Protection and Training in the Fortress

   “But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge” (Ps.94.22).

   This past week I spent my time at a camp called Camp YoliJwa. I have been going to this camp for over 15 years of my life. It is a great place where you can have fun and learn about God. Each year they choose a theme for camp that summer. This year the theme was Fortress.

   While I was a camper I looked forward to camp. It began to become a place of retreat for me. See, in the past at camp you did not have cell service so when you went there it was easy to focus on your relationships with others and God. When I was at camp I did not have to think about the outside world and it became a place of retreat where I could reconnect with friends and grow in God.

   When I was told that the theme for camp this year would be fortress I was excited. Camp really is like a fortress. It is a safe place where you can be yourself and learn about God. A fortress is: “a large, strong building or group of buildings that can be defended from attack” (Cambridge Dictionary). Camp is a great place to defend yourself against attacks. You go there to relax, have fun, and learn more about God so you can defend yourself against the Devil.

   The problem is that eventually camp ends. You need to leave the fortress and go out to battle with the enemy. That was always a difficult thing for me to do. While at camp, you do not need to worry if people like you, what food you will eat (because the food is awesome there), where you will sleep, or about anything really. Then, when you left, you were thrown back into the real world where you could get hurt and had lots of worries.

   Here’s the thing about fortresses: they are great for learning and defending but if you stay in them you will not gain any more land or you could even starve (if you ran out of food). Fortresses could become your comfort zone. All the training in the world does you no good if you do not use it. That is why camp is great because it trains you and then sends you back out to do the work of God. If you did not have a fortress in the first place, whether it is Camp YoliJwa or someplace else, then you would not have the proper training to defend yourself against Satan.

  Fortresses are vital for training and it is important to have good instructors but you need to go out and spread the good news of the Gospel as we are called to do in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). It is also important to remember that God is our fortress and he is always with us.

   So, do you have a fortress where you can train and learn more about God? If you have a hard time leaving your fortress/comfort zone what can you do to get outside it? How can you use your training to spread the good news of the Gospel today?

   Image from here.

A Compliment a Day

   Okay, if you know me or if you have read my blogs you probably know that I like teaching and working with kids. What you may not know is that I also like animals, specifically dogs. I have a dog named Yoyo. He is a Pomeranian-sheltie. He is spoiled rotten, even if he is bad, but most dog owners would probably guess that.
   Yoyo is super cute. Because of that fact, he hears he is cute every day. It may not even be from his family. We could be out on a walk and random people will say "your dog is so cute!"
   I'm not complaining about this at all. I love my dog, and he is cute. What I am wondering is why we like complimenting dogs and animals so much more than humans? I mean, I could go a whole day, even a whole week, without receiving a compliment. Yet, animals get compliments all the time. I love animals, but sometimes I feel we put them ahead of people.
   Why do we do that? I think it may have something to do with the fact that we work with people every day and we can actually communicate with them. But I also think it may have something to do with the way we were brought up/our differences. Some of us don't need positive reinforcement in words to feel good. Those people may not give compliments as much. But, I am sure that, even if your love language is not words of affirmation, you still don't mind getting a compliment.
   Why should we give compliments? One reason is because it shows others that we care and we love them. Another reason is that it is scientifically proven that, if you receive a compliment and give a compliment, you will be happier. Plus, in the Bible we are called to build each other up.
How can we give others compliments when it is hard or we are not good at it? Start off small: choose a specific time each day to give someone a compliment. If you forget easily, set an alarm on your phone. At that time either give someone a compliment in person, in a note, call them, or text them. Then you can keep adding to that until it comes naturally.
   What shouldn’t we do when giving compliments? Please don't make it an empty compliment like: "Oh you are so nice. Your shirt looks good." Add some substance so that person knows you truly care. You could say something like: "I really like how you sacrifice your time by making coffee for everyone every day. It brightens the workplace. I also like your cross necklace. It helps me remember to think about Jesus." This kind of compliment tells someone to keep up the good work and encourages them to work harder.
   So, do you need to give others more positive feedback? How can you get better at giving compliments? Who can you give a compliment to today?

   1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 4:29

Faith of a Father

   Imagine you are a father. You have a son whom you love dearly. You work hard to teach your son the ways of God and teach him the ways to make a living. Then, one day, the unthinkable happens. God tells you to sacrifice your son to Him. What are you thinking about at this point?
   More than likely you are thinking what Abraham was thinking, because, this did happen to Abraham. He was called by God to sacrifice his son. God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation. Yet, God was telling Abraham to kill the way that Abraham thought he would receive the promise.
   If you were in Abraham's situation, what would you do? I am sure you would want to cry out to God and wonder why? You may even think I'm not giving up my son. How can a loving God even ask me to do that? The answer is God was testing Abraham.
   Throughout Abraham's life he chose to do what he thought was right in order to preserve himself. He did not always follow what God wanted him to do. God had to be sure that Abraham finally trusted Him enough to give up everything in order to follow Him.
   Would you have had the faith Abraham had? Will you choose to trust God when tests and trials come?

   Genesis 22, James 1:12, Romans 12:12

   Image from here. 

A Verse a Day

   Have you ever just had a certain amount of time where things don’t seem to be going your way? It could be a week, month, or a year; it doesn’t really matter how long it just seems like it will never end. You may be wondering “where is God? Doesn’t he care? Why doesn’t he answer me?” To those questions we could just do the typical quote “everything happens for a reason,” which it does. Or, we could quote God’s Not Dead 2 “When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember the teacher is always quiet during the test.” I don’t know about you but sometimes those answers just are not good enough.

   I am a Christian. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church my whole life, and I now teach children to love Christ. I know the typical answers to suffering. Suffering helps us grow, you just need to have faith in God’s plan, this is happening for a reason, etc. I have played those answers over and over on repeat in my mind. But, I still wonder: where is God? Why do the people who obey his commandments get burned and others get off scotch free?

   During one of these episodes when I was wondering if God even cared and where he was my phone buzzed. I have the YouVersion Bible app on my phone. Each day the app has a verse of the day that it sends to your phone. Most of the time I just read the verse and moved on. However, one week when I was going through a time where I wondered where God was I got a week of answers from this app.

   The week started off with this verse: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom.8.18). When I got that verse I hoped that it was true. Now, I know the verse is true because if I did not I would not be a Christian. At that point I was really low and not sure if I could go on. I decided that day that I would focus on that verse that day and remember that eventually all the pain would go away.
   The next day I was feeling a little better but I still was far from okay. Then I received this verse: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isa.43.2). I had felt so alone for so long. This verse reminded me that God is with me no matter what I am going through. And, God has already defeated what I was going through.
   Okay, at this point I was getting back to my normal self but, if you are an over thinker like me you know this, I had doubts and still was upset about what happened to me. The next verse came on my phone: “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord" (Isa.54.17). At that point I was speechless; this verse went along well with what I was going through. People had falsely accused me of something. People had judged me before they got to know me. I was hurt and broken. This verse reminded me that just because that happened life was not over. In the end God wins.

   Now, my ordeal was over the course of a year. During that year I was upset and offended by the people who had wronged me. That doesn’t seem like it would be that bad except not forgiving others is a sin. The next verse on my phone confirmed that: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John.1.9). I realized I had to let go of my unforgiving attitude. I had to release these people so I confessed my unforgiving attitude to God.
   I was beginning to finally move on. But, I was still confused about why I had to go through what I went through. Cue the verse of the day: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” (Rom.5.3-4). I knew this verse, it is one of the reasons why I believe everything happens for a reason, but God knew I just needed this reminder that suffering helps us grow.
   Things seemed to be going well. I had forgiven and was starting to get over what happened to me. Then this verse came to my phone: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Mat.5.44). I had forgiven those who wronged me, I had. But, God was calling me to take it a step further. I had to pray for those who wronged me. I knew some of the things the people who hurt me were going through. I knew they had hard times too. In order to show my love to them I prayed for the situations they were going through.
   I felt so much better. Then I got another verse: “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Col.3.13). I did not understand this one. I thought I had forgiven everyone who wronged me. I searched my heart and I realized that I had not forgiven myself. I did my best in the situation but I began to hate myself over what happened. I felt like a failure. I had to let go of what happened, forgive myself for the thoughts I had about myself, and give it to God.
   And so we come full circle. I had a week of verses that touched me personally. But, God had a bonus for me: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (Jam.1.17). I had lost a lot because of this situation. It had been a long time since I felt like I had a gift come. But, that verse reminded me that each day is a gift. I may not know what God has for me next but I know that he gives me little gifts every day, even if it doesn’t feel like it some days. God was speaking to me; just not in the way I expected, go figure. He is speaking to you too. Are you listening?

   "A verse a day keeps you following His way" (Kaitlyn Scheuing). 
   Image from here.

Going Out With JOY!

“You shall go out with joy

And be let forth with peace,

And the mountains and the hills

Will break forth before you.

There'll be shouts of joy

And the trees of the fields

Will clap, will clap their hands.

And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,

And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,

And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,

While you go out with joy.”

   Have you ever had to leave somewhere? Maybe you had to move somewhere, left a job, or maybe you just left on vacation. We have all had to leave someone, some place, or something. When leaving somewhere we all have different emotions. You may feel sad, happy, or even angry. Here’s the thing: you choose how you leave.

   If you know me you know I am all about having a good attitude. However, it is not easy to always have a good attitude. It is especially difficult to have a good attitude when things don’t go the way you planned. The key words in that sentence are “the way you planned.” In America we are really good at making plans. We are not the master of our lives God is. Proverbs 16:9 says “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” God has great plans for us. His plan will come about one way or another. We could choose to follow his plan kicking and screaming, but is that the example we want to send to others? Do we want others to look at us and say “he calls himself a Christian and yet he has a bad attitude?”

   I do not know about you but I would rather have people look at me and wonder how I can leave somewhere joyfully when I have every right to be upset. My prayer is that wherever I go and wherever I leave I go with God. I would rather walk beside him, where he wants me to go, than walk alone. Not only that but I want to go out with joy because that is what we are called to do (Isaiah 55:12).

   So, when you leave somewhere what will your attitude be? Will you choose to follow God no matter what? Will you walk beside God and trust in him?

   Isaiah 55:12, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:5-6

   Image from here. 

   Link for Trees of the Field song.

Letting Your Light Shine

   If you grew up in the church you probably remember hearing songs like "Arky, Arky," "Father Abraham," and many more. While I was in college I sang one of the songs I learned when I was young. Before every soccer game the team would get together and sing different songs.
   One song we would sing was an upbeat version of "This Little Light of Mine." In the song we are told to "let our light shine," "hide it under a bushel no," and "don't let Satan blow it out." 
   When we are young it is easy to let out light shine. We have new faith and we don't really care what others think of us. As we get older we may feel like others in the world don't believe in God as we may hide our faith. Then when we become stronger in our faith we don't want to hide it but it seems like the world wants to snuff out our light. How can we let out light shine when it is hard?
   When friends want you to get drunk but you want to fit in... does your light shine? When someone constantly criticizes you and you feel sukkerpunched... does your light shine? When someone takes credit for your hard work... does your light shine?
   It is not easy to let your light shine especially in today's world. But there are a few steps we can take to make sure our lights continue to shine. 

   1. Trust in God. Being a Christian is far from easy. In fact we are told we will be hated by the world (Mat.10.22). But, unlike non-believers, when things go wrong we have someone to lean on (Pro.3.5-6). We also know that God makes all things happen according to his purpose (Rom.8.28). If we did not believe all this then we may not have the faith we think we have and we are not doing enough of step 2.
   2. Pray and spend time with God. When things get hard, or even when things are easy, we constantly need to be in prayer with God. If you don't spend time with a friend for a while how will you continue to know him/her or have someone to confide in? God is a great confidante. He loves you no matter what and he wants you to grow in him. The only way you can grow in him is by spending time with him and in his word. If we do not do this then our light is definitely in danger of being snuffed out.
   3. Fix your eyes on him. Finally, when all else fails and you think you can't go on. When you feel like your light is about to go out, get on your knees and fix your eyes on him. There's a saying that goes: "God will never give you more than you can take." I respectfully disagree (just look at Job). God will never give you more than he can take through you. His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor.12.9). When you get to the top of this hard mountain climb, past all of the problems you have, you will be stronger because of them.
   We have a choice. We can choose to keep fighting the good fight and let our lights shine; or, we can conform to the ways of the world and give up. 
   So, will you choose to trust in God no matter what happens? Will you spend time with him to grow in him? Will you fix your eyes on him no matter what happens? Will you choose to let your light shine?

   Image from here.