I recently heard a woman talking about two little boys and their glow sticks.  The older boy was purchasing a pack of glow sticks and the younger child certainly thought he was entitled to one.  I can't imagine any of us experiencing our child screaming in a crowded store. The mom did what any of us would have, opened the pack and gave the child a glow stick to satisfy him. The baby was perfectly content playing with the glow stick, but suddenly the older child snatched it from his hand.  Well of course, the baby went back into melt down mode, however, just as the mom was about to reprimand the older child, the stick started to glow, which was mesmerizing to the baby.  The older child was not purposefully trying to make his younger sibling cry, but he knew the glow stick could do so much more!
 
I want to remind you today that your dreams are probably so much smaller than what God has in store for you. Do not sell yourself short; believe the enemy’s lies, because you are beautifully and wonderfully made in the eyes of God.  So many times Christians are content walking around just getting by.  As Christine Caine said at Passion, “You can still go to heaven in shackles, but why in the world would you want to!” The life of a Christian is the life of freedom, not bound by any shackles, or chains.  Before the  glow stick could produce its beautiful light, it had to be bent and cracked.  Sometimes your life will be bent until the point you feel cracks or even deep craters in your heart, but it is through these openings, if you allow, that Christ shines brilliantly testifying to His goodness and mercy, even in the bad times.
 
Louie Giglio asked the question at Passion this week, “Do you trust his hands for the plan? Can you say in absolute obedience whatever you chose I will trust it?” This can be a scary place to live, but it can also be so exhilarating to watch Christ show up in ways you never thought possible. The older sibling never meant to make the younger brother cry; rather, he simply wanted him to see what he was missing.  Sometimes the same is true for your life, as well as mine.  The bending produces something far greater than expected.  It may take weeks, months, maybe years, but eventually pain has the potential to produce fruit. Do you trust His hands?  Are you ready to live a life that shines the radiance of Christ?
 
2 Corinthians 4
 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;….. 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 
 
 

I love this video I posted below about the Chinese Bamboo Tree. The seed is planted and it must be watered everyday. Day after day the farmer would drag his bucket to the marked spots to water something he could not see. The days turn into weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. People began to doubt the farmer, but he faithfully charged ahead with nourishing the tree, even though there are still no signs of life. What people could not see was the tree was working on a root system that would support its explosive growth once it pushed through the ground. On the fifth year, a tiny shoot broke through, and in six weeks the tree grew to an astonishing 90 feet. So many people ask did the tree grow 90 feet in six weeks or five years. The answer is of course five years. It was posturing itself deep in the ground to be able to support its massive needs once it burst out of the ground.

Sometimes in our spiritual life we can wonder where is God? Does He hear my prayers? Is God working on my behalf? Sometimes God requires us to have blind faith, continually putting one foot in front of the other, even though we don't really see the plan. We are so use to instantaneous results that it can be difficult to wait on the Lord. However, just like the bamboo tree if we continue to have faith, even when we don't feel His presence as closely as we would like, in the end we will see He was there all along working, it was just on his time table. Often times, He uses these times to grow our faith and strength. You cannot see the growth taking place in the bamboo tree all those years because it is underground, just like sometimes we don't realize God is preparing our hearts when we experience hard times. Then eventually we wake up, and realize we have come out on the other side and are stronger for the trial. The real question is will we stay the course? Will we allow our faith to flourish under harsh conditions? Will we continue to put one foot in front of the other? Will we allow God to work on our behalf when we cannot change the situation? Will we in fact, come out stronger on the other side by God's grace?

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

Psalm 3:2-6
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

With tension between good and evil and many climatic points, the book of John could be a movie script.  Today, I want to look at John chapter eight, where a young woman was dragged through the city streets and placed before Jesus’ feet because she was caught in adultery.  The Bible tells us her accusers caught her “in the act”, which is a very explicit explanation of her sin. I am sure the woman had heard of Jesus, may have even wanted to meet him, but not now, not under these horrific circumstances.  She crouched half clothed before Jesus’ feet; her head was spinning with thoughts of her fate, as many were demanding she be stoned to fulfill the Law of Moses. Her criticizers pressed Jesus for an answer on what to do with the woman.  If He held to stone her, He would not be the loving man who had been in the hillsides performing miracles, taking care of widows, and allowing children to come unto Him.  However, if he did not stone her then they would argue He was not upholding the Law of Moses. In essence, the Pharisees felt this was a foolproof trap.  Either side He chose would create a fall out, which would remove Jesus from the city.
 
The Pharisees kept pressing harder and harder for an answer.  I love that Jesus did not react, He responded! What if you responded instead of reacted? In the very first verse it states “but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again to the temple.” Before Jesus entered the day with anyone, He had already been alone with His Father.  He was not shocked by this woman’s sin. He did not react with a condescending attitude or harsh words.  So what does Jesus do? He simply bends down and starts writing on the ground. He then stands and speaks, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone”, then kneels and continues to write. Oh, how I would love to know what was written on the ground, although it doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. Some think He was writing out the sins of the Pharisees, which made them leave in fear of being exposed. Nonetheless, Jesus had to handle the situation with the woman.  He knew the Law of Moses called for execution.  He never denies she should be stoned according to the law.  However, He knew the Pharisees were in no place to start casting stones because they were sinners themselves. One by one the accusers left the scene leaving only Jesus and the woman. I imagine the woman’s head is still low and maybe she doesn’t even realize her accusers have all gone. I can just visualize Jesus speaking softly to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” As she looks around astonished to see no one left to condemn her, she barely utters the word, “No.” He tenderly says, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  In this moment Jesus is speaking both truth and grace.  The truth is the woman deserves to be stoned, but who is worthy to carry it out?  On the other hand, He extends grace because He is without sin, but does not offer condemnation, but forgiveness of sin.
 
If you are reading this today in guilt and shame because you are the one sitting at Jesus’ feet in active sin and you assume your sin is more than anyone’s around you, I have good news.  Jesus came to this earth to die for sin.  Never in the Bible does He give categories of sin because ANYTHING that keeps us from being holy and righteous before God is sin. Robert Madu gives this example:
     “I was secretly judging my dad for having a triple chocolate cake, while I only had cheesecake with           “healthy” strawberries on top. The Lord convicted me of this and said ‘Robert it doesn’t matter the           content or flavor, its all still calories, which effects your body just the same.” 
This is true with sin. Maybe you try to make yourself not as bad as someone else, or maybe worse, by comparing your sin to theirs, but the Bible declares sin as sin, all repulsive in the eyes of the Lord. The good news is the Gospel exclaims, “ Therefore there is no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and savior]. Amplified Romans 8:1. Although this scene seems tragic in the beginning, it is life changing for this woman. She was humiliated, mortified, and alienated but, praise God, at the feet of Jesus she left clean, whole, and sanctified.  That should make you want to get up and shout Hallelujah because scripture says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The beauty of the gospel is you can come just as you are, and He will love, accept, and make you who He created you to be.
 
If you are reading this and you have experienced God’s gift of salvation, but think he could never use you because of your past, I am here to tell you sister, He will use you in spite of your past. I love how Priscillia Shirer talks about salvation:
Receiving salvation is not the same as applying salvation. Having something does not ensure that the recipient will experience the benefits that only using it can yield. Not only will salvation save our future it ensures a presence in our daily life from the attacks of the enemy. It enables you to lead whole, healthy lives not fractured by the enemy’s deceptive strategies.”
 
Jesus did not just come to save you from hell, but to have a relationship with you. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus wants you to release your fears, doubts, and insecurity to Him. In His hands He will make you more than enough to carry out the will of the Father. Stop trying to pay the price your Savior already paid.  On the cross He cried out, “It is finished!” These are words for us because He was saying; I have now paid the ultimate price for every person’s sin, and dear one that means you!
 
If you find yourself as an accuser lay it down before Christ. Do you want to be right so badly, as the Pharisees did, that you would sacrifice someone else to do it? Is winning every argument with your spouse so important that you will lose the one you say you love? Is being right in a friendship worth not having a friend? When we win an argument, but lose the person, we have truly lost in the end.
 
“Grace without truth is meaningless. Truth without grace crushes. Grace and truth is medicine for the soul.” Robert Madu
 
 
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
 

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.- AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Be like a diamond, precious and rare; not like a stone found everywhere.-Author unknown

The old saying goes like this – beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As women, it is very important for us to focus on Who is beholding us. God’s heart is saddened as He watches the women He creates with love and extraordinary detail worry over what the world thinks they should be. God longs for you to seek fulfillment in Him, allowing Him to be your first love. He wants to be the One Who satisfies your longings, declares you are beautiful, and meets your heart’s deepest desires. When seeking the world’s approval, you will always experience profound disappointment because the world cannot meet the deep longing God has placed in your heart for only Him. Your life can be filled with many things, but without a Christ-centered heart, frustration will always linger.

We often ask the question Does God see me? Yes! A thousand times yes! The Lord does see you. In those moments, I am reminded of the story of Hagar, who finds herself in a terrible situation that is not orchestrated by her own actions. She runs away, distraught by her situation, finding herself weeping by a stream. At this moment Hagar is at a loss for words, feeling overwhelmed, wronged, helpless, and hopeless. The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness… So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.Genesis 16:7 & 13I love this story because it tells us that God found Hagar, meaning He was searching for her. Hagar, even as a slave, did not go unnoticed by the Lord. She was probably not a beautiful woman by our standards. As a slave, she was likely worn and tattered by her tasks, but God was searching her heart, not her outer appearance. God’s compassion to this woman, who was not of His people, is overwhelming. With his agape love, God sought her out, comforted her heart, and made her a promise. Although sometimes we see ourselves as Hagar, unattractive, unproductive, unworthy, our Savior sees us as His beautiful daughters.
Hagar is so overwhelmed that God would spend time with her and seek her out that she names Him El Roi – The God Who sees. Hagar saw the Lord and knew He was the One Who watched after her. Just by realizing Someone was there for her allowed Hagar to return and face some challenging circumstances.
Allow that to soak in – the Lord loves YOU and is always watching over you, even when you don’t feel beautiful or at your best. He loves you no matter what your hair looks like because there was no time for a shower, smiles when he sees your shirt sprinkled with spit-up because you have a 3-month-old, and loves the fact your house is a wreck because you are playing with your children. His heart breaks for us as tears of disappointment fall from your eyes, and He celebrates when you take joy and comfort in Him.

Sister, the Lord is enamored with you.…"for who touches you touches the apple of his eye." Zechariah 2:8 The Lord considers you the apple of His eye. The Lord wants to show you how beautiful you are to Him – not using the standards of the world, but by using the content of your heart. The Lord does not examine the outer self for beauty, but judges what is in the heart. Today, may you find yourself filling up your heart with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As you become more and more like Christ, on the inside, your beauty will shine as a beacon to a world that yearns for a love they do not know.

Are you tired of hoping that someone else could fill the place that was meant for Me? I see you, all of you, and you do not have to hide anymore. I see your sin, and I see your flaws, and I still desire you as My own. I am crazy about you. I am the answer for your longing. The “more” that your heart waits for is Me.” – Angela Thomas Do You Think I Am Beautiful

​Often we, as grown ups, will say, “I am so stressed!”  One day my kids inquisitively asked, “What does it mean to be stressed?”  I stopped in my tracks and thought what an amazing concept.  My kids did not understand stress because they really have not experienced it, or did not label it as stress. As I began to try to explain, my mind was simply baffled.  I knew what stress was and how it made me feel, but irritatingly enough, I could not seem to give an adequate definition. Tuesday at Libertas, we were doing a science experiment on Laws of Gas.  I know you are getting excited already just thinking about physical science.  The experiment called for two miniature marshmallows to be placed in a 20ml syringe.  One finger was held over the opening of the syringe while the plunger was pushed down firmly. This was exerting extreme pressure on the marshmallows.  On observation, they had gone from light and fluffy to flat and stiff. The science experiment was representing what happens when pressure is applied to a closed system.  When you removed your finger off the nozzle and applied the same pressure, nothing changed with the marshmallows.
 
As we taught the experiment, I realized the answer to my kids’ question. I am sometimes operating in a closed system, which I was never meant to do.  In a closed system, the pressure has nowhere to go but onto the object in its path.  However, in an open system, the pressure could simply flow outward. My kids have never really experienced stress because they trust Chad and I will protect, guide, and meet their needs.  We have never given them a reason to doubt we would do otherwise, so when they feel uneasy they simply look to us.  So why do we experience stress?  Is our heavenly Father not also there for us, as I am there for my children? Does He not promise to provide for all my needs? The answer is YES! YES! A hundred times YES! The reason we are stressed at times is not because He will not supply our needs, but because we fail to trust Him to do so.  We do not allow our concerns and worries to flow right through to our Father.  Instead we keep it bottled up and eventually, just as the marshmallows, the pressure levels us. Jesus came that he might bear our burden.  Mathew 11:30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”
Just like the marshmallows were shrinking under the weight of the pressure, so does our human bodies and spirits under pressure when facing life alone. Jesus wants us to hand those pressures over to Him and allow Him to work in our life.
 
The astonishing part of the experiment was when the plunger was pulled back to the top of the syringe. What do you think happened?  The pressure was still there, but because there was room between the plunger and the marshmallows; they not only returned to their normal size, but also began to expand. Jesus wants us to hand our burdens over to Him so He can bear the load. He, many times, takes a horrific situation and brings glory and honor to His name.  Sometimes He allows the pressure to grow and mature our faith.  Often times, He may have simply needed our attention back on Him.  2 Corinthians 4: 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies…………..16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 
There are two parts to this verse that I love.  One is that we will definitely feel the pressure in life, but if we are allowing the Lord to strengthen us, we will not be crushed. Jesus never suggested that our lives would be filled with all roses and honey.  In fact, Jesus states several times in scriptures, “When trials come…”  However, we can take great relief in the fact that Jesus will help us bear the pain of this life.  “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  Although our burdens on this earth do not feel momentary or light at times, He is reminding us, compared to the goodness that is to come, it will not be forever.  I think of our friend that lost her daughter this past year.  Nothing about her death was light or momentary, but how thankful am I that she is waiting for them in all her splendor in heaven!  We can’t feel it here on earth, but one day, yes one day, every tear will be wiped away and the full glory of God revealed.
 
So until the day that God dries all our tears, remember we were never meant to be in a closed system bearing all the pressures of life ourselves.  We were meant to be in an open system where the pressure flows freely onto the one who is able!
 
May God bring you peace that passes all understanding in whatever you may be facing today!

The Emmaus Road
Luke 24:13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” ESV
In this story we find two people traveling back from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  One was named Cleopas; the other is never named.  In the city, Passover was complete, and their Savior had been crucified on a cross. They were traveling back with profound disappointment. They had anticipated so much, yet now on the third day, they traveled home with a dismal story. They were so sad that Jesus was no longer present, but in the midst of their deep sorrow, the story takes a twist.  A traveler (Jesus Himself) walks up and asks, “What are you discussing so intently?”  The two men are stunned the traveler does not know what has taken place in Jerusalem. They begin telling Jesus what happened.  Now picture the scene in your mind.  The risen Savior is asking two travelers what has happened in Jerusalem. Who would know better than the man who stood before them with scars in His hands and feet? Many scholars have debated why Jesus did not immediately reveal his identity.  Some feel it was because Jesus had many things He wanted to walk them through in scripture and have an in-depth conversation about their thoughts and opinions, so He concealed His identity. I believe Jesus wanted them to become stronger in their faith. I don’t think He just wanted to appear to them so they would believe but build a deep faith within their hearts so they didn’t have to see Him physically in order to believe.  As He walked them through scripture, their minds and hearts were set upon those things that were righteous and holy.  Maybe this allowed them to recognize Jesus in the end because their eyes and hearts were turned in the right direction. Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
One verse in particular sticks out to me in the conversation. “21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.”  This verse says it all about the men’s downcast appearance; they had lost their hope. They are using past tense verbs when the Son of Man is standing right in front of them as their Living Hope! How many times have we said, “I had hoped He would answer my prayer? I had hoped He would save my marriage? I had hoped He would heal my friend? I had hoped he would help us with our finances?” How many times have we asked these questions in a defeated voice, when Jesus is standing in our circumstance-we just don’t see Him?
But why have they even lost their hope in the first place? In verse 22 it goes on to say, “22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.” This is the Gospel Jesus preached the whole time. He would be crucified and raised on the third day! It is currently the third day, and the angels are declaring he is alive-so what is the problem? Why are these men not rejoicing? They had heard the Gospel, but they didn’t necessarily believe it when they could no longer explain it. The same can be found in our own lives today.  When we are faced with a very difficult situation we don’t understand, sometimes we begin to question or doubt.  It is almost as if when they could no longer physically see Him, they did not believe. Jesus tells them they are foolish and slow of heart to believe. They want to have it all logically figured out before they believe. If they can’t find the reason or the answer to the situation, they want to get off the road, so to speak (lose the faith). But the Bible tells us very clearly, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)   
Let’s go back and revisit the opening passage. It said the road was seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The number seven in the bible stands for completion, perfection.  Don’t miss the importance of where they were on the road. They had only begun their journey, so they did not fully understand who Jesus was. Don’t be tempted to get off your seven-mile journey when you aren’t even half way down it.  The Lord never asks us to try to figure it out, He asks us to have faith and stay the course! The more and more I walk with Jesus, I believe life is truly about the journey not the destination. You see, if we are sinners, saved by grace, we all have the same destination, but we do not all travel the same road. God has ordained a road, a specific path for us to take in order to reach others for Him. I cannot walk in empathy with someone who has a drug addiction because I have never had that problem.  I can, however, walk in empathy with a woman experiencing infertility because I have traveled that road.  You see, you never know what you will face on your road or what traveler you can bless.  
In verse twenty-seven it says, “ And beginning with Moses, and all the prophets He interpreted the scripture for them.” How awesome would it be to have Jesus interpreting the scriptures! The Lord walked with them, explained scripture, and fellowshipped with them on the road.  Their countenance lifted as Jesus moved them deeper into the Word and farther down the road.  The same can be true for us.  When we dig in His Word and begin to walk deeper with Jesus our countenance will lift. 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Now the travelers have reached their destination, but Jesus acts as if He is going to continue.  The two travelers insist that He come and spend the night. So as they gathered to eat, Jesus picked up the bread and blessed it.  As He did this, their eyes were open and they recognized Him. Then He vanishes from their sight.  Wow, now that would have been either really cool or very disturbing for someone to just disappear.  But notice they had finished their journey, and at the end, Jesus revealed himself to them.  We don’t have to wait until the end of our journey for the Lord to reveal things along the way. However, when we have finished our path, I think Jesus will make so many things clear to us, just as he did for the travelers. It wasn’t until they reached the end that they could fully understand the things Jesus said on the road.   For many things on this earth, we can understand neither the purpose nor the reason.  Sometimes we find ourselves second-guessing ourselves or maybe even God. I believe the point of the Emmaus Road can be summed up in a few sentences.  

• Don’t quit. Stay the course and see how it ends.
  
• Don’t lose HOPE because we serve a risen Savior. Even our Savior had to be crucified before he was glorified!
  
• When you feel like you are traveling all alone, adjust your vision; God is always there.
  

​

Have you ever had a day when everything seemed overwhelming?  It reminds me of the movie Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Everyone in the family is trying so hard to make important events happen in their life, but a fiasco waits around every corner. Have you ever said, “I just give up; I can’t do this anymore," or "I am the only one that does anything?”  I think we all probably get frustrated and allow this thought to at least cross our minds.
 
When trying to minister in a situation this week, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  I started studying Elijah very intently last year, which would end with a change in our direction in life and ministry.

• Elijah delivered a message that there would be a drought until he spoke again.  
• He lived by a brook in isolation while God provided bread and meat by the Ravens. The brook dried up and God asked him to move to Zarepath. We have to wonder if he was frustrated God did not continue to provide for him there.  After all God had the power to do so right? Regardless, Elijah followed God direction.
• He comes in to contact with a widow and ask her instead of making her last meal for her family to make it for him.  He said if you do this your jar will never run out.  So Elijah, the widow, and her son lived off a small jar of flour and oil that never ran out. They didn't  have anything new or excess but God provided for their physical needs. 
• Elijah saved the boy's life while in her home.
• God tells Elijah to show himself to Ahab because He is ready to send rain.

So for three years Elijah has followed after God and God has answered every prayer.  Now I want us to look at 1 Kings 19: 
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The Lord Appears to Elijah And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

​Elijah has just come off the mountaintop where he called down fire from heaven and slayed over 400 Baal prophets. The drought is over and the rain has come, but now Elijah is allowing Jezebel to steal the blessing he has been waiting to receive.  Any time we run from the resistance, we are running from God. I heard a man say once, “Satan cannot deny God from giving blessings, but he can keep you so distracted you do not receive them.”  After this entire fulfillment of the prophecy, don’t you think God would have taken care of Jezebel? Elijah has been so dependent on God for his very survival, yet now when the raining is falling, he seems to let his guard down. Maybe he even struggled from disappointment. Mt Carmel did not immediately turn the whole nation back to God like he had imagined. Have you ever let a situation get in your head? Maybe you were super disappointed in a person, in a job situation, or in your performance.   All of a sudden something small to handle became a problem that consumed you. You thought about it so much from your human perspective, it seemed too big even for God. Here is a mighty, obedient prophet of God now running, not because God has instructed him to, but because he is fearful for his life.  The question God ask serves as a reproof. “What are you doing here?” Many times God puts a question in our minds because He wants us to examine our life. Am I where God wants me to be? Am I doing the things God has set before me? God had never instructed Elijah to be in his current location. But oh how I love these verses.  Elijah is saying, Lord, I have done everything you have asked me to do, yet still someone wants to kill me. In essence, he is admitting to the Lord he is tired, afraid, and weak. He bared his soul to the Lord. Did he receive judgement, punishment? He prayed to die, but the Lord sent an angel to minister to his physical needs. He went back to sleep, and yet again the angel provided a meal. I hope this resonates with someone today. The Father wants to minister to your every need. Sometimes we get ourselves so exhausted we cannot think clearly. When we are not taking care of our self physically it can easily affect our emotions.  Why do you think Satan came to Jesus during his forty days in the wilderness to tempt Him?  He had no food or water and was weak physically.  Although Satan did not succeed, I am not sure we would have fared that well.  I am convinced after years in the ministry that if you are feeling exasperated you are only performing tasks and not allowing God to move you through His Spirit.  When we are operating in the Spirit, God provides plenty of energy to carry out His plan. It doesn’t seem like a burden but pure pleasure to serve the Lord that has saved you. He gives us the strength, the love, and the resolve to love His people (even the hard ones).

I love these verses because Elijah is not where he is supposed to be. He is not doing what he is supposed to be doing; yet God seeks him. This touches my heart.  The Lord loves us beyond measure. He sees His servant in distress and He lifts him up. 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the right time he may lift you up. God tells Elijah to come out and stand because the Lord was going to pass by.  Once again, although Elijah was not where he was suppose to be, God still showed up in that place! Praise the Lord. This is very important; don’t miss it! We do not have to have it all together in order to experience the Lord. In fact, it may be that we experience Him more in those times of weakness because we are so overwhelmed by His grace. The wind, and earthquake, and fire, did not make Elijah cover his face, but the still voice did. The mild voice of Him who speaks from the cross, or the mercy-seat, is accompanied with peculiar power in taking possession of the heart (Mathew Henry’s Concise commentary).

Notice the biggest lie that Elijah believed: “I am the only one left.” Satan would like nothing more than to make us feel isolated and alone. I can just picture this being spoken over and over again to someone in pain or suffering physically or mentally.  This however was not the truth.  The truth was God had a remnant of 7,000 men who had never bowed to Baal. The truth was that He was also preparing Elisha to be a helper to Elijah and share the burden. When we take our eyes off the Lord and lean to our own understanding, we are willing to believe things that are not true. Satan lures us to travel a road God never intended with lies and destruction.
The Lord came to Elijah because he was not finished with Him.  God came to spiritually strengthen and encourage Elijah for the journey still left for him to carry out.  Aren’t you so thankful the Lord is always willing to tend to our emotions, our spirits, and our physical body? I am so thankful for a Savior who comes to find me even when I have messed up! If you are out there today feeling like you cannot go on, I encourage you to seek God.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 The Lord wants nothing more than to minister to you right where you are. Will you allow Him to do so?

Father I am thankful for each person who is reading this devotion. We get things wrong so many times.  Please help us never believe the lies of Satan.  Help us believe that we are your children washed in the blood of the lamb.  Thank you for always pursuing us so that we may be found holy and blameless before you. I pray that for any person reading this that does not know you as their Savior that they would find HOPE today in you.  
​A-admit that you are a sinner. B-Believe that Jesus is God's son. C-Confess your sin to the Lord and He will save you.