"Leaning on My Rock"

WORD:

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. "  (Psalm 61:2)

DEVOTION:

When we are overwhelmed, it takes so much just to keep standing. I know that when I am physically overwhelmed, it takes all my energy just to walk to the nearest place to sit and rest. When I am mentally overwhelmed, I need to rest my brain and take a break from "thinking" so much. When I am emotionally overwhelmed, I need a place where I can break down and just cry, and release all the emotions I have had pent up inside.

Isn't it wonderful that we have a God - who is a Rock - that is higher than we are? He is strong when we are not. He is sturdy when we are ready to collapse. He lets us lean on Him when we are ready to fall down.

When your heart is overwhelmed, remember that Jesus' yoke is light, and He is always willing to exchange burdens with us. We just need to pray to God and ask for His hand in our heart, to bring rest and peace. I have felt strongest with God during my weakest hours, because that was when I was leaning on God as my Rock, and He helped me survive the storms and crashing waves in life.

"We can give thanks for everything because even the worst of situations will drive us right to God. And He promises that His peace will stand guard over us." —Buddy Riddle

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are strong, sturdy, and almighty. Thank you for being there as my Rock when my heart is overwhelmed and life seems to be crashing all around me. Please give me peace and rest when I feel like I can't get up anymore. Help me remember that You are always there for me to lean on when I feel heavy. Thank You for guiding me through the dark times of life even when I can't see you or feel your presence, but You are always there watching over me.

APPLICATION:

What is it that easily overwhelms you? Is it family problems, financial issues, personal stress? When you feel overwhelmed, take a "pause" each day with God and spend some time leaning on your Rock.

WORSHIP:

Shining - Phil Wickham

You guide me through the dark

You calm my fearful heart

I will rest in You

You give me perfect peace

You fill my deepest need

I will rest in You

God, shining like the sun

Let Your kingdom come

I want to be with You in Your presence

I'm here to give You praise

You take my breath away

And now I'm here with You in Your presence

"On Fire"

THE WORD:

"So that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. "

1 Peter 1:7

DEVOTION:

Have you ever felt like you were on fire - in a metaphorical way? People get "fired up" when they are excited about something or doing the activities that they are passionate about.  When people say, "Wow that person is on fire!" -  they usually mean that the person is in his or her own zone and can't be touched. That person seems unstoppable.

Sometimes when you're living with an illness, it's hard to feel "on fire" about anything. It's easy to lose interests or passion because you feel like everything that is happening to you keeps turning against you. In May 2011, my illness had flared up and I was put back on the much-despised steroid medication again after five years. I hated the side effects it gave me - the bloating, the moon face, the insomnia…by the time it was September, I was excited to be tapered off it. I only had 12.5 mg to go and then I would be done with this medication.

But in September, my illness flared up again and I went back on a high dose of the steroid medication. I was frustrated and angry with my illness. I started making terrible assumptions about my life, thinking that my illness will always haunt me until it kills me and that there was no point in looking forward to life, when life kept giving me lemons. No matter how many times I tried to make lemonade, everything just kept turning sour.

Then one day, it dawned on me that I had a choice - I had a choice about how I can live my life, regardless of whatever happens to me next. I can live my life with hope and trust in God, and look for the purpose in the pain. Or I can shun God and dwell in my pain.

The trials we face are fire testing our faith. Our faith is "more precious than gold" - and when gold goes through fire, it becomes pure and brand new.

We are God's children and He sees as like jewels in-the-rough. He wants to mold us to the person He wants to be so that He can better use us to serve His purpose. He knows every instant in our life, and knows how we will come out when we are tested by fire.

Maybe you think, "I keep going through so many fires - and I still don't  see any blessings from the Lord!" Maybe you are experiencing a blessing in disguise right now. Maybe your blessing will come later when you have emerged from your cocoon of waiting. Maybe the blessings that God planned to come out of your period of fire are not meant for you in this lifetime, but for a greater purpose that you do not know.

For even heroes in the Bible went through many periods of fire to test their faith. "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised" (Hebrews 11:39). These heroes of faith never got to see the promise of the Cross, but their faith and lives were stepping stones on the path to the Cross, God's ultimate plan to save the world.

I went through many period of fire in my life. I struggled with family stress during my childhood. I battled with a neurological disease. At the time while I was going through these periods of fire, I prayed to God to release me from it. I did not want this experience. But looking back now, and seeing who I am today because of the fire I went through and the blessings that accompanied it - I am thankful for my time in the fire and I would not give it back.

So when you are going through fire, remember that: "...God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). We may not know exactly what this purpose is, but we can trust that God's way is higher than our ways, and He knows the best way to use our fire.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are amazing and indescribable. I am sorry for the times when I have doubted your plan for me. Help me see Your purpose in my pain, and give me Your strength to persevere through these periods of fire. I ask that you help me keep my faith "on fire" - passionate and burning to know more of You. I thank You that you always cause everything to work together for the good of those who know You, even if we cannot see what that "good" is right now. Amen.

APPLICATION:

How have you been tested by fire? How can you be more "on fire" for God in your daily life?

WORSHIP:

"On Fire" - Switchfoot

You are the hope I have for change

You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire

When You're near me

I'm on fire

When You speak

And I'm on fire

Burning at these mysteries

"Fighting Fraudulent Fear"

THE WORD:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; 
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."


~Isaiah 41:10


DEVOTION:
This is a powerful verse that speaks to us about how God cares for us. We need not fear or be dismayed because of who He is.


1. "I am with you"
We do not need to have fear, worry, or anxiety in our lives because God is with us. He has a plan to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). When we spend time worrying and being anxious, we are telling God: "I don't trust that you have everything in control." Instead of wasting time wondering where life will go next, be thankful that God is with you wherever you are.


Recently I had brain scans that showed that there is no sign of my illness. My rheumatologist told me that I can now transition off the chemotherapy and move on to a new medication. While this was supposed to be really great news, I thought, "What if I still get sick again in the future?" My illness can flare up at any time. Just because there isn't any activity now does not mean it will never come back. But why spend time worrying if it will come back? If it does come back, I trust that God will be with me - just like He was with me during the last three times this illness had flared. And if I get sick again, I trust that God has a purpose greater than my illness.


2. "I am your God"
A lot of people often forget who God is. God is the Creator of the Universe. He is omniscient. He is power and glory. And even with all this, He chooses to love us as our Father. J.B. Phillips is the author of the book, "Your God is too Small." In this book, he showed how many people forget the greatness of God, and then they become dismayed.


3. "I will strengthen you"
God will strengthen you. What a great promise! A friend of mine posted the reference to this Bible verse on my Facebook wall several months ago, and it brought so much encouragement to me during that time in my life. I had just been released from the hospital and struggling to return to regular life. I felt weak and tired all the time. But this verse says that God will strengthen you. Maybe He won't give you superhuman powers to move mountains, but he will provide strength for your heart and mind to persist through your current circumstances, so that you can continue to run the race He has set forth for you.


4. "and help you"
God is our Helper. All we need to do is ask. There is a popular quote that talks about God's answers to prayer:
"Yes,"
"not now,"
Or
"I have something better in mind."


When I was younger, I struggled with living in a stressful family situation. I prayed to God and asked Him to rescue me. To provide a way for me to escape. I asked Him to help me get top grades in school so I can get a great scholarship to attend the university of my choice and finally leave home. Instead, in my last year of high school, I was diagnosed with my neurological illness - something that will affect me for the rest of my life.


When I got sick at 17, I thought that was it. God forgot about me and instead of rescuing me, He made me even more dependent on my parents. But this trial ended up being a blessing in disguise. Because I got sick, my mom sent me to live with my aunt in the west coast because my mom knew I couldn't fully recover while living in a stressful home environment. And this turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. Moving to the west coast was definitely not what I had in mind when I prayed to God for my rescue, but this move led me to attend a great university, meet new best friends, and through them - I met my husband.


Sometimes God helps us differently than how we imagined He would - we just need to trust Him and be patient for His plan to be revealed to us.


5. "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Don't worry about falling down, because God will hold you up. In His righteous right hand, there is no room for fear. Fear is the opposite of everything that God wants for you. Fear and joy cannot coexist. Neither can fear and love, fear and peace, fear and hope. Someone said that fear is :


False
Evidence
Appearing
Real


Give your fears to God in exchange for joy, love, peace and hope in His hand.


Prayer:
Dear God, You are great and wonderful. You know everything about me, even when I sit or when I stand. I am sorry for the times when I have made You too small and doubted Your goodness. I thank you for being with me in everything through out life, and that You carry me when I am too weak to carry myself. I thank You for strengthening me and helping me in times of need. I ask that You reveal Yourself more to me  so I can feel Your presence in my times of trouble.


Application:
How does knowing that God is here to help and strengthen you bring you comfort? Someone said that fear is "false evidence appearing real," can you think of any parts of your life that is presenting fear? How can you replace fear with love, joy, peace, or hope?


Worship:
"My Savior My God" - Aaron Shust
I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior 


I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior


That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior 


My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be