I wanted to thank everybody who has been reading my blog since late last year. I hope that you have been blessed by it and that you have a greater understanding of God, and yourself, than you did before. This is my last blog for the Daily Press and I want to personally thank them for the opportunity to talk about spiritual issues that affect every man, woman, and child locally and around the world.
For twenty-one years, my life was very predictable. I awakened very early in the morning and tried to predict the unpredictable. Life was predictable. The weather, not so. In August of last year, a storm swept in and rocked my life. A mundane life of morning television for as long as I could remember was over. Life had changed. In politics, one can get elected with a platform of “change.” In our personal lives, change is something different. It yanks us from our comfort zone and sends us into the great unknown. It forces us to adopt an attitude of faith in God, or anger toward Him, depending on the soil of your heart.
I believe that change is good even when it hurts.
Yes, I will miss writing my blog, but I know that God has closed one door so He can open another. The day I found out this will be my last blog, a major international ministry called me to ask me to write for them online. That is God! I was pleased. The closed door was followed by an open door within hours. Sometimes, God makes us wait weeks, months, even years before the next door is open. In the end, it’s a matter of trust. Do we trust Him to take care of us? Do we believe that He has the best intentions for us? Do we know deep in our hearts that He has the power to implement His plan in our lives?
There is a great deal of change flooding our country. Some of it is good, most of it is bad. While the Bible teaches that God does not change, He does orchestrate change in our lives to keep us out of the ruts and ditches of life. My hope is that each of you will have your faith built higher and deeper as the winds of change blow in from every direction.
Many of us like to question God about the changes. This side of humanity can easily be seen in my ten year old son, Caleb. Several months ago we were outside doing yard work. The conversation went something like this: “Caleb! Come over here!,” I shouted from the other side of the yard. My son responded with a terse tone, “Why?” That attitude from a ten year old to his father didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to avoid the traditional, “I told you so” line. “Caleb. Your daddy needs you immediately.” “Why?” he repeated. “I need your help, son.” My patience was wearing thin. “What kind of help?” he asked, not budging from his side of the yard. I immediately dropped my rake. “Caleb!” I shouted with a tone that immediately got his attention. Like a shooting star in the night sky, my ten year old boy shot toward me in panic.
“What do you want, dad?” he asked. As I approached him, I could see what had held him up. He had quit raking and was busy pouring water on an ant hill. He thinks floods are cool. “I wanted you.” I said. “Why?” he asked again, not understanding the quicksand that he was drowning in. “Your job is to not ask why, Caleb. Your job is to obey me. I know what is best for you and you are going to have to trust me. I am your father. Do you understand me?” He dropped his head and grabbed his rake and waved goodbye to the floating ants.
When God institutes change in our lives, too many times we are busy asking God, “why?” Instead, ask “What?“ God wants us to trust Him. He is our Father who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. He is trustworthy and much smarter than any of us.
I hope the changes in your life in the upcoming months and years will prove fruitful and not too harsh. I hope that you will trust Him to see you through them so you are wiser, stronger, and more faithful on the other side. When change storms into the scene, stare it straight in the face with faith instead of fear.
Faith comes from God, fear comes from the enemy. Life is a rollercoaster ride! The rollercoaster ride of life is a little different than the average thrill ride. You see, this ride you are blindfolded. You can’t see the track ahead of you. You don’t know when the next hill may take your stomach away. You don’t know how long it is or when it will suddenly stop for good. No matter what part of the ride you are on, change is sure to come, sometimes when you least expect it.
This is where faith comes in.
You are welcome to keep up with me on my website Joncashministries.com. I do a daily devotion on my site in written form and video. If you would like me to come and speak to your church or conduct a revival, feel free to contact the ministry as well.
May God bless you as you learn to obey Him in all things.
In April, I had the opportunity to visit Cuba with a mission team. Our goal was to preach the gospel and help the poor and needy living in the city of Havana.
The trip was fruitful - over three hundred men, women and children trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Hundreds more were helped with their physical needs.
For most people, the story stops there. But the real story in Cuba is not in numbers, it is with the people.
In the late 1950s, Cuba was the crown jewel of the Caribbean. Money flowed into this island nation like it was sea water lapping onshore. The rich and famous from all over the world were either partying in Cuba, or owned mansions and businesses on this thin piece of land just south of Miami. Many Americans joined with this influx of wealth and power and sadly, not all of them were boy scouts.
In 1959, Fidel Castro and the Communists took over Cuba. Within months, the rich, the famous and infamous fled the nation - and took their money with them. Their mansions were seized by the Communist government and are still in use today as museums, social halls, or even public housing units.
When the communists took over, time simply stopped. Strolling down these streets of mansions in Havana is quite an experience. The neoclassic architecture is stunning. Most of these houses are in some form of disrepair, yet their majestic construction can clearly be seen through fifty plus years of neglect. Classic cars are everywhere. Think about it. There are tens of thousands of antique cars from a bygone era rolling through the streets of Havana still running!
Yes, it's still 1959 for Cuba - Progress is a word to be shunned in modern Cuba. Nobody dared to talk with us about politics. Propaganda billboards are everywhere. Fear runs in the blood.
Communism took many things from the people of Cuba - their standard of living, their ability to provide for their families, their dignity and their place in the world economy. Yes, communism set back Cuba fifty years.
In the midst of this human suffering, there is a small spark rising from the hearts of the people. While many of the people live in perpetual poverty, their hearts are longing for the richness of freedom. You can see it in their eyes.
I saw this light and it’s an ember that comes from above, sparked by God Himself. I witnessed this firsthand. The Spirit of God moved in the hearts of the people. Fear was replaced with faith. Depression was chased into the dark shadows and joy and peace took its place.
I spent three days speaking to pastors at their annual conference. The miracle I saw the first day of the event left me stunned. Nearly forty of these men of God converted to Christianity. In other words, they were faking a relationship with their Creator; going through the motions of their religion without having their hearts connected to God. They came to the altar that historic Tuesday morning, healed in spirit. God changed these men in a twinkling of an eye. More than a dozen were planning on leaving the ministry, yet with a fresh anointing of God’s spirit, everyone renewed a real committment to serve God.
Christianity is spreading in Cuba and so is that light. The fire from the spiritual world is growing.
History has taught dictators one important truth. A revival in the hearts of a people cannot be held back by fear, bullets, or bullying.
This is why Christianity is dangerous to tyrants.
No government can stand against God Himself.
History is abundantly clear that the persecution of the church of the Living God only strengthens the faith and resolve of its followers.
There is a revolution brewing in Cuba. It is capable of toppling tyrannical governments. It can shatter the walls of mistrust and bitterness that encapsulates the human soul.
While the Word of God is exploding across Cuba, that same Word is imploding here in America.
The Communist government in Cuba is moving forward with reforms that are bringing more freedom of religion while America is going in the opposite direction, limiting the freedom to worship in public under the false premise of the separation of church and state.
Cuba separated the church from the state by attempting to rid itself of God and the church. It didn’t work.
I pray that our country will see its need for God and turn back to Him before it's too late. Watch Cuba! It’s happening there before our very eyes. Do we have the eyes to see the spiritual revolution to our south or have we been blinded by our materialism, politics, and political correctness? God wants to bring that same revolution north.
When I was a kid, Easter was all about the Easter Bunny - and lots of candy.
Easter morning greeted me with lots of candy and assorted sugar delights neatly stuffed in a bag on the kitchen table.
The crown jewel in that bag was a huge, hollow Easter bunny almost as big as me! I loved it. I knew that there was more to the story but didn’t really bother to investigate.
I was a kid and chocolate overrules theology every time.
For the Christian, Easter is the most important of the holidays. Easter celebrates the historical event of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. This is at the very heart and foundation of the Christian religion.
Wwhy is it so important that Jesus rose from the dead? Why do Christians from all over the world celebrate it with the fanfare afforded a rock star?
The Bible teaches that nobody can go to heaven unless they are perfect or forgiven for their sins. Since nobody except Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, every soul is in need of forgiveness so they will be allowed entrance into heaven.
There is no sin in heaven. In fact, there is no suffering, pain, or tears in glory. Since God created the earth and heaven, He has devised a plan to get imperfect people into a perfect place without staining heaven itself. The plan was simple. He sent His son to the earth to point people to the Father. Jesus lived a perfect life for thirty-three years and was then sentenced to death for blasphemy because He claimed to be God.
Jesus died on a Friday, Good Friday. The historical record of this event cannot be denied. Even if He had not come back from the dead by His own power, the world would probably have known Him as a great prophet or teacher. Many today limit Him to that role, yet history and the Bible clearly portrays Him as risen from the dead. Why is this element so important to the story? People simply do not come back from the dead! Death is truly the final frontier. Death is final. The only way that a person could logically come back from the dead by their own power is to be God Himself; and that is exactly what Jesus clamed. He proved it by coming back from the dead. Many refuse to believe it, and many more will give the idea lip service. Yet, the heart of Christianity is the death, burial, and for this blog, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christ's resurrection proves the authenticity of His message. The resurrection gives power to the Words that He spoke. The resurrection verifies that Jesus was the Son of God. It upholds the central theme of the New Testament that faith in Christ brings eternal life.
Jesus Christ claimed to be the only way to heaven. He said that He offered the keys to heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.”
Heaven is for those who have their sins and faults forgiven by the Messiah of mankind. Jesus would not be qualified to forgive sin unless He proved that he was on par with God. To prove such a statement, He had to come back from the dead. And that is why Easter is so very important and is the crux of the Christian message.
The Easter bunny is cute and candy is wonderful. Kids waking up to a nice display of candy and enjoying Easter egg hunts don’t take away from the Easter tradition but it certainly should not replace the message. The Bible calls it “good news”. The good news is really the best news that anybody living on planet earth could get.
Heaven is real. Hell is real.
Jesus claimed (and proved by the power of the resurrection) to be the Lord of the earth, the Creator of the universe, and the Master over mankind. His perfect life on earth, His three days in the grave, and His rising from that tomb uniquely qualifies Him as the One the Old Testament points toward as the Messiah. The New Testament tells this story in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The rest of the New Testament shares with mankind throughout history the beginning of the Christian Church; the theology, mind, and heart of God; and the story about the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Without Easter, Christianity has no power. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, there would be no need to be in church. Christians might as well change religions or give up on religion itself. Easter is to Christianity what a football is to a football game. Easter is to Christianity what electricity is to our modern society. The resurrection is the judge looking at the defendant and having mercy on him and pronouncing him, “NOT GUILTY”.
Easter offers hope to the lost soul in the sea of pain and pressure that permeates this world. Easter shouts from the public address system at the football stadium that the last touchdown has been scored and the home team wins.
This Easter, remember the pain and suffering that the Lord went through to offer us our places in heaven. He did so that we could be forgiven.
The central message of Christianity is that Jesus took the punishment we deserve for the sins and wrong that we commit. He died in our place. He came back to life to prove His message. He lives in heaven where He wants you to be. According to the Lord, we can’t get there without Him. I hope this Easter is the most meaningful Easter you have ever experienced.
The candy is nice, the chocolate is wonderful - but the message is the best news one can get. Allow the Easter message to truly change you this year. Go worship God, believe, and be changed forever!
Many people get lost in all of those zeros and simply decide to trust our politicians to do what is best for us. I don’t think we can do that anymore. And somebody must pay the bills when they come due.
The ills of a society that allow for explosions of personal and national debt are symptoms of a 'me generation' - and a sign of how far we have moved away from God's plan. What will it take to make it right for our families, for our country and with our God?
Imagine it is ten years from now. The debt is 25 trillion dollars. That is $25,000,000,000,000. Interest rates have steadily risen as the people and countries that buy our debt want more for the risk they are taking. This is economics 101. The numbers above are real and not fiction. This is the dangerous, foolish course we are on. Interest rates are hovering around 7%. Multiply 7% by 25 trillion dollars and you get 1.75 trillion dollars. This is the interest we will pay on that debt. Today, the United States Treasury took in just over 2 trillion dollars. I believe it is a stretch to believe the economy will recover substantially with the current and future debt levels hovering over us like a ton of bricks. Therefore, almost every dollar of tax money ten years from now will go to interest on the debt. Before we get to that point, our country will either go into bankruptcy or we will print the money out of thin air which will lead to hyperinflation. Both scenarios spell disaster for the United States of America.
Debt, by definition, is wanting something NOW and paying for it LATER. Today in the United States, we can have it our way no matter if we have the money or not. We yank out the credit card and sign away, we sign loan documents for a car we can’t afford, or we go to a high interest lender on the street corner strip mall. We must have it now! Why wait? Instant gratification is the hallmark of the “me generation.” Our materialistic culture has permeated every area of society including the church itself.
The message of the Bible is exactly the opposite:
We are to think of others before ourselves.
We are to give to others without regard for what we will receive.
Waiting for rewards is a trait of godliness. Debt is seen as self-gratification and unwise while saving is considered intelligent and unselfish.
The Bible teaches that nations who borrow from other nations will be the tail and the nations lending the money will be the head. In other words, the nation that borrows will become the slave to the nation that lends them the money.
Debt is dangerous for families, cities, corporations - and - countries.
Our national debt is a reflection of the spiritual condition of our nation as a whole. This is a spiritual issue because the Bible teaches that we are not to covet our neighbor’s property.
I believe God has an intense desire to see this nation return to her spiritual roots. This movement of God will result in a spiritual rebirth and reawakening of Americans of all stripes and colors that will rock Washington D.C.
God wants this more than you could possibly imagine. Yet, in the end, Americans must want this before it will transpire.
We must recognize the heights that we have fallen and desire to change before the power of God will heal our nation.
Until then, the debt will continue to spiral out of control. We are less than a decade (and maybe a lot sooner) from the day of reckoning. Too many Americans are trusting their politicians and have turned a blind eye to the crisis lurking in the distance.
Some may think I am fear mongering. Some may know we have a problem but don’t believe that it will come to this. I challenge you to run the numbers. We have over 14 trillion dollars of debt on the books. In five years, our government is projecting that number to shoot past 20 trillion dollars. In ten years, the debt is projected to be around 25 trillion. I believe those numbers will be higher. Why? When was the last time the government underestimated the cost of anything? We finance our debt as if it were an adjustable rate mortgage. So as interest rates increase, the cost of our debt skyrockets. As the debt increases, it will cause interest rates to rise also.
Return to the principles of the Bible. Don’t spend what you don’t have. Get out of debt. Don’t covet what your neighbor owns. If enough people in America would try these principles and only vote for politicians who will uphold these truths, maybe the disaster can be averted. I hope this happens. I doubt it will.
Even if you don’t believe the biblical account of our creation, humor me with your time as I delve into the first marriage relationship on planet earth.
Genesis 2:18 says, “The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
God saw the loneliness in Adam’s heart and wanted to bless him with a wife, a helper who would stand by his side through thick and thin. This is why the marriage vows in Christian marriage include “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
God wanted to create a relationship on earth that would model the same type of relationship that He wants with each human being, a love relationship of honor, integrity and trust. Marriage is a biblical covenant designed and ordained by God. His desire was to see Adam and Eve as helpmates who placed the interest of the other before self.
Today, fewer and fewer people are choosing marriage. Take a look at this data of young adults from the Population Reference Bureau. www.prb.org/Articles/2010/usmarriagedecline.aspx . In the past ten years, there has been a more than 10% decline in those choosing marriage.
At the same time the national divorce is hovering around 50% for Christians and non-Christian households.
Marriage is on the verge of extinction.
I believe marriage vows are becoming rarer because society is becoming more centered on “self” verses “others.”
There is a great need for all of us to examine our hearts and try to figure out ways that we can get along through the relational storms that are sure to come.
Focus on the needs and wants of the other person and you might be surprised that your needs and wants will be met too.
It might not happen immediately but you are more likely to get your desires when you place your spouse before yourself.
One of the best tactics we can use to strengthen a marriage is found in the creation story. Genesis 3:1 says “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” You may not believe in Satan but think of any enemy that wants to destroy your relationship or marriage. Nine out of ten times they will come to you when your partner is absent. You are alone and unguarded in your spirit. You are lonely and feel left out. You are angry and want revenge. Maybe you are sad and wanting company. The bottom line is this: temptations that destroy marriages and relationships come to us when we are not “together” - physically or emotionally.
The team is broken up and the fortress of love is left defenseless for a moment. This is what the devil did to Eve. She was alone; Adam is nowhere to be found. Adam had told her about the tree in the middle of the Garden. He told her what God said, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Satan would not have dreamed of appearing to both of them when they were together. His strategy is divide and conquer. Whether it’s a marriage, a family, a church, a region, or the country itself, he wants to sow seeds of discontent and half-truths to destroy the relationships that make us happy and are vital to our welfare. Jesus said, “A kingdom divided amongst itself cannot stand.”
Intentionally deciding to “stay together” with your time, emotions, spirit, and physical bodies will do wonders for your marriage.
I’m sure you know the rest of the story. The snake lied to her and she bit, hook, line and sinker! Lies are like a cancer that will poison our marriages and friendships. Cancer doesn’t go away, it needs to be treated with the utmost diligence and speed to try to eradicate it and contain it’s spread before it’s too late. The consequence of believing the lie was brutal for Adam and Eve. They were kicked out of the garden of Eden and told to go into a different type of world where they would have to work and sweat for everything that would sustain them. Their heaven on earth was over. You may be “Mary and Steve” and are reading this article, and most likely, separately. Your “heaven on earth” marriage fast mutated into a “Mars and Venus” drudgery of an existence. Remember, after Adam and Eve sinned, God immediately came from heaven and entered the Garden of Eden. Why did He do this? I believe He wanted to restore their relationship with one another and with Him. He wants to fix things! Our choice is simple; keep doing the same things that don’t work and expect a different result or go to God for the help He desperately wants to give.
Do you remember the rest of the story? God confronted both of them about their disobedience. Genesis 3:12-13 says, “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”
The key to successful relationships is found in the tragedy in the Garden of Eden. Adam decided to blame the woman and God for his mistake. Eve decided to blame the serpent. Neither one wanted to take responsibility for their actions and say, “the buck stops here.” God judged their defiance exceptionally hard and kicked them out of the Garden. What if they had come clean and admitted their mistake? Maybe God would have forgiven them and we would all still be living in that paradise. Nobody knows for sure but I do know this: To maintain healthy relationships and marriages, we must place the other person before ourselves. We must admit when we have made a mistake and promise to do better the next time. Trust me…I’m a recovering weatherman, and I know all about mistakes. Blaming others for our own problems and pain is a sure way to the death and destruction of your marriage, your sanity, and your relationship with your Creator.
Humility is the secret ingredient to relationships. It’s so secret, few have considered it, and fewer have practiced it.
I often wonder how our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will view this current generation of Americans. How will the 'me generation' fare?
Will we be viewed like the World War II generation, the so called 'Greatest Generation?' Our grandparents fought the Nazi and Axis powers to keep our country, and much of the world free from tyranny and oppression. These Americans placed their country and future generations before themselves. They believed in the spiritual truth that it is better to give than to receive as they fought the good fight for the greater good of mankind. Can we say the same thing today of this current generation?
Where do we stand as a people in the fight for innocent lives? Let’s start with a taboo subject among many Americans: Abortion. Abortion is a choice many women have to make. The consequence of that choice is the death of a child. Who are the innocent victims? The children! Nobody can dispute this. The choices are made for a multitude of reasons but all end in death and today, tens of millions of helpless American children have been exterminated under the term 'choice.'
What is the legacy of our abortion laws? Will we be viewed as the first enlightened generation? Will freedom of choice be understood as the beginning of the liberation of the woman? Or will the next era see this time as the deathblow to our generation - a people willing to allow the destruction of unborn children?
Is abortion a moral act?
I believe future generations will not view this current generation favorably - they will look upon the choices we are making and see the destruction of lives based upon decisions grounded in immorality, greed and selfishness. Like the days of slavery, when oppression was swept under the carpet by a sleeping people, this generation will be judged harshly - yet correctly.
And what of our Heavenly Father? Can abortion continue without severe repercussions from heaven? Abortion is not new. The Bible clearly covers this subject. Some societies would turn the killing of their children into a religious ritual - a sacrifice to their pagan deity. The Bible clearly describes this as deplorable and beyond the imagination of evil.
We now have a choice to make. The light of truth is difficult to see when the darkness of cultural relativism has swept across a people like a tsunami. But we can open our hearts to the love of God and repent this backsliding. Choose truth, for it will set you free.
When Japan was rocked with earthquake and aftershocks, when tsunami waves swept whole towns away, when survivors are left with fears of radiation - where was God?
The images transmitted have assaulted our senses and left much of the world feeling a lot less secure regarding our safety. At the time of this writing, the Japan reactors are near meltdown, radiation is spewing in all directions, and many thousands are fleeing the country.
Why does He allow such human suffering?”
Of course the humanist pundits on television and radio are having a field day asking these questions with contempt in their voices. For some, it seems they are mocking God and those who are devoted to Him. They wonder with very loud voices if God cares about humanity and if He is all powerful. In fact, one interviewer on CNN asked a pastor this question.“Is God omniscient and all powerful and He doesn’t care about mankind or is He not all powerful but does care about us? It’s one or the other…so which one is it.”
The pastor avoided the question altogether.
I wish he had corrected the interviewer.
I believe both questions can be absolutely answered with a resounding, NO!”
God loves us more than we could possibly imagine - and allows tragedies to occur. Yes, God can stop bad things from happening, yet, it is often not in the best interests of mankind for Him to intervene.
God is all powerful and He cares. He gives us all the experiences of this world with His love - to weather the most difficult times in this life. It is in the hardest moments that our faith can blossom.The pain associated with the tragedies in life will bring us closer to God if we have a heart that is humble and moldable. Will we seek our Maker and do what He says or will we go our own way and do our own thing?
I have heard dozens of testimonies of people who have given their lives over to God ONLY AFTER encountering a very difficult storm in their lives. These storms are the catalyst to us shaking out of our self-reliant attitude and turning to a higher power for comfort. God uses these tragedies, including the unfolding story in Japan, to help people consider the afterlife.
God can use human suffering and tragedy to help us understand that this world is temporary and passing away.
And He promises us the joys of eternal life. The Bible clearly teaches that “He wishes none perish, no not one.” This verse is speaking of perishing in the afterlife. God loves us so much that He will orchestrate events on earth - even painful events - that will lead us to a life with Him after physical death.
Death is not the end - it is the beginning of our lives.
God is more concerned with making us holy than happy. His ultimate goal is to help us seek Him in this life so that we can be with Him in the next life. God would be cruel if He created a scenario where He placed us in an easy, self-reliant world that never pushed us to think about the next world.
The Bible clearly teaches that the next world is real. Heaven and hell are as real as the moon and the sun. Heaven is reserved for those who turn their lives over to the Lord and hell is reserved for those who willfully reject Jesus. Some disagree with this. I understand. This is not my opinion but what the Bible teaches from cover to cover.
Is death cruel if we die and go to be with God? Is the earth really a better place than heaven? I don’t think so! God loves us and cares for us more than we could possibly grasp. But it is our job to trust Him and believe that He has our best in mind, even when the world is falling in all around us. This is what trust is all about.
I love to people watch. I can sit back for an hour at a mall and just watch people as they walk by me living life. I love to watch their faces and in particular, look into their eyes.
I was at the Peninsula Town Center waiting for my son to finish up some indoor skateboarding. After getting bored inside the skateboard shop I decided to sit out in the frigid cold and watch people. And that’s when it hit me.
How many of these people are really happy with their lives?
I saw a lot of busy-ness in their steps, a bunch of faces that were downcast and sullen, and a few smiles far in between the two.
I wondered if more people in America had faith in God, would we see more smiles on people’s faces?
I know that faith does bring more joy into your life, more meaning into your walk here on earth.
And I’m convinced that faith makes a heart that was hard and angry shine with excitement about their future here on earth and above.
What is faith?
Faith is not church attendance. Faith is not a feeling.
Faith is the motivating factor behind what you do in your life.
In essence, faith is an action verb - giving the actions, the direction of your life over to God.
Faith in God means trusting God. You place your undying love and gratitude in the Lord’s hands.
SOMETHING TO REFLECT UPON TODAY
I love Carrie Underwood’s music. Her song, “Jesus Take The Wheel” is one of my favorite songs of all time. I know it’s a country song, but I view it as a spiritual song. You can use the link to hear the song or read the lyrics below. Faith is allowing the Lord to take the wheel of your life and direct your paths across every bridge, no matter the condition, that He wants you to cross!
She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati On a snow white Christmas Eve Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy With the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low On faith and gasoline It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention She was going way too fast Before she knew it she was spinning On a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes She didn't even have time to cry She was so scared She threw her hands up in the air
Jesus, take the wheel Take it from my hands Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go So give me one more chance To save me from this road I'm on Jesus, take the wheel
It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder And the car came to a stop She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat Sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time She bowed her head to pray She said I'm sorry for the way I've been living my life
I know I've got to change So from now on tonight
Jesus, take the wheel Take it from my hands Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go So give me one more chance To save me from this road I'm on
Oh Jesus, take the wheel Oh, I'm letting go
So give me one more chance Save me from this road I'm on From this road I'm on Jesus, take the wheel Oh, take it, take it from me Oh, why, ooh
It was 11pm. I closed my eyes. They opened. I closed my eyes again. They opened again. I glanced at the clock. It was 11:05pm. I had to be up by 6:30am and really needed a good night’s rest. I tried getting on my side and snuggled my head deep into my pillow. It wasn’t comfortable. I opened my eyes again and took a deep breath. That works sometimes, I thought. No luck. A million thoughts were attacking my mind as I impatiently switched to my right side and took several slow, deep gulps of air. A couple of minutes passed before I opened my eyes again. The numbers on the clock read 11:09pm. I thought about counting sheep, but instead, I counted my problems of that day and the frantic schedule for tomorrow. I jumped out of bed and dashed to the refrigerator. It was a perfect time for a midnight snack to help me doze off quickly.
All of us have gone through nights when sleep simply evades us. Sometimes, the time when we need sleep the most is the time when we get the least of it. I’ve been known to be so stressed out about getting some sleep that the stress itself kept it from happening. The Old Testament in the Bible has some fantastic things to say about getting a good night’s sleep. Daniel 2:1 says, “In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.” A troubled mind may be the number one reason for the loss of sleep. Worry and anxiety have a way of keeping our minds active through the deep of the night.
I’ve learned that I need to somehow shut my mind down before I go to sleep. Yet, there is a problem with that. I can’t do it very well. My mind seems to have a mind of its own. The worries of life are like a bulldog attacking me as I close my eyes and pray for rest. Anxiety is the enemy of sleep, and faith! I’ve learned over the years that reading the Bible has proven to be the best option to settle my mind and heart. Since we are generally powerless to shut down our minds, reading scripture is the medicine that God uses to shut them down for me.
Psalm 127:2 gives us some insight. It says, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” This verse teaches that we can work and toil and worry about our lives and when it’s all said and done, it was all for vanity. That perspective on life often leads to the thing we crave most; sweet dreams and a deep, long sleep. God does grant sleep to those He loves. How does He do it? He changes our hearts and our perspectives on life. He takes away our worry and stress and replaces that spiritual poison with a peace that transcends human understanding. God shuts us down by calming our fear and helping us to learn to live in the moment instead of the past or the future. Sleep is a gift from God that should not be taken for granted.
Proverbs 3:24 says, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Fear is one of the greatest motivators of mankind. Fear can cause us to do some very foolish things that can cause of to stumble on the path that God has laid out for us. Since fear is the opposite of faith, and faith in God is what produces peace in our hearts, fear suddenly becomes the enemy of rest. Fear yells from the depths of our beings that our lives are out of control. Fear keeps your pulse racing in the red and your mind geared into overdrive. Fear drives us to question God and our place in life. Fear drives a wedge between us and our God whom has the power to place you into a deep, rewarding sleep. Sleep oftentimes flees from us when we lose that intimate connection with God.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, “The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.” This verse seems to indicate that the more money you have, the harder it is to get a good night’s sleep. I searched the internet for sleep studies relating to this verse and found nothing. I was hoping to find some studies that explored sleep patterns for adults in differing countries but came up with zilch. I did find this amazing number. Americans spend over 6.7 billion dollars a year on sleep products according to the New York Times. Here is the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/garden/12mattresses.html
Our wealth as a country certainly has some negative byproducts. One of those is the inability to let go of it all at the end of the day and let nature take its course. The more things we have and the more responsibilities in our lives leads to more worries and stress to keep them. Being rich can certainly be a good thing but allowing materialism to take control of your life means a lot of restless nights fighting to keep it all together. Money can’t buy you happiness, it can’t buy you a good spouse, it can’t purchase you great kids, and it can’t buy you rest for your weary heart.
Are you wrestling with sleep issues? Do you want to try something different? Try God’s prescription for a great night of sleep. Give your worries to Him. The book of Matthew in chapter six tells us to not worry about tomorrow for it will take care of itself. In other words, worry does nothing for tomorrow because we have very little control over future events in our lives. Take your fears and place them in His hands. Don’t fret about tomorrow because He is in charge. Take your focus off of this world as you close your eyes and place it on the Lord. Talk to Him! Pray to Him. You may be surprised what happens next. Sweet dreams everybody!
We live in a society that places a great deal of importance on feelings. Of course, feelings are at the essence of the human experience. From anger to love to envy and jealousy and everything in between, our feelings can help us navigate the choppy waters of this world or they can make those choppy waters feel more like a hurricane.
I have found a growing trend among the people I meet and minister to on a daily basis: Many have placed such a high priority on their feelings, the other guiding barometers are off of the radar screen.
Let me give you a perfect example.
When you wake up in the morning, do you feel like getting up and going to work? If we were honest, most of us would prefer to sleep in, take a long shower, take a nice stroll around the neighborhood, and maybe watch a movie or two. My almost sixteen year old daughter would say the same thing about school. But, if we allowed our feelings to control us, most of us would be unemployed, poor, and hungry.
Marriage is another fantastic example. If you have been married for any significant length of time, then you know there are moments when you don’t feel like being married. Some of you may be chuckling under your breath that those moments can extend well into the weeks or months or even years. Yet, marriage is a spiritual commitment or covenant we make with another person regardless of how the winds of emotion are affecting us at any given time.
Placing too much importance on our emotions can lead us to be miserable more often than not. Miserable couples wind up either in therapy, divorce court and sometimes both.
Feelings tell you that you deserve to feel wronged and to seek retribution; Faith tells you to forgive and move forward.
Feelings tell you that your needs should always come first; Faith moves you to care first for your family, the people in your life.
Feelings can lead one to profess undying love one day and utter hatred the next - sowing pain and distrust; Faith will provide a sturdy rock, patience and kindness in your family life.
Feelings will let you down when you can least afford it; Faith will never leave you, never forsake you, and never harm you.
Feelings make you focus on yourself; faith leads you to seek and to sow good.
I believe there is a way to corral your emotions and find more peace and happiness - it's with the power that can only come from our Creator.
He designed us as an empty vessel that requires a fuel source to operate correctly. You don’t put water in your gas tank hoping it will get you to the grocery store. In the same way, human experience isn't the proper 'fuel' for your spirit. That power source is called the Holy Spirit. The force that created everything that is seen and unseen is the very same entity that wants to empower us to follow God in truth and spirit.
God wants us to humbly ask Him to change our feelings. He wants us to work through the negative feelings that we all have and move toward the positive aspects of faith and feelings that come as we seek Him with all of our being.
When we begin to operate the way God designed us, we begin to place less emphasis on feelings and more emphasis on faith.
God wants to reign in our feelings and not erase them. He wants to help us train our feelings to do us good and not harm. Allow your heavenly Father to train you. When He is done, you won’t even recognize yourself. And you will be happier for it.
