Doubt : Winning the Struggle with Doubt

James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Doubt can lead to anxiety, frustration, and fear. All of those emotions can short-circuit our faith. A nagging sense of insecurity can come from a variety of sources:

First, uncertainties can develop from a lack of knowledge about God’s character, confusion regarding His promises, or a misunderstanding of His plans.

Second, insecurity can result from the presence of sin in our lives. Sin may prompt us to question biblical truth in an attempt to justify our actions.

Third, focusing on circumstances instead of the Lord’s sufficiency can drain away our hope and joy.

Fourth, insecurity can be caused by past failures which can result on a more pessimistic outlook on life.

Finally, other people’s criticism can also make us feel insecure. Whatever the cause, when we’re overwhelmed with doubt, our usefulness to God is limited.

Believers’ fears are a tool of the Enemy. Satan will often add his own words to increase our negative thinking. He reminds us of past mistakes and seemingly unanswered prayers. His age-old technique of questioning God’s direction makes us wonder if we truly know the Lord’s will. As the Father of Lies, Satan tries to twist the truth to serve his purposes.

When doubts surface, confess them as sin. Remember other times you trusted God and His faithfulness, and meditate on His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide you into truth so you can overcome.

Doubt doesn’t fit who we are as children of God. We are permanently adopted into His family, heirs, and co-heirs with His Son, Jesus. As believers, our character is defined when we walk in step with God.

Don’t Send Me to Africa By Lysa TerKeurst

Don’t Send Me to Africa
By Lysa TerKeurst

2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

Since I was a little girl, I’ve had a heart for the people of Africa . To be honest though, I didn’t want to be a missionary who lived in a hut, ate grubs fried on an open flame, and wore tribal headdresses. So, while I prayed for the people of Africa , I would always throw in, “But Lord don’t send me.” I can just imagine God smiling and looking back at me saying, “Really Princess? You don’t want to go to Africa …fine. Then I’ll send Africa to you.”

And that’s exactly what He did. One night while attending a concert by the Liberian Boys Choir, God clearly spoke to my heart and told me that two of those boys were mine. I tried to ignore Him, but to no avail. At the end of the concert, two of the boys walked straight up to me, wrapped their arms around me, and called me, “Mom” After months of prayer and piles of paperwork, we went to pick up our two sons, Mark and Jackson…Africa had come to our home.

No longer was the plight of the starving orphans in Africa a nameless face on TV, they were precious children who deserved a second chance. Not only did we think so, but also the people of my church soon felt moved to also adopt children from Liberia . Today, as I walk up to church on Sunday mornings I am always moved by the precious sight I see. A little white hand holding a little black hand, a brother and sister skipping and laughing together! And something in my heart just knows this is the way it’s supposed to be.

This is the way the body of Christ is supposed to work. God speaks, we listen, He confirms, we obey, and He gives us the strength to do amazing things. I love the verse, 2 Chronicles 16:9, because it brings a picture to my mind of God standing in front of a crowd of people asking, “Who is willing to do an amazing assignment for me?”

Many shrug away and make excuses. But one little girl jumps up and in complete abandon says, “Me Lord! Me! Pick me! I am willing!” Then God smiles, scoops her up, brings her into his loving embrace, and whispers back, “Well done my child…I am so pleased. You have made the good choice. I will give you the strength to do this. Do not be afraid, I will be with you.”

Dear Lord, let me always be that little girl with the up-stretched arm and obedient heart. God give me the wisdom to know Your voice and the courage to say "yes" to whatever You ask of me. My greatest desire is to walk with You all the days of my life. I don’t want to settle for the good life. I want the great life, where I live the adventure You created my soul to live.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

May you dance like no one is watching

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance." => God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance... Dance to Inspire, Inspire to Dance : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ALtIwy77RU&eurl=

1 Cor 13:7 Love believes all things

God hasn't given up on you.
He hasn't turned away.
He hasn't walked out.
He could have.
Others would have.
But He hasn't.
God believes in you.
And I wonder...
Could you take some of that belief that He has in you and share it with someone else?
Could you believe in someone?

The power in the words you say...

God Makes Everything Work Together For Good

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

In this verse, “all things” is literally all things — the good, the bad and the ugly! Now, it does not mean that all things are from God. Some things, such as accidents, sicknesses, broken relationships and divorces are not from God. They are from the devil or just part of the fallen world that we live in. What this verse does tell us is that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”. That is our inheritance as God’s beloved children.

Do the people of the world have this inheritance? No. When bad things happen to them, they are what they are — bad things. But when bad things happen to the children of God, it does not end there. God can make those bad things work together for good. In other words, the devil may throw lemons at you, but God can take those lemons and make refreshing lemonade for you!

It is important that you remember that God is not behind anything that is bad and ugly. But when those things happen, know that He is able to make all things work together for good. And don’t let anyone tell you that all things will work together for good only if you love God and are called according to His purpose. These two things are not conditions but descriptions of believers. Believers are those who love God because they know that God first loved them. (1 John 4:19) And they are called according to His purpose for they have been born again.

And because you have been born again, all things in your life will work together for good. This is your inheritance as a beloved child of God!

Pray In The Spirit

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

When you are faced with a crisis, you can tell the Holy Spirit, “I don’t know how to pray about this problem. I have done everything I know, but I don’t seem to be getting my breakthrough. Help me pray, Holy Spirit.”

And as you pray in the Spirit, you will feel like there is a prayer going on within you. Flow with it until you feel a release. You will feel the burden lift, and peace and a note of victory inside you. The Holy Spirit will assure you that everything is going to be all right or He will prompt you to do something. Then, you will find that what has been hindering you from receiving your breakthrough is removed, and in its place is the answer that you need!

Sin Cannot Stop God's Grace

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

When a top executive is caught for embezzlement or a church minister is involved in an illicit affair, you will often hear the phrase “fallen from grace”. We have come to believe that when someone falls into sin, he falls from grace.

But God wants us to want know that when someone falls into sin, he does not fall from grace. He actually falls into grace! And God’s grace is there to put him back on his feet.

The Bible tells of prostitutes and tax-collectors — sinners — who fell into God’s grace and got back on their feet. If the sin in their lives could stop God’s grace, they would never have been able to receive His grace of healing, help and power.

Now, it is important you understand that God hates sin because it destroys our lives, relationships and bodies. Sin is evil! But it is not overcome by us talking about sin and relying on our willpower. It takes the grace of God to destroy sin. In fact, it is when you are under His grace that sin has no dominion over you. (Romans 6:14) It is when you see His grace in providing His Son to put away your sins and make you forever righteous that sin will not dominate you.

The devil will say to you, “You think that you can still expect God’s blessings after what you did this morning?” That is when you must say, “Yes, what I did was wrong. And it is because I am imperfect that Christ is my righteousness and perfection. It is because I am undeserving that I plead only the grace of God, which is His unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour towards me.”
Sin does not and cannot stop God’s grace. If the grace of God can be cut off by sin, Jesus would never have come to save us because we were all sinners. But praise God, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”!

See how God’s grace is bigger, stronger and more powerful than your sins. Receive His grace right now to walk in victory over that weakness or sin in your life, and in every area of your life!