Tag Archives: Jason Gray

Strength for the Journey

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The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, had just won an awe-inspiring victory over the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. (1 Kings 18:20-40) He proved Jehovah God was the only true and living God.

If Elijah’d been a surfer, this would have been his long ride of a lifetime.

Epic!

If that were the case, and it surely wasn’t, I believe Elijah might have pumped his fists high into the air, let out a hoot, and stepped off his board, into the frothy liquid, to relish the unbelievable accomplishment. But Elijah wasn’t a surfer, and he didn’t pump his fist.

It seems he may not even have relished the accomplishment. At least not after he heard what Queen Jezebel had to say to him. “You killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night.” (1Kings 19:2 TLB)

Yikes!

So, a depressed Elijah fled for his life. He prayed to God that he might die, rationalizing, “I’m gonna’ die sometime, may as well be now.” But that wasn’t God’s plan for Elijah. (You can read more about Elijah’s final, whirlwind moments, in 2 Kings Chapter 2.)

Ever felt like Elijah? Ever felt like saying, what’s the use? Why keep on trying? I’m doing everything I know how, but it’s not working. It’s hopeless.

I’ve felt that way before, and I figure some of you have, as well. That’s when the door to depression is flung wide open. That’s when the truth of who we are in God’s eyes gets clouded. That’s when we curl up into a ball on the floor, rock back and forth, and pray for release.

More importantly, that’s when God steps in, just like he did with Elijah, and provides strength for the remainder of our journey.

We aren’t forgotten. We aren’t abandoned. We aren’t forsaken. Every single day, we have the strength we need to put one foot in front of the other, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in those of us who claim Jesus as their Savior.

Feeling like Elijah? Hold onto the hope we have in Christ. Take in the strength he provides for the journey, and never give up.

He (Elijah) looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:6–8 NLT

I wish you well.

Sandy

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At Just the Right Time

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Are there things you hide from? Are there things you’re afraid of? Turning on the evening news could be one of those things.

Are there people you’d rather not be around for whatever reasons? Possibly because of the way they make you feel unworthy, inferior, despised.

Are there times when you would just as soon pull the covers over your head, and refuse to face the day?

What if there was someone who gave us no reason to hide. No reason to fear. Someone who built us up, instead of tearing us down. Someone who thought we were the best thing since sliced bread.

What if there was someone we could hand all our problems and cares over to and he’d take care of everything. He’d walk along beside us and support us every second of every day. And give us peace in the process. Wouldn’t we want to be around him?

Welp. There is someone like that. His name is JESUS. Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor. Encourager. Defender. Mighty Warrior. Emmanuel. God with us.

Because God loved us soooo much, he sent his son, Jesus, into this broken world so we could be saved through his blood sacrifice on the cross. Our Redeemer paid the debt we owed. A debt we owed, but couldn’t pay.

The next question for us is, what are we going to do about that gift? Accept it? Or reject it? I pray you accept it.

When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-8 NCV

I wish you well.

Sandy

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One of my devotions will be posted on Christian Devotions December 11, 2013. Please stop by and check out the site.

 

What’s Your Story?

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Pilot and I recently attended the Steven Curtis Chapman concert, The Glorious Unfolding. Laura Story and Jason Gray were also on stage. If you have an opportunity to see this concert, I strongly suggest you go. Here’s Steven’s website link, with all the upcoming dates and venues.

During the concert Jason, Laura, and Steven told some of their story, and how God has worked, and is working, in their lives.

Most importantly, each told how God has taken their broken places, and used them to strengthen their faith, and help them minister to others.

Jason mentioned his speech impediment which causes him to stutter. Laura mentioned her husband’s brain tumor, and how, when he came out of surgery, he knew who she was, but didn’t remember they were married. Steven spoke about the loss of his young daughter, and how he and his wife are advocates for Show Hope. A movement to care for orphans.

Each of us has broken places in our lives. Pain. Sorrow. Suffering. Rejection. No exceptions. The difference is how we handle those hard things life throws at us. God is there to give comfort. All we have to do is reach out to him.

Nothing in our lives is wasted. Even the hard, difficult, why-did-this-have-to-happen-to-me? stuff. If we let him, Jesus can take our brokenness, heal, and restore those broken places, so we are able to use them to comfort someone who may be going through the same things.

So, what’s your story? How are you allowing God to take your brokenness, and use it to comfort others?

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TLB

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Don’t Save It For Good

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Do you have anything you hold on to for good? You know, special clothes. Special dishes. Special recipes. Special whatevers?

Before Pie was born, one very wise woman told me not to save any of his outfits for good. She said use them all. Don’t worry about the inevitable stains. Babies grow up fast. Before you know it, that special outfit you saved, goes unworn.

My mother had a set of dishes I loved, which were seldom used. They were the good dishes. What was the point of having them if we didn’t use them? Mom didn’t want the dishes broken. So the dishes were kept behind cupboard doors. In the days I visited Mom before she moved into a nursing home, I took those dishes out, and we used them. When Mom did move, I inherited those good dishes. I use them.

I have a habit of buying pretty stationary and brightly colored pens. Turquoise and Peacock Blue being my fav colors. BUT…I save them. (Read here to see one example.) The ink is so pretty, I don’t want to use it up. I’m not even going to count the number of books I have — which are unread. I think some of this is a holdover from my days as an elementary school teacher. Or from being a child of parents who lived through America’s Great Depression.

Regardless, I am getting better about all this. Honest.

As I approach a mile-stone birthday in a couple months, I’ve begun to understand there may not be a tomorrow. Those things I’m saving up for good, may just get tossed out by someone who doesn’t hold the same affection towards them, that I do. So, I’m using them.

I don’t want to save a day for good, either.

I want to experience all of life God intends me to experience. I want to take the time today, to enjoy his creation. I don’t want to wait for a special, or mo’ better time.

I want to smile at the antics of the squirrel I’ve nicknamed Bizarro.

Today.

I want to listen to the Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal sing God’s praises.

Today.

 

I want to discover new lizards in the yard.

Today.

I want to feel the sun and the breeze on my skin. Smell the sweet aroma of the trees and flowers. Watch the sun set and notice the palette of color in the sky at dusk. Look for the first star of the evening and wait for the next.

Today.

I want to stand totally and completely amazed and in awe, before the Omnipotent Creator God, and worship him for all he has done, is doing, and will do.

Today.

I do not want to take any of it for granted. I don’t want to waste it. I don’t want to save it for good.

Do you?

This is the day Adonai has made,
a day for us to rejoice and be glad. Psalm 118:24 (CJB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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You Are Beloved

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You know, life’s tough. It really is.

Among my family, friends and acquaintances, there are people who are facing all kinds of troubles. Widows. Widowers. Cancer stricken. Divorced. Struggling to come to terms with incest. Facing job loss. In constant pain. In financial need. Family turmoil. Facing death. Living with an irreversible disease. Trying to raise Godly children in an ungodly world. Caring for infirmed family members. Wayward children. Dealing with dementia. Strained relationships. Estranged children. Rejection. Business losses. Betrayal. Alcoholism.

The list goes on, and on, and on…

I’m sure you are familiar with these same things, either in your own life, or the lives of people you are close to. Life is tough, and it hurts. But that isn’t all there is to life. Far from it.

As I’ve mentioned before, we need to be careful not to let our situations, or others, define us or dictate our worth. Why? Because in God’s eyes, we are all precious and loved. Regardless of our situation.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, and remind others, that we are God’s Beloved.

 

Whether we are struggling to raise our children. Facing rejection from someone we love. Not sure how in the world we are going to pay our bills. Wondering if the pain will ever stop. Whatever it is that has burdened our hearts, and makes us feel as if we are struggling up a boulder-strewn mountain, we can lay it down at Jesus’ feet. We can ask him to help us deal with it correctly, through his power.

 “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19

I wish you well.

Sandy

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