God is Always With You

I struggle to do things I know are right. I struggle not to do things I know are wrong. Doing what I don’t want to reminds me of how fallible I am, and how vulnerable I am to temptation.

My faults are clear to me–how much I can write in this blog may change over time. I will get braver, I’ll start to become more transparent.

A few of my faults…I have a bit of a lazy bone in me. I can be very productive and active, but I can also sit on the couch watching TV with the best of them. I can be impatient and irritable.

Even though I love God and I trust Him, sometimes I turn to other activities to get through the days. I shop too much. I haven’t gotten back to regular workouts, and I’m eating Lays barbecue chips as I write.:)

One good thing that I don’t do as often as I intend to is to write in this blog. I feel like I’ve let some people down, who at some times might have come to this website to read something new and found nothing.

Sometimes I don’t write posts because I’m just plainly undisciplined. Sometimes it’s because my depression is getting ugly. But I do care about this blog, and I do care about the people who take the time to read it.

My motivation for writing this blog has always been the same–to introduce people to God. I don’t run ads, I don’t hyperlink everything. I keep it stripped down for a few reasons. God made it clear to me that this site cannot be used for profit. I don’t run ads, and it works out well, because my pages load quickly. And I keep it simple because I think that being clear spoken and honest is the best I can do for the people who do read these entries.

I am sorry for my long absences. I am at a point in my life where God is helping me to recover and rebuild. I’ve lost some ground in my life in a few different ways, but God’s love for me hasn’t changed, it’s unconditional, and I know I can rely on Him to see who I really am.

One of my favorite Scriptures in times like these is Proverbs 24:16–For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. [NIV Bible]

I’m not righteous because of what I do. I’m righteous because of what I believe. I believe God is Who He says He is. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and I believe what is written in it.

We are made righteous by God, we can’t do it ourselves. Jesus took our sins upon Him when He was crucified. He died in our place, so that we can be forgiven for our sins. Believing in Jesus makes us righteous before God.

Jesus said in John 6:29, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” [NIV Bible]

Are you ready to believe God? Are you ready to be loved unconditionally, to have your sins forgiven, to be taken care of and lifted up by God? Don’t delay starting your relationship with God! Start reading the Bible, it’s the key to knowing God. Read the Bible on your cell phone and computer. Buy a Bible, make it yours, highlight it, write in it, wear out the pages!! Let God lift you back up when you fall!

God is patient. He sees me doing the same wrong I’ve done before, and He helps me start again.

God is honest. He tells me things I need to hear. He doesn’t condemn me. He gives me His strength to help me make changes.

God has insight. He knows things about me I don’t know about myself. There’s no better guide for your life than God.

God shows me what really matters–not appearances, not an image, but who I truly am inside.

God gives me freedom. Who would still love me if they knew every thought, word and deed? Only God.

I lift my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. [Psalm 121, verses 1&2, NIV]

My Bible defines forgiveness as “to pardon or acquit of sins; acquittal.” Acquittal is a major action. There is a release of guilt. Restoration can begin. A fresh start is set in motion….

People say “forgive and forget,” but often the forgetting doesn’t really happen. Forgiving someone ends up being a temporary reprieve, and we reserve the right to bring a past wrong into a present argument. That’s only human.

It’s hard to forgive. We have to deny ourselves holding grudges. We have to cope with the consequences, the anger, the hurt and disappointment. It doesn’t come naturally to offer forgiveness. It’s a sacrifice.

Confessing my sins keeps me more grounded, because it helps me see how easy it is to fail someone or hurt them without meaning to. With the Holy Spirit teaching me what it really means to forgive, I can start to show more mercy when someone offends me. Feeling resistance rise up inside of you is par for the course. We want to defend ourselves. We may want revenge.

But forgiveness gives us what harboring anger and disappointment can never do–it heals! Forgiving someone soothes our pain, stopping the cycle of reliving our hurt and anger.

In Psalm 86:5, it says:  For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. [ NASB Bible]

Confess your sins to God–don’t hold back! Don’t let guilt or shame keep you from receiving forgiveness from God! When God forgives you, it allows you to start again, and learn from past mistakes.

And then we can pass on the mercy God shows us to those who hurt or offend us.

In late 2001, when I was 31, I came to God. I was pretty much a wreck at the time, deeply depressed, with difficult health problems and a lot of anxiety. The future seemed unbearable, and I didn’t know how I could keep getting through the days.

I hadn’t attended church since I was in high school. I believed in God, but I didn’t read the Bible, and I only prayed when I was in crisis. Mostly, I ignored God, going about my life, making choices, doing the best I could, on my own, without Him.

But what I was doing wasn’t working. Depression and anxiety were taking over, and the fight was starting to seem unwinnable. I was suicidal, and no one knew it but me.

In the fall of 2001, Angie, my lifelong friend and lifelong Christian, sent me an unexpected package. It was an early Christmas present, a Bible with my name embossed on it. Included with the Bible was a passionate plea for me to invite God into my life.

Angie’s letter got through to me. It was the right time for me to hear her words.The timing couldn’t have been better, because it was God’s timing. He who knows all knew what was hidden from everyone else, and He acted!

I was ready to put both feet in and really believe.

I started reading the Bible in the book of John. I learned so much about Who Jesus is and how He became our Savior by reading John. If you’re looking for a good place to start reading the Bible, the book of John chronicles the life of Jesus, from birth to death to resurrection. John also goes into detail about the identity of Jesus, His relationship with God the Father, and, in later chapters, the gift Jesus left believers with when He returned to the Father after His resurrection from the dead–the Holy Spirit.

God came into my life all of a sudden, and that’s what I needed! I will forever be flattered that God saw me, that He knew who I was, and He cared enough about my life to send a friend to connect me to Him!

This is a Scripture that perfectly describes what God did for me…

In Psalms, chapter 118, verse 17, it is written:

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. [NIV Bible]

Sometimes someone who doesn’t know you is the perfect person to lift you up and help you see the good in yourself.

Today had been on the tedious side, and I was worse for the wear. Plainly put, I was irritable, with a long to do list. I saw a salesperson approaching my front door while I was folding laundry. It was young woman with a clipboard and a hard job to do, and I answered the door with a lot on my mind.

The last thing I thought I had the time to do was have a meaningful conversation. I wasn’t buying what she was selling, and I was (gently)clear about that from the start. And although she obviously wanted to sell me something, I listened to her and I found her to be a delightful young woman. I have some background in sales, and we discussed her job, her college major and her goals.

She is a young woman with so much going for her: ambition, education, clearly intelligent, kind, warm and charismatic. If I hadn’t taken the time with her, I wouldn’t have had the pleasant and memorable conversation I did.

In Proverbs Chapter 11, verse 25, it says:

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. [English Standard Version]

I heard this young woman out because I knew she wanted to be listened to. Yes, it was a sales pitch, but God put her on my porch not to make a sale but to be encouraged. She was uncertain about her sales ability, she had just started her job 2 weeks ago. I told her that she clearly had a natural talent for sales that could open doors for her far into her future. I told her about my impression of her–that she was kind and warm, with a cheerful disposition; that it was obvious that she would do well in her career; that she was a beautiful young woman with intelligence and charisma to boot!

I built her up, not with insincere flattery, but with my honest thoughts and impressions. She also paid me a few compliments that lifted me up as well, and my day was better for meeting her. I pray for her now, and I will always remember her fondly. I know God is watching over her, and I pray that she will seek Him.

I poured encouragement into this young woman, and that’s something I urge you to do as well, whenever you have the opportunity. People need to hear what their strengths are. They need to hear about the good in them. Knowing you have lifted someone up rewards both of you!

Every time we seek God, it’s worth it. Life may seem so busy that there’s no time to fit God in. But every time you pray, and every time you read the Bible, God comes into your life more and more.

God brings peace with Him. God changes your life where it matters the most, on the inside. When we let God into our lives, He gives us strength to do things we haven’t been able to do before. He helps us handle trouble in a different way than before when we thought we had to do it all by ourselves.

God reassures us when nothing is reassuring. No friend or family member can be there for us in every moment, but God can. 

In Revelation Chapter 3, verses 19-20, Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” [NIV Bible]

God pursues us! He wants us to come to Him, now as we are. Not after we’ve done more good deeds, so that we can feel worthy. Not after we break bad habits that we can’t seem to shake. God wants us as we are now, because He is forgiving and He is merciful, and His unconditional love will restore us and change our lives!

People need to be listened to. There are so many people walking around with a headful of stress. We all need to be counseled, and we all need a release. People are hungry for someone to be interested in them and what is going on in their lives.

We are called by God to counsel each other. In Romans Chapter 12, verse 15, it says:        Rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep. [NIV Bible]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again…), God is available 24/7. God is the ultimate Counselor.  All we have to do is talk to Him. In your mind or out loud, wherever you are, no matter what time it is, God will listen to you.

Other people cannot give us the instant and continuous counsel that God does. But God uses people in your life to help you along, and He will also use you to help other people. Always know that you can go to God directly with ANY concern, no matter how big or small, whether you are upset, sad, angry…Yes, God can handle your anger! No one keeps it more real than God does! 🙂

People need God and they also need each other. Listening to someone makes them feel cared for, and it is one of the most practical ways we can help them.

In Isaiah Chapter 26, verse 3, it is written:  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You. [ESV Bible]

Trouble lets a lot of things through the door–uncertainty, fear of the future, pain. Go straight to God, He is your true help, always available, He knows all the details of your life, and He can give you His peace. His peace is different than ours. It’s better, and once you experience it, nothing else can substitute for it. You’ll know it when it happens, because it will feel like something inside of you has changed. It’s a feeling of protection and strength that you know isn’t coming from you.

This Scripture says to stay your mind on God. How can we do that? Read the Bible and pray, it’s as simple as that. When the harsh thoughts start creeping in, take spiritual action! Go back to your Bible and pray, keep your mind full of God, and then you will feel His power. You will start to understand how He can work inside of you, giving you confidence that you can cope because He will sustain you!

The foundation of this blog is the Scripture found in Matthew Chapter 28, verses 18-20: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” 

This Scripture was my inspiration  because it told me that God will be with me through everything, no exceptions, through every trial in my life, and I can face even death with the security of knowing He’s there.

God is worthy of your trust, He is faithful, and He will lift you up! Come to Him with everything in your life, and He will be your shelter and your help!

In Luke Chapter 10, verses 25-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan begins:

On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” He [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the Law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

[NIv Bible]

In Luke Chapter 18, verse 17, He [Jesus] said, “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.” [King James Bible]

Knowing God and believing in Him links you to His might and His power to overcome obstacles that seem impossible to beat. We may do all we can, trying to think of solutions and ways out. But our challenges remain.

Or we may be weakened by wrong choices and behaviors that lead to destruction in our lives. We may really want to change, but keep on doing what we’ve been doing that hasn’t helped us.

What can we do? How can we fight back what haunts us? How can we resist the desire to give up when we’ve failed so many times to change ourselves?

I love God and I know God, but I do still struggle. Hurt and fear and pain are a part of my life. I am sensitive and vulnerable. I have come to the end of my rope many times, and it’s God who has helped me and soothed me and comforted me. It is God who has saved me from myself and loved me all along. I don’t deserve His help and His love. I’ve done wrong things over and over again. I’ve had wrong thoughts that I would be ashamed to have revealed.

I am presently in tatters, but I know God will lift me up out of this pit because He is faithful, He’s done it before and He’ll do it again. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know that God will be with me, and He’ll make a way for me, even though I can’t see it now.

Whatever you are facing, no matter how big it seems to be, no matter what you fear might happen or what is already on your doorstep, go to God! Pray, telling Him plainly what is wrong. God can handle anything you have to say. Read the Bible, it will give you strength. Remember that reading the Bible involves more than your intellect. It is a spiritual activity, and you will learn about God not only in your mind but also in your spirit.

Cling to God. Tell Him the things you can’t tell anyone else. Give yourself that release, and know that you can trust Him with every part of you.

Bring those impossible situations in your life to God. You’ve done all you can do, or you don’t know what to do, or you’re too weak to do what you think you need to do.

In Psalms Chapter 16, verses 1-2, it says:  I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, in Whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. [NIV Bible]

I don’t know about you, but I need a “Rock” in my life. I need help when there’s trouble, and I need to take refuge in God. Let HIm do the undoable for you!