Stuck By The Water

Jesus Heals a Lame Man

5 Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. ² Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. ³ Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. ⁵ One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

⁷ “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

⁸ Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength and picked up his mat and walked.” (John 5:1-9)

The lame man in these verses was stuck by the water that could bring his legs healing for 38 years and yet he couldn’t get there to be healed. So Jesus came to him and reversed all of that.

Today you may be feeling like this man did: stuck. You may be looking for healing for your friends, your family, your coworkers, yourself, or the world. But Jesus is right there with you.

Let your heart run to Him today even if there is no strength in your legs left to walk and ask Him for the healing only He can bring.

The one question Jesus asked of the man was, “do you want to be well?” If Jesus asked you the same question what would your reply be?

Sometimes we can get stuck and get comfortable being where we are but my friend Jesus wants you to remain encouraged for just as He was the God of healing then, He is the same God of healing now.

If you find yourself stuck by the waters let it not be for 38 minutes let alone 38 years. Be encouraged and run to Jesus for surely your lips will sing His praises again when He tells you to pick up your mat and walk up and out, of the waters.

Faith in God’s Grace

God loves us as the body of Christ.

God loves you.

God gives us His grace.

Therefore God’s grace is for you.

God is calling on you to have faith in His grace. 

The grace that has saved us in Christ through God.

“4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)

The grace of God’s forgiveness.

“And I will forgive their wickedness,    and I will never again remember their sins.” (Hebrews 8:12)

The grace of God’s mercy.  

“16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

The grace of God’s unfailing love for you and for me. 

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful,    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” (Psalm 103:8)

The grace of God’s patience.

“9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9)

The grace of God’s faithfulness.

“If we are unfaithful  he remains faithful for he cannot deny who he is.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

The grace of God’s healing.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

The grace of God’s miracles which are still very much present today. 

” 21 He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.” (Deuteronomy 10:21)

The grace of God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

“8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Many times we live in fear, condemnation, or Judgment of ourselves or judgment from others. when we live by faith in God’s grace we realize that there’s nothing like it. God wants us to live in His joy, in His love, on reliance in Him, and under His grace always.

“8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Faith in God’s grace makes us strong in our weakness today just as it did for Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

“8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

When you put your faith in God’s grace 1 John 5:4-5 becomes powerful and true for you:

“4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

God’s grace is your free gift from God. Our part is having faith in God’s gift of Grace to us.

So have faith in grace Brothers and Sisters in Christ and we will all share in the victory that has overcome the world! 

The Battle Isn’t Yours!

I have been in a battle of spiritual warfare that threatened to take me out of the will of God. But God was there and through it all I have learned and continue to learn that God is always with me and I know after this trial I faced that God is there right now, with you.

The turning point when my faith was tested came after a strong and spiritual closeness with the Lord and I was attacked by thoughts about my past and my limitations, and my thoughts turned away from our powerful and unlimited Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

With God there is always a huge “but” when we realize that He does indeed have the last say in our lives. And mine came when I realized I am in a downward spiral right now, “but” God is right beside me.

It came to me when I was sitting, breaking down and crying out to Him in prayer. My Alexa echo was tuned into relaxing and soothing sounds and then it stopped for a moment.

I just knew that I had God figured out and expected Him to reach me by playing a sermon on my device so that I could have a praise moment. I have to admit, there are times when I do think I have Him all figured out.

When that didn’t happen and the music continued on as before I felt my heart drop because many a time before God has taken control of my phone and put Bible verses up or opened sermon apps that speak to my situation.

How thankful I am that God is not a God of confusion. I went to pick up my phone and I had been out of the word for a few days and so I know I didn’t have the bible app open and this is the verse that came up:

The Death of Moses

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, ² all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, ³ the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

⁵ And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. ⁶ He buried him^[a] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. ⁷ Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. ⁸ The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit^[b] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ¹¹ who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. ¹² For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

So there are a few things I learned from this chapter and these verses that I feel can encourage us all.

As we know from the book of Exodus when God called Moses he didn’t understand why God had chosen him and several times he tried to deny God’s calling for him.

Yet God chose Moses and did extroadinary things through him like the parting of the red Sea (Exodus 14). In these verses we learn that God showed Moses the land he had promised to his people Israel but that Moses wasn’t able to go in.

But we are also brought to the attention that Moses walked with God face to face. So much so that God buried Moses Himself when Moses’s last day had come.

We also see that God kept Moses strong until the day of his death. God’s strength remained in Moses’s hands and even to this day Moses is well known among Jews and gentiles alike.

So what I want you to take away from this is:

1. God ALWAYS gets the last say.

2. When God has a plan for you He ALWAYS means it for your good.

3. When we die to ourselves, our personal feelings, our judgments about ourselves and others, we too can like Moses know the Lord face to face and walk in closeness with Him.

4. Even if God has a different plan for your life than you thought He had, as long as you believe and endure to the end in your belief you will enter into the eternal Promise Land with your God where,

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4)

My friend if you are struggling in your faith don’t give up. Keep on going and persevere knowing that the battle isn’t yours at all, it’s the Lord’s!

He is willing to fight for you all of the way. Your job is to rest, rely, and relieve yourself of the weight of the war.

“Don’t be dejected and sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)

No Judgment

Have you ever taken a look at those small and colorful Valentine’s heart candies with their sweet little messages of love? They say things like my valentine, Cutie pie, I love you, and all manner of nice things.

I remember when I was a little girl handing them out during class and the smiles I got in return. Until now I never gave them much thought but I came to realize that not only are they sweet tasting but the messages themselves are sweet because they don’t judge us. What if we gave such candies out all year round? Better yet, what if our lips spoke such sweetness into the world?

Many times in my life I have been judged and there have been times I admit when I have done the judging. When I judge and when you judge we are both in the wrong.

You may have heard that “first impressions are everything.” but as Christians we are taught by the word of God to sacrifice our hold on first impressions and all following judgments, choosing instead to surrender our judgments to the one true God who has the ability as it says in Matthew 10:28 “to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Telling a person that they have wronged us in private and judging others are two different things. Judging others means saying something is right or wrong  that doesn’t directly impact us. For example making comments about a person based on things they have done in their past, how they talk, if they are poor, if they look a certain way that we don’t like or do anything it is not in our right to call them out on and especially talking down to them or worse yet talking about them behind their backs. 

The word of God says,

11 “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12)

There should not be any evil talk about anyone behind their backs or to their face. We are to love one another as our Father in heaven has loved us.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.” (Matthew 18:15)

If we have a problem with someone we should address them privately. If they listen to us and we have discussed the matter or as it says in this verse the “sin” peacefully and come to a conclusion that we can agree on, we are still to consider ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ and move together as one.

This is the goal: Not to cause pain but to present what has happened and what has been done, privately so it is heard from the “horse’s mouth.”

2 “They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.” (Titus 3:2)

For we are not to be arguing but are to show kindness to everyone and that means on internet platforms and everywhere in our lives.

37 ““Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)

There is one judge in the judgment seat and last time I looked in the word His name is not Crystal. He holds no other name than Lord of all, God Almighty, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Holy Spirit, Loving Father, and Jehovah Jireh our Provider. 

Therefore only He has the right to judge us based on every action we do and even the ones we fail to follow through. He tells us He is faithful to forgive us and to judge us fairly when we treat others the same way.

“It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;    a sensible person keeps quiet.” (Proverbs 11:12)

If we find that we can’t keep hold of our tongue it is far better to be quiet then to release God’s judgment upon our heads. It is even better if we must speak to take our bitterness to God, then to judge and put down one of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So let us all agree to commit ourselves to the Lord and instead of judging our brothers and sisters,  

31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

And may we continue as we go in peace to listen and apply this message from Proverbs 16:24,

“Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” 

And this word from Matthew 7:1,

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”

Amen.

Prayer: Lord this holiday help me to not focus only on my romantic relationship and my valentine, but help me to also keep in mind how I love and treat others around me. Help me to not judge others and their relationships, how they look, what they say, or what they do and dear Lord help me to extend the love I feel in my heart this Valentine’s day to the world every day. Thank you Lord for your unfailing love that nothing in this world can ever compare to or replace. In Jesus name. Amen.

Press On!

“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.” (Philippians 3:1)

This is the very beginning of Phillipians 3 and while we are going to look at verses 7-14 I think this is a great place to begin.

Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord no matter what happens. No matter if it’s cold outside or raining. Whether we have no job, are in pain, are sick, or down and out. No matter what happens or what season we in we are to rejoice in the Lord.

7   “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
 

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 

9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 

10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 
11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 

13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 

14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

What we hold valuable in this life brothers and sisters is of value to us. Paul found that everything was trash compared to what He found in Christ. Paul made a decision that the best thing in life was to become like Christ Jesus our Lord and this too we must all hold onto. 

Our righteousness is found in Christ and what He did. Our salvation is NOT based on anything we did, have done, or could ever do!

We are made right with God by our faith in Jesus Christ alone.

2 Corinthians 3:5 says, ” It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.”

Pauls desire was to experience the Power of the Holy Spirit living inside of him and I want to remind us all that the Holy Spirit now lives within all of you once you have come to believe.

You think you can’t do something? With Gods spirit you absolutely most assuredly can! 

Remember that “Nothing” and that means not anything under the sun is impossible with our God! (Luke 1:37)

When we die to ourselves daily and are willing to leave all behind for Christ we will experience power and life. The same power that brought our savior back from the dead.

Paul acknowledged that he wasnt yet perfect But in verse 12 of Phillipians 3 he says that he Presses On!

Today I encourage you my friends no matter what lies ahead or behind: Press On!

Let us forget the past and look on towards our eternal future only lingering on and proclaiming those things that will bring God the glory He deserves. 

Let us Press On! To reach the end of the race. For we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! (Philippians 4:13)

The same God who gives you power to breathe gives you power over your emotions, your feelings, your doubts, and indecisions and the shackles and strongholds that keep your body and mind imprisoned.

So now, as Paul did let us all press on… In Christ!

What is freedom?

Many times I sit looking out the window and wishing that I could be free until I realize that I am. But when I sit there what is it that I am desiring to be free from?

Sometimes it’s the situation I’m in or boredom. Other times it’s freedom from who I am or the things I have done. I have a feeling we all desire freedom but what is it and from where does it come?

If we aren’t in prison we can think that we’re free but I know that there are men locked up that are freer than me.

We can often fall victim to assuming that we have broken free when in truth we have only been successful at running away from God and ourselves.

So if that’s true what is freedom and what does the word of God have to say about it?

John 8:36 says, “If the son sets you free, you are free indeed.” This is the verse I cling to when I forget that I am free in Christ.

Jesus Christ died once and for all so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, the desires of our flesh, and this world. When He sets you free you are free indeed from the push and pull of the world’s hold on you as you stand firmly united to God.

In Exodus 3:7-8 as the Lord speaks with Moses He says, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them.”

Sometimes we can become slaves and prisoners to our minds, to our bosses, to our phones, to our bodies. But God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) is the exact same God who saw the oppression of His people and came to rescue them.

It’s the Lord who seeks to rescue you.

“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to Holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23)

“We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

I am not perfect. The world believes that you are important when you have this or that kind of job, or look like this celebrity on Instagram, and have that many followers on Facebook, but we all have fallen short and have missed the mark when it comes to sin and we all must draw close to the Lord for He is the only one who can truly set us free.

In the book of Acts the apostle Paul and Silas who was a missionary for Christ carrying the Good News of the Gospel, were arrested for setting a slave girl who was possessed by a demon free in the name of Jesus and for stirring up the crowd.

But God didn’t leave them there.

²⁵ “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” (Acts 16:25-26)

As we see in these verses God didn’t just free them; He freed every single one of the prisoners and my friend He will free you.

“But you have been called to live in Freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

Are you free? Or do you just believe that you are?

If you are free indeed how are you walking in that freedom?

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to free you today. Look at your hands today. Examine your heart. What are you holding? What are you holding onto? Who or what will you release today in love?

Yourself? Someone else?

Be free today in the Lord and come to Him. I invite you to experience the true freedom that Christ brings and when you have found that freedom, in love, share it with His world.

God bless you and may you find freedom from all things near, dear, close at hand, or far away. Peace be with you and have a great day! In Jesus name. Amen.

Fear No one. God is on your side.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Are you afraid today? The Bible tells us in psalm 27 that the Lord brings light in the darkness. I am often reminded of the fear of monsters under the bed when we are children and the safety of a nightlight. Well Jesus the Lord God Himself is larger than a night light and He is our comforter and friend. So with the largest light in the world before you and behind you what and who is there to fear? Nothing and no one.

² “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

When Jesus is the Lord of your life you will find safety and protection in Him from your enemies and from anyone who stands in the path of your walk and your life in Him. So whom will you have to fear? No one.

³ “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

Sometimes fears weigh us down. Fears of the future, of today, maybe even fears about what we said yesterday. But when our hope is in the Lord we will find joy and you will be more than okay no matter what battles wage inside you or what wars literal or figurative are going on around you. Take heart my friend for Jesus who you rely on has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

⁴ “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”

The Lord is beautiful and His beauty lives within you when you believe in Him, to be shared with all the world. What are you hoping for today? What are you hoping in? I invite you as this verse does to seek the eternal life of forever where,

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelations 21:4)

⁵ “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

God is with you today in whatever trouble it is you’re up against. Surrender your problems to Him in prayer and He promises to conceal you and protect you so no matter what comes your way you will be shielded and protected from harm as you live in His love. For God is love. (1 John 4:8)

⁶ “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.”

Hold your head up high for God is with you. As a child of God you are meant to be confident and joyful knowing that God will rescue you and that nothing can hurt you. After all, if God is for you who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

^7″ Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.”

The Lord is a God of mercy. When you call out to Him and seek His face He will answer you. He will not delay. For the Lord promises, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) and, “For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

⁸ “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

Run to the Lord when He calls you. Don’t run to people first and when you hear His voice don’t shut Him out. The Lord wants to draw near to you as much as your heart longs for Him and He is willing and available 24/7 without asking for anything but your heart to be opened to Him, willing to hear His reply, and honest with Him about it’s desires.

⁹ “Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”

God will not hide His face from you and when you come to Him He is slow to get angry. If you ask Him not to leave you take heart that He won’t for in His word He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5)

¹⁰ “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

Many times the people closest to us will leave us, reject us, or pass on without us. If this is you today know that the Lord sees and He knows and He will Uplift you.

¹¹ “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.”

There are days when our enemies are real and many and there are days when our enemies are all inside of our own minds but no less real to us. Wherever you find yourself today the Lord will lead you on a plain path towards Him where none of them can reach you.

¹² “Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”

If you ask for the Lord to deliver you today He will answer. Sometimes people lie about us or take our true intentions out of focus and out of context but the Lord is your life jacket and will be there when you need Him to speak the truth by revealing His truth to your heart and to those around you.

¹³ “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

There have been times I have lost hope and if I had not clinged to the promises of the Lord myself I would not be here today writing this blog to help those like me facing life in Christ or desiring to make a connection. Hope in Christ and trust in His promises for He is faithful and if you cling to Him your hope and strength will be renewed and through Him and in Him you will find your hope again.

¹⁴ “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psalm 27)

Waiting is hard. It takes patience and endurance and at times can bring discouragement and doubt to our hearts. But when we wait on God we know that we aren’t waiting on an imperfect human or a condition that may or may not come through, for Gods timing is always perfect and unlike man He does not lie.

“God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)

No matter the road you are walking, God is there. His hand is outstretched waiting for you to take hold of it. He is waiting to carry the load with you and He will do everything for you that He can possibly do to help you; which is everything.

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

Wait on the Lord and He will show Himself faithful to you. I pray you will choose to run to Him and not away. He is the one who will pave your way always. In Jesus name. Amen.

The Bible 9-1-1

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

A good friend of mine led me to this Bible verse in a time when I was dwelling too long in the darkness of my mind and not looking to the promise and protection of God. Since then I have used it as a place to start when I am feeling sunk down low and depressed.

It helps me to draw near to God and remember that as long as I live in God’s protection, His light, and His shelter I will rest in His protection, His light, His comfort and His covering for whatever it is I am going through.

In this verse God is referred to as the Most High and this reminds me that He is greater and higher than whatever it is that I’m going through in the moment and when I rest there and stay there I often do find rest and protection there in His shadow.

God is so large and His light consumes the darkness and even His shadow as I think on it would be radiant. So when I think on these things resting in God’s light there isn’t even any room in Him for my darkness.

In the Bible we hear of many people who dwelled in the pit of suffering and depression as we can sometimes experience. 

The Bible doesn’t necessarily refer to it as depression but instead uses words like “mourning”, “brokenhearted”, “despairing”, and “troubles”. But these words often carry the message to our hearts of what we are feeling.

David was one of the people in the Bible who went through hard times and difficulties. In the psalms we get a look at David’s closeness to God and we see a man who clinged to the hope and promises of God and God’s deliverance of him in the past, in the middle of his moments of weakness and despair.

“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” Ps. 38:4

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Ps. 42:11

In 1 Kings 19:4 Elijah is discouraged and afraid. This is a man who won many spiritual victories and yet he ran for his life from the threat of Jezebel and cried out to God to take his life.

“I have had enough Lord, he said. Take my life, I am not better than my ancestors.” 

Then we have Jonah a man called to preach the word of God to a people God believed were in need of His mercy; mercy Jonah wanted to deny them.

Jonah ran from God’s call over His life and spent his time in the belly of a large fish until God caused the great fish to spit him up. But instead of rejoicing at his rescue when the people turned to God Jonah cried out 

“Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

We now move on to Job a man who lost everything: his children, his livelihood, his health, you name it.

In Job 2:9 his wife even told him, “Are you still holding onto your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Job held on and didn’t curse God but he still struggled with the pain.    

“Why wasn’t I born dead?    Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11)

“I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.” (Job 3:26)

“I am disgusted with my life.  Let me complain freely. My bitter soul must complain.” (Job 10:1)

In the book of Jeremiah we meet a man who is constantly rejected by the people he loves. God reaches out and calls him to preach but forbids him to get married to any among those who had turned from Him and would die an awful death and to have children to call his own.

He was alone, poor, and rejected. Even though Jeremiah still remained strong in his faith he wrestled with despair and feelings of failure.

“Yet I curse the day I was born! May no one celebrate the day of my birth.” (Jeremiah 20:14)

“Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filledwith trouble, sorrow, and shame.” (Jeremiah 20:18)

Are you noticing a pattern? All of these men suffered while remaining close to the Lord. So if you are suffering and are doing all you can to follow God and things aren’t working out in your life and are instead going from bad to worse do one thing keep on abiding in Christ and know that you aren’t alone.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says,

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

So where is the hope? you might be saying or wow Crystal “I wasn’t depressed but now I am.” and I say wait for it. If you are suffering there is hope in Christ and as you wait for it I pray it will help us all to wait for the mercies of God which are indeed renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) if we just wait for them. 

The last man I’m going to mention is really the first and where our hope lies. But we must never forget what He endured so that we could live. Jesus was whipped, beaten, spit on, hated, rejected by His own people, homeless, ridiculed, and murdered. He was willing to die for you and for me but He anguished over what God called Him to do and suffered long before the end.

“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” (Isaiah 53:3)

He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.””He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mark 14: 34-36)

“He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” (Luke 22:44)

Jesus Himself was in anguish and despair.

Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that, “Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.”

All of these men suffered, were discouraged,  and were depressed. They wanted their lives to end even but they also didn’t take their own lives. For God is the giver 

of life and in the 6th commandment he forbids man from taking it.

The truth is though that through it all God was with them and He stayed very near and these men waited on God to reveal Himself to them and to lead them out of their misery.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;  he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)

God was there for them in the good and dark days of their lives and wherever you are in your life, in your struggles, anguish, despair, depression, and season of life He is there with you too. 

He didn’t condemn any of those mentioned here for their pain and questioning or tell them to tough it out. He reached down and uplifted them out.
He cared. He showed compassion, offered mercy, and brought hope. He gave victory and brought them purpose.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) so He still works in the same way. We have a savior who is intimate with pain, suffering, and sorrow and who understands yours even better than you do because He closely examines and works in our hearts. He doesn’t judge you but reaches out with compassion to give you life, light, restoration and hope.
He is healer, redeemer and best friend.

Our suffering is never wasted. As Joseph told his brothers in Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

God has saved me from many things in my life. Drugs, psych wards, the shelter, abuse, attempts at suicide, self harm, depression and a whole lot more that I only mention because it can help someone. But I have learned that where God is concerned there is always an intervening “But then God” when I wait for His light to shine a path into the darkness. 
So if you ever find yourself depressed run to God and run to others.

God often uses our Christian Brothers and sisters to encourage and uplift us when we need it the most. And remember God can use whatever it is you’re going through to encourage and to bring hope to someone else.

Remember God’s mercies are renewed ever morning (Lamentations 3:23) and this is another of those verses I cling to when I’m in the pit of depression because I now know if I don’t wait around to see it I will miss the opportunity to see God being faithful.

Wait for the light my brothers and sisters and when it comes for you, choose to be the light in someone else’s life. May the Lord our God bless you and keep you in the light of His love now and forever. Amen.

Samaritan Lady

The following poem is one that I wrote a few months prior through the Lord and is based on the story from the Bible of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well.

This woman was one who wouldn’t have expected a Jewish man to approach her, being that the Samaritans and the Jewish people were not on the best of terms. But Jesus met her anyway and even asked her for a drink of water.

The woman questions Jesus who offers her the living water that only Jesus can provide.

The world gives us all sorts of pleasures that run dry quickly and leave us only in want, wanting more. So it makes sense that the woman is excited about this living water as we should all needs be. And she asks Jesus where she can get some.

Jesus tells her to get her husband and we soon learn of this woman’s particular thirst as Jesus tells her that she has had 5 husbands and isn’t married to the one she is with. (John 4:1-18)

I wrote this poem when I was sitting down and thinking of meeting face to face some of the people in the Bible and what I would say to them.

This story holds a tender place in my heart for I can surely relate to this woman’s need for the living water only Jesus has to offer which I know so many of us desire and require even if we don’t always realize it.

My thirst for a long time was for love from men in particular but your thirst can be for anything the world offers that doesn’t eternally satisfy. Don’t worry we all have them.

It could be for money and wealth, drugs, food, pornography, men, women, love, likes, approval, perfection, success, a thin body, youthfulness, anything that this world offers that one can demand, pay for, or climb over others to get. Anything the world offers on which is written in invisible but tangible ink, “Will Thirst Again.”

I pray this poem blesses you today and you come face to face with something I pray we may all come to realize that the only water that never runs dry is the well of life offered up through the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Samaritan lady at the well.

Do you know now that your knees are made for prayer and service to the one who created you in His image,

And not for servitude to the pleasures and whims of a man?

Samaritan lady at the well.

How did your life change after a week of meeting Jesus?

Were you able to give your life to Him and never look behind you like Lots wife did?

Were you able to drink forever from the Messiah’s living water forever once and for all?

Samaritan lady.

Here I am.

I am at the well.

I have tasted and found His water cool and refreshing too.

I have tasted and found it faithful and fulfilling.

But I have turned away.

Samaritan woman if you saw me at the well come morning and knew my story, what would you say?

What would you tell me so I am more convinced as you were that afternoon?

And more than ready to surrender my life and my body away?

In your sin He helped you.

In your sin He felt you.

A week later on, did He keep you?

Samaritan lady you were fearless when you confronted your neighbors who shunned you because of your sin.

You weren’t afraid to approach them to share Jesus with them who wasn’t afraid to approach you in the midst of the life He knew too, that you were in.

Samaritan lady I am more frightened than faithful.

I run to men that God has made, more than to the God that men should fear.

Was that what it was like for you?

I want to know my worth in the Lord.

I want to remember every morning and every moment of the day,

That my knees are meant for prayer and praise to the one who never tells a lie.

That my feet are meant to walk knowing that the God of creation is, by my side.

That my hands are meant for holding His word, in my hands.

That my lips are meant to speak His promises over my life and to encourage others with songs of His love.

That my eyes are meant for seeing His hand on everything in existence.

That my mind is meant to dwell on His death for me a sinful child of His and to think only on those things that are pleasing to Him.

My life has been surrendered all along to the wrong ones and to all the wrong things

How do I, how does one get their heart to sing a better tune?

Samaritan lady.

What happened when you went back into the house and to that room?

I like to believe that you never returned but looked forever, on the the one who was raised up from the tomb.

Father come to me like a Samaritan lady and tell me you know me and love me,

As before I was in the womb.

Help me to never thirst after those things that only lead to death’s door, and the gloom of doom.

Give me a heart of flesh for you and for your people,

May your kingdom, come here soon.

And help me to belong there,

Where for the righteous there’s always room.

Whatever it is that you’re chasing in this life that isn’t fulfilling I invite you to lay it down for I promise you that like salt water drunk straight it will taste good at first but only keep you thirsting for more.

Come to Christ. For He is the only eternal life in this temporal and fallen world. Like the Samaritan lady may your heart be excited to hear and to experience contact with the living water whose promise from here to forever, is that you will never thirst again! God bless you. Amen.

Run and Remain in the light of God’s love

There have been times in my life when I have felt locked in the darkness of my mind. Maybe you are there now or you have been too. The word of God teaches us some valuable lessons in remaining in the light of God’s love and how we can break free when we encounter Jesus and open our hearts to Him.

Let’s take a look together into the life of a demon posessed man in the book of Mark chapter 5.

Mark 5: 1-5

“So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. ² When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. ⁴ Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.”

Jesus comes to the region of the Gerasenes and meets there a man possessed by demons. The man lives among the tombs which is a dark, dank, dismal, and depressing place to live.

Sometimes we can find ourselves trying desperately to hold on in this place and more often than not spiritually dead. This man was in such a bad way as to be a harm to himself and others. So much so that the townspeople thought it best to place him in shackles and chains where he couldn’t do any harm.

Sometimes depression, fear, anxiety, or worry can really take captive of us until we feel frozen in time and place. The harder we fight we feel the chains sinking deeper into us and we may ask ourselves “how can I get free?”

The word says that this man wandered day and night in this darkness among the shadows and we can imagine that during this time he was afraid of the light and perhaps even despising it, not wanting it to find him. This man was in such a bad state that he even began to hurt himself with stones.

As we go on though we see a transformation occur as the light comes into the mans life in the form of Jesus our living savior.

Mark 5:6-8

“When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. ⁷ With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

Jesus appears and the man runs to meet Him. This is a valuable lesson for us because when the man came to Jesus knowing that he was in need and it was only through Jesus that he could find deliverance, that’s when change began to happen and Jesus began to act.

At this point the demons were still within the man so we can discern gladlly that both man and demons do and will eventually bow down to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

So when you feel down and out run to Jesus and remember that when you do the darkness will have no choice but to lay down low and disappear.

The man we see was in conflict here though because the demons didn’t want to be cast out. When we are lost in darkness isn’t this what it feels like for us? But who better to save us then the one who knows their name?

Mark 5:9 “

⁹ Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.”

Mark 5:10-13

¹⁰ Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

¹¹ There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. ¹² “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

¹³ “So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.”

We see in these verses the demons literally pleading with Jesus not to cast them out of the man but Jesus always gets the last say and they too know Jesus’power and authority.

After pleading in their weakness the spirits have to bargain with Jesus showing even more so the weakness darkness, demons, and evil have in the light of God.

The spirits want to be sent into 2,000 pigs. Can you imagine? This shows us how much darkness can invade a person’s spirit when they dwell in the darkness for too long but we also see and know that no matter the magnitude and size of the darkness Jesus can, will, and already has overcome it.

After all Jesus had to grant them permission! His authority and their plunging into the water and drowning shows His divinity in what He knew would happen and His divine intervention to wipe out the darkness in our lives with one fell swoop of His light and His love!

Friend if your life is looking dark. If you are nervous, stressed, depressed, frightened or worried, can’t get out of bed, or can’t seem to find a place of peace to rest your head I invite you to run and remain in the light of God’s love for you.

You might play a worship song that you love, pray, praise or better yet just talk out loud and say,

“Lord I’m chained up in darkness and I can’t get out on my own. I need you. Please shine your light into my heart and light up my life. Help me to remain in your light and rest there. Help me then to live in your light and to stay there. Thank you Lord for your light and your love which keeps me safe and free. In Jesus name. Amen.

May you rest this moment and remain in the light of God’s love for you. God bless you!