A Picture of Faith

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As I continue to make my way back through the memory verses from Fight Back with Joy, this week brings me to Habakkuk 3:17-18, a difficult couple of verses, but to me, a picture of faith-

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-18, ESV

A person who lives by faith is driven by what he believes and knows is true, not by what he sees.

There will be times when there is no evidence in view- no obvious blessing, fruit, or answer. There will be times when our eyes see lack and perhaps failure.

In these times, faith rejoices anyway. This seems an impossibly hard choice to make- to be joyful in what you know is true about God and from God even if you can’t see it. God blesses this obedient act of faith by providing strength to continue the climb- up and over and through that mountain or high place. Taking joy in the LORD becomes your strength!

This is a powerful PIC-

I don’t have to be overwhelmed by circumstances that seem insurmountable and unchanging in front of me. In the face of those, I can choose to rejoice in the LORD. I can tell Him what makes me glad about Him- what I know is true of Him. This is living by faith. This equips me with strength and enables me to continue the climb- up and over the mountain as surefooted as a deer on the heights.

What things are on your radar today that seem insurmountable?
Will you exercise your faith and take joy in the LORD even with no evidence of activity, answer, or blessing?
Will you go in God’s strength today over the mountain in front of you?

Today, LORD God, help me live on the heights by faith and full of joy!

This Day is Holy

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My daddy celebrated 95 years in May, but it was not the party we had planned. Two and a half weeks before his milestone birthday, he fell and broke his hip. Surgery and a hospital stay followed by rehab has resulted in a detour for him that we never saw coming. It has been a hard stretch in his journey especially now that we see the detour becoming a more permanent and different path.

I’m asking the question today-

What do you do when the detour becomes the road?

It’s not what you planned. It’s harder and out of the way. You didn’t see it coming, but here you are all the same. There doesn’t seem to be a way to redirect or get back to where you were. You’re tired and about out of gas.

I’m in this spot with my dad at the moment. The fall has left him more bound to a wheelchair and in need of long-term care. Many days I feel disoriented and confused. The road is unfamiliar and hard to follow, but I don’t want this hardship to be in vain. I want God to use it- to teach me and grow me up in Him.

And God is faithful- He is teaching me some deep and abiding truths. I asked my dad recently to say the blessing, and he thanked God for being good to him everyday of his life. I haven’t forgotten it- everyday of his life. Really? That includes today.

This is the lesson for me- THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS NOT FOUND IN CIRCUMSTANCES. GOD IS GOOD EVEN WHEN LIFE IS NOT; THEREFORE, I CAN CELEBRATE AND HAVE JOY EVERY DAY!

I needed a little help with this, so I relocated some scriptures that I memorized and prayed over several years back from Margaret Feinberg’s study, Fight Back with Joy. I’ve pulled them out again, and I shared Psalm 16:11 in the last post.

I’m finding Nehemiah 8:10 another powerful word to me-

What a powerful truth!

Even this day is holy to the LORD. God has made it, and He is good. I am challenging myself with two application points- I’m asking God to open my eyes to see at least one good thing to enjoy each day? Instead of dwelling on the stress, I’m reminding myself of the goodness of God. My prayer is that this will produce joy-filled strength to stay the course since the detour has become the road.

Less is More

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Less of my words; more of His to pray-

This is the path that leads to a deep and abundant relationship with God!

I’m jumping back in today feeling God prompting me to find a way to share more PICs– hoping they will lead you to a deeper relationship with God through prayer.

I’m walking through a season with God that is requiring perseverance; there are a lot of days when I feel like I’m running out of steam.

God is reminding me that staying in the Word and praying the Word is the key to staying the course. The good news today is that even in the desert, there is God’s provision of JOY! He promises us that as we stay the course on His path, He is present, and in Him, JOY is abundant.

The Gift of Joy

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As I’ve worked back through the study, Fight Back with Joy by Margaret Feinberg, I have replanted the memory verses from each week in my heart and mind. Memorizing and praying God’s word is a powerful tool that always accomplishes good in those who are trained by it.

The most difficult passage to memorize has been Habakkuk 3:17-18, but the message God has planted in my heart and mind from it is quite powerful-

Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

The word here is that even when circumstances are difficult and there is no evidence of fruit, God’s provision of joy is present because He himself is the reason we are glad. He is the one who has saved us. He is our strength. He leads us over the heights that seem insurmountable before us! Continue reading “The Gift of Joy” →

ThanksLiving

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2020 has been a hard and challenging year. If you’re like me, you may need an intentional reset in your mind and heart in order to know and believe that even the trouble of this year is not enough to negate the goodness and abundance of God.

I’m bringing back a PIC to refocus my mind and perspective on God’s truth-

This is good news- God’s bounty is not defined or confined by the circumstances of any given year!

I’m employing some simple strategies that I found in this beautiful passage from Psalm 92 as a guide for keeping a grateful heart and cultivating a spirit of joy-

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
Psalm 92:1-4 (ESV)

I’m calling it Instructions for ThanksLiving–

1- Spend time daily speaking praise to God; thank Him for His presence and be glad for his work (Psalm 113:2-3, Psalm 50:14-15, Psalm 91:14-16, Isaiah 46:4).
2- Begin and end the day in His presence- pray, pray, pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18).
3- Sing out loud a song of joy. (The old Thanksgiving hymns have made my heart glad, so I’m giving you a video link to help you get started- Let All Things Now Living.)

I pray you will find the practice of ThanksLiving is the best way to reset your perspective so that you believe and see the Bounty of the Lord in the land of the living as Psalm 27:13 promises-

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of living!

Happy ThanksLiving- I’m especially grateful for your presence here at Daily PICs- thanks for reading and praying along with me!
Jean