What Is The Best Way To Handle Fear? Advice From The Bible.

Sometimes the things we fear are so huge that we cannot think of anything else, in time fear grips and cripples us. Where can we turn to overcome fear?

"He said, Listen king Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this great army, for the battle is not yours but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The Bible tells of an alliance of enemies that marched against the Lord's people. Facing certain destruction and death King Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with prayer. After he prayed the prophet came with the message not to fear because the battle is the Lords.

DO NOT BE AFRAID
There are many reasons we are afraid in life. There are circumstances outside our control, there are dangers that threaten us and our loved ones, and there are uncertainties in our future.

There is a bigger reason to not be afraid- God:
     * He is in control.
     * Nothing catches Him by surprise.
     * He will never lose a battle.
     * He is in charge of all things.
     * He has power over all things.
     * He is bigger than all things.

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS
When there is a problem in our lives we think we need to act and we say, "What can I do?" God was in control long before we found out about the problem and He will remain in control long after we have forgotten the matter.

BUT GOD'S
God is able to win the battle. We have to do our part which is to obey Him and trust Him, God is able to deliver.

In 2 Chronicles 20 the story ends with the enemies turning on each other and annihilating each other. The Lord's people went to meet them in battle but found only dead bodies as far as the eye could see.

When you face the multitude of foes seek the Lord and pray to Him for deliverance because He is able.

(c)Adron Dozat 12/5/13

Does The Bible Have Advice For The Troubled Soul?

We often struggle with discouragement and see the dark side of things, but we know it is unhealthy, maybe even a sin. It is easy for us to get in a blue mood and count our sorrows instead of our blessings. Where can we get encouragement?

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." Psalm 77:11-12, NIV.

I WILL
This Chapter of the Bible, Psalm 77, starts as a deep echo to self-pity and woe. It has words like "cried out, distress, faint, troubled, reject," and phrases like "my soul refused to be comforted," and "I was too troubled to speak." It starts dark and full of emotional misery but takes a turn halfway through where the psalmist declares "I will..." three times. He resolves to redirect the subjects of his thoughts.
He vows to:

• Remember the deeds of the Lord.
• Remember God's miracles.
• Meditate on all God's works.
• And consider all God's mighty works.

REMEMBER
To remember something takes effort and to meditate on a thing is mental work. We must be willing to give time to this practice, and we must be disciplined in our thinking.

MEDITATE
This is directing our thoughts to the Lord. It is not just looking at the good things with gratitude, but looking at the greatness of God; the wonder of who He is, and what He has done. If we were to list the deeds of the Lord, his miracles, and mighty works we would need warehouses of paper, lakes of ink and lifetimes to write it all.

CONSIDER
You need to go no further than your garden, or feel the sun on your face, consider the engineering of the human hand to become overwhelmed with God's works and miracles. Just skimming a few chapters of the Bible will confront one with the mighty works of the All_mighty, Or ponder the miracle of the cross on which Jesus died for our sins and the power of the resurrection.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS PLUS
This is more than counting your blessings or trying to look on the bright side. To count your blessings every day is a good habit and leads to thankfulness, but take the time to meditate on God's works and wonders it is a good habit also and leads to worship.

Those who have come to God and received the miracle of salvation, through the blood of Jesus which cleanses from sin, can meditate that even we are becoming one of God's "mighty works."

To find out more about how to come to God follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron 6/4/13/

What Does The Bible Say To Do About Anxiety?

Sometimes we feel that the weight of our anxiety is a huge dark burden that is slowly smothering our existence. Is there anything we can do? Can the Bible offer help?

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. NIV.

CAST
This is a word we do not use often. It can mean throw, as in throw away, it can mean give away, or turn away. It is an action. The action is to get rid of something completely and in a way that involves separation like throwing something.

To cast something just doesn't happen, it requires a decision and an action. You must grasp the thing and cast it.

It is not a little toss but a determined and mighty throw to get it as far from you as possible.

ALL
"All" is everything. Sometimes in the life of faith, we pray and bring everything to God but keep back some little detail and think we can handle that one; but all is the whole thing with every detail and little part.

ANXIETY
Anxiety is the same as worry or care. Worry is an insult to an All-Powerful God. Worry says we doubt his power or his ability. Anxiety says God cannot be trusted; that somehow he who can create the universe in seven days, can't create a solution for our problem.

HIM
We must remember the most important person in the reference verse it is not us and our worries it is him who still storms, raises the dead, opens seas for his people, walks through the flames with his faithful, shuts the mouth of lions, commands angels, and rules all time and space. We should focus not on our worries but on our All-Powerful God.

BECAUSE
The Apostle Peter could have listed any number of reasons to give our anxieties to God but he chose to the one supreme reason to cast our care on him- it is that he loves us. His love for us is beyond measure. He loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to pay for our sin, (John 3:16). If he loves us so much as to give his son to bring us to himself; there is nothing he won't do for us.*

See Romans 8:32

(c) Adron 6/3/13

What Does the Bible Say About Negative Thoughts? Philippians 4:8

We often have struggles in our thoughts, sometimes we have thoughts of gloom, regret, sorrow, depression and failure. They weigh us down and hold us back until they suck us dry.

"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 on these things." Philippians 4:8. NIV.

CONTEXT
The verse quoted above is part of a closing of a letter written by the Apostle Paul. He gives instructions about unity, rejoicing, prayer, and this encouragement to think on a list of virtues.

WHATEVER
God's Word does not teach positive thinking as much as it encourages directive thinking. We are directed to think about specific virtues. This "whatever" embraces all things of a kind so we may give our thought to anything that fits the virtue of truth, noble, right, pure lovely admirable excellent or praiseworthy.

LIVING THOUGHTS
Our lives follow our thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on negative things we drift into patterns and habits that reflect those thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on specific virtues we find ourselves reflecting those virtues in our deeds and words even our very outlook.

WHERE TO FIND WHATEVER
So we should think about the true and noble, the right and the pure, but where are they? The pages of the Bible are full of these things and a good beginning is to read the Word of God and think on the truths found in it. There are many admirable and excellent things in our lives if we take the time to consider them.

We may have been focusing on the negative so long we are conditioned to blindness to the good around us; we must make an effort to see the good.

     * Make a list of the good things that surround you.
     * Keep a journal where you record the lovely and pure things in your life.
     * Pray daily a thankful prayer. Take ten minutes and pray where you only giving thanks.
     * Ask The Lord to show you the noble and true things to think on.

AN EASY COMMAND
The Scriptures places this instruction in the same emphasis as a command. It is one that is easy to obey.

THE RESULT
We will be happier people for directed thoughts. We will be closer to God and Jesus. We will enjoy life more. We will experience blessing.

To learn more about finding the Truth follow this link: Click Here.

To read Philippians 4 in its entirety click this link.

(c) Adron 4/27/13

What Does The Bible Say About Fear?

We have many fears, They can cripple you emotionally and keep you from making progress in relationships, work, and life in general. Sometimes a fear looms up threatening our very existence.

"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, NIV.

OUR IDEA

What The Bible Says About Fear

God does not promise to take away the object of our fear. We want the easy way out as if God were a magic genie to grant wishes that we could use to remove the source of our fears. But God does not offer that instead, he offers himself.

FOUR STATEMENTS
There are two truths and two statements of assurance and comfort in this verse.
     * I am with you. (Truth.)
     * I am your God. (Truth.)
     * I will strengthen you. (Assurance.)
     * I will uphold you. (Assurance.)

The truths validate assurance.
He says, "I am with you." He is the companion we need during the trials. He promises to be there for us like a shoulder we can cry on in prayer.

He says, "I am your God," a reminder of the All-Powerful One who is committed to us.

He says, "I will strengthen you." If The Lord who makes mountains so strong gives us the strength we should be strong indeed and more than able.

He says, "I will uphold you." He upholds the universe and keeps stars in their places If he upholds us we can be confident that we will not fall. He upholds us by his righteous right hand. Something that is righteous is pure, holy, trustworthy, and unfailing. The right hand speaks to us of authority and strength. This is a reinforcement of the first three assurances.

God's promises to us are based on who he is. All four I statements are followed by the word you. If this verse were to be summarized it would be that God says, "I am for you in this."

TWO COMMANDS
This verse gives two commands. Do not fear and do not be dismayed. The Almighty commands us not to fear. Then he reassures us he is able and willing to be there to help, uphold and give victory.

Do not fear!



(c)Adron Dozat 2/22/13

What is the Answer for Worry? Matthew 6:25

Worry can really cripple us, emotionally spiritually and in practical life. If your worries are little or big Jesus' teaching points to the perfect answer.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they?" Matthew 6: 25, 26. NIV.

In history's greatest sermon Jesus deals with many issues; one of which is worry. Many things constitute worry. We might be worrying if we...

     * Take things and turn them over again and again in our imagination.
     * Take a situation and start to imagine all the different ways it could turn out.
     * Dwell on all the "what ifs" about a thing.
     * Wear out a subject in our mind.

HELP
Christ points out several basic things people worry about, they are legitimate like the need for food, water, and clothes. There are lots of other worries he could have listed like public safety, old age, disease, and finances. In our modern complicated world we have many more things to worry about, like school, career, the effects of technology on our daily lives, city life, loneliness- the list can go on and on. Some of these worries are monumental to us.

WHY
Jesus said "do not worry," and gives a good reason. If Our Heavenly Father does such a good job of taking care of birds that are small what about humanity who are more important to God than birds. It is genus that Jesus chose birds as his example since some birds eat many times their own weight each day. God does a good job of caring for his creation so what about us who are so much more valuable than birds?

LOVE
People are the object of God's eternal love. He sent his Son to pay for our sins and there-by fulfilled our greatest and deepest need; if he did that out of His love and care for us what else is he willing to give or do? (See Romans 8:32.)

COMMAND
The way Jesus said, "do not worry," is like a command. If we continue to worry we are breaking a command and need to confess that sin. We need to...

     * Pray and confess
     * Tell God my concerns.
     * Acknowledge that he is in charge.
     * Receive His peace.
     * And leave it all with Him.

May you find all your cares are fulfilled by his loving provision today and always.

If you are interested in know Jesus as your savior see my other blog follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

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Adron

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What are the Best Thoughts To Think? Psalm 111:1-3

It is easy to get caught up in our own lives, our dreams, and problems. We spend a lot of time worrying about things like houses, kids, family, job, future, and so on. We turn these worries over and over again in our mind until we see them from every which way: in short, we ponder these things and find no relief, but these verses from the Bible give us a gentle reminder of what to focus on.

"Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the counsel of the upright and the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." Psalm 111:1-3, NIV.*

I WILL
The words of this psalm start with a commitment; he says, "I will." We need to resolve to set our thoughts on things above and consider God, not ourselves. To resolve is to make a firm action of change that is often public and declarative. It would include steps of action to make it happen.

GREAT
We might have great worries but, "Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." We need to ponder the things of Our Creator more and ponder ourselves less.

We can ponder His greatness by:

     * Setting aside times to meditate on Him.
     * Reading His Word, reflectively.
     * Memorizing a Scripture verse about Him.
     * Writing in a journal His activity in your life.
     * Talking to other believers about His greatness.

NOT HALF-WAY
"I will extol the Lord with all my heart." We need to follow that example and give our hearts to a deeper and more passionate attitude of praise and worship to the Lord. This pondering is a total thing for it needs a heart and the mind in it too.

FOCUS
The verses progress to a peon of praise, the author so absorbed he seems to burst out with the words, "Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." You almost get the sense that he can't keep from shouting this. These are positive uplifting words that imply hope and promise.

We need to be like the psalmist and give our thoughts to Our Heavenly Father and reject the doom and gloom of our own minds.  What a cure it would be for so much bitterness, fretting, worry, frustration, and other mental stresses if we would not focus on ourselves and our problems but instead focus our hearts and minds on the greatness and majesty of God our Savior!

© Adron 1/1/13

What Is The Key To Solving Problems? Zechariah 4: 6

What does the Bible say about solving personal problems? We all have problems such as debts, woes, worries, and fears. We try different things like education, money, bigger guns, or a louder voice, but nothing works.

"So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, 'Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.'" Zechariah 4: 6, NIV.  (Link to See other Translations).

The quote above is from the vision of the Prophet Zechariah, in which he is given a message for the governor of Jerusalem to not lose heart in rebuilding the destroyed temple. It was an awesome and overwhelming project, opposed by the enemies of Israel and discouraging since it had been languishing for forty years.

THE WORD OF THE LORD
The word may not seem like much to go on. We would rather trust in might and power, but the word of God is trustworthy. God always keeps his word and never breaks a promise. The prophet's statement implies that the Word of the Lord is not only instruction but also God's promise. It is an echo of the Genesis account, where God performed acts of creation by speaking the universe into existence.

MIGHT AND POWER
As Governor Zerubbabel would have understood, might and power were essential to ruling a city or nation. We seek our own might and power; we look for the strongest, smartest, and most advanced thing to solve our problems. God has a different way he wants us to allow his Spirit.

MY SPIRIT
God's Spirit is not something we cannot see or feel. We turn from what we can do to fix our problem to faith in God. His Spirit is not a force or positive influence, but God speaks here of his personal divine self. "My Spirit" is God saying he is the one, not us, so we must do away with our efforts and allow God to build.

SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY
We need to remember the source—this is the word spoken by the Lord Almighty, the all-powerful, all-controlling, all-loving, all-knowing creator and sustainer of the universe who holds every molecule together. He is not random but deliberate in his actions and has a loving plan.

The building's completion was a guarantee. Zerubbabel needed to believe God and trust in his word, for God said it would happen. For our problems, we need to remember that God gives us many promises in His Word, the Bible. We need to trust God, believe his Word, and allow his Spirit to work.

© Adron 11/20/12

What Did Jesus Say About Worry, Luke 10:41-42

We struggle with priorities, objectives, and commitments if only there was a single guideline that would solve all the problems of personal management.

“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed, Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:41-42. NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

What does Jesus say about worry

Jesus was a guest in Martha’s home. She was cooking, serving, cleaning, and meeting the needs of a famous teacher and his many followers while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening. Martha complained to Jesus about Mary’s neglect of the duties of hospitality.

JESUS
The important thing is not the two ladies but what the Lord said. He pointed out that Martha was worried and upset about many things. Who couldn’t relate to that? We have many personal challenges in our lives in this time of economic and social desperation. Even faithful Christians who serve the Lord are not exempt. Our acts of service may be shadowed with worries and concerns. Like Martha, we are practical, we are getting an education, a job, a promotion, a house, or a family dinner on the table. Like Martha, we are serving the Lord, showing hospitality, serving, and meeting the needs of his church. We are so busy, busy, busy!

FREEDOM

Mary and Martha. Luke 10:41-2

Jesus liberates us, saying, "Only one thing is needed." He saw all Martha was doing, and there was nothing wrong with her activities; they, too, were good, but only one was needed. Martha might have thought Jesus was speaking of her guest's needs, but the need was not his; it was hers, the ultimate human need. Martha's sister, Mary, found that her need to be met by making the correct choice. It was not a choice to ignore the duties of hospitality but a choice to come to Jesus. She chose what is better than the other things. What Martha was doing was good, but Mary chose the better. She chose to come to Jesus.

DOING
Like Martha, we are full of doing the necessary things. Serving will end, the dishes will be cleaned, the house swept, and the pantry tidied, (and if they are not- in a thousand years it won't matter). The choice of Mary was eternal since no encounter with Jesus is ever temporary; every life that touches his is forever marked. Jesus said, "And it will not be taken away from her." We must become like Mary and choose Jesus. We should beware of our frantic activity and start sitting at Jesus' feet. In choosing Him, we choose the best, and that will not be taken away.

(c) Adron 5/5/12

Where To Find Personal Peace, John 14:22

We all want peace, not just world peace but peace within ourselves that is free from guilt, shame and regret. Where do we find it, and personally have it?

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; I do not give to you as the world gives." John 14:27, NIV

PEACE
Peace is the absence of strife and conflict.  We want to have the peace that enables us to get along.  The peace the world gives socially is never more than temporary.  As society evolves instead of a golden age of thought and technology which blesses mankind with tranquility we have an age of warfare and strife unprecedented in recorded history.

You would think today we would have personal peace and fulfillment, yet we struggle to have peace from guilt and shame.  We search for it in education, philosophy, materialism, self-gratification, and even medication.  Still, we find personal peace eludes us.

THE OFFER
Jesus offers us peace for he said, "Peace I leave with you..." He had an intentional act of leaving peace behind when his work was done, it was his purpose.  He left it to us as a trust, a gift, and as something to share.

A DIFFERENT PEACE
He said it is "My peace."  It can only come from him.  Jesus of the Bible was a man of personal peace which was felt by those around him.  He lived a perfect life and had no sin to condemn him before the Father who is the judge of the living and dead.  His crucifixion was a substitution for our sins, he took our punishment and bought us peace before God and that gives us access to peace.

Jesus Gives Peace

He does not give the way the world gives, for what he gives is forever.  The best the world offers is temporary peace, with the fear of danger lurking in daily events. The peace Jesus offers transcends worldly peace.

We do not find his in a religion, or philosophy; we do not earn it, merit it, or even deserve it.  It is a free gift offered by the one who bought the gift with his blood on the cross.

COME TO PEACE
Jesus offers inner and heavenly peace, a unique peace that only he can give, a peace that comes from his life, work, his death and resurrection.  He offers peace within and without, with humanity and peace with God. Jesus said, "Come unto me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest." Matthew 11.28. JKV.

The Prayer For Peace
Dear God, I confess I am troubled in mind and heart
I am troubled and fearful for today and tomorrow.
I know Christ is the Prince of Peace sent from The Father.
I know his death on the cross paid for all my sins
I know his resurrection is the assurance of victory.
I know you offer peace to those who accept it by faith.
I do now ask for this peace and receive it by faith.
When I rebel and embrace worry forgive me,
And guide me back to You and Your promise of peace.
I thank You now for the peace You will give me
And the blessings that this peace in me will be to others.

(c) Adron 4/30/12

What Can Help Worry, From The Bible. Psalm 55:22

God Loves You

This short post will give encouragement to those who struggle with worry

***

What can we do when our worries are so heavy upon us that we just don’t know where to turn?

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Pslam 55:22, NIV.

It seems like our worries come with companions: it is not a care but cares, it is plural. We are invited to cast them all upon the Lord, not just a few- but all.  No matter how many we toss into his hand he is able and willing to take them all.

CAST
This verse starts out with the word, "Cast."  It speaks of throwing something high and far away.  It pictures a fisherman who is casting a hook far across the water with just a flick of the wrist.  It is easy to cast our cares upon the Lord, no matter how heavy they are.  A prayer of faith and the humble attitude of surrender to Him is all it takes.

Our problem with casting our cares upon the Lord is that we sometimes pray and give something to the Lord saying, "I will let God work it out and I won’t worry about it anymore," but only a little while later we pull it back pick it up and start to worry all over it again. We need to give our worries to the Lord over and over and over.

SUSTAIN
God doesn’t promise to take our problems away, He does promise to "sustain" us.  He will go through it with us as a friend; with God we can keep going.  He won’t leave us alone.  We may feel like God has left us but we know he is there.

FALL
He will "never let the righteous fall." We may think we fell and we may experience tragedy in our lives, but He is there holding us. We might not understand the losses we experience but He has a purpose in them.  We may experience personal disaster and the days may be gloomy but that is not the end.  We have a secure hope and future in the Lord.

RIGHTEOUS
Who can say they are "righteous?"  We can’t make ourselves "righteous;" it is the work of God.  He makes us righteous through what Jesus did on the cross.  Righteousness, salvation, and eternal life come only when we receive Jesus as our Savior.

If you have not cast your heartaches and worries on the Lord then pray and trust Him to sustain you. If you have not trusted Jesus as your Savior then confess to Him your sin and receive his offer of salvation then you may be assured of Heaven because,

If you want to know more about coming to God follow this link: visit my other blog.

(c) Adron Dozat

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron




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The Heart That is Tested by Fire. Proverbs 17:3

There is one thing that is shared universally by people of faith- they will be tested. Some of the hardest sufferings to endure is not physical but the anguish of the heart.

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord test the heart.” Proverbs 17:3.

CRUCIBLE
The crucible and furnace were designed on purpose to do a task, and God has designed a purpose in every test of our hearts.

FURNACE
The crucible and the furnace try the metal and make it pure. Only the extreme heat of a blasting fire can make silver or gold pure. Silver yields its impurities rapidly, but gold enters the furnace over and over to become pure. Some tests are like silver; they come and finish their purpose quickly; others are like gold and must be endured time and again.

TEST
Sometimes our tests are to expose our weaknesses, and sometimes to purify us. Just as a crucible tests and refines the metal, in the same way, our lives endure the fire of testing to reveal our shortcomings and to improve our quality. Like gold which becomes more pure and valuable; so the testing of our hearts will make us more precious, useful, and beautiful; through them, we grow and mature as we never would otherwise.

THE LORD
What a comfort that it is the Lord who tests our hearts! The Lord, who is so loving, all-wise, and all-powerful, has our good and best at the center of His plans for us. In our test, we can remember that He is in control. We may not understand why we go through such depth of testing, but we do understand He is bigger. We can and must trust in Him during the test.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Cling to our loving God in prayer.
• Search His word as never before.
• Recount His many blessings.
• Remind yourself of His love.
• Pray over the promises in the Bible.
• Declare to Him and others your trust in Him.
• Be honest before God and others.
• Accept the support of others.
• Thank God.
• Resolve by God's help to endure.
• Resolve to bless His name.

The laws of physics guarantee that silver and gold will purify when superheated in a crucible. If the crucible should tip over and the metal spill out, the results will be disappointment and loss. The metal that stays in the furnace becomes useful and made into a thing of beauty.

Let's be grateful that our trials are guided by a loving God and that we will become the treasure that we would not be otherwise in His hands.

(c) Adron 7/23/10

The Prayer of Jonah. Jonah 2:4

We know the story of Jonah and the fish. Jonah was running from God and his rebellion caught up to him on a boat heading to an obscure place called Tarshish. During the storm of God’s judgment, the sailors toss him overboard and God provided a fish to swallow him. He had a clear understanding of what God wanted him to do but in utter disregard of God he totally rebels, suffers punishment and consequences of historic magnitude which land (excuse the pun) him in the darkest depths of the sea. Jonah felt he had lost his relationship with God, and his commission as a prophet. He felt he had turned his back on God and God in kind had turned away from Jonah.

“…I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.” Jonah 2:4, NIV.

In the belly of the fish, he prays an incredible prayer, (all of chapter two). If you were to argue that prayer was no longer an option this would have been it! Jonah prays and God who is merciful hears his prayer. God hears Jonah even from the bottom of the sea; even though he has rebelled, sinned, and heading the wrong way. We are never too far from God that He won't hear our prayers.

His prayer is like a chorus we all could sing, it is the despair we all have felt. “I have been banished from your sight.” We often feel as if we have failed God so much and so repeatedly that there surely is no way to redeem our situation. We feel “banished,” that is judged, condemned, and sent out the back door.

Then the great turn around the word, “Yet.”  He says it as if he was saying “in spite of” or “non-the-less.” It is like he is saying “just wait and consider this great thing.” It is a big word that little word, yet.

What a prayer of faith! He is comforted and says “yet I will look again toward your holy temple.” He has not given up and is not thinking about heaven now, or he would use different imagery; he would say "I will come to your holy temple." He is speaking of present real deliverance. In faith, Jonah anticipated actually going again to the temple in Jerusalem. He says this because he knows he will receive the deliverance he asked of God. Remember he is saying this while still in the belly of the fish at the bottom of the sea!

If only my prayers were so confident. If I could learn one thing from Jonah it would be how to pray. I need to pray to believe and express that I believe.


P.S. Take time to read all of Jonah 2 there are many more insights on prayer.

(c) Adron 5/28/10

Where You Can Find Help. Psalm 120.1, 2.

Some days it seems we have more hills to climb than we have strength. We may have an illness, the loss of a loved one, or the scarring injury of a wrong done to us. We long for help and wait, but those hills are still there to climb. They just won’t go away.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 120:1, 2, NIV

This is a favorite verse, and we often turn to it or reflect on its meaning. To say, "I lift up my eyes..." is to suggest we are looking "up" or for help from above. Why look to a created being when the Creator is waiting to be our helper? We look to programs and institutions to be our help, but they offer only partial help. We look to people, but people fail and err. We look inside to our own hearts, but the results are no better than we are.

The author of this verse practically boasts that his help is not in man, angel, king, or city but his help" comes from the Lord. The title Lord is like saying “God the Divine Ruler,” or “God the Absolute Governor,” or “God the Monarch of All There is.” God is in control of all things. He is Commander of all the elements of the universe down to every single molecule. All things respond to His command. There is no greater help.

The author of this verse didn't say he was hoping to have help from God or that he was asking for help from God; he said, "my help comes from the Lord." It was a sure thing to him; this is a statement of great faith. If only we could say with the same confidence that our help comes from God. We must realize and do not doubt that help does come from the Lord.

Not only is our help the Lord and Ruling Monarch, but He is the "maker of heaven and earth." To be the maker of things is to be more powerful than the thing you make, or else you couldn't make the thing. God is the Maker of heaven and earth, so his power supersedes the abilities of heaven and earth to resist his power. As the maker of not only the earth but of heaven also, then there is nothing left out. We can’t say our problem is bigger than God because our problem came from a place he didn't make and has power and control. After all, he made all things. He has power and control over all those things, so he has power over the very hills we have to climb.

We can look at how big the hills are that we have to climb, but if we look above the hills to their very maker, we will find our Help. If the hills are big, the Maker of the hills is bigger. Let's look to Him, who is the maker of the hills.

If you want to learn more about finding God, follow this link: Salvation.
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(c) Adron 11/19/09

What Prayer Brings a Believer Closer to God?

This short post takes instruction from an ancient poet whose words were recorded in the scriptures and can help you take a step to come closer to God- no matter where you are in your personal pilgrimage.

We want to be close to God but don't know how and what steps to take.

To be close to God requires an honest relationship with Him since He is pure and holy, but how can we have an honest relationship with God.  One man had the answer, and he expressed it in his ancient Psalm, a poem of devotion.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24.

A STRANGE PRAYER
Why ask The Almighty to search your heart when He is All-knowing?  Why ask Him to test you if God already knows the outcome?  Answer: It is not for His benefit but yours.

This is the prayer of someone who wants to be close to the Lord.  It is an invitation; the psalmist welcomes the Lord of Heaven to reveal his sin to him.

He is asking God to dig down deep.  Then the author of the psalm asks God to see if there is any offensive way in him.  He says, "God, I am open; you can uncover anything you want."

OFFENSIVE
What offends The Lord is called sin.  Sin enslaves us, and yet we love it even though it hurts us and those around us- we keep on doing it.  We don’t like to think about sin because it makes us uncomfortable.  We want to think we are OK and good, but sin exposes our self-conceptions for the vanity and the wicked things they are.

Sin is a barrier between you and your Father in Heaven; it robs you of the blessing of intimacy with God.  Sin keeps you from wanting to pray and serve Him.  If we see sin for what it is and turn from it then we will be happier, healthier, and blessed.  We need to see sin the same way God sees it.  We need to make holiness a happy lifestyle.

LEAD
We need to be led and led by someone who knows the way.  The path through this world is twisted, dark, rocky, and full of pitfalls.  We need God to lead us through it and away from the path of temptation.  We need to pray about things that cause us to sin before they happen.

When we struggle with sin, we are thrust upon God; He is the only resource that overcomes sin.  It is through the blood of the lamb, Jesus, that sin is blotted out and opens a relationship with the Father.

To become close to God or to deepen your relationship with Him, follow the example of the ancient poet and, with openness, ask Him to show you where you transgress His standards.  Then turn from those things that offend him.  It all begins with the first step.

© Adron 9/26/09

Longing For Fruit In My Christian Life. Mark 4:13-20

We wonder why we are not growing as Christians. We have God, church, the Bible, and fellowship, but we are the same old people we have always been. Jesus said something about this and similar conditions.

"Jesus said to them, "don't you understand this parable? 13. ...The farmer sows the word, 14. ... some people are like the seed along the path, 15. ... Others like the seed in rocky places.16... Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19. but worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word making it unfruitful." Mark 4:18-19.

When we read this and think it is about others who have yet to give their lives to God, they should do so before they become the seed that is lost, or have no root, or choked by the thorns. But Jesus told it not to explain others to us but to point out truths about ourselves.

CHOKE

"Choke" is a frightening word; when something is being choked, it does not get what it needs to survive, like air or nutrients. It can happen slowly and may not be noticed until too late. In the parable, it is the slow kind of choke.

WORRIES

It is easy to see why after the years, we are still unfruitful. We have worries over marriage, children, and careers. We struggle in our efforts to provide for our family, retirement, and kid's college. We have fallen to the seduction of "Other things" that we see on TV and other advertisements.

FRUIT NEEDS DEEP ROOTS

How can we prevent God's Word from being "choked" out of our hearts? We must:

• Be open to God's Word.
• Allow God's Word to establish deep roots.
• Ask God to protect my understanding of the Word from Satin's lies.
• Resolve to adhere to God's Word even in trials and persecution.
• Pray and repent of those things that choke God's Word.
• Beware the seduction of things and money.
• Pray for God to reveal His Word.

TIME IS A FACTOR

On the other hand, sometimes seeds just take a long time to grow, and sometimes fruit takes a long time to mature. Even though you may not have much to show for it now, you may still hope to be as: "Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." 20.

If you have not the fruit you long for, do not give up, and you will harvest a crop of blessing for yourself and many others.

© Adron 9/5/09