God Sees Your Dissappointments

Let's face it. People let us down. They disappoint us. Often our experiences fall short of our expectations for God to meet all our needs the way we think He should, and like a lover who has been wronged, we tend to guard our hearts against future disappointment by lowering our expectations and trust. But make no mistake about it, God sees. God understands. He is not aloof.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin, Hebrews 4:15

How like God. He places His hand on your shoulders, looks into your eyes, and lets you know that He understands. "I see you," He says. "I see what you are going through." Like Hagar who experienced a sudden glory moment with God in the desert; we too can know God as El Roi, "the God who sees me," (Genesis 16:13).

The book of Hebrews tells us that we have a High Priest, Jesus, who understands what we are going through. He "sympathizes" with our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). The word "sympathizes" comes from two Greek words, smy and pathos, meaning, "suffer with."  We are not alone in our suffering and there are glory moments to be found in the dark if we will keep our eyes open to see.

God did not write the story of your life and then sit back to watch it play out. He is in the story with you. As a matter of fact, He has the leading role. Oh, we try to butt in and take the spotlight. We try to push Him out of the way and take over the lead. But when we get to heaven and look at the playbill, we will see that God had the leading role all along, and our names were there in supporting roles as a display of His glory.


Still Hungry? 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 3:1

Can Love Be Defined

How often we use the word and what does it mean? Can love really be defined?

We love warm weather. We love our husband or wife. We love our college football team. We love the latest fashion trend. We love chocolate. We speak the word in our most tender moments and then use it to describe our feelings about a flavor of ice cream.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Do you know that you are loved? Really loved?

The God who created all of life defines love. He IS love. And He loves you even if you don't love Him in return. He doesn't wait for you to demonstrate your love for Him. He loves you first. He clearly demonstrated His love through Jesus Christ, especially when Christ gave His life for us.



Over the next few days, try to notice how many times the word "love" is used in casual conversation. Each time you hear it, think about the love of God - real love. Think of how much He loves you and begin to experience His love. When you begin to know His love, you'll be amazed at the joy in your life.

Still Hungry? John 3:16, 1 John 4:10

Don't be Out of Time

One of the teachings of Jesus is that He will come again. He very clearly teaches about signs of His coming:

"But of that day and hour no one knows..." - Matthew 24:36

An increase in false teachers and messiahs. False teaching is contrary to God's written Word; we see this today not only in cults, but also inside and outside the church.

Wars and rumors of wars. The 20th century was the bloodiest and worst century in all history. Sadly, the 21st century appears to be on its way to breaking that record.

Increase in natural disasters. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, famines and floods.

All of these things are occurring now, yet He says these occurrences are like birth pangs. With the onset of labor, birth pangs increase in frequency and intensity as birth approaches. This is very revealing in reflecting on the "signs" of which Jesus speaks.

Yet, He clearly states, "No one knows the time." If someone sets a time, you can be sure he is a false prophet because no one knows the time. We need to be ready all the time. One thing is for sure, however, birth pangs keep increasing. Will you be ready for His return? Will your friends and families? We've got to get busy, people, for a day is coming when we will be out of time.

Still Hungry? Luke 17:26, Luke 12:42, Acts 1:7

Coming Out of Darkness

Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Nobody gets depressed overnight and nobody overcomes depression overnight. The journey out of the pit is a process of steps uniquely planned by your Father. Let's look at some of the steps we must take in order to find our way out of the dark. 
Wait. The psalmist simply says, "I waited." Waiting is not passive. Waiting is a time of preparation, a time of rest and healing, a time when God covers us with the shadow of His wing. 

To wait means to accept the pit.
Isaiah 45:3 is a compelling verse, "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Any time the word, "LORD" is capitalized, it means "Father" or "Dearest Daddy." This verse indicates that our Father has gone before us and, in every dark moment or painful circumstance, has buried a treasure or stored a secret. The only way we can find the treasure or learn the secret is to pass through that darkness. Some things cannot be learned in the light. The pit of depression has become a hedge of protection in my life, a warning light that something is wrong or out of balance. To wait means to accept the pit, knowing it is for our good.

To wait means to admit there is a problem.  Isaiah 40:29 "He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak."  
    
We must be willing to admit we are struggling, but pride often prevents us from doing so. Emotional health begins at the point of emotional integrity, being willing to say, "I need help!" and being honest with ourselves and with others.  A shared load is a lighter load because we were created to need each other.

To wait means to be still. "I waited." To wait means to hope in and look for someone or something that will rescue us.
So much about God can never be known on the run. We can get so wrapped up in everyday life that we fail to be wrapped up in Him. The busier we are, the more stillness and rest we need. During those years in the pit. The Father taught me an important truth. He is more concerned with who I am than what I do. 

Cry out for help.  Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry."
People struggling with depression often look for help in the wrong places. Let me share with you some of the right places.

• God. Your Father stands waiting to hear your voice; and when you cry out to Him, He comes running - through His Word, through prayer and through His people. There was a terrible storm and the little girl was afraid. When she cried out in fear, her father came running down the hall, into the bedroom and scooped her up in his arms as he said, "Honey, God will take care of you." The tearful child replied, "I know God loves me and will take care of me but right now, I need somebody with skin on." If you cry out to God, He will come to you in some way.

• Doctors and counselors. Proverbs 15:22 gives us an important truth when it says, "Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success." I encourage anyone experiencing depression to get a physical because depression is often rooted in a physical problem, requiring medication. The medication does not eliminate the depression but simply levels the playing field so whatever is triggering the depression can be addressed. Christian counselors are a gift from God. He knew we would need them.

• Others. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 instructs us to "encourage each other and give each other strength." I would never have survived the pit of clinical depression without the help and encouragement of family and friends. You may be thinking, "I have no one in my life that will help me." If you cry out to God, He will bring you help.

Count on God to come through.  One of the promises I clung to while sitting in the darkness of depression was Psalm 107:13-14. "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains." The Psalmist promises that when you cry out to God, He will:

•  "lift you up out of the slimy pit"
•  "set your feet on a rock"
•  "give you a new place to stand"
•  "put a new song in your heart"
•  "use your pit so that others will "see and trust God"

God is drawn to broken people. Psalm 40:1 says, "He turned to me." Notice it does not say David turned to God. Honestly, I doubt David had the strength to turn to God - so God turned to him. God heard the cry of David, and He will hear yours. I was angry with God but He never turned away from me. Instead, He surrounded me with His love and compassion and as Psalm 56:8 promises, He knew every tear I cried. "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." You can count on God to come through.

Be patient. "I waited patiently for the Lord." The word "patiently" means "without tiring and with perseverance." To come out of the darkness takes time and requires patience. It took me many years to hit rock bottom. It took me two years to climb out of that pit and I am still climbing. I have asked God to deliver me, anything that makes me cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. When we come to the end of ourselves, God begins.
    

Still Hungry? Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns."

Philippians 4:7 (NIV) "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Make a list of the dark places in your life today. Surrender each one to God. Ask Him to bring light into your heart and mind and help you walk in His peace. Now, walk in that peace today. When the waves of darkness come, remember each one now belongs to your Father.

Fresh Faith

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).

Every morning I walk straight to the kettle and push the ON button. I'm a total honey & ginger tea girl. I like a piping-hot, and I struggle to function without my fresh cup of tea. I crave that first sip and relish the warmth of the mug in my hands. I jokingly call it my "warm, happy friend." My mornings just wouldn't be the same without tea!
We should have the same attitude about our faith. We should wake up each morning bursting at the seams to be with God, to be in His presence, to listen for His still small voice, to savor Him. 

A faith that is brewed fresh daily strengthens us, renews us, and enables us to mount up with wings like eagles, to experience the power of God in our lives, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.

This energizing, percolated faith is readily available to all who ask, seek and knock. How can you experience this power in your life? By getting alone with God, reading the Bible, and listening for His voice each day. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ"
Like a morning with no tea, there are times when we are sluggish in our faith. Times when trusting Him doesn't come easily. Times when we need a shot of God-ginger in our day, some spiritual honey. What can we do at these times? Are there things in the Scriptures that tell us how can we strengthen our trust-muscles and jump-start our faith? Absolutely!

One practical way to build your faith is by remembrance. When David was just a shepherd boy, he had courage to face a giant partly because he remembered the previous victories the Lord allowed him to experience. He approached King Saul with great confidence, saying: The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. His past victories fueled his faith and helped him to trust God for his present deliverances. Ours do the same. We can face our giants with equal confidence when we pause to remember how God has worked in our past.

What has God brought you through in the past? Think on these things, and choose to trust Him to bring you through all you face today and tomorrow. When you trust God with a fresh brewed faith, He will be your Strength, your Sustainer, and your Hiding Place so you can run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint. Fill up your faith cup right now.

Still Hungry? Romans 10:17, 1 Samuel 17:36, Psalm 68:35