Are you given power to fear and anxiety? Do you have a plan when the negative thoughts come? Are you going through a storm today? Are you on a ship today and your ship is going down? Do you worry that you are going to drown? 

There are so many “what if’s” in life. When the enemy has a plan to take us out, God has another plan to keep us in. 

Do you know how many times in your life when the enemy wanted to kill you, but God stepped in? Do you know how many times you would have been in a car wreck if you hadn’t of went back to the house to pick up that one thing that you forgot? 

In the Bible we read how Paul went through so many valleys. However, he never focused on the problem, he focused on the purpose. In Acts 27, after Paul was arrested, he and some others boarded a ship and sailed for Rome. First, they went through a terrible storm. Miraculously he and all the people on the ship survived the storm. On the fourteenth day they worried they wouldn’t make it to land. In verse 43 and 44, “But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.” 

Wow, I think about how Paul made it to land hanging on a piece of a ship and how this could not have been the way he thought it would go. Even when the ship went down, he still had faith he would make it to the shore. 

Friends, you are going to make it. It might not be the way you planned on it, but you are going to make it through whatever you are going through. Don’t put your faith is not in the how, but in the God that says you will!

I remember singing a song as a young girl. “Only believe, only believe. All things are possible, if you’ll only believe. Only believe, yes only believe. All things are possible, if you’ll only believe.” 

What do these words mean? 

Believing is not passive. When we become passive, we are simply enduring. We must not simply endure through all of life’s struggles. 

Mark 9:23 says, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Matthew 21:22 says, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 

Believing is actively trusting that through God all things are possible. With God I can do all that I need to do. 

Believing casts out fear and negativity. 

Believing keeps us focused on God. 

Only Believe

Are you grumbly hateful? Or are you humbly grateful? I once heard this question while watching a movie. When I first heard it, I didn’t really get it. Once I gave it some thought it really rang true to me. 

I know that you have seen the challenges on social media on thirty days of thankfulness. While I have never participated in these, I do think these are wonderful. This is the time of year that we need to be reflecting on all that we have and thanking God for these things. However, I believe that we should do more than just the thirty days. What about you? 

As I reflect on the world and culture that we have created, I am finding that people are grumbly hateful not humbly grateful. Our world is more divided than ever. We spend our time complaining about things instead of focusing on the good things that are happening. Now you might say that you do not have anything to be grateful for. I know the feeling. I have had many seasons in my life that it seemed like my world was falling apart. I was literally holding on by a thread. God never promised us a perfect life. He does promise us that He will be with us though every trial. Isaiah 43.2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” 

I think it is time that we focus more on being humbly grateful. God’s word says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). So when we are grateful we will have the peace of God in our hearts. I don’t know about you, but I want the peace of God in my heart always. 

As you take a minute to think about all of things that you are grateful for, please listen to the song Grateful by Elevation Worship.