Lean On Me

Exodus 17:9-12   9  Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites.  Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
11  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12  When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.  Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset.


Fighting battles can be tiresome.  They can leave you weak in body, drained emotionally and you're left with the feeling that you're all alone.  Standing in faith waiting on God's promises to be fulfilled is no easy task on even the most mature Christians.  Ephesians 6:10-14 tells us to 'take your stand against the devil's schemes', 'to stand your ground' and to 'stand firm'.  While Paul is giving us these instructions for spiritual battle, I also believe that we need the help of other Christians in our lives to help us stand.

In Exodus 17, Moses sends Joshua out to battle against the Amalekites.  Moses tells Joshua that he "will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands".  After some time Moses grows weak and tired in his body and can no longer stand, much less hold his hands up in the air.  In verse 11 we read that as long as Moses' hands were held up the Israelites were winning, but as soon as he lowered them they were being defeated.

I feel that we too are very much like Moses.  In the beginning of the battle we are so pumped up and ready to go.  Our hands are lifted up in praise.  We have all the strength and courage to face this battle.  After some time we grow tired and we lower our hands and we are soon being defeated.  For some, this is where the battle ends.  Defeated!  With Moses, he didn't stop there.  He had friends by his side that helped him through this battle.  Aaron and Hur were there to hold his hands up.  The Israelites were victorious in battle because Moses not only leaned on God, but he also leaned on those he trusted.



When you can no longer stand or hold your head up, lean on those God has placed in your life.  Those that you can trust to help you hold your hands up.  When the battle proves to be too much, they will be there with a listening ear, to help you pray through, to hold you up.

God knows what we need in time of battle.

Blessings,

The Courage of A Queen

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Esther.  Not because of the rags to riches type story or because of all the beauty that surrounds her.  I love this story most because of the courage she displayed through some difficult circumstances.  Esther was a remarkable woman and she had found favor in all those who were around her.  The true beauty of Esther is her inner strength and godly dignity.

Esther's courage brought her to a palace where she knew no one and was being paraded in front of the king, like a beauty pageant.  Her courage took her into the king's court, without being summoned, which by law she could have been put to death.  Her courage helped her reveal her identity to the king and ask for him to spare her life as well as her people.  God was with Esther through each step and he gave her what she needed at the time she needed it.  She knew God's hand was on her life.

With God's help we too can have that same courage to walk through any circumstance we are faced with.  I love that I can freely go before my king, in his court and fall at his feet.  No matter how difficult any situation can be, I know that God is there with me, helping me to navigate through life.  Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble."

I wonder, do I, or you display such courage when faced with difficult circumstances?  Do we find favor of those around us not by our beauty, but by how we live our lives as an example of Christ in us?

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


Blessings,
Stephanie

Is It Cleaning Day?

The other day I was helping my oldest son clean his room.  A job I have dreaded and did not want to do.  My son has a very creative mind.  He makes many, many things out of whatever he can find.  Cardboard is one of his favs.  He also takes anything electronic apart that no longer works.  So, anywhere you look in his room you will find wires, loose screws, tools, cardboard and shreds of cardboard, wood, well....just about anything you can think of.  If there is a way he can build something, give him time to process it and he will find a creative way to do it.  I am always amazed at what he does....this is truly a gift from God.

So, with all this creativity,  I have been very overwhelmed by all this stuff he has accumulated that I just didn't want to go in.  The kids seem to always forget about or do not see the other things in their room that are either broken, they no longer need....or just plain trash!  That's when I come in, usually with a trash bag and overhaul their rooms.

My oldest son's room was beginning to be cluttered with all the extra stuff that he couldn't find anything he really needed.  As I worked through this room with him we had our moments of deciding what was to go and what was to be kept.  Going through this process I was reminded of how God must see us sometimes.  We fill our lives with so much stuff (aka 'trash') that we can't see what really matters or what is most important. God may be telling you what needs to go and what needs to be kept.  He loves us so much that he wants the best for us.  Sometimes he will also place people in our lives that will help us to see things that we can't, to help us get rid of those things that are cluttering our lives, hearts or minds.

Is it time for you to go through a cleaning process?  Spend some time in prayer today and ask God to reveal those things and He will be there to help you through the process.

Blessings,

Stephanie

A Beautiful Offering

'If praise is like perfume, I'll lavish mine on you, Till every drop is gone, I'll pour my love on you'.  This is a line from one of my favorite songs by Phillips, Craig and Dean titled 'Pour My Love On You'.  As I listen to this song I wrestle with the thought, "Do I do this?  Do I praise God and worship him sacrificially?"

I'm reminded of the woman in Mark 14 who poured expensive perfume on Jesus' head.  She was rebuked by those who were present for what she had done.  Jesus answered them with this:  "She has done a beautiful thing to me...."  This perfume was expensive, more than a year's wages, yet this woman gave her very best. This was an act of worship on her part in preparing Jesus for his burial.  She truly lavished her praise on the Lord of her life.

We can never give too much and it is never a waste when we offer to our Lord all that we have.  It is a sacrifice.

What are you pouring out for God?  Do you offer Him your pure worship, sacrificing all that you have?

My desire is to be like this woman, to give all that I have, the very best in worshiping the one who gave his life for me.  I want my praise to be like perfume and pour my love on Jesus.

Blessings

Stephanie

Have You Been Set Free?

Are there times in your life that you feel there is no hope?  Your circumstances are so heavy that they are weighing you down and it's hard to stand up.  I have been there.  I know it's not easy to hold your head up and move forward.  Those times in our lives have us pushed down, so bent over that we are unable to see that there is hope for us.  Our bodies are weak as well as our spirits.

I have good news for you.  In Luke 13:10-16 we read of a crippled woman who was healed after 18 years of being bent over.  In verse 12 Jesus sees this woman, and he sees us too.  He knows exactly where we are and what we are in need of.  We too can be set free from whatever has us bent over.

Jesus then calls for this woman to come to him.  There are times when Jesus has to call me to come to Him.  This is where I can find rest and peace in him.  We just have to be willing to go to him when he calls.  Lastly, Jesus heals this woman.  He laid hands on her and through his power she immediately straightened up and praised God!  He told her she was set free!  How comforting it is that we can go to Jesus, give him our burdens and know that we too can be healed.  He can set us free!

Life is full of things that push us down and has us bent over.  God did not design for us to live our lives like that.  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to."  When we are bent over with the weight of circumstances that fill our lives, we are looking down and are not able to see him or to give him praise and honor.

Our Lord sees us and knows our needs & wants us to go to him....to rest in his presence as he touches our lives.  Through his power we can be healed and set free from many things.

Blessings

Stephanie

Are You Counting Your Blessings?

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

"What would your life be like if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"

I read this question on a post recently on Facebook and it made me stop and think.  I questioned myself, "how often do I thank God for all that He has done for me?"  I have been blessed so much throughout the years.  I have to admit, I sometimes let the day pass by without so much as whispering a thank you to our Heavenly Father.  I can't imagine going another day without any of the blessings God has so graciously given me and my family.

For starters, we are a very healthy family.  He has protected us every day, we have no health issues, broken bones or constantly in and out of the doctor's office.  My life would be empty without my four beautiful children and my husband that he placed in my life 18 years ago.


Above all I am thankful for my salvation.  God sent His son, Jesus Christ, just for me, for me to have life eternally with Him in His kingdom.  He has given me a hope and a future and without Him I would be lost.  Acts 4:12 tells us, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

There's an old hymn I remember singing growing up in church, I'm sure you've heard of it too.  The chorus for this song is, 'Count your blessings, name them one by one.....'  If you stopped for a moment and began to 'count your blessings', I'm sure you will end up with a long list to be thankful for.

I'm certain that when you get to the end of the list, and you have thanked God for each and every thing, everyday, you will find that God has been in your life more often than you realized.  It may take a while each day, but I do believe our days would be better and we would have much more joy in our hearts and lives if we took the time out to thank God for all each has done, each day.  In Psalm 100:4 we are instructed to go to God with our thanksgiving.  "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

So, what are you waiting for?  What do you have to be thankful for today?

Blessings

Stephanie