Month: March 2023 Page 1 of 4

We all have different struggles in life.  My Mom had a green thumb when it came to flowers.  She left me 25 African Violet plants when she went to Heaven, all from one that I gave her.  She just kept propagating them.  I tried it just like she did, but mine never got big and beautiful like hers.  This one struggled for its life and though it was blooming, it shriveled up and died not too long after that.  What kind of struggles are you facing?

“Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9, NIV

Why does it have to be so hard?  That’s something I often ask the Lord when I’m having a bad day, when things go wrong, when I work hard for something only to find it slip out of my reach.  Joshua told the Israelites to not lose heart.  They saw the troubles they’d already had and what was waiting for them as they moved forward to possess the land, and they were losing their nerve, their energy, and their desire to keep going.  Joshua told them to be strong and courageous.  Get with the program!  Don’t be afraid and discouraged.  Remember what God has done for you in the past and that He is still with you and will continue to be with you wherever you go.  The same holds true for us as well.

Is it time for a pep rally?  When I’m in the midst of a down day and struggling with life’s issues, the last thing I want is someone trying to cheer me up, though I know that’s what I really need.  Human nature likes to wallow in self-pity for a time before it gets up, dusts itself off, and presses on.  So after I catch myself down in the pits, it’s time for a pep rally.  I put on some praise music, listen to some podcasts, read, meditate on God’s Word, and seek out answers to my struggles.  What Joshua told the Israelites in the verse above is a good starting point for my own pep rally.

How do we face our struggles?  There’s basically three ways we can face our struggles:  alone, with others, and with God.  Facing our struggles all alone is not the best option, but understandably at times that is our only option…at least at the moment.  Jesus is always right there to help us in our struggles and weaknesses, but often we don’t think about it and think we’re all alone and try to figure things out ourselves.  In the verse below, Paul asked his brothers and sisters in Christ to join him with the things he was struggling with by praying for him.  Having someone come alongside us in our struggles can be a big boost to our morale.  Sometimes all we need is someone to help us see a different view of the struggle that will either solve it or give us strength to work through it.  Having someone praying for us is a very big help.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters,
by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,
to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.”
Romans 15:30, NIV

I asked a friend to pray for me in a situation I knew I would be in.  When I was in that moment, I remembered that my friend was praying for me, and it brought such comfort to me and gave me a burst of spiritual energy to keep plodding along in the strength of the Spirit.

Struggles make us strong.  Think about the butterfly that is all nice and cozy in the cocoon of the caterpillar.  I love butterflies because they’re so pretty and quiet and to me are a symbol of new life.  If you would open a cocoon to let the caterpillar out, you would be destroying it.  It needs to fight its way out to become strong.  There’s a lesson in that for us, too, because when we fight out way through struggles, we become stronger than we were before.  Christ within us through His mighty power working within us makes us strong.

“That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty power
that works within me.”
Colossians 1:29, NLT

All that Jesus went through in life made Him stronger day by day so that when the end came and He was physically weak, He was spiritually strong in God.  God’s strength was made evident in Jesus’ weakness as He struggled through the end of His life on earth.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, as I struggle with things in life, keep reminding me to bring them to You and depend on You for the strength I need to get me through. Thank You for Your might power working within me.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

I loved having flower gardens but this one was a real pain both literally and figuratively!  It was a fairly steep bank that had never been tended to properly.  Prickly thistle overran it along with the roots of pine trees and Old English Ivy that had outgrown its beauty.  It took a long time to get this garden looking this nice but even then it was hard to keep weeded despite using weed prevention tactics.  It caused even more pain to my back from bending over and stretching.

What causes you pain in life?  Maybe it’s a person, a job, a project, or a situation.  We can do some things to alleviate some kinds of pain, but for others there is nothing we can do.  Some pain is temporary such as a needle for an injection or drawing blood, but other pain lasts longer such as recovery from surgery or a broken arm or leg.

Jesus experienced all kinds of pain in His last days on earth.  Today we’re going to look at the types of pain Jesus experienced.

Emotional.  Jesus faced more emotional pain in a short amount of time than many of us do in a lifetime. 

• Misunderstood.  Jesus came to save the world but the world didn’t believe in Him.
• Rejection.  He was rejected by those He came to save.
• Betrayed.  One of His own close friends betrayed Him with a kiss meant to show love.
• Deserted.  At the peak of His emotional pain, His own Disciples deserted Him.
• Alone.  He was alone in His darkest hours when the emotional pain of what was and was to come pressed in on Him.
• Mocked/verbal abuse.  He was mocked with cruel retorts and verbal abuse.
• Accused.  Jesus was wrongly accused and bore the brunt of it for us.
• Humiliated.  He was displayed publicly with little to cover His physical body.

Physical.  I’m going to get really specific here.  We too often gloss over all the minor details and go right to the big picture.

• Handcuffed.  It wasn’t the kind of handcuffs we think of today.  His hands were tied with rope probably similar to rough rope such as used on a ranch.  It was tied or knotted tightly so He couldn’t slip out of it.  The rope most likely rubbed His wrists raw causing blisters and painful sores.
• Stripped of clothing.  Nights can get rather chilly as noted by the Scriptures that tell us Peter stood by a fire to warm himself.  But Jesus was stripped of His beautiful robe right down to His loincloth (“undies”).  No sandals to protect His feet.  No robe to keep Him warm.  His whole body was on display.
• Blindfolded.  As of Jesus didn’t have enough going through His mind, then He was blindfolded while the soldiers hit Him and taunted Him.
• Crown of thorns.  Thorns just pricking you when you bump into one is bad enough, but now the soldiers were pressing a crown of thorns into His head, puncturing the scalp and causing more pain as they continued their “sport” of verbal abuse.
• Whip.  A leather whip would have been bad enough, but the one they used on Jesus had pieces of broken glass, lead, and other objects that were designed to rip into the objects it touched which in this case was Jesus’ back, arms, and legs.  It hurt when it hit, but then when they pulled back on the whip, it ripped through the skin and caused welts and severe bleeding, not to mention infection setting in.
• The cross.  There was no pity for Jesus’ hurting body.  Though His body was already racked with pain from all He’d already endured, the soldiers made Him carry His own cross on the road to Golgotha.  There was no padding for His body to protect Him from this heavy, splintery, dirty piece of wood, possibly nails in it sticking through where the cross pieces were nailed together.  So the splinters would have rubbed into the open sores of Jesus along with the blood that was running down Jesus’ face.
• The nails and the hammer.  These were not tiny roofing nails or penny nails, but huge spikes like that used on railroad ties.  It is said that Jesus did not fight the soldiers who threw Him down on the cross and reached for the nails and the hammer to drive them through His hands and feet.  It’s a wonder He didn’t pass out right then and there like I would have!
• Inability to breathe properly.  When the cross was raised up and plunked into the hole that awaited the cross, it became extremely difficult for Jesus to breathe.  To learn more about the medical/physical aspects of the last hours of Jesus, click here.
• Loss of blood, cramps, dehydration.  With all that Jesus experienced in physical pain, it’s amazing that He could still think and speak as He did to the two thieves, John, and His Father.

I’m sure there are other aspects I haven’t mentioned, but this is enough to hopefully help you to see all that Jesus went through for you!  Will you commit yourself to Jesus today?  For help in making that commitment, click here.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You so much for being willing to go through all that excruciating pain for me. I love You and want to live for You from this day forth. Come into my heart, forgive me of my sins, and wash me clean so that I can live with You for all eternity.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Beginning today through Easter Sunday, we will be looking at the last days before Jesus’ life came to a horrible death and then joyously resurrected, and how it applies to us. 

Suffering.  I like to start with definitions because too often we think we know what a word means but use it without really understanding all the various parts of what the word means.  To one person “suffering” could mean lying on a sunny beach in Hawaii—someone has to do it!  😊  To another suffering means lying in bed too sick to move or not being able to get up. ☹  By definition, according to Miriam Webster, “distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.”  Each one of those words has their own meaning of the aspect of suffering.  Let’s look at them in light of what Jesus went through that last week of His life.

“Distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.”  Distress definitely causes all kinds of problems for people, from mental to emotional to physical.  It affects every part of your body in ways you don’t even think about.  What kind of distress might you be experiencing right now?  Are you aware of it and of its effects on your body? 

What might Jesus have been thinking about and experiencing as it got closer to the time for Him to complete the work the Father gave Him to do?  He may have been thinking about all the people who heard His message—both those who responded and those who didn’t.  He may have had concern for the believers after He was gone…would they still follow Him and spread the Good News?  Perhaps He wondered if things could have been different or if there was anything important left unsaid.  Did the Disciples and believers really understand the events to come???  Wow!  That’s enough to cause distress.  The weight of the world was literally on Jesus’ shoulders, and He knew the dreaded day wasn’t far away.  It’s kind of like surgery…you know you need it but you dread it at the same time.

“Suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.”  Every time I get on my exercise bike, I’m usually thinking about all the other things I could be doing, or think about how tired I already am.  It takes a conscious effort for me to stay focused on the result of that exercise (losing weight) to keep me from getting off the bike.  Then when my legs start aching and the pace slows, I tell myself I can’t give up.

The beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life was near and it would change the world, but oh the pain He would have to endure in the days ahead.  The sequence of events had begun.  Just like once you hit send on an email, there’s no turning back, so Jesus knew there was no turning back.  He had to complete the task assigned by His Heavenly Father.  He could only go forward to the cross and then upward to Heaven.  After that it was all downhill (no pun intended). 

“Misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.”  The old saying says that misery loves company, though I’m not sure how accurate that really is.  Some of us would rather be left alone when we’re feeling miserable, and certainly wouldn’t wish loss or sickness on anyone else.

Jesus was brave and focused on His purpose of living and dying for others.  He prayed alone in Gethsemane.  He went to the cross alone.  He taught and shared with His Disciples what was going to be taking place soon, but they didn’t get it…just like us sometimes.  He was alone with His thoughts and emotions—yes, emotions!  Jesus had many emotions going through Him.  He’s experienced it all so He can identify with us in our stresses of life.

“Agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.”  I remember in elementary school a friend moved away, like out-of-state move.  Then some close relatives moved hours away.  To this little girl it felt like the world had come to an end.  Though I reconnected with both my friend when she moved back and with my relatives through visits, it was never the same.  The separation had taken a piece of my heart with them never to be fully returned because circumstances were different.

Jesus’ Disciples knew their Master was troubled in spirit about something.  He was as sad as He could ever be short of dying.  His Disciples could see the anguish in His eyes but didn’t know what to do.  They never saw Him like this before.  Though we usually mourn over things that have already happened, Jesus was grieving over what would be happening, what still lied ahead for Him.  He was full of sorrow for the very people He came to help, and yet He knew it had to be this way for their salvation.  Jesus never hesitated, but kept going no matter what—all the way to the cross!

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, I think about my own suffering at various times and then of Your suffering, and there’s no comparison. The pain and suffering I experience for minor aches and injuries is nothing like Yours. I can never thank You enough for all You went through for me.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Trust and Obey is our subject for today.  Listen to this great old hymn.  Then come back and let’s talk… 

If you’re one of the older generations, you might remember the old song that goes Love and marriage…go together like a horse and carriage.  If you never heard that one, you can find the background here.  😊 I’m not quite that old, but I remember hearing it as a kid when my Mom had the radio on.  Trust and obey go together like that.  When you trust God, you’ll want to obey Him.

I’d love to go into all the words of that song which can be found here, but will stick to the refrain.  The verses talk about how when we walk with the Lord, He helps us on our way, sticks close by, chases the doubts and fears away, and how He gives us so much more than we ask or need.  But for all that to happen, we need to take to heart the refrain:

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy with Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Who of us doesn’t need some doubts chased away, our fears dispelled, and help along the way?  I know I do…every day!  Do you want to know what I found out?  On the days when I allow those fears to take over, begin doubting, and lose sight of the good things of life—those are the days that I’ve gotten sidetracked and not trusted, not obeyed.

I wonder how many of my readers know what this was.  Well, if you guessed an outhouse, you are correct.  For the younger readers who never had to use one, consider yourself blessed.  When I grew up, we were one of few people in the area who did not have total indoor plumbing so this rickety old building contained the “facilities”.  Talk about trust!  I had to trust this old building to not fall over with me in it. 

What are we to trust?  We need to trust in God’s promises, His goodness and love.  Believe in Him.  If we trust in ourselves, something else or another person, we will trip and fall every time.  Our trust needs to be in God alone and He will lead the way for us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Do not depend on your own understanding.
In all your ways obey him.
Then he will make your paths smooth and straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, NiRV

Can you name some of God’s promises?  I’m not going to help you.  That’s something we should know if we’re in the Word.  Pick up your Bible and use your concordance or search button on your Bible app.  Look up key words like trust, obey, and promise.  I’ll give you a kickstart:  Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15. 

I like to do word studies once in awhile and it’s interesting to see how the same word can be used in different ways and mean different things.  I just looked at trust in my concordance and it said to also see believe and faith.  I also heard a good analogy that if we trust someone, we will depend on them.

What are we to obey?  We need to obey all the commands God has given us in His Word, not just the ones that are easy or convenient.  Hey, I’m preaching to the choir here.  Sometimes I read a verse and think to myself, yeah, right!  I’m being honest, and if you want to be truly honest, I’m sure you do, too.  So then I have to meditate on that, pray about it, and seek God’s help to be obedient to all His commands.

“Teach these new disciples to obey
all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20, NLT

Obedience to God’s promises bring blessings.  It reminds me of when I was trying to train my dog to obey sit and stay commands.  Most days it seemed like a lost cause with my strong-headed Black Labs…yes, I had one who died and got a second one, and they were both like that even though from different breeders.  I would give him the command and when he obeyed, he got a treat.  God gives us blessings when we obey His commands.

There’s a whole column of references to obeying in my Bible’s concordance, including this one at the very end of the Bible that includes prophecy.

“Look, I am coming soon!
Blessed are those who obey
the words of prophecy written in this book.”
Revelation 22:7, NLT

This week we talked about waiting and the anxiety it can bring, and now the trust and obedience to God’s Word that brings peace and happiness.  Next week (starting tomorrow) we will start looking at the last days before Jesus’ life came to a horrible death and then joyously resurrected, and how it applies to us. 

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, trusting anyone is hard for some of us, especially when our trust has been broken and shattered by someone close to us. Help us to learn to trust You, knowing that You will never hurt us and indeed will bless us.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Which came first—the chicken or the egg???  For the next two days this week we’ll talk about faith and trust.  Which comes first or do they go together?  I’m going to let you decide.  Many people use these two words interchangeably and in some cases that is perfectly fine, but in other scenarios, there is a slight difference in meaning.  Here we go…

Defining faith.  Faith has an object.  Faith is based on convictions for which we may not necessarily have proof.  A friend who lives hundreds of miles away calls you and tells you a story about an experience he had.  Will you believe him?  If he is a trustworthy person and you have no reason to doubt that his story is true, you will most likely not even think about whether to believe him or not.  You have faith that even though you weren’t there that what he said is true. 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1, NIV

An old standby illustration for faith is sitting in a chair by faith that it is going to hold you up.  But you also have to act on that faith by sitting in the chair and trusting that you won’t fall to the ground when you sit down.

Defining trust.  Trust is the object in which confidence is placed.  The dictionary defines trust as firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.  Who or what are you trusting in? 

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we will remember and trust
in the name of the Lord our God.”
Psalm 20:7, AMP

When you go out to purchase a new vehicle, do you just look at one, admire its color or shape, and give a thumbs up for the gas mileage?  Then go in and sign the paperwork?  Whoa!  Not me!  I sit in the car, get in and out a few times to see how easy it is to access, check out the features, and most importantly turn the ignition and take it for a test drive.  Just as I don’t take face value but test out my tentative purchase, in this verse above I believe that the Psalmist is saying that while some people think their chariots and horses are going to help them win the battles, he and his men remembered what God had done for them in the past and would trust God to win their battles for them. 

Preface.  We cannot trust someone we don’t know.  Trust needs to be backed by proof.  Blindly trusting strangers is never a good idea.  Trusting people does not come naturally to me.  I am always hesitant and stay my distance until I get to know someone.  Our relationship with Jesus starts out the same way.  We need to learn about Him, get to know Him better, and as time goes on we trust Him more and more.  The best part is He never changes.  He’s not like cranky Uncle Joe one day and like caring Mr. Smith the next.  He’s the same today (eternity present) as He was yesterday (eternity past) and will be tomorrow (eternity future).

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8, KJV

In a day of changing values, broken promises, and lost laws, it is comforting to know that we can have faith in and trust Someone who never changes.

Proof.  When someone has come through for us in the past, we trust them to do so again in the future.  I’ve had both good and bad experiences with customer service in different businesses.  When they’ve helped me before, I tend to trust them to help me again, but if it was a frustrating, time-consuming effort, and the outcome was not as I’d hoped, I tend to not trust them again.  Jesus knew there would be people who would not have faith in Him and would not trust Him even after His death and resurrection.  So He appeared to people after His death as proof that He was alive and that everything He said was true.

“To these He also presented Himself
alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days and
speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:3, NASB

I have this little quirk, if you will.  If anyone says something can’t be done, I immediately think to myself, I’ll show you.  I’ll prove it can be done.  I am a bit of a problem solver and like to dig in and find a way to solve a problem.  Some of that comes from my younger years being told a certain thing couldn’t be done but I knew different and found a way.  Faith and trust are like that.  Like the saying The proof is in the pudding, but you have to taste it and experience it.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, show me the way of faith and help me trust You for everything in life. Thank You that You are my one “true north”, unchangeable, and forever the same.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

There are some positive aspects of anxiety and that’s what I’m going to write about today.  Anxiety appears when your mind, body and soul are out of balance; it’s your spirit’s way of speaking to you and helping you to sort out what’s going on.  If you’re anxious today, chill out, and allow God to apply His soothing balm of peace as you read today’s post.

Motivation.  When my dog was young, he needed things to keep him occupied so I got him one of those toys that holds treats.  It was too easy for him and he had it emptied in no time and then ignored the empty toy. ☹ I need motivation, too, sometimes to get me moving.  Rewarding myself with a piece of candy, a good book, or something tangible can motivate me to go take that walk, get exercise in, or whatever it is that I really don’t feel like doing.  Motivation can also work to help reduce anxiety.  You may be facing a problem that has you anxious and on edge, but it may also be the very reason to motivate you to look for a solution.  Don’t let anxiety weigh you down and keep you from moving forward.  Let it be a motivator to look for answers.

“Whom have I in Heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:25-26, NIV

Where does your motivation come from?  It usually comes from within yourself but can come from external sources as well such as a friend or something you read or heard.  This Psalm portion says the reason or motivation for life—whether it’s anxiety, failure, loss, or something else—comes from God.  No matter what happens to us or around us, our anchor, our hope, our desire, our strength needs to be in Jesus.

Cautiousness.  When people get anxious about something, they usually do one of two things.  Either they throw caution to the wind and act out carelessly OR they are extra cautious to protect themselves.  Being careless is not helpful in any situation, but being cautious and protecting yourself is a good thing, especially when experiencing anxiety. 

“The wise are cautious and avoid danger;
fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”
Proverbs 14:16, NLT

In Daniel 1:8-17, we learn that Daniel did not make any decisions immediately.  He may have been anxious and certainly cautious, not knowing what would happen to him and his friends if they chose to not eat the king’s food.  But he prayed and reasoned with his attendants, and God gave favor with the attendants and the king.  I think what we can learn from Daniel is to not make any snap decisions, especially in the midst of anxiety, and think things through cautiously.

State of mind.  In the midst of anxiety, the state of mind can play tricks on you.  When the Disciples were out on the sea and the storm came up, Jesus came to them on the water but they thought He was a ghost.  They were anxious about the storm and didn’t think about the fact that Jesus could walk on water.  Perhaps they didn’t realize that before that time or in their anxiety they momentarily forgot.  That was something they learned through this time of anxiety.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:30-31, NIV

Doubt plays a big part in our anxiety because of our state of mind.  Even though we know the truth of a situation, fear and anxiety distort it and play on our minds.  Peter is a perfect example.  He was walking along on the water to Jesus just fine until he looked down and saw the waves.  I imagine his thoughts went something like this:  Oh my, what am I doing?  I can’t walk on water.  I’ll drown.  What was I thinking asking Jesus to bid me come?!  He was second guessing himself and doubting that Jesus would see him safely back to the boat.  But no matter the doubts, he learned a lesson that day. 

I can’t remember if read this quote a long time ago that has stuck with me or if it was my own thoughts, but I’ve written it inside the front cover of my Bible.  “Jesus has power over my restless thoughts.  He can rebuke the storm in my soul and still its raging waters.”  There’s no time when restless thoughts are more prevalent than in the midst of anxiety.  Look for the good things that can come out of the situation causing the anxiety, and allow Jesus to calm the storm.

For the next two days this week we’ll talk about faith and trust.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You for being right here with me, calming me, and showing me the path to take when my vision dims and I’m tired and ready to give up. You alone have the power and strength that I need in the midst of my anxiety.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Anxiety most often has a negative connotation and viewed as a bad characteristic.  Today we’ll look at the negative side, and tomorrow we’ll look at some positive aspects of anxiety.

We’ve all heard about body language and what some of it shows to others.  It is said that if a person crosses their arms, it is telling others that you are closed off, don’t want to hear what they have to say, and are shutting them out.  Personally I feel very comfortable crossing my arms and legs but ever since I heard about what that portrays to others, I’m self-conscious about doing that in public.  Let it be known that if I do that to you, that is not the case.  It’s just a comfortable position for me, especially if I’m cold.  I think the rest of the body language such as facial expression can either confirm or negate that posture.  I can cross my arms but be smiling.  The body language of this baby bunny hiding in my flower garden told me it was afraid and hoping not to be discovered and removed from its nest.

Worry.  Will we have enough money to last through retirement?  Can we provide for our family?  What happens if banks go under… the stock market plunges… STOP!  God created the world.  He is our provider and protector.  These are only two of His names.   He has taken care of me and I trust Him to continue taking care of me all the days of my life and into eternity.  So why worry about tomorrow?  It doesn’t help.  Besides, there’s enough to do today.  Whatever God brings into our lives tomorrow will also be met by His loving care and provision.  Sure I’m concerned about these things just like everyone else, but I do not let it worry me or lose sleep over it.  God’s got it and there’s no better hands it could be in than His.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Matthew 6:34, NLT

Uncertainty.  That is certainly an all-inclusive word for today, isn’t it?  Our world is full of chaos, war, famine, natural disasters, and other negative events that can destroy our sense of peace.  These times of uncertainty make us anxious.  What kinds of uncertainties send you into a spiral?  A pending storm?  Politics?  A lawsuit?  When those uncertainties pop up and shake their fists at you, remember that God gets the final say.  Nothing gets by Him before it gets to us.  God tells us we don’t have to be afraid of what’s going to happen.  He has it all under control.

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
nor for the arrow that flieth by day.”
Psalm 91:5, KJV

Doubt.  Oh ye of little faith, right?  That is the response given by many people to an expression of doubt or uncertainty.  It is meant to help us realize that we don’t have as much faith as we thought we did.  If we did, we wouldn’t be doubting and anxious.  Way back in Genesis even Sarah lacked faith and doubted when it came to being told she was going to have a baby at her old age.  Nothing is too hard for my God, but if I see something through my own eyes instead of through His, it would be easy to give in to doubts.  I’ve seen God provide in so many ways.  One time I remember getting a check in the mail for a story I wrote and I needed it to take my son to the doctor that day.  The next time a check came, I jokingly said, OK, what do I need it for this time?  Sometimes God provides in advance, and sometimes after the fact, but nonetheless He does provide.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?
I will return to you at the appointed time next year,
and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:14, NIV

Anxiety.  Anxiety can be a bigger problem that affects people’s lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I am in no way diminishing that.  I’ve known people who would get so anxious that they would end up in a panic attack.  If you or someone you know deals with this kind of anxiety, please seek help from a pastor, doctor, or counselor.  God’s peace can be yours as you work through issues that cause your anxiety. 

Tomorrow we’ll continue to talk about anxiety—the kind that is helpful and good.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, as I face uncertain times, things that worry me, make me doubt, and cause anxiety, please help me to hold onto You and trust You to lead me through it to the other side.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Most if not all people have to wait for something or someone at some point in their lives.  Thinking about people in the Bible, who might stick out to you as someone who had to wait and how long?  You might say the Israelites wondering for 40 years in the wilderness, waiting to arrive in the Promised Land, and you’d be correct—that definitely was a long wait.  Maybe you said Martha and Mary as they waited for Jesus to come and heal their brother Lazarus—Jesus waited three days before going to them.  Then there was the whole scenario at the well when Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman—then He waited for her to go to the city and return.  Have I whet your appetite?  Grab your Bible and go searching for others who waited.

“So they took away the stone.
Then Jesus looked up and said,
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
I knew that you always hear me,
but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
John 11:41-42, NIV

Purpose.  What can we learn from those who waited?  Let’s take the wondering Israelites first.  Why did they have to wait to enter the Promised Land?  Well, we see they complained (We do that, too, right?  Look out!), argued (Us, too?), disobeyed (gulp), and eventually God had enough and caused them to wonder for 40 years until that generation died out.  What was God’s purpose with that?  We don’t know the total mind of God, but it looks like He wanted to clean house of all the bad attitudes and actions before they arrived in the Promised Land.  Sometimes our time of waiting is also to make sure we are on the right track and free of sin before He shows us the next step.

A friend and I had climbed a mountain trail and almost got lost because we came upon a meadow of tall grass and didn’t see where the path went from there.  When we first found where the trail picked up again, it looked like it was straight down and we both looked at each other, not sure if we wanted to try it or go back the way we came which had its own challenges.  We were running out of time so I finally started down to see how it was and quickly discovered that it zig-zagged back and forth going down the mountain and wasn’t that bad except for loose gravel that made it easy to lose footing.  I waited for my friend to catch up with me and we traversed the trail downward together.

The obvious delay in the story of Lazarus was so that Jesus could perform the miracle of resurrection.  If Jesus had merely healed Lazarus, the people would have only thought of Jesus as a healer.  Jesus had a plan, and His plan could only be completed if Lazarus had died.  The resurrection of Lazarus from the dead was a much bigger deal that got people’s attention. 

The woman at the well listened to Jesus who was waiting for His disciples to return with food.  After speaking with her, Jesus could have disappeared as at other times, but He waited.  Why?  Besides waiting for the return of His disciples, I think He was waiting to see what she would do with what she heard.  Would she go back and tell the others what happened and Who she met?  Then would she return with them to the well?

Preparation.  We have mentioned some things we can do during waiting times that will help the time to be productive, but now let’s look at some of the ways that God can use times of waiting.  Preparation is a big one.  We may not be ready for the next step in His plan for us and so we find ourselves still waiting.  Pray and prepare for what God might be showing you or where you think the next step might be leading you.  If we pray and prepare, it will get us a lot further along than wasting the time on insignificant things.

Pressure.  Don’t strive to do things your own way.  Don’t put pressure on God to hurry things along.  Forcing things to happen often boomerangs and fails.  It’s kind of like shaking up a soda bottle and then trying to open it without fizz going all over everything.  On the other hand a certain amount of pressure is sometimes helpful like putting pressure on a wound that is bleeding.  It stops the bleeding from getting worse.  Use a good kind of pressure called prayer!

Prayer.  Don’t give up praying when you don’t see answers.  Pray faithfully by bringing your request to God, but let the response to Him.  He knows better than any suggestion we could give Him what the best answer is.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the anxiety that comes along with waiting.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, show me how to best make use of my time of waiting until You bring the answer to my prayers.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

My cat has always been an indoor only cat.  When I had a house, there was a screened-in porch she could go out on and we both loved to be out there.  But when I moved into an apartment, we didn’t have that luxury.  So she would sit on the windowsill when I went out on the deck, watching me, and waiting for me to come inside to her.  She didn’t think it was fair that I could go outside but she couldn’t…a matter of perspective.  LOL

Yesterday we talked about some things we wait for in this life.  Today we’ll refocus on waiting from God’s perspective.  His timeline isn’t the same as ours (see 2 Peter 3:8–9).  Waiting is difficult and not our favorite thing to do, but it is a necessary part of God’s plan.  Let’s take a look.

Wait on the Lord.

“Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14, NLT

When you’re waiting for someone to get ready to go somewhere, what is the usual prompt?  Hurry up!  Waiting on the Lord involves a patient, confident trust, and sometimes bravery and courage.  It can’t be hurried.  It’s easier to wait when it’s quiet and comfortable and we have someone to keep us company, but that isn’t always the case. 

As I sat alone last week too sick to get up and go to the store for meds, I reminded myself it could be worse, and that I needed to wait until someone could help me.  I must admit, though, that at other times I’m saying Lord, could You please move a little faster on my request?!  As I said, patience is not one of my best qualities, but I constantly work on it and reign it in when needed.

Wait on God to act.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.”
Psalm 37:7, NLT

We get impatient and frustrated when we see wrongdoing and people getting away with it.  But justice will prevail.  We just need to wait and let God work out the details.  Don’t worry!  He won’t let evil prosper forever.  David often wrote and reminded God that he was being chased for no fault of his own at times, and that his enemies were catching up with him.  God told him to be still and let Him take care of things.  He tells us that, too.  If we push ahead and try to speed up the process, God might very well put the brakes on and delay our answers even further.  God doesn’t do this out of vengeance or to be cruel, but if we try to get our answer too quickly, it may not be best for us.

Wait for answered prayer.

“I was patient while I waited for the Lord.
He turned to me and heard my cry for help.”
Psalm 40:1, NiRV

How long do you wait after you pray before you expect an answer?  God hears us as soon as we pray but sometimes delays His answers.  If you expect an instant answer and don’t get it, don’t give up.  I read a quote one time that I’ve never forgotten.  Don’t give up praying.  You never know when your answer might be just around the corner.  If your answer is around the corner, you won’t see it from afar if there are buildings or other things in the path, but when you get to the corner and look, it might be there waiting for you if you don’t give up.  God’s timing is always best.

Wait for Jesus’ return.

“Dear brothers and sisters,
be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return.
Consider the farmers who patiently wait
for the rains in the fall and in the spring.
They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
You, too, must be patient.
Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
James 5:7–8, NLT

Just as today, in the early church there were many who were persecuted and martyred and they were anxious for the Lord to come back again quickly and save them from the pain and torture they found themselves in.  This world is a mess even more so today, and I often pray, Lord Jesus, please come quickly.  James uses farmers as an example here.  They wait for rain and the right conditions for their crops to grow.  So we need to be patient and wait for the Lord’s return.  He has a lot to do before He returns and the timing and conditions must not be ready yet or He would have already returned.

Tomorrow we’ll transition to talking about the anxiety that comes along with waiting.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, as I wait on You, help me to learn the lessons You are trying to teach me in the waiting. Help me look for the promises and blessings that come with waiting on You.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

There’s excitement in waiting when it’s waiting for something that you know is definitely going to happen, like waiting for visitors to arrive or a party to begin or a special day to arrive.

Waiting.  If anyone out there actually likes to WAIT for anything, do share!  Most of us do not like waiting in this day of instant gratification.  I’m certainly no exception.  I often say that I feel like my life is in a holding pattern like airplanes waiting to get permission to land at an airport. 

What are some things we wait for in life?

• A date
• Engagement
• Marriage
• Children
• Graduation
• Jobs
• Empty nest
• Retirement
• Grandchildren

What about the daily things we wait for?

• The coffeemaker
• Water to boil
• Supper to get done
• Time to leave for school or work
• Time to go home
• Traffic!!!
• Lines at the store or gas station
• Someone to come home
• Bedtime
• A special event

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.”
Lamentations 3:25, NASB

While waiting.  What do you do while waiting?  It depends what time of day, what or who you’re waiting for, what comes next, and a whole plethora of other specific reasons you are waiting.  No matter the reason for waiting, I try to make good use of the time. 

Before having a smartphone with a Kindle app, I use to kick myself for forgetting to take along a book when I was going somewhere like the doctor’s office where I’d have to sit and wait.  Sorry, doctors, but you have that reputation of being late according to the scheduled time you would have us arrive…our time is just as important as yours!  Then I’d get aggravated because I was wasting time that I could have been reading or doing something important.  When you are a mother who works full time, free time is precious.  Now I never have that problem because there’s always a number of things at my fingertips to keep me occupied and redeem the time.

On my previous blog, I wrote a post about being on hold—probably my least favorite form of waiting.  In that post I suggested some ways of making use of the time while you’re on hold with that tech support person.  You can use that as a springboard for coming up with your own ideas of how to make best use of other waiting times. 

Testing our patience.  Waiting for anything or anyone is definitely a test of patience.  But if we never had to wait, there would be a lot of blessings and lessons in life that we would miss because we’re always on the go.  I remember one year when I sprained my ankle on a Sunday afternoon and ended up spending several hours in the ER, totally missing a cantata I had spent weeks practicing with the choir to sing.  I obviously was not a happy camper about missing the opportunity to sing, but the Lord had a much more important job for me to do that day.  A young family was also in the ER with a sick child and I had an opportunity to talk with them while we all waited.  On the way out, the husband leaned over to me and thanked me for encouraging his wife who was upset about the child’s sickness. 

All of life involves waiting. We wait at traffic lights, get caught in traffic jams, wait for test results. We look forward to a long-awaited vacation.  We wait to finish a project, make a new friend, or open ourselves up to see what God has for us.  We need to use the waiting in our lives to grow spiritually. Why does God make you wait and how is He speaking to you in those waiting times when nothing seems to be happening?

Nothing happening.  That’s exactly the problem with waiting.  Nothing is happening.  If it was, it wouldn’t be waiting.  So waiting is a down time and we should take that time to slow down, take a breath, and look around.  If that short stop at the traffic light is the only chance in your day to look up into the sky and marvel at the sun and clouds or moon and stars, then take it!  Every moment in time was given us by our Creator and He wants us to enjoy it.

Lent is a time of waiting.  Advent and Lent are both seasons of waiting.  A special day is coming and we anticipate the arrival of that day for 4 weeks during Advent and 6 weeks during Lent.  I hope you’ve been using this time of waiting during the Lent season to spend extra time with the Lord and prepare for the special time of celebration just days before His life appears to be over but then an even greater day of celebration takes place.  Stick around to the end for the celebration on Easter.

Tomorrow we’ll continue to talk about waiting.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, You know that patience which waiting requires is not my strong point, so I ask that You help me to make better use of the time You’ve given me in this life.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation