Be Encouraged with Confidence

There is so much to the story of Lazarus and Jesus. I caught this special glimpse into my own life after reading the story again from John chapter 11 beginning with verse 40.
Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” ⁴¹ So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. ⁴² You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
This prayer showed confidence in who he was in God. You may say well he was God, but he had a lot of persecution coming agianst him. He was human too remember and he had feelings as you and I do too.
As I read this story I thought about myself and how I have not trusted my own thoughts, fear of speaking out my thoughts and being rejected. I didn't want to sound ignorant nor stumble over my words.I trusted God in the small things but not the large things. 
Then I began to recognize how I would answer a question before the person asking could finish it. I also had to make a conscience effort to trust what I was going to say. This was hard for me. Then I had a friend share with me a scripture and said "you can have confidence in who you are because of Christ Jesus' confidence in himself."  Need more explanation? Christ lives in you when you accept his eternal gift of salvation. The word says that apart from God you can do nothing, but with God all things are possible.  I can have confidence that my words coming from my thougths are not stupid, ignornant, or a waste of hot air. My thoughts may be wrong, but they are my thoughts. If I think a thought and know it smells bad, then I need to change that thought, take it captive and refocus on the confidence in Christ I should have.
Have you ever been asked a question, the answer pops in your head, but you lack confidence and don't answer it? You find later that the thought you had was the right answer? This shows lack of confidence.
Wake up-trust yourself or at least trust in Jesus Christ that lives in you.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to Christ. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Having faith of a mustard seed will help you to change the stinking thinking, lack of confidence, and find reassurance in Jesus Christ who lives inside you.
If you find that you have failed in trusting your own thoughts and haven't answered because you lack that confidence, try it again when the situation arises. 

~Be Encouraged

What you have to say IS important!

Front Lines

It is almost a full year since I have heard the term "front line."  A year ago a radio celebrity asked what my position was at Hope FM. I prceeded to tell him that I was "just" the office manager. He replied with "I have respect for you. Your job is the toughest because you're on the front lines. Us dj's (I was among 5 at a round table) are behind the mic in a closed room. The office managers deal with the real issues." I didn't think about that statement until just the other day. People have called or come in the office in need of prayer or a hug. Some people need a sound board,  compassion, strength and sometimes tough love.
In the past my eyes were opened to the reality that I am on the front lines of this spiritual warfare. I was chosen by God to be in this place to do His work through Him. His word tells me so. In this process, I have to recognize when I too need a shoulder to cry on, a soundboard, compassion, strength, and sometimes tough love. Most of the time all we need is prayer and we're too prideful to ask for it.
The people I meet may not study the scriptures, look for evidence of the resurrection, or even do a word research but one thing I do know, they encounter the resurrected Messiah when they encounter me.
For I know my reedemer lives, I spoke to him this morning.


~Be encouraged
The same God of yesterday walking with Adam and Eve is the same God you encounter in others when you look for Him.

Before I took the trash out today from work, I had to wrap the handles around my fingers and palm of my hand. I had to ensure the heavy bags didn't drop and I could carry them over my shoulder. As I began to walk I thought..."they are getting heavy." So I sat three of the four bags down and readjusted the weight. Off to walking towards the dumpster I went. With each step I took, the bags began getting heavier. I started to take inventory of what was packed in these bags. I had to laugh. What difference does it make what is in these trash bags? It isn't going to change the weight of the bags, the direction I was headed in, or their demise.

I work with ladies that are hurting and healing from some deep hurts in their life. I thought about how we are beginning to take inventory of our lives. Some of the things we are facing are heavy and the more that we ignore them the more foul smelling they become; like trash. The hurts are so heavy that they affect other people in our lives including ourselves. It is like a wound that isn't cleaned out, it becomes infected; like trash with maggots.  The trash I was taking out went into a dumpster,  but what happens to the hurts we walk around with when WE die? I would have to say that is the trash that will weight us down into the depths of death itself. 

 The Bible has something to say about our health and hurts in Pslam 38:3-5

There is no soundness in my flesh

Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
⁴ For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
⁵ My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.


So the next time you are ready to take out the trash in your own life, remember to take inventory and throw the foul and festering foolishness out and keep the loving and cherished in. 




~Be encouraged
Marjorie