Wednesday, December 2, 2015

My Help Cometh From The Lord....Be Encouraged.

Note: This started out to be a short post to share a new song I was inspired by. As I wrote, a lot more poured out onto my screen....So don't forget to check out the song at the bottom!
  by Anita Berglund 2015

When I was a wee girl, I battled with fear a lot. I remember pleading with my Dad to promise me that we'd never have tornadoes, hurricanes, world war 3, earthquakes and such. Being my Daddy, he reassured me none of that would happen. Here I am 49 and still, none of those events have happened ( where we live that is.) Thanks to my Heavenly Father, Who loved me through my earthly Daddy, promising things that he actually had no control over, but loved me so much, he knew what I needed to hear that to have peace in my wee mind.
Today I am reminded how much I need to depend upon my Heavenly Father always. Not trying to have things figured out on my own. But, God, my Father knows all things. Years ago, I learned that my dear Dad can't stop bad things from happening to me, no matter how much he may have wanted to. Even now, four decades later, I long at times, to be able to run to my earthly Dad for reassuring promises of safety. I know he can't, no human can. 
But, yay, God blessed me with discovering that His Protective, Sovereign Hand, has been on my entire life. That includes dark times and times when I never even knew Him. He knew me and He knows you. 
He does not promise an earthquake free life, but He does promise that He is our Rock and our Refuge. 
God's Word says:
[Rom 8:28, 31, 35-39 KJV] 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. ... 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? ... 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can turn to Him all the time, no matter what. Bad things may happen, we are in a sin sick world, but we can have peace in that storm or earthquake. Not that I am free from struggling with temptations to have fear or worries. I just know from God's Word and experience, it is true, God offers us Sure Hope. I am sharing this to encourage any of you who may also struggle with fears and such, as well. We need to know that for every moment of life, He is the ONLY One we can count on and trust implicitly. He knows us better than anyone. He planned us, Psalm 139, knowing how many hairs are even  on our head. 
God blesses me with a wonderful husband who always encourages me to hang on tight to Jesus and not to worry about the things I do, ever! But, if you are as thick headed as I can be, it takes me a lot of trials and errors to learn.  

Loved, But Not Feeling Loved.
My past experience has shown me, that "feelings" can be misleading and untrustworthy. Like how you know you are loved by the Creator of the Universe. He saved us and we have assurance of that, no matter what. And we have our new life, but some days we may not "feel" saved or loved. So selfish I know, but it is a real part of the carnal aspect of our lives, while stuck in the temporal body. We become new creations the minute we believe in Christ, whether we "feel" it or not.
[2Co 5:6, 17 KJV] 6 Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ... 17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

But we know the flesh wages war against the new spirit we are given. When we are born again, we are born again spiritually speaking, not carnally speaking. Our brain is still the same old brain, the flesh part. So we need to learn the Truth of how things really are by reading God's infallible Word. Because if we don't, we can easily get yanked and dragged, back down into the old ways of thinking and feeling. As you'll read in the next article, we will be physically renewed, once we leave this carnal state. Until then...

[Gal 5:1, 16-25 KJV] 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. ... 16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

New Files, New Feelings...
Yes feelings, in my personal opinion, can impact us for best or worst. It is the battleground for our enemy and I battle my own self with wrong thoughts and feelings daily. When we are born again, we have new life, but the grey matter remains, thoughts, memories and all. It needs to be rebooted, upgraded...cleaned out, the junk files deleted and the Truth files inputted. If we don't replace the "old ways" we believe, we will be tossed to an fro and suffer unnecessary torment. Just saying, based on what I am learning... 
[Rom 12:2 KJV] 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Choices and Learning
The icky feelings I struggle with, like at present - no, not enjoying them at all. Feels like being between two walls, moving in slowly to squish you. Ever seen the original Star Wars Movie? Okay, I know, not related at all, but those walls...same idea??? Squishing, compressing, squeezing....fear of impending doom, that was what Luke, Leah and Hans were facing if they didn't get out of that cesspool. Was Chewie there too? Shame on me, can't remember.

All I know, is that how I have been "feeling" lately, has been something I haven't experienced before, not this intense. I know it isn't from God. Such destructive thoughts and fears are an attempt from the enemy to render us helpless, faithless, distracted and self consumed. So instead of reaching out to God, the very One that can rescue us, we can get swallowed up in lies. Even though I share this to encourage others, I write it to help myself to understand what is going on at this moment.

Icky-ness - (For Lack Of A Better Word)
 When we feel unwarranted dark thoughts, or even general "icky-ness" firstly, ask God if He is trying to show you something. We
may need to confess and repent of a sin or something. Or maybe, God is warning us about something. Of course reading God's Word and praying, always as important as sleeping and nutrition. Even more so actually. 
If nothing changes and it isn't passing or even worsening, always ask those you trust to pray for you and focus on God's Truth. Seek Him always, icky or not.
Always remember, the spiritual battle 24/7, a war that rages on in the heavenly realms.

[Eph 6:12 KJV] 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

And be not afraid. Fear and worry, that is what I battle most. Do you? Be encouraged...Sorry this article was a tad "bouncy," but it's real. That's where my head is at this moment. So much to learn, so little time.

[1Jo 4:18 KJV] 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
[Deu 31:6 KJV] 6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
[Mat 6:25-27 KJV] 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
[Jhn 14:26-27 KJV] 26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
[Psa 121:1-8 KJV] 1 [[A Song of degrees.]] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Let's end with a song I was blessed by hearing earlier today.

A Song To Share...
From For King And Country - Shoulders








No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment or send questions: