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How many of you have seen a video where someone has a plate of water and pepper and they then wash their hands and hey presto the pepper moves this in the past few weeks?
I want us to think about that science experiment but instead of it being germs and soap let’s think of it all the fears, anxieties, temptations, sins and all the things that want to pull us down and affect us negatively.
It’s often all around us – peer pressure, negative thinking, bullying – and now with the added pressure of all the stuff going on around the world and all the mixed messages about it – it’s hard to know what is true and right.
This is where the soap comes in. The soap is like the Word of God in our lives. It’s like it coats our life with peace and truth which protects us from the attack of the enemy, the lies around us and the lies we tell ourselves. It counters the negative thoughts and the anxiety and instead gives us hope and a sense of purpose. This is why spending time with God is so vital and important. It’s not an optional extra. It’s not something we take lightly because we know the benefit it will make to your lives.
Philippians 4:6-8 says:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
When my kids were way younger Tony my hubby got made redundant. He rung me and said that the whole company was closing and that everyone was being sent home. Those phone calls are not fun.
For you it might be stuff going on with your parents, or health problems, or stuff at school. It might be how people treat you or mental health stuff going on. You might be feeling anxious about what are you going to do when you grow up and leave school, or about relationship pressure or things that you’re seeing on social media.
After I finished talking to Tony I just sat on the couch a bit stunned.
All the negative thoughts flooded at me and surrounded me. Where would our money come from? What about our mortgate? All the crazy adulting thoughts!
I had been listening to some worship and having a prayer time so began praying again. I turned the worship up loud and just let the words of the songs wash over me.
In a way – it was like putting soap over my heart and mind. It was like reminding me of God’s truth and God’s promises. It changed the way I thought. It changed how I felt.
After a short while I was feeling peaceful, I was feeling hopeful, I was feeling confident.
Worship and prayer and the Word of God gets us on the same page as God. It reminds us that He is good and great. That nothing is impossible for God. That nothing will separate us from God. That in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. That Jesus has overcome the world. All of that is straight from the bible and it’s not just cute sayings or clichés or nice words but powerful truth that you can bet your life on.
It’s all good and well to have the bible on your phone or your bookcase if you don’t read it. It’s like that soap sitting on the table by that kid doing the experiment. Until the kid puts the soap on his finger nothing changes, nothing happens. Until you read the word and absorb it nothing changes, nothing happens.
Until you pray, nothing happens. Until you worship nothing happens.
But when you pray, when you worship, when you read your bible there are mighty supernatural forces at work – God is at work! The Holy Spirit is at work on you on the inside!
Ads on television make motherhood look so easy. The babies in them are so sweet, so soft, so snugly, so sleepy and the mothers… well, they look so beautiful, peaceful and together.
Reality however can paint such a different picture.
My life is not a commercial. Unless its one of those ones for washing powder and mud.
(yes thats my son, now 12, in the photo!)
Read MORE about The Antidote to Anxiety over at New Zealand Christian Mums – where I’m a contributing writer today
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. AMP
rejoice in the Lord when it suits you.
rejoice in the Lord when its all happy joy joy times.
rejoice in the Lord when the sun shines.
NO that’s not what the bible says!
rejoice always. rejoice at all times.
celebrate God all day, every day.
Delight in Him, worship Him.
Be thankful for His loving-kindness and goodness at all times and in all ways.
an easy thing to write on paper, but a challenge to live out in our every day ordinary lives, with all its obstacles and difficulties, bad hair days and valleys.
and paul says it again. REJOICE!
rejoicing unlocks something within our heart. for me it unlocks trust and hope. i CHOOSE to rejoice and i CHOOSE to see God’s hand at work even in the trial and test. i CHOOSE to acknowledge Him as my loving Father and because of His love and grace i CAN rejoice.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Rejoicing should manifest itself in the way i live my life. With gentleness, not worry and anxiousness. With a peace that surpasses the situation and limited understanding. With a grace that extends itself to others instead of unleashing our burdens and anxiety on those around us.
God is near. With us. Always.
And the return of Jesus is near. we should live with a holy expectation and expectant trust that God is powerful and that He will make all things new and that Jesus reigns.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
the remedy to anxiety is prayer. in prayer we find peace which guards us from a downward spiral into doubt and fear and anxiety. as we continue to pray and worship God we meet Him and are changed and have renewed peace and perspective.
Jesus is the answer to every problem we have.
need peace? Jesus is the prince of peace.
need hope? He is the God of all hope
need comfort? the Holy Spirit is called our Comforter
there have been many times when circumstance screams at me to give up and lose hope and rail against God, to get stressed and burned out… but i know that in all things God is my heavenly Father and that He will work out all things for my good and His glory and that He is at work intentionally in my life. I know He is the giver of peace and that though the valley may be dark, He is the light of the world and with me. This gives me confidence to walk forward and to keep trusting.
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. MSG
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." So the Israelites did this. Exodus 14:4
i think this was also a lesson so that the ISRAELITES knew that God was the Lord, mighty and powerful! only a few verses down the israelites are saying: "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Exodus 14:11-12
sometimes i think the experiences we go through are to teach us to trust. how often do we find ourselves facing a crisis and we freak out instead of responding with trust and faith? God used the Red Sea to teach the people that He was their deliverer and saviour. He used it to demonstrate His mighty power.
- Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
- Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
i can trust in God.
He is trustworthy.
though sometimes things dont go to MY plan, HE has a plan and is at work on my behalf.
i am confident of His love and goodness.
i am confident that He is my Father.
when faced with fear i CHOOSE to trust God.
i STOP, BREATHE and REMIND MYSELF OF THE PROMISES OF GOD.
His Word is faithful.
His promises can be trusted.
He is always at work.
i counter FEAR with faith.
faith that is grounded in the Word of God and His promises. not blind faith but faith that has facts and basis.
i live not by sight but by faith in God.
Nothing is impossible for God – the same God that split the Red Sea is at work in your life! reading exodus 14 so makes me trust God – He moves in intervening and awesome ways – unexpected and extraordinary ways!
"You will never get past your fears until you are willing to face them head on—period! And…as long as the enemy controls you through fear you will not be fully surrendered to Jesus!" Perry Noble
next time we face an obstacle, instead of freaking out, how about we trust, and stop and breathe and remind ourselves of the promises of God.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. AMP
rejoice in the Lord when it suits you.
rejoice in the Lord when its all happy joy joy times.
rejoice in the Lord when the sun shines.
NO that’s not what the bible says!
rejoice always. rejoice at all times.
celebrate God all day, every day.
Delight in Him, worship Him.
Be thankful for His loving-kindness and goodness at all times and in all ways.
an easy thing to write on paper, but a challenge to live out in our every day ordinary lives, with all its obstacles and difficulties, bad hair days and valleys.
and paul says it again. REJOICE!
rejoicing unlocks something within our heart. for me it unlocks trust and hope. i CHOOSE to rejoice and i CHOOSE to see God’s hand at work even in the trial and test. i CHOOSE to acknowledge Him as my loving Father and because of His love and grace i CAN rejoice.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Rejoicing should manifest itself in the way i live my life. With gentleness, not worry and anxiousness. With a peace that surpasses the situation and limited understanding. With a grace that extends itself to others instead of unleashing our burdens and anxiety on those around us.
God is near. With us. Always.
And the return of Jesus is near. we should live with a holy expectation and expectant trust that God is powerful and that He will make all things new and that Jesus reigns.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
the remedy to anxiety is prayer. in prayer we find peace which guards us from a downward spiral into doubt and fear and anxiety. as we continue to pray and worship God we meet Him and are changed and have renewed peace and perspective.
Jesus is the answer to every problem we have.
need peace? Jesus is the prince of peace.
need hope? He is the God of all hope
need comfort? the Holy Spirit is called our Comforter
there have been many times when circumstance screams at me to give up and lose hope and rail against God, to get stressed and burned out… but i know that in all things God is my heavenly Father and that He will work out all things for my good and His glory and that He is at work intentionally in my life. I know He is the giver of peace and that though the valley may be dark, He is the light of the world and with me. This gives me confidence to walk forward and to keep trusting.
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. MSG
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 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. 1 peter 4:10-11
The body of Christ is best when balanced, but the essence of prodigy is obsession – Steven Furtick
the body is balanced… made of different members and people of different giftings and when we work together, when the person who is called to serve serves, the person who is called to lead leads etc, then we form a WHOLE body, a COMPLETE body, a BALANCED body.
but that works when each individual is radically pursuing THEIR call and are OBSESSED about what God has called them to do.
each ONE should use the gift he has been given.
not in the sense of “whatever gift i have, whatever, yeah i guess, ‘spose God can use it”
but more in the sense that “the gift i have i will throw myself wholeheartedly into using it and developing it for the building of the Kingdom”
whatever you’re called. whatever you’re gifted. be wholehearted and passionate about it.
when we wholeheartedly serve with our calling and gifts then we contribute to the Body.
if we serve we should do it with the strength God provides (God who created the universe… that’s strong!)
if anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God (God whose Word created the universe… )
Christ in us works powerfully for the building of the Kingdom!
One Passion One Devotion 