"But the power I possess to live a life pleasing to God is directly related to how much
control of my life I give to the Holy Spirit"-Anne Graham Lotz
control of my life I give to the Holy Spirit"-Anne Graham Lotz
Have you ever noticed that when life becomes difficult or stressful it is because we are not communing with God? When we do not start our day with prayer and end our evening with thanksgiving our lives become about us and not Him.
Our minds become so full of noise that we forget the One we are to be serving. When we forget who we are in Christ we quickly become entrenched in the world. Busy days, work, kids activities, homework, social obligations, family obligations. Before we know it we "fear" we can not get it all done. We are stressed to the limit. Stretched to the max.
There are actually 365 scriptures in the bible telling us not to fear. Not stress out. Rest in Him. That is a scripture for every single day of the year. A word, if you will, reminding us to start each and every day fear and stress free (365fearnots.com).
I said yesterday that this time of year my soul literally craves the ocean. Its an ache. A longing. The winter quiet. The stillness. Similar to the world after the first dusting of untouched snow. The serenity. The green of the mountains in the summer. The glorious dew at dawn on all of the flowers. The morning mist coming across the valley.
Jesus walked our walk. He knows our daily stresses and fears. He walked in our shoes, without sin, with the peace of his Abba father everywhere he went. He came to earth to dwell as we do. He understands every emotion. Every fear. Every doubt. Every heartache. Every Joy. Every Triumph. Every Success. He gets us. Yet so many of us don't get Him. Not because we don't want too. Simply because we don't take the time to know Him. When we don't know Him intimately our lives reflect as such.
I feel the closest with the Lord when I'm standing on the beach. Looking out at the vast ocean. But the reality is God is everywhere. So I should feel Him everywhere. But sometimes I don't. And when I don't it's almost always because (1) I'm not spending time with Him or (2) He is silent because He is trying to protect me or help me see something that He sees.
When the Holy Spirit is directing our path we can hear Him. We know that He is in the thick of our daily routine. The stresses of our lives. The fears. The joys. The failures. And when we are in step with Him? We are able to recognize that all of these feelings are signal flags for our walk with Christ. For years I thought my stress was man created, and sometimes it is. Many times, however, circumstances are ordained by Him. Allowed by Him. To give me pause. To help me grow spiritually in Him and with Him.
When the Holy Spirit is directing our path it will be a fruitful one for that moment and time in our lives. If He is not directing our walk we most likely will find ourselves, at some point, in crisis or chaos. In that chaos we find ourselves powerless. It is then that the enemy swoops in. Don't give him access to your life. To your family. Open your bible today. Ask the Lord to speak to you. Let Him safely take you under His wing as you both navigate throughout your day.
When the Holy Spirit is directing our path we can hear Him. We know that He is in the thick of our daily routine. The stresses of our lives. The fears. The joys. The failures. And when we are in step with Him? We are able to recognize that all of these feelings are signal flags for our walk with Christ. For years I thought my stress was man created, and sometimes it is. Many times, however, circumstances are ordained by Him. Allowed by Him. To give me pause. To help me grow spiritually in Him and with Him.
When the Holy Spirit is directing our path it will be a fruitful one for that moment and time in our lives. If He is not directing our walk we most likely will find ourselves, at some point, in crisis or chaos. In that chaos we find ourselves powerless. It is then that the enemy swoops in. Don't give him access to your life. To your family. Open your bible today. Ask the Lord to speak to you. Let Him safely take you under His wing as you both navigate throughout your day.
"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge"-Psalm 91:4
