Do Not Fear
31 Aug 2009 8 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: Catherine Barron, daily chronic pain illness devotionals, daily meditations, hopekeepers, invisible illness, rest ministries
“But even if you suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But 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.” I Peter 3: 14-15
Boy did I need this today. What was most noticeable about this verse is what it doesn’t say. It does not say set apart “fear” as Lord, nor does it say set apart “anxiety” as Lord. It is very clear to say set apart Christ as Lord.
I hate to even admit this but I worry a lot. Honestly you would think I did not know God at all. Yet all I have to do is look back over my life to know there is not one circumstance that God hasn’t used for my good so why do I entertain these thoughts?
Do not fear what they fear is really a command. They I am sure are those who do not know our Lord and Savior. And what do “they” fear? Is it the unknown? Is that what I fear too? What is going to happen and will I be able to cope with it? Psalm 139:16 says “All the days for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
But unfortunately my one track mind though goes to worry like the truck tire that constantly finds that one deep rut in the back county dirt road. But seriously what could possible happen to me that God has not already seen and made a plan for? Nothing! I think God is not just telling me to avoid this track but to travel a whole new road. I can ask Him to make this verse real in my heart and then by faith believe that He is. This added with the wonderful assurance that God is for me not against me; I could possibly retire the panic button permanently. That truly is the blessing and the hope we have in Him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Barron lives in Sheridan, MT and is semi retired. She enjoys writing and her new found hobby photography although the word of God will always to be her first love. She considers her illness a formidable teacher.
Have You Ever…
30 Aug 2009 3 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: alone, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Atrial Fibrillation, Celiac Sprue, chronic, deni weber, help, hope, hopekeepers, illness, pain, rest ministries, trouble
From Psalm 31, (NIV)
Some people view the Bible as an old “dead” book with no relevance today. Psalm 31 is a petition from David to the Lord. It speaks to us today.
Do you ever feel that no one knows your pain? That no one cares?
Psalm 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
Do you ever feel that you have no one to go to with the challenges you face?
v. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.
Have you ever felt that your body was in active rebellion and that there was no one to understand?
v. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Have you ever felt forsaken?
v. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
Have you ever felt there is nowhere to turn and no one to trust?
v. 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
Have you ever felt your life is just a random event?
v. 15 My times are in your hands;
Have you ever wondered who or what can save you?
v. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Have you ever cried for help yet felt far away from God?
v. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
Have you ever wondered where can you place your hope?
v. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
Prayer: Father God, Your Word is amazing. When the world fails us – You are there. When we are challenged beyond what we feel we can take. You are there. When we need a place of refuge. You are there. Thank you for Your understanding, Your promises, and Your unfailing love. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
deni believes that the only true way to deal with chronic pain and chronic illness is to bring them to the feet of her Lord and Savior. Her multiple illnesses (Celiac Sprue, Atrial Fibrillation, Ankylosing Spondylitis, to name a few) have taught her many things about herself and her Christian walk. It is her fondest prayer that some of her lessons might be helpful to others as they walk the path of chronic illness. deni can be reached at denipath4change@yahoo.com. Her website is http://www.pathwaysforchange.com .
How Big Is God?
26 Aug 2009 3 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: chronic, comfort, confusion, Fiona Burrows, hopekeepers, illness, pain, rest ministries
“Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. (Psalm 104:1 NIV)
Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes we wonder what is going on. The only thing that seems to remain constant in my life is God.
Our brains can never seem to sort things out and understand even the things that happen to us and around us on a daily basis – but God is able to see the big picture, in fact He sees it all before it even happens, so He always understands.
In a week where I had much greater pain than I have normally, needed extra treatment for that, found that I have a rash all over my body that is probably a reaction to medication, been back to the Doctor, had some more tests and changed the medication, I could be fed up and just wonder if anyone knows what they are doing. That would probably be a very human reaction, but instead I am trusting God, believing that He has my best interests at heart.
A God who understands what I am going through, how I feel about it – and loves me, even when my reaction to things is not so great, is a awesome God and certainly one I can continue to trust for both the big things in my life and the little everyday hassles that come and go.
I woke this morning with the words of a song I sang some years ago entitled “How Big Is God?” going round and round in my head. It seemed so appropriate.
How big is God?
How big and wide His vast domain?
To try to tell, these lips can only start.
He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe,
Yet small enough to live within my heart.*
What a comfort it is to know that God is big enough to have to have made and planned our world, yet He is not distant, He promises to be with us every minute of every day.
* Stuart Hamblen – Hamblen Music Co.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She still has ups and downs, but is comforted that God is bigger than any problem she might face as she lives with chronic pain.
Hearing God
23 Aug 2009 4 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: chronic, daily, Fiona Burrows, guidance, hopekeepers, illness, pain, prayer, rest ministries
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (I Kings 19:11-13 NIV)
God spoke to Elijah in a small quiet voice, not in the loud crashing sounds around him at the time. We need to be actively listening to hear what God wants to say to us – He uses many forms to get His messages to us.
I think many people expect God to get His message across to them with a bolt of lightning, or a booming voice that they can’t ignore. Certainly there are stories in the scriptures of people who did hear God’s voice that way, but for most of us, God gets his message to us in more subtle ways.
Do you even consider the impact of the lines of a song that stay in your mind long after the music has stopped? I’ve wondered if artists consider which song to place last on their CD’s, as the message they leave hanging in the stillness when the music has stopped. Do you come home from church with the lines of a hymn or song still ringing in your ears? A simple phrase that draws you back to the message of the song, or even the preached words from that service.
Sometimes, God speaks to me through my pain, not always a message I want to hear, but one I still need to be alert to, and alert to what He is teaching me through it. I want to be open to whatever way God wants to communicate with me, I don’t want to miss it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia and is learning to be grateful for the lessons God is teaching her, through more than 20 years of chronic pain.
Choose The Good Life
19 Aug 2009 4 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: chronic, complain, daily, hopekeepers, illness, joy, pain, patricia armstrong, peripheral neuropathy, rest ministries, trouble
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18 NIV)
It is very easy for us to become so serious in our illnesses that we lose sight of simple pleasures and enjoyment. We can actually make things harder than they are at times. It is harmful to our mental well being to always see the cup of life half empty; we must remember it is also half full and hold on to that reality.
Anyone can complain of their troubles and bad circumstances—yet there are those enigmatic people who have endured things such as the Nazi concentration camps and are still able to say life and God are good. So there has to be something here that carries us in joy beyond our sufferings and trials, that brings joy in the morning after the darkest of nights.
Life is good and God is good. We can choose to see that or not…the choice is up to us. We can also only fixate on our problem times. We can exclude the moments of peace and rest or we can admit that though there are hard times that can take us in circles, we can still appreciate those quiet peace-filled moments. Enjoy the story of a far away place. Savor this meal. Take joy in the soft caress of a loved one. Mostly though be filled with God’s power even in our weakness.
“Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. (Job 22:26)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for the blessings in our lives. Help us never to let pain and trials get in the way of knowing a and ppreciating your blessings. Thank you, Lord, especially for the blessing of knowing that You will never leave us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia Armstrong lives in Va Beach, Va, and Harrisonburg, Va.(beautiful Shenandoah Valley). She is a retired teacher and enjoys volunteer work in her church and community. Patricia deals with constant pain from peripheral neuropathy but finds strength in knowing God is always present.
Lead The Way, Lord
16 Aug 2009 8 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: chronic, daily, guide, help, hope, hopekeepers, illness, lead, lynn severance, pain, rest ministries, trust
“Show me your ways, O Lord , teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV)
I remember as a child learning to ride a bicycle. There were training wheels to help me establish balance and to provide confidence driving this new vehicle. I felt so grown up on the day they were taken away and my solo journey with biking began. Ah, these were countless days of joy – a kind of freedom. I was alone in the driver’s seat and all I needed were the directions to my destination and off I would go. Then, my path took a turn dramatically when diagnosed with chronic illness.
I can no longer participate in solo cycling, but my cycling days are not over. I have had to allow God to be in the driver’s seat and to do the peddling. I definitely know I’m on the bicycle. I choose to ride in tandem with him and his plans. He can show me the way because he is the Way. He can teach me as we travel together, because he is the Truth. He helps me accept the journey’s twists and turns and the things I simply cannot understand. He asks me to trust that he has the directions to get me to the destinations he has in mind.
If I am alert, I learn along the way. He is ever with me to help. He is my hope when the trip seems too long. We can stop, rest and get refreshed in our fellowship. When I am ready for the unknown miles that stretch out ahead, we get back on the bicycle and we continue onward. Yes, there are two wheels, one for him and one for me. Every so often he lets me help with the peddling, but he is in charge of the steering. As he grasps the handlebars I hold onto him! With him leading the way I know I am safe in his care.
Prayer: Lord, you help me stay balanced as you guide me in the ways you want me to go. Continue helping me to trust in your leading. It will never fail me. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Severance is a retired elementary classroom teacher. She lives in Lynnwood, Washington. She writes to encourage others as God has encouraged her during 26 years of living with daily physical challenges.
A Shield About Me
12 Aug 2009 5 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: Ankylosing Spondylitis, Atrial Fibrillation, Celiac Sprue, chronic, cry, daily, deni, hopekeepers, illness, pain, rest ministries, sleep
I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. (Psalm 3: 4 -5 NIV)
I don’t like nighttime. It’s for an odd reason. I know that when I go to sleep I will have outlandish dreams (medication induced we have figured out) and I will wake up hurting. Mornings are roughest one me it seems. It can take hours to convince my uncooperative body to wake up and start moving. As the day wears on, I fare better. Sometimes, by nightfall, I am feeling almost ok (for me that is!) Then I realize – I will need to go to sleep and start all over again.
There have been times when I wished I simply didn’t need to go to sleep. It was during one of these times when I read the verse above. I had not thought of God watching over me as I slept – that He is the one sustaining me.
I never cease to be amazed by Scripture. Verse 3 in this Psalm reads:
“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (vs 3)
I realize I need to take the focus off of the nighttime, off of the dreams, off of the morning to come. Do I go to God with my fears each night? To be honest – no. I often try to face them alone. Oh, but I do not have to do that!
I can cry out to Him and be assured of an answer. I can lie down and sleep, knowing that He sustains me. He is my shield. And in the morning, it is He who will lift my head to face the new day, whatever it may bring.
Prayer: Father God, Thank you that you show me when and how I need to change my focus. It is amazes me that you so accurately address my fears. You understand my needs before I am even aware of them, and provide an answer for each and every one. I praise you for Your words to me. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
deni believes that the only true way to deal with chronic pain and chronic illness is to bring them to the feet of her Lord and Savior. Her multiple illnesses (Celiac Sprue, Atrial Fibrillation, Ankylosing Spondylitis, to name a few) have taught her many things about herself and her Christian walk. It is her fondest prayer that some of her words might be encouraging to others as they walk the path of chronic illness. deni can be reached at denipath4change@yahoo.com. Her webpage is http://www.pathwaysforchange.com/Encouragement
Hope
09 Aug 2009 5 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: Ankylosing Spondylitis, Atrial Fibrillation, Celiac Sprue, chronic, deni webber, hope, hopekeepers, illness, pain, prayer, rest ministries
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. “ (Psalm 27:13-14 New International Version)
Some days what I need more than anything else is hope. I need to know I will see the goodness of the Lord in THIS world. Often it feels so far away.
Today, beloved – I offer you hope.
It is hard to be told to wait, to be strong, to take heart. But some days that is what we must do.
Some folks think that God doesn’t hear us – or doesn’t answer. It’s my belief that God always answers: Sometimes “yes”, sometimes “no”, and maybe hardest of all “wait.”
Yet the Psalmist was confident that at some point He would again see the goodness of God. He doesn’t know when. He doesn’t know how. However, he holds on to the hope – a confident hope – that God will answer. The Psalmist’s job – to wait – be strong – and take heart.
For those of us with chronic illnesses – God offers us hope. It takes courage and endurance to hold on to that hope. We must be strong when we feel weak. Yet God promises to give us that strength. We must take heart. We have the witnesses of those who have gone before us. We have God’s word – His promises to all who believe.
Take heart, dear reader, as impossible as it may seem, God will hold true to His word and we will see the goodness of the Lord, in whatever form it takes, in the land of the living.
Be strong.
Take heart.
Wait.
In this we find our hope.
Prayer: Father God, Thank you for your amazing promises to us. Thank you that you hold out hope when it feels hopeless. I pray each person reading this today can claim your promises and are granted the endurance they need for today – and for each day thereafter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
deni believes that the only true way to deal with chronic pain and chronic illness is to bring them to the feet of her Lord and Savior. Her multiple illnesses (Celiac Sprue, Atrial Fibrillation, Ankylosing Spondylitis, to name a few) have taught her many things about herself and her Christian walk. It is her fondest prayer that some of her words might be encouraging to others as they walk the path of chronic illness. deni can be reached at denipath4change@yahoo.com. Her webpage is http://www.pathwaysforchange.com/Encouragement
What A Heritage!
05 Aug 2009 5 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: blessing, chronic, daily, fibromyalgia, hopekeepers, illness, pain, rest ministries, sandra platt
“How precious are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the sands of the sea. When I am awake I am still with You.” (Psalm 139:17-18 NIV)
Eighteen years ago my husband and I were youngish with two small children; and we were at last ready for the Ministry. We both went to college for 4 years, and he attended Seminary for 5. We had a 5 year old son and a 1 year old daughter when we first had a parsonage and a church. We had a lot on our plate, but Oh! we were excited to be in our first full time church!
Often we would go to a nearby river front park to picnic and spend the afternoon. There was a playground, a walking path, and a river with boats and barges. It was a favorite place to spend an afternoon, and I took a lot of pictures.
Recently we moved back to the area when we were assigned another church nearby. We took a break from unpacking one day and headed to the riverfront park. It was strange to be in the same area 18 years later. My husband and son walked up the hill to see the locks and dam; and my daughter plopped onto the ground next to me…in my wheelchair.
At first it hit me hard, the amount of decline my body experienced. I have had Fibromyalgia for 18 years, but many other health issues have surfaced since then. I held in my hand a photo of my daughter as a toddler sitting under a tree coloring next to her young mother. The difference between that time and now was a big contrast.
But then I thought of all the blessings over the years too. Years of ministry in different churches, friends we have made, many walking closer to the Lord. Now my kids are 20 and 24; they grew up in a parsonage, have seen first hand the many miracles that have occurred. We have never lacked for anything but we have often had our needs met in miraculous ways.
What a heritage! What an Awesome God! We have many years yet in the ministry before retirement. I look forward to see what happens next!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandra Platt is a Minister’s wife and mother of two college aged kids. She is owned and cared for by two spoiled cats. She loves to read, cross stitch, bake and spend time outdoors. Her prayer as she writes is this: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Put On The Armor
02 Aug 2009 2 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: backdepression, Bronlynn Spindler, chronic, fibromyalgia, headaches, hopekeepers, illness, pain, rest ministries, strength
“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13 NIV).
I have struggled with depression off and on for years, sometimes with good cause and other times with no cause – which is even more frustrating. I am in the throes of that depression now.
This summer has been a surprisingly good one for me and I have felt incredibly blessed. Yet the depression has come on with such intensity that I feel I am being smothered by a heavy blanket of oppression. It seems that if Satan cannot attack me through physical pain or circumstances, he robs me of my joy through mental and emotional anguish. Now more than ever, I need the armor of God.
God’s armor is extremely important for my daily protection. The belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit – God’s Word – help me combat the lies of the enemy, who tells me I can’t handle things and life is hopeless. The breastplate of righteousness protects me from the fiery darts of Satan – again his countless lies. The helmet of salvation is vital to my thought life. Looking behind at my former life or to the sides at the lives of others, I become discouraged or envious. I must keep my eyes fixed on Christ only. My feet need to be shod with the gospel of peace, rather than being fearful, worried, and despairing, remembering that God and his Word are more powerful than any attacks of Satan.
Suits of armor from the middle ages were made of strong materiel to withstand intense battle. If I have to deal with depression for the rest of this earthly life, God’s armor will be strong enough to protect me through it all, if I will but put it on, stand up, and stand firm.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be strong in you and your mighty power today. Remind me that greater are You who is in me, than he who is in the world (I John 4:4). Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bronlynn Spindler is a wife and mother of three grown daughters and lives in Fredericksburg, VA. God’s grace and strength give her the ability to deal with chronic back pain, depression, headaches, and fibromyalgia. You may contact her at spindler@cox.net.
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