My Answer

I have not posted in several days, and I'm missing it. My goal when I started this blog was to write about my daily walk with God. I pray over it before I post. Some days I sit down to write, and even though I know the Lord is working in my life, He doesn't give me a word to share. So I wait. It seems every day that my blog title "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord" has also become a way of life for me. I wait for a word, a sign, a still, small voice to lead me. I'm not sure the purpose of this post today, but it is what I am being led to write.
I have a couple of different verses on my heart today. I hope by the end of this I will understand too.
1 Peter 3:15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
This verse has come up several times for me lately. I have a Daily Blessing on my blog that updates daily from another site I visit. This particular verse has come up 2 times in the last week, and I feel I'm supposed to give an answer today, for someone.
My life is pretty good. I have a couple of issues on my heart, pretty serious as they involve my immediate family, but all in all my life is good. God has seen to that. Not the case several years ago. I can remember a time when I prayed for death. I had no hope. I had a bleak and terrible view of what the future held for me. There were several things going on and I felt like I had no control over my life. The only way I knew to make the pain stop was by death. I'm not so proud of the girl I was back then. I tried to take my own life. I found out how valuable to others I really was, and how selfish I was being. I took drastic steps to get myself well. It is still humiliating for me to even think about that time in my life, and it is pretty uncomfortable to even talk about. God answered my prayer of death. It was in this time that I became born again. I asked Jesus into my heart, into my life. There was nothing left. I had nothing left to lose, and only life to gain. Eternal life. It hasnt been easy, but today I can say that when there is nothing left, God is enough. Someone told me recently that the Bible DOES NOT say that God will never give you more than you can handle. He will, because it is in these times of not being able to handle that you are broken and you learn to lean on Him, trust Him, and know that He is God.
I have a heavy heart right now for several people. Some are friends or family, some I dont even know. However, I have been led to pray for these people. A lady from my work died of cancer. I didnt know her, but several people I dont even work with but know pretty well have been affected by it. Two different times yesterday it was brought to my attention. I told one friend that I would be praying for her. I have found in the past that I say this flippantly, and never follow through. I never want to do that again. Her face lit up when I told her that. She was weary and burdened, it showed in her face. Then to see her light up from saying "I will be praying for you", tells me there is a hope. She is expecting me to do so. The best thing we can do for anybody is to pray for them. I know there have been people in my life who have been praying for me. Interceding, petitioning God.
2 Chronicles 7:14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
This is one of my favorite verses. It was one of the first I memorized. It contains a promise of healing! I dont know about you, but that is exciting news to me! There are so many hurting people in the world, people who have no hope. I was one of them! It was not easy to give up my wicked ways, and truth be told, I'm still a work in progress! The good news is that God did hear from Heaven, and HE IS HEALING MY LAND! Yes, there are bumps and deep pits of mourning for all of us, but God is FAITHFUL. Maybe not always in our timing and in our way, for His ways are higher than our ways, and His timing is perfect. I invite you to give Him a chance. Taste and see that the Lord is good! What do you have to lose???