Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

In my worship of Him, my soul is safe and comforted and reassured and at peace.  – Lysa TerKeurst

Everything in life is a choice. Do we worry or do we worship? Something I recently read in What happens when women say yes to God really hit home. When we worry we feel we have to come up with justifications and careful explanations for the naysayers. We listen to the voices of acceptance and rejection. We lay awake at night and ponder all of the lies that Satan throws at us. We have pity parties and do alot of self-talk. At least I know I do. Do you?

But we can choose to worship. I’ve noticed that my attitude takes on a whole different personality when I choose to worship. I choose to find the good among the bad. By doing this it reminds me that it’s not about me – it’s ALL about God. My focus is off of myself and turned back to God and his people. We all worship something. What or whom do you choose to worship today?

But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you…For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways…

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them – Psalm 139:1-16.

Isn’t this awesome!? The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. After all, He made us. One of my favorite quotes is:

Just think, you’re here not by chance, but by Gods choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else – You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that his grace can’t give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His Special Purpose for this generation. – Roy Lessin.

We need to remember that the Lord has a special purpose for our lives. Everyday is in preparation for it. We have to continue to grow everyday. If the Lord has revealed to you what it is he has for you and has told you to DO IT. Then do it! Don’t second guess yourself because by doing that you second guess the Lord. Which means…Where’s your faith?

Who are we to say that we can’t do something? Who are we to feel less than? God knows we can do it. He is our source of encouragement and strength. There is nothing we can’t do as long as we rely on him. If God knows that we are worthy enough to do his work and what he has entrusted in us, then who are we to question him? By doing so, are we in essence calling him a liar? ooohhhh!!!!

Let’s make sure we are all on the right path. His path. Keep your faith and do not faulter!

Back to A Busy Woman’s Guide To Prayer… the author Cheri Fuller talks about having to move and dreading it. She prayed, “Lord, you know I’m a nester by heart, I’d just love to remain where we are. I don’t even need to move the furniture to be content, much less change houses. Staying right here would be just fine with me.” As she mentally wrestled with God about why they were making the move, he gently whispered, Yes, I know you’ll miss the house, but remember - I am your dwelling place - not the house youlive in or the rooms where you eat and sleep. You’ll live in other houses here on earth, but don’t get attached to any of them; they are all temporary. I am your permanent dwelling place!

Checking her Bible when she got back to the house, she read, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations” (Psalm 90:1 NIV). Yes, that was definitely God she’d heard while strolling around the block! Fortunately, she had no idea how many other houses he was referring to. When she moved again, for the twelfth time, storing some furniture, she heard God’s gentle reminder once more: I am your dwelling place. 

This is  comforting to me and hopefully to you as well. Have a blessed Tuesday!

Mere superficial pressures never determine life’s outcome…If you are intimately linked with the living God of the universe, you don’t need to worry about what the crowd is doing – or even what the king is doing. The same God who created the world is able to carry you through and to work out every situation of your life, no matter how impossible it may seem.    -   Ray Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

How’s your faith in God? And not just when things are going good but when bad things happen and you feel like you keep getting hit and hit and hit again? Then you get a bit of a reprieve and bam! You feel tired and at times want to give up. But you can’t. So don’t.

This is where faith comes in. We need to believe God’s Word more than our own feelings. We can’t rely on our feelings to get us through. They will fail us every time. James 1:5-8 tells us that God cannont answer the prayers of a double-minded person. The Lord responds to our faith, not our fears.  Youneed to have peace and know that you are prepared for whatever may be thrown your way. How do you prepare? Prayer. Reading God’s Word. Take control over your tongue and pay attention to the words that come out of your mouth. Be careful of self-talk. You know, the conversations that we carry on inside our heads? Make sure that what you are saying both inside and out is in accordance to God’s Word. Know that you Know the Lord will carry you through. We don’t have all of the answers and we’re not supposed to. How else can we exercise our faith? By exercising our faith so many things come into play. One being our relationship with the Lord is strengthened. We bond with him more and learn more about him. We learn more about our selves.

So, when you feel fear instead of faith do a self evaluation and get back to reality. The quicker you do, the stronger your faith becomes. And remember…fear is not of God. Anxiety is fear. Self-doubt is fear. Worry…you get the picture. The Bible encourages us with this, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  Strong’s #4995: A combination of sos, “safe,” and phren, “the mind”; hence, safe-thinking. The word denotes good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions. It includes the qualities of self-control and self-discipline. Hmmm….self-talk? The Spirit of Fear, In the face of fear, we are to remember our calling from God (2Tim. 1:6). We have within us: 1) the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to no longer be victims. 2) the perfect love of God, poured into our lives through jesus Christ and His abiding presence (Rom. 5:5);3) the mind of Christ by which we can apply the ways of God in making “sound” choices (2 Tim. 1:7). Applying this truth determines whether we overcome fear or are overcome by it.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.