Strength in time of need.

May 4, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Jesus predicts day of crucifixion; Matthew 26:1-2


ESV: Matthew Chapter 26
[1] When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
[2] You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.

Jesus has given His discourse on many things, acting like a prophet.  He now turns to His disciples and tells them what is going to happen.  

I am not sure that I could be so calm if I were in His shoes. He knows what is coming, and in place of making sure that He would be able to handle all the pressure He makes sure that His disciples are prepared for what is to come.  Where did He get that strength?

As I write these words tonight we have just gotten home from church.  My son has aspergers syndrome, high function Autism. He is for the most part normal but little things can set him off.  Tonight one did.  The ride home was quiet as he does not talk when he gets like this.While my daughter appeared to be OK, when she got home, she went to her room, closed the door and I could hear soft crying.  I knocked and went in, she said it was OK, she was having an anxiety attack.  Since I have had a lot on my plate lately I said OK and shrugged it off.  

But God had other plans.  The Holy Spirit talked to me and said that dealing with her brother sometimes can be a strain and that I needed to talk to her about it, tell her it was OK to have bad feelings when he acted up.  I really did not want to deal with this tonight.  I had enough of my own problems that I have been dealing with. When she came to say goodnight to me and pray with me, I looked up at her and told her what God had said to me. And the tears just flowed.  God had nailed it and used me to help her.  In my time of need, I got strength from God to minister to my child, and worked through one or two of my own problems as well.  

I do not compare my self to Jesus, but now, I know where His strength came from, to minister to others when He needed ministering to Himself.


Read for next time: People come early to hear Jesus teach; Luke 21:37-38
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What is a rock?

July 18, 2008

What is a rock?

I know it is a strange question, but humor me with it if you will. What is a rock?

Rocks are things that are in the ground. They can be real small, we call those pebbles, or they can be real large, those we call boulders.

When I was growing up, many more years ago then I care to count, the school I went to had a big playground. Now in those days we did not have special swing sets and safety pits, we just had swings, slides, jungle gyms, and big rocks. I am sure that if the playground is still around, someone may have taken out that rock. In those days, you built around them or blew them up. Since it was in a big field behind the school, they just left it there. Today, for safety sake, it would be destroyed. That would be sad because it was big. And it had a weird triangle shape on the part that was above ground. We made it into a tank, a rocket ship, a car, oh, we had a lot of fun with that big rock.

And you know what else, that rock was dependable. We knew it would be there when we came out for recess. We knew it would be there after school, and we knew it would be there when we returned from summer vacation. It was a rock, it did not move.

So is God in our lives if we let Him. He even compares Himself to a rock you know:

Isaiah 26:4 RV
(4) Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is an everlasting rock.


Do you want something as dependable as that rock I used to play on He is there. All you have to do is ask Jesus in your life. If you already have, it is time to start trusting that He is always there. No matter what you are going through, no matter if you think no one cares, God is your rock, and you can lean on Him for the strength you need.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today

Isaiah 23:1-27:13

Tomorrow
2 Kings 18:1-8 , 2 Chronicles 29:1-31:21, Psalms 48:1-14

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You've got questions...

October 25, 2007

Philippians 4:13 KJV
(13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Many times over the years that I have fixed computers, I have come across problems that I could not solve. It is a very difficult feeling, not knowing what to do to get the problem resolved when I am suppose to be the one that knows all the tricks.

At times like that I have relied on scriptures. One of them is today's. When I feel that I cannot answer the question, a quick prayer to God to help and you know what? The answer looks at me in the face.

It happened just today in getting a network to work that was not cooperating.

Take time to ask God when problems come your way that you cannot solve. He strenghtens you to get the answers you need.

Waiting on God

October 11, 2007

Isa 40:31 NET
(31) But those who wait for the LORD's help find renewed strength; ...


I have had a lot of personal problems going on this week. While they have not resolved out the way that I want to be, I have learned to lean on this verse even more than I have ever before. I was literally getting sick over what was happening. It was all out of my control, yet I felt like it was my own fault.

On each day of this week, I said to God, help me get through all of this. Only you can do it God. Especially when my natural reaction was to try to fix things, and I have a good idea that doing that would have mad it worse. I have been weary through the whole thing and wanted to quit any thing that I was doing for God.

Slowly, though things have not really gotten that much better, God has pulled me through. I did not chuck it all. I waited on God, and God gave me the strength that I needed to make it.

When times get discouraging, just take time to wait on the Lord.

Being Weak

September 19, 2007

2Co 12:10 KJV
(10) .... for when I am weak, then am I strong.

In reading to my youngest children, this verse came up. Annie, my girl, looked up at me and said, 'Dad, I just do not get it.' A quick prayer to God gave me just how to answer it and I share it with you.

A little boy was given a task to do by his father. He did every thing he could to accomplish the task but was not having much luck. No matter what he tried he just did not have the strength to do what was required and told his father so.

You have not tried everything the dad told him.
Huh, what do you mean?
You have not tried everything!
I have to, you have been standing there watching me.
You have not tried everything.
What have I not tried?
You have not asked me to help.

The son had to admit he was weak, and when he did, then he could get the strength from his father.

We also in our lives, when we come up against problems in our lives that we can not handle ourselves, have to stop, say we are weak and ask God for help. Only in our weakness can we get the strength we need from God to do the task, or beat the problem.

Going to battle

July 12, 2007

I used to work out at the gym. I was never buff like some of the guys, but working out did make me feel good. I always hoped that one day I would have the six-pack abs those guys did, and not the keg I had. Working out did build strength in me, a natural strength.

Did you realize that our strength is not important? All of our strength in the natural could not stop someone from dying if they were sick. And when people are out to get you, they will get enough people around them to take you out. Joshua, Moses' servant had a problem one time, he was seeing the armies that they were going to take on, and wondered how they were going to get through it all. His leader, Moses had passed on and he was in charge now. Do you know what God said to him?

Jos 1:9 KJV
(9) Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.


God was with them. Their strength was not what was going to win the battles, it was God's strength. They still had to work themselves to the point they could do the job, but God was going to win the battles for them. When we face a battle, and I do not mean a big one like a war, I mean any type at all (including that secret sin that you may battle), God is the one that will give you strength to overcome it if you let Him. You just have to listen to Him when He speaks encouragement to you.