What is your name?

"And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there."
Genesis 32:22-29 (NKJV)

Do you know who you are? Do you know you the way the Almighty knows you? What does your name say about you?

Jacob was given his name meaning "heel grabber" when he grabbed his twin brother Esau's heel as he was born. The name also means supplanter or trickster and boy, did Jacob live up to his name! He spent much of his life using trickery to get ahead. But he was always running, afraid something or someone from his past would catch up with him. 

With God's help he admitted his fear and determined to make amends with his brother Esau for all the wrongs he had done him. But along the way God stepped in and had a one on one encounter with Jacob that changed him forever. Once he had decided to give everything over to The Lord and face what He had been running from an Angel of The Lord showed up and wrestled with Jacob. I think He was helping to him to finally see he was no longer the man he used to be, no longer Jacob the trickster. He was now Israel, blessed by God! He was to walk in this newness of life and not in his old ways. As a reminder, He left him with a limp.

We all have limps or scars from walking in our old way of life. But God has given us a new Name if we will use it and walk it in.

I refuse to settle for less than God's best. What about you? What does your name say about you? Are you walking in the power of your own name or His?

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

Into the Storm

"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him."
Matthew 8:23 (NKJV)

Have you ever found yourself in a boat in the middle of an ocean and wondered how you got there. Never mind that the boat in the middle of the ocean is being pelted with a raging storm.  Do you continue to scratch your head start asking "why" or maybe at this point start to panic? I don't think any of this is uncommon to the human experience.  However, I have learned a few things in my times at sea; and yes I meant 'times' to be plural for a reason. I think we all go through seasons with the Lord where He leads us into a boat and if we are followers of Him we climb on in, no matter how new in Christ we are.  What happens next is where the difference comes in for me from my earlier walk with Christ and some of my previous storms and this one.  

"And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep." (Matthew 8:24).  The storm arose, we are not promised that one will not, but the previous verse shows that Jesus got into the boat first. So, but can rest in the knowledge that when the storm comes we will not be alone.  But here is the key difference that I want to point out that made all the difference in my storm this time, "But He was asleep." I think in much of my early walk with Christ He was asleep in me.  I knew He was supposed to be alive in me but I didn't always live like it.  This time, I am referring to the storm of my father's cancer and subsequent death, I knew Christ was alive in me and it made all the difference.

Instead of my plea to the Lord being like that of the disciples, "Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!'"(Matthew 8:25), I was able to come to the Lord with another kind of prayer. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7).

I have to be honest, the Lord took me to a new level through this time and showed me a new fear and anxiety that resided deep within that I did not realize was there. "O Lord, You have searched me and known me." (Psalm 139:1).  He searched my heart just liked the disciples. "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." (Matthew 8:26).  And when He had given me the answer to my fear and anxiety, He gave me victory and peace over it.

When the disciples witnessed Jesus calming the wind and sea they were astonished.  "So the men marveled, saying, 'Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" (Matthew 8:27).  

Like the disciples, I am amazed and awe-struck at the awesomeness of my God every time He calms a storm in my life. Not because I wonder who He is, but because I know who He is.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

 

Hope

"... for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5b (NKJV)

Coming face to face with separation anxiety has to be one of the more deeply painful experiences I can share with you.  Logically, I can tell you why this anxiety makes its presence known in my mind.  But emotionally I continue to find myself sucker-punched when I least expect it.  

My father has Stage 4 lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain.  While dealing with his doctors and nurses and all of the day to day issues of life and dying, I began to eat and sleep less than my body required. 

"The peace of God, which passeth all understanding..."(Philippians 4:7) had kept my heart and mind through Christ Jesus and carried me through these past several months.  But when my sisters and I went to pre-plan funeral arrangements for my father I began to lose a battle in my mind that I didn't realize was being waged. As a result my mind went to a dark place worrying about everyone I care about and love. 

Thoughts of each person raced through my mind and fear set in as I began to worry that my loved ones were going to leave.  Now, realistically I understood my father was ill and when it is God's time, my father will exchange his earthly body for an eternal one and take up residence in Heaven.  But I couldn't understand why I started to fear the loss of everyone. This fear of loss continued to spiral until that is all I could see.

After help from friends and family and a team of doctors, nurses and pastors, I was finally able to identify the source of my anxiety. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) and it is with this knowledge that God carried me through the battle of my mind.  

Ever feel cold with the sun on your face?

Ever feel alone in a crowded place?

Ever feel ashamed for a part of your past?

Ever feel like the dye's been cast?

When you find yourself there

And you are haunted by your cares.

Remember, you've got to carry on,

It's always darkest before dawn.

So when the day breaks anew

You will see the Son shining through.

And then you will know

You are never alone.

Feeling Anxious?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23, 24 (NKJV)

“It’s OK to be afraid. It’s not OK to be afraid and disobedient.” - Chip Ingram

What is God asking you to do?  Preach?  Go into the world and teach?  Pray?  Serve a specific group of His children?  Feed the hungry?  Clothe the needy?  Give?  Love the unlovely?  Are you obediently answering His call or are you afraid you lack the necessary qualifications?  Are you allowing feelings of insecurity keep you from doing the work God has gifted you to do?  

If you allow anxieties to control your actions, you may tend to tread cautiously, if you take any action at all.  This lack of boldness in activity highlights a lack of faith.  ^"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).  It is with this knowledge that you can confidently face your fears and take steps of obedience.

Peace

 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” - 1 Peter 3:15

     While waiting to pick up my daughter from school one day, I had the opportunity to visit with one of her teachers.  During our conversation, she very passionately brought up the topic of the economy and asked me how I felt about it.  I told her that if I were to listen to the media reports I would be nervous; but that I was not.  Puzzled, she asked why not.

     Immediately the Holy Spirit brought to mind Matthew 6:31,“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”

     “I have peace.” I replied and then continued to tell her “the Bible says that we are to take no thought about what to eat or what to drink or what to wear.”    

     She quickly changed the subject back to the state of the economy but the Lord reminded me of the verse found in Philippians 4:7, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” which is why I had a ready answer for her question on the economy.