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Ever have one of those days or weeks when you feel like God decided to take a vacation without telling you?
You check downstairs and out in the yard. Nope, He’s not there. You even make sure He isn’t somewhere in your car or at your office. Nope, He isn’t there either. He’s not at the kids’ school. He’s not staying at your friend’s house. He’s not at the gym where you work out.
But you do notice that He leaves hints that He has been there — things like forgetting His extra car keys or part of His lunch. Maybe He left His sunglasses behind on your kitchen table.
There are signs that He was there in your presence, but that’s it: There are only signs. As far as you are concerned, He up and left without so much as a “good-bye.” And there isn’t any real indication that He is going to return to you anytime soon. Read the rest of this entry »
Intimidated by demanding tasks and crumbling under self-imposed pressure, I cried aloud pitifully to God from the safety of my car, “Help! I need a new level of Your strength. I am really discouraged and I don’t know if I can do this.”
I half expected God to pat me on the back and tell me that I could just forget all about those trying responsibilities. He would somehow whisk me out of all my overwhelming circumstances like some supernatural Prince Charming.
Instead of sympathy or promise of an immediate and gallant rescue, I heard God’s quiet voice reassure me within my spirit, You can do all things through My strength.
Really, Lord? I silently questioned. I sure didn’t feel overjoyed by His words, although I knew He was right. God had just quoted me part of a Scripture, after all. Read the rest of this entry »
If you have ever spent days, months, or even years repenting for the same sin, I want to offer you a word of encouragement. You don’t have to keep flailing yourself.
If you have already repented before the Lord in prayer about something wrong that you did or didn’t do or even some wrong thought that you had, you are not obligated to walk around long-faced, cry so hard your eyes get puffy, or sit around on some solitary ash heap to prove a point or get God to believe you are truly sorry.
You have already been forgiven! And as far as God is concerned, your sins are as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). In fact, He doesn’t remember them (Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12).
So, who does?
Well… we do when we find ourselves in similar situations as the original situation in which we sinned. And, of course, we have the Accuser – the devil himself – who wants to intimidate us and make us feel ashamed all over again. Read the rest of this entry »
