Restless in the Waiting

February 13, 2017February 12, 2017 / The WheatandTares / 7 Comments

godswordimages.com

When we have to wait on the Lord to answer a prayer, it can often be a grueling process. I’m not talking about those prayers that we just think He should answer, because it seems like a good idea, or because we wish things could be a little more comfortable and the answer would make it so. I’m talking about those prayers when we are desperate for the answer we are praying, life and death situations, like when the circumstances are so dire, that if He doesn’t come through, life will seriously be altered. Those are the moments when “waiting on the Lord” can become incredibly difficult.

When we have to wait and wonder if His answer might be “no” or when we have to wait and wonder if He will answer at all, those are the days when waiting can feel as if you’re watching the earth in orbit around the sun in real time, and you’re beginning to question if it will even stay constant and true. These are the occasions when, if we are truly honest with ourselves and with God, we get a little impatient with Him. We get a little testy in our responses, and we might even start having doubts of His abilities or His willingness to follow through with the promises from His Word.

…Don’t look at me that way, if you haven’t been there, then keep on living, ‘cuz either you’re just a mountain of perfected faith, bless your perfect heart, or you haven’t faced the dire straights in this faith living quite yet. I promise you, if you are human, you will face a moment of life and death of a loved one, or you will face circumstances, at some point, that beyond your control or even ability to understand, and there will be an instance when you will face that wall of doubt within your heart and mind. That is when you will have to decide whether you truly believe He is God, and He knows best. In that space of time, you will decide to wait on Him or worry and fret, trying to make the perfect happen within your own strength and carnal knowledge.

Can I tell you? I have found Him to be true time and time again. When you place your worries, fears and doubts right back into His hands and you begin to wait on Him, He will give you rest. He will give you peace. He will give you strength. He never ever fails! He is faithful, and He is true! He is trustworthy, and He is able to carry us through whatever difficulty we might face. So, I encourage you today. Wait upon Him. Find your rest in Him, for He will do as He said He would do. He will carry you through.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31, KJV

Fear Not

December 12, 2016December 11, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

An angel appeared to Zechariah and told him to not be afraid for his wife would bear a child in her old age. The angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Angels appeared to the shepherds out in the fields … “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'” (Luke2:8-11) An angel appeared to Joseph in his dream and told him to not be afraid.

http://musingsofaministerswife.com/ministry/so-how-many-times-is-fear-not-actually-in-the-bible/

It seems to be an overriding theme throughout the birth and even life of Christ: Fear Not. Now, so many years past, He still reminds us through Scripture today to fear not. If you’re not personally familiar with Him, you might ask, “Why?”

Prophecies declared He would be the Savior. Angels proclaimed He was Lord. The wise men professed He was King. Scripture reminds us He is our Hope, our Light for darkened times. Throughout the story of Christ, He is the Hope to the nations and the Light of the world, and many who foretold of Him also spoke of the words, “Fear Not.” When you have Hope, you no longer have fear, and when you are in darkness, and you find the light, you no longer fear.

Pinterest.com

That is what Christ does for your life! He brings you Light in a darkened world, and He is the guiding Light that will direct your path. He brings you Hope, regardless, the circumstances you may face; so, you might have peace that surpasses all understanding.

Pinterest.com

As we enter this Christmas season, I encourage you to read the Christmas story again. Maybe you read it a long time ago, maybe you’ve never read it before in your life. I challenge you to pay attention to these two themes and see if they speak to you as they did me. Maybe you’ll take it a step further and look a little deeper throughout Scripture at what He says about not being afraid. Just try it. You may be amazed at what (and Who) you find. 😉

http://faithful-in-christ.tumblr.com/post/135836673860

Nothing

July 7, 2016September 26, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Nothing

I sit and ponder

Wondering what words to use

I read. I peruse. I pause.

Nothing

I stand and wait

I listen intently for what You have

I look. I walk. I breathe.

Nothing

Sometimes, I wonder if I hear clearly.

Sometimes, I question if you care.

Sometimes, I doubt I am able.

Nothing

I know You have best in mind.

Yet, I struggle with the waiting.

I know Your love is the best.

Yet, I wrestle with the longing.

Nothing can compare
Nothing can comprehend

Nothing can hinder

Nothing can resist
You are my everything
Even when I feel undone

Nothing

I know You are below

Nothing

Even when I cannot hear

I know You are lacking

Nothing

Even when I cannot see

I know You are beyond

Everything
Penned – MG – 7/7/16

What Are You Hiding?

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 7 Comments

source: http://thewell.intervarsity.org/reflections/hide-and-seek-god

We all hide something…we paint on makeup to hide blemishes and old age. We put on certain garments to hide weight gains. We avoid a phone call to hide awkwardness. We walk the other way to hide our annoyance with a certain person. We don’t show up in order to hide anger, hurt or confusion. Too often, we hide from the things that will cause us to work a little harder, think a little longer or or even confront a little stronger, because it’s much easier to avoid and hide than it is to put real effort into moving he mountain which is before us.

On the other hand, there are times you need to hide…

As the old saying goes, “If the barn needs painting; then, paint it!” There are definitely times when a little makeup helps more than it hurts. (I’m not arguing the merits of “going natural” here.) If you need to prepare your heart before the encounter; then, by ALL means, hide in your prayer closet and get prepared; so, you don’t add more damage to the troubled situation. If you need to avoid the conversation until you can gather your thoughts an words properly; then, do it, but don’t wait too long.

Yet, when it comes to matters of the heart, and it is a matter of obedience to the task God has set before you, it is better to hide under His wings to receive your true rest and strength and simply obey. When it involves someone who needs a confrontation, needs encouragement or just needs a friend, it’s time to come out from your hiding places and do the right thing!

Stop hiding for fear of failure, fear or confrontation or fear of rejection. When God calls you, He will equip you. He will give you the courage to obey. He will give you the ability to speak truth. He will give you the ability to forgive and love even when you don’t it’s possible.

One of the most important things is we must get honest about the hiding! It’s not a hide-and-go-seek game where you can claim to pretend you were just having fun. Your hiding doesn’t simply make those things go away; the hiding only prolongs the pain and frustration of yourself and those involved.

So, face down your fears. Confront the wrong and follow through with those things which God has placed before you! You can do this! You will be amazed how much better you will feel, how much stronger you will become and how much you will grow when you come out of hiding and seek out those things from which you have been straining to avoid. 😉

Are You Qualified?

March 3, 2016June 3, 2018 / The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

Source: http://veritusgroup.com/when-qualified-caseload-donors-become-unqualified

Do you ever really feel qualified for the task set before you? Do you ever struggle with insignificance, doubt, fear of rejection and a fear of failure? I know do.

Now, I’m going to interrupt myself for just a second here and say this: this post won’t be for those of you who are so sure of yourself that you feel you can take on the world. This post probably isn’t going to mean diddly to those of you who are completely confident in who you are and what you are doing that you don’t even ask for advice or input anymore.

No, in this post, I am talking to the ones out there who struggle with feeling qualified. You struggle with confidence and courage issues. You battle with low self esteem and the fear of rejection or the fear of failure. YOU are whose attention I hope to grasp for just a moment or two…

Personally, I have a constant war within my mind of not measuring up to who I ought to be or not doing the things that I know I should. I struggle with confidence, sometimes, in the simplest areas of life, and yet, I get so frustrated with myself because of this lack of confidence.

Even when I might begin to feel good about something I’m doing, there comes that moment, especially when in the public view, where I look (or at least feel like I look) like a deer in headlights. This being because I just saw someone look at me the wrong way and I begin to wonder if I’ve done or said something wrong, or I have a moment where I stumble with my words and worry that I’ve messed up the whole conversation, or I didn’t flow well with the service, in which I play a very small part, and I feel as if I could just run away and hide.

I could give several reasons for this inner battle. I could say, “Well, I’m just an introvert; so, I’m geared that way.” I could argue, “I’m a perfectionist, and I’m hard wired to always seek the perfect over the good.” I could even try to blame my parents, after all, my dad was neglective, out of the picture for most of my childhood, and my mom was a very domineering personality in the home.

Yeah, all of these have some truth in them. All of them effect who I am. However, none of these things can stand on their own when I look at this verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. None of these “hold water” when I read this verse, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14. When I read the Bible and see what it has for me, I find these excuses and justifications don’t work very well. These factors, these excuses, which are very much a part of me, just don’t measure up to the kind of God I serve.

I have to realize in every situation that God placed me here for a reason. I have a purpose, and I must fulfill it, not for my glory and fame, but for His. When He gets the glory, people’s lives are impacted. When His glory is revealed, people’s lives are forever changed. When I get my eyes off of me and totally on Him, my feelings of insignificance, lack of confidence and fears of failure simply turn to gray, as I gaze upon His beauty and awesomeness!

qualified

So, I have made a decision to keep my eyes focused on Him, to make the best of every situation for His sake, and to surrender all my fears and doubts and “lacks of,” and let Him have complete control of all of it. I have chosen to fight these battles with confidence, or the lack thereof, and WIN! I can do this when Christ is working through me! I can succeed when He is the goal, and it’s for His glory!

You can, too!

We can do this thing! 😉

Look at these videos that I found by Jon Jorgenson. I hope you will be encouraged!

Inspired this post: http://youtu.be/ZCSlaX-u3P8

For women: http://youtu.be/uWi5iXnguTU

For men: http://youtu.be/aTAn-tk2pDA

Fears and Phobias

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Everyone has phobias. Everyone has fears. If you say you don’t, then, I’d guess, you’re probably lying. Even the toughest, meanest among us have one fear or phobia or something that causes us some level of discomfort at one time or another.

I have a “phobia” of hotel floors and tile showers that I don’t know are very clean. I envision my feet getting some unknown fungus imbedded and contracting some kind of unknown sickness without a cure! Haha. I know, crazy, right? I wear flip flops…my husband laughs at it…until one day he gets sick! Haha!! Seriously, it is a hang up, but I’ve learned to temper the crazies over the years, and now, I mostly just wear socks around the hotel room, and hop from standing on my socks to the shower floor…and some of you think I’m kidding!… LOL! 😂

Ok, so, I am exaggerating a bit to, hopefully, make you laugh; however, there are some in this world with major phobias and fears, and it’s no laughing matter.

There is a difference in having a “phobia” (in a joking sense), as in a certain dislike or “icky feeling” about something and having real worries, real fears, real phobias.

Worries that are consuming… Fears that are paralyzingly… Phobias that are debilitating…

This kind of difference is what I want to talk about for a minute… If we, who call ourselves Christians, are going to make an impact on those around us, we need to live like the conquerors Christ, through the writings of Paul, told us to be. It surely doesn’t mean we will never have worries, never encounter a phobia, or even live our lives with never having a moment of real fear. However, it does mean we should live our lives in victory and not in defeat.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Do you know there are 365 Scriptures on not being afraid? 365! That’s one for every single day of the year!! (I love it when God does really cool stuff like that.😊) That means He has given us a Scripture to stand on every single day of the year when we do encounter fears and concerns. As Christians, we can stand on the promises of God and rest in the assurance that He is still in control, regardless of the turmoil we may see before us.

God knew we would battle fears. He knew we would encounter the unknown here on this earth, and He has equipped us to conquer. He has armored us with protection to WIN!!