Day 115: Bend but Don't Break

I’m from Los Angeles, California and one of my favorite things about being from LA is the Palm Trees. They are beautiful especially in the summer on a quiet street right at about sunset (Pictured to the left). Palm trees line almost all of the streets in LA, and you can find them even on the beaches, they are amazing. I’ve tried to climb them growing up, but we’re going to talk about that today. However, growing up, my mom would always tells us that palm trees bend all the way the ground but they never break.  I used to see palm trees in certain places that looked deformed because they had bent so much. Whenever we would have windy nights I would watch the trees outside my window, and they would be bending with the wind but they never fell. These trees are strong and beautiful.

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And their righteousness is from Me,”Says the Lord.

We are like those palm trees, God gives us strength to stand even when we are being pushed down. Even when the force of the storms or winds in our lives seem stronger than us. We are planted firm that we will not fall, and we have the strength of the Lord, so we will not break. Our spirits may be deformed but they are not broken, We have all been in places in our lives where we thought what we were going through was going to be the end. We thought there would be no coming back from this. It may be different for all of us, but one thing's for sure is that, when it rains it pours and the only way to get out of the storm is to go through it. These trees can stand through the worst of weather. The wind and water, palm trees can survive hurricanes and tsunamis, out of everything destroyed in a storm the one thing still standing is the palm tree. As the body of Christ, as Christ followers that is how we are. Out of everyone, we are the last ones standing. We cannot be moved by even the worst of weather.  

We would never know how strong we are if we never have to use our strength or how much faith we have if it is never tested. Sometimes we need to go through times when we’re bent out of shape, so that we can grow. God allows us to face struggles, He knows how much we can handle, but it is in those moments when we are fighting to stand strong, when we are learning and being pushed on all sides, that we learn to look to Christ. Sometimes we can even feel like we are being stretched past our limits, and we feel like we are going to break. We feel every part of our being ready to give up, or throw in the towel. Things get so hard, that we don’t know how to hold on anymore. But the beauty in all of it is, we do. We don’t break even though it feels like we’re going to, we don’t give up or give, we hold on, even if it takes all the strength we have. Because God made us strong enough to bend not break. Even in that weakness we find strength in Him. Like the palm tree the wind blows us from side to side, and we bend very far, but we never break. We never fall, because God is making sure that we are still standing.

It is said that palm trees fall over when the roots are weakened due to disease or improper planting. When we are not rooted properly the best of us will fall.

Matthew 13:3-6

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

IF we are not deeply rooted in Christ it is easy to fall because there is nothing holding us down. It’s not the strength of the tree itself that keeps it standing, but the roots that hold it up and keeps it from falling. If there are no roots than it might as well be a tumbleweed heading in whatever direction the wind blows.

In 2 Corinthians 4:9, Paul says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”

These things come against us but we are not destroyed by it. We will go through some things in our lives, but we will not be destroyed by them. Isaiah 54:17  tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. It doesn’t mean that nothing will come against us, we are not invincible or untouchable. But because of who we serve because of our Father in heaven, it will not succeed in doing what it was intended to do. Our God is too great, too mighty, too magnificent.

Reflection/Prayer Time

Talk to God today about whatever is on your heart. Ask Him to make you like the palm tree that bends but doesn’t break. Allow Him to speak to you. Take this time to just talk with God, about whatever it is you need to bring to Him today. Remember that a prayer is just a conversation with God, talk to Him.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 116!

Day 92: Who...?

Romans 8:31

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:34

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Before I say anything I’d like to say that, Christ is on our side. He is rooting for us, He has our best interest at heart. He is constantly going to God on our behalf, he is praying for us, He is watching us and making sure that we are okay. He’s dodging bullets for us and giving us a second chance day in and day out. I think there is sometimes this misconception that God knows we are going to fail, and therefore we have to talk ourselves back into good graces with Him. But that is not true, we are freely offered grace, we have been gifted with a life payed for by the blood of Christ. There is one person in this world able to condemn and He doesn’t, he stands at the right hand of God, praying for us, protecting us, sending people to help us. He gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can walk a life that is free, without condemnation.

Intercede- to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition:

When we are in difficult times Jesus is intervening on our behalf, He’s like our fighter pilot, as my pastor put it. He is shooting attacks down before they even get to us. There are so many attacks that never reach us because God is shooting them down and intervening before they even have a chance to get to us. And if they do get to us, He makes sure that they will not destroy us. God is our protector, He is everything we need. We serve an untouchable God. I'm reminded of Daniel in the lion's den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.  

Daniel 3: 16-25

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”  Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.  And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.  Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[e] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 6:16-22

 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

This king thought he was the most powerful man on earth, but He could not touch GOd's children, even when he threw them in the fire, and the lion's den. God was right there with them protecting them. God is untouchable.

I love that the question is asked, “Who is to condemn” and “Who can be against us?” It’s like a parent asking, “who dares lay a hand on my child?”

If Christ is not condemning us, no one has the right to do so, not even ourselves. We have to understand that, we have to know that God is bigger than anyone, and when we have Him on our side, there is no one that can come against us. People will try and sometime they will succeed in scratching us, but they cannot penetrate the love of God, or blood of Christ on our life.

We must walk in this confidence knowing that we are not condemned, there is no one on this earth able to do so. No one. Even when we fall, even when we mess up, when we repent God’s love covers our sins. Our sins cannot condemn us, our hearts cannot condemn us, our family, our pastor’s, our friends, no one.

The main point here today is pretty straight forward. It is us understanding that no one can come against us when God is for us. No one can condemn us when Christ himself chooses not to do so. When Paul asks “Who is to condemn or who can be against us?” I believe that they are both rhetorical questions, as we are well aware that no one is able to do these things but GOd.

We are so blessed to serve a God who is watching our every step making sure that we are always in good hands.

Reflection

1. Have you been subject to condemnation?
2. Do you believe that as long as God is on your side that no one is able to come against you?
3. Do you see Christ as a protector?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Thank God that He is always for us. Thank Jesus for standing at the right hand of GOd interceding for us, every second of every day. Find hope and peace in the fact that we serve an untouchable God.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 93!

Day 85: An Anchor for My Soul

Psalms 46:5
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

When we think of the image of an anchor, and what it is meant to do, we can easily see the spiritual connection between the anchor for a boat and the anchor for our souls. An anchor is used to dock a boat, that means that when the current changes or when the wind blows a certain way the boat or ship will not move. It will stay in place, it might move a little bit but as long as the anchor is attached it can only go so far. It will not drift into se, because the anchor is what is keeping it in place, and keeping it from moving any further than it should go.

It is the same for our souls. Essentially we are the boat and GOd is the anchor. The water, wind,  and waves are the things getting in the way. The things that would move us if we did not have a strong foundation in the Lord. We are living in a world where the wind blows every which way, and very strong winds I might add. We live in a world where the current of the water is constantly changing. If we do not have something to hold on to or something to ground us we will get thrown from place to place, position to position, and find ourselves picking up and starting over for the rest of our lives. If we do not find something to keep us still, we will move everytime the wind moves, we will float away with the current. But when our souls are anchored in Christ we are unmovable, and unshakable. When God is the anchor that holds us down then we will not go with the wind. Our faith will be tested, sometimes, those waves and winds will be so strong that we can barely stand, but our anchor is stronger. Our anchor has all control, our anchor won’t let us fall, our anchor will pick us up when we start to sink. We might sway, we might stumble a bit but we will not be moved. It may come our way but our faith in God is stronger. We will not be shaken and we will not be moved because the Holy Spirit lives in us, and is making sure that we stand firm in this walk. So that when anything comes our way, when anything tries to knock us down or move us, we will not be moved. God is holding us down, He has us. When Christ is our anchor it is almost like we’re made of bamboo, we will bend but we will never break.

Reflection

1. Do you have an anchor for your soul?
2. What winds or waves are the strongest in your life?

Prayer Time

Allow your answer to the above questions guide your prayers. Talk to God about the winds and waves in your life, whatever they may be give it God. Find comfort in knowing that He will not allow you to be moved or shaken, just allow Him to be the anchor for your soul.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 86!

Day 61: How Far Will You Go (Part 2)

Forgiveness is a long and bumpy road, and it is one of the hardest things for us as humans to do. A lot of us are running around bitter and mad at the world because we are harboring unforgiveness in our hearts. But Christ is like the father of forgiveness. He forgave us when we didn’t deserve it, but His love goes farther than His anger for our sins. Are we willing to allow our love for people go beyond our anger and forgive? We know that is what Christ wants, are we willing to go there?

Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus is speaking to the crowds of people in the sermon on the mount, when He tells them something shocking, He tells them to love their enemies, pray for their persecutors. What?! We’re supposed to love the people who hate us?! Sounds kind of crazy right? Loving the people we love will never love us back. Praying for the people who want to destroy us. It wasn’t as crazy a concept to Jesus, because that is what He was doing on Earth. Our sin makes us enemies of God, which made us enemies of Christ, but He came to save us anyway. Jesus loves the people He knows will never love Him back, but that doesn’t make Him love us or them any less. Jesus prayed on the cross for the people who were persecuting Him, the people that beat Him all night, spit on Him, punched Him in the face, and kicked Him, just because they could. The people who nailed His hands and feet to the cross, He prayed for them.  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:34).

Can we do the same thing? Can we love the people who hate us? Forgive those who have hurt us? I don’t mean that surface level forgiveness, the kind that says, “I’ll forgive you, but I won’t forget”. I mean can we really forgive and let god of everything that someone has done to us?

I’ll be the first to say that this is a process and so hard to do. It’s hard to forgive someone when you are still reaping the pain, heartache, and consequences of what they have sewn. But sometimes we have to accept an apology we will never get, Jesus, didn’t wait for all of us to repent before giving up His life for us. He gave up Him life for us and it led to repentance. Forgiveness is not about the other person all the time. Most of the time it is for the hurting party. So that we can find closure, and move on. When we hold on to unforgiveness we walk around harboring a great burden, It’s like holding onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it, we're the only ones who get burned. It’s a cliché saying  I know, but it is beyond true. Life is much easier when we aren’t harboring unforgiveness in our hearts.

Reflection

1. Is it hard for you to forgive?
2. Are you harboring any unforgiveness in your heart?
3. When you forgive people how does it make you feel?

Prayer Time

Talk to God about what’s going on in your hearts, and allow the answers to your questions lead and guide your prayer. Ask God to help you if you have any unforgiveness in your heart. Talk to HIm about loving your enemies, and praying for those who persecute you. Open up your heart to HIm, and listen to what He is saying.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening, make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 62!