“I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.
As God’s children, we possess a powerful gift that the rest of this world is trying to obtain. We possess peace. We can lie down at night after a long, hard day with peace in our hearts knowing that the Lord is going to take care of everything that is troubling us. That is a wonderful gift.
Most of this world longs to be rescued from the troubles of life. Although we can’t escape every problem, as Christians, we can be assured that we serve a God who is big enough to take care of us in every way! We just need to be willing to turn to Him and release the troubles we carry.
If you know of someone who is constantly allowing the troubles of life to burden them, pray for them. Ask them if you can help carry some of that load for them. Helping others find the peace of God is an act of unconditional service, and certainly a blessing of Burden Bearing.
We should all desire for others to dwell in the peace and safety that God offers. Without His peace, we are sure to give up and lose the hope we need to be able to conquer life’s difficulties.
I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30
Did you know that when you have a thankful heart the atmosphere of your home will change? Try it, and see how the Lord will transform your home into a peaceful habitation.
When you start offering Thanksgiving and Praise, you will immediately find that it only takes one person giving thanks and soon the whole house will be full of thanksgiving. The following verses from the Old Testament gives an account of how the glory of the Lord filled the house when they praised and thanked Him.
“And the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets– indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound, to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever, “that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 5:12-14
Share Thanks in your home today, and watch how the Lord will fill your house.
“Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” Psalms 140:1
“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)
We should always acknowledge God first in our lives.
If we allow it, pride can get the best of us. It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas. It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else. Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.
However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride. It says,
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).
The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor. Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire. Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride.
“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths”(Proverbs. 3:6)
When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!
“I acknowledge my sin to you and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgression to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told] – then you [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5 amp).
Sin is an action that originates from something much bigger, an iniquity. The enemy wants the iniquity to stay hidden. David realized that his sin was an expression of the same iniquities in his family line. Once he realized this, he asked God to continue unfolding the past until all was exposed.
The destruction of a generational iniquity can be traced back in a family tree. Generational iniquities are behind sinful habits that are hard to break. Read Psalm 18:23. An iniquity is hidden below the surface; it is the bent in your nature, the motive and pull you feel towards certain things that God says to stay away from. Sin is the action that carries out the iniquity.
David discovered that there was something pulling him towards certain sins. It was a hidden and subconscious fault that caused him to automatically do certain things.
David prayed: “Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults” (Psalm 21: 12 Amp).
There was a wonderful Christian song written several years ago titled, “It’s My Fathers House.” One line went something like this, “There is a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms and a big, big, table with lots and lots of food. A big, big yard where we can play football…It’s my Fathers House.”
This song portrayed our Father God’s house as being home we can’t wait to go to. Like coming home after a long journey, you can’t wait to get there and you can smell cookies baking even before you get to the front door. When I am preparing our home for our kids to return, I make sure they feel loved with God’s unconditional love.
The prodigal son found God’s love as he walked toward his father’s house that day. Even after he had squandered all his inheritance, he still saw his father’s loving arms reaching out towards him as he returned home. His father represented our Heavenly Father, full of love, grace, and mercy. Everyone needs to experience Father’s love and know that God loves them no matter what they have done.
“We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).
When I read this verse I am reminded of a specific time when I ran faster that ever before to the Lord as my refuge. I didn’t leave that refuge until I had the strength and hope that had been appointed just for me; it actually had my name on it. The situation in my life at the time looked hopeless. In the natural world it looked like our son’s life was over. There was nothing the doctors could do. Then God said, “Watch this!”
During that time, I can say the only strength I had came from the Lord. I did not have natural strength. During times of prayer, I would fall into the arms of Jesus and I could actually feel Him lift me up, refill me with encouragement, and then set me back down in the hospital room all charged up again. All my strength, faith, and hope came from Him. He was my refuge, my fortress, my rock, and the firm foundation I stood upon. I literally felt the strength of the Lord surging through my spirit, soul, and body. It was a supernatural strength. My faith was in God and Him alone.
Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that as we stand back and see with our own eyes His handiwork, we will trust Him. When He was creating a miracle in our son, all natural hands had to be removed as He worked the miracle. I learned in that situation, as I watched God work, there are times we must take our hand off and watch God work.
“Our Father which art in Heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-13).
Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life? His will is simply for us to live and maintain His kingdom here on earth. God’s kingdom is a distinct and different way of life. Jesus taught us how to pray for the kingdom to come on earth, how He would work in us, and showed us how to live and work inside the kingdom. When Christ is in you, it is a perfect fit! He is in you, you are in Him, and you are both in the kingdom. It is Christ that works in you to accomplish His good pleasure.
I have found that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and then resist the work of Christ in me. I had to learn the difference between my will and His. My will consists of doing whatever I want to do, as much as I want to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will eat all the food I want, spend all the money I want, and then whine because I am overweight and broke. When I submit and abide by His will, then I have boundaries and parameters. I am doing what He wants me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.
Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will soon see who you are. You are His child and heir. You will live as an heir, a joint heir with Christ, when you get a glimpse that you are here on planet earth as an heir to establish and maintain your Fathers kingdom. It will change your agenda for the day.
Pray this simple prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
“Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today…” II Chronicles 20:17
Moses knew the Israelites were struggling with fear. That is why he said, “Fear not!” Once when they were fearful, the children of Israel said, “Just leave us alone” (Exodus 14:12).
When you have lived under bondage for a long time, as the children of Israel had, you don’t know how to live in freedom. You can actually be fearful of the unknown. Pharaoh had complete control over the children of Israel, which was bondage; but they had lived under his control for so long they were fearful of another way of life.
When someone has had control over you, and you step outside of their control, be aware you will feel different at first. You may feel an apprehension of the unknown; so, be careful not to give in to the “fear of the unknown.” The fear of living outside of that person’s influence is sometimes stronger than the fear of being controlled. If someone has controlled you, your feelings, your decisions, and even dictated your choices, you won’t know how to stand on your own two feet. If you give in to fear, you can begin to think it is better to be back under that person and submit to their lordship rather than to believe that you can trust the Lord, hear His voice, and make your own decisions.
If you have lived under fear of how someone will respond when you make your own decision, then you are allowing their emotional responses to control you. I can just hear the children of Israel, “Oh, no, He is really mad now! You know what happens when Pharaoh gets mad.” My question to you today is this: Do you find yourself saying something similar? “I don’t want _________to get mad. Or, “I will do anything to keep him happy.”
Another fear is the “fear of punishment.” We don’t live in Egypt under Pharaoh, but we can live in bondage to other people and be fearful of their punishment of rejection, which is a form of emotional abuse. Many people who have an unmet need for acceptance are in bondage because of their need for acceptance and approval from others.
You will get a drop of approval from a person, but never get a full glass. You then wait and wait for another drop, but it never comes. That person is controlling you by that one drop they gave you. Don’t be overcome by the “fear of rejection.” That person will only continue to drag you along into their games of manipulation and control. If they see you are beginning to falter, they will give you one more drop to keep you in their snare.
A person who keeps you in fear of being rejected is not being a true friend. Fear is not a friend; fear is your enemy. Draw nigh to God, resist the devil (fear) and he will flee from you (James 4:7). The Word “resist” simply means: stand firm, oppose, and refuse to go along with that person who is causing you to be in fear.
If you are wanting to change your life, it’s time to take a serious look at the things that are hindering you.
Recently, we had ants in our kitchen. We were covered in ants even after we had our house exterminated three times. What we failed to do was find the main source they were coming from. Once we discovered it, our ant problem was solved. It’s the same with sin. Once we discover the hidden iniquity, the main source, then our sin problem can be solved.
If you are serious about getting rid of the annoying things in your life, you must find the source. In Nehemiah 9:2-3, Nehemiah told the people of his time that there was a direct correlation between their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
“Then the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers” (Nehemiah 9:2).
Everyone knows to confess their sins, but that is not all that needs to be done. Sin is a representation of something much deeper; it represents an iniquity. We must dig deep to discover iniquities, which are the origin of sins. Satan wants the main source, the iniquity, to remain hidden. Iniquity is Satan’s access point to you and your entire family line.
When a sin is brought to your attention, confess the sin and the iniquity where it originated. “I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid…and thou forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
Example: If you struggle with fudging and cheating, you may not think it is a big problem. However, when you realize the iniquity behind it correlates with one of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not lie,” it is a big thing. Confess your sin and the iniquity.
“I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.
As God’s children, we possess a powerful gift that the rest of this world is trying to obtain. We possess peace. We can lie down at night after a long, hard day with peace in our hearts knowing that the Lord is going to take care of everything that is troubling us. That is a wonderful gift.
Most of this world longs to be rescued from the troubles of life. Although we can’t escape every problem, as Christians, we can be assured that we serve a God who is big enough to take care of us in every way!
If you know of someone who is constantly allowing the troubles of life to burden them, pray for them. Ask them if you can help carry some of that load for them. We should all desire for others to dwell in the peace and safety that God offers. Without His peace, we are sure to give up and lose the hope we need to be able to conquer life’s difficulties.
As God’s children, we possess a powerful gift that the rest of this world is trying to obtain. We possess peace. We can lie down at night after a long, hard day with peace in our hearts knowing that the Lord is going to take care of everything that is troubling us. That is a wonderful gift.
