How to Quench Your Thirst

How to Quench Your Thirst

 

            Close your eyes, relax, picture a fountain in the midst of a garden and think about the sound of water as it bubbles forth. Can you hear it; hear the little droplets fall like gentle rain into the pool beneath?  The longer you sit quietly; picturing and listening, peace begins to seep into your being.

            I have always loved fountains whether in a garden or in a busy city square.  They make you stop a minute and maybe for just a second bring peace to a busy day.  They remind me of the gentle rain that God sends us at times.  All sunshine doesn’t bring continuous joy.  Some of my favorite times are to awake in the morning when the day is gray and the soft rain is falling on the sidewalk; the parched grass or the thirsty garden.  Something about it makes me feel so secure and peaceful; a great time for a cup of tea and a good book.  The cares of life seem to wash away.

            I  no longer have a garden with a fountain any longer, but there is another fountain that is available to everyone at all times.  In Isaiah 12:3 it says, “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!”  I have done this and have experienced ‘peace that passes understanding’ and it gives me such joy and security. 

            Perhaps you have never heard of this amazing ‘Fountain of Salvation’.  The prophet Jeremiah explains it, “…the Lord, the Fountain of Living Water.”  In other words, God, the Father gives us a fountain of salvation, because he is the Fountain of Living Water.  We have this fountain within us to keep us from getting dry and thirsty. If you are thirsty and sit by a fountain and don’t drink, you’ll even get thirstier. Have you noticed that when you are thirsty it’s all you can think about?  You know there’s a fountain there; you see it and you hear it, but it doesn’t quench your thirst.  It’s the same as knowing there is a God; you hear about it; you read about it, but that doesn’t do a thing for you.

            The only way you can quench your thirst for joy, happiness and peace is to drink the Living Water from the well of Salvation.  You must realize that you are a sinner and ask Jesus, God’s Son to forgive you and invite him into your heart.  After all, He died on the cross for you and for me so our sins would be wiped away.

            You might be thinking, “I’m not a bad person; I didn’t kill anyone or commit a crime, so why would I need to ask forgiveness?”  Let me ask you a couple questions.  Did you ever tell a lie?  Did you ever take anything that didn’t belong to you?  Did you ever speak badly about another person?  Those are sins; maybe they aren’t the ‘big’ sins, but nevertheless they are sins and you need to repent.

Perhaps you are a believer that has become dry and thirsty and you can’t be satisfied.  Come, drink of the Living Water.  Listen to God’s voice; he’s calling to you.  He wants you to drink deeply from this amazing fountain.  I know for myself I have wandered around dry and thirsty and want to be filled from God’s Fountain.  His Living Water is to be shared with others.  How can you do this if you are dried up?

            There is a danger to those who don’t drink enough.  You may have a sun stroke or heat stroke; you may have kidney problems, or your skin begins to crack and flake.  Just like the physical danger, there is also spiritual danger.  God tells his people in Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have forsaken me--the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

            If we have turned from God or have become lackadaisical about a relationship with Him, we probably are not holding the Living Water he has given us.  God didn’t do this; we have done it to ourselves.   He is not holding back – we are no longer drinking from the Fountain of Living Water!

            If you are searching for peace within yourself, turn to the One who give you peace.  Go to that Fountain and drink until you are satisfied.  If you haven’t yet turned your life over to Him, go to that Fountain of Salvation and He will fill you.  How do you do that?  Do what we talked about in the beginning; close your eyes, think about a fountain of bubbling water, listen and wait.  Soon you’ll feel that peace come over you and you’ll know it’s the Lord.  Then talk to him just like you would to a person you know.  He will answer – I know He will.

How to Love Yourself

How to Love Yourself

 

     “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

            Read these scriptures carefully and you will see these are commandments from God.  He didn’t say we should try to do these things, but that in order to obey God, we must do them!  Today, I want to address part of this second commandment.  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  I read this several times and wanted to make sure of what I was really seeing here.  I came to the conclusion that it was really important that I love myself!   That sounded a little more difficult than I first thought.

           The first thing I thought of was the story of Snow White and the evil witch.  The witch would go to a magical mirror and look at herself and say, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of us all?” Most of us don’t have the ego that she did.  We look in a mirror and here’s what we see:

·       Every little line and wrinkle

·       Everyone is better dressed

·       Everyone has prettier hair

·       Bigger muscles

·       Nicer Home

·       Bigger Car

·       Doesn’t meet other’s standards

Then we go from there to the ‘Poor Me’ syndrome

·       Has poor health

·       Loves to carry our own burdens

·       Complainer

·       Misses great opportunities because we don’t think we’re good enough

·       We think we deserve better. Why?

·       Self-indulgent because we think we earned it.

·       Depressed

Becomes critical

·       No one else can do anything right

·       Jealousy sets in

·       Judgmental

·       Looks for backsliders

·       Self-righteous

·       Unhappy with everyone including self

We know that we must not indulge in pride or thinking our selves better than others.  So we really need to understand that today we are dealing entirely on ‘loving ourselves’.  Again in Mark 12:31, we are told, “You must love others as much as yourself. No other commandments are greater than these.”

            I have come to the conclusion that unless I love myself with God’s love, I will have a very difficult time loving others.  We might go through the actions of being a caring, loving person, but our heart may not be in it and that is not the sacrifice God wants.

            We are an object of God’s love and it was He who made you. Did God the Father ever make ‘junk’?  God is perfect in all His ways, so therefore He made us perfect in the beginning.  What we have become is not how we were created.  It is disobedient to God to resent who you are.  There are certain things about each of us that we can’t change; eyes, structure, teeth, hair, foot size, etc.  (Unless by artificial means).  However, we can change the way we feel about ourselves. 

            What can we see about ourselves to love?  The Word tells us that we, who are born again, have Jesus in us.  Ask yourself, “Do I love Jesus?”  If you answer ‘Yes’, then surely we must love ourselves. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”   [1 Corinthians 6:19]  If this is true, why not look at ourselves as precious, beautiful and rare; like God’s temple should be.    

Then we can say that we are amazing men and women of God, because God loved us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for us; for you and for me.  God has given us favor because he sees us as His Bride; the Bride of Christ.   Have you ever seen an ugly bride?  No!  Every bride is beautiful.   

Men and women – rise up; you are blessed of God.  You are warriors, princesses and princes who have a Holy temple within you.  Your Father has riches untold and you are going to inherit them right along with Jesus Christ.

“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”   “You are - O daughter of God and Son of God!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN FEELING OVERWHELMED

When Feeling Overwhelmed

            Did you ever feel overwhelmed by what was happening to you or someone you loved?  Most of us have at one time or another.  In fact, I recently had someone tell me that because they were going through extended illness, they just wanted to give up.  Why would anyone who is a child of God feel that way?  Let’s see what the Bible says about giving up.

            In the book of I Kings, chapters 18 & 19, we find the great prophet, Elijah going through a time of being overwhelmed.  Elijah had just had a great victory over the priests of the Baal and brought glory to God.  Then Jezebel, who worshiped Baal, sent men out to kill Elijah.  He ran away to hide and asked God to let him die.  He had just proven the power of God, but didn’t have faith to trust God for his life.  The angels brought him food to strengthen him and then he ran again.
           “And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?   So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”  1 Kings 19:9-10
           Elijah’s thoughts were so dark that he thought he was the only believer left in Israel, but in verse 18, God informs him there were 7,000 others who served God.  There were other things that God wanted Elijah to do and he told him to “get up and go”.  It wasn’t God’s time for Elijah to leave this earth. He had not left him alone.
           Even great men of God had to deal with feeling overwhelmed at times.  I know you have heard this said many times, “God will never give you more than you can endure” and it is true, but let’s take a look at what it really says.  “The temptations [troubles] in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation [trouble] to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, [in those times] he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”  I Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
           God will never leave you alone to deal with the overwhelming things that come your way; here’s what he says to you in 1 Corinthians 4:8 (MSG).  “You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle.”  What does this mean?  Don’t waste your time worrying about your situation; God already knows about it and is taking care of it.  The problem most of us have is that we either try to take care of it ourselves, or give up.  Where is our faith in God?
           If you are one of those personalities who feel you must be in control, it is harder to trust God.  We must remember that no matter how we feel, God is still in control.  Job 14:5 (NLT) tells us, “You (God) have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.”  For those who fear death, remember that your time is in God’s hands.
           In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (TLB) we are told; “There is a right time for everything: a time to be born; a time to die.”  When God wants to bring you to be with him, it will happen.  This is why we should serve God, walk in his ways and be ready because we don’t know what our “length of days are”.  Only God knows that.
            Our health is not the only thing that overwhelms us; our finances can also be overwhelming.  Perhaps you are wondering where the money will come from to pay your next house payment or your rent.  Did you know that God owns everything on this earth?  He is our Provider! 
            I know it took me a while to figure this out until it happened to me.  I have seen food provided when I saw no way for it to happen.  I saw money come in for payments when I didn’t have it myself.  I saw food multiply when there wasn’t enough to go around.  I’ve seen money stretch when I didn’t figure it could.  It has been proven to me over and over again that God is so faithful to provide.
            There is a secret I want to share with you that I believe with all my heart.  When I finally understood that God told us to give a 10^th of what we bring into our household, he would bless us in abundant ways.  Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse [the house of God], that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”   Do you believe in God’s promises? This is one of them. 
            God promises that Believers will go to heaven when they die.  I sure believe that, don’t you?  If we believe one of God’s promises we should believe them all, unless you want to pick and choose what is truth or lies in the Bible.  If you believe in all God’s promises, then you must also believe in this one.  God’s Word says if you do this, then I’ll bless you in all ways.
            If you are overwhelmed by marriage problems, God’s Word has the answer for you.  He shows us what to do in all types of situations that afflict couples and we should try every thing we can to bring your marriage back into God’s will for you.  Yet, because of one or other of the spouses, it doesn’t always work.  God wants you to have peace in your marriage, but as much as He hates divorce, he allows it is not the unforgivable sin! The following scriptures give you a clear picture of what you should do.
            1 Corinthians 7:10-15 (NKJV) “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.  But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband, who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”
           God will not give you more than you can bear!  Never forget that when you are feeling overwhelmed.  Turn to Him; He will never fail you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

 

Even when we don’t physically hear God speak to us, he gives us answers to prayer.  When we ask him for direction, we may sense that he wants us to do a certain things or go a certain way.  Many times his answer is to ‘wait’ and at times it is ‘yes’.  Yet there are times he answers with a definite ‘no’.  We probably won’t like hearing a 'no', but the important thing is our response to his ‘no’. 

A short time ago I was driving in nasty weather; my windshield iced over and the road was very slippery.  I was driving slower than usual when I got behind a car driving about 40 miles per hour.  I was on the highway and in the right-hand lane and at this point, it was not too bad.  I looked at the other lane and it was snow-covered, but I did see some tracks where someone had driven on it.  Feeling rather impatient, I decided I could easily pass the slow moving car in front of me.  As I started to go into the other lane, a stern thought came loudly in my mind, “Stay!”  I thought it was God telling me to stay where I was.  I drove on a bit further and struggling inside, I thought I must have imagined it and decided I would still pass the car in front of me.  As I made that decision I again heard that voice inside me say, “Stay!”

I stayed behind the car and a few seconds later came on an accident.  A car had skidded and was down a steep incline and on the other side of the highway a truck had skidded and another vehicle was backwards.  It appeared it had been a white-out.  I knew immediately that God had saved me from being in an accident, if I had passed the car in front of me.  Yes, God does speak to us. 

I was reminded of Elijah of the Old Testament; he had given up and wanted to die.  He was in hiding when the Lord came to him; not in a loud, terrifying voice, but the Bible tells us in 1 Kings 19:12 “…after the earthquake, a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice.  There are times when God speaks to us in his Word, or perhaps in a dream, but I have found he speaks most often in that ‘still, small voice’.  You must be quiet to hear it, but he still speaks to us. 

I do hear him when God says NO and I know I’m in for something I may not like.  Almost 3 years ago, my younger sister was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  At first I was absolutely sure God would heal her.  She went through radiation and chemo; she lost her beautiful hair, and speech became difficult for her, but through it all she stayed positive.  During those months, we laughed together; cried together and recalled so many memories of the times we shared growing up.  I made 40 scripture cards about God’s healing power, which she read every day.  There were so many prayers for her; so many visitors and so many thoughtful things done for her.  Her husband was by her side almost constantly and gave her such loving care. I can’t tell you how much I prayed that she would be healed, but in the end God said, “NO!”  She left this world to be with Jesus in November of 2010. 

What do you do when God says “NO”?  I turned to the Word of God and a scripture that has carried me through many things.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28   How could someone’s death turn to good?  During her illness, she gave herself entirely into the hands of God.  Others that visited her were witness to her faith.  Some were touched forever during times of prayer.  Towards the end we knew God had said ‘No’ to our prayers, but she had grown so close to him that she was ready.  A few days before she passed away she told me she wanted to go be with Jesus and with our Mother whom we knew was waiting to greet her in heaven.  She was so at peace and I could not possibly wish her to stay.  After she was gone, I sat by her bed and held her hand; still feeling her presence in the room.  I began to sing to her, “Fly to Jesus, Fly to Jesus….”;  I knew that was just what she did.

            It’s not always as extreme as death when God says, ‘no’.  It may be a house you were going to buy, or a car you thought you needed.  God knows our past, present and our future.  What we want isn’t always good for us.  All the things you have experienced in your life that you thought was so difficult, later you find out the reason why God said' no'.  You may also discover why you went through certain things.  It may be so you can minister to others, because you have been there yourself.  How could you minister to those with depression unless you have experienced it?  How can you minister to the hurts of those who have been divorced unless you went through it?  How can you minister to those with financial difficulties unless you have had them?

Only God knows the future and what we might have to face in life, but in the end, we who are Believers, will be victorious in all things.  He promised he would supply our needs; not our wants.  Our needs are food, shelter and clothing; not lobster, a palace, or name brand clothing.   Whether or not you like the answer you get from God, there is one thing you need to remember; God is God!  He tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9   “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts greater than your thoughts.”  

There is a way:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."           Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

             My prayer:  "Dear Lord, whatever your answer is, help me to accept it because I know whatever it is, it will be the right answer; the best for me.  Amen."