With Christ in the Heavenly Realms

Christ is above all things: our everyday concerns, our paid, the events that overwhelm us. He invites us to rise above these worldly troubles. Ephesians 2:4-7 gives us the invitation, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
What a transforming thought: God didn't leave us to die because of our sin, but had such love and mercy for us He made us alive in Christ so that we can dwell with Him in the heavenly places. Doesn't your small worry fade in comparison to these riches? Don't you long to leave the world of woe behind and live with Christ? It's not an impossible dream. That is where God wants us to be.
Whenever circumstances get you down, simply ask for Jesus to help you. He is draw you out of the turmoil and give you peace and rest.
Take a moment to thank Him, then take Him up on His offer. Walk in His presence. Be with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Beating the Blues

For no apparent reason I was feeling 'down' last night. It seemed I was such a failure in so many areas of my life: money, men, dieting. I took my eyes off Jesus for just one moment and all the cares of the world come crashing down. It can happen to any of us ... at any time.
Give Satan an inch and he'll take a mile, as the saying goes. He can turn even good things into despair. He is always lurking ... waiting for a minute of weakness to rob us of our joy.
I'm so glad that God gives us refreshment from sleep and a new outlook each morning. What a wonderful, dependable promise in Lamentations 3:22-23, "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."
Today's devotion in Jesus Calling gave me this to think about: "I (God) can fit everything into a pattern for good, including the things you wish were different. Start with where you are at this point in time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be." What great news. God has put be where He wants me to be. I can thank Him for all the things he provides: a safe home, a reliable car, food to eat, friends who care, a wonderful church to attend, my precious pets, on and on, too many to name. God is good.
Psalm 42:11 asks, "Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for once again I will praise him, since his presence saves me and he is my God."
The blues can catch any of us unawares. But praise God that He won't leave us in our depression. If we look for Him, we will find Him anew every morning. Focusing again on Him and His power will beat those blues.

Building Character in Hard Times

It is easy to follow Christ and focus on His Presence when everything is going well. But what happens when tough times come your way? Although your world may be shaken to the core, Jesus still offers Peace, Light and Joy. If we can take our eyes off our troubles long enough to see God at work in our lives, we will find that the hard times ... times when we need the most help ... are when our faith is strengthen and our trust can grow.
When we face trails and temptations, we can find comfort in such scriptures as Matthew 11:28-29, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Sometimes we need correction. Sometimes we're headed in the wrong direction. Yet Jesus always provides a way out. Keep Him at the center of your life and everything else will fall into place. Who else can offer such a promise?
Don't give up when the going gets tough. Hebrews 10:35-36 warns us, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." 
If you face hard decisions or life seems particularly difficult today, keep your focus on Jesus: bathe in His Peace. Be glad that He is offering you the opportunity to build character and develop greater faith in the hard times.

Grasp Jesus' Hand and Let Go of the Rest

My devotional, Jesus Calling, contained this interesting thought today: "The only thing you can grasp without damaging your soul is My (i.e. Jesus') hand." Holding onto worry and fear will only damage your spirit. When you 'let go and let God,' you find that He will fill your mind and spirit with contentment. The mind controlled by Christ's Spirit is full of Life and Peace.
Romans 8:6 says, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." You can have as much of Christ's peace as you want, as you make thousands of correct choices today. Decided to trust Him instead of worrying. You will never run out of things to worry about until you place your mind under God's control. He will replace the worry with joy and the fear with courage and the weakness with strength.
Rely on the words of Psalm 46:1-2, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;" Now that is faith ... to have no fear even when the earth starts shaking and mountains tremble and fall.
Let go of the things that weigh you down and grasp the hand of Jesus. He will never fail you. Just believe.

Is the Path You Follow Headed For Heaven?

John 14:6 says, "Jesus replied, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' "
It can't be any plainer than that. Unless we put our faith in Christ Jesus, we cannot be assured that the path we are on will lead to eternal life. How God the Father will apply this truth is beyond our comprehension. Will we and our loved ones have a second chance to accept the truth of Christ's death and resurrection after our own death? We just don't know. But why take a chance about that when we have the opportunity to accept His salvation today.
Many people seek Truth. Some are looking in all the wrong places. The only sure path is the one Christ calls us to ... the path of truth that leads to Life (a richer Life, here and now; a promise of Life Forever after death.)
John 8:31-32, "...If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Freedom! We all want to be free. Free from worries, free from strife, free from anxiety and mostly, free from sin.
Trusting God is where the blessings begin. Psalm 13:5-6 says, "But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness: my hearth shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." 
What path are you on? Choose the path of truth: the path of Christ. Let God deal 'bountifully' with you by trusting in His 'lovingkindness.'

Focus on the Unseen, Not the Seen

As we go through our days, Jesus is urging us to focus our attention on the unseen (and eternal), rather than the seen (and temporary). II Corinthians 4:17-18 tells us, "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at things which are see; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Where is your focus today? On the eternal ... things of the spirit and God ... or on the temporal ... problems, worries, cares of the world? With God, we can live in the present, not having one care about the future.
God, through the Spirit of Christ, offers His presence. He will be with you, beside you and in you ... but only in the present moment. That's the only place we can meet Him. He doesn't promise to to be with us when our attention is focused elsewhere ... on things of this world. What a futile effort to try to grasp for future gifts from God, when He has given you all you need for today. Verbalize your trust and thankfulness. Receive today's gifts with gratitude. Unwrap them, one by one, and appreciate what you've been given. Stay in the present moment where God is. As Romans 8:31 assures us, "... If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Follow Jesus One Step at a Time

Not only is walking with Jesus one step at a time all that He asks, it is the only safe way to walk through this world. Why is this such a difficult concept to accept? Why do was want to see ahead? Why do we want to rush head-long into the future? When we take our eyes off Jesus and see the looming mountain ahead, we become discouraged, even fearful. We start worrying about how we are ever going to climb that mountain (whatever your mountain: debts, poor health, failed relationships). If you're not keeping your focus on just this one step ahead, you're likely to stumble and fall.
When we fall, Jesus will pick us up, dust us off, and remind us to follow Him just one step at a time. Our path may take an abrupt turn, leading us away from that mountain. There may be an easier way us the mountain ... one that is not visible to us right now. Or even if God does lead us up our own special mountain, He will never leave our side. Psalm 91:11-12 promises us, "For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone." 
With Jesus beside us and angels around us, we are not going to fall or even hit our foot on a rock along the way.
II Corinthians 5:7 says, "for we walk by faith, not by sight ..." Jesus sees the path ahead ... we don't. Trust Him to guide you. Take courage and have faith. You will never regret following Jesus one step at a time.