Tag Archives: illness

Standing on God’s Promises…

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I was recently promoted at work and I’m now in a supervisory role. I knew coming into this position, that there were going to be numerous challenges and issues to deal with right off the bat. I knew about the staffing shortages in each program, the HR challenges I’d be facing with the employees, the fact that I would now be directing a program area I haven’t worked in years, new employees that need training…the list literally goes on and on. I also know that God specifically called me to take this position. He encouraged me and opened doors every step of the way while I was making the decision to even apply for it. Now I’m here…and just as I expected going into it…I’m feeling completely surrounded!!  Surrounded by issues and challenges and enemies. I see my enemies all lined up in front of me…ready to attack. BUT…I know that the Lord is also there!! Every step along the way, God brings a certain scripture or a song or a word of encouragement to continue to light the path in front of me. Last week, He brought a Psalm. Psalm 23 took on a whole new level of meaning for me. 

Psalm 23: 

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

So…you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death…so something really hard in your life right? Whatever that is for you – fill in the blank….illness….addiction….relationship problem….for me right now it’s work. The scripture says “You prepare a table before me” so God PROVIDES and not only that he blesses us…but don’t miss the word before! He prepares a table BEFORE me. God is not only walking beside me through these struggles…He goes before me. Now here comes the part that really hit me…IN THE PRESENCE of my enemies. How beautiful is this? God goes before me and prepares a table/provides/blesses me…in the presence of my enemies/problems/challenges. Even though I may feel completely surrounded and overwhelmed right now with all my enemies staring me down…God is going before me….he’s providing for me. The next part says He anoints my head with oil. So he’s preparing me, right!? Next…my cup overflows. So it says He’s leading me to GREEN pastures and STILL waters…He’s going BEFORE me…He’s PROVIDING for me…He’s PREPARING me…all in the very presence of all the problems that are surrounding me. Praise God…He makes my cup overflow with blessing!! That’s a promise from God I’m standing on!!! When I start to feel under attack and overwhelmed …I’m going to repeat this over and over if I have to. God is FAITHFUL and He CAN be trusted. His promises then stand true now still!! 

He WILL provide. Whatever you’re walking through…keep going!! SEEK Him through the struggle and ask Him to provide you with daily bread…whatever that is for you. His promises are true and amen!! 

Lord Jesus…It may LOOK like I’m surrounded…but I’m surrounded by YOU. 

Nail it to the cross.

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You’re struggling with something right now, aren’t you? Pain, fear, depression, financial issues, anxiety, loss, addiction, worry, illness. Maybe it’s not you but a loved one. Nail it to the cross my friends. Right now I want you to picture in your mind writing down everything on a sheet of paper that your worrying about right now. Write down your struggles, write down your pain and your addictions, your anxiety and your fears…write it all down. Now I want you to picture a large wooden cross in front of you and a hammer and nail in your hand. Now take that list of all your struggles and nail it to the cross. I want you to picture every hurt, every illness, every doubt, every worry literally being nailed to the cross. As you take that hammer and drive the nail into the wood of the cross, I want you to picture surrendering every single thing on that list over to Jesus. When your done, step back and take a moment to soak in how it feels having just lifted every burden off of your shoulders. Picture the relief you now feel that the weight of the world no longer rests with you. Look at how much more comfort and peace you now have and notice how strong that cross holds everything you once held. You didn’t hurt the cross, the cross is unchanged by the weight of what you’ve just nailed to it.

Jesus can not only handle the weight of everything you’re carrying around…He was born to carry it. God sent you and me a Savior…His only Son to carry it for each of us. We have pain and illness, depression and anxiety, loss and hurt because we live in a fallen world that is full of sin. But Jesus…Jesus died for ALL sins. He took on everything for you and for me. It’s done friends…every sin has ALREADY been accounted for. He took on it all when he died on that cross for us…It is finished. If you have faith in Jesus and that He died for your sins…it is finished for you too. 

The next time think about the struggles you used to face, go back to the cross. Remember you nailed everything to the cross, it’s no longer your worry. Don’t try to pick back up what was too heavy for you to carry the first time. Jesus paid it all…paid in full. 

Friends, I once struggled from food addiction. For me, it took hitting rock bottom to realize the end of myself and to reach out for His help. Jesus will meet you wherever you are. Take a step in faith…pick up the hammer, reach out…nail it to the cross, surrender your life and all your worries to Jesus and He will gladly take them on and carry them for you. Paid in full. 

Colossians 2:13-14 “And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside nailing it to the cross.”

Thank you Jesus!! I will praise you forever…