He IS.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
He is the One who sees. He is the One who knows.
He is the One who acts on behalf of His children.
He is the Mighty Warrior. He is the compassionate Father.
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
He is the coming King.
He is love. He is light.
He is good. He is right.
He is your soul's delight.
He is...whatever you need.
He alone is wise.
In Him alone life makes sense, and apart from Him all is chaos.

--Beth Moore

Are You Sick?

I'm very sensitive to smells. My parents think its hilarious that I can pick up on any scent when I come home to visit. So you can imagine how horrible it is to have a stuffy nose right now.

I just hate being sick. I wanna lay around and sulk in self-pity. But this morning was different than times before. It is my second day of being sick, and I can tell that I haven't even hit the worst stages of the common cold. My dad tried to wake me up three different times. I whined, complained and told him to leave me alone. I wanted to sleep away my sorrows. I didn't care if I was being mean because I wanted to feel sorry for myself being sick. And even though I hated feeling gross, it was as if I was okay with it.

I then realized this is what we do this with God. We are sick. Here Daddy comes in to help us and we don't want it.

"Can I get you any medicine hunny?"
Us: "NO!"
"Well what can I do for you?"
Us: "Leave me alone! I can be sick on my own!"
"Okay. Well I'm leaving this medicine right here. Oh, and a glass of water. Take it immediately."

So we lay there. We roll around. We moan and groan. It is just too much work to take that medicine, isn't it? Of course not! We are just being stubborn.

God gives us prayer to get through times we can't handle on our own. He gives us His Word. Christian friends and others who can help.

Stop being stubborn and take your medicine! You need it to get better!

Umbrellas

We are always looking for security. We buy the most reliable products. We are told to wear our seat belts (some follow this rule more than others). We invest in life, car and medical insurance. And of course, when it rains, we find it most logical to bring an umbrella.

What is the purpose of an umbrella? According to Dictionary.com, it is something that covers or protects from above. So what's the significance? Take a second and imagine God as an umbrella.


Our umbrella.
Our cover.
And our protection.
Pretty cool, eh?
In what ways is God our umbrella?



He shields us:
It says in 2 Samuel 22:31-33, "As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God? God is my strong fortress; and He sets the blameless in His way."

He gives us shelter:
In Psalm 61:3-4, David cries out, "For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings." During this time, tents were their homes. To dwell in God's tent forever meant to live in His house forever. God gives us shelter by allowing us to hide in Him.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" - Psalm 91:1-2
Ever seen an umbrella used at the beach? Its purpose is to provide shade. The shadow protects from the heat of the sun, especially in the desert. So to abide in the "shadow of the Almighty," meant that the Lord protected His people.

He protects us:
2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." Not only does he strengthen and protect us, but he provides a safe-keeping.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

God makes a pretty sweet umbrella, doesn't He? When we carry around this "God Umbrella," we feel safe and secure. But I think we count too much on umbrellas to keep us dry.

We expect that all we have to do is hold up that piece of fabric, and we will be fine. Well if you are going to go out into a thunderstorm, I promise that you'll get a lot more wet than you wanted. Isn't that how we treat God? We stick ourselves in situations that we aren't supposed to be in, and expect to come out dry. That's not how it's supposed to work. God wants to be our umbrella, not our safety net.

"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." Ephesians 6:13

Use your "God Umbrella" as a shield, shelter and protection. God might be our home security system, but that doesn't mean you can invite the thieves in.

Serving Others. Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands.

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13

Most of us are familiar with serving others in love. But, we have to admit... most of us serve others with a motive in mind. "Do I get recognition for this?" "Can I get a pat-on-the-back?" "What will I get in return?" "Will others look up to me?"

When we are honest with ourselves, we begin to realize we aren't the servants God calls us to be. So how can we develop a servant's heart? Let's look at Philippians 2:3-8: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard quality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

God did it for us. Why not do it for Him?

John 13 gives us the perfect picture of a servant. During the Last Supper, before Jesus was crucified on the cross, He got up from the meal to wash His disciples feet. I don't know about you, but I have had many friends who are completely grossed out by feet. I mean mortified at the sight of them. So imagine the disciplines dirty, grimy feet. These men walked miles and miles a day proclaiming Jesus' name! But, Jesus didn't care. He washed them anyways. And after, He made Himself a servant to these men, he returned to the table and said, "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him." (John 13:14-16)

Now, I'm not telling you that you have to go and wash each others' feet. Because honestly, that's not my cup of tea. But what I am saying is that Christ Jesus humbled Himself so much as to do the dirtiest task. So why are we so afraid to get a little dirt on our hands?

As Christians, if we model ourselves like Christ, we should reach out to others just as Jesus did. Maybe you have someone special in mind. Maybe your challenge will be to find someone in need. Either way, serve others to serve the One who created all things. Now THAT deserves some recognition.

We All Go Through Tough Times

It's a hard thought to grasp that we are not the only ones who have problems in our lives. We may have issues with our friends or our family, and sometimes with our classmates or people we work with. In any circumstance, it is so easy to forget that we are not alone in this.

Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Take a piece of paper and write all the dilemmas you are facing in your life. Now listen to some struggles the rest of the world faces:
Did you know that 4,138 American soldiers have died in War on Iraq? And that 15 million children die each year from hunger? But did you know that 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation? (This amounts to around 5000 deaths a day.) And that since the start of the AIDS epidemic, 1.5 million Americans have been infected with HIV and more than 524,000 have died of AIDS in the US?

We think our issues with parents, jobs and school work are the end of the world. I hate to break it to ya, but compared to the rest of the suffering in the world, it just doesn't cut it. Why are we so quick to forget the blessing in our lives? Add things you are thankful for to that "note" that you made just a bit ago. Dig deep. You will be amazed by the things God has put into your life for a reason.

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Let's get through our struggles. Call upon the Lord with all your fears and all your troubles. Lay everything at His feet. We all need a true Friend who won't share with others our secret problems or struggles.

James 1:12 tells us that "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

One day we will look back at our troubles and say "I got so upset over that?" Whatever you are dealing today is only a pebble in the road. We will face many more, trust me. Maybe even huge rocks and boulders that cause us to stumble in our lives. But we'll get through it. God wants us to get through it by trusting in Him.

"And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Seek His face today!