REVIVE our Souls

Do you know how much you are loved? Do you realize that you are precious in God's sight? Do you realize Jesus died for you-to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins?

Step back for a moment and take a look at your life. Are there any storms present, brewing, or subsiding? If so, rest assured you are not alone. Jesus is right there to hold you up, to carry you, and to be "your sufficiency". He is able and can calm the storm.

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (NKJV accessed via biblegateway.com)

These disciples were physically with Jesus, in the middle of a storm, fearful for their lives. Yet, they woke Him, trusted in Him and He brought them through it all. We can learn much from this passage. Today, I want you to focus on giving it to Jesus, whatever your it is. The fear you have, the health issues, family difficulties, financial woes, spiritual lacking, or a range of other possibilities. Give them to Jesus and allow Him to take control. Pray, listen to His instruction, obey His voice, and raise your thanks to Him through praise, whatever your circumstance. Our God is able. Jesus is mighty to save and He's just waiting for you to seek Him.

Rest in Him

I had the privilege to share at Camp Peniel (in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia) this past weekend. They host a Ladies' Spa Retreat each fall in September and they invited me to be their speaker this year. It is always an amazing time for ladies to come together, get rested, be pampered, have fun, laugh, cry, and get filled up spiritually. There were many prayers prayed as this weekend came and the presence of the Lord filled the place.

I have always been amazed each time I go there, how the Lord makes Himself so real and my heart can be stilled in the beauty of such a wonderful God-given place. His handprints are all over it. This year the theme was nautical and my topics reflected that in "Faith in the Waves". On Friday I spoke about Resting in Him, Saturday was a time to Revive our Souls, then Sunday the Lord gave us strength to Renew our Pilgrimage with Him.

Do you take time to simply REST in Jesus? Is your life just too busy? If so, today is the perfect day to go to Him and pray for rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "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." (NKJV)

 

 

Have you ever seen a yoke of oxen? How many are yoked together? Of course, two. This is how Jesus wants us to be with Him. Yoked to Him, trusting Him to direct our paths and leading us in His ways and His timing. This is where we find rest. Trusting Jesus to go ahead of us. I pray for all you dear ones that you will call on the name of Jesus, yoke to Him, and trade in your heavy burden for His light one. May you begin today resting in Him.

 

May Jesus be your joy and your strength,

Natalie

Wanted: Brokenness

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart -

These, O God, You will not despise."

Psalm 51:17 NKJV

Look at your life for a few moments. Are you taking time to seek God's will for your life or are you "going it alone"? What breaks your heart? What breaks our Savior's heart? Do these things line up or are they far off the mark?

Taking time to examine ourselves is a quality in need of development in the North American (and maybe other) church. We are constantly reminded of grace - which I am so thankful for - yet there is more than grace at work. We serve the same God as Abraham, Moses, David, Deborah,  Esther, Mary, Peter, and Paul served. The above Scripture reference comes from David's heart and reflects a brokenness that surrenders fully to the Lord we serve today.

Are you broken? If not, will you allow God to break you? He will not leave you broken but,

 "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

 And saves such as have a contrite spirit."

 (Psalm 34:18 NKJV)

Jesus died on a cross to save all who are willing to accept Him as their Lord and Savior without prejudice. He loves everyone. His heart breaks for those who are caught in the vicious cycle of sin, whatever it is. No one is beyond help. Does your heart break at the sight of sin in the news, in your community, in your home -  I mean break enough that you give it to the Lord to be in control? Or do you desire justice - dished out the way you feel it deserves?

What if we begin to pray through the news we see on the TV, computer, or hear on the radio? What if we begin to give all those things in our lives that are not pleasing to God and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives? What if our focus in the home started with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rather than self? I encourage you pray, seeking the Lord's will with all your heart and allow Him to break you, then to fill you with His Spirit to be hands and feet for Him, trusting everything to His direction. It may not be easy, but remember the eternal rewards are His to give. Those are not ones which will rot, rust, or be destroyed.

May you rest in Jesus,

Natalie

The Perfect Plan

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," (NIV emphasis added).

God has a plan for everyone. The plan He has for me probably differs from yours, as yours is probably different from the next person. Many times I have struggled with knowing God's voice and plan for my life. However, right now I am clear about the call He has placed on me for this time. Now in saying that I must tell you that knowing is not always the easiest thing. Once we know, we need to step out in faith and do. Trusting His will and plan for our lives can be difficult, but following Him is the best place to be.

Being in the Lord's will and following Jesus is not a place the enemy wants you to be. He will throw things at you and discourage you without remorse. He is the enemy of our Lord and Saviour and when you trust Jesus and step out in faith, that makes you his enemy as well. When we are discouraged and frustrated with our circumstances, we need to trust Jesus and keep our eyes on Him. Throw off the "stuff" that discourages and plow through with your eyes on eternity.

A question I learned to ask myself a long time ago is this, "Will it matter 5 years from now?" Now I have expanded that to, "Will it make a difference for eternity?" This earth we call home is temporary, yet we have the gift of eternal life thanks to Jesus Christ. Are the things you are doing glorifying Him and making a difference for eternity?

It doesn't matter where you are. God can use you to make an eternal impact if you would seek His face and trust Him with everything you are. Pray and ask Him what He wants you to do for Him. Trust in His ways and plan for your life. May He bless you.

Trusting in Him,
Natalie

Complete Trust

Today I thought it would be nice to look at some Scriptures that focus our hearts on trusting the Lord. Times can be tough. Changes come that we are not always ready for. Time continues to tick away whatever our lives are experiencing. Trusting God with our lives and all the circumstances that come our way instill a peace within that nothing else can. Are you trusting God with all the what ifs? if onlys? and every victory, question, and frustration you are encountering?

I encourage you to choose a Scripture that speaks to your heart and write it out. Put it somewhere you will read it often, then memorize it.

"In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:11 NASB

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

"Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him." Psalm 33:5 NASB

This is but a small sampling. Read and study the Scriptures and see what the Lord will reveal to you about trusting in Him. We serve the God of the universe. The one who sent His one and only Son, Jesus to bear the burden of sin. To be born, live, die, and be resurrected so we might find freedom from sin and be given the gift of eternal life.

Have you given your life, your all to Him? If not, my prayer for you is that you would seek Him and find Him. Pray for forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to dwell in your heart and guide your life. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:20-22 NASB

Faith Walking

Second Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (NKJV) Memorizing this verse has been a very helpful tool for me. We live in a world saturated with "stuff" for the eyes to behold and pull our attention this way and that. However, our relationship with the Lord is one without a visual cue for us to cling to.

Faith can also be defined as trust, hope, or belief. One question we can all ask of ourselves is, "Where do I place my faith?" Is your faith in your income, your abilities and talents, your family, your connections, your friends? All of these things we can see and sometimes we get caught up in the tangibility of them, trusting in ourselves or our ability rather than in God whom we cannot see.

Developing a personal relationship with Jesus is the single most important decision anyone can make. It does not, however, guarantee a bed of roses or an easy life. What it does guarantee is that you will never, ever be alone again (Hebrews 13:5). Trusting the Lord with every aspect of your life, giving Him everything from your children to your bank accounts, your time to your vacations. Every single aspect small or large whether you think God would care about it or not.

Spending time quietly in His presence will grow your ability to hear His voice, understand His Word, and give you courage to stand on the solid foundation He will provide if you let Him. Read the Bible prayerfully asking the Lord to reveal the truths to you. Living a life of faith may require some things of you. It may require giving up some things or investing time, resources, or more of yourself, yet the benefits outweigh the expense.

I encourage you to take a "faith walk"; step out in faith and trust Him in an area He has been calling you to. Give it all into His hands and do not try to do it on your own.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

Trusting in Him and His Word,

Natalie

Safe in the Shepherd's Arms

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1 NKJV

This week I have been memorizing Psalm 23. In my time memorizing, I have also been meditating on the significance of this verse. Sheep are not self-sufficent. They are helpless and in need of someone to tend, care for, and protect them. For them to be safe and secure, they need a shepherd. We are no different.

We are in need of a Helper. Someone who gets us. Someone who loves us unconditionally. Someone who is there for us no matter the situation or circumstance. Being human, we are flawed. As much as we may want to be self-sufficient, we are all in need of a Savior (Shepherd) who is there for us and knows our needs before we ask (Matthew 6:8).

Please don't misinterpret this passage of Scripture. It does not guarantee we will be exempt from hard times or difficult circumstances. It also does not mean that we will be given everything we want.

I encourage you to read the rest of this Psalm. I think you will find-as I have-your rest will be found in Him. Trust your life in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus as your personal Savior. Allow Him to be your Shepherd.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Natalie