Preparing for the Storms of Life

We all have storms that we face or will face in life. I saw this recently and wanted to share it with you.


Preparing for the Storms of Life -

After a storm has hit …

1. Natural temptation: Give up and go back to old ways
John 21:3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Proper response: Remain faithful and wait for God’s deliverance
Ps 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Ps 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

2. Natural temptation: Escape or drown sorrows
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Isa 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Proper response: Remain faithful to duties, and burrow deep into God for security
Ps 62:1 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken … 5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

3. Natural temptation: Anxiety, fret, fear, and worry
2 Ki 6:14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. 16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Proper response: Trust God and enjoy the peace which passes understanding
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4. Natural temptation: Anger, resentment, and vengeance
Gen 34:1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her … 25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

Proper response: Give out the mercy the Lord has given you
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

5. Natural temptation: Grumble against life or God
Num 11:4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"

Job 10:1 "I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. 3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?

Proper response: Accept the limited storm as from the Sovereign hand of the loving God
Job 1:21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Also Phil 2:14-15)

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (Also Rom 8:28; Jam 1:2-4)

6. Natural temptation: Self-pity and self-exemption
Job 19:21 "Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.

Proper response: Repent of self-pity as a sin, and do what is right
Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

7. Natural temptation: Self-reliance
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Proper response: Choose to look only to God
Ps 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Ps 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

8. Natural temptation: Consumed with guilt and shame
Mat 27:5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Proper response: Remember the Truth – Jesus’ death covered all your sins
1 Pet 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God …

9. Natural temptation: Survive, endure
Mat 25:15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey … 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

Proper response: Allow the trial to work godliness in you
1 Pet 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Excerpted from a 2-part message entitled "Preparing for the Storms of Life" courtesy of http://www.familyministries.com/

Praise You in the Storm

You can listen to this song "Praise You in the Storm" on my playlist at the bottom of the page. It is a beautiful song.

Prayer needed for a homeschooling mom of 10

Please pray for a homeschooling mom of ten who has been battling cancer for almost three years. She and her husband have adopted all but one of these children. A day of prayer and fasting is set for this Monday, July 27th if you'd like to participate. If you'd like to follow her story, she has a blog. It's www.faithfulpromises.com . You are welcome to share this prayer request.

Blessings,

Molly

"Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock." - Isaiah 26:4

Throughout the scriptures we are reminded that God’s timing, understanding and will are not ours. That is, God has a way of acting in our lives and in this world that is far greater, supremely better and infinitely more perfect than anything we can imagine or design. It is when we connect with those ways God’s timing, God’s understanding and God’s will that we ultimately find the strength and ability we need to affectively face every challenge that comes before us.

Lord, I know my own limited attempts at overcoming my difficulties and rising above my weaknesses are never going to save me. But I also know that when I place my trust in your ways, I can find answers and help I never knew existed. Thank you for supporting me in my weakness, O God. Amen.

"But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one." -
2 Thessalonians 3:3

What is the evil in my life? Is it the disease I am told I have? Is it unresolved anger and guilt? Is it self-absorption? Is it addiction to any number of things? Is it self-righteousness and judgment? Is it fear and lack of courage? Is it a weak character and deficiency of courage? Is it absence of faith? All of us struggle in one way or another with evil. It’s part of our human condition. But we have been given access to the Divine condition so we may rise above our weakness and frailty. Today is the day to resolve to connect with our Heavenly Father so we may find relief from the evil within.

Lord, when I begin to look beyond myself and my troubles and turn to you, I find strength to rise above it all and experience new hope in you. Thank you for your unending gifts to help me. Amen.

Cancer - A Gift?

Early on after my cancer diagnosis, a friend came over to visit and pray for me. While we were talking, she mentioned that she thought my cancer diagnosis was a gift from the Lord. When she first said that I thought to myself, "A gift? I don't think so." But as time has gone on, I really have begun to see this as a gift. When you are diagnosed with cancer, you have to deal with your own mortality. Of course, we all know that life and death are two certain things that will happen to us, but hopefully, we dwell on life and not on the death part. I know for myself that before this, I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about death. Once I came to terms that ALL of us will die at some point and truly only God knows the number of our days, then I felt a release to truly LIVE each day, thankful for each day, enjoying each day. Cancer truly gives you a new perspective on life in so many ways. Things that were taken for granted, priorities that I thought were priorities are no longer on the list, time spent with family is so much more important, relationships are vital and not taken for granted. None of us knows how long we will be here on earth and once I grasped that, then I could move on and truly see the gift of cancer.

"You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forward I make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known." Isaiah 48:6

While there are undeniably untold numbers of challenges that cancer can bring, many also point to its potential for blessings. I can see cancer as a gift because it can teach me to make new and better priorities. It can reveal new strengths within me. It can show me new and healthier ways of living. It can foster new depths in my relationships. It can provide me a new understanding of our spiritual natures and of God. It can create in me a new level of wellness we had never known before.

There are new things I am learning day by day, dear Lord. Help me to reflect on these new things and allow them to bring new meaning to my life. Amen.

May your day be blessed with spending time with loved ones and making wonderful memories!

In Him,

Molly

An attitude of thanksgiving

"Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. " Isaiah 12:5

Our attitudes about life are so important in just dealing with everyday life and especially when you're fighting for your life. It is when we approach each day, each task, each person we encounter with an attitude of thanksgiving, then we begin to see more goodness around us. It is then when we allow more light to break through the darkness. It is then we begin to see hope rather than hopelessness. It is then we find answers where there were none before. It is a spirit of gratitude that must come first in our thoughts and hearts and minds. That spirit transforms our outlook and sets us on a path of positive action and results.

I praise you today, O God. I praise you for giving me this day to experience the joy of your creation and the wonder of your love and grace. Amen.