Joy comes in the morning

07 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. ~Psalm 30:5 (NRSV)

 
Sometimes the “dark of night” can bleed into day light hours. During these times it can feel so hard to hold onto the truths that I know. Even though I have taken a stand against a spirit of fear, though I’ve prayed for the truth to be revealed and that I not make things to be more than they really are, anxiety doesn’t always fly away instantly.

There is a moment of clarity though. The overwhelming clouds of doubt, fear and confusion do roll away. The peace that I prayed so diligently for does begin to light up the sky. Have my problems vanished? No, my situation has not changed but the attack on my sanity is gone. I still have to continue the work I know is ahead of me. With the rays of light that begin to light my horizon I know that the endurance the Bible promises me is filling my soul. Sweet breaths of air are drifting through me as the burden seems lighter to carry. The “joy that comes in the morning” is that peace that passes all understanding.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to walk with me when I wander through dark times. Thank You for your Holy Spirit that gives me air so I can breathe. Thank You for the power of Jesus’ name that empowers me to endure the toughest storms that I may know the joy of the morning. Amen.

Bigger than me

05 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. ~Philippians 3:14
Once again I find myself sitting in a “bigger than me” problem. It’s enormous. I want to say I am dealing with it beautifully. I can’t. Last night as I struggled to calm my mind down enough to sleep, I felt God’s reminder that the problem didn’t occur in one day. It would also take “time” to correct things. Somehow I managed to finally get to sleep.

Upon awaking the panic crept back in. Since I obviously was not going to sleep anymore I picked up my phone to see if the blog I scheduled a few days back posted correctly today. If I had been in a laughing mood I would have laughed out loud. The post that I had written several days before was on anxiety. God’s way of preparing a message that He knew I needed to hear today. When I wrote the blog I was just reflecting. Today I needed the reminder to take each day at a time.

So today I am just practicing my breathing skills, trying to wait on God’s wisdom and I am taking to heart once again that I CAN endure all things through Christ who gives me strength. I have no great wisdom today. I am just an ordinary woman just trying to take life one day at a time. Breath by breath.

With every breath of air I take this day Lord, may I be reminded that Your Spirit lives in me. I know that You are bigger than my problems and that You in time will reveal the wisdom I need. I thank You for the strength you hide in me to endure each day. Amen.

Be Strong! Don’t Fear!

02 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , ,

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. ~2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)

 

I have never really thought before about fear being a spirit. It certainly can influence me. Fear keeps me from doing a lot of things. Fear makes me realize my limitations, my ignorance and all my short comings and that there are so many. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells me that these feelings are not from God. Instead God gives me a spirit of power, a spirit of love and a spirit of discipline. From Romans 8:15 I learn that fear leads to slavery and bondage. Paul wrote, “You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as His children. With this Spirit, we cry, Abba, Father.” As a child of God my Father wants me to live in freedom knowing He has given me strength and power to overcome my fears.

“Say to those who are panicking: Be strong! Don’t fear! Here’s your God, coming with vengeance; with divine retribution God will come to save you” (Isaiah 35:4) “Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) “I am the LORD your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don’t fear; I will help you.”(Isaiah 41:13)

So, I am empowered because “God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble. That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart, when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea, when its waters roar and rage, when the mountains shake because of its surging waves.” (Psalms 46:1-3) No matter that my life may feel at times that it is crumbling around me, God wants me to stand strong. Even though I feel that I am overwhelmed and that I am drowning, God has His hand out to grasp me and to keep me from going under. So I should not trust my “feelings”. I should not be afraid. This is a discipline that God wants me to learn. He says these words throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is a message that He has repeated over and over again. He says to all of us “Do Not Be Afraid”.

Lord, I know that the spirit of fear is not from you. Help me to use the spirits of power and discipline to stand strong in times of trial. Amen.

Endurance

29 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , ,

I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world. ~John 16:33 (CEB)

There are several things that I know but have not conquered. Anxiety is one of them. I manage to keep anxiety at bay until about 3:00 in the morning, then those anxious thoughts that I managed to ignore during the day come slithering in under the cover of night. Just when things are at its quietest, anxious thoughts slip into the corners of my mind. And wake me up.

If I turn in my Bible and look up anxiety or worry, the Bible has a lot to say. Matthew chapter 6 talks quite a lot about worry and that God doesn’t want me to worry. In fact verse 34 says, “Who among you can add a single moment to your life?”  Worry does not bring me answers. I know that anxiety can raise blood pressure and cause other health issues that can actually shorten a life span. Chapter 6 of Matthew tells me that I should not be anxious. I should know if God feeds the sparrows and dresses the flowers that He will take care of me too.  Even though I know these truths, it is hard to keep the panic at bay when a lot of financial things come up at once making money tight. I know in my head that God will see me through but it is still hard to practice the truths that I know.

Even though I cannot stop my worry completely I do try to put into practice verse 34 from chapter 6, “Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I know that I can’t have all the answers immediately and that answers will reveal themselves in time but it is hard to put into practice dealing with things just as they come. Another verse that I tuck away in my heart is from Philippians 3:14, “I can endure all things through the power of the One who gives me strength.” Psalms 29:11 says, “Let the LORD give strength to his people! Let the LORD bless his people with peace!” I want to live a life of peace so I try every day to practice believing that God will give me strength and endurance.

Lord, I know that You will give me just what I need for this day. Only in You can I have enough strength and endurance to get through this day. I thank you for all that you do. Amen.

The air I breathe

27 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , ,

The LORD God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again. ~ Ezekiel37:5 (CEB)

There was a time in my life that I struggled just to breathe. I carried such burdens inside of me I felt that there was no more space left for my lungs to fill with air. My breathing actually felt shallow. Breathing is essential but unless there is something wrong we never pay attention to the act of breathing. The Bible speaks about the Holy Spirit being the breath of God, breathing in us. The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma, which means “breath.”

There is a song by Mercy Me, “Breathe”. At times when I was almost gasping for air I would say in my heart, “You are the air I breathe; You are the air I breathe”. This was my prayer when no other words would form. Ezekiel 37:9 says, “Breathe into these dead bodies and let them live.” I feel that God has done that in my life. Every time I reached out to Him, He breathed life back into this dead heart bit by bit.

When I don’t have words to pray, Romans 8:36 assures me “In the same way, the Spirit comes to help our weakness. We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans.” It is the Holy Spirit of God who prays in us, who offers us the gifts of love, forgiveness, kindness, goodness, gentleness, peace, and joy. Lamentations 3:25 tells me “The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to the person who seeks Him”, so I hope in God with my whole heart. Psalm 130:5 says, “I hope, LORD. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise.” What is God’s promise to me? “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1Co 3:16) As long as I let Him live in me I can have life because it is His breath that breathes through me. When it is God’s breath flowing through my lungs it is not a struggle to breathe.

Lord, You are the air I breathe. I thank You for your Holy Presence that lives in me. I thank You that You give me words every day to tuck deep in my heart. I would be lost without You. May I always be desperate for Your love. Amen.

Faith to see yourself in God’s eyes

22 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

You are from God, little children, and you have defeated these people because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ~1 John 4:4

 

It is so easy to judge ourselves by what others think of us. I often forget that my true value is through God’s eyes. My value is not from the people who surround me. If I base my significance on what others think I can be lifted up as high as the sky by their praise or I can find myself plummeting quickly be their disapproval. This creates such a roller-coaster effect on my emotions and is very dangerous to my well-being.

Instead I need to look in the Bible to find my self-worth. Who does the Bible say I am? If I look through the Bible I can find many references. One of my favorite verses on “who I am in Christ” comes from Romans 5:1 “Because of Christ and His redemption, I am completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God. I am totally accepted by God. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” My favorite part of that verse is that I am accepted by God, just as I am. No, I am not perfect. Whether I am at my best or at my worst I am still totally accepted by God. That is not always true of fellow humans. If I based my significance on others approval I begin to fear rejection. My fear of rejection can begin to control me and my self-worth. My dependence on others for value brings bondage and darkness.

God doesn’t want us living in darkness so He sent Jesus into the world to seek out those who find themselves in bondage. He came to speak truths to our heart about God’s love and acceptance. Taking this truth into our heart brings freedom and joy. I want to live in the light where freedom from bondage of what others think of me exists. I want joy in my life so I hold a simple truth in my heart, “I am a beloved child of God” (Gal 4:7). The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear (Psalm 27:1)

May I live securely in Your love and acceptance of me oh Lord. Help me this day to remember that my relationship with You is what matters above all others opinions. Hide deep in my heart Your truths of who I am through You. Amen.

Taking life as it comes

08 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (CEB)

Sometimes I think I hold the market on worry. I get so pulled into all the possibilities all the” what ifs” that I sometimes just wear myself out. As a child I would almost make it a game. If I could think of all the “what ifs” then maybe I could keep them from happening. Even though I know the odds of really being able to control things in that way I still find myself in my old habit of worry. Maybe that is part of the key to the problem. I have let worry become a habit. I do it without even thinking. It has become part of a thought process that I need to unlearn.

Just before verse 34 in Chapter 6 of Matthew we are told that God knows what we need. He dresses the earth in splendor, He feeds the sparrows, He knows the number of hairs on my head. Can’t I trust Him to know what I need as well? How I can learn to set aside my worry is to just deal with things as they come. God has equipped me to do this which is why He tells us to focus only on today. Worry only brings frustration and frustration is the first clue that God isn’t in my situation.

Lord help me to practice this day the art of taking life as it comes.  You know what I need and I am assured by your Word that you will meet my every need for this day. Amen.

Idolness

08 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: ,

But those who have doubts are convicted if they go ahead and eat, because they aren’t acting on the basis of faith. Everything that isn’t based on faith is sin. Romans 14:23 (CEB)

 

Ouch! This one hurts! “Most of the time, worry is based on one sin in particular: selfishness. Usually when we worry, we’re concerned about how our selfish desires are not being fulfilled. The more selfish desires you have, the more you have to worry about, and the more complicated your life becomes.” (Joyce Meyer) Somehow I am having a hard time understanding why my worrying about my roof right now might be an act of selfishness! Doesn’t a roof over my head constitute a need rather than a want?

Ahhh. But here is the point. In Romans 14:23 it tells us that “everything that isn’t based on faith is sin”. If I am worrying than I must not have faith. Faith that God will provide a roof for my house. God knows I need a roof. He has a plan. Sometimes it takes a while for a plan to play out, but I shouldn’t lose my faith in God while I am waiting for the plan to all come together.

Anything that we spend more time thinking about than God is idol worship. Sounds kind of ridiculous to say that I am worshiping my roof, but in my worry I am making my roof more important than God in my life. God doesn’t want my attention turned away from him because to look away from him causes anxiety. God wants me to look to him so that I can live with out anxiety and to have peace. Peace, that concept where we have everything we need to be whole.

Lord, I can see that I am guilty of turning my eyes away from you. The results have not been pretty. It has caused me to be anxious and to worry. Help me today to keep my eyes on you so that I may grow in faith and have your peace. Amen.

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