You know that feeling that comes over you when you realize you have blown it — again! Personal failure is hard to handle. Maybe you’ve tried to overcome some weakness in your life but each time you end up where you started — in failure. Doom and gloom drapes over you smothering all hope of success. Self loathing is no doubt something we have all battled with at some time in our lives; some more than others.
When I find myself sitting in the seat of failure, I make myself think about Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT), The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness, His mercies begin afresh each morning. Look closely at each phrase. His love never ends. His mercies never cease. His mercies start all over again each morning. Wow! Talk about hope for each new day.
Remember the incident when Peter denied he knew Jesus? (Matthew 26:69-75). Peter had been the all exuberant one. He publicly declared he would die for Jesus if necessary. Then, famously, he denied knowledge of Him when it counted most. Peter can be noted for life’s biggest blow-it moment in history! What an accolade, but wait! The story doesn’t end in Peter’s failure. By the grace of God, the story moves on to one of life’s greatest triumphs. Jesus forgave, renewed, and used mightily. Jesus took failure Peter and made Him courageous Peter.
Jesus had promised Peter and all His followers, that when He returned to His Father after His resurrection and ascension to Heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit to fill every believer. The Holy Spirit filled Peter. The Holy Spirit took failure Peter and transformed Him into an amazing and powerful courageous Peter. We read in Acts 2, when onlookers mistook the power of the Holy Spirit for mere drunkenness, that it was Peter who proclaimed the truths of Jesus and His resurrection. After that powerful, spirit-filled sermon, 3000 people came to Jesus (Acts 2:41).
It’s exciting to read what the Holy Spirit did for the old failure Peter. The Lord desires to take our failures, too, forgiving, showing mercy each morning; in other words, never ceasing to mold us into His image. However, there is an important thing to keep in mind. The Holy Spirit will fill us and guide us to do anything He plans in us, but we must do our part. Regarding Peter, the key to his success is found in Acts 2:14, Then Peter stepped forward. God does not make us robots. We must be obedient to receive all the wonderful blessings God has for us, and to be used mightily for His glory. W must choose to step forward as the Holy Spirit leads.
Our Father will forgive each day. He will make new each day. He will be merciful each day. We then live in the joy of His molding us into the image of Jesus. Therefore, rejoice, be thankful, and — step forward!
Every Christ-Follower has been challenged with the thought — how can I have more faith? We know God can do anything, but we question, will He help me? Will God guide me in the dark days of my life? Will God show me which way to go? Will God give me all the strength I need to face this awful situation? Will God’s comfort be enough to heal my broken heart? Will God really never give up on me? Question after frightening question puts a crack in our once-upon-a-time peaceful world, leaving us with a widening gap of fear and dread as doubts takes us further into the land of weakened faith.
As I was mulling over the above, a memory came to mind. I was 5 years old but I clearly remember this event. My mother and father planned a picnic in a nearby park. There were walking trails, a stream, squirrels jumping everywhere, and the tallest swings I had ever seen in all my five years of life. “Want to swing?” my Dad asked. “I’ll push you.” I looked from the swing to my Dad. I wanted to swing but they reached nearly to the sky. What if my Dad pushed me too hard? What if I went all the way around the top of the swing set? What if I fell off? What if I couldn’t hold on? Fear gripped me.
I was about to decline the offer, but when I looked at my Dad, he was smiling. “Come on,” he said, as he held the swing for me to sit. I remember thinking my Dad was tall and he had strong arms. I was still scared, but I sat in the swing. I felt his hands give a gentle push on my back. The swing swished through the air. Then, Dad pushed a little harder and the swing went higher. I felt the fear swirl in my stomach, but I held on. Suddenly I was laughing out loud. I was loving my ride to the sky! My Dad was strong enough to push me higher and he could tell if I was going to fall. He would catch me if I did. He would help me. He would protect me and care for me always. As faith grew, fear faded, replaced by a joy that remains in my memory the best swing ride ever!
How did faith grow? I kept my thoughts on the truth of my Dad. He was stronger than me. He loved me. He would care for me — always!. Those thoughts strengthened my faith in my earthly father; the same thoughts will strengthen faith in our Heavenly Father.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 ESV).
Whatever has you scared today, concentrate on your Father. Then go ahead, sit on the swing.
We may look to God to help us and to bless us with goodness, when situations are difficult in our lives. Too often, we forget the blessings He gives us daily whether we ask Him or not. Matthew 5:45 reminds us, He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike (NLT). It is a blessing when we awake in the morning to the gift of a new day. It is a blessing if we have food on our plates. It is a blessing to have clothes to put on, a job to do, friends to meet, neighbors that greet us warmly.
It is perhaps, easier to seek a blessing when we are dealing with problems, than it is to see blessings all around us, when things are going well in our lives. I urge us all, let us not forget the daily blessings of food and clothing, of shelter and good weather, of the comfort of family and the laughter of friends. When we intentionally seek to be grateful for daily blessings, it molds our hearts into a pattern of daily praise.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (I Thessalonians 5:18 KJV). When we develop such a habit to simply be thankful for blessings that come to us everyday, we then maintain a heart of praise and a mind that is stayed on Christ. This practice results in a constant peace in the midst of any storm, and a joy that grows our trust in Father’s care for us and for those around us. We become like a ship coming into harbor, finding peace in Father’s love, mooring in the arms of His safety, being replenished with His strength.
Praising God is gift of thankfulness to God, and a blessing of joy and peace to ourselves. It’s a spiritually healthy attitude that blesses us to overflowing, when we simply remember to be thankful for daily blessings. Look hard for them in the darkest of moments; look for them in the brightest of days. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you God’s blessings. They are there for the looking. Seek them, be thankful for them, and be blessed in doing so.
“You must keep watch,” Jesus said, ” for you do not know the day or hour of My return (Matthew 25:13 NLT). Only the Father knows when He will send His Son to earth to gather His children, but we have been given signs. There will be weather disasters, famines and disease, nations against nations, wars and rumors of more wars. Evil will grow in intensity. All of this is described in Matthew 24.
Are we witnessing this happening today? After all, there has always been weather disaster, and famines and war. Yes, but there is an intensity and an acceleration of all these events happening at the same time. Jesus described it best when He said in Matthew 24:8, “But all this is only the first of the birth pains with more to come.” As a woman is ready to give birth, the contractions grow closer together in pain announcing the birth is soon. Such is the world today; it grows in sin and disaster, arriving closer together, announcing the time of Tribulation is near. When the birth of Tribulation finally takes place, there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began (Matthew 24:21 NLT).
The assasination of Charlie Kirk in the USA is reminder of all of the above. There have been several political killings and attacks this year in the USA (and in other countries of the world) along with many threats against politicians on both sides. The Los Angelas Times headlined — A New Era of American Political Violence is Upon Us. It is all as Jesus told us it would be, but in these turbulent times of darkness, do not forget what else Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).
It is easy to let fear take hold, but do not allow it. Instead, let us choose to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NLT). It can be seemingly impossible for us to maintain inner peace when chaos abounds. We cannot keep inner peace on our own. We need the peace that only Jesus can give. We continue in peace when we train the eyes of our hearts to stay focused, not on the corruption of the world, but on Jesus who calms the storms within us. When Jesus is in the boat, and He is always with us, then hold on and proceed forward; you will not drown in the storm.
Let us actively look for opportunities to share such peace with others who may be floundering in fear. Let us be kind to one another, holding up the weak, speaking words of God’s strength available to anyone who seeks it. It is a time in our world, perhaps for such a time as this, when evil seems to abound, to let our lights so shine that others would see the peace of Jesus reigning in our hearts no matter the doom and gloom that surrounds us.
In Jesus there is light in the darkness. In Jesus there is hope in despondency. In Jesus there is courage in the midst of fear. In Jesus we find all we need to get through anything at all. Only in Jesus Who is above all.
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