James 5:13a "Those who are in trouble......"
Trouble is part of life, but in the midst of it all we have a choice. We can allow God to use it to mold us into who He wants us to be, or we can allow it to beat us down into something less than God’s will for us. James says we choose the outcome of our troubles by turning toward God in their midst. “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”
When there isn't enough money to pay the bills...PRAY. When the storm rolls through and you have an accident on the freeway... Your roof leaks and destroys your carpet and furniture....or your business goes bankrupt, James says PRAY. When your friend is acting like a jerk and destroying your friendship, or your children are in rebellion....James urges us to face God in that time of trouble.
“When the rug is being pulled out from under your life, pray!” That is not too difficult to understand, but notice what is not said. You can search the entire Bible, and you will not find the verse you would like to be there. “Is any of you in trouble? Pray and God will take that trouble away!” It simply isn’t there, no matter how much we would like it to be. As a matter of fact, remember James 1:2-4. Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way (not if, but when), let it be an opportunity for joy! For when your faith is tested, your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
The only way we are going to see His work in our lives....if we live out our days facing Him. In our best days and our worst days, when we are on top of the mountain or in the lowest valley, God longs for us to live in fellowship with Him. Prayer gives us that opportunity.
Father, we know that all things work together for good to those who love You, and are called according to Your purposes. Lord, I lay all my troubles before You and ask that You would show me what's right when I can only see what's wrong. Help me to make praise to You.....my first reaction to every event in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great week in the LORD.
Sharon
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
"A Solitary Man"
Mark 1:35 "The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. "
We see today that even Jesus needed quiet time with God. God in a deserted place. Away from everyone and everything. He always found a time and a place to be alone with his Father. This is a wonderful display of the love Jesus had for his Father....making time, taking time to get alone and spend time with just the Father and the Son.
Jesus said, "When you pray, go to your room and lock your door and pray to your heavenly Father in secret." Matthew 6:6
My prayers are different when I'm alone with God....it's there where I can really pour out my heart, pour out the burdens of life, confess my weaknesses, my fears, my sins, ask for forgiveness ...holding nothing back. I can cry and I can sing...it's just between my Father and I.
In that solitary place...it's not always about me saying something....it's where I can just sit, kneel,lay flat on my face and just wait on the LORD to speak to me.
Jesus spent quiet time with his Father in order to draw upon God's power. We must do the same.....and if we listen real close, we will be able to hear His voice and receive His help, His direction, His comfort and His strength.
Jesus, your faithfulness in prayer gives me my example to follow. Guide me, Lord. Give me the strength and the will to imitate your careful attention to prayer. Make me "A Solitary Woman" ....alone with You. In Jesus name, amen.
Blessings on your day,
Sharon Schutte
We see today that even Jesus needed quiet time with God. God in a deserted place. Away from everyone and everything. He always found a time and a place to be alone with his Father. This is a wonderful display of the love Jesus had for his Father....making time, taking time to get alone and spend time with just the Father and the Son.
Jesus said, "When you pray, go to your room and lock your door and pray to your heavenly Father in secret." Matthew 6:6
My prayers are different when I'm alone with God....it's there where I can really pour out my heart, pour out the burdens of life, confess my weaknesses, my fears, my sins, ask for forgiveness ...holding nothing back. I can cry and I can sing...it's just between my Father and I.
In that solitary place...it's not always about me saying something....it's where I can just sit, kneel,lay flat on my face and just wait on the LORD to speak to me.
Jesus spent quiet time with his Father in order to draw upon God's power. We must do the same.....and if we listen real close, we will be able to hear His voice and receive His help, His direction, His comfort and His strength.
Jesus, your faithfulness in prayer gives me my example to follow. Guide me, Lord. Give me the strength and the will to imitate your careful attention to prayer. Make me "A Solitary Woman" ....alone with You. In Jesus name, amen.
Blessings on your day,
Sharon Schutte
Monday, October 11, 2010
"Are You a Battle-Axe?"
Jeremiah 51:20 "You are my battle-axe and weapons of war," says the LORD. "With you I will shatter nations and destroy many kingdoms."
I had to laugh...when I was young.."you old battle-axe" was a common phrase used to insult .... an aggressive and bad tempered (old) woman...Well, this isn't what the LORD is saying......
Jeremiah 51:21 "With you I will shatter armies...."
Here in Jeremiah 51 we learn that God wants to use us in this battle...."You are my battle-axe and weapons of war". A "axe" is a tool used in chopping wood. A good axe must be sharp, in order to do it's job.
When God says that you are His battle axe, He is saying you are His weapon of warfare. He intends to fight battles through you. He fights on behalf of His children and He is at war with the kingdom of darkness, so that the kingdom of God can be established in the hearts of men.
This world is a battle-field and God is calling us into the battle......But if the "axe" gets rusty, it won't be sharp....
What makes the child of God rusty? SIN....Disobedience against the Word of God, will make the "axe" dull and rusty.
The question for us is "How are we to remain sharp and useable in His hands?" What sharpens us as children of God is the WORD of GOD. When the WORD of God is rich in us, we will be a sharp axe in His hands. The word of God can cut into pieces anything it lands upon. With the word of God you can bring into captivity everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. "
Father, let me be a weapon in your hand today. Use my life to frustrate evil and spread good. Keep me in Your Word and not just a hearer, but also a doer of Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.
Blessings on your day,
Sharon
I had to laugh...when I was young.."you old battle-axe" was a common phrase used to insult .... an aggressive and bad tempered (old) woman...Well, this isn't what the LORD is saying......
Jeremiah 51:21 "With you I will shatter armies...."
Here in Jeremiah 51 we learn that God wants to use us in this battle...."You are my battle-axe and weapons of war". A "axe" is a tool used in chopping wood. A good axe must be sharp, in order to do it's job.
When God says that you are His battle axe, He is saying you are His weapon of warfare. He intends to fight battles through you. He fights on behalf of His children and He is at war with the kingdom of darkness, so that the kingdom of God can be established in the hearts of men.
This world is a battle-field and God is calling us into the battle......But if the "axe" gets rusty, it won't be sharp....
What makes the child of God rusty? SIN....Disobedience against the Word of God, will make the "axe" dull and rusty.
The question for us is "How are we to remain sharp and useable in His hands?" What sharpens us as children of God is the WORD of GOD. When the WORD of God is rich in us, we will be a sharp axe in His hands. The word of God can cut into pieces anything it lands upon. With the word of God you can bring into captivity everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. "
Father, let me be a weapon in your hand today. Use my life to frustrate evil and spread good. Keep me in Your Word and not just a hearer, but also a doer of Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.
Blessings on your day,
Sharon
Sunday, October 10, 2010
"Raising up your Flag"
Jeremiah 50:2 "Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner/flag and proclaim it; keep nothing back"
To lift a banner or flag reminds me of the American flag...when we raise it up...we are saying...this is who I am, I'm an American and this is the nation I support. And we don't only raise our American flag...we also proclaim it with the Pledge of Allegiance....I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.....We raise our flag high so everyone can see and we proclaim that we are Americans and we stand behind what she stands for.
Well, in a similar way, but in a deeper and greater way....we are suppose to "announce" to all the nations that we belong to God and He is our LORD. We are to raise our banner, our flag and proclaim the Word of God so we can be a light among the nations....giving evidence of God's work in us and through us. "you are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men." Matthew 5:4,16 Pledging our allegiance to Him and setting the standard of godliness to all nations....keeping nothing back.
That keeping nothing back means.....we aren't only to say that God loves us and offers forgiveness for sin...but we also need to warn others....that our God is a righteous God too and He will bring judgement on those who rebel against Him.
The enemy wants us to lower our flag....but God wants us to raise it high. Isaiah 13:2 Say’s, “Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.”
Blessings on your day,
Sharon Schutte
To lift a banner or flag reminds me of the American flag...when we raise it up...we are saying...this is who I am, I'm an American and this is the nation I support. And we don't only raise our American flag...we also proclaim it with the Pledge of Allegiance....I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.....We raise our flag high so everyone can see and we proclaim that we are Americans and we stand behind what she stands for.
Well, in a similar way, but in a deeper and greater way....we are suppose to "announce" to all the nations that we belong to God and He is our LORD. We are to raise our banner, our flag and proclaim the Word of God so we can be a light among the nations....giving evidence of God's work in us and through us. "you are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men." Matthew 5:4,16 Pledging our allegiance to Him and setting the standard of godliness to all nations....keeping nothing back.
That keeping nothing back means.....we aren't only to say that God loves us and offers forgiveness for sin...but we also need to warn others....that our God is a righteous God too and He will bring judgement on those who rebel against Him.
The enemy wants us to lower our flag....but God wants us to raise it high. Isaiah 13:2 Say’s, “Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.”
Blessings on your day,
Sharon Schutte
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