Sit, Stay

The long table is spread out; the feast is prepared and presented.
Come in, come in.
You just stand there and look in.
Come. Sit down and enjoy.
Sometimes you walk up to the table, grab a morsel or even a handful, but then your eye wanders and you run off, leaving, still hungry.

Oh my child; sit, stay.
Feast with me.
All this is prepared for your enjoyment and nourishment.
You are weak and weary because you are starved.
Sit down, eat.
Eat your fill and enjoy your time with me.
You’ve tasted and know how sweet it is.

You must not leave hungry.
If you do, it is your own doing.
Stay.
Stay as long as it takes.
Feast and rest.
Then you will be refreshed and prepared to continue.
You will be better use for me and your work will be easier for you.
But first, stay, sit and feast with me.

You Can Find Blessings In Times Of Difficulty

Always! You just need to look past your eyes and pay attention to what’s going on around you. We get so caught up with the things that are going differently than what we hope; when times are hard, we often fail to see that God is with us, working in us and around us. These are the times we must look past what is in front of our eyes, to God, trusting Him completely, knowing that His promise to carry us through the deep waters and walk us through the fire is for real. He didn’t sacrifice His son Jesus to pay our sin debt then turn His back on us. No way!

Everything we go through serves a purpose. And if we’re all caught up in worry and feeling sorry for ourselves, instead of looking to God, then sure enough, we’ll miss the blessing that is beyond the pain. Just like the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites, blessings of peace, joy, and hope will pass over us if we are not available to receive them.

Throughout the exodus from Egypt, complaining and unhappiness was all that the Lord heard from His chosen people. It was so bad that He decided the first generation would all die off before His people received their inheritance, the promised land of Canaan. Those folks were so caught up in self pity and discontentment, even though the Lord provided them with everything they needed—food falling out of the sky each day, their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out, and springs of sweet water for themselves and their livestock. Instead of trusting in God and looking forward to their blessing—a land rich and fertile, flowing with milk and honey—they refused to look past the desert in front of their eyes, therefore missing out on the abundance the Lord wanted to bless them with so badly.

Often, we see a rainbow after a fierce storm. In fact, after a recent storm that included a good pelting of hail, we were blessed with a very rare event: a double-rainbow! Only those who were looking up saw the rainbow.

We all will face times of difficulty throughout our lives. No one is exempt, not even Jesus. During these hard times, we can choose to place our lives in God’s hands and trust Him for the outcome, or we can rely on our own strength and resources. Which do you choose?

Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

Seek the Kingdom of God^a]"> above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Isaiah 43:2 (New Living Translation)

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

IN DENIAL

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

A family is going through a season in their lives. An unfortunate event occurred a while back, and the residual effect is devastating to this couple. It is a serious situation; one that will no doubt affect them the rest of their lives.

They are both dealing with it in different ways. The husband is taking it very hard; he feels responsible for their situation. He, along with many others, lost his job when the factory closed down. He has no experience or training for any other type of work; he started at that job when he was 20 years old. Now, at 57, his age and several health issues are additional strikes against him. His chances of finding a job earning the amount of money he was making are right around zero. He is feeling totally and utterly hopeless, and is his thoughts are consumed with their financial situation. Their savings account is just about depleted and he cannot find a job anywhere, not even as a janitor. Her small salary as a part-time school cafeteria aide barely pays the utilities and the groceries. Soon, they will have to sell their house.

What irritates him the most is his wife. She acts as though nothing is wrong. He’s constantly telling her to get her head out of the clouds and face what’s going on in their lives. He’s angry with her because she does not express the same level of concern that he does. She is calm; he is a nervous wreck. Surely, she is in denial ("the refusal to acknowledge the existence or severity of unpleasant external realities or internal thoughts and feelings [HEALTHLINE.COM]"). She can’t cope with all of this so her mind is just shutting it all out. He’s convinced that’s what’s wrong with her.

She’s not in denial, though. She is very well aware of the state of their affairs. She is walking in faith. Instead of succumbing to the weapons the evil one is firing at them--fear, doubt, depression, anger, envy, jealousy, despair, etc.—she gave up her concerns to the Lord. She is facing life clad with the armor of God. She admits she is powerless and knows God has power over everything. She trusts that as long as she is walking in God’s will, He will cover her. She has peace while her husband is in turmoil. She feels God’s presence and protection; he feels deserted and defeated.

Let useless worry destroy you or be in peace trusting God? Which would you choose?

Scriptures:

Psalm 55:22 (NLT) “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”.

Why Do I Worry?

Philippians 4:6-8
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

I heard someone say that worrying is a waste of good imagination. Worrying is a show of faltering faith (I thought up that one myself). What am I worrying about everything for? Have I not cast all my cares unto the Lord, as he invites us to? I ask myself, “then why, oh foolish one, do you take them back?”

I am not saying that I should just ignore what’s going on around me and walk around with my head in the clouds. Yes, there are things that need my attention and require thought. The form of worry that I’m referring to is the type that consumes your thoughts day and night, the kind that you allow to take over your entire being.

What does worrying accomplish? Nothing. It could bring on things in me like
* anxiety / depression
* ulcers / GI distress
* high blood pressure
* eating disorders / weight gain (or loss)
* wrinkles / frowns
* marriage / friendship difficulties

What outcome will be different by my worrying and stressing over it? Not one. God allows difficult events in our lives. No one is exempt. Not even his own son, Jesus, was spared. The good thing is that we don’t have to face these crisis alone. He is there for us, to comfort and strengthen us, and to bring us peace.

Everything happens according to God’s plan for us. He determines if things will go this way or that way. Paul says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

I’ve decided I’m getting off of the worry train that I’ve been riding around on and climb aboard the faith train. Instead of worrying about things I have no control over, I’m going to give my cares up to God and trust in him; He will take it from there. In Exodus 14, Moses told his anxious and frightened people “don’t be afraid, just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.” We read in Hebrews 12 that “God is on our side and no one can go up against us.” He will fight for us; we just need to stay calm.

No longer will I let worry interfere with my life. Instead, I will:
* pray about all of my concerns
* give them to God and don’t take them back!
* thank God for His grace, goodness and mercies
* let the Holy Spirit control my life and my mind
* be still and let God fight my battles for me


Romans 8:6 (New International Reader's Version)
"The way a sinful person thinks leads to death. But the mind controlled by the Spirit brings life and peace. "

John 3:20 (The Message)
"For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves."

Psalm 4:1 (New King James Version)
"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my pray"