A Prayer for Christmas Day

How each of us celebrates Christmas Day will depend so much upon who you share the day with. For some it will be a huge day of festivities, for others it will be very quiet. For some there will be all the trimmings – on the table and under the tree, for others maybe a simple meal and one present, if any at all. For some they will be surrounded by extended family and for others they will be alone......

Christmas Day can be tricky to navigate and don’t always believe those picture perfect posts you see on social media! Expectations are high and hope rest on others shoulders not to let us down. Christmas can be a minefield!

However you celebrate the day this is my Christmas Prayer – for you and me!

Heavenly Father, here we are again on the cusp of Christmas and it seems every year that the Christmas season arrives earlier and earlier, with the busyness of shopping malls, sales and the pressure to buy the “perfect” gift. Please Lord, keep us level-headed in the coming days, let us not be drawn into the crowds, noise and chaos.

For those who are weary, for those who have what seems like an insurmountable list of things to do still, Lord, I ask that You fill them with strength to continue the year to the very best of their abilities, and for themselves and their families to finish this year strong. For those who will work right up to Christmas, and those working through Christmas, Lord please be with them as they carry out their duties, help them perform their tasks and keep focus while others may talk of holidays and days off.

Father God, as we make plans for Christmas Day I ask that you help to remind us that no matter who we are spending Christmas Day with that You would be with us. If we are celebrating Christmas Day with family help us to put aside any family “politics”, help us to remember that those we celebrate the day with have also had their own personal battles this year even if we are unaware of them. Guard our hearts from disappointments and offences if our expectations don’t meet reality, help us to see the good intentions rather than the bad. For those who are going to be alone, through choice or circumstance, please be ever near with the comfort that only You can provide, please cover them in Your love, Your peace, Your presence.

Let our words be those of response to people, not words which react to situations. Remind us, in ways personal to each of us, that the true miracle of Christmas was that of Jesus’ birth, a baby who came to change the world and save mankind. Help us remember that this was most perfect gift of all. Let us keep our eyes fixed on You this Christmas Lord.

Amen

I have to admit…… I am super-duper, pretty jolly well excited!

It’s only 25 more sleeps till Christmas and I am definitely getting more and more excited as the day draws near. Now you are probably wondering why a grown woman would get so excited about Christmas? It’s not like my kids are littlies anymore and wake me at 6 in the morning with a gleam in their eye begging me to get up so they can open their Santa Sacks (knowing they have already been downstairs and rummaged through them!)

It’s not like I even have grandkids to spoil (they will come in due course, but not for a few years yet Jackson & Gracie!) So again you may be wondering why all the excitement, and my simple answer would be……… Why not?

Why not celebrate? You know, so often in our society we just don’t celebrate…… Anything! Life has become mundane and people just don’t celebrate milestones or special occasions anymore. But it’s a choice girls, and I choose to celebrate!

So often I hear the excuses “Oh, we can’t afford it” “Oh, we don’t want to spoil our kids” “Oh, we don’t want our kids growing up thinking they will have a party for their birthday every year” “Oh, we don’t celebrate Christmas because it has become too commercial”

Sure, I could almost agree with some of those excuses, but come on, when did we all turn into the Grinch?

Now, I’m not saying you have to go and spend hundreds and thousands on every special occasion, in fact, we celebrate most things on a tight budget, and for me that makes it even more challenging and fun! It’s not about the money, it’s about creating memories for our kids, it’s about creating traditions that will long outlive me, and it’s about what’s in your heart!

So when it comes to Christmas, why wouldn’t I get excited and celebrate? It’s a great excuse to hang with family and friends, indulge in a little too much good food and bubbles, to play my never ending list of Christmas songs and to relax at the end of the year!

But most of all, why would I not get excited about celebrating the birth of the most incredible man ever born, the man who saved me from a life without love, the man who died so I could live! The man who gave His all so we could have this festive season. Why would we not celebrate this man?

I think that’s a pretty good reason to celebrate….. and so I do!

Pastor Kathy Strong and her husband Phil, pastor North End Church in Te Awamutu. Kathy is a mum to two big kids, pastor's wife, blogger, women's ministry leader and creator of an amazing ministry for tweens called 'Daughters of the King.' She is bursting with faith, joy and hope and longs to see all women rise to their potential.

Too soon for Christmas?

My friend absolutely loves CHRISTMAS!! She begins the Christmas countdown on Boxing day. YES she is one of THOSE people. I used to find it annoying when in September/October she would start posting on Facebook… so many weeks until Christmas, so many Mondays/Fridays etc. Now I actually find it funny and look forward to when she will start posting funny Christmas related things on Facebook.

It is quite entertaining watching other people comment on her posts. Some people love it, some think it is funny and go along with it and then there are the ones who are just not ready to be thinking about Christmas that early on.

However, I recently came up against a comment which threw me a little bit and made me stop and think. When did Christmas become about commercialism, work, and the pile of stress we end up dumping on ourselves? When did we take Christ out of Christmas?

I guess this is probably a bit of a silly question because for many people Christ left Christmas with the arrival of Father Christmas. The friend I mentioned at the start of this is not a Christian, she doesn’t even believe in God yet she loves Christmas.

For many people Christmas isn’t even about the birth of Christ, they may know the story but they don’t celebrate Christmas because of it. For them Christmas is all about the fun, family, giving and receiving of gifts, which is great but they are overlooking the most important, amazing, spectacular gift of all, who is Jesus.

Christmas has become stressful and full of work because people are worshiping and giving honour to the wrong thing. Instead of a celebration of our Saviour entering this world it is a mad dash, stress filled, busy, and exasperating time until the day where we can finally relax and enjoy ourselves. That is if we don’t get in a huff over someone’s reaction to what we thought was the perfect gift, or the disappointment in not receiving what we wanted ourselves. Eating too much, drinking too much, spending too much money so we start the new year off in debt, already behind, desperately trying to catch up for the rest of the year only to do it all again next year.When did Christmas become all about us?

Too early for Christmas? I think not. Not if it is about the true meaning of Christmas. Receiving our Lord and Saviour into our lives, receiving the forgiveness of sins, and receiving eternal life with Him.

Luke 2:10-11 - “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour, yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

Good news, great joy!! CHRISTMAS!

Our capacity is also determined by our ability to not only realise, but empathize with the fact that other people have things going on in their lives. Capacity depends on people's capabilities to make rational decisions, to resist known situations that would harm them, and to recover from unforeseen disasters and experiences. And yet at the same time it is these very events which help to grow a person's capacity!

Another trap is to confuse capacity for motivation. If we stop to be honest, how many times have we said to someone "Sorry, but I just don't have time for that," when in actual fact we do have the time or could make the time, it’s just that we can't be bothered or we'd rather not for whatever reason - and usually quite a valid one, we just don't want to offend the person we are talking to. The message that the person hears though can be something quite different and misinterpreted, when the truth would have been far more appreciated. There is an expression that a half-truth is no better than a lie, and this is where excuses fail. Particularly so in the face of social media when our lives are open for the world to see and perhaps the pictures posted and status's placed contradict what you tell others. (But again the validity and truth around social media could in fact yet again be a whole other study!)

What is the story you tell yourself? Is it that no one understands what trials you have been through so, if you're honest, you feel an entitlement to receive? Or it might be that you tell yourself you are not worthy, pushing traumatic memories away, giving to others because receiving blessings just feels far too uncomfortable.

The problem with these two extremes though lies in the fact that in order to expand your capacity you need to be able to freely give & receive in order to enlarge your blessing flow. When your capacity is reached there is no more room and everything after this either becomes a burden or a waste. Because, without stepping up and stepping into what you are truly capable of then your capacity will never grow and you will live a limited life.

We limit our capacity by worldly events, by expectations from ourselves and others which we should never accept, by excuses we think are justified, and when we operate out of the flesh. However, when we walk by faith we step into the supernatural where we can experience unlimited blessings and miraculous breakthrough - more than we could ever think of or ask for.

So if you want to release your Burdens, step into your Potential, increase your holding Ability and Power, and expand your Reach then start by increasing your capacity. If you want to live a life of abundance, breakthrough and blessings then start by increasing your capacity.

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes."Isaiah 54:2

And suddenly we are no longer talking hypothetical, but a scriptural command.

Kath is married to Scotty and they reside in the Manawatu with their 5 boys aged from 1

Over the last 12 months I have become more and more intrigued by the notion of "Capacity." Capacity is defined as: 1. the maximum amount that something can contain. 2. the amount something can produce. Synonyms for capacity include; quantity, size, scope, proportions, competence and spread. My favourites though are these: Burden Potentiality Holding Ability Holding Power Reach

So, if you have a look at the definition and synonyms it is very clear that capacity encompasses BOTH the ability to take ON/IN something, as well as sending/giving OUT something. Or another way of looking at it in human terms is, the ability to GIVE and RECEIVE. And just like that capacity is suddenly a very interesting little word!

When there are two opposing sides to a word, how do we measure capacity? Or more importantly how do we measure our own capacity? And why is our own capacity so vital?

To put it simply, our capacity will ultimately define our ability to lead a full and abundant life - TRUTH!

Our capacity affects our ability (or inability) to learn, to teach, to love, to "do," to help, to share, to be happy, to cope, to be resourceful, to reach our full potential! And the great news is that we all have the ability to grow our capacity - it just depends on whether or not you want to!

It would be really easy at this point to start looking at other people for comparison as we all know people who are better at giving than receiving or those who just seem to receive way more; people who are constantly on the move, thriving & just generally rocking life or those who seem permanently exhausted by it; and people for whom selflessness takes precedence over selfishness or those whose entire focus is always on themselves. But comparison in itself is a whole other concept...and blog!

So what determines a person's capacity - well, there are hundreds, if not thousands of things that might, some of which we have control over and some of which we may not. However, in order to grow our capability we need to recognise that we can, and need to, consciously put aside those things which limit our capacity's growth, or to at least look at them in a different way. It also involves us determining our ability to put aside the things we might rather be doing in order to do something that might be less appealing but far more important in ways we cannot yet even grasp.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that we don’t pause to take time for ourselves (as this is a vital self-care) but the moment we think we are self-entitled then that is a different story. We all walk through seasons where self-love and care is of utmost importance however if we find ourselves repeating the same story, the same history, time and time again then that should be a huge clue to us that we need to grow our capacity and make room/space for a new future & new story. Part 2 coming next week.

Proverbs 3:21 – 22 - “My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.”

I don’t even remember how I came across this scripture, but I did… I wrote it down and thought, I am going to come back to this because something about it grabbed a hold of me.

…don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment, hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.

When I look at a necklace, the first thing I normally notice is the jewel, the most precious piece of the necklace. Normally the most expensive and important part of the necklace is the jewel, the stone, the pendant, the precious piece, the beautiful part.

It got me to thinking, if common sense and discernment are like jewels on a necklace they are pretty important and even though they sound like pretty underwhelming things to have, if we give them significance in our lives they will become something beautiful.

Common sense - is sound practical judgment concerning everyday matters, or a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge that is shared by nearly all people.

The fact that it states – nearly all people means it maybe isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. Common sense maybe, is something we need to learn to do, something that needs some attention given to it.

Discernment - is the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well. Being able to have sharp perceptions about circumstances, to understand what is going on in a situation is definitely a trait that would be beneficial to possess.

This scripture is telling me if I ‘hang on’ to these two things, my soul will be refreshed. To be refreshed means to give new strength or energy to. My soul could definitely benefit from some refreshing.

Common sense and discernment seem like pretty mundane things but to possess them is to have something very precious and rare, close to your heart, bringing refreshment to your soul.

In this busy life that we live it can be hard to take the time to refresh our soul. This scripture reminds us of the importance of taking the time for the seemingly mundane. Taking the time, that will produce something of value out of something ordinary. After all, isn’t this what God does with us? Takes an ordinary person, pours time and love into them and creates something of extraordinary beauty and value.

I have a very precious necklace that my husband gave to me, now whenever I wear it I am reminded of this scripture. Reminded to use my common sense and gain discernment, adding another jewel to my necklace and refreshing my soul.

Add common sense and discernment to the precious jewels you have in your life. Take care of them, don’t lose sight of them, hang on to them and you too will add a precious jewel to your necklace. Precious jewels that sit close to your heart, to strengthen and give new energy to your soul.

We are God’s billboards!!!

Now I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s scary stuff. This statement has come up twice for me in the last week so I think it’s worth looking into.

I have learnt that when God repeats stuff, it’s a good idea to listen. I have never heard this statement before so it seems a little ‘strange’ that I would come across it twice in one week. Strange is probably not the right word, probably more like God speaking to my soul.

I know that being a Christian makes me an example for Christ and I feel at times I am not a very good one. I want to live my life with integrity, being authentic to who I really am, and who I really am is a child of God. I am not going to live one way at home, another way at work and then put on my ‘good little Christian’ face when I go to church. To be completely honest I have seen this a few times over the course of my life and it just isn’t pretty. It is not how I want to live my life.

I don’t know why this phrase, being God’s billboard, has struck me quite like it has but I just can’t seem to shake it. Billboards are huge, they are ‘in your face,’ they give a clear message, they are visible. I think that is what is standing out to me, I don’t really like to be visible. I’m the one behind the scenes, I like to be the support person the one that isn’t out front, the one that encourages and promotes other people.

Does God call us out into a spot light that we don’t want to step into? Maybe. Does He call us out of our comfort zones? Yes, He does.

If we are willing, God will use us for His glory in any way He sees fit and I think it is when we submit and step out of our comfort zones that Gods glory is seen and gives the most impact.

Priscilla Shirer in her book ‘Fervent’ writes - “All of our marriages and families are a big deal. Yours and mine. They’re all that big of a deal… because each one is a billboard for the eternal, unchangeable love story between God and human kind.”

Do I want to be a billboard for God? Yes and … no. But do I want to show Gods unchangeable love story to others? Absolutely. If that means I have to step where I don’t really want to step, if that means I have to speak when I don’t really want to speak, if that means I have to be all God is asking me to be then YES! Yes, I will be a billboard for God.

Will you join me?

At Church we have a ‘boardroom.’ We have never used it as a boardroom. We call it the ‘boardroom’ because that is what it was used for by the previous occupants of our building. It was the boardroom then so we call it the boardroom now, no problem with that, or is there?

It got me to thinking about being accurate. What in our lives has become the ‘norm’ because of history, hearsay, repetition or just because. What has become the norm, is still being carried on, but is actually not accurate.

When we really look into it there may be several things in our lives that we are continuing to believe that is actually incorrect. That is a scary thought in some ways. However, I am not writing this to bring fear, I am writing this to bring freedom.

John 8:32 – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I have good news and that is actually, accurately what it is. The ‘Good News,’ The Bible. We are blessed to have a written account of God’s word to go to when we have doubts, when we have lost our way, when we need guidance.

Where we can find the truth, where God can speak to us, where we can find hope and pray empowered prayers. The bible can be a blueprint for our lives, Jesus teaches us how to live, right there between the pages of your bible.

The word Accuracy means: the quality or state of being correct or precise. Correctness, Exactness, Precision, Truth, Perfection or Validity.

So, to find some accuracy, take a look at your bible. Know the Truth. Question those things in your life that may not be accurate. Make sure you believe what you believe for the right reasons. Pray and ask God for revelation so you can live accurately.

By the way, church no longer has a ‘boardroom’ it has the ‘Brightsparks’ room where our little kids play and learn about God (accurately).

The start of a New Year is exciting, so many new things to look forward too, new experiences, new friends to meet, new opportunities to take hold of. The start of a New Year can also be a little bit daunting, especially if the year that has just finished has been a hard one. You could be walking into this New Year weighed down with what has gone on the previous year. Dragging yourself reluctantly into the year wondering how you are even going to find the energy to ride out another year. Just making it through this week is going to be a major accomplishment.

I am looking forward to this New Year, I am leaning forward with excitement and anticipation for what God has for me this year. Eagerly awaiting the challenges and new things that I am going to accomplish and achieve this year and the reason is …. I have taken the pressure off myself.

I have finally (at this point anyway), given myself a break, this is not to say that this year I will be cruising because honestly I believe this year is going to be my busiest one yet. The reason I am straining forward into this year instead of dragging myself kicking and screaming is because I have stopped multi-tasking.

Sounds weird I know, multi-tasking is something us women are just good at (well some of us). We find it pretty easy to have 10 balls in the air at the same time and still get the dishes done, kids to bed and keep our husbands organised. Self-confessed control freak here, but at the end of last year, God was really on my case about multi-tasking.

The message that was coming through was “just concentrate on the one thing,” the one thing God is asking me to do.

We think we are so productive and we can be, but in reality we can also be ignoring the one thing that God is asking us to do, to deal with, to start, to finish… are we just too busy being busy?

Psalm 46:10 - “Be still and know that I am God.”

This year if you are dragging yourself into the New Year, I encourage you to be still and spend some time with God, ask Him what the “one thing” He wants you to concentrate on is and then do that. Un-complicate things, stop multi-tasking, take the pressure off and move into this year with a sense of achievement, of accomplishment, with a goal that is achievable and may God bless you richly as you do the “one thing.”

Happy New Year.

I still tuck my youngest son into bed at night and say his prayers with him, he is ten years old. The last few months have been slightly amusing, I say goodnight to him, go back down the hallway to the lounge thinking he is going to sleep. Without me knowing, he has gotten out of bed, written a note and blue tacked it on his door, then got back into bed.

Hours later when I have gone to bed I have seen this addition to his door…. ‘Things I want for Christmas,’ SKATEBOARD is always in capital letters, followed by Lego then everything else in decreasing order of importance.

As a mum this makes me smile and cringe at the same time. I think it's cute but it also adds an unwanted pressure. To be completely honest, our financial position has always been pretty tight. On paper our budget just does not add up. I want to bless my kids and get them what they want for Christmas, what I don’t want is the unnecessary pressure of trying to juggle money to do this.

My kids know they are loved and special and we would do anything to protect them and keep them safe. They know we would love to buy them lots of stuff, but in reality, that's what it is, STUFF.

Christmas is about CHRIST, first and foremost and my family know what is important. Yes we do get our kids presents and bless them on Christmas but I also want them to grow up knowing that Christ comes first. I love giving gifts, so for me Christmas is awesome but it’s also the little traditions that make it what it is. The reading of the Christmas story, the family tradition of a treasure hunt and the family breakfast of just our immediate family. These things are equally as important.

This Christmas I want to keep the main thing the main thing, which is Christ. If you put Him first everything else will fall into place and my kids will feel blessed whether everything on their list is ticked off or not.

I refuse to get stressed about juggling the money side of things.

This Christmas I encourage you also to put Christ first and let Christmas be about Him. It is after all why we celebrate. Don’t let Christ be missing from your Christmas this year.

And just in case you are wondering, the SKATEBOARD is ticked off the list!!

This summer we wanted to plant a tree in our yard, not knowing a thing about planting trees we asked at the gardening centre the best way to do it. The man told us how he and his neighbour had planted the same trees on their properties. His neighbour staked each tree individually to hold them straight in the ground whereas he had simply planted his. The trees grew looking the same.

We are called to do what we have been designed for by our Heavenly Father and when we do what we are called to do, we do not require staking from others, we do not rely on being propped up by bad habits or vices. Deep root yourself through His Word. Deep root yourself through the knowledge that His Grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Deep root yourself through faith, knowing that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:4) for this will enable you to withstand any storm.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be standing after the storm and God wants you standing too.

Kath is married to Scotty and they reside in the Manawatu with their 5 boys aged from 4 months to 14 years old. Kath's desire is to see women not only supporting each other in their daily life but also championing each other on their Christian walk. She is the Chairperson on their local Christian Kindergarten Trust Board and encourages her family to be a part of serving teams at their church regardless of their age.

I have heard it said that the most beautiful woman is the confident women and I know that is true for myself in the way that if I feel good about myself, am confident in what I am doing, it changes my whole demeanor.

On my wedding day, I totally felt like a princess, I felt valued by so many people and truly honored by the way I was treated on that day. It gave me a glimpse of how God feels about us, about how we should treat each other and how it feels to walk with confidence. I’m pretty sure there is something in the bible somewhere also that says something about us being the ‘bride of Christ.’

I know the reference in the bible means a whole lot more than just this but I know what it feels like to be a bride and I would love to walk around in my everyday life feeling as loved and secure, confident and special as I did on that day and the fact is, I should, actually I can.

As a bride you feel beautiful, you feel wanted, you feel loved, you feel secure. You know you are in the right place and you are walking into a future filled with hopes and dreams, filled with excitement. You are the bride of Christ, You are enough, just the way you are.

I pray that you will come to know how precious you are, just as you are, you are enough, you are loved, you are important and being true to who God made you is what He is asking you to do. You were made to be you.

Romans 12:5-6The Message bible

I pray that something is released in you so that you can truly be free to be who you are, you can walk with confidence, you won’t feel the need to compare or compete, you can love yourself, you know like you know that you know, you are a daughter of the King.

Another quote that Coco Chanel is well known for is “Once you've dressed, and before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.”

Today I want to say to you, next time you get dressed and are ready to leave your house, look in the mirror, look yourself in the eye and the one thing I want you to take off, the one thing God wants you to take off, is your self-doubt.

And remember, beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. Have the courage to be yourself today.

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself” – Coco Chanel

This quote is from the famous French fashion designer and business women Coco Chanel, who was known for the “little black dress,” her eye for fashion, business, perfume and handbags.

This quote also reminds me of a well-known scripture.Psalm 139:14 - “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” NKJV

When you truly allow God to show you who you really are, when you accept that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, unique and precious, then you will be totally overwhelmed, captivated by Him. You will feel safe and secure in your own skin and you can live like you. The way you were designed to.

You will live inspired, something will ignite on the inside of you to keep going and reach out to others.You will live activated, running with what God has purposed for you to do.You will live valued, when you know your true value you will be able to value others also.You will live connected to God and others around you, who are running the race with you,and living in overflow where you won’t run dry, where you won’t feel overwhelmed but you will know where and who your source is to get refueled and keep going.

The key is to know, to really know who and whose you are. When you get that revelation it takes the pressure off, it relieves the burden of trying to be something we are not. Get to know who you are, live like you, lead like you. You are who you are on purpose, designed and created by God exactly right! Just the way you are.

Part 2 coming next week ...

Genesis 2 : 2 – “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” We all know we need rest, we know it is important but life is lived at such a fast pace these days that taking time to rest can be difficult, no matter how important we know it is.

Sometimes, in amongst all the noise, I hear a quiet voice whisper to my soul “be still and know that I am God” and I know I need to listen and rest. Now, my life may not look any different, I may still be running from one activity to the next but my soul is at rest. I know I need to take the time to stop, listen, spend time with God and quite my soul. I can carry on with my schedule but the hectic pace, the anxiety is no longer there.

We do also need to actually take time to physically rest but I find a lot of my ‘busy’ is in my head and that is where I need rest the most. Stop the noise, take a pause and work through those things that are screaming at me inside my head. Make some space, allow God into the situation. Instantly there is peace and my soul’s heartbeat lines back up with God’s. The frantic pace eases and I feel at peace even though outwardly sometimes, nothing has changed.

God rested. We need to rest. I find we have a tendency to get our work done and then find other things to do instead of taking a break. In Genesis it says “God had finished his work,” how many times have we finished something only to keep going on something else? We never let up, it is continual go go go. We need to understand the importance of rest. I must admit I do struggle with this. I do not like leaving something not finished or feel like I haven’t done something to the best of my ability and yes I am one of those people who feels like it’s not done properly unless I do it myself!! I am my own worst enemy however I am learning to rest. I have found that something that means so much to me, means absolutely nothing to somebody else or what I think isn’t good enough is somebody else’s idea of brilliant. Ease up on yourself, I think at times our own expectations and standards are too high. I am not saying don’t do your best, but make sure your best is actually achievable. If you want to be performing at your best, then take the time to rest.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

This scripture paints a picture of trees that roots are deep enough to reach water, even in times of intense heat or drought; they are still green and produce fruit. There roots are deep enough, they are grounded into the source that keeps them alive, green and producing fruit even when the environment around them is not desirable.

We can live our lives like these trees planted so deep in God’s word that we can continue to flourish even in times of stress, torment, drought and conflict. We know where our source comes from, we are continually connected into God and His provision so even in times of deep valleys we can continue to grow, we can continue to move forward and we can continue to produce fruit.

The word planted means: set or place in a particular position - put, place, set, position, station, situate, settle, stick, fix.

When we ‘set’ our foundations in God we can weather any storm because we are ‘positioned’ correctly. We have the provision needed for every circumstance we find ourselves in and we can endure the season for however long it takes because our source is God. Our roots go deep into living water.

We may all go through times when we feel, lonely, isolated, like nothing is getting any better, where the season we are in just seems to be going on forever but these are the times when we have to press in, where we have to keep going because God has us there for a reason.

These are the times when we have to worship God with our whole heart, when we need to be still and know that He is God, where we know He is our safe refuge and at times our hiding place. When you feel ready to give up, give in, let go and step aside, that’s when we need to worship louder, keep reading scripture, press in and keep going, trusting God, listening to His voice and doing what He is asking of us. There are times of intense heat, or severe drought when we don’t understand or really know what to do next, but if our roots are deeply grounded in God we will find the strength to keep going, we will produce fruit as we persevere, we will hear God respond with love and encouragement deep in our soul.

Keep doing what God has told you to do no matter the season you are in. Do it for God’s applause, not the applause of man.Romans 2:29 – "No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people."

I understand that what people think of you matters, I get that, truly. I know we are told it doesn’t matter but it is something I struggle with myself. The fear of what man may think, I’m not worthy, they will be wondering why I am doing that, I’m not good enough and so on. We need to be okay with people not liking us, or not understanding what we are doing. Not everybody is going to ‘get’ you and that is okay. I know I am a people pleaser and I want people to like me and not everyone does, but I need the praise from my God in heaven more than from the people I do everyday life with. This is hard but something God has been teaching me. I need His words “Well done, good and faithful servant” to be the words that mean the most to me, not the approval or permission from the people around me.

God is teaching me to grow roots deep into His living water, His supply that never runs dry, His truth about how He sees me and guess what? I am enough, "Christ is in me, I am enough." I can do all He has called me to do through Him. I can’t do it myself but I can do it with God, His way, connected to all He has for me by trusting Him and making the Lord my hope and confidence.

CLOTHES - We all wear them but have we thought about how our clothing choices can impact both ourselves and also those around us? Clothing can be functional, fun and it can help us express our personality to others. Clothing can identify us with a particular group or organisation. It can also identify us with a culture, mindset or peer group. Clothing can be used to gain acceptance with or place social distance from others.

Like it or not, the clothing you choose to wear and how you choose to wear it can have an impact on how others perceive you and also on how you perceive yourself. This can be either positive or negative. As Westerners we often have the luxury of choosing the clothing that we would like to wear. With this luxury comes responsibility. We are responsible for ensuring that we steward ourselves, our resources and those around us well.

The bible speaks about loving our neighbour as we love ourselves. The way we choose to dress can express how we feel about ourselves. Drab, sack like, bland clothing MAY indicate a person is not feeling worthy of notice or that they dislike their body. Provocative clothing MAY indicate that they either want to attract attention in the hope of attracting love or that they want to send a particular (often offensive) message to the world.

Clothing choices can also distract those around us. 1 Corinthians 8:9 talks about ensuring that our freedom not becoming a stumbling block for others. There is no denying we are a visual people. It’s not possible to “unsee” things. So just because you can wear something doesn’t mean that you should. I’m not saying dress like a nun (after all what does a nun in the 21st century even wear?) But to consider the impact of your clothing choices on other people. Feel free to follow fashion trends but apply common sense and modesty.

Dress with class. Do you want other people to “see what you had for breakfast?” If so why?!? As Paul said "Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial!" (1 Corinthians 6:12).

You can choose to wear whatever you want but a wise woman considers the impact of her actions on others. Be in the world and not of it – We live in a society which is soaked in sexualised messages. The imagery of scantily clad women fawning over a fully clothed man has been commonplace. What does this imagery ACTUALLY say about the value of women???? Nothing good. It’s sad! Ask yourself if your clothing choices honour God (i.e. Are you portraying to others how valuable you are to Him?) Or are you following the crowd? Have you unconsciously taken on board the culture of the world?

Your clothes come from somewhere. A garment will have had the input of numerous people in its production. Your clothing purchases can either positively or negatively impact the lives of those involved in producing those garments, as well as the environment – so make wise purchasing decisions. I’m not saying that you should only purchase pre-loved or second hand clothing but that you should not purchase to excess and that you should consider the ‘back-story’ behind the garment. It can be difficult to ascertain whether a garment has been produced with fair-trade principles as the consumer paying more doesn’t mean the producer was paid more. Thankfully Tearfund has produced an ethical clothing rating system which rates clothing brands on the Australasian market based on their social responsibility. Be a good steward of your resources and make purchases which influence the lives of others for the better. You could literally change someone’s life!

I’m no fashion guru but here are my tips for clothing choices:

- Dress like royalty (I’m not talking about wearing designer labels but about having an attitude of dressing with self respect, and as someone who is held in high regard). I’m not advocating a consumer lifestyle but employing good stewardship and doing the best with what you have.

- Dress to flatter your figure (whatever shape it happens to be). Address body image issues and sort them out rather than using clothing to attempt to “mask” the psychological problem.

- Dress in context, bikinis and skimpy singlets are for the beach not the boardroom!

- Be a good steward of your resources – dress with a style rather than to simply follow a trend. If a particular trend doesn’t suit your body shape, doesn’t fit your self-respect criteria or makes you feel uncomfortable just skip it! Trends come and go so fast that the next thing will be along before you know it – don’t be completely out of touch with fashion but don’t be a mindless slave to it either!

- Don’t be afraid to express your personality with your clothing choices. Have fun and don’t follow the crowd!

Take a quiet moment apart today and ask yourself:

1. How do I REALLY see myself?2. Do I love my body or hate it? Do I have a body image “issue”?3. Have my clothing choices been influenced by sexual messaging in the media?4. Why do I wear what I wear? Is it to fit in with the crowd, to hide or to attract attention? Am I doing this for the right reasons?5. Does my thinking match up with how God sees me? If it doesn’t, ask God for His help in realigning your thinking to be like His. When you see yourself as God sees you your perspective on a lot of things changes (and this includes how you want others to see you). You are a reflection of God’s glory.6. What is the impact of my clothing purchases on those who produce my clothes? Do I need to re-think where I shop and how much I purchase?

Claire is married to Bryan and their household in New Plymouth is big and busy. Claire is step-mum to 2 amazing teenager girls, foster/boarder mum to an equally amazing teenage boy, and mum to 2 high energy preschoolers. Claire also works as a pharmacist and volunteers in her local church and community.

Have faith in who God has called You to be.

Matthew 14:28-31 – “And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

We’ve all heard or read this story many times right?

There are times when we step out trusting God and it’s all going great and then all of a sudden we lose faith (confidence) in ourselves and ops, got that sinking feeling!

It isn’t God we lose faith in, it is ourselves. Peter lost faith in himself but he didn’t lose faith in Jesus because he still called out to Jesus to save him believing that He could.

Peter had his eyes on Jesus when he stepped out of that boat and when he was walking towards Him, but then he took his eyes off Jesus and noticed that the wind was boisterous and he was afraid and that was when he started to sink.

We step out in faith with our eyes on Jesus and we are all good and moving ahead focused on God and then we get distracted by what is going on around us and shift our focus and that is when we start to doubt, that is when the fear starts to creep in, that is when reality tries to smack you in the face.

Cry out to Jesus and get your focus back on Him. It isn’t Him you doubt, it is yourself. Your ability to ride the storm, your strength to make it through, your commitment in the tough times. You need to realise that you can get through anything if you are with Jesus.

When Peter called out to Jesus it says “and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.” The thing that gets me here is that Jesus was obviously close to Peter because all He did was stretch out His hand and He caught Peter. How many times is Jesus right there beside us but because we have shifted our focus we only see the wind, the so called reality of our situation and we start to panic.

I am actually writing this to myself first because I have been in this place and am pretty much going through this myself as I write. Today I got another “thank you, but no thank you” e mail regarding a job. It is tough putting yourself out there, going to interview after interview, it never seems to get any easier and doubting yourself can start to creep in. Look to Jesus, don’t take in the “storm” around you, keep focused on Jesus and doing what He is telling you to do and keep walking through your current reality with Jesus right there with you.

The other thing that really stood out to me in this scripture is that it says “immediately.” Jesus reacted immediately to Peters cry for help. There are times when it seems like God waits too long, but that’s because we are looking at things by our time schedule, not Gods. If you need immediate help, God is going to stretch out His hand immediately. He won’t let you sink. Trust God but also trust yourself. Jesus knew what was going to happen with Peter but I also believe that Peter did actually have the ability to walk on water all the way to Jesus.

Peter actually accomplished the hardest part in my opinion, which was to step out of the boat in the first place. He believed in Jesus so much that he didn’t even hesitate to step out of the boat. It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and took notice of his environment that he lost faith, but again not in Jesus but in himself.

Why step out of the boat start walking and then panic!! If the hardest part is already done why start doubting once you are on your journey, Jesus is right beside you, keep your focus on Him and keep moving forward.

God wouldn’t start you out on something to let you sink in the middle, keep your faith in God and in the fact that He believes you can do it so how about believing in yourself also.

Our faith needs to be 100 percent in Jesus but we also need to have faith in who He has called us to be.

God knows what He is doing, He knows the end result so how about having some God given confidence in yourself. Believe you are who He says you are, believe you can do what He calls you to do and keep on walking on water, with your eyes focused on Jesus.

My husband of 18 months cautiously said, “Beks, I need to tell you something”. I could tell it was something serious. I braced myself. He continued, “I haven’t been completely honest with you. I’m sorry but…”

We’d been a couple for over six years. We had a one year old daughter. I thought we had a great relationship. I was completely unprepared for what followed. I became aware in that moment that, quite opposite from having the open and honest relationship I thought we had, ours had been most certainly ‘less-than’ all God wanted for us.

My husband begun to confess to things he’d done, before we were married, things that he shouldn’t have done; conversations he’d had that he shouldn’t have had; situations he’d been in that he shouldn’t have been in. He asked for forgiveness. I had many questions. We had entered the “tunnel of chaos”. It was messy. It was ugly. But it was worth it.

I’ve been hurt. You’ve been hurt. It’s part of life.

Bill Hybels talks about how we all desire truly authentic relationships; “relationships where we know and are known, we love and are loved, we celebrate and are celebrated, we serve and are served”. However most of us, if we are honest, have at least one relationship in our life that could be better described as ‘Pseudo’. Pseudo relationships are where we “tolerate each other, we accommodate each other, and we settle for sitting on the unspoken matters that separate us”.

We settle for pseudo instead of demanding the real deal for one simple reason: fear.

“What if raising the issue actually make things worse?” we think. “What if bringing this up only ends up ruining the relationship?”

My husband had the option to keep things hidden. I had no idea about what had gone on and there’s every chance he could have got away with me never knowing the truth. However, he wanted a genuine relationship. One based on honesty. So, he overcame his fear and took a risk. He told me the truth.

It’s not always the person who has done the wrong that needs to start the conversation. Sometimes it’s the person who has been hurt that needs to find the courage to enter the tunnel of chaos.

Bill Hybels’ teaching is in line with Jesus’ teaching. In Matthew 18:15 Jesus teaches how we are to respond when people hurt us. He says, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”

We are not to talk about the person behind their back, but we are to go directly to them. We also can’t just ignore the issue or “sweep it under the carpet”.

Similar teaching is given when we know that someone has something against us. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus teaches that if you “remember that someone has something against you, … Go and be reconciled to that person.”

The teaching is clear, whether someone has hurt us or we have hurt them, it is our responsibility to go to the person and try to be reconciled. And it may not be a “big sin” or something intentional that has caused the hurt. It may have been something said or done unintentionally. It may be something said casually. It could be a family member who has said something harsh; a friend who has been critical; a colleague who has been rude. There may be a genuine misunderstanding. But whether it’s an intentional or unintentional hurt, sometimes it does seem easier to ignore the hurt or the misunderstanding and pretend it didn’t happen. Other times grace truly does cover a hurt and we are able to keep the friendship or relationship without a confrontation. However, in order to have true genuine relationships, we must be willing to go further than simply maintaining peace in our relationships. So, when the hurt doesn’t go away, it’s time to have the hard conversation. If you don’t, then as Bill Hybels says, “the wedge that has come between you will go deeper and the friendship will drift apart and will eventually end.” It’s just what happens. The only way to take the relationship to the place it’s meant to be, is to go through the tunnel of chaos. Entering the tunnel means being willing to have a conversation that sounds a little like this: “This is not easy to talk about but I value our relationship and am committed to it. Can we talk about such and such? I think we’ve lost our way. I said this. You said that. It felt like you meant this. I meant that.” Bill Hybels says that being committed to entering the tunnel of chaos whenever God prompts is one of the truest tests of character and love. It tells the other person that you really care. That you’re willing to make yourself vulnerable because you value the relationship. And when you make it to the other side something incredible happens: your relationship grows to a new place of authenticity that you can’t achieve if you always say the “nice” things and always steer away from the hard conversations. My husband and I couldn’t be living the life we are living and doing the things we are doing if he hadn’t been willing to have that hard conversation with me. I’m so grateful he had the courage to go there. If we are to be obedient to Christ (and let’s remember that obedience to Christ is the true test of our love for Him and our faith in Him) then we must go and do our part to be reconciled to those who have hurt us and those we have hurt.

Have you been hurt? Have you hurt someone? Is there a wedge in your relationship? Give them a call; ask if they would be open to talking. Enter the tunnel. Trust that you will come through the other end with the relationship you desire deep down. An authentic relationship.

Rebekah Moa - Equippers Gisborne Rebekah is a full-time mum to five children. She has been married 14 years and is passionately committed to seeing marriages thrive. Rebekah loves her God, her family and her church. She devotes her time to serving them. Relationships are Rebekah's priority. Seeing relationships healed and whole is what drives her. She sees God as a God of reconciliation and hopes that her life is used by God to bring hope and reconciliation to those around her.

"Only believe.” Such an easy thing to write, but not such an easy thing to do. Even as I type those words I think, it seems so condescending to write down, “only believe,” when something so simple at times feels almost impossible.

To let go of doubt, to let go of control, to trust God, to believe in His word, to believe in His promises, to believe in what He has spoken over your life, to trust He will bring it to pass, to believe He loves and cares about you. When your life is falling apart, how can I say “Only Believe.”

Because if you believe Jesus is your Lord and savior then:

John 8:32 - “then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV)

John 8:36 - “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (NIV)

If you only believe,

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

John 20:31 – “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Set free, free indeed, have eternal life, have life in His name, these things all sound pretty awesome.

Believe in God, believe He is who He says He is, believe His promises are true, then you can believe and stand strong in those times of trouble. Believe the word of God and what has been put in your heart, what you know in your soul.

Deep down we all want to trust Him, to believe, to have hope. Every human being wants someone to love them, someone to rely on, someone who won’t let you down. God is this someone. Get to know Him, build a relationship with Him. Trust Him. Only Believe.

You might think I don’t understand and don’t know what you are going through and that may be true but what is also true is that I have had my times of trouble, I have had many times when I have wanted to give up, when life has just been too hard, I can’t do it anymore and God just seems to be silent.

What do you do in those times?

You press in, you take a step, you cry out to God and you keep moving forward. You do not give up, give in or bow out!

Trust me, I know it is so hard to do, I have been there, in that dark place, crying out to God, desperate for some answers and it has seemed as though God has left the room. However, in the silence God is still there. Just because God is silent does not mean He is absent. He is there, right beside you and He will come through for you as He has for me.

I would like to say that it has been instant, but the truth is sometimes it hasn’t been. Yes there have been times when God has answered prayer straight away but more often than not, He has answered my prayers His way, and that is quite often different to ‘my way’ or how I expected or wanted Him to answer. I still struggle with God’s timing because it is so different to mine and I like my timing better… well to start off with anyway because I find actually when God moves, it is the right time and way better than when I wanted it done.

Psalm 34:10 …“those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

Trust that God knows what is good for you and you will not lack any good thing. What God thinks is good for you, not what you think is good for you, many times these “good things” are quite different. You may think it is good but it also says in His word that things can seem right but they lead to death.

Proverbs 14:12 - “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” (NLT) It may look good to us and seem right but God knows where it ultimately leads.

Proverbs 16:9 – “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (NLT) This is how we need to live, make plans but allow God to determine our steps. Again it comes back to letting go of the control and trusting God.

Isaiah 48:17 – “… I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.” (NLT)

Have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Let Him teach you and guide you, so you know which path to take, you know what the right decision is, and you know you can trust in His timing.

If you continue on to the next verse in the above scripture it says: vs 18 - “Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”

Don’t we all crave peace? If we live how God is telling us to live, if we do what He is asking we can live with peace flowing like a gentle river, righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. All turmoil gone, all indecision washed away, peace reigns. God knows what is good for you, get to know Him so He can lead you along the paths you should follow.

Only believe!

God knows your Purpose. Do you?

Challenging question isn’t it. I went to check the mail box one day and there was a little card in there with that question on it. It really made me stop and think, what am I here for, what does God want me to do for Him, what is my God given purpose?

We all have heard or read the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” NIV

Sometimes when we know a certain passage of scripture really well we can become a little blasé about it, it can lose some importance and meaning.

God the creator of the universe, the one who called everything into being has a plan and purpose for your life and not only that, it is a plan that will give you hope and a future. That is pretty awesome. Actually that is pretty mind blowing, humbling, scaring, exciting, encouraging, slightly intimidating and lots of other words too!

God has a plan and purpose for your life, are you living it?

Tough question isn’t it. Do you even know what your purpose is, have you ever ask God what it is? Are you living your life for you or for God? Ouch, now we are pushing some buttons, now it’s getting personal. It’s always personal when it is to do with God because He wants a personal relationship with you, working together for His purpose.

Don’t freak out on me here though. God’s purpose will line up with your hearts desire, with your passion and with your abilities because that is the way God made you. He crafted you in a specific way so together you could work out His plan. A plan that has hope attached, a plan that gives you a future, a plan you can achieve.

But how? I can’t? I don’t have? I don’t even know what my purpose is. Does this sound familiar?

We all like to read Jeremiah 29:11 and then stop!

Don’t stop. The answer is in the very next verses “Then you will call upon me and pray to Me and I will listen to you and you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart I will be found by you says the Lord.” NKJV

Seek Him. Pray, talk to God, earnestly seek Him and you will find Him. He will answer, God doesn’t give you a plan and purpose for your life and then hide it from you and not let you know what it is. If you ask and seek Him about it, He will guild you.

Don’t sit around waiting for God to come to you. Seek Him, get His direction and start doing something. Yes there are times when we need to wait on God but if that is all you do, you won’t fulfil God’s plan for you, you won’t be moving forward. Seek God and then do what He tells you.

Find your purpose, the one God has for you and then go live it out!

I have always been a little scared to read the book of Job. I have read it but it is definitely not a book in the bible that I frequently read. It was like I had a hidden fear if I read it I would end up having my own Job experience, I definitely didn’t want that so when I got an overwhelming desire to read Job I was rather surprised at myself.

I had bought myself a new bible, an NLT bible. I had grown up reading NKJV as that was the first bible I was ever given by my parents however I had purchased a NLT and decided to read it cover to cover along with my other bible study reading. I was getting closer and closer to Job and was looking forward to reading this book. Weird, I know.

As I was reading Job I felt like I could understand some of the things he was crying out to God about. I wonder if we actually do all have our own personal Job experiences in our lives, obviously not to the extreme that Job did, but those times when we really feel like God has left us too it, He has stepped away and taken a ‘hands off approach.’ You are crying out to God and getting silence in return. Praying prayers that just seem to have no reply and all you are hearing is nothing!

Job 30:20 – “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look.” (NLT)

The situation you are in just keeps getting worse and it feels like your prayers are falling on deaf ears. You are doing all you know to do, believing God, having faith, praying, yet things are just going from bad to worse, even when you are in the middle of doing what God has told you to do?

However the overpowering message of Job is that God restores.

Job 42:10 – “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before.” (NLT)

Yes, there may be times when it feels like the enemy has free reign in your life, but God is still there. He never takes His eye off you or lets you go from under His protection. God can and will restore all the enemy has stolen.

Job 42:12 – “So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” (NLT)

There is a time and season for everything, and all seasons will come to an end, even the ones that seem to be dragging on forever. Sometimes we travel a path we never expected to take and the journey along the way is so unexpected that we end up somewhere we never thought we would be.

Situations change, people aren’t who we thought they were, plans didn’t go the way we thought they would and every time something comes against us, a piece of us can get changed, hurt, stolen, or be affected.

It shouldn’t be a surprise then when we realise a toll has been taken. We may all go through our own personal Job experiences, but I have found a very important key is in the “how” you go through these times. As I was reading Job I saw some things that really stood out to me.

Key 1. How we go through the tough times.

If we can be like Job and not curse God and try to place the blame on Him, we too can come through these times blessed. Job didn’t curse God.

Job 1:22 – “In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”

Job 2:9 – “ His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.”

Job didn’t place blame on others, yes he questioned God but that is one of the best things he did, he went through this time in close communication with God.

Job continued to talk to God, God answered and Job listened. There is a big lesson here. Listen. Take the time to listen, don’t just throw your quick request, complaint, whinge at God then carry on with your day. The answer is in prayer, talk to God about it then listen for His answer. Don’t make it a one sided conversation. Wait for His answer.

We need to do the same, instead of running from God, run to Him. Keep praying, keep Him close and listen to what He is telling you to do.

Yes it has been hard, Yes, we have lost things along the way, Yes it has changed us but look for what you have learnt, look for the blessing. Nothing is wasted in God, there is a reason for everything, you may find out what it was or you may not but God loves you and He will never leave you or forsake you.

You too can “be blessed in the second half of your life more than in the beginning.” I have come to understand that it is in the “how.” How we go through these times of struggle, how much we trust God, how much we go through it with Him, how strong we are, how much faith we have, how much do we really believe in God, how much God is revealed in us. How much we listen, and how much we act on what we hear God say.

Key 2. Who you listen to.

Another key in Job is to be careful who you listen to. Jobs friends where there to comfort him and support him but God tells them off.

Job 42:7 – After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.”

In our time of need it can make us feel better to off load on our friends however we need to make sure we have wise council. I’m sure Job’s friends meant well but they didn’t speak accurately. They played the ‘blame game’ accusing Job of doing something wrong.

Job 15: 1-5 – “A wise man wouldn’t answer with such empty talk! You are nothing but a windbag. The wise don’t engage in empty chatter. What good are such words? Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? Your sins are telling your mouth what to say.”

You do not need someone pointing out all your fears and failures when you are going through something that maybe just maybe is not your fault. Maybe it is something that God is allowing you to go through for your own benefit.

Yes, it is important to get Godly advice, but make sure it is advice that lines up with what the word says. Sometimes I think it is better to go through things on our own with God than get the wrong advice. God is all we need. I know from personal experience that God is my refuge and strength, my hiding place, my safe refuge and He is all I need. Listen to what God is saying to you.

Key 3. Job didn’t make it all about him.

Job 42: 10 – “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!”

When God said for Job to pray for his friends he did and God restored his fortunes. Job wasn’t completely caught up in himself. He prayed for his friends, he took his eyes off himself and his situation and put someone else first and that is when God blessed him. There has got to be something in that. We shouldn’t be so wrapped up in ourselves and our situations that we don’t reach out to others or do what God is telling us to do because that was actually something God had told Job to do. Again Job is listening to God, not making it all about him and he is moving forward. I think the overwhelming message of Job is God restores. You can get through anything if you go through it with God.

What are you running from that God wants you to turn around and run towards? Coming into this new year of 2017, what do you finally need to turn and face? Stop running, stop putting it off, stop thinking it will go away, turn around and with God right there beside you, face it, deal with it and leave it there.

Walk into this ‘new year’ with purpose, with passion, without those things dragging you down. Walk free into all that God has for you. We all have an amazing future in God, He has such great plans for us and we need to be willing to trust Him, build our faith and walk into that future dealing with the things He asks us too along the way.

If He has called you to it, He will equip you through it. Get God’s peace about your situation. Don’t be anxious for He is your God. He will strengthen you and uphold you through it. Seen or unseen God goes with us. Just because God is silent doesn’t mean He is absent. Trust Him. He will restore you, better than before.

Don’t be scared of Job!