Regrouping after the battle

It's been a rough few days. A really rough few days. I have had my faith tested and tried. I have had my spirit shaken to its core and decided to just keep going.

While this is the right thing to do conventionally, it really wasn't the right thing to do. I say this because when things happen we need time to lick our wounds. We need time to stop and assess the situation. We need time to build back up our defenses to prepare us for the next battle.

The amazing thing about this is that it is not only a principle to adopt in times of trouble, but it is also for times of joy. If we don't take the time to stop and revel in our joy, we don't have anything to pull from when times get hard. Battles are not only fought in bad times but in good times also.

My challenge to you is to pay attention to when you need to take time off. I understand that in the everyday grind that is life we may feel as if we can't take time off for reflection, but this is where we pray. We pray to the Father for guidance. We pray to the Father to help us find a way to regroup after the battle.

My prayer for you today and every day is

"Dear Lord, in the midst of it all you give us battles, trials. Sometimes to remind us of who you are, other times to remind us of who we are in you. After each battle, please help to make time. Time to regroup; time to reassess and time to celebrate. Help us to see in our lives where we don't enough of either and meet us accordingly. Amen".

Sufficient for Today

I prayed today. I prayed that the Lord grant me the energy sufficient enough for today. This is something that I've been wrestling with for weeks now and even he hasn't let me let it go. We run through life. Some of us literally run. I don't know about you but for me it's gotten to a point where if I am not running I don't know what to do with myself. We rush to get out the door; We rush to get to the door.. lol... It's just a consistent, constant, stream of moving. Funny thing is, we push ourselves until we can't go anymore. I've done it. I've pushed so hard that I got sick and had to sit down for a bit.

Thinking back over my life though, I've only ever been forced to sit down when the Lord has something he's prepping me for where I will need not only the energy I have but the energy that has been stored up in my down time. But only he knew that I'd be praying for and trusting in him to give me the energy I need to get everything thing done.... I.e. Energy enough for the day.

My challenge to you is that when you feel like you can't go on much longer that you stop and pray. Pray for those around you that everyone is fulfilling their God given assignment for the day and pray that God is giving them(and you) enough energy for the day.

Love

It's funny the things that cross your mind when you are not really thinking of anything. I was watching a tv show. The premise is all the crazy things people do for Love. This got me thinking. We as humans will do some really crazy things in the name of love. We'll lie, steal, cheat etc... We will do all types of things in the name of love. The crazy things is is that these are all destructive. These are all the types of ways not to show love, yet, these as crazy as it sounds, are the ways in which we are the most comfortable with. I heard someone once say that they would rather be lied to by their partner than for their partner to tell them the truth - Especially if that means it will spare their feelings.

The thing is though why do we still want the negative expression of love when we have the most perfect form of love that could ever have been given. For God so loved.... We have an entity that loves us so much that he knew us from before we knew ourselves. He loved us so much that he guides and directs us. That he gave.... He loves us so much that he gave. He gave of himself so that we could be saved. God does not want us to perish. He wants us to live and have everlasting life. He sacrificed the thing that he cherished most so that we could know what love is and how love should be. Whosoever believes.....  He loves us so much that he has given us all of him, he just asks that we trust him. He asks that we believe him. He asks that we believe that he is who he says he is and that he will do what he says he will. This is the type of love that we should be searching for.

My challenge to you today and all days is to seek out the type of love that God has given us. His love flows freely without expecting anything in return. What he asks of us to trust that he is who he says he is and that he will do what he says he will do. My challenge to you is to no longer look at all the negative ways people show love, but to search the Word to find all of the positive ways we are to be loved.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16