Fret Busters

Fret buster # 70

“Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'” Matthew 6:31

 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

Do not worry means…do not worry.

Fret buster # 71

The Bible tells us to “Cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7; “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Hebrews 10:35.

We do not want to reverse the process: casting away our confidence and carrying all our care! It is His desire that we roll all our burden on Him and not be anxious about anything...Most of our time and energy go into carrying what God asked us to cast on Him…You keep your confidence. He’ll keep your cares! –from Vance Havner

“I Am With You Always” Follow Up

Wonderful comments continue to come in about what the Lord has been saying to you through Matthew 28:20.

As a follow up, I thought you would enjoy reading the following comment from F.B. Meyer which is found in The Secret of Guidance by Moody Classics.

Faith is more than creed. In a creed we believe about a person or circumstance, but in faith we repose our trust upon a person. We must not believe about Christ only, but in Him, as Livingstone did, when on one occasion he was opposed at nightfall…and was tempted to steal away in the dark. Then his eye lit on the promise, “I will be with you all the days.”  He wrote, “I went to sleep because I knew it was the word of a perfect gentleman.”

Responses to, “I am with you always.”

In my last posting I asked you to share what the Lord is saying to your heart from Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always.” Most of today’s posting features excerpts from your comments. Each comment ends with the initial of the one who shared. Thank you for your wonderful response. Any additional comments that arrive after this posting can be found in the comment section.

 I hear my Lord saying... I am with you this very moment... you are in tears and here I am... in tears with you. You feel comforted greatly and you are smiling to Me... I smile back to you. In every thing you do, I am here with you, I am in your heart.
E

"I am with you always." Five of the most beautiful words our God who is the Word has given to us. These words comfort; they control and calm racing pulses at 2:00 a.m. when fear tries to creep in upon souls; they offer love, peace, friendship, and hope. They tell me that we are never alone, not even at 2:00 when fear so often tries to tell us that we are.
A

God is saying to me, He is in control of my life. I'm preserved, protected and kept by the power of God. He is with me always till I get home sweet home eternity!
R

This one reminds me so much of the faithfulness of God...the covenant maker. I have a late night trip after a busy day coming up on Saturday night and this has spoken to me that God understands the situation and wants me to have courage.
R

I hear GOD telling me HE is w/ me in n thru my pain. My body has multiple sclerosis. I was healed 2000 years ago by the 39 stripes laid on my SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST'S Back!...GOD is with me where ever I go, HE tells me to hold on to HIS unchanging HANDS. "HE will never leave me nor forsake me"…HE IS MY EVERYTHING, MY ALL N ALL N I LOVE HIM SO!!! THANK YOU LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, THANK YOU!!!
P

Even before my 1st breath, the Eternal God was with me and will eternally be.
A 

My comfort, since entering the AA program 19 months ago has been that God is with me as I drive past liquor stores or walking by the alcohol aisle at my local grocer.  I keep the voice of truth in my mind to squelch the voice of the demon that wants me to fail...God has been with me every minute of every day and wiped the tears as I cried.  My heart is filled with gratitude and my relationship with God is like never before.
L

I hear Him saying no matter what He is there!
L

This week I celebrated my 66th Birthday…I hear God saying to me these promises…
Isaiah 46: 4  "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I an he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue."
 Proverbs 16:31  "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life" Leviticus 19: 32 "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly."Isaiah 46:3b-4a I have created you and cared for you since you were born. I will be your God through all your lifetime, Yes, even when you hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you."
 Psalms 71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
 Psalms 92:14a They shall still bring forth fruit in old age.    S

I sure needed that. Been believing for something. At a great crossroads in life and God has shown us yet doubts try to attack.    R

…Life is hard but God is good.  Every problem that I list, I see God at work in me to bring me through triumphantly….I can very easily get down on life and all that is going on, but God is faithful and sends me just what I need to minister to my spirit just when I need it.  Life is hard but God is good and He is bringing us through in His time and His way!!
J

God is faithful and true to His Word........................
J

I hear Him say to those following Him in His command of making disciples that, in their ministry the Spirit of Christ and His Spirit rests upon that person...whether a missionary, a persecuted one, a pastor, or anyone in the center of God's will who's fulfilling His great Commission, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Such was the case in my own life as I and my family served as teachers in the V. I.  We always have the presence of Christ, but it seems that He's with us in a special way when we're following through His heart's desire:  to know Him and make Him known.  We were not sick the whole furlough, were blessed, protected, and prospered by the One who is our Need-Meeter!
V

God is with me all the days of my life and He loves me. ...
C

Today's message has given me reassurance that God is surly with me.  In this time of my life when I am searching for Him and "feel" like He cannot be found, He is with me.
P

 …I am with you always" has been in my heart and life since I was a little girl in Sunday School.  However, as I matured in Christ and experienced life that statement became more and more real to me in all the situations in my life.  As a young Christian I was puzzled when bad things happened and I questioned, "How can You be with me and let these awful things happen?"  Then I became older and my life became more complicated as many lives sometimes do and I kept leaning on the FACT..."I am with you always."…His Sovereignty has made such an impact on my life that I can begin to understand ..."Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." It isn't popular.  It isn't easy.  But it is life giving!
 D

I am at your right hand! I will hold you with my right hand!
J

…The significance of Jesus' promise has always overwhelmed me…I wrote the following thoughts in 2005: IMMANUEL – GOD WITH US …In our society, whether it is intentional or not, promises made are not always promises kept. It is wonderful to know that there is One who keeps His promises. We learn from scripture that God cannot lie, so His promises are trustworthy (Hebrews 6:18). We learn that He is able to keep His promises, so His promises are sure (Romans 4:20-21). We also learn that He is faithful, so His promises are steadfast (I Kings 8:56 and II Peter 3:9). With this in mind, it should not surprise us that when God said that He Himself would give us a sign, that He kept His word. He promised Immanuel…God with us. What a thought! Let it overwhelm you. In the midst of financial strain or gain– He is the God who is with us. In the midst of job problems or promotions – He is the God who is with us. In the midst of physical pain or peaks – He is the God who is with us. In the midst of relationship trials or treasures– He is the God who is with us. In the midst of emotional turmoil or triumph– He is the God who is with us. In the midst of our deepest sorrow or our greatest joy – He is the God who is with us. He has promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20b). He has promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) He has also engraved us on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). We are never alone; never abandoned; never forgotten. He is Immanuel “God with us” - God with you…at all times, and in every circumstance. From this moment forward, may you live in the light of Immanuel - “God with us.”
C

He is always near.  My health is loaded with problems but he is working to help me work the pain out so that healing can come in slowly...but with the help of the Voice of the Always Near Father I can go on today…I can get what I need from the One Who is always near…
K

God is saying I am with you even if your husband is in nursing home and you are going broke.
L

Don't be afraid.
R

God is saying:  I'm with you on the mountaintop.  I'm with you in the valley.  I'm with you when you want Me to be and when you wish I weren't.  I'm always present for I will never leave you or forsake you. I'm with you when you sleep for I take delight in you and rejoice over you with singing!  When you awake, I AM is there!
P

During the times when we struggle with keeping our faith and trust in Him and during our times of weakness in general, all we need is to know that He is near... that He is with us.  This is the source of healing, comfort and joy.
T

I hear him saying softly like the coo of the dove....rest my child not in who you are but in who I AM!
L

That know matter where we go or where we are, God will always be there with us. It reminds me of one of my most treasured Psalms,*Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there;If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. Psalms139;7-10*…
M

There has been so many things happen to me these past few years that some of them I didn't know where God was in them, I honestly felt all alone, even though I cried out to Him, it seemed He was no where in site cause the stress continued. It got to the point I felt the only way out of my pain was to die.   But I am thankful for a friend inviting me to do a bible study by Beth Moore called Breaking Free. It was thru that study I learned that God was there even when I didn't feel Him… 
P

I think He is reaching out to us, and is seeing who wants to return His love back to Him. He is seeking those who truly love Him back. …And because we want a relationship and want to return His love back to Him, He is promising in this passage to always be with us. He is saying we can count on Him as our Rock.
C

I hear God saying this promise does not depend on you it depends on ME...!
L

"I am with you always" to me are Christ's unsearchable riches & abundant Life for my daily bread. Monday, He fills me; Tuesday, He fills me again, but with NEW manna; His banquet table can NEVER be exhausted. "He giveth & giveth & giveth again." He supplies my desperate needs, my deepest wants, my tentative hopes; daily He pours out. For every temptation, He gives a way of escape. To every cry, He comforts. Look at His sufficiency! He's everything, including "with us".
B

“I am with you always”

 "I am with you always" Matthew 28:20 NKJV

What is God telling us when He says “I am with you always?” Here are some things I hear Him saying…

I am near. Don’t doubt my presence for a single moment. I have promised you. I am the true and faithful God. Be as certain of Me fulfilling my promise as I was when I first spoke it. Don’t doubt it. Let your heart be quiet with this assurance! I am with you because I care about you. I am with you because I love you. I am with you because I want to be with you. I am with you because I desire to have fellowship with you. There will never be a time, a moment, a second when you are without me. I am with you now. With you tomorrow. With you in the dark times. With you in the hard times. With you in the glad times. With you through all the times of your life—when you are young, when you are old, when you are busy, when you are still, when you journey and when you return home.

 What do you hear God saying to you through this promise? I’d love to hear.

NFY!

We need a new button, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or cap that reads…NFY!

 It stands for “Not Finished Yet!”

Regardless of the label people put on you (senior, baby-boomer, retired person), regardless of the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, you are still here. And as long as you are here, you are not there, and as long as you are not there, it means God still has a purpose for you here.

When Jesus was on the cross, the last thing He said was, “It is finished.” After He made that statement He died. When is God’s purpose for you on this earth finished? It is finished when you die…until then, you are “not finished yet!” (NFY!)

The way in which He uses you may change, but He will never consider you useless, no matter what your age.

A few years ago, I remember someone telling me that my writing days were behind me and my creative work was a thing of the past.  Those words did not discourage me, because a few weeks before those comments were made, I heard God saying the very opposite to my spirit.  The Scripture God used to assure me things were “not finished yet” was from Psalm 92…

I have been anointed with fresh oil…The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:10, 12-15

This passage helped me realize that my ability to flourish in life, to be fruitful in ministry, and to be fresh in creativity, had nothing to do with my age, but with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit upon my life.

Many define “the retirement years” as the time when our work is done and we settle into an easy chair as a reward for our productive years. For the child of God, our best years do not have to be a thing of the past. God called Abraham to leave Haran and go to the Promised Land when he was seventy-five years old; God commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt when he was eighty; God gave Zachariah and Elizabeth a child when they were “well advanced in years;”  Paul was still ministering to the body of Christ from prison when he called himself the “aged one;”  the 2nd and 3rd books of John are written by the “elder” John;  Caleb, at the age of eighty-five was still a mighty warrior and received Hebron as an inheritance;  Anna, a prophetess who was well past 80, continued to maintain a powerful prayer ministry, and was one of the earliest believers to see the Lord with her own eyes.

Does the thought of getting older discourage you or make you fearful? Consider these words the Lord spoke to Isaiah…

I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4

NFY!

Temptation, Part 3

How is temptation beneficial?

 

Temptation is beneficial because it is a way for us to build our faith and strengthen our will—to make right choices instead of wrong choices, loving choices instead of selfish choices, and wise choices instead of foolish choices. T. A. Hegre points out the following about the purpose of temptation in our lives: “There is a positive element in temptation. It is allowed not for the purpose of causing our fall but rather to make us strong and to give us an opportunity to prove our absolute love and devotion to Christ (even though we are perfectly free to do the opposite).”

 

Can temptation be overcome?  

 

Temptation can be resisted, refused, and rejected. You do not have to yield to temptation. Though the voice of temptation may come to you and say, “Do it now!”  “Get it now!” “Be it now!”  You can let your faith rise up and declare, “I will wait God’s time.” “I will do it God’s way.” “I will take my God given place.” The next time you experience temptation your heart can rise up and declare— “Father, I love you too much to say “yes” to this temptation and do something that would be displeasing to you.”

 

 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 AMP

 

Temptation Part 2

Does God tempt us?

God allows us to be tempted but He does not tempt us (James 1:13). We must also understand that “thoughts of evil” are very different from “evil thoughts.” The following account is given of a child of God who had spent three days in a solitary retreat, praying for a greater fullness and joy of God’s presence in her life. Instead of this, it seemed as though legions of wicked spirits assailed her with blasphemous thoughts and evil suggestions. At length, a great light appeared to descend from above. The devils fled, and the Lord Jesus conversed with her.
 
She asked Him, “Lord, where wert Thou when my heart was so tormented?”
“I was in your heart,” He answered.
“O Lord. You are everlasting truth,” she replied, “and I humbly bow before your word; but how can I believe that you were in my heart when it was filled with such detestable thought?”
“Did these thoughts give you pleasure or pain? He asked.
“An exceeding pain and sadness,” was her reply.
The Lord said, “You were in woe and sadness because I was in the midst of your heart. My presence it was which rendered those thoughts insupportable to you. When the period I had determined for the duration of the combat had elapsed, I sent forth the beams for My light, and the shades of hell were dispelled, because they cannot resist that light.”

It is important to remember that when we face temptation we are never alone. The Lord is with us and He will make a way of escape.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 1:13-14 NASB

 

Temptation, Part 1

An area of our Christian walk that can cause us anxiety is temptation. We can get the idea that temptation is the same as sin, and that one of the signs of spiritual maturity is to be free from temptation.  This is not the case at all. We will never come to the place in our daily walk with Jesus when we will be “temptation free.” All children of God, regardless of their spiritual maturity, will be tempted.

One of the problems temptation can bring us is a false sense of condemnation. We can think that something must be terribly wrong with us if we are tempted. It’s important to remember that Jesus, as a man, was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), yet He was not without temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). There is a purpose in temptation that can be for our good and God’s glory; there is no purpose in sin that can work for our good or God’s glory.

Why does temptation exist? Temptation exists because we have been saved from evil, but evil is still around; we have been saved from sin, but sin is still around; we have been saved from the kingdom of darkness, but the kingdom of darkness is still around. We are in the world even though we are not of the world. We are not yet in our glorified bodies, and our present bodies have many needs that can be rightly (in God’s plan and time for us) or wrongly met.

What is temptation? Temptation means to be tested or examined. We can be tempted in three main ways (I John 2:16)—

1. Through the things we want to have.

2. Through the things we want to experience.

3. Through the things we want to become.

We can be tempted to get good things in a wrong way, or to do good things for the wrong reasons. T.A. Hegre, in his book The Cross and Sanctification, tells us this about temptation, “Man is tempted through his natural desires. These are not wrong in themselves, for they are God-given, and so are for man’s good. But through wrong use, man’s desires may become abnormal and defiled, especially if the wrong use is habitual. Yet if properly controlled, these desires may remain pure and good.”

God's Promises

Here are four things that you can be certain of regarding God’s promises:

#1. God never forgets about a promise He has made.
#2  He never promises more than He is able to perform—And He can do anything.
#3  He never promises something He never intended to do.
#4  He never gets side-tracked from fulfilling His promises.

God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 AMP

As surely as God is trustworthy and faithful and means what He says… For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ].  2 Corinthians 1:18,20 AMP

The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Life

Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." Exodus 3:13-14 NKJV

Get the “who” of life settled and everything else falls into place. Get the “who” wrong and nothing adds up. The “Who” of life is “Him”—the Eternal God, the Creator, the Sustainer of all things, the great I AM. The reason we have so many problems with “me” and “them” is because we have not allowed “Him” to have His way with us. 

 The ”Who” of life is knowing “Him.” He is my all and I have fully placed my life in His hands.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it). Romans 11:36 AMP
 
The “What” of life is His will being done in me and through me. What He wants for me is what I want.

(Jesus) said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done…Luke 11:2 AMP

The “Where” of life is to follow His leading. I want to be in His appointed place.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. Psalm 143:10 NLT
 
The “When” of life is trusting His timing. I do not need to be ahead of Him or dragging behind.

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastics 3:11 NKJV

The “Why” of life is living for His glory and being conformed to His image. I do what I do to please Him and make His heart glad.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV