hope - Walking on Mustard Seeds

How You Win the Battle

You are a well-designed vessel for this one life, but to get the best out of this life, you must operate by using His user manual. Yes, this is a talk about Scripture, our source for knowing how to think about ourselves, the people around us, and the world.

Y’all, life has never felt more stressful. I am living my fifth decade, so I can say without a doubt, that politics and the state of the world have never been discussed more at the dinner table and in the canned food aisle. Seriously, complete strangers and I gasp together at prices that seem to rise daily, with the sun.

If you’re like me, you catch yourself griping about the costs. Add the doom and gloom on every news report guaranteeing the worst is about to happen.

And then I groan at myself!

Why?

Because God’s word tells me not to worry or complain.

Stay with me, because I am going to flip this entire story.

You are not created to function well under constant negative thoughts and news. It produces toxic reactions in your body, making all other facets of your life miserable.

You are a well-designed vessel for this one life, but to get the best out of this life, you must operate by using His user manual. It is the instruction book for living and thinking right.

Yes, this is a talk about Scripture, our source for knowing how to think about ourselves, the people around us, and the world.

Is this the shift you were expecting? I hope so. You see, God rights E V E R Y T H I N G. His master plan always corrects our course–if we look to His word for instructions we see ourselves aligning with Him.

Think of David who was summoned to fight Goliath. He did not shrink at the news of this massive war-hungry man. No! David stood in his full stature, knowing who God is and what his own skill set brought to the battle.

Psalm 146:5, in the AMPC version, says, “Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

Now, if you have ever studied a foreign language, you know there are difficulties in finding the exact word to fully grasp a foreign word. I remember literature professors lamenting about this for poetry translated into English. This is why several words are used in the AMPC version for one word. They are laying out several options that fit the original language used in Scripture because we do not have one word that encompasses the vast meaning of the original word. The introduction to the AMPC explains this in fuller detail.

Let’s get back to the scripture.

God’s word is declaring, (picture a bugle call): you are “happy, blessed, fortunate, and enviable”. Life does not get much better than that! Repeat out loud, “I am happy, blessed, fortunate, and enviable”. I would repeat that at least five times. Can’t you feel your brain relaxing and rejoicing at this news?!

And why do you embody these gifts from God? The verse says it is because you have God, who has special revelation, help, and hope, for Y O U ! I want God in my corner, ready to help and show me hope that my circumstances don’t reveal yet.

We’ll save the revelation part for another time, but don’t miss out on context.

The help, hope, and revelation He gives to you is what? Special. God’s personal relationship with you is special. Do you know the opposite of special is ordinary? Your relationship with God is anything BUT ordinary!

Do you need revelation for today? Do you need help today? What are you hoping for or lost hope in?

Stand on the truth that you are happy, blessed, and enviable. Lift your eyes to the Lord, seeking His revelation, help, and hope. Know, as young David did, He is in this moment with you. And, you are equipped with your experience and training to face this day.

More of the Same, but …

The news will continue in its attempt to bury your hope and happiness. You have a ready weapon for this battle and this is why you are enviable.

The devil came to destroy, but – News Alert! (Do you hear the ticker tape too?)

Jesus won the war! In Him, you are winning too.

Thank you, Lord!

Your Turn

How do you see yourself as equipped and experienced? Please share in the comments.

Signature line, Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds, Michele

Photo by Hassan Pasha on Unsplash

“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC),

Devotional Review of Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey by Joanna K. Harris

Devotional Review time!

The one thing I hear the most from you, my reader, is that you L O V E the devotional reviews.

I am oh so happy to add this new release to my collection of reviewed devotionals for you. Enjoy!

Devotional Title

Crazy Hard Beautiful Journey *

Subtitle

Stories of God’s Unfailing Grace, Goodness, and Divine Purpose

Author

Joanna K. Harris

Publisher and Copywrite Date

Where I found this book and why I selected it.

A few years ago I attended my first writer’s conference. The speakers were engaging and I still have a fat file filled with all my notes. A bonus of signing up was entry into a private Facebook group for all attendees.

Recently, on the Facebook group, I asked how to find devotionals that are being released soon or have just come out. A member replied with her newest title. I popped onto Amazon, to check out her devotional and decided to read and review it for you–and this is what I found …

What did I love about it?

After reading Joanna K. Harris’ devotional, I was left feeling like I just made a new friend.

Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey is filled with 60 devotions. Each page tells the chronological story of her life struggling with and triumphing in the face of medical challenges.

Each devotion reflects God’s continual provision for her. Growing up a missionary kid, prepared her for the life she would walk with the Lord, needing to rely on the kindness and care of fellow Christians. Each day is filled with hope, a learned wisdom, and a way to apply those two to your own experiences.

I felt invited along as she learned spiritual truths about God and how he was intimately involved in her circumstances.

You don’t have to have an ongoing health issue to relate to her challenges Harris weaves each devotion in such a way that she makes her lessons relatable to the reader. God is always sovereign and reliable, and Harris makes that point abundantly clear while leaning into His leading.

Each devotional starts begins and ends with a bible verse. It does not end with a prayer but with a section called Self Reflection. Here she places a question or two, to create an inner application to walk out the lesson in your own life.

Who would want it?

I think young to middle-aged women would be drawn to and appreciate Harris’ tested faith. She writes in a striking story-like way, bringing you along her journey. I found myself looking forward to reading what happened next in her life.

Who would not want it?

Men may not be initially drawn to her story, but her lessons learned about God do not strike me as just women.

A Bonus Point

Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey as a bonus message, perhaps unintentional, to take care of your body. It is important to make sure you take care of and notice symptoms in your body. Fatigue, pain, or other issues may be telling you to rest, take a break, seek medical help, and definitely, spend time with God.

Your Turn

Is there someone you know who might enjoy Crazy Hard Beautiful Journey? *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29, ESV)

Can God reveal things that are hidden?

Prayers for Your City

Keeping the promise of my blog, praying for your city on the first Thursday of the month, I have been inspired by current events. Praying for one city specifically over a six-year span, we covered current situations.

A city my family use to live in reported a teenage girl disappearing earlier this week. And a neighboring city reported a young woman disappearing within days of each other.

These stories are heartbreaking and terrifying. They are not new; we have seen headlines for decades about missing people.

Everything is seen by God. Hebrews 4:13

God reveals deep and secret things. Daniel 2:22

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, sites that “600,000 people go missing every year.” It goes on to say that many are located easily due to being lost, while “tens of thousands remain missing”.

Can we ask God to reveal and free anyone who has been taken or is lost?

God asks us to pray.

Prayer is conversation filled with thank-yous, questions, and requests, to our Father. And at times those requests are pleadings for answers.

God asks us to pray for the welfare of the city we live in.

Prayer is war.

Doubt surfaces when we pray for what seems too big to be answered. That is okay. Doubt was at the cross.

A spiritual war was happening then.

A spiritual war is happening now.

Will you pray bold prayers…knowing…

God’s word is truth.

God’s word is alive.

God’s word is power.

Called to Pray

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Lord,

We lift up to you the people in our cities who have gone missing, recently and over the years.

Free them from where ever they are. Reveal what is hidden.

Give wisdom to those who are searching for these missing individuals.

Bring your perfect comfort to their loved ones.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thank you for praying with me. The website for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System is Home | NamUs (ojp.gov). Further bible verses that speak to this post are Hebrews 4:12, John 17:17.

Response to Fear

Have you been overwhelmed with questions about COVID-19? When will we return to normal? What will normal look like? So many are not allowed to work, how will this affect the economy? Will I get sick? Who will care for my family if I do? Will there be what I need at the store? Maybe your questions are different or similar. Some of us are still being asked to stay home. No matter where you are in the world, we are all affected by the new coronavirus.

I do not have answers but I know who does, God.

Walking through the pages of my bible the other day, I came across a familiar chapter tucked in the book of Nehemiah. Chapter nine depicts a celebration of rebuilding. At the start of the book, we meet Neheimah, overwhelmed with grief at receiving news of Jerusalem’s wall and gates being destroyed. (Chapter 1, verses 1-4) By praying to God, and submitting to his king, Nehemiah was allowed to begin rebuilding the wall.

In the rebuilding process, Nehemiah’s work and life were threatened several times. It was financially and politically impossible to rebuild the wall. If you are not familiar with the book of Nehemiah, maybe take this weekend to read it, or chapter nine.

This impossible task was completed because God cares, God has a plan, and he is sovereign! We, like Nehemiah, have hope in knowing God.

Let’s meet back here, Monday, as we look at God’s compassion and love for us in response to our fears.

Hope to see you here Monday!