I’ve heard a lot of media types say this year is one of the most difficult “of all time.” As humans we tend to look at history from our own timeframe. When we do that it negates all the trials and tribulations so many before us have endured. . As Christians we need to grasp hold of the many promises of which God clearly states in His Holy Word. When we do, we find that people have successfully endured extreme hardships for 1,000s of years because they placed their faith in Him. . Join me and a few guests these next few weeks as we explore just some of those promises which help us, not only endure, but to find joy and peace no matter what the world hurls at us. . Go to https://emboldened.net/ and follow to receive your daily email of promises made and kept by God.
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” Matthew 7:13 . This narrow gate comes with a shepherd to guide us. When we hold fast to Him our way is made sure. . Join me starting Dec 7 as we explore 25 of the 1,000s of promises of God through the Book of Isaiah. “Follow” my blog to receive your daily “Hold The Line” posts. .
What battles are you facing right now? For me it’s my fears about the direction the country is going. I am a patriot through and through. I’m not a fan of people who twist history to meet their needs for victimization. That may not sit well with people but I will not judge others for living imperfect lives while I, myself, live imperfectly every single day. That being said I can only live in God’s Truth which is the fact that the only battle I have some control over is the one that tries to pull me away from God. . When I don’t first get on my knees and pray; when I don’t continually look to the Lord for guidance; when I don’t trust that God is the ultimate warrior in the battles for Truth and Justice — this is when I need to remind myself to tighten my own warrior belt and take up my shield. . Our real battles are being fought in realms unseen. Our job is to surrender to the knowledge that God will fight for us when we ask. He will beat back the armies that wish to destroy us. And as King Jehoshaphat commanded the people of Judah to act before battle, we need to give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!” . It’s time to completely turn your battles over to God. Let’s face it, you haven’t had too many victories without Him. Wave your white flag. Get on your knees and pray. . Join me starting July 27 as I begin 30 Days of Praise for all the great things God has done. Follow me to enjoy this journey! http://www.emboldened.net. .
Where do you place the idea of “persistence” in your life? In God’s realm it is one of the most highly touted human characteristics. . Persistence gets us to grab hold of the life God wants for us. It molds us into better people. Persistence takes us over the finish line when we continually pray in worship, thanksgiving and petition. . Persistence is not about never changing course. It’s about never taking your eyes off the ultimate goal — even if that means our course zig zags a bit. When I was learning to sail the first thing we needed to understand was reading the wind. Sensing it’s direction and using it for the most power and energy. Frequently that meant having to “tack” or sail in a zig zag. As a sailor you need to be fully in tune with the unseen in order to persist toward that spot on the horizon you’ve picked out as your ultimate goal. . I have pleasing God as my ultimate goal. And through prayer, meditation, worship, and paying close attention to His unseen and seen ways I set my sail toward Him. It may mean I zig zag my way but through persistence I know I will reach my goal. . Please join me in this adventure as I begin 30 Days of Praise starting July 27. Go to my blog (link in bio) and follow me to receive a daily praise and to add your own daily praise ❤️. . I look forward to setting sail with you! .
What’s your reaction when encountering people who doubt — doubt your understanding of facts, science, faith, morals, values? . We’ve become this society where what we know to be true and good and right is what everyone else MUST agree with. At a time when you’d think we’d grown to be more interested in varied ideas it’s seems our desires to expand our minds and sphere of real friends keeps shrinking. An “echo chamber” is one in which we can only hear our voice. And unless we are God, our voice can frequently be wrong. . As a Christian, I see other Christians falling into a sea of doubt about the lessons and way of life we are called to. We don’t want to be the lone voice outside society’s echo chamber. On the flip side we are called to be our Christian brothers’ keepers — being merciful to followers who struggle against societal lies and snatching each other out of the fires. And even more merciful to non-followers who have yet to accept the Truth of God. . A Christian’s “doubt” should only lie in the struggle with God’s Word as lived out in the world— not the Truth of God’s Word. When we see our Christian loved ones sinking further into that struggle with the world is when we need to act with God’s authority and be His lifeline. . When you doubt the right way to live out your life what action do you hope those around you take? Mercy or with condemnation?
As I’ve gotten older my allergies have gotten worse. I’ve had sinus surgery and I’m currently going through the allergy shot regimen. And yet I still need to take allergy pills both in the morning and at night. In the early years of this battle I experimented with different allergy medications. Some made me incredibly sleepy and foggy. I saw a commercial for the brand Claritin. What caught my attention was the line “Claritin Clear.” The commercial shows a foggy view of the world. And after taking their product that foggy film is stripped away. That’s what I needed. What I didn’t realize at the time was not only were my allergies making my view of the world foggy but so was my lack of trust in God.
My friend and I were out for a walk and I was struck with the fact that she has taken God’s allergy medication. For one, three different devotionals she read that day pleaded the same action: Trust in the Lord with all you heart and all your mind and all your soul and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). I told her sometimes God whispers and sometimes He shouts and shakes us! Both are to get us to open our eyes and ears to the truth of our lives — to be God Clear. For another, she’s leaning into God’s grace of that medicine and surrendering.
But the work is not done. In fact the clearing of our eyes can be painful. Just like my twice weekly allergy shots (I hate shots), growth often starts with pain. If we stop because of the pain we can never fully achieve our greatest gifts from God. He wants so much for us — a life free of self doubt, self loathing, and turmoil. But we must first peel away the lies that Satan so readily whispers to us.
Where are you at in this process? Have you tried trusting God but it seems too scary, too painful? My friend a glorious, clear life awaits you. Trust in God’s holy medicine to bring you through the pain.
What blessing are you hoping and waiting for today? It’s time to get serious about the strength of your faith and our willingness to make a full confession of our transgressions. . In a recent Bible study I was asked: “What are you trying to hide from God?” Well, we all chuckled because of course you can’t hide anything from God. But do we truly believe that? Is that how we live out our daily lives? Charles Spurgeon says, “Do not play with sin. Do not confess it as though it were some venial fault that would not have been noticed unless God had been too severe.” . As the apostle Paul says, God cannot be mocked. The Almighty knows our tepid faith. He knows our bold faith. He hears when we rush through a prayer and he hears when we grasp Him tightly and plead honestly with Him. We don’t reward or accept in our own children or friends a tepid or insincere apology so why should God when what we ask of Him is ten-fold? . When we plead to God we lay bare our innermost sins and cleanse them. I like the analogy of a wrestler stripping down to the bare minimum before entering the playing arena. Because when we show we have nothing left to give up, nothing left to weigh us down, that is when God performs His greatest work in us. . So grasp His hand tightly today. Lay out your sins. And plead for His love to envelop you. .
emboldened.net 