bursting into song. This week take some time to shut out all the other voices that vie for your attention and listen for the voice of God singing over you in love. " (From Deeply Enjoyed by Richard Liantonio)

BLOG COMMENT: How does it make you feel to know that God enjoys and rejoices over you? What visual do you get from this verse?