Never alone, He is with me...
Light For Life September 2004
God is always with me and I should never feel alone, He is with me now and even to the end of the age. I have been thinking about the fact that He is always with me, even when I don’t realise it. I’ve been thinking how He is with me even when I feel totally alone and isolated. He is with me in the good and the bad times.
He is with me when I am so high and there is no one to whom I can express my joy and deep satisfaction; He is as ecstatic about my situation as I am. Its not just in the good times that this should be comforting, but also in the difficult moments of life. When you go through something that you can't really share with anyone else, or there is no one appropriate to share it with, He is still there. He is with me all the time. Most of the time there is no one else with us, when we have those downs, no one else can understand, there is no one else to share it with – but He is with me. He has been with me throughout the years, every moment in fact. He knows me better than anyone else.
We often feel He is with us in the happy times, and then when we are in the sad, low times we feel like we are alone. It is often easier to know we are not alone in the happy times, we feel comfortable and we feel joyous, but when we are low and there is no one physically with us we feel alone and isolated, no one understands and there is no one who can hear, but He is with us.
I realised that I should take more comfort in this thought than I have been up to date. He is with me always, every day, every minute, every hour, happy, sad, frustrated, fearful, even sinning!
Why is it that I feel more ready to share with Him, when things are good, when things are easy? I can say, “Praise you Lord, Thank you for answering my prayer, I am so happy”. But when I am down or low, I know He is there but I still look for someone to console me!!
Of course we do need someone to console us, but as we grow, we learn to let that someone be God more of the time, we know He is with us. When we are low we can allow ourselves to feel very isolated from others, even when they are physically there they may not know how we are feeling and be totally unaware of the emotion we are experiencing.
It is at those times that we should feel less alone and really feel surrounded, loved and cared for by God. He is the only one who REALLY can be there for us always. He knows every detail so we don’t have to make Him understand where we are at or justify why – He knows why! We can just cry, we can just say it – no explanation needed. He was there when it happened. And, knowing the end from the beginning, who better qualifies to tell us what to do?
He comforts our sorrows for He carried them.
Take comfort today. He is with you in all these moments too.
Word For Life
With:
In the presence of, beside, near, among or including.
God’s Word
Mathew 28:20
And Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Bless you
Cam
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Sunday, August 01, 2004
On Assignment
On Assignment!
Light For Life August 2004!!!!
I have a sense of anticipation for the future and where God is leading me. I feel as though I am on the verge of something new but it is unknown; I have begun to surrender myself to God’s plans for me and not hold onto mine. I have a sense of expectation that God knows the next step and I can trust Him. Regardless of where I think I am in life, or where I should be, I am always on 'assignment' and so are you; its just that a lot of the time we don’t know it or are unaware of it. We may think that we are not where we need or want to be, but right now we might be just where God wants us!!!! Have you considered that?
God’s assignments are not always for us to be ‘angels of mercy’ to those in need or to have an up front role, some are to prepare us for the next stage by behind the scenes work, deep in our lives. This may happen through such means as serving others, which may allow the uncovering of our true inward character, revealing weaknesses that we had no idea were there... Our assignment might be to sit a test, like an exam that is sprung on us by the teacher, or like a major project due in next week, sometimes they last a day and sometimes a week. Some of these assignments are easy and some we may enjoy, but its the ones that are difficult that we like to think are not from God at all!
I won't pretend to know much about diamonds, but I imagine that a diamond in its rough form needs a lot of work for it to become the object of beauty that it can be. If it didn't undergo every process needed, would it be brought to its fullest beauty and value? So too, God shapes us all round, it is thorough and complete, He leaves nothing out, He doesn't want a whole lot of lop sided people walking around! The bible says 'Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will bring it unto completion on the day of Jesus Christ' (Philippians 1:6), and that means process.
It was as I was speaking to my pastor that I realised that I have been on assignment, she helped me see it. Funny that, because for a time, when I didn’t understand what was going, I thought this is all wrong it must be the devil attacking me! At times that may indeed be the case, but there are times that we might be just where God wants us – to teach us something. God does not enjoy allowing hard things in our lives to teach us but they are one of the tools He will use for our growth.
In my life I am constantly coming before God in prayer, He knows my heart is towards becoming more like His Son. I have found that because that is where my heart is and I want to be open and willing, it's only natural that I will, in the process of life have to work through issues to become rounded, complete and balanced. If you are open to Him so will you, but, God is one we can trust, when He is working in our life we are safe because He is in control.
When you are on one of these assignments you might be tempted to get into self-condemnation, self pity, feeling like a failure, weak, insignificant, hopeless and unworthy but don’t do it. It also says in the bible ‘For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’, we are all weak and human, but thank God that He is God and that He is able to keep us from falling!
Work with God and not against His purposes and you will feel free-er than ever. He loves you with an ever lasting love, His steadfast love never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning and great is His faithfulness and it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. He loves us through every stage and never wants to give up. Keep in mind that even if you are in a difficult place right now - you may be on assignment! Learn all you can while you are there, submit yourself to God and don't fight against it if you sense it is God. Ask Him to speak to you, as He is the one with all the answers. Go through and then you move on - the less delays the better!
Bless you
Cam
Word For Life
Assignment:
A position, office, or job which one is given or to which one is being sent.
God’s Word
1 Peter 1:7
'...that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Light For Life August 2004!!!!
I have a sense of anticipation for the future and where God is leading me. I feel as though I am on the verge of something new but it is unknown; I have begun to surrender myself to God’s plans for me and not hold onto mine. I have a sense of expectation that God knows the next step and I can trust Him. Regardless of where I think I am in life, or where I should be, I am always on 'assignment' and so are you; its just that a lot of the time we don’t know it or are unaware of it. We may think that we are not where we need or want to be, but right now we might be just where God wants us!!!! Have you considered that?
God’s assignments are not always for us to be ‘angels of mercy’ to those in need or to have an up front role, some are to prepare us for the next stage by behind the scenes work, deep in our lives. This may happen through such means as serving others, which may allow the uncovering of our true inward character, revealing weaknesses that we had no idea were there... Our assignment might be to sit a test, like an exam that is sprung on us by the teacher, or like a major project due in next week, sometimes they last a day and sometimes a week. Some of these assignments are easy and some we may enjoy, but its the ones that are difficult that we like to think are not from God at all!
I won't pretend to know much about diamonds, but I imagine that a diamond in its rough form needs a lot of work for it to become the object of beauty that it can be. If it didn't undergo every process needed, would it be brought to its fullest beauty and value? So too, God shapes us all round, it is thorough and complete, He leaves nothing out, He doesn't want a whole lot of lop sided people walking around! The bible says 'Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will bring it unto completion on the day of Jesus Christ' (Philippians 1:6), and that means process.
It was as I was speaking to my pastor that I realised that I have been on assignment, she helped me see it. Funny that, because for a time, when I didn’t understand what was going, I thought this is all wrong it must be the devil attacking me! At times that may indeed be the case, but there are times that we might be just where God wants us – to teach us something. God does not enjoy allowing hard things in our lives to teach us but they are one of the tools He will use for our growth.
In my life I am constantly coming before God in prayer, He knows my heart is towards becoming more like His Son. I have found that because that is where my heart is and I want to be open and willing, it's only natural that I will, in the process of life have to work through issues to become rounded, complete and balanced. If you are open to Him so will you, but, God is one we can trust, when He is working in our life we are safe because He is in control.
When you are on one of these assignments you might be tempted to get into self-condemnation, self pity, feeling like a failure, weak, insignificant, hopeless and unworthy but don’t do it. It also says in the bible ‘For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’, we are all weak and human, but thank God that He is God and that He is able to keep us from falling!
Work with God and not against His purposes and you will feel free-er than ever. He loves you with an ever lasting love, His steadfast love never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning and great is His faithfulness and it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. He loves us through every stage and never wants to give up. Keep in mind that even if you are in a difficult place right now - you may be on assignment! Learn all you can while you are there, submit yourself to God and don't fight against it if you sense it is God. Ask Him to speak to you, as He is the one with all the answers. Go through and then you move on - the less delays the better!
Bless you
Cam
Word For Life
Assignment:
A position, office, or job which one is given or to which one is being sent.
God’s Word
1 Peter 1:7
'...that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Lord, please help me I cant do it!
Lord please help me, I CAN'T do it!!!!
Light For Life - July 2004 - yep a year ago!
First thing in the morning lying in bed is often a time when we consider where we are at and what we need to do that day; for some people it is a time of regret for the actions of the night before and the things that they might have done! It is not necessarily the best place to
consider these things but inevitably it is a place where we do it.
So, I’m lying in bed, considering my efforts for the previous day; I wasn’t entirely successful again. Once you are on the journey to become more like Jesus, a journey of refinement, these bad behaviours, attitudes and emotions stick out like a sore thumb. This takes away any joy we may feel from the argument ‘won’ or the sense of satisfaction we get in feeling justified for our attitude. Are we really the winner here or have we already lost!?
As I critique the day before I know I didn’t cut it! Phooey, will I ever cut it? It seems I wake up like this often; there is always something. I am talking to God now, ‘Oh Lord, I blew it again’, He doesn’t gloat though He already knows. ‘I am just not winning with my emotions lately, am I so weak? I would have thought by now, that after 20 years of having Jesus in my life and his workings in me, that I would be ‘more than a conqueror’. How could I listen to those stupid thoughts and let my behaviour follow accordingly? Will I ever be able to do it? I just cant seem to do it!!!’ The gentle answer came, “No, you can’t do it’, but I can do it in you.
Revelation: The only way I am supposed to be able to do all things, is through Christ who strengthens me, not by my redeemed behaviour, not by not my prayer life, my input of God’s word, not because I surround myself with good company, not by fasting, not by humility, not because of how long I have been a Christian or anything else. Yes, it is all these things in part, but only by the supernatural grace of God that enables us.
May 2004 was the beginning of the test of my Christian life! I was very confused about what it was really all about. I was struggling to do the thing I thought I was supposed to do, to be the person I knew God wanted me to be and to react the way I should, after 20 years training - with grace, peace, joy, humility, a willing obedience and a spirit of servant hood towards Him, my Master. The shock was I was really struggling, it wasn’t coming easy and I found myself saying ‘I don’t know if I can do this?’, this was unusual. So many lessons to learn, what did God really want me to learn out of it all? Not just one thing I guess, but the crux of it all was that, no, I can’t do it, not without His help.
After one months struggle, I was despairing! How can I be so weak? I was trying all the formulae I knew and it wasn’t working. I called my friend who is also a pastor and my mentor. I went to see her with some expectation that she would bring me some wisdom, guidance and a breakthrough in this area and that was what I got.
She listened to me and then I said to her ‘I can’t do it!’, she looked at me and said ‘That’s right Cam, YOU can’t, only GOD can.’ Praise God, I finally understood, part of this whole lesson was to show me that I couldn’t do it. None of what I said before would help me at this time because the lesson He wanted me to learn was that I can do nothing without Him, only with Him and through Him. What blessed relief! I was not a failure, pathetic, weak, hopeless, at least no more than the rest of us. I was normal! And, now I knew how to do this hard thing, by His empowerment. That is what He wanted me to learn.
How deceived are we, that after even a short time of being a Christian we think we know the way out, the correct response and what we need to do? We are tricked into thinking that it is somehow by DOING them that we will get through. I have learnt that I can do 'love, joy, and peace', some of those things, just because that is my nature but I need to do them in His strength, this will take me through the really tough times. Doing these things, living the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace etc, needs to be by being empowered by HIS love, joy, peace, grace, humility - the fruit of the Spirit not the fruit of my efforts. That is how we can finally overcome. Is there something you can't do? Maybe this is the answer for you!
Light For Life - July 2004 - yep a year ago!
First thing in the morning lying in bed is often a time when we consider where we are at and what we need to do that day; for some people it is a time of regret for the actions of the night before and the things that they might have done! It is not necessarily the best place to
consider these things but inevitably it is a place where we do it.
So, I’m lying in bed, considering my efforts for the previous day; I wasn’t entirely successful again. Once you are on the journey to become more like Jesus, a journey of refinement, these bad behaviours, attitudes and emotions stick out like a sore thumb. This takes away any joy we may feel from the argument ‘won’ or the sense of satisfaction we get in feeling justified for our attitude. Are we really the winner here or have we already lost!?
As I critique the day before I know I didn’t cut it! Phooey, will I ever cut it? It seems I wake up like this often; there is always something. I am talking to God now, ‘Oh Lord, I blew it again’, He doesn’t gloat though He already knows. ‘I am just not winning with my emotions lately, am I so weak? I would have thought by now, that after 20 years of having Jesus in my life and his workings in me, that I would be ‘more than a conqueror’. How could I listen to those stupid thoughts and let my behaviour follow accordingly? Will I ever be able to do it? I just cant seem to do it!!!’ The gentle answer came, “No, you can’t do it’, but I can do it in you.
Revelation: The only way I am supposed to be able to do all things, is through Christ who strengthens me, not by my redeemed behaviour, not by not my prayer life, my input of God’s word, not because I surround myself with good company, not by fasting, not by humility, not because of how long I have been a Christian or anything else. Yes, it is all these things in part, but only by the supernatural grace of God that enables us.
May 2004 was the beginning of the test of my Christian life! I was very confused about what it was really all about. I was struggling to do the thing I thought I was supposed to do, to be the person I knew God wanted me to be and to react the way I should, after 20 years training - with grace, peace, joy, humility, a willing obedience and a spirit of servant hood towards Him, my Master. The shock was I was really struggling, it wasn’t coming easy and I found myself saying ‘I don’t know if I can do this?’, this was unusual. So many lessons to learn, what did God really want me to learn out of it all? Not just one thing I guess, but the crux of it all was that, no, I can’t do it, not without His help.
After one months struggle, I was despairing! How can I be so weak? I was trying all the formulae I knew and it wasn’t working. I called my friend who is also a pastor and my mentor. I went to see her with some expectation that she would bring me some wisdom, guidance and a breakthrough in this area and that was what I got.
She listened to me and then I said to her ‘I can’t do it!’, she looked at me and said ‘That’s right Cam, YOU can’t, only GOD can.’ Praise God, I finally understood, part of this whole lesson was to show me that I couldn’t do it. None of what I said before would help me at this time because the lesson He wanted me to learn was that I can do nothing without Him, only with Him and through Him. What blessed relief! I was not a failure, pathetic, weak, hopeless, at least no more than the rest of us. I was normal! And, now I knew how to do this hard thing, by His empowerment. That is what He wanted me to learn.
How deceived are we, that after even a short time of being a Christian we think we know the way out, the correct response and what we need to do? We are tricked into thinking that it is somehow by DOING them that we will get through. I have learnt that I can do 'love, joy, and peace', some of those things, just because that is my nature but I need to do them in His strength, this will take me through the really tough times. Doing these things, living the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace etc, needs to be by being empowered by HIS love, joy, peace, grace, humility - the fruit of the Spirit not the fruit of my efforts. That is how we can finally overcome. Is there something you can't do? Maybe this is the answer for you!
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