Of course He will. He cannot lie and He always does what He says.

Faith vs. Doubt

So, why do I doubt? Fear creeps in. I think, “What if I didn’t hear Him right?” I tell the Lord that I don’t doubt Him. I doubt me. Maybe I missed what He said. Or what He meant. But He doesn’t let me off that easy. He reminds me that I can hear Him perfectly fine. And I am so grateful for that. I am so grateful for a history of relationship with Him that I can look back on and remember all the other times I heard Him speak and saw Him move.  In real life.

The question is, then, do I really believe? Do I believe His promise enough to act on it? To make decisions on what I know to be true, but can’t prove to you at the moment? It is done in the Spirit.  The Lord has said it will happen. That makes it done. Just like Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” We don’t see it yet, but we have such confidence in God that we walk forward as though we have already seen it.

Conditional Faith

I think we all have things that are easy for us to believe the Lord will do and things that are not so easy. Our personal story comes into play here. Things we have experienced, both good and bad. If you come to me for prayer and the Lord tells me that He is going to heal you, I have no problem praying for you and knowing without a doubt that God is going to heal you. Probably because God has healed me in the past and I have seen Him heal others when I’ve prayed.

But in this area that I’m believing for myself right now? Hmm. I find I have to convince myself that God has spoken, that He is able and willing and He is going to do all He said. Maybe you can identify with this. In what areas is your faith in God strong and in what areas does it need to grow?

• Maybe you have no problem believing God for finances, but wonder if He can really help you forgive the person who hurt you.
• Maybe you have no problem believing God loves other people, but aren’t so sure He loves *you.*
• Maybe you believe He loves you, but aren’t sure He wants to heal you.
• Maybe you believe He is with you, but feel like you haven’t seen His direction in your life.

We need to believe ALL the promises of God and that EVERYTHING He says in His Word is true. And then, when He speaks something specific to our hearts, we need to believe that in faith as well. What we hear from Him needs to line up with what the Bible says—always—and we do need to pray in agreement with His will and in right relationship with Him. But when those things are all in place and He has said He is going to do something we have a hard time believing, we need to exercise that faith muscle. Banish all doubt. Keep bringing thoughts in agreement with the Lord.

Faith in Real Life

One day the disciples were walking with Jesus toward Jerusalem in the morning. There was a fig tree that was full of leaves, but had no fruit. Jesus went looking for fruit on the tree and when He found none, said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again,” (Mark 11:12-14.) The next morning, the disciples walked by this same tree again and saw that the tree had “withered from its roots.” Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

Listen to what Jesus said next …

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” (Mark 11:20-23.)

We use this verse in a figurative sense, comparing a mountain to any obstacle in our lives and I’m sure that applies. But I’d like to point out that Jesus had cursed a fig tree—a living object in real life, not a figurative one—and it literally withered up and died. So I don’t think it is far-fetched to think that He was also talking about real, earthen mountains as well.

Now, I know I do not have the faith to tell a mountain to go throw itself into the sea. But I want to! I want to have the kind of faith that believes God can do ANYTHING. Even what I am believing Him for right now.

Faith Right Now

So I’m writing to you from the “in-between” and declaring that I do believe. If this had already happened, it wouldn’t require any faith! When my miracle happens, you’ll know that God came through, just like He said, and that I really have been believing Him and working toward believing Him more all along. I can’t wait to write that post!

So, let’s not count ourselves out of any of God’s promises. They are ALL for each one of us. Reach out and believe. It takes faith to activate and appropriate the promises of God in our lives. Believe and do not doubt. Ask in prayer. Believe and receive.

“Every good and perfect gift is from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,” (James 1:17.)

Seasons of Promise

With spring just around the corner—well, a very long, curved corner in northwest MT—I can’t help but think about the areas in life where I’m looking for spring to come. It’s interesting how the seasons in our lives work together. Some are long. Some are shorter. They often overlap. Some seasons take longer than we think they should and sometimes we can’t wait for the next season to get going already!

I have circumstances that are ready for spring. And I’m hoping it won’t be a “late spring,” the kind that takes a few extra weeks to arrive! I have some promises from God that are yet to be fulfilled. I know in my spirit that fulfillment is imminent. I’m just trying to keep my soul on track. The mind, will and emotions that basically want to freak out and wonder if God’s going to come through in time.

So I take myself back to all the other promises God has fulfilled. On time. In His time, but never late. He has done amazing things. God has answered so many prayers. Countless, really. He has healed me. He has provided for me. And best of all, He has directed my steps and my path. Over and over, He has arranged circumstances to bring me to the next thing He had for me to do, the next place He had for me to be. I’m sure you can look back on many answered prayers as well.

The Nature of God

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of all God has done so we can take the next step of trust for our future. Especially if the next step is bigger than we’ve taken before. (The phrase, “leap of faith” comes to mind!) God has never failed us. He’s not going to start now. It’s not even in His nature to do so. He IS faithful. He always has our very best in mind. We have to remember, no matter how long the winter, spring does come. Ever year, without fail, the leaves grow back on the trees. The grass turns green. The flowers bloom. Spring takes hold and then gives way to summer.

Encourage your soul that spring is on the way! Don’t let the icy grip of winter freeze your heart to new possibilities and to what God wants to do next. Lift up your head and trust that the Lord has a plan and that it’s a good plan. He won’t let you down. He will raise you up for all to see, a reflection of His glory, of His power and might. He will come through for you. So, stand firm on those promises. Know that this season will change. We can have every confidence because of Who God is.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … He has made everything beautiful in its time,” (Ecc. 3:1, 11.) The Lord knows exactly what season we are in for every area of our lives. He hasn’t forgotten. We just need to keep trusting Him and moving forward with the things He has given us to do. Spring will yet come.

Big Problems

Sometimes we are facing circumstances where we feel like the Red Sea is in front of us and Pharoah’s army is closing in behind us. Sometimes our problems and concerns really are Huge. Whether they are physical, emotional, financial or relational, some situations are much bigger than our ability or power to change them.

When the people of Israel were in this situation, God said some very interesting things to them. It had already been a long battle trying to get out of Egypt. Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh over and over again. God showed His power and His judgment over and over again. Finally, Pharaoh let the Israelites go and they fled Egypt in the night. Then, the Lord led them to the Red Sea right when Pharoah’s army came chasing after them.

Overwhelming Fear

I understand how the Israelites felt. “They were terrified and cried out to the Lord,” (Exodus 14:10b.) I get that. When our circumstances are so far beyond our ability to fix them, when we feel like there is no way out, fear takes over. The Israelites went to Moses. “They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:10-12.)

Their argument has some logic and they certainly weren’t afraid to say what they thought! But they were missing the whole point. God was bringing them OUT of bondage and OUT of slavery. So, no, it would not have been better to stay in Egypt as slaves. Now, at this moment, it *seemed* like they were going to die —and isn’t that how we feel, like we’re never going to survive this one!— but God had a much bigger plan.

Here’s the Plan

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still,” (Ex. 14:13,14.) The Lord didn’t say to turn back towards Egypt and fight against the enemy bearing down on them. He said to “stand firm.” He said HE would fight for them and to be still. In our hearts, we need to stand firm and be still. We need to trust the Lord. We need to believe Him. We need to remember that He is fighting for us.

But after Moses gave this message to the people, he must have still been praying to the Lord for deliverance because the very next verse says this: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen,” (Ex. 15:15-17.)

God of Miracles

And that’s exactly what happened. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land,” (Ex. 15:21a.) The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry land. All of them got across, and Pharaoh’s army did come in after them. But as the sun came up, when all the Egyptians were crossing that sea bed, the Lord caused the waters to come crashing back down on them, drowning them all. The Israelites were truly free, once and for all.

It’s so interesting how the Lord tells the people to “be still” and to “move on” at the same time! While we “stand firm” and “be still” in our hearts— in other words, we hold fast to a firm belief and trust in God’s power and plan, then with our feet and our face, we “move on.” We turn away from the bondage, the problem, the enemy that is chasing us down and we look forward and take the next step God gives us to take. We move forward. We do what we’re supposed to do and trust God to do the rest! We look for that path that God WILL open up before us and we walk. Step by step till we are across the Red Sea and God destroys the enemy behind us.

Be Still and Move On

God has a plan for us to be free. God has a plan that breaks every bondage in our lives. He still does miracles. In every area of our life, He can and will perform the miracles we need to be truly free once and for all. We just need to keep following after Him. We need to believe Him. We need to do what He tells us to do. We need to seek Him and cry out to Him. Then, once He gives us a plan or opens up a path through the sea, we need to follow Him, step by step. We have to anchor our heart to Him and get our feet in motion. We will see the enemy destroyed behind us. We will experience God’s complete deliverance. We need to set our face forward and take the next step.

A two-step path to victory. Be still. Move on.

This is the beginning of a great week for Scott and me. It’s the beginning of a great season. He’s been working in North Dakota for the past 4 1/2 years. He would work over there for two weeks, be home here in MT for five days, and then gone again. He would fly in on a Wed. night and he would fly back out on Tuesday morning. BUT, this Tuesday morning, he is not flying back because he is home to stay!

We are so happy to make this transition. We have been feeling this season was coming to an end. It was getting harder and harder to be apart. Then, a couple things changed on his job and we knew this was the time.  He gave his notice. His last day was last Wed. He packed up and drove home.

Home At Last

I’m so relieved! It’s so great to have him home. It’s wonderful to think that he will be here day after day. It’s awesome to look at the calendar ahead of us and to not ask the question of every event and holiday, “Will Scott be here?” Yes, he will! Yay! To realize he will be in church with me every weekend and able to consistently serve in kids ministry (where his heart is) brings such joy.

Already, I look back and wonder how we were ever able to do this. We hate being apart. We got married because we like being together! It was the grace of God, to be sure. And we grew through this season. I certainly learned to be more independent and yet, to be more dependent on the Lord. We grew even closer as a couple, knowing we were operating as a unit even though we were apart. We talked every day, if possible, and made decisions together. I always felt we were together in spirit. And of course, he was home every two weeks, the shortest rotation there was in Williston.

We needed the job and we were very grateful for it, especially because Scott worked for perhaps the best company over there. But in the midst of our thankfulness, about two years in, I started to just barely whisper to the Lord to please find a way for Scott to come home. People would ask how long we were going to “do this.” I had no idea. He was working for such a great company, but I didn’t think we could do this until Scott was ready to retire. But maybe? I told myself lots of other couples have jobs that keep them apart at times, but then the whisper, “Lord, please find a way.”

Asking for this Change

As time went on, I started to ask the Lord “for real.” My heart’s cry got louder and louder.  I knew others were praying as well. I could see being away was wearing on Scott. It was wearing on me. A few times the Lord helped us renew and reset. And that was the right thing for those seasons. (I wrote about those times here.) But then … the Lord promised me He would bring Scott home. I knew it would happen, just wasn’t sure when.

In the first part of this year, I started to sense it would be this fall. In the late spring and early summer, we knew more and more that this season was ending. We started to look toward how and when he could come home. The economy has changed. There are jobs at home now. (Scott has interviewed and is expecting a call soon to go to work for another great company.)

We Need to ASK

But let’s look back at the Ask. There were a couple of things that kept me from asking the Lord to bring Scott home at first. It looked impossible and I didn’t want to be ungrateful for what the Lord had provided through Scott’s job in N.D. But I knew it was in God’s will to ask for Scott to be home. Of course the Lord wanted us to be together. He’s the One who came up with the idea of marriage. He’s the One who designed us to need a companion. And for the past year in particular, with all the kids out of the house, I’ve been all by myself and Scott was certainly by himself too.

We need to ask the Lord for what we need. We need to ask the Lord for what we want. The Bible is clear on this. “Ask and it will be given to you,” Matt. 7:7. “… but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” Phil. 4:6. And there are many more Scriptures telling us to ask the Lord for what we need and desire.

The Lord Will Answer

So, I encourage you to ask the Lord today for what you need and for what you want. If it looks impossible, still ask. We serve a God who can do the impossible and who loves to bless His children. He gives good gifts! (James 1:17) When we surrender to the Lord’s will and ASK, He will do great things. I know this is true. I’ve seen it over and over. And today, we can say that God answers prayer: Scott is home!

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There’s lots of life lessons in football, but one of my favorites becomes even more intense during play off season — It’s not over till it’s over. Ok, sometimes a team dominates the score board and the game is “over” early on. But when you have two strong teams (play off games!) or when the score is close, the last seconds are the most critical. (We certainly saw that this weekend in the Seahawks vs Vikings game!!)

This means you can’t give up at half time. Or in the third quarter. Sometimes you can’t get that first touchdown on the board until the 4th quarter. Doesn’t mean you won’t win the game.

What’s the Score?

So how are the football games of your life going? How is the Work game going? How is the Marriage game going? How is the Prayer game going? How about that Personal Growth game?

Are you in the first quarter and up by 10? Awesome! Keep it up. Are you feeling wiped out by a tough first half and headed to the locker room to regroup? The Lord will meet you there and help you get back on the field again.

Staying Power

Is there a situation in your life that feels like the game is “over” even though it’s not? Are you still fighting or have you given up? I mention this verse often, but it’s a good one to remember: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up,” (Galatians 6:9.) If we do not give up. As I ask these questions, I’m taking inventory in my life and I find there are some things I’ve been praying for that need renewed faith.

I find myself wondering if I should call a particular game “over,” giving up on a real victory from God, settling for a loss. If you’re an athlete, you know how important the mental game is. Once you think you’ve lost, you have. I need to renew my mind! (Rom. 12:2) I need to stay in the game, to continue to present my requests to God and to walk in His peace, knowing He will answer. (Phil. 4:6 & 7) I need to pick up the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17) and apply Bible truth to every situation.

The Fourth Quarter

Maybe you’re in the 4th quarter and down by 21. If you feel discouraged by a situation in your life (or something you’re praying for in someone else’s life,) don’t give up now. Dig in. Dig deep and keep going. Renew your faith by fixing your eyes on Jesus, by remembering how big and great and capable and faithful God is. Remember the One in Whom you have placed your trust. There is nothing to worry about. He can handle it and He will do it. Keep praying. Keep believing. And He will give us wisdom in all things. We have only to ask. (Don’t forget to ask!) James 1:5

Finishing Strong

The big difference between our life and a football game is that we know our final outcome will be a WIN, but we still have to fight for it.

All. The. Way. To. The. End.

Everything that happens before those final seconds in a game definitely matters, but games are won and lost in the final countdown time after time. This means if we want to win, we have to finish strong.

I used to tell my kids they needed to “finish strong” as they started the fourth quarter of the school year. It’s hard to do, especially once you come back from Spring Break and the end is in sight. It’s easy to “check out” and just let the game clock run down, not caring anymore about the score. But we can’t do that. We have to finish strong if we want to WIN.

So don’t give up. Face whatever the biggest challenge is in your game. Take it to the Lord–again. Pray about it–again. Release it–again. God will bring you the victory. Keep moving down the field.

But then … the pivotal moment comes. A ray of light, a helping hand, a brilliant idea, a game-changing intervention. The music swells, the plot turns and we know that victory is in sight. We love these stories because they give us … HOPE.

If the change comes because of a person, it gives us hope in humanity, hope that there are still good people in the world. If the change comes from a brilliant idea, we have hope that problems can still be overcome with thought and hard work. If the change comes by Divine intervention, we have hope that there is still a God is heaven who loves us.

Where to Place Our Hope …

We all need hope. The Bible talks about hope over 180 times. Psalms and Proverbs tell us again and again that the best place to put our hope is in God.

“No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,” (Ps. 25:3.) “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,” (Ps. 33:18.) “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off,” (Prov. 23:18.)

A Safe Place …

When we put our hope in God, our hope is well-placed. We are not hoping in the sense of an empty wish. In fact, that’s not what hope means at all. Hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; grounds for believing that something good may happen; a feeling of trust.”

When we talk about putting our hope in God, it’s not with a negative expectation. Meaning, sometimes we use the word hope like this: “I really don’t think there’s any way this is going to happen, but I hope so.” A thin thread of possibility. The hope God offers is so much better than that. When we hope in God, we can have an “expectation and grounds for believing;” we can trust that something good is going to happen.

A Good Place …

We know this because of Who God is. He is a good God who does good things (James 1:17) and even turns all the bad things in our lives around for good! (Rom. 8:28, Gen. 50:20) If we stick with God, we can’t lose! Either something good will happen or He will take something not so good and make it good.

Join me in choosing to trust God. Put your faith and hope in Him. Soon you will hear the music crescendo in the background track of your life, the plot will turn and you will see God working things out. Victory will be in sight. God will do something good and He’ll do it in a way that will propel you forward on your journey with Him.

For example, is there something in life that you want to do or accomplish, but you haven’t made it happen yet? You’ve tried. And failed. And tried again. And failed. And given up. And tried again. Or maybe you haven’t failed yet because you haven’t tried yet. Ever feel like you’re going in circles and not making any real progress? We all have things like this — or maybe it’s just me. (I hope it’s not just me!)

The Unfulfilled Desire

Many things can fit into this category. Perhaps you have a project you want to tackle, but just can’t get it done. Perhaps you want to develop more patience or kindness and then find yourself snapping under pressure. Maybe there’s an advancement in your career you want to make that hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps it’s that fitness or weight goal that is so elusive. Maybe you want to write a blog, but after a few posts, life gets in the way or you get sick and are unable to be consistent. Oh wait, that’s me again.

No matter what it is, I’m here to remind you — it’s not too late to begin again. It’s not too late to try again. You can accomplish what you set out to do. You have only to begin. Or begin again. After all, you are reading this blog right now, right? There’s “living proof” for you. Just be willing to try again. And then start. Take the first step. And the next. And the next. Over and over.

The Key to Success

Persistence is the key. Many have talent, but persistence is the difference between potential and success. Persistence is to continue on a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition or previous failure. The Bible puts it this way, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9.)

We must not give up. If we have given up, we can begin anew. Get back to planting the seeds that will bring about the harvest we desire. We are planting seeds into our life and future every day. Let’s make sure it’s the right seed. The time to start again is right now.

Today.

What step will you take today to “begin again?”

I used to go to my chiropractor “all crinkled up.” (He called it subluxated. Whatever.) He would ask me if my stress level was high. If I said, “Yes,” he would then ask, “Is it going to get better?”

Great question. Sometimes we are in a specific situation that is short term and will resolve itself, such as the pressure of taking a test or a job interview. But sometimes we are in a situation that is more long term, such as when the stress is coming from dealing with a chronic illness or a strained relationship. It’s especially difficult if the situation is out of your control and you are powerless to change it.

The Long Term Situation

As many of you know, my awesome husband works in North Dakota. (We do not live in North Dakota!) And we are blessed. His schedule is two weeks on and one week off. So he is home for five days every two weeks. That’s a good rotation for someone who works in the oil field.

He’s been going over there to work for two years already. The Lord’s grace for me in this situation has been amazing. It’s hard to have him gone. It’s hard for him to go. We really like each other! That’s why we got married. We aren’t one of those couples who needs space and time away from each other. We really like being together all the time. Even though it’s not easy, I’ve been mostly ok with it. Until last Fall…

Wait! I’m All Done …

All of a sudden, I wasn’t ok with it anymore. I had this terrible feeling like, “Oh no! What if I can’t handle this anymore? What then?” I cried more. I was more lonely. I was anxious and more panicky. I had to be ok with this. I couldn’t change it.

Then, I remembered. … His grace. His grace is enough. Oh, that’s right. Breathe. (In and out!) The Lord brought to my mind a two-step process for difficult, long-term situations.

The Two-Step Reset

First of all, count our blessings. There are so many things to be thankful for regarding Scott’s job. As I mentioned, his rotation is one of the best. His company flies him back and forth so he doesn’t even have to make the ten-hour drive every two weeks. Great benefits, fulfilling work, a good crew, opportunity for advancement, God’s favor. Plus, he gets vacation time and it’s like a five-day weekend every time he comes home. And he is always home over a weekend so he gets to go to church. Many things!

I needed to focus on the positive. Look at all the good things about this. And give thanks for them. Count those blessings!

Second step is to remember that His grace is enough. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’,” (II Cor. 12:9.) This is the Lord saying, “You’re ok. I’ve got this. And I’m in you, so you’ve got this.” I was able to tell myself, “His grace is enough. I have all the strength I need to deal with this. I am ok.” And you know what? My feelings came back in line and I felt much better. I didn’t need to worry that I couldn’t do this long-term. I can do this for however long God has ordained this situation and season to be because He gives me the strength.

Hope & Strength

It’s still hard. It was an adjustment again after Christmas when my son went back to college and Scott went back to work after some vacation time. I was by myself again, which is still so weird. There may have been some tears when I took him to the airport. But I know what to do now. Count blessings. Rely on God’s grace.

And so can you. If you’re facing a long-term situation that you wish you could change, but you can’t, follow these two steps to peace and joy. Count your blessings. Walk in His grace. Amen!

Is there a difficult long-term situation you are facing today?

Our family is going through what so many thousands of families in America have experienced. My mom called me a couple months ago and said, “Beki just left my office.” I could tell my mom was upset. I could hear tears in her voice, but I couldn’t imagine why. “She’s been diagnosed with breast cancer.”

“What?!” I couldn’t catch my breath.    “Our Beki?” I couldn’t comprehend. I asked my mom to start at the beginning. It all started with a bug bite that left a lump. That lump was benign, but thanks to that bug, they found two other spots of breast cancer that couldn’t be felt. My brother’s wife, Beki, only 39, was diagnosed with Stage I invasive breast cancer. Then, they found another spot of cancer in the other breast. Beki had a bilateral mastectomy the end of September and thanks to a little tiny spot found in a lymph node, she was “upgraded” to Stage II and is now getting ready for 12-weeks of chemotherapy. It has been God’s grace at every step that this cancer has been found and treated. (You can read about her faith-filled journey at her blog.

Family, Friends…

I have a friend who walked through a similar journey three years ago and while I had complete peace for my friend then and I have peace for Beki now, it is still an emotional journey. Besides the obvious, “I want to be sure all my girlfriends have their mammograms done right now!” there is some fear to deal with as well. It hits home how widespread this disease is and that it steals friends and loved ones. I don’t want to lose anyone! According to the American Cancer Society web site, there are 2.8 million breast cancer survivors (including those still in treatment.) There will be about 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer, about 64,640 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer and about 39,620 women will die from breast cancer in 2013.

Breast cancer, like so many things in life, is something we can’t control. It’s a trial that seemingly pops up out of nowhere. And suddenly, it’s a fight for life. And it’s a life that will never be the same.

Faith, Comfort…

But – our God IS the same. He is not surprised. He is our comfort and our strength to walk through any trial. If we let Him work in us through it, we will even grow in our faith and in our trust in Him. “Why do these things happen at all?” people ask. Entire books have been written to answer that question, but a couple things we know: We live in a fallen, imperfect world where there is disease, hardship and death. But in this fallen place, there is God’s redemption and His love. We know from Romans 8:28 that He works all things together for our good. And Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

God is with us. He is for us. His love for us will carry us through anything! We are strong and courageous and we fight. And we rely on the Lord every moment, knowing it is His power, giving us strength. Praise be to God. We trust in Him.

What trials are you facing right now?

Rhythms of Change

I laughed. I told him, the rhythm of my life has been up for constant change for the last year and a half, ever since my husband started working in North Dakota. And now, with a truly empty nest, it would change yet again.

For the first time in my life, I will live alone for two weeks at a time while my husband is away at work—and then for five glorious days, he is home, and then he goes back. The good thing is, I had plenty of time to get used to the idea. I had plenty of time to pray about it and to receive God’s peace about this new season, even to get a glimpse of God’s vision for this season.

And now, as I am living my first two weeks “by myself,” I find that I don’t feel alone at all. Some of that is because I get to talk to my husband every day (a blessing many oil field wives do not have!) and because I have lots of family and friends. But mostly, it’s because I’m not alone. The Lord is with me.

Rhythms of Rain

Many others are experiencing new rhythms of life right now as well. For some, it’s back to the routine of the school year. For some, it’s getting used to having a child in college or having that empty nest. Others have been hit by sudden trials or distress and they are experiencing new rhythms of necessity, dictated by a doctor’s diagnosis or a spouse’s decision.

It’s important to acknowledge when seasons change. It’s important to note that everything is changing and that some things will never be the same. And that’s ok. New seasons mean new growth. Life is a continuous process of moving from one season to another. We need to keep moving forward.

Rhythms of Grace

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” and then verse 11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” We need to make note when new rhythms come to our life. We need to make adjustments that will allow us to appreciate the beauty of this season.

No matter what kind of a season we are moving into, we can know that God is always with us and that His grace is available to us for this very season. For, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength,” (Phil. 4:13.)  He knows right where we are, whether we are in a time of plenty or want, a time of sunshine or storm. And we can trust Him because He loves us ~ and because He does all things well.

“Lord, help us to keep in step with the new rhythms You bring into our lives. Help us to hear Your music through the noise of life. Even if we are learning new steps to a new song, help us take Your hand and by faith, dance with You.”

What new rhythms is this Fall bringing to your life?