I felt an urgent need to write this tonight. We have been under quarantine for so long. I see so many on social media crying out in one way or another that appear to be under attack from our enemy, the devil, satan himself. It was one such post tonight that stirred my spirit and got Holy Spirit flowing within me.

10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armork so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT

Do you ever pray on the Armor of God? Before we do, we need to take each piece of God’s Armor and do what we need to do to prepare it before putting it on for battle. Real Armor is prepared by a blacksmith. The metal is hardened by heat and hammering. Here’s what we need to do to prepare our Armor:
1. Be strong in the Lord – Know who you are in Jesus. Read and know these and other verses that tell us who we are in Christ. I know that many, myself included, struggle or have struggled in the last with this. It is a favorite place of attack for our enemy. He wants to keep us down by reminding us who we once were before we were made new creations in Jesus. We must remind him, “we were cleaned and made new when we received Jesus’ saving grace. Our pasts are erased. And he hold no power over us, because we’re not going to believe his lies anymore!” We must hold onto the truth and live in the freedom Jesus died to give us (John 8:32, Galatians 5:1).
2. Stand firm against all strategies of the devil – the Word is clear about our enemy’s strategies. Learn about his tactics, then you will be able to prepare a strategy in how to fight against his wiles and lies such as:
   A. Memorize verses that apply specifically to the areas in which the enemy attacks you most. Apply those truths to his lies (see more on this under Sword of the Spirit.)

    B. Avoid people and places that cause us to stumble. For example, if hanging with certain friends will cause you to gamble to excess or drink to excess or whatever, make new friends (1 Corinthians 15:33).

    C. Worship, not just on Sundays. There is power to break strongholds when we worship Almighty God. In worship we acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our lives and praise all He is and has done for us. We need to make it a part of our daily routine.

    D. Pray continually. A quick prayer in the morning to satisfy our daily obligation is not going to keep us focused, fed, or free. We need to have quality time with our Father God every morning and then, keep the conversation going throughout the day. Then, close out our day with Him, to release our burdens and allow Him to minister to our needs. This is the only way to keep our spirits healthy and ready to recognize and fight the temptations and attacks of the enemy. Another of his favorites being weariness. When we are weary in body mind, &/or spirit we are more apt to give in to temptations. But we have a promise from God we can lean upon:

        a. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

        b. 28″Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew 12:28-30.

        c. “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me” Psalm 3:5.

        d. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.

3. Resist the enemy – “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7 NLT. We cannot resist the devil in our own power. We must humble ourselves before God and submit to His authority and in His power resist the devil and his schemes.To do that we need to keep our relationship with Jesus constant. Prayer is not just a life preserver for when we are drowning, it is like Jesus’ description of the Vine and branches in John 15. We as branches cannot survive or bear fruit unless we are continually connected to the Vine for water and nourishment. When we are a “healthy plant” we are better able to resist the attacks of the enemy.
    A. “We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” They really do exist and we cannot fight spiritual forces without a greater spiritual force, the Holy Spirit. In John 4:24 (ESV) Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” To put on the Armor, we must have the Armor made strong and prepared.  So that after the battle we will still be standing firm.

4. Stand your ground – don’t flinch, don’t waiver, and do no be afraid. It’s said there are 365 do not fear verses in the Bible. I haven’t found them all yet, but I have found nearly 200. Fear is the opposite of faith. We may have a gut reaction to an event of fear, such as a fire, that’s normal and life preserving, so long as we don’t let it paralyze is. Our faith should kick in and override the fear, assuring us that God has our back no matter what the situation may seem.

Put on the Armor of God:
5. Belt of Truth – the truth of God’s Word holds the body armor in place. Truth is important in holding us together. We started the talk about truth in bullets 1 and 2.  3″We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT. As you’re about to see these are all connected in usage. We take thoughts captive by saying no to the lies satan is trying to plant and replace them with a truth from God’s Word. When I first started teaching the devil would say to me, “Who are you to teach and tell people how to live. Look at what you did (in my past).” I had to stop those thoughts in their tracks and start quoting verses to remind me I am redeemed, a child of God, loved, gifted to teach by Holy Spirit (believe me it wasn’t my idea 😉), and so on. Find the truths you need. See also bullet #10.
6. Body Armor (Breastplate) of Righteousness – we have no righteousness of our own. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Because of Jesus we have a righteousness we can live in that protects our heart from evil. That’s why all the preparation of pur armor discussed in #1-3 are so important.
7. Shoes of Peace (of the Gospel of peace) – it is only in relationship with Jesus that we can truly have peace. The shoes are the Gospel of Peace, because of the great commission. “19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28:19-20. We are to GO take the Gospel to the world (or at least our corner of it) and bring the peace of mind and heart that surpasses understanding to them (John 14:27, Philippians 4:7). And it is that same peace that will keep us standing firm in the heat of battle knowing God fights with and for us. “The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” Exodus 14:14 NLT.
8. Helmet of Salvation – protects the head, the mind. The brain controls the rest of the body. Every thought, word, and action begins in the mind. Attacks most often begin there. We need to be confident in our salvation. If we are not confident in our salvation we either are not saved or we are listening to too many lies. If you truly are saved you will not continue to live in “lifestyle” sins. This is ways of living that directly contradict the Word of God. Most likely your conscience (Holy Spirit) and other believers may be warning you about this. If you seek the Lord and your conscience is clear, it is probably lies of the enemy planting doubt in your mind. Do the capture and replacement with the truth we discussed in #4 and seek the Lord for wisdom and assurance of your salvation.   “21But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” Romans 3:21-26 NLT. This is of utmost importance for your eternity. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s arrogant to think we can know for certain if we are saved (as I was as a child). We are blessed that our salvation is NOT based on our works, but on God’s grace alone (Ephesians 2:8). Hold fast to Jesus and the sure foundation of your salvation.
9. Shield of Faith – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1. Our faith is a shield against accusations, doubts, fears, the unknown, and more, because though we may not know or understand what is going on we can trust that God knows and He will be with us through whatever it all. There is often waiting involved. I wrote something the other day on my Facebook page about waiting. https://www.facebook.com/946246502168100/posts/2860047990787932/ In it I went to a passage familiar to many in Isaiah 40. I’m going to use the NLT here for a fresh look: “27O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?

O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?

28Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

29He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

30Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.” You can go read the post for more details on what I wrote, but as you read this it’s obvious that the Lord is saying that He does not ignore our troubles. Then He goes on to say that as we wait on Him (His will, ways, and timing), He provides the power and strength we need to go through in whatever way is needed (fly, run, walk), perhaps they are different seasons,  or perhaps it’s whatever way we choose to go through? No matter which it is, God has promised to be there with the power and strength we need as we wait on Him. We need to trust that, have faith that all His promises are true for us. Occasionally I still struggle with my Identity in Christ (#1), mostly when I am praying for something big for myself. I can pray for healing and all kinds of things for others with all kinds of faith, but when praying for myself I sometimes doubt God will do it for me. I have to remind myself whose I am and bind those pies of the enemy. We need to keep our faith strong in the Lord. “5Trust in the LORD with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

6Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

7Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

8Then you will have healing for your body

and strength for your bones” Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT. 
10. Sword of the Spirit – is the Word of God. We already began talking about this under “stand firm.” Read Matthew 4:1-11 to see how Jesus used the Word as the Sword of the Spirit to fight the temptations of the devil in the wilderness. There is a reason John writes, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world” (1 John 4:1 NLT). If we do not know the Word well we can be easily deceived. The devil knows the Word and manipulates it to try to deceive us as he tried even with Jesus. The devil is quite arrogant, isn’t he? To try to deceive the Word Himself by twisting the Word of God (John 1:1-3). Read the Word every day in small bites, so you really get to know it. Use a concordance or online Bible such as Biblehub.com (my favorite) to do a word study for verses that will focus on your particular area(s) of attack. For example, we could look up fear and then can choose several verses that speak to us best for our personal swords against the personalized lies the enemy uses against us. Write them down. Read them often. Memorize them one at a time. Post them on the bathroom mirror, refrigerator, car visor, at work, anywhere we will see them often, especially if that place is a hot spot for temptation. We can make artwork of them, too, to decorate home or office.  “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews 4:12. Someone turned the word Bible into an acronym of Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We can find help for anything in there with wisdom from Holy Spirit to guide us. Use that sword to divide truth and lie.
11. Prayer – it’s not a piece of the Armor, but it holds everything together. Prayer, along with the Bible, is our lifeline to God. Here Paul is pointing out that we need to be praying for all believers. We are blessed in the USA that we have such freedom to practice our faith. In most countries in the world that is not so. Many risk jobs, privileges, friendships, loss of their children to the state, prision, torture, even their very lives for keeping and expressing their faith in Jesus. We must pray for them and their persecutors (Matthew 5:44-45, Luke 6:27-28). We must pray about everything with thanksgiving and a joyful attitude (Philippians 4:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It doesn’t say in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we give thanks FOR all circumstances, but to give thanks IN them. Big difference. If you continue into the next verse of the Philippians passage it tells us what to think about: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” Philippians 4:8 NLT. Again a lot has to do with what we think about and our attitude. It will be reflected in our words, our actions, and our prayers. Like this: “2You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure” James 4:2-3 NLT. If we have wrong attitudes and motives in prayer they can keep them from being answered. So we will keep our thoughts fixed on the true, honorable, true, right, pure, lovely, and admirable things, the excellent and praiseworthy things.

Well there you are all dressed in the Armor of God. Does it feel comfortable and secure? Are your feet firmly planted? Did you notice that all the Armor goes on the front of the body so we can look our enemy square in the eye and never turn our back to him? No fear, no running away, no way but God’s way. Be strong, resist the enemy, and stand firm.

Blessings of Hope and Joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed.

All Scripture references are from the ESV unless otherwise stated. ESV Text Edition® (2016). The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

If you know anything about me, you know that it’s very important to me that people see Jesus in me and that I leave a legacy of faith behind me. I want to see lives changed and people saved. I will not see that happen from start to finish with most people.

We need to make the most of interactions we have, because we may not get another chance with some people. The quality of the seeds we plant will greatly affect the ability of the next person to water them, and tend them to help them grow (disciple them). If we don’t watch ourselves, our watering or tending might also poison good seeds planted by someone else.

To maintain our good seed and keep our lamps bright, we need to abide in the Vine of Christ by keeping in touch continually[1] and keep our lamps continually fueled with the Word of God[2].

Don’t let fear keep you from reaching others for Christ! If you’ve read my book you know that I believe the simplest and most natural way to reach others for Christ is just by talking to them. No preaching involved. No heavy-handed tactics. Just speak naturally about what the Lord has done in your own life. Let that light shine through you. It is our testimonies that can speak the loudest. Especially when they line up with what they can see in how we live. Our words and our walk must match[3].

In these days of lock down and stay at home orders people are on edge. We cannot visit with each other or even meet in person to worship. But even so, we are united in our love for Christ, in the Holy Spirit’s power, and through the blessing of the internet through Zoom, Facebook and other apps. Do not grow tired of doing good even in this season[4]. Keep praying for one another, for the unbelievers, and keep encouraging each other with texts, phone calls, and uplifting social media posts (especially Scripture and related things).

Play this song. Listen to it sing it, pray it. When he sings, “let them feel You when I sing,” insert your job, your hobbies, any things you do to interact with people.

Let Them See You – Colton Dixon

https://youtu.be/C8Be1on3JHk

PRAYER based upon Colossians 1:3-14:

We pray for everyone here and we give thanks to You God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. For our faith is in Christ Jesus and our love for all of God’s people, which comes from our confident hope of what God has reserved for us in heaven. We have had this expectation ever since we first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to us is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed our lives from the day we first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. Lord, continue the good work through those who so willingly go out to the corners of the world to share the Good News.

May we continually pray for those in our lives and those you will bring into our lives who are yet unsaved. Prepare us to share the Good News with them through our own testimony of how You have saved us, and work in and through us.  We ask You, God, to give us complete knowledge of Your will and to give us spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way we live will always honor and please the Lord, and our lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, we will grow as we learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that we will be strengthened with all his glorious power so we will have all the endurance and patience we need. May we be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled us to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

All glory to God with thanks and praises, amen.

With blessings of Hope & Joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] John 15:1-5, Romans 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

[2] Psalm 119:105; Matthew 4:4, 5:16; Ephesians 6:17

[3] Galatians 6:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:13-22, 2 John 1:6

[4] Galatians 6:9

A friend sent me this photo of her devotional for today and it started me on a Word study of waiting on the Lord.It is so appropriate during this time of quarantine due COVID-19 that we take more time to be in the Word, remind ourselves what it means to wait on the Lord, and the benefits of waiting.

Generally speaking, we don’t like waiting. We live in our hi-tech, can’t-stand-to-wait-a-minute-for-the-microwave society. I don’t presume to know God’s reasons for allowing this virus to happen, but it is an opportunity for us, as believers, to be about our Father’s business in ways many don’t normally have the time to do. Spending more time in our Father’s presence and in His Word alone, as a couple, and as a family. Time to perhaps re-evaluate some life choices, schedules, and make some new habits. Time to read those books we’ve been too busy to read, complete those projects (crafts, home improvement, etc.), play games, and enjoy each other. Reach out to others via text, video chats, or even snail mail.

I will admit I have been a bit of a lump this last week myself. I have been getting some writing done, but not much else and otherwise I’ve been a bit blah. Not totally depressed, just eh. I awoke today with a good attitude. Yay God! Needing a good (social distancing) prayer walk today. Maybe a little spring cleaning, too. And getting started on my Easter “He is Risen” porch sign.

Waiting. Sometimes I feel like I have spent my whole life waiting for something. I guess in a sense we all are; we’re anticipating Jesus’ return. I think it’s a longing implanted in our hearts by Holy Spirit. But maybe there’s more to the waiting I’m feeling. Waiting on God’s timing in His calling and purpose for my life. I often try to run ahead of Him. Sometimes waiting out of doubt or fear when He has shown me what He does want me to do. Either way I could benefit from more waiting on the the Lord (lingering in His presence) in prayer and in the Word. It’s too easy to rush through our time with the Lord. But the waiting time, the lingering time, is the best and most beneficial time of all! I think that’s why it is the hardest to learn. It requires us to be still and quiet. Something very hard for us to do. I am better at it than I used to be. I used to need to have the TV on all day for the “company.” Now I can enjoy the quiet and often grumble when the silence is broken. The silence gives me opportunity to converse with God throughout my day and to hear Him speaking back to me.

25The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. 26It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:25-26

Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
Psalm 27:14

I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

Waiting on the Lord is good. Why? Because His Word is true. He is trustworthy. He gives us hope, strength, and courage to face the waiting in our circumstances. We must learn patience in the waiting. Like it or not, patience is a fruit of the Spirit we must grow (Galatians 5:22-23).

28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows faint or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. 29He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. 30Even youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

This is one of my favorite passages! So much richness in just a few verses.

• The Lord is everlasting God
• Our Creator
• He NEVER grows weary or faint
• His knowledge is beyond our comprehension
• He gives His power and strength to the faint and weak
• To those who wait upon Him he gives the ability to soar above their circumstances
• To run the race, to walk the life of a disciple

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
Luke 18:1

Impatience can cause us to stop praying if we don’t get the answers to our prayers in our time frame. Jesus tells us to keep praying and never give up. I know God has His own timing, but if it involves other people, it can take as long as it takes for them to cooperate with Holy Spirit. We all have free will. God can use people and circumstances to try to turn someone around, but they have a choice, just like we do. When we’re praying regarding relationships with other people, we need to make sure we’re praying for oursleves and our own attitudes as well. Sometimes the waiting is because we are the hold up. We are the ones needing an attitude adjustment.

7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-18

9Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
Galatians 6:9-10

so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.

6Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Another thing about waiting that is implanted in our DNA as God’s children is eternity. Whether it’s at Jesus’ return or when we die, we look forward to eternity in His presence! We don’t want to be so in love with this life that it overshadows that anticipation. It is that longing that should spur our desire to spread the Gospel to see people saved and lives changed forever! So though we wait with anticipation, we don’t mind waiting, even if it means suffering at times, because we know it means we have more opportunities to see souls saved.

Blessings of Hope and Joy,
Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed.

All Scripture references are from The Berean Bible (www.Berean.Bible) Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016-2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

I found this in my Facebook memories, I wrote this 3 years ago today. It is very timely for our present circumstances.Word, Worship, and Prayer

4What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple. 5You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. 6You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. 7You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. 8Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. Psalm 65:4-8 NLT

Our God is a great God! When we get into hard places we sometimes forget that. This Psalm is full of praises and assurances of God’s goodness and provision for His people. When the hard times come this Psalm reminds us of the power of God that has no limits. Turn to the Lord and place Your trust completely in His strength and not your own. It is not about us or the strength we can muster to overcome our troubles. It is about Jesus and what He has already accomplished on our behalf and He continues to work in us and through us. When we are weary and weak, His strength is still more than enough to carry us, shelter us, and make a way through the barren wastelands and streams of water to refresh and revive us. What JOY there is to be found just by being in His presence and care. Let go of control and let His peace and joy flow through You. When you get to the end of yourself it’s not the end, it’s the point God has been waiting for, so He can work. We are not meant to do any part of this life alone or in our own power. Let go and let Jesus have His way in Your life. He paid a very high price to do it.

Thy Lovingkindness – Maranatha Singers
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vdjV6Tt7oyMGreat Is Thy Faithfulness – Chris Rice https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0oHeavenly Father, as we go into our weekend, some of us will be relaxing, playing, and enjoying our families, while others struggle with life-threatening illnesses, marital or family crises, addictions…the list could go on and on. We lift up the needs of each person here. You know the needs and You have the answers ready. Help each one to put their worries into Your hands, Your complete control. We trust You with the outcomes, laying down our fears, anxiety, and worries, and receiving Your peace and abundant joy!
Guide all your children in the path You have prepared for each of us. Help us to encourage and love each other and shine the light of Your love into the darkness around us.
We bring before Your throne all those we dearly love who are unsaved, especially ________. Drawn them to Jesus. Unveil their eyes to see and open their ears to hear and receive the truth confessing Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Lord continue to be with the everyone worldwide affected and threatened by the COVID-19 virus. Let Your hope prevail and use this to draw people unto Jesus.
Thank You for Your blessings that overflow to us! We give You all the glory, thanks and praises for the answers to our prayers! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Blessings of Hope and Joy,
Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.

God Will Make a Way – Don Moen https://youtu.be/1zo3fJYtS-o

(Read aloud, with Thanksgiving)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

3Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard,
4their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun

5like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.
10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
12Who can discern his own errors?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
13Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed of great transgression.
14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 BSB

The Lord is great and worthy of all our praises! In these uncertain times, it may be hard to find the words to praise and give thanks. But in these times we must remember to abide and cling to the Vine of Christ (John 15:1-5); to let the Word of God transform our thoughts, Jesus’ peace rule in our hearts, and to be thankful (Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:15). In 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 we’re instructed to, “Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Do you see a theme here? It’s about keeping our focus upward on the Lord. As we pray, worship, read, study, meditate upon, and memorize the Word, keep His peace in our hearts, and  keep a gratitude attitude, our roots grow deeper, so when storms blow and droughts come we can withstand the elements without shriveling or withering away.

16Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, 17who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old. 19Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

20The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. 21The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.”

Isaiah 43:16-21 BSB

1Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3 ESV

We are never alone in our walk, in our fight, in our fears and doubts. God knows we will have those fears, they are a natural human response to circumstances. A response He programmed into our DNA. However, He wants us to know we can live and thrive beyond fear and doubts in and through Him by abiding, sending down strong, deep roots, and drinking deep of the Living Water, Jesus, He alone provides through His Word, His Spirit (presence), and His people (fellowship in community/the Church).

We cannot stay rooted, abiding in the Vine,  being well-watered alone. The Word says to not neglect meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). That is a challenge in our current quarantine mode, but through social media we can stay connected to each other. The important thing is to remember is that even in this time, we live in an age that has many ways to connect without being face-to-face. Nothing can replace human touch, but while we have to refrain, we do have options. Many “churches” worshipped today via live streaming. I found ours almost as good as in person. The message was definitely on fire! There are apps for video meetings that can be used for Bible studies, and so on. We can make phone calls, Skype or FaceTime, and text to check on friends and family. There’s even good old snail mail. A note or card can really brighten someone’s day.

6Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7 BSB

Walk in Jesus. Let Him build us up by His Spirit, with His Word. Sending down our roots to drink in His presence, the Water of Life, to refresh and sustain us as we encounter struggles and troubles in our lives. And because our Great God uses and coordinates all things for the good of those who love Him, includong our pain, we can trust Him with the outcome even in the darkest of circumstances (Romans 8:28). We need to keep trusting Him even when we cannnot see where He is leading us. He is faithful. He has instructed us in how to be equipped with His courage and strength, and dressed for the battle that rages around and within us (Joshua 1:6-9, 1 Corinthians,2 Corinthians 12:7-10,  Ephesians 6:10-18).

Even If – Mercy Me

https://youtu.be/B6fA35Ved-Y

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18 NLT

I have always been encouraged by the faith of these three young men. They were steadfast in their faith even to the point of death. They did not complain against God for their circumstances or blame Him for them. They believed God could save them and would save them. Yet if for some reason He chose not to save them, they were resolved that their faith would not waiver.

25For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

Job 18:25-26 ESV

This faith declaration is from our “good friend” Job. Jesus was centuries from being born, yet Job proclaimed the glories of His Redeemer and his hope even while in the darkest place a person could ever be found: having had all his children killed, every possession taken away, and even his health attacked. Nothing remained for him, except a bitter, nagging wife and 3 accusing “friends.”

We can have this same faith and hope as Job and the 3 young Hebrew men  no matter our circumstances. By not giving up, staying in the Word, stay connected to the Lord and other believers, sending down those deep roots and drinking deeply of the Living Water that is Jesus, our source of life, peace, courage, and strength in all things.

PRAYER:
Father God, in Jesus’ name we thank and praise You for who You are and for the numerous blessing You have poured out upon us. We especially thank You today for [insert your specific blessings here], social media communities, all of our tireless emergency, medical, grocery, truckers, and other workers who continue to work and keep provisions and services going for us. For researchers working to develop a vaccine and cure for the COVID-19 virus, President Trump, our governors and other leaders here in the U.S. and around the world as they guide us through this crisis. Lord guide them and give them all the wisdom they need to do their jobs well, safely, and in good health. Lord, we pray that we have reached the top of this curve and that it will flatten out and go down dramatically and quickly in Jesus’ name.

We pray that by Jesus’ wounds those who are sick with the virus and other ailments and injuries [insert specific names here] are healed.

We know you don’t waste our pain and suffering. Use this pandemic as a time of revival and harvest. Awaken the lost to the truth of the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and draw them to Jesus. Renew and revive the church, your body, your people through this to be stronger and more on fire for spreading the Gospel and seeing lives changed and people saved!

We give You all the glory and praises! Amen.

BLESSING:

14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Ephesians 3:14-20 ESV

24Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 ESV

Blessings of Hope and Joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere

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When I was reading a devotional on the verses above, it asked me to reflect on what it would be like to be face to face with Jesus, how I would feel, what I would say, and what impact that has on my view of today’s challenges and priorities.

As I thought about it I first thought about what it feels like to be in His presence now. Sometimes it just feels comfortable, like being snuggled in my favorite blanket with a hot chocolate.

At times God’s presence is an enveloping sense of peace. To experience that peace, we need to be well connected to the Vine (John 15). We need to trust Him with all our hearts, so we can let go of worry, fear, and doubt. We cannot know true peace until we have this intimacy with our Almighty God. It’s been a long, hard road learning to trust the Lord this deeply and completely. There have been times He has had to take me to a place where I had no recourse except to trust Him and Him alone. Everything I tried to do in my own power just made things worse. I surrendered it all, fell on my knees, and just kept praying – leaving it all to the Lord’s wisdom, work, and timing. It is only in the hardest of circumstances that we grow and prove our faith and trust in the Lord, developing this strong intimacy with God. I highly recommend the book, Intimacy with the Almighty by Charles Swindoll for a more in-depth look at what it is to have intimacy with God.

On a few occasions in God’s “presence” I have experienced an overwhelming joy that could not be contained! I just had to beam with smiles and laughter! It is rather hard to explain the way this joy feels. It’s so pure, so complete! I just felt utterly overcome by the presence of the Lord. The first time was during worship at a retreat. I went down on my knees to pray and this joy filled me and I just began laughing. The next time was after I’d been prayed for and I was “slain in the Spirit.” I laid on the floor with the power of God surging through my body and a total sense of joy and peace filled me. The third time was immediately after coming up out of the water when I was finally baptized as an adult. I felt a joy and strength that time that was beyond description.

In some times of extreme depression or of earnestly seeking God, He has manifested Himself to me in many different ways:

– the feeling of an arm around my shoulders

– the presence of a white dove outside my home every day for a few weeks

– visions

– a timely word from a fellow believer, inspiring me to read a particular Scripture or devotional

at one particularly low point in my life He even used a television show I was watching to speak a word to me when one character said to another, “Stop the pity party!” He does have a way of getting my attention.

Sometimes depression makes it difficult to seek the Lord. I remember the first visit to my neurologist. I felt God’s presence in his office. What a relief after all the years of highs and lows. I had been able to fairly manage my bouts of depression until we moved away from all our family and friends in 2010. It then became so severe it was affecting my physical health. After much testing, the results sent me to this neurologist. He was able to attribute most of my symptoms to a diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorder. The medication has been a God send for helping with that for me. Still, there are times when the only prayer I can get out at first is, “Help me, Jesus!” But that is enough to grease the wheels of prayer, so to speak, and let me focus on Him again. I cannot begin to imagine how someone with depression manages if they do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

It is only because of Him that I am alive today. I was in such a deep state of post-partum depression after my first child in 1977 that I was contemplating suicide. I heard God (in my thoughts) tell me “No, you can’t do that, and you can’t do that to her.” He made it so that tiny baby who was too young to roll over or crawl moved from up against the wall on the other side of my twin bed all the way over to where I was on the other edge, facing away from her, and had her put her tiny little arm around me in a hug. God did a miracle that day with her and in me and took away the post-partum depression. My whole outlook on our future changed.

God shows up in so many ways, most of the time way more subtle. I see Him in nature all the time. I love to watch squirrels, they crack me up! Great for a quick laugh and that helps elevate my mood. Same with all the geese we have around here. They are hilarious! They will walk across the street in their own sweet time. They are not bothered by cars waiting or honking at them at all. The amazing appeatance of flowers like these that resemble egrets, ducks, doves, and monkey faces. How could something like this happen by “accident?”

Sometimes He speaks to me in the shape of a cloud. Recently I saw one in the shape of a strong arm when I needed a reminder of His strength.

If you’re in need of a sense of God’s presence or comfort just open your eyes and look around. He is wherever you look. Look around with expectation; seek Him everywhere you are, especially in the Word. Ask Him to show you wisdom and insight as You read His Word. Ask Him to show You the answers you need.

You don’t need to wait for a quiet place to pray, although we do need those daily quiet times with the Lord. Prayer does not need to be a formal thing. Talk to Him like you would to me, in your thoughts or better yet, if possible, in an outloud conversation. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Some people call them “popcorn” prayers. Something you shoot up quickly. Most of my confessions are like that. I don’t wait until the end of the day to confess my sins. Right when they happen, when I am aware I’m doing something wrong, I confess and repent right then and move on. Tell Him about your day, your needs, your desires, your problems, your joys, thank Him in everything. He wants to be involved in every part of our lives. Remember, Jesus calls us His friends (John 15:12-15). Remember, too, to take time to listen to Him speaking to You. In addition to speaking theough the Word or through a trusted, mature, believing friend, Holy Spirit will speak to you in your thoughts. Jesus said,

14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:14 & 27 ESV

Most of the time, I just know He is there with me constantly like I am wearing Him as a robe and have Him as an implant at the same time. If there is an occasion when it feels as though God has departed from me, it isn’t because He has left, rather because I am not actively seeking Him. I have allowed depression, busyness of life, worry, sin, unforgiveness, or other things to block my vision of Him right there with me.

As I mentioned earlier, all we need to do is call out to Him and we will know He is there. He is always waiting to hear from us. But he also pursues us. The greatest example of His pursuit is Jesus Himself and what He did for us:

16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17 ESV

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 ESV

Before I give my final answer to the questions posed in the devotional I read today, take a moment and consider how would you answer the questions?

If you were face to face with Jesus, how would you feel? What would you say? What impact would that have on your view of today’s challenges and priorities.

I believe being face to face with Jesus will be closest to the overwhelming joy I described above, yet that is just a handshake compare to the all encompassing awe and joy we will continually experience in His presence for all eternity.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT

When my mom died in 2017 God gave me a vision of her dancing and laughing with Jesus in a field of blue flowers (her favorite color). She loved to sing in the church choir! She had been unable to sing for about twenty years due to congestive heart failure. He said to me, “Now she can sing.” I believe when we are face to face with Jesus we will be so filled with joy, awe, and wonder, that we will be dancing, singing, laughing, and falling down in worship in gratitude! But we don’t have to wait for heaven to do that. His presence is with us now. His kingdom is with us now. It may not feel like it when we focus too much on the troubles in this world, but Jesus said:

20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Luke 17:20-21 ESV

The Kingdom of God is with us now when we have Jesus as our Savior and Lord. He sends His Holy Spirit to live in each of us as a deposit of the future inheritance as well as being our source of all His power and presence here and now (Ephesians 1:13-14, John 14:23-27). Let’s live like the kingdom is here now (in joy, with His peace), while keeping our eyes also on the future inheritance, so we can keep in mind the urgency of our work to reap a harvest of souls and bearing good fruit that will last through the fire that reveals and tests our work (John 4:35-38, 15:16; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Stay tuned to the voice of Holy Spirit and obey Him when He calls. Then you will know the power, guidance, and joy Jesus promised (John 16:13-15, 23-24; Acts 1:8). Let’s leave a legacy of faith and salvation in Christ to the generations behind us, so they too may know the joy of the Lord’s presence now and in the world to come.

Blessings of Hope and Joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.

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There have been times in my past that I let fear hurt me and others in my life. I never want to let fear control me like that again! In Jesus I have found freedom from fear! Faith is the direct opposite of fear. We cannot have both.

As you may have read in other posts, I do have a diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a type of fear. The medical definition of anxiety is:

A mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

At it’s worst, the depression and anxiety did interfere with my daily life and with my physical health as well. This kind of anxiety is more than a spiritual problem. God could have healed me. I prayed for it, but I believe He chose to send me to my neurologist for a few reasons:

1- for me to learn that not everyone who is depressed or anxious is not that way because they’re not trusting God enough.

2- for me to experience God’s grace and strength in my weakness like Paul spoke about in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV), “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

3- for me to share my testimony of how God has worked in my life through medicine and that is okay for Christians to seek medical help for depression and anxiety. There is a terrible stigma among Christians that we should not need medicine for mental disorders. There are times we do and we should not be made to feel shame or less than when we do. Sometimes a chemical imbalance in the brain causes our need for medical help to overcome. God has His reasons for outright healing sometimes and other times using medical intervention. If we need help from a doctor we should seek it without fear.

4- to keep me humble and dependent upon Him. Even with the medication I can easily slip into depression or anxiety. It’s no where near the depths it was before being medicated. But I must stay close to the Lord to stay above the wind and waves in those storms.

Find someone with whom you can talk things out. When my doctor suggested it was time for me to see a psychiatrist I knew even with insurance I wouldn’t be able to afford that. So, I will sit down across from an empty chair and speak to Jesus like He is my psychiatrist. Holy Spirit will remind me of things that need to be resolved. One time He showed me I had unforgiveness I was holding onto, which I thought I had forgiven. We “talked” it out. He helprd me forgive abd let go. I felt a geeat weight lift off of me.

We need to check ourselves and ask the Lord to check our hearts, too.

Sometimes we push things down inside instead of letting go and forgiving. We may have moved it from our waking thoughts, but subconsciously it’s still eating away at us. It’s amazing what things Holy Spirit will bring to mind if we tune into His voice and listen.

I love how God orchestrates things in our lives. Some would call them coincidences, chance, or luck. I call them “Godincidences” or divine appointments, and blessings. He knows exactly what He is doing and how to arrange all the details for things, people, and circumstances to happen at just the right times and places. Only He can work those kinds of logistics! It was through the physical manifeststions from the depression and anxiety that I went to my regular doctor. She sent me for various medical tests. One of which showed something that sent me to the neurologist. After giving him the run down on what brought me there, he attributed almost all the symptims I haf to depression abd anxiety disorder. And the one thing that was seen on the scan by the radiologist that sent me to him, he said was nothing to worry about. But it got me to him. And I felt God’s presence there. I felt relief knowing whay was going on and that a doctor was taking time to talk to me and find a solution for me. [Other doctors in the past had assumed anxiety and thrown prescriptions at me, but never took time to pursue the right course of treatment or send me to a specialist. I had also fought taking pills, because of the Christian stigma discussed above.] But God, (those 2 awesome words) worked out the logistics to get me to a caring specialist just when I needed it most! Never let fear keep you from seeking the help you need like I did for far too long.

See how God worked out some awesome logistics for Zach Williams in this video testimony (below). I also just had to share a few of his songs. What he’s been through in his life and the truth and fire in His songs speak deeply to my soul and go especially well with today’s topic of fear.

Blessings of Hope and Joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.

I found this R.C. Ryle quote (below), and it really touched me. I’m sure it will touch you as it did me, and I have a lot more to say after you read it.

“If you desire salvation, and want to know what to do, I advise you to go this very day to the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first private place you can find, and earnestly and heartily entreat him in prayer to save your soul. Tell him that you have heard that he receives sinners, and he has said, “Him that comes unto me I will in nowise cast out.” Tell him that you are a poor vile sinner, and that you come to him on the faith of his own invitation. Tell him you put yourself wholly and entirely in his hands: that you feel vile and helpless, and hopeless in yourself: and that except he saves you, you have no hope of being saved at all. Beseech him to deliver you from guilt, the power, and the consequences of sin. Beseech him to pardon you, and wash you in his own blood. Beseech him to give you a new heart, and plant the Holy Spirit in your soul. Beseech him to give you grace and faith and will and power to be his disciple and servant from this day forever. Oh, reader, go this very day, and tell these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are really in earnest about your soul.
— J.C. Ryle, evangelical Anglican clergyman and first Bishop of Liverpool, (1826-1900), A Call To Prayer (first published 1840).

Since beseech is a word that is not commonly used today, I want to define it. I always think of it as begging, and beg is listed as a synonym, BUT, the definition itself gives a much deeper and more accurate meaning to the word:
“ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat.”

I appreciate the word fervently in the definition, as there has been much emphasis of late on fervent prayer. A fervent prayer is one that is passionate, truly heartfelt.

When one is ready to seek Jesus for salvation there is a passionate urgency in the heart to seek His forgiveness, know Him, and know you are known and loved by Him. So, I will reprint that portion of the quote, starting with the first beseech, replacing beseech with “passionately seek.”

“Passionately seek” him to deliver you from guilt, the power, and the consequences of sin. “Passionately seek” him to pardon you, and wash you in his own blood. “Passionately seek” him to give you a new heart, and plant the Holy Spirit in your soul. “Passionately seek” him to give you grace and faith and will and power to be his disciple and servant from this day forever. Oh, reader, go this very day, and tell these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are really in earnest about your soul.

That passionate urgency should remain within us after salvation, like a fire in our souls, to want to continue learning from Jesus and about Him. Just reading the words of this quote stirs my soul because we need to continue to “passionately seek” the Lord every day, to abide in Him (John 15), and let His grace and power enable us to walk by faith as His servant disciples forever. I am often reminded of Jeremiah:

“But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!”
Jeremiah 20:9 NLT

I, too, find it hard not to talk about Jesus or the Word of God. Sometimes even in prayer I wind up preaching to myself. God wants us to share our testimony, His Word, and Jesus with others. There are so many ways to do that. Plain ol’ conversation is the most natural way for that to happen. We want others to see the passion in us, the changes God has made in us, and the peace and joy of a life lived in Jesus; to light that burning desire in the unsaved so, they’ll seek and find Jesus in their lives.

This is my prayer, that we would keep that fervent fire burning, or if we’ve lost that fervor, the Lord would rekindle that flame to “passionately seek” Him every day, every moment of our lives. That we would seek to know Him intimately and make Him known to anyone around us that will listen to our story. Let it be so, dear Jesus, let it be so!

Life gets hard, sometimes it seems it’s all hard. But God (still my two favorite words) is always with us. He has promised He will never leave us or turn away from His children (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; John 1:12). Instead of allowing ourselves to drown in the pain of our troubles, we must learn to let go of those troubles, and the worry, and cast them upon our Lord, trust them to Him, and rest in His promises (Psalm 55:22; Matthew 6:25-34, 11:28-30; 1Peter 5:7). I know it is hard to “rest” when troubles surround us. We’ve been trained all our lives to worry. It’s hard to undo. Many feel they aren’t showing proper concern over a problem if they aren’t worrying. Worry only robs us of the peace and joy Jesus offers us despite our circumstances. We cannot say we have faith, and still worry. They are in direct conflict with each other. When we find ourselves worrying we must quickly repent and take our cares to the Lord. God has given us tools: His promises, His Holy Spirit, His salvation, His full Armor, and His yoke with which we can be assured of His presence and power at work on our behalf (2 Corinthians 1:20, John 14:25-27, John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12, Ephesians 6:10-18, Matthew 11:28-30). We can completely trust Him and see beyond what can be seen with the eye to what we can only be seen by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1). Our troubles will likely not be resolved in the time frame we desire or necessarily in the manner we think best, but God sees the future we cannot see. He may also have to deal with stubborn, unyielding people in the problem, which can lengthen the time to resolution. Maybe I’m (or you’re) the stubborn one, or one of them. We need to check our heart attitude and ask God to check it, too (Psalm 26:2, 139:23-24; Proverbs 17:3; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-25). Whatever the trouble is we can be assured God’s thoughts, ways, and timing are perfect (Psalm 27:14; Ecclesiastes 8:6; Isaiah 40:28-31, 55:8-9; Lamentations 3:25-26; Habakkuk 2:3; Micah 7:7; Galatians 6:9). He can make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19). Our job is to trust Him, pray and never give up (Luke 18:1).

Finally, as Paul said in his letter to the church at Philippi, our strength to endure our circumstances comes from Christ alone (Philippians 4:11‭-‬13). As we abide in Jesus, live by faith, and keep our eyes fixed on Him and not our troubles, we will know the grace that gives the strength that can only He can provide (John 15:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 6:31-33, 2 Corinthians 12:9). Never give up passionately seeking the Lord! He is the answer in all things!

Blessings of Hope and joy,
Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed.

The Word for Today – Thurday, Jan. 23

In one of my devotions for today, I read a portion of Jesus’ prayer from John 17 (see image for a portion of that passage). The first two reflection questions asked were:
“How much does God the Father love you? What does that truth mean to you?”
As I pondered these two questions, I began thinking of Jesus’ crucifixion, the ultimate statement of God’s love.

33At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Mark 15:33-34 NLT

I realized in a new way that when God removed His presence from Jesus on the cross, so He could experience in our place not only the weight of our sins, the punishment of death for our sins, but even a taste of the eternal separation from God that hell holds for those that do not receive Him.

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 BSB

I always knew God had to turn away from Jesus because at that moment He became sin, the sin of all mankind, and God the Father could not stay connected to Him in that state. But today Holy Spirit revealed this to me that Jesus experienced separation from God, so we (all who receive Him – John 1:12) never have to experience true separation from God ourselves! That is true love! Thank You, Jesus!

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us – Joy Williams
https://youtu.be/FLDLU2QnFjM

No Longer a Slave – Zach Williams
https://youtu.be/3r2djNvPe9o

Blessings of hope and joy,

Julia

©2020 Julia Melatis, Hope & Joy Ministries. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere

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“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 46:10 ESV

Be Still and Know That He is God- Steven Curtis Chapman
https://youtu.be/BgaHaioAjyg

The “be still” in this Psalm in the Hebrew is raphah (raw-faw’) meaning: sink, relax. Doesn’t that just give you a picture of being nestled in Jesus’ arms?

I have made it a practice to do silence during the day when I am home. When I was growing up my mom always had the TV on in on the background even if she wasn’t watching it. Hubby does the same thing. I did, too, for much of our marriage. But now that I stay at home again, I have learned to enjoy the silence and the ability to hear God without the noise. I have also discovered there are other “noises” that are not audible – visual distractions and my thoughts. No wonder even Jesus needed to slip away to a desolate place of solitude to be alone with His/our Father.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Mark 1:35 ESV

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Luke 5:16 NLT

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus – Hillsong Worship
https://youtu.be/jR7r0Br_HNs

My own thoughts can be very distracting. I’ve learned to keep a pad of paper nearby to write down to-dos and other things that come to mind, so I can focus on the Lord. Also, I confess, I am not a great housekeeper and my home can become cluttered quickly. But it also makes the environment very stressful. I never know where to start to clean it up and put it away, which is also stressful, so it sits a long time. Anyway, that can be very distracting to being still in God’s presence and hearing His voice. I can sometimes tune it all out, but other times I just feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I find it easier to have my “silence” in a restaurant or coffee shop with music and people talking in the background, than I can a completely silent apartment with the chores screaming at me.
Sometimes the environment I have created gets the better of me and I can’t seem to connect to the Lord at all. Lord help me, I need to get a handle on this!

Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.
Psalm 141:3 NLT

He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.
Psalm 21:23 BSB*

May the Words of My Mouth – Internation Chapel of Vienna
https://youtu.be/w5JOFclZUpc

As far as silence where other people are concerned, yes I have been learning to edit myself (my words, attitude, and behavior), with Holy Spirit’s help. Most of the time I do pretty well now. Not so much “foot-in-mouth- disease” going on anymore. And when it does happen it’s more often with an attitude of good intentions instead of anger, and I have learned to apologize instead of being stubborn. A lot of the time I can just say nothing if it’s something petty and really doesn’t need to be mentioned. If something needs to be said, I have been learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and seek His wisdom for words and timing, so not only am I not responding in anger, but it will be a time when the other person is prepared to hear and discuss.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:7 ESV

For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of your favor.
Psalm 5:12 BSB*

You Are My Hiding Place – Selah
https://youtu.be/ElVC6rfX3Z8

As far as retreating with the Lord goes, I do have a favorite retreat center that I try to do a personal weekend retreat about once a year or so. Sometimes I just take a day and go off to a park, walk, sit, talk (pray), journal – spending the day with the Lord. When that’s not possible I will spend an extended period of 2-3 hours in a coffee shop or a calm corner of our home with the Bible, coffee or tea, maybe a snack, and my journal. I seriously think Miss Clara in the “War Room” movie had the right idea about a prayer closet. In the Bible, too, Jesus said, “…go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray…” (Matthew 6:6).

Silence is wonderful, once we acclimate to it and it it’s one of God’s greatest desires for us to have that refreshing time with Him. It’s something we are unfortunately not taught. We even teach new moms to let their babies become accustomed to the household noises while sleeping. But we all need silence: time to listen to the voice of the Lord, soak in His presence, time to think and pray about our responses to life situations, and time to just “be” without all the “noise” of this world, so we can practicing being citizens of God’s kingdom.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
Ephesians 2:29 NLT

14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.a 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:14-17 ESV

How do you practice silence in your life?

Blessings of Hope & Joy,

Julia

© 2020 All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.

*BSB is the Berean Study Bible