"I AM the Good News!"

Back in August, Chris was let go at his job. Since then, we have been praying and waiting for God to provide a new one. It's been a very difficult time in the wilderness, but we've weathered this before. This is the fifth time we have been through this since the lock-down in 2020. 

In the midst of this, we have also dealt with two vehicular incidents just five days apart (our insurance
is probably wondering what in the world is going on with us considering we have had to use the roadside assistance for towing TWICE in less than a week!). First, my daughter hit a deer on the way to work (praise God she was unharmed). Also, the van is clearly the R2-D2 of vehicles and is still fixable after countless mishaps. Five days later, she ran over something sharp that punctured one of my husband's tires on the Flex (which had been needing a couple new tires anyways). Thankfully, Chris and Uncle Frank (praise God for Uncle Frank!) were able to get the Flex up and running again; and are still working on the van. It really took some hard effort to put the tires and the much needed new shocks on the Flex before getting it to the tire shop for the alignment.

I can't say enough about how thankful I am that my baby is ok because both incidents could have been so much worse. I am also immensely grateful for Uncle Frank and how he has always been someone we can count on in situations like this. But, more than that, I know that I can count on God for our daily bread. If that's the one thing that I'm being assured of in these past few months, it's that undeniable truth. Every time I start to slip into an Israelite mentality of wanting to gather and prepare for more than I need for the day, He reminds me not to be afraid and that I'm worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31). As long as you remember who God is and that He will give you what you need for TODAY, you won't worry about tomorrow. All my "what ifs" and worries are settled every time He says, "Do you have what you need for TODAY?" I always have to admit that yes, my needs for the day have been met. "Daily bread, Melissa," he says. Daily bread.

As I have written about before, it's been crucial for me to reflect on all the past "manna moments" to remind myself that God is faithful. He has provided for me every day in the past and I can look back on it all and see how my God did not fail; and that's the story I'll continue to tell. I know that He will continue to give me the miracle of manna every day and that it will always be enough. Though, like I recently read in Lysa Terkeurst's book (Forgiving What You Can't Forget), it's easy to forget about the best bread that we truly need. Yes, we need the physical bread and provisions of life. Yes, we often need those miraculous moments of the miracle manna. But, we ALWAYS need Jesus; THE bread of life (John 6:35). There's nothing quite like a wilderness test to remind you that no one lives on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Jesus was tested with it, and that was His response when the devil tried to get him to focus on His physical needs.

I'm sharing this now because I was reminded of this while praying earlier tonight. My emotions had been stirred up a lot today for various reasons; one of them being this whole waiting for the job thing. Given that the election is just two days away, we have been aware of the fact that many places are probably waiting to see what happens on Tuesday before they make hiring decisions. Without wanting to put too much hope in something as short-sighted as elections, I just simply said "I just want some good news." He said to me, "I AM the Good News!" Read that again and think on it for a few moments.

As I thought about that response, I thought about the disciples. The Good News that Jesus kept telling them about often went right over their heads because they were hoping for Jesus to change their own Kingdom instead of receiving and building His. Just like I wrote about in my "Obama is Covered in Chinese Food" post in 2008, the Kingdom of Heaven is STILL here and STILL advancing every day! We must not be short-sighted! No matter what happens to help/hurt our nation (and the nations of the world), Christ is STILL King. He always has been and always will be and His Kingdom HAS NO END (Luke 1:33). No matter what happens, we can be content with little or with much; because we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:11-13). This world isn't all there is! Be GLAD of that! That truly is Good News! All of this is temporary and we're going to make it because Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). So, don't let your hearts be troubled!

 

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ and spread hope. It's no accident that that has been my word for this year. I knew that getting that word would likely mean that this year would be trying, because hope comes at the end of all the testing and persevering (Romans 5:3-5). He is the hope that never disappoints because He is faithful! This hope is a priceless treasure that lives in our hearts and we will not be crushed, abandoned, or destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9) Through all the fiery trials and testing, we are being refined and He is going through that fire with us (1 Peter 1:7, Isaiah 48:10, Daniel 3:25).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Pray, vote, and give thanks! God is good! He will provide for us and He will provide for you! To HIM be the glory in all things; because it's never about us! God bless you and God bless America!

Releasing Worry & Trusting God: Manna Moments

Have you ever heard (or said), "Well, it's not just going to fall out of the sky?!" It's an expression that reminds us that what we want/need isn't necessarily going to be easy and just fall into our laps. While it's true that we can't expect idleness and laziness to yield good fruit, we often forget that working, worrying, and striving too hard isn't how we should expect to get our needs met either. No matter what it is that we are hoping for (everything from material needs to answered prayers), we should be counting on God as the provider of those needs.

Our God is the God who rained down manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4). Yeah, FOOD rained down from the SKY! HE DID THAT! He is the One to whom we also pray "give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) and who IS the "bread of life." As He said in John 6:32-35:

I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The SAME GOD who made sure that the widow's flour and oil did not run empty (1 Kings 17:8-16), will provide a gas tank, food cupboards, and a checkbook that doesn't run empty! The SAME GOD who took a few loaves and fish and fed THOUSANDS (Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 15:32-39, Mark 6:30-56, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-14), is the SAME GOD that works miracles for us today! He WILL provide for you; miraculously multiplying blessings with baskets leftover! We don't have to complain, worry, and hoard like the Israelites did with their manna. We must break off this "scarcity complex" and TRUST the One who will ALWAYS give us enough!

Notice what story follows the feeding of thousands of people in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6; walking on water! Let's take a moment to think about this part in Mark 6:52: 

For they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

Are we too of so little faith? Are our hearts so hardened by all the miracles we have witnessed in our own lives that we cannot walk on the water? Have we not been provided for thus far? Are we not still here to live, breathe, and bask in His blessings every day? In the "bread of life" verse mentioned before, that moment comes right after the feeding of thousands and walking on water. John 6:22-29 says:

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

 Finally, remember Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-34. He starts off by talking about treasure, your eyes being the lamp of the body, and not serving two masters. That's a lot to unpack in those verses alone, but then he follows it up with "that is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life...." We see, value, and serve the wrong things so very often; worrying about all the things that he goes on to talk about (food, drink, clothing, etc.) and that all of that worrying won't add a day to our lives! "Look at the birds....look at the lilies of the field..." He says. As we scroll through our social media feeds, we see that "these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers" (v.32); but WHY should it dominate OURS when WE who believe KNOW who is taking care of us? Jesus said the Father already KNOWS our needs and that we are to live righteously and seek the Kingdom of God first above all else. Then, He will GIVE US all that we need (v. 33). “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (v. 34).

I encourage you, brothers and sisters:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7. 

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. - Philippians 4:6-7.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Reflect on your own "manna moments" in your life. Trust His faithfulness! Remember how He has always provided for you and brought you through! Count your blessings and name them one by one (as the old song goes). PRAY about EVERYTHING! Declare it over the things (like your gas tank) that you're worried about running empty. Stop complaining and start praying! He'll fill you up and make things last! Don't let worry dominate your thoughts! That flour and oil will last! Trust Him! You are worth more than many sparrows! Never forget that Christ is over all things and gives US all power, authority, and victory through His finished work on the cross (watch this Dutch Sheets "Give Him 15" video...I'm quoting my favorite part below). "ASAH" and God bless you:

When Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19.30) at the end of His time on the Cross, He did not quietly whisper those words, as is often thought. It was actually one word, and He shouted it! (Matthew 27:50) Nor was Christ referring to His death, as many think. Jesus shouted the word tetelestai if He chose to use the Greek word John gives us. However, He spoke both Greek and Hebrew, and was quoting from Psalm 22:31 when He made this announcement. If He actually used the Hebrew word from that verse, it would still have only been one word, asah. Either word would have been a declaration that Christ had finished the assignment given Him. The Greek word actually meant “to pay a debt in full.” The Hebrew word is also the word for “creating” something. Perhaps Jesus was announcing the new creation!

We do know that when Christ made this declaration, the ground shook, rocks split and people were raised from the dead (Matthew 27:50-53). His words rent the heavens, shook the earth, and broke the power of death. Now He wants to speak through you. Declare His finished work over your situation. Decree His victory over the nations. Read Psalm 2 out loud over America, Ukraine, the Middle East. Shout “asah” over unsaved family members, your sick body, your checkbook. Release the roar!