Rise and Shine!

 

The word “rise” seems to be a popular buzzword these days, and it can mean many things. My first overall thought is to rise above circumstances with hope and courage, but it goes beyond that.

Lately it seems to have taken on a decidedly defiant meaning: rising in protest against various laws and decisions, in furious opposition to the authorities who made them. I keep hoping and praying that people will rise above the anger and instead direct positive energies toward activities that will truly make a difference.

Here are several positive ways we can rise:

Rise to God’s command to love one another (John 15:12-21). Take the high road when confronted with divisive or demeaning remarks, knowing a gentle answer deflects anger (Proverbs 15:1, NLT).

Rise above our initial reactions to look at the facts for what they really are. Verify them with a credible source before believing posts and comments, and only pass them along to others if it is helpful, loving or encouraging in some way (Colossians 2:8).

Rise above the negative opinions and fears of others, holding on to the unshakable knowledge that God loves you and has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), while keeping in mind that the same applies to others, too.

Rise to defend the oppressed, assist the weak and the needy, and pray for the persecuted. Lift up those who are low in spirit. In doing so, however, act with respect to the authorities God has put in place, and without repaying evil for evil (Romans 12:9-21).

When we wait on and trust in the Lord, He gives us strength to rise up and soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). We can have expectant hope and indescribable peace even in the face of an uncertain future.

Rise to every occasion with confidence in the skills, gifts and abilities the Lord has given us. We win at life by having a winning attitude (as opposed to a whining one). Philippians 2:14

Rise and shine! Thank the Lord for each day we can rise out of bed and share the light of God’s love with others. Every day is a gift and we should raise our eyes to the heavens with thankfulness for His grace, mercy and infinite love (Psalm 59:16).

Like the yeast that causes bread to rise, we should all be the gently powerful force that spreads the love of Christ wherever we go. Encourage and lift up others with caring words, sharing the hope we have in Him – in big and small ways – with all we meet (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Let us all rise and be counted as faithful followers who study and live out the Word of truth in our lives (2 Timothy 2:15), yet remaining humble, fully relying on His grace.

Rise up in resolute faith to accomplish goals, win games and spiritual battles, at times succeeding against all odds because we serve a God with whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)! If God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us; for we are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:31-39)!

Rise in unity of spirit. We were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We serve one God, who is over all and through all (Ephesians 4:4-6). The enemy seeks to divide us by twisting the truth. Fight the real enemy by praying against his schemes and standing strong in God’s Word! Build each other up so that with one heart we will glorify God in what we say and do (Romans 15:1-6)!

Let us raise our hands and pray for those in authority, interceding for those in government positions on all levels (1 Timothy 2:1-8), without anger.

Rise, and keep on rising, even when the night is long or the days are full of troubles. Nothing we do for the Lord is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58), and He works all things for the ultimate good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Finally, when I think of the word “rise”, the hope and joy of our salvation springs to mind. I await that glorious day when those who have trusted Christ will rise and be together with Him forever (1 Corinthians 15:52)! In the meantime, our mission is to bring as many with us as we can!

More of God’s Word

“Arise and shine, for your light has come!” Isaiah 60:1

“I lift my eyes up to the heavens, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

Faith Notes

Here’s a new song by one of my favorite artists. It is part of the reason I’ve been thinking about the word RISE: Rise – by Danny Gokey
(Note: Link opens in a new window.)

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2017 All Rights Reserved (blog content and photos)

Dispel The Shadow Of Doubt!

 

Doubt is sneaky. It’s like the first shadow of what could turn into a long dismal winter of fear. From the first suspicion that something or someone isn’t what or who we thought they were, to the nagging lack of confidence in ourselves, doubt can be a powerful thing.

I’ve been experiencing a bit of doubt lately. Both in pondering our future as a nation under a new president, and personally as I’ve accepted a more proactive role within the leadership of my church. Tonight was my first official meeting after a long break from significant responsibilities. I hardly spoke a word. I’m praying a lot for help getting back into the swing of things, with no shortage of consternation on my part.

Power In Purpose
Isn’t it all too easy to look at at that’s wrong in the world and in ourselves? Look at the problems instead of His power? We have all been placed in our respective stations in life for a grander purpose. That purpose is to glorify and serve the One Who has given each of us what – all in all – is a beautiful life, and the hope of an infinitely better one. We have this light, this treasure in jars of clay to show that the God of the universe faithfully gives us the power to work out His perfect plan and purposes through us we continue submitting to Him (Philippians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 4:7)!

One Step Away…
One of the enemy’s main tactics, besides apathy and anger, is fear. And, as I said in my opening lines, doubt is usually the beginning of fear! We may doubt simple everyday things like whether or not we will make it to work or school at a certain time, but if we ever question God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, or power to change lives, it is the devil’s way of trying to get a foothold. Becoming doubt-full is to be full of nothing productive; instead it’s the beginning stages of becoming faithless and even hopeless.

On the contrary, when we are tempted to lose heart, to stand down from the battle and even collapse in a heap into the nearest chair, it’s then that we must cry out to the Lord, “help my unbelief!” and “I need Your strength!”. Casting our cares upon Him means not only putting forth our daily concerns and needs, but also voicing our fears, failures and yes, doubts. Doubts will come; just don’t let them take root and become an even bigger problem. Instead, let the light of Christ so shine in and through you that doubt has no place in your life (2 Corinthians 4:6)! Blast away the shadow of doubt with the light of faith!

Here’s a poem I wrote many years ago about doubt and how to dispel it:

“In the Shadow Of A Doubt”

In the shadow of a doubt
the enemy lies in wait
for us to hear the Lord’s commands
and have the urge to hesitate.
Waiting to devour us like a lion,
but appearing meek as a lamb;
We need to keep our eyes focused
on the Light, the great “I AM”.
For Jesus is the Light of the world,
the One whose light is true;
The One who’ll never forsake us
but Who loves us and sees us through.
In the pain of our toughest trials,
when we’re not sure what’s to be,
at those most difficult times
is when we’re more fully free.
He loves us, He’ll take the burden
– He took on all of the blame;
He wants to love all your cares away
– love’s the reason why He came.
As soon as we commit our ways
to the Lord and His loving laws,
the enemy in the shadow of doubt
has no place to sink his claws.

7-5-92
©Ladeena Ashley

Pray!
Please join me in praying for our nation as we prepare to welcome a new commander-in-chief to the White House. Doubts and fears about the future, as well as anger and discontentment have been expressed by many individuals and groups, and may continue long into the weeks (or months) ahead.

Pray for a peaceful transition, and for the new leadership on all levels. Regardless of your personal views, if leadership fails, we all lose, so PRAY for their success as we move forward into this new chapter of government and world history as a whole. Overall, let us all be beacons of Christ’s light of hope in the darkness, wherever we may find it!

God’s Word
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-7

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:19

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

“Do all things without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…” Philippians 2:14-15

Faith Notes
Keep on Pushing Back the Dark – a great song by Josh Wilson
(Note: Link opens in a new window.)

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2017 All Rights Reserved (blog content and photos)

Word Games and Wisdom

I recently began playing a new word game on my phone. It’s like a word find and Tetris® combined. As each string of letter tiles is selected, forming one of the mystery words below, those tiles disappear and the others drop down. One level of the game was especially frustrating. I had easily found the first couple of words, and thought for sure that the last word must be “ocean”. Yet no matter how hard I tried, after selecting the other words in several different ways, I couldn’t get the remaining tiles to drop in the right places and spell that word. It drove me nuts wondering what else it could be. Finally, in desperation, I begrudgingly used a hint and discovered the first letter wasn’t even “O”! I adjusted my strategy and solved the puzzle. The word was canoe.

I’ve learned that sometimes life is like that. We get ahead of God, thinking we know what the next step is, but don’t consult Him first. Or we hastily pray, yet move forward with what we believe or what we want to be the next step. Sometimes it’s out of comfort, but often we pridefully think we know what’s right. Sooner or later, we notice that things just aren’t falling into place the way we thought they would. No matter what we do, it doesn’t quite match up. We realize we’ve missed something somewhere and only succeeded in stressing ourselves out, or worse, hurt others in the process.

Great News!
We all stray occasionally, and to one degree or another. The great news is: regardless of how long the rabbit trail goes, while we are still on this earth, it’s never too late to redirect when we’ve veered off track. God is quick to forgive and His wisdom is always available to all who ask (James 1:5).

Muscle Memory
Decisions and struggles are all opportunities to trust God and to build our relationship with the Creator of the stars and universe. We can either choose to let our experiences strengthen our faith or to break us down. Trusting God develops the muscle memory of our faith. Each time we seek His will, then see Him work in and through us, it becomes easier and more natural to trust His wisdom instead of ours the next time. And the next time. That’s one reason why God’s Word tells us to pray continually and in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Many of my decisions for the past several years have actually sprung out of a survival instinct and limited thinking, not pride. However, now that things have improved on that front, it could be tempting to “rest on my laurels”, assuming that I can coast along on my own, or that “I’m good” now. Wrong! They are HIS laurels! I’ve made it this far only by holding on to Him, surrendering myself and seeking His will in all things, not just in the midst of problems. I’ve worked my faith muscles so well that I’m actually afraid of what might happen if I took matters in my own hands!

One of my favorite scripture verses sums up what our daily faith walk should look like: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s Not About Me
Overall, personally I have to keep reminding myself that life really isn’t about me. Once I decided to follow Jesus, every aspect of my life is to be under His lordship. If I let my own selfish wants and desires take control, I’m ignoring His power in my life and won’t get the full blessings that are available. And I really want those blessings! That’s not to say we can’t enjoy good things in life, and not every decision is that crucial; it’s simply that nothing else and no one but God should have ultimate sway in our lives. It’s about the condition of our heart and our overall focus.

Here’s a poem I wrote that expresses the child-like faith and softness of heart that God delights in:

“Trust”

You fill my soul with healing,
You commence my heart to sing;
All to You I am revealing,
though You already know everything.
I give You, this day, my heart of clay
Each hour, my life to mold;
For when You have complete control
the most glorious things unfold.
So I lay down my all at Your feet,
not knowing on my own what is best;
But as I pull my hands free, I’m reassured
that with You, I’ll always be blessed.

6-10-94
©Ladeena Ashley

Let’s pursue God’s best for our lives by staying in His Word and praying before making decisions, especially important ones. Learn to recognize when we foolishly start getting ahead of His will, then get out of His way and let Him lead. Only then can the great things He has planned out for us be brought to fruition.

Extra Credit
Proverbs 16:3-9
Commit your way to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (v. 3).

©Ladeena Ashley
2016 All Rights Reserved (content & blog photos)

Enemy Or Neighbor?

So here we are… it’s Veterans Day, but you almost wouldn’t know it. The day designated to remember those who have served our country – usually brimming with honor, respect & dignity – has been largely overshadowed by the aftermath of a very divisive presidential election. Protesters have filled the streets nationwide. Everywhere, comments filled with disgust, hate and fear are being flung like spears, piercing hearts and wounding the spirits of those we should be caring for.

I choose not to speak of how I voted, or my opinions about any candidate. There’s no point now. The votes have been cast and a new person is poised to take over the helm at the White House. Due process – that has been in place for a long time – has been followed. For better or for worse, Donald Trump is the President-Elect and we should show him the respect that the appointment and position deserves.

Who’s In Control?

Though the hope is that leaders would make decisions I agree with, I know that isn’t always the case. However, I trust in a God who can steer the hearts of kings in whichever way He sees fit (Proverbs 21:1). The outcome of this election was no surprise to Him; in fact He puts authorities in place (Romans 13:1), using them for His purposes. His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11), and they are never thwarted (Psalm 33:11). What some intend for evil will ultimately be used for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

The Real Enemy

One question I have for you is this: Who is the enemy? Is it president-elect Trump or his supporters? No. Is it Hillary Clinton and her following? No. Is it the government? No. Is it your neighbor or coworker, who voted the opposite of you? No. The real enemy is, and has always been, the enemy of our souls: Satan himself. The more we focus on our differences, letting pride, anger, fear and contempt drive our actions, the more he gains ground.

On the historical battlefields of war, it was usually easy to tell who your enemies were. They wore a certain uniform and shot to kill. However, our enemy is sneaky. He cloaks himself in light and good intentions, often convincing us that we’re in the right because it makes sense to us. Yet we are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19).The only way to win this spiritual war is to surrender to God’s battle plan, which is love.

Love Your Neighbors

Disagreements or not, as believers we’re called to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44), and love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:33). Which brings me to my next question: Who are your neighbors? Everyone. That means the opinionated old lady at the store, the snobby couple at the restaurant, the Muslim walking down the street, the gay person you work with, and everyone else whose views may or may not clash with yours. God loved the world that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for them, that they might believe (John 3:16). The “world” means everyone, not just those you like or agree with.

Next Steps

So, what do we do now? We pray, and pray HARD! Pray for changed hearts and attitudes. Pray for unity across our nation. Pray that Trump listens to godly advice and makes good decisions. Pray for his protection. Pray for all of the elected leaders, in city, state and national positions.

Overall, pray against the true enemy, and against his plan to keep us up in arms instead of wrapping our arms around each other. Pray we all stop fighting one another, and that all believers put on His spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), lifting up our voices to fight through prayer. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Jesus said that everyone will know that you are His disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). Fight for love! His love wins the day!

Here’s a new poem I wrote about our true leader…

“Commander In Chief”

Stand with hearts and hands raised
in devotion to the sovereign King
The Lord alone deserves our praise
and He works through everything.
Good or bad decisions aside,
the vote was cast, the race won.
Now we must lay down our pride,
pray for wisdom and follow the Son.
Loving each other, grace glowing bright
with hope shining through the dark;
Each of us, a candle in the night
–love’s revival begins with a spark.
So lift up your eyes to He
whose platform is beyond belief.
All glory to God, who’ll always be
our true Commander In Chief!

11-10-16
©Ladeena Ashley

As you take time to honor and remember veterans today, also give thanks for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us, so we could have new life with His love in our hearts and the hope of heaven in our souls!

“No greater love has anyone than this: he who would lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

©Ladeena Ashley
2016 All Rights Reserved (content & blog photos)