I Am With You

Last Thursday, I was scanning through Spurgeon’s “Beside Still Waters” and I came across the following quotes. The Lord has been very gracious to refresh my soul through them over the past few days. I pray they encourage you as well.

“There is no burden which, if we lift it cheerfully and bear it with love in our hearts, will not become a blessing to us. God means our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to receive a load, is to decline a new opportunity for growth.” –J.R. Miller

“Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming, which God has been so good as to fasten with His own hand upon our shoulders.” –F.W. Faber

“The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls.” –Richter

As some of you know, this Wednesday I will be getting surgery. Please pray that the peace of God would flood my heart, that any fear welling up in my heart would turn into trust, and for strength during the recovery time. I am very excited for the week or two I’ll have to rest and spend time with the Lord. God has ordained this surgery for a purpose and I know much good will come out of it. Thank you!

Isaiah 41:10- "Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold your righteous right hand."

The Battle is The Lord's

The following quote from Charles Spurgeon brought much encouragement to me this morning! It’s a wonderful reminder of how GREAT God is and how I can get through nothing without His help! Hope you’re encouraged as well!

“I may be addressing some godly people who are terribly distressed. You believe that God will bring you out of your affliction. Maintain that faith, and if deliverance does not come for a long time, maintain it still. Can you lean on the Lord? Can you grasp the Invisible? Can you forget all other helpers? Can you hold His hand and let everything else go? If so, you glorify God and you will be delivered!

If you must have your own bow and sword, then the battle depends on you, and you cannot plead God’s promises. Put the bow aside, hang the sword on the wall, and go to Him who is better than bow and sword, rest in Him, and He will gloriously work so that His name is magnified and you are blessed. I pray that the Holy Spirit will apply this truth to your heart. Oh for grace to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him! In His time and in His way He will work out your deliverance. Nothing will stop Him. Remember, 'The battle is the Lord’s'"

God Reigns in The Storm

“The assurance that we have in the midst of our storm is that God’s ear is always open to our cry and that He’s not punishing us for our sins but rather has poured out every drop of His just wrath on His innocent Son. He’s with us even in our failures and is using them to benefit our soul and cause us to love the cross more and more”-Elyse Fitzpatrick

Because God loves us, and because He’s so kind, He promises that He will never leave us alone. We aren’t orphans, searching through the world for a Father who will love, protect, and provide for us in the midst of our storm. Even though we don’t see His physical body, He has given to us His Spirit for our comfort, and gives us all the assurance and truth that we need. We need not fear or anxiously look around for help. Our help is standing right in front of us, He is the One who endured the worst of it, for He will strengthen, help, and uphold us. Let’s transfer our focus from our suffering to His. Because of His suffering, the afflictions we’ve endured in the past, afflictions we’re enduring now, and afflictions we will endure in the future surely have/will come to an end…

1Peter 4:12-12- “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

“If ye trust in Him, ye shall receive strength; therefore, howsoever great your opposition may be, ye shall not be weary: If ye confide in and attentively look to him, ye shall have continual courage to go on, and never faint in your minds.” -Adam Clark

Trust Brings Contentment

Each day that goes by God continues to show me more reasons why He places trials and tribulations in the lives of His children. If everything in life were a smooth and easy path with no bumps along the way, there would be no reason to trust God through anything. Can you imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have to wait for anything? God has ordained that we walk through difficult times so that we may draw closer to Him. He uses those circumstances to grow faith in our hearts and to remind us that He fits all things together even when we cannot see it!

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14- “Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”

As we learn to trust God in all things, contentment will become an act of worship. The soul worship of God is to be content with what He gives. When we humbly yield to God’s plan and purpose for our lives, He is pleased, and most of all, He is glorified! How wonderful it is to think about the fact that our lives can bring worship to His Holy name! When we give all our questions to God, when we don’t grumble about the past or become anxious about the future, when we place our tomorrows in God’s hands, we are free to wake up every morning and say, “Lord, this is the day that You have made. Show me ways I can glorify You in it!”

Let's read through Philippians 4:11-13 one more time….

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

As we journey through life day to day, let’s remember Paul’s example of contentment in the Lord and ask God for help when temped to grumble or complain about His chosen portion for us!

Faithful Shepherd

“There is nowhere we can go that He has not been there before us… We walk always in the shadow of His presence and His care… for the Shepherd doesn’t call His sheep to unfamiliar pasture- He has promised that, where we are, we will also find Him there.” –B.J. Hoff

Have you recently seen Christ in your circumstances? Do you see Him at work when things don’t go as planned? How about when running late and stuck in traffic?....

Isn’t it comforting to know that God is Sovereign over ALL circumstances (relationships, work, finances, etc.)?! It bring much joy to my soul when I remember that He’s graciously ordained every step we take even if it’s not an easy step. The best part about it all is that every circumstance we walk through whether easy or hard, all serve two purposes… they are for our GOOD and God’s GLORY!

Something that has helped me keep my gaze on Christ in the midst of stressful circumstances is quoting Psalm 118:24- “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Every time I quote that scripture verse I’m freshly encouraged and reminded of God’s Sovereignty over all circumstances. I’m reminded to take a step back and find the good in the stressful moments rather than complaining about the circumstance.

Let’s learn to be grateful for ALL God has provided for us (even troubled circumstances) and remember that “THIS is the day that the Lord has made…Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!”

Trusting God

“Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow, and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations”- Frances de Sales

Psalm 9:9-10- “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you.”

Psalm 25:1-2- “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust!”

Psalm 31:14- “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘you are my God.’”

Psalm 36:3- “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Psalm 62:8- “Trust in him at ALL times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”

Proverbs 3:5-6- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Jeremiah 17:7- “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord.”

“If you are in deep shadows because of some strange mysterious providence, do not be afraid. Simply go on in faith and love, never doubting. God is watching, and He will bring good and beauty out of all your pain and tears.” –J.R. Miller

Psalm 13:5- “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”

Proverbs 16:20- “Whoever gives thought to the will of the Lord will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

Proverbs 16:9- “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Psalm 37:3, 5- “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness…Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”

“Trust implies more than this, it sees and feels, and leans upon a person, a great, true, living heart of love. So let us “trust in him,” through al the delays, in spite of all the difficulties, in the face of all the denials, not withstanding all the seemings, even when we cannot understand the way, and know not the issue; still “trust in him, and he will act.” The way will open, the right issue will come, the end will be peace, the cloud will be lifted, and the light of an eternal noonday shall shine at last.” –Streams in the Desert

Jeremiah 29:11-13- “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”

Isaiah 50:10- “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys that voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”

“Trusting Christ today includes trusting Him to give you tomorrow’s trust when tomorrow comes. God will not let His children be tested in any given day beyond what His mercy for that day will sustain. God’s mercies are new [every] morning because each day has enough mercy in it for that day. This is why we tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s troubles. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow’s troubles.” –John Piper

The duty to trust God will never be out of season!

Making a Beginning

This morning I was thinking once again of how great God’s grace is and how wonderfully reassuring it is to know that I have God’s firm foundation to lean on. I never have to worry or be anxious because God is already there and already has a plan for me. But this always isn't the case. Because of my sinful nature I need to remind myself at times of this truth.

“Before a man begins building he must make sure of the foundation. Jesus made this simple enough to understand in his story of the two men who built houses, one on rock, one on sand. We all know what happened in the storm.. The stability of one house is the picture of the man who hears the Word of God and does it.” –Elizabeth Elliot-

The hymn below has reminded me once again who my firm foundation is to be….

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus' Name

When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

For me, the road may have varying degree of difficulty. But the pioneer has traveled it before me. There will be no ravines he cannot cross. He knows the way; he has been over every foot of it, This God is our God, He will be our guide.


Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 139:23-24-“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there may be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

The Battle for Control

So here I am at the beginning of another year and I’m asking the question, “so God what do you have for me next?” I’ve found myself fighting in the war of the battle for control. I’ve been trying too hard to control my own life instead of surrendering it to God. God in His great mercy has once again convicted me of my sin and has showed me where my thoughts should be. I should be remembering that everything in my future God, in His great sovereignty has already planned for me.

“O God whose will conquers all, There in no comfort in anything apart from enjoying thee and being engaged in thy service; thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me thou makest them, and no more. I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects, and if thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair I would choose to refer all to thee, for thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss, as I am in danger of doing. I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there…. I can of myself do nothing to glorify thy blessed name, but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee.” –Valley of Vission-

“Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will.” –Oswald Chambers-

Take all I am, Lord, and all that I cling to
You are my Savior I owe everything to
Take all the treasures that lie in my storehouse
They cannot follow when I enter Your house

Take all my cravings for vain recognition
Fleshly indulgence and worldly ambition
I want so much Lord to make You the focus
To serve You in secret and never be noticed

Take all my hunger for all that’s forbidden
Every desire and sin I keep hidden
Search me and know me I want to bring to You
A life that is holy and sanctified through You


Father as I sit before your feet I am convicted and thankful for the grace and mercy you have one again bestowed upon me . May I be someone that surrenders my entire life to you and be one that says “not my will but thine be done.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 17:5-" My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped."

Missing G-mom

Today is November 27, 2007 and is the day that my grandmother would have turned 69. For those of you who don’t know why she died, here is a little re-cap of why….

My grandmother “G-mom” needed to have two knee replacements. She went in for the first one in December of 2001. Coming out of the surgery everything was fine, the doctors said that she would heal quickly and she was feeling great. Well, the night after her surgery my grandfather got a call from the hospital saying that G-mom had stopped breathing and had been rushed to intensive care. Immediately he and my dad rushed to the hospital. When they got there they found that a nurse had gone in to check on her in the middle of the night and she was fine. The nurse went back 20 minutes later and found out the she hadn’t been breathing for about 10 minutes. The nurse didn’t know this because they didn’t have a breathing monitor on her. They rushed her to intensive care and immediately hooked her up to many machines to make her start breathing. My mom came to Jonathan, Amber, and I in tears and told us what was going on as Joshua, Victoria, and Karah were too young to understand. As my immediate family, aunt, uncle, and cousins all gathered at the hospital we were all shocked! Seeing G-mom hooked up to many machines and not being able to respond to any of us wasn’t easy at all because she had been such a healthy person. At this point nothing could be done. 97% of her brain had been damaged and she would be living on machines the rest of her life. Because G-mom had told my aunt in the past that if it ever came down to it, she would never want to have to live off machines, the doctors, my grandfather, and my parents all decided it would be best to take he off of life support. Though this wasn’t what we desired as a family, we knew it was the best thing for her…..

As they took her off the machines, my Aunt stayed back with her as the rest of my family headed back to my grandfather’s house to congregate there. My dad stayed on the phone with my aunt as G-mom very slowly started to pass and the announcement came that she had gone to be with the Lord.

As we all sat there with tears running down our faces and hearing our dad crying in the other room louder then I had ever heard him cry, we were all heart broken as we had just lost someone that was so special to us all. She was the one that always kept us going and was such a woman of God and example in my life. It was a very difficult time with her death being 4 days before Christmas.

Because of many things that went wrong in the hospital with the nurses and doctors, my dad and grandfather, for about two years after her death had to go back and forth with lawyers. That wasn’t easy for any of us because it continued to remind us of her sudden and unexpected death.

Though it is difficult for me to say it was for my own good and God’s glory I know it is. It was the Lord’s will to take her and all my family and I can do is trust God.

I was reading the Girl Talk blog yesterday and they posted a great reminder of when Mrs. Spurgeon sat next to her husband on his death bed. It is said that when her husband, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon died, she knelt by the bed and “thanked the Lord for the precious treasure he so long lent to her.”

I look forward to the day when I will see her in heaven. Until then, I have to press on and remember that God is the blessed controller of all things! I will always remember my “G-mom.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Romans 8:28-“And we know that for those who love God all thing work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Is God in Control?

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with God’s amazing grace and got some good shopping deals on Friday. Sorry all FSU fans for the spanking from FL on Saturday. Maybe you can get’em next time!

Any ways, enough about that! Here is Chapter two from the book, “Trusting God”

Last night we discussed the chapter, “Is God in control?” I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we went over that chapter last night because tomorrow, November 27th is going to be a little bit of a difficult day for my family. Tomorrow will be the 69th birthday of my grandmother “G-mom” who passed away on December 21, 2001 which was one of the most difficult things my family has ever been through. (I will share more on why she passed away tomorrow)

1Timothy 6:15-“God…is the blessed controller of ALL things, the King over all kings and the Master of all masters.”

The central idea of this chapter is, God is in control, He has a purpose and a plan for you, and He has the power to carry out that pain. Mr. Bridges opens up this chapter explaining what God’s providence is with a quote by J.I. Packer….

“God’s providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over ALL creation for His own glory and the good of His people.”

Jerry Bridges say, “Note the twofold objective of God’s providence: His own glory and the good of His people. These two objectives are never antithetical; they are always in harmony with each other. God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, not does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together.”

What comfort and encouragement this is to me! If I am going to learn to trust God in adversity, I must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to undermine His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in me.

Father I pray that when I meet trials of various kinds that I would turn to you as my blessed controller. May I remember that you work all things together for my good and Your glory.

Daily Bible Verse:

Colossians 1:17- “And he is before ALL things, and in him ALL things hold together.”

Today’s Mercies for Today’s Troubles

Matthew 6:34-“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

“Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow’s trust when tomorrow comes. God will not let his children be tested in any given day beyond what his mercy for that day will sustain. God’s mercies are new every morning because each day has enough mercy in it only for that day. This is why we tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s resources. God wants us to know that we won’t. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow troubles.” –John Piper-

Lamentations 3:22-23-“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”

What truth! I don’t know about you but sometimes I wonder if I will have the mercy to stand in terrible testing. The answer is clearly yes! The problem is because of my sinful nature there are times when I worry about this too much. I fail to trust that God is sovereign and in control over ALL things. The thing of it all is I can’t recall one time in my life when God hasn’t been faithful to deliver me out of fear. Every time I have cried out to God for help, I have experienced His peace instead of worry. A quote that I have always loved and has helped me get through trying times is: “Two women looked through prison bars; one saw mud the other saw stars.”

“Day By Day”
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what he deems best
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest

Father I pray that when I’m faced with difficult circumstances that I would make you my blessed controller. Please help me to accept you ways, accept your outcome, and let my trust be in you alone. Give me grace not to look down at the mud, but to lift my eyes up to the stars!

Daily Bible Verse:

1 Corinthians 10:13-“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond you ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Chapter 1-Can You Trust God?

Psalm 50:15-“And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me.”

“Can you trust God?” “Do you have such a relationship with God and such a confidence in Him that you believe He is with you in your adversity even though you do not see any evidence of His presence and His power? It’s not easy to trust God in times of adversity. No one enjoys pain, and when it comes, we want it relieved as quickly as possible. Even the Apostle Paul pleaded with God three times to take away the thorn in his flesh before he finally found god’s grace to be sufficient. Joseph pleaded with Pharaoh’s cupbearer to ‘get me out of prison’”

Psalm 34:10-“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.”

“In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not of sense. And just as the faith of salvation comes through hearing the message of the gospel, so the faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone.”

“The scriptures teach us three essential truths about God- truths we must believe if we are to trust Him in adversity.” They are:

1. God is completely sovereign.
2. God is infinite in wisdom.
3. God is perfect in love.

Remember that when we fail to trust God we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness!

Father I pray that when I am in adverse circumstances I would find you as my strength and remember that you are completely sovereign, infinite in wisdom, and perfect in love. Give me grace to go through life as someone who turns to your Holy Word and trusts in your glorious sovereign plan for my life.

Daily Bible Verse:

Romans 11:23- “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Trusting God

I can’t believe that another month has gone by. It seems like just yesterday was October 1st. I am glad that the holidays are fast approaching. I love this time of the year as I get to enjoy being with my family and spend time in the kitchen with my mom cooking up hot pots of soup or fall dishes that normally aren’t made other times of the year.

Over the weekend I went to the Gator and had a bon fire with the singles from my Church on Saturday night and brought back some of our middle school days and played an interesting game of telephone, watched the Jags get a spanking on Sunday and then went and played volley ball in the freezing cold weather, followed by hot chocolate. Overall it was a great weekend filled with Gods grace. Here are a few pictures from the Gator game......




Well, Enough about that!

My singles group at Church is going through the book “Trusting God” by Jerry Bridges on Sunday nights. I’m not even through the first chapter yet and have already begun to be convicted of my lacking in the area of trusting God. Most of the time it’s easy for me to think I have my trust in God but, deep down inside, most of the time I’m not trusting Him. I thought it would be a good idea to do a re-cap of a chapter once a week.

Stay tuned for the upcoming posts!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 25:1-2-“To you, O Lord I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.