Your Heavenly Father Knows

The daffodil in my garden which bloomed on Feb 7^th and has since borne hailstorms and strong winds and yet stayed upright and beautiful is at last fading – a whole month it has brought cheer to us –

1 Peter 1:24, 25:

“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

The Word of God is eternally true and to be totally relied upon!

Peter is quoting here from Isaiah 40:6-8. This chapter has so many encouraging verses in it,beginning: “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” and ending with those great promises of strength for all those who wait upon God. Do read Isaiah 40 when you have some spare minutes today.

 Jesus takes up this theme in the sermon on the mount when he says:

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown

 into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or 

‘What shall we wear?’ 

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

This is Jesus Himself telling us not to have worry for tomorrow or anxiety about the future.  

With the scare about the possible epidemic spread of the coroanvirus, people here in UK are panic buying, to the extent that in some places, there is not even any toilet paper left on the shelves. I read today that some are going out and buying new freezers to then fill them up! In all of this, where do we stand? If people empty the shops, then shouldn’t we get in there quickly before it all goes!

NO – Jesus tells us clearly in Mt 6:33 to seek FIRST the Kingdom of Heaven – that means looking to our heavenly Father for each day. He will show us what to do. If you have that gentle prompt in your spirit to buy enough provisions to last in case of 2 weeks' quarantine, then go ahead. But otherwise keep to your normal patterns. Father has promised to look after our needs. The supermarkets are not our certainty, but Father God is! He is our Provider and Protector, and here are some more scriptures to meditate on today and let your heart be still before God.

“Be still and know that I am GOD”! Psalm 46:10

the New American Standard version says:  “Cease striving and KNOW that I am GOD!”

Psalm 46: 1-3

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

The Lord of Hosts is with us…. V 7 and 11

Spend time in this wonderful Psalm. Speak it out loud for yourself, for your family and friends.

The daffodil may have faded, but I can still stand strong in the grace and strength of Almighty God.

Psalm 34:4-8

I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Choose to Trust

Do you remember how Joshua challenged the people of Israel to trust God as they overcame and settled the promised land? He declared,

     "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!" Joshua 24:15

Whether we are facing troubles such as the corona virus, or simply life's daily trials, we constantly have a choice to make. We may choose the way of the world and so open the door to worry, fear and unbelief, or seek God and find Him in the situation however small or big, but it is a choice every time. The Holy Spirit does indeed guide and prompt us, but we need to make that choice to listen to God and follow and believe Him and His Word! A friend wrote sharing her recent experience with me yesterday and I asked her permission to print it here. This is a true testimony of choosing faith and trust when everything else is trying to steal away peace:

"Yes times are very troubling indeed in our broken world.  This is the time we truly do need to stand on the Word.  Over the past three weeks J (her husband) has been abroad twice. ......I found the enemy handing me fear on a plate on a number of occasions associated with the spread of this virus and my job was to choose trust!  The Lord challenged me over this period ... was I in faith or fear? Because I couldn’t be in both!  So I started to declare the goodness of God over us and every member of our family and area of our lives.  The Lord ministered to me reassuring me that HE was not going anywhere and I could trust Him and his unfailing love and provision as He was unchanging and faithful and our good good God!  That I was loved by Him!" 

Let us all follow this example - we may feel fear attacking us, we may feel weak or in a mess - but let's get into the secret place of God's presence through Jesus Christ and find Him and His answers. It takes time and determination, setting our wills to choose Jesus!

In Joshua 23, he tells the elders of Israel to "cling to the Lord your God!" Choose to cling to God, and to His Word and promises. Choose to follow Him on an hour to hour basis!

" ..... but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. 11 Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. .......

14 .... And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. "  Joshua 23: 8-10, 14

Practical Wisdom

Over the last few days, I have heard from several people who either have underlying health problems or are older, as indeed many of us are! It is very easy to have fear about the possibiity of contracting the Coronavirus if it continues to spread. There is no way any of us wish to be affected by the virus, and yet we need to know how to continue fulfilling Father's plans for us day by day. We are not to be hidden away, but shining for Jesus. It is of utmost importance to learn to trust God as we go through dangerous times, but we also have to consider how to stay safe and receive God's wisdom in the way we go about our daily lives.

 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting James 1:5,6

God's wisdom is beyond ours! Jesus says in John 16:24:

24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

This He speaks in the context of telling the disciples that there will be times of trials and difficulties, and in v33, says, 
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The Bible also tells us to obey authorities, and I believe, in this case, we need to hear the warnings to wash our hands frequently, to not travel on crowded buses and trains if it is possible etc, and to stay at home if we do have any coughing or cold symptoms. And remember there are still ordinary colds around!! We also need to ask Him what meetings to go to. I am convinced we need to continue having fellowship with one another. One friend in London had everyone who came to her home for a meeting, wash their hands as they came through the door. And they avoided kissing and hugging. We all need to hear God and then live our daily lives trusting Him, and remaining willing and open to anything He asks us to do. I KNOW then that our faithful God will keep us and protect us and our loved ones.

Ephesians 6:10, 13 (Amp)
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].......                                                                                        Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

"Do Not Fear!"

 Fear not, nor be afraid [in the coming violent upheavals]; have I not told it to you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no [other] Rock; I know not any.  Isaiah 44:8 (Amp)

It is said that the Bible contains 365 "Fear Not"s - one for every day of the year, and I am positive there would be one more somewhere for a Leap Year! I have never counted them, so I cannot verify this fact, but I do know there are Fear Nots throughout the Bible. With a good concordance, you could do a search, and remember also to include "Do not be afraid" and "Be not anxious" - there are so many different varieties of fear!!

I read the following scripture the other day in my daily readings and it spoke to me for all of us who love the Lord in these fear-filled times:

" ... neither be in fear of what they fear, nor make others afraid and in dread. The Lord of hosts, regard Him as holy and honour His holy Name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety ....
And He shall be a sanctuary, a sacred and indestructible refuge to those who reverently fear and trust in Him ....
And I will wait for the Lord .... Behold I and the children the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders. "    Isaiah 8: 12-18 (parts, from the Amplified Bible)

What a wonderful word! There are two major keys here as to how we stay in that place of refuge which the Lord promises for us. Firstly we remain in worship and holy reverence of our Lord. The fear of the Lord is very very different from the fear and anxiety the world gives. Simply put, it means to be in that place of looking to HIM first, remembering His holiness, His power, His might, His love and amazing grace! Worshipping in the quiet place on our own, and also with the fellowship of the saints where God has put us. Whenever we look up and worship, other things come into perspective. We can glory in the faithfulness of our Father through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit!

Secondly, we "wait for the Lord". Spend time in His presence, in His Word. Listen to Him and what He is saying in your situation. There will be comfort, encouragement, peace and joy, as well as hearing that still small voice in your heart with direction in your situation. 

As we do both these things, I am pretty sure we will be those who go out and bring courage and hope to others in the name of Jesus Christ. And we will not be joining the throng who increase fear and dread, or speak negativity and doom!

AND then there is the promise of refuge and safety - a sanctuary! How wonderful! And to cap it all, we AND our children will be for signs and wonders! Truly in this evil world today, God wants us shining as His lights, His beacons of hope to the world - and as we honour Him, and spend time with Him, the promise is for us and for our children to be signs and wonders in the bleakness of this world. 

Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame....   
For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet my love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.    Isaiah 54:4, 10

Riding the Wave

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the calamities in our world? I do. Not usually in fear for ourselves but in our concern and care for those suffering. And it is wonderful when, in a small way, we can help by supporting those Christian organisations who go into the devastation caused by natural disasters and bring practical help, provision, medical aid and rebuilding of communities.

But sometimes, it just seems too much. When all of us have the threat of this corona virus hanging over us, and meeting those who are losing their means of a livelihood, then the reality hits - this is not someting far distant - this is you and me having to weather the storm.  (Do scroll down and read the previous 2 posts, if you have come into this for the first time.) 

I read some time ago about Sir Francis Chichester, who sailed round the globe single-handed. When his small yacht was faced with a towering wave off the Cape of Good Hope, notoriously dangerous seas where 2 oceans meet, he looked at the wave threatening to overwhelm and eclipse his boat and drown him, and said, "We will go over!" And, indeed, his boat rose up on to the top of the mighty wave and then slid down the other side. He said that instead of this being a terror-filled experience, he was elated - it was exhilirating!

I often think of this when facing a difficult situation. Those who enjoy surfing will know a similar experiece, riding on a wave. And then others dive through a wave! GOD WILL take us through these present difficult times. He, Who walked on water, will always be by our side. Put your hand in His and trust in Him  - He is totally reliable!

God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor 1:9 (Amplified Bible)

 ... the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, .........5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 (Amp)

Daffodil through the Storms

One brave daffodil in my garden bloomed on February 7th! Since then it has experienced hailstorms, violent winds and torrential rain! But, apart from bending gently in the wind, it is still standing upright and smiling brightly, cheering me every time I look out of my window!



God has spoken to me through that small delicate flower. Although there may be storms and even hard hailstones falling, I can stand in God's grace ~ He will give me strength and peace. There is only one thing needed from me - to just lean into Him - ie: trust Him! To trust what He says in His Word.

Look again at that verse from Hebrews which I shared yesterday: 
        "For God Himself has said .... therefore we may boldly say .... " !
 When God says something, it is sure and certain. He is unchanging and totally to be relied upon. Therefore we can say it too, and as we speak God's Word out, faith grows. AND our roots go deeper into Him, so, that like that daffodil, we can stand during the trials, and even bring encouragement and blessing and hope to others.

I keep a pile of file cards by my bed, all with verses I have written on them, and I read a few every night before I go to sleep. The ones I have collected over the years are all promises for strength, health and healing, and about God's love and care for me. These scriptures sink in deeper than mind level, and come part of my being, and it is amazing how trust and faith in the Lord grow and flourish. I am sure that many of you reading this, who have been in the Word for years, know what I am talking about. 

This is definitely a time to reaffirm our trust in our loving faithful God, to tell Him we trust Him, to sink back into the arms of the only One Who will be able to keep us in these days.

I took a neighbour to a garden Centre today, to shop and have lunch together. It was interesting to hear from someone who would not call herself a believer, talking about the fear of the corona virus and also the anxiety. Her daughter and son-in-law run a business which depends on imports from China. The factory in China is closed and they have not been able to find any similar outlet in this country. This is an anxious worrying time for those who have a living to earn. I was able to share with her a little about the peace Jesus gives and will print out some scriptures for her, but, without Christ, people are fearful and their only hope is that it might all go away!

Yesterday was a global Day of Prayer, and we can truly believe that our heavenly Father will work. At the same time, we need to take every opportunity to get our own lives entrenched in the Word of God, and in His love and protection - but more on that tomorrow.

Meanwhile be a daffodil where you are. Stand in the grace of Jesus. Bend gently in the wind of the Spirit, and bless your family, your friends and your neighbours, schoolfriends and colleagues. 

"He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let you down, relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!   So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, 
                     The Lord is my Helper ......"   Heb 13:5b, 6

"and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith."            1 John 5:4

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us." Romans 8:37

Are You Afraid?

We are living in the days before Christ's coming! I know that the early church could have said that too nearly 2000 years ago! But we are certainly closer to that Day now, and surely all the signs are pointing to His near coming and Jesus warned us to watch out for them and be READY to welcome Him coming in His glory.One thing He said in this context was, 

" ... you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled or afraid or terrified ... " Matthew 24:6 and Luke 21:8.
 The New Living Translation translates it as "Don't panic!"

Well, as I write this blog, there is fear all around the globe because of the spread of the Corona virus. There have also been other disasters over the last months ncluding catastrophic fires in Australia and California, and now terrible floods in English towns, destroying homes and businesses, and covering huge areas of farmland, preventing the planting of spring crops. So many reasons to naturally be afraid. And let's be honest - fear so easily creeps in when we hear the news, and do not know at this stage whether there will be a global pandemic or not.

BUT "DO NOT BE AFRAID!" is the constant echo throughout the Bible. I have been writing out scriptures today and will use some of them in a series over the next few days. But I do recommend to all who read this, to start your own search for verses from the Bible which tell of God's protection and keeping for His children.

If you need assurance that you are His child, please click on the labels menu beside this blog on the title "Becoming a Christian". This article will tell you how to be sure that you are safe in Father's arms and accepted into His family through what Jesus Christ has done for you.  

I leave you today with the following verses from Hebrews to meditate on and take into your heart, and tomorrow will continue with more encouragement in this time of stress and often anxiety for ourselves and our families.

Hebrews 13: 5b,6 in the Amplified version of the Bible:

...be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let you down, relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm. I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?