A Cup of Commitment

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it… Habakkuk 2:2-3

When we are dating and find ourselves on the relationship carousel, we often fear making a commitment because we are not sure if this is “the one”.  We hop on the carousal and run around trying to choose the right animal before the music starts and ride begins. We attempt to figure out which animals are stationary and which ones go up and down. Some of us don’t even bother with the animals choosing instead to just take a seat and ride while watching others in motion.

If this post was about dating and relationships, I would explore that analogy further…but it’s not. I want to discuss this analogy as it relates to our dreams, and vision. Many of us have many dreams concerning our life plans. We talk about these dreams in terms of “I was thinking about doing….”, “I wish I could just….”, “One day I am going to…”  We treat our dreams like dating. We go from plan to plan without making any real commitment because we are not sure if “this is the one”.  We spend (waste) valuable years of our life talking about our plans and dreams yet we never actually have the courage to commit ourselves totally to pursuing those things. Sure, we take it out on dates (daydreams), buy fancy gifts (write in journals), and whisper sweet nothings (one day I’ll do this), but we fail to seal the deal with a solid commitment.

What does that commitment require? PUT A DATE ON IT! Just like when we finally decide that we have found “the ONE”,  we agree to marriage, we set a DATE and we pursue that date with intentionality. We gather our wedding party; we make plans for venue, catering, decorations, and wardrobe. We are excited about the commitment we have decided to make. We announce that commitment by sending “Save the Date” announcements.

We need that same effort with our dreams. A dream is just a dream when it doesn’t accompany a sound plan to manifest it in reality. It doesn’t become a solid vision until you write it down and marry it with a date of expectation. It’s time to stop dating our dreams. It’s time to “put a ring on it” by committing to a date of expectation. It’s time to stop treating our visions like “side chicks”, getting around to them when you’ve done everything else. Our vision is too important to keep in dream status. 

Are you tired of casually dating your dreams?  Are you ready to commit to your dreams? Are you ready to upgrade your dreams and make them into a solid a vision for your future? Get on your knees and make commitment. Seek God’s direction and timing and PUT A DATE ON IT. Get rid of the “side-chick” mentality with your dreams and “”Put a ring on it”

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it… Habakkuk 2:2-3

A Cup of Purpose

Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it,"No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered. (Matthew 21:18-22)


How many times have you spotted a beautiful plant or tree on display only to find upon closer inspection that it was an artificial version of the real thing?  Artificial plants are acceptable in certain environments, like restaurants perhaps, but they are a disappointment when they are in real gardens where we expect to find the real thing. That's how Jesus felt when saw the fig tree from a distance. It should have been successfully bearing some type of fruit since it gave the appearance of a fruit-bearing tree!

Have you ever wondered why you are not successfully bearing fruit your life? Have you asked yourself why you are not progressing? The answer may lie with the type of tree in your garden.
 
Let's take a look at trees. During biblical times certain trees were crucial to the lives of the Jewish people. One type of tree is the fig tree. Figs were good for food and medicinal purposes (Is.38:21). Another popular tree is the olive tree. The olive tree was depended upon for a variety of uses. The fruit of the olive tree was used as an exchange for goods, cosmetic purposes, fuel for lighting, medicine, food, offering, consecration and burials.
 

There are two types of olive trees, an ornamental variety and a fruit-bearing variety. The ornamental olive tree is not meant to bear edible or usable fruit. It is for decoration only. Many people have mistakenly planted ornamental olives trees in their gardens, expecting it to yield edible fruit, only to be disappointed and frustrated when no edible fruit was produced. They mistakenly blame the lack of fruit on the soil, thinking it's not suitable for the tree. In fact it's not the soil that is unsuitable it's the tree that is unsuitable for bearing edible fruit!What do these trees have to do with you? In the various parables of the fig tree Jesus was dismayed at the barrenness of the tree and cursed the tree. In Matthew 3:9, 10, John the Baptist warned that the axe was being laid to the tree that did not bear good (useful) fruit.  Unlike the parables of the sower and seed, the seed (tree) is the focus, not the soil. The soil represents you. It represents your heart, and your life...all that you are. The tree represents purpose.
 

You may have had many failures in the past while seeking to accomplish certain plans or goals in life. You have been discouraged, dissatisfied and frustrated and begin to see yourself through the eyes of failure, defeat, shame or unworthiness. It's time to realize that perhaps it's not your soil at fault but instead the problem is tree that was planted. It is time for you to discover your true purpose in life and plant it in your soil in order to see real fruit produced. You can no longer accept ornamental trees nor water and fertilize them with your attention, time or effort. No matter how much you water an artificial plant it will never produce the real thing. You must lay the axe to the false purpose and barren vision whether planted by you or someone else.

It is time to discover your true purpose and begin bearing useable fruit of success and satisfaction. Join a 4-P Puzzle for Success Workshop to discover the you that you were meant to be.

For More Information about the workshop visit: www.puzzleforsuccess.com

To Register for a workshop visit: www.puzzleforsuccess.eventbrite.com

A Cup of More Than Enough

"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"...And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."   Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. John 6:9, 11-13 (NKJV)

"If you don't have enough for everyone don't bring it!" How many of us heard this from a teacher in school? How many of us actually obeyed this rule? How many of us still brought our "stuff" and tried to be more stealth in our attempt to hide them from the eagle-eyed teacher because we had no intention of sharing our "just-enough-for-me" goodies? We knew that we didn't have enough for everyone and sharing would mean less for us.

We can see a similar situation as Jesus is ministering to 5,000 plus people in a deserted place near Galilee. They followed Him because of the great works He was doing. They have been there ALL day. They are in need of nourishment. Their only supply line is a boy with two fish and five loaves. Wait! There are 5,000 plus people and their only hope is a little boy with two fish and five loaves? Personally, I find it hard to believe that out of 5,000 plus people only one little boy had food. I am willing to stretch my imagination that a few others had a stash of "goodies" on them yet did not offer it up because they felt it wasn't enough for everyone. The difference between the little boy and the others who may have had food was his willingness to offer up what little he had to Jesus. That "little bit" was miraculously transformed into "more than enough" in the hands of Jesus.

How many times have we withheld our "goodies" because they seem inadequate for the need? We all have "goodies", those gifts and talents the Lord wants to use to bless others. We must be like the little boy and have the courage, willingness, and faith to release them into hands of Jesus. It is fine to acknowledge that the needs we are faced with are too great for human strength to satisfy, that what we have seems inadequate for the job. This is the point we are reminded  that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our inadequacies are a proving ground for God to manifest himself as a more than adequate God!

We should never let ourselves or others minimize or marginalize what we bring to the Kingdom table. Our two fish and five loaves may be an encouraging word, a song, a dance or a prayer. It may be administrative gifts to lift the burden of someone else. It may be gifts of service or hospitality or maybe cleaning the kitchen after a service. Maybe it's caring for  someone's child while they are serving. It could be anything. We all have our own version of the two fish and five loaves of bread. The question is are we willing to release them into the hands of the Master to be used to bless others.

When we decide to release our "little bit" it becomes "more than enough". We are then able to be a blessing to others outside of our immediate surroundings, so much so, that we won't even know who was filled by it. The little boy didn't know each and every person whose need was met by his offering. When we trust the Lord with our gifts we can be assured that it will be more than enough to meet the need of the situation and we shall be filled as well. The disciples picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers. That is supernatural, heavenly increase of what was released for the Kingdom. When we release our "goodies" to Jesus, and allow Him to take them, break them as He sees fit, and bless them for kingdom use we will see others being blessed beyond what we can imagine.

Let's encourage ourselves and others in knowing our seemingly inadequate offering to the kingdom has the power to be more than enough in hands of Jesus!

What's in your basket?

A Cup of Stretch

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Ex 14:13-16 (NKJV)

The Plateau is a familiar place for those who are trying to reach weight loss or weight training and muscle-building goals. It is the spot where you seem stuck and can’t go any further. It is easy to just accept it or maybe give up and stop trying altogether and return to your previous unhealthy ways. Never mind how it felt to be weak, lethargic, and enslaved by unhealthy habits. It is a good thing to have someone to encourage you to press forward at this roadblock lest you be tempted to throw all your hard work down the drain.
I think many of us can relate to children of Israel’s predicament. They are finally free of the unhealthy enslavement of the Pharaoh and Egypt. They make it to the Red Sea and then progress seems to stop. They reach “The Plateau”. Discouragement, doubt, and fear begin to settle in and right on the verge of a great breakthrough they consider giving up and returning to ways of enslavement.

We also come to moments in our lives that mirror that Red Sea moment. We work hard to make progress in our lives. Things seem to be going well for us, then; suddenly we come to a roadblock, our Red Sea moment. The chariots of our past are coming with the intent to bring us back to the life we just left. The hoof beats of doubt, fear, hurt, abuse, negativity, and enslavement resound in our ears. Our eyes are fixated on our present Red Sea. The obstacles and roadblocks before us seem insurmountable and cause fear and hesitation. Our minds ponder the unknown that awaits us the other side. The fear of the unknown is one of man’s greatest fears. Yet, when we know the God who reigns over the unknown, we can find the strength and courage to press forward knowing He will take care of us.

God was showing Moses, as He had many times before, that he had been given everything he needed to accomplish his purpose; for Moses it was his rod. For us it is the knowledge that our God has a plan and purpose for our lives, a plan which includes peace, victory, success, freedom, provision and all else we need to complete this journey. As with Moses’ rod, God has already equipped, empowered, and encouraged us to accomplish all we are called to do.

We, like Moses, must stretch forth those things that we have been given. We have gifts, talents, and callings that must go forth. We must stretch forth our faith to breakthrough to the other side. Once we make that bold decision we will see a way open before us, a way that allows us safe passage yet makes no allowances for the things of the past.

There is something better awaiting us. We must have the courage and strength to STRETCH forth, walk through, and believe God for the victory.  Don't give up. We can do it because He has given us the power to do so.

One, Two, Three….STRETCH!

A Cup of Assurance

^{Psalm 16:7}I praise you, LORD, for being my guide.  Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind… ¹¹ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (CEV & NKJV)

Our life as a military family was  an adventure. It was a treat being able to visit many places that some could only read about in books. It was a joy having opportunities to enlarge our circle of friends with every relocation. Yet, for me, the one thing that cast a shadow on the excitement was the idea of driving around an unknown city or country, especially at night. That was never a pleasurable experience for me.
I am self-diagnosed as “directionally challenged”. I dislike being lost in unfamiliar territory to the point of breaking out in a sweat, increased heart rate and stomach pains during a “lost” moment. I am so thankful for the age of technology and access to  on-line maps with directions. I will be forever grateful for the availability of the personal GPS system. No more panic attacks for me! Even when I miss a turn that voice is there to guide me back on the right path. It’s not perfect, but is does ease many of my fears about being lost while navigating the unknown paths.

I am even more thankful that, as children of The King, we also have access to a heavenly GPS. There are times in life when we travel in unfamiliar territories. We are unsure of what direction to take  to arrive safely at our destination. We hesitate through the darkness because we can’t see clearly. But, with God’s Presence System we can be assured of accurate turn-by-turn instructions as we travel through life. Even if we happen to miss a turn His voice, His word, His Spirit, is there to redirect us and get us back on he right path.
With our heavenly GPS we can choose to avoid roadblocks of unrighteousness. We can bypass the detours of doubt, fear, worry and anxiety. We can even program our favorite places to travel, such as: righteousness, peace, joy, love, grace...you name it and you can find directions to get you there safely. Our job is to keep our GPS charged and updated. We charge up by continuly plugging into His presence. We keep our GPS updated by plugging into and interfacing with God’s word consistently.

God assures us that He will show us the path of life. He promises us that Holy Spirit will always be there to guide us. We can be confident of that still, small voice to whisper those turn-by-turn directions to us as we travel through this life. When we keep our heavenly GPS in working condition we will be able to navigate life’s journey, even the darkest moments, with boldness, confidence and the assurance that comes from knowing our Father’s voice, listening intently to His instructions, and faithfully following His turn-by-turn instructions.
We all have assigned destinies, and with our heavenly GPS we will be assured of a safe arrival.

A Cup of Stillness

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 (NKJV) (Please read Psalm 46 in its entirety)
 

"Be still; don't move" ….

As little girl I would often dread the process involved with the care of my hair. I had long, thick and coarse, or as we say, "nappy", hair that took time and patience to maintain. Although the outcome was beautiful I disliked the process. My least favorite part was always the pressing or "straightening" comb. The intense heat of the metal coming out of the fire, and the smell and sound of sizzling hair was enough to make my heart beat two times faster than normal. Yet I knew if I would just be still and trust the beautician to do her job, and follow her directions, all would turn out beautiful. Then, at the completion of the process, everyone would know I had been to beautician that day.


It is often the same with life. Sometimes we are called to deal with "nappy" situations, those rough and coarse spots in life that take the trained and loving hands of God to straighten out for us. He requires our stillness, obedience, and complete trust in Him to do what He knows is best for us.


We can trust God to straighten things out for us. We may hear the sizzling in our ears at times. The fear, doubt, worry, shame and helplessness that makes us want to cringe is loud, but we must "be still, don't move". The burning smell of our circumstances, a lost job, broken relationships, sickness, or ministry woes may be wafting heavily in the air. Our only response should be, "be still, don't move". 
 

We can trust God to handle those things. He is the Master Stylist who knows the very number of hairs on our head. We can trust Him to take those "nappy" situations and style them into a beautiful array of blessing for us. Then, everyone will know we have been in the hands our Master Stylist. Our responsibility is to show up for the appointment and let the Master do His work. Our job is to "Be still and know that He is God"!

A Cup of Praise

Psalm 67:5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. (NKJV)

Not many people think of gardening in the winter. In many places it is cold, the ground is hard. Not much visible productivity takes places in the winter. Because the land doesn’t tend to yield much fruit in the winter we pack up our gardening tools and patiently (or impatiently) wait for the Spring. We look forward to the rains to soften the hardened ground. We think about the fresh seeds that will be available for planting. We anticipate the abundance of sunshine that will burst forth from the sky to give the much-needed light and warmth to our  precious gardens. We begin the long  waiting game of Winter.

Our spiritual gardens are not bound by earthly seasons. We have everything we need at all times to be owners of productive lands. One key to our productivity is wrapped up in our PRAISE!
Praise is what can bring the showers of God’s favor to soften the hardened land. Praise is the seed that we plant with expectation of a harvest of God’s blessings. Praise is the fertilizer that, when spread in abundance, will encourage growth in our relationship with our Father. And, praise is the harvesting tool we use to reap what we have sown in faith and obedience. Our Father has given us dominion and control of the land (Psalm 115:16). We are able to determine its productivity. As we praise and bless God, He returns the gesture by blessing us also.

If you find yourself dealing with a lack of productivity in your land…spiritual, financial, relationship, health, business, family, ministry, or anything…GET YO’ PRAISE ON!

Praise-“Yadah”-hands extended…Yes, come out with your hands up and PRAISE God! Praise down the showers of God’s favor. Plant praise in expectation of a grand harvest of blessings. Fertilize your  land with praise to encourage supernatural growth of your seed. Praise God to reap the increase of all that has been in sown in faith and obedience. Praise Him with all your might and  be an owner of fruitful lands in season and out of season…at all times.

LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE HIM!

A Cup of the Kingdom

^{Luke 12:31} But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. ³² “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (NKJV)

Hide & Seek. Oh, the countless hours of childhood spent playing that game. I really didn’t like being “it”. I disliked having to search and chase my prey and the resulting feeling of failure and frustration when unable to successfully find AND tag someone.
Funny, even as adults we still participate in the motions of hide and seek. We oft-times attempt to seek many material things to fill voids in our lives. We close our eyes and count to ten and shout “ready or not here I come!”. Then we frantically chase after various seemingly elusive things: riches, status, relationships, material things…this list could on and on. Just like in the game, many times the things we chase are within our sight yet always seem to elude being “tagged”. The failed relationships, the get-rich-quick tactics that cost more than we get in return and others things always seem to disappoint. We run around in circles until we, now out of breath, frustrated, disappointed, and disillusioned, close our eyes, count to ten and the start the chase all over again. Sound familiar?

Yet seeking the Kingdom of God is much more pleasurable, mainly because God wants us to find it AND possess it. He is totally pleased when we, His children, set ourselves to seek after what He has for us. He doesn’t tease us by waving the Kingdom in our faces and then suddenly do a quick “spin-move” to elude capture. He stands there, in plain view.
We must understand the Kingdom. It is not a material thing that fades, rots, or loses value. It is a realm that we called to walk in, to dwell in, and to occupy with boldness. It is an eternal and permanent realm where we can walk in power, dominion, and victory! The best part about the Kingdom is that we don’t have to go far or chase wildly after it because it is within us (Luke 12:32).
We must decide to walk in the Kingdom realm to which we have access. Not only do we have access we have a right and an expectation to walk in the Kingdom realm.

How can we walk in this realm? How do know if we are walking in this realm? Romans 14:7 tells us that righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit are marks of the Kingdom. The choices we make, the things we seek, our relationships, our speech, even our prayers should produce these fruits of the Kingdom. This is our measuring stick. The things, people we allow into our lives, the objects we seek after, the things we value, and, yes, even our mindsets, should measure up to kingdom standards.
Friends, we have a right and an expectation to be Kingdom people! We have a right to walk, speak, pray, think, serve, love, etc…in power and victory. We have a right to expect righteousness, peace, and joy to be manifest every time we show up. We are children of the King and it pleases our Father to give His children the inheritance of the Kingdom. Let’s take our rightful ownership and begin to walk in the power of the Kingdom that is within us.
Laura

A Cup of Encouragement

Exodus 17:18  But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn't do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live. The king of Egypt called in the midwives. "Why didn't you obey my orders? You've let those babies live!"…^20-21 God was pleased with the midwives. The people continued to increase in number—a very strong people. And because the midwives honored God, God gave them families of their own. (The Message)

PUSH! For those who have been present through the labor and delivery process, whether pushing, coaching, or watching, that is a familiar phrase.
Before the wonderful world of updated medicine that word usually came from the midwife. Many women today still choose the voice of the midwife to coach them along the process.

Midwives have great responsibilities. They attend the labor and birth. They handle some postpartum care. They keep a watchful eye on the birthing process. Because of their unique positioning they are aware of most dangers and obstacles that can cause problems. They seek the well being of mother and baby during birthing. Most of all they encourage and direct the mother during labor and delivery. They are needed!
We also need spiritual midwives in the body of Christ today, those who are willing to say, like the midwives of old, “No, I won’t kill that which God has conceived in others. I will not kill destiny and purpose in my sister or brother.”

The midwife’s role is to speak life and to encourage others during the birthing moment.
In Genesis 35:16-18 we see another good example of the role of a midwife:  “…When Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid—you have another boy."  18 With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune)” (The Message)
Now remember, because of her positioning the midwife probably understood the seriousness of Rachel’s situation yet she chose to encourage her by focusing on the good that would come out of the pain. She spoke life!

We also must be willing to encourage one another in the midst of the pain of spiritual birthing. No matter how bad it may look, we are to speak life. Sometimes we are put into the midwife position in other’s lives, not looking down on them but staring right into the messiest part of the process. We must still speak life! We are not called to mislead with flattery or false hope, causing them to push before being fully dilated so to speak, for that would harm the child, but we must be aware of, through the Spirit of God, the timing of when to say “PUSH”.

Men, you are not excluded from the midwife position.  In II Kings 19 we read about King Hezekiah who sent a message to the prophet Isaiah in distress:
"A message from Hezekiah: “This is a black day, a terrible day—doomsday!  Babies poised to be born, No strength to birth them.” (The Message)
We also see Isaiah’s response:
And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” (NKJV)
You see, the King was fearful, discouraged, doubtful, and worried. Isaiah, in the role of a midwife spoke life! He encouraged King Hezekiah to not fear but PUSH! Push through the fear, discouragement, doubt and worry. As we read later Hezekiah was encouraged enough to pray and praise God in the midst of his fear. One word of encouragement, from the Lord, can change a person’s outlook on a situation.

We all need a trusted midwife in our life. We should make it a goal to be a trusted midwife in someone's life.  We must learn to speak life to others no matter how bad the situation may seem. If there have ever been times we may have spoken “death” with our mouths or our attitudes we can purpose in hearts to do better.
The time has come to stand up and say “No, I will not harm my brother’s or sister’s baby. I will speak life their situation. I will encourage them through the rough spots.”  I promise you, just like the midwives during the time of Moses, who put their own lives on the line; God will bless you and favor you for your willingness to encourage others.

Will the real midwives please rise and say in one loud collective voice "PUSH!"

A Cup of Courage

“The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain…²¹ Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’  Deuteronomy 1:6, 21 (NKJV)

Here is  “the great stand still”. I am sure we all, like the children of Israel, have  our moments when we just don't feel like we're ready to move on to higher ground. Yes, we grow tired of dwelling in our own personal “Horebs”, which represents that dry place of desolation where nothing seems to be growing. It is the place where the air is thick and the land is barren. We know there is something better ahead for us. We know our “Kadesh”, that place which is set apart for purpose, is waiting for us to arrive. We build up the courage and strength to make our move to our Kadesh. But then something happens that keeps us from fully entering into our place of purpose.
Like the children of Israel we begin to look at the sacrifices it will take to enter our place of purpose. We hesitate. We make excuses. We allow ourselves to be discouraged and distracted by the voices and opinions of others. We allow fear to elevate itself in our minds. Then, we get stuck at the bottom of the mountain,circling our purpose but hesitating to embrace it. Sometimes we walk away from it all together and go back  to that place of discouragement and distraction, which yields no fruit for God's glory.
My friends, the time has come to possess the land that has been set apart just for you! You have dwelt long enough at the bottom of the mountain where fear, indecision, and discouragement run amuck. You have a purpose to be fulfilled and a destiny to be revealed. You must make the decision to go up in the confidence and boldness of the Lord. He has a prepared purpose for you. You must be prepared for your purpose.
Do not fear what lies ahead. Do not fear the sacrifices that will be necessary for success. Just decide that you are tired of dwelling at the bottom of the mountain and go up and possess your land and give God’s will a chance to manifest itself.

A Cup of Trust

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear.  What can flesh do to me?  Psalm 56:3, 4

Being afraid happens to all of us no matter how mighty, how wise, how brave, how powerful or how anointed we are. It happens! King David was afraid. This is after he has boasted about killing a lion and a bear; after he killed the giant, Goliath, and after he was chosen and anointed to be king. He was a skilled musician, a warrior and even kind of handsome, yet he, like all of us, had his moments of fear. Yet, it was his response to the stressors that provoked his  fear that made the difference. It will be the same for us also.
Being afraid is just a state of mind within a circumstance. Fear is a natural reaction to that circumstance and actually reverencing that situation above what we know to be true about our God. Trusting God, on the other hand,  in that space of fear is a conscience effort. Trusting in God is taking refuge in Him. It is being confident and placing your hope in Him. Trusting God enables you to praise Him in the midst of your fear. Your ability to praise God in the midst of a fearful situation will immediately change the focus of your thoughts and feelings about the situation. Praise instantly elevates God’s power to save, protect, deliver, heal, and  manifest His victory above any “fleshly” circumstance you may find yourself  faced with at any given time.
Fear is natural. Trusting in and praising God in the midst of your fear is SUPERNATURAL! I encourage you to read Psalm 56 in its entirety and then answer the following questions:

1. What promise can I claim from this passage?
2. What attitude or behavior do I need to change?
3. Who can I share this with today?

Father, we praise You because You are mightier than our circumstances.