Tag Archives: God

Thomas Brooks on Leaning on God

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“Everything that a man leans upon but God—will be a dart which will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ—lives the highest, choicest, safest and sweetest life.” - Thomas Brooks


As a Christian I would like to state that I am always leaning on Christ for everything.   I would like to say that. But unfortunately my human nature emerges and just like Paul Anka wrote “I did it my way.”  As this quote states though, everything we lean on that is NOT God will certainly pierce our heart.

I have found this to be true.

If we lean on our husbands/wives for security and protection, they will fail us.  If we rely on family, they will fail us.  If we rely on our church, our friends, our accomplishments, our pride, our good deeds, it will only lead to the piercing of your heart.

I learned my first lesson about relying on something other than God when I was first married.  I am a daddy’s girl and I have a very close relationship with my Dad.  I am fortunate enough to have a father who is blessed with wisdom and a calm spirit.  My marriage started rocky and when my life was out of control I sought Dad’s advice. I was leaning on my father’s wisdom to guide my life instead of my Heavenly Father’s wisdom.  This was a tough lesson for me to learn.

I still seek Dad’s advice and I will grieve greatly when it is not there one day, but God taught me early on that he is a jealous God and will remove whatever is in the way between He and I.  Maybe that is why I live in Florida and my family is in Arizona??? I don’t know, only God does.

I give that as only one example.  During my lifetime I have relied on friendships, instead of God.  I have relied on my husband for certain things instead of God.  I have relied on certain skills or accomplishments, only to find myself once again face down before God because what I was relying on once again failed me.  But God never fails (Psalms 136:1).

Maybe this is why the song “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” as been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

As Thomas Brooks stated, if you lean on Christ you will live the highest, choicest, safest and sweetest life.  Safe in the sense that nothing can separate you from the love of God ( Romans 8:35-39).

Thank God he is in the business of turning thorns into roses and growing closer to Christ is a journey.  I praise God he is there when I stumble and when I fail to lean fully on Him.  For I know when I finally arrive, I will be with Jesus.

What are you leaning on today?





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Laced With Grace

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I am hopping all over the place this week, come join me over at Laced With Grace today.



LacedGrace


    ….more than twice as many people have requested assistance for the Christmas season from the Salvation Army than all of last year. Some people got up at the crack of dawn to line up in the hopes of providing their kids with Christmas gifts.


    Five states posted jobless rates above 12% in August, according to federal data released Friday.

In each of these stories these are real people who are hurting; people who Jesus looks down upon with compassion. This is who Jesus was talking about when he said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

Unfortunately I think Christians become too tangled up with their own lives, with their own beliefs, that they do not see what is going on around them. (CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST)

Not Good Enough

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Many times Satan’s attacks sneak up on me and tend to catch me off guard until I find myself off track. Lately he has not been so subtle.

From all directions I have heard indirectly: YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Now before I receive many emails saying I am, that is not the purpose of this post. My purpose in sharing this is because I know I am not alone in this attack.


    You are not articulate enough to be teaching.
    You are not good enough because you can’t cook like Martha Stewart.
    Why even bother reaching out, you can’t offer what others around you can. They have better things to offer.
    You don’t fit in with that group, why even try.
    You don’t have enough experience.
    People don’t care.
    Why even bother, you are even being attacked by fellow Christians.

Am I hitting anyone’s thoughts here or is it just me? One of the many ways Satan continually knocks us down is with our thought life. Lately life has been difficult and Satan has been on the attack, but I have come to a wonderful place of peace lately.

1. I am called to be obedient to God.
2. I am not responsible for the way others react.
3. God leads, I follow, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
4. Love others as I love myself. I am a person who would love to avoid conflict at all costs, unfortunately that is not possible and God has shown me how to handle conflict His way. And by doing that you are strengthening the relationship instead of walking away from it.
5. God allows these thoughts, in hopes you run to him to rely on His TRUTH.

So what is HIS truth?

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble
and He saved them out of their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions.”
Psalm 107:19-20

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. I John 3:1

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalms 100:5

The TRUTH is, He is our deliverer, our strength, our rock, we are children of God, and His love endures forever. What lies is the Father of Lies feeding you today? Whatever they are repeat out loud what you know to be TRUTH.

Then praise God for his protection because you are more than likely doing something that Satan does not like!

Photo by laurenmarek