Tag: God’s provision

God is Faithful

Lisa Preuett

After trudging through the valley of unemployment for two and a half months, I praise God that my husband will be starting a new job this week! When the rug was pulled out from underneath us unexpectedly on June 23rd, we had no idea how many days, weeks or months it would be until God opened the door for a new job.

But God knew.

When we began walking this unknown  path, we trusted God to lead us one day at a time. Although we had no control of what was happening, we trusted that He was in control. To be honest, there were days our flesh struggled with this lack of control. Without control, we often feel helpless. Worried. Frustrated. Don’t we all just want a glimpse of what is ahead–a  little reassurance of what is coming? But God doesn’t always give us previews of the future. In fact, He rarely shows us what is around the corner.  That’s why it’s called faith!

The scripture I clung tightly to during this journey was Psalm 62:1-2: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress; I will not be shaken.”

The day I posted my reaction to my husband’s job loss, we were most certainly shocked, but not shaken: https://reststopforthesoul.com/2014/06/24/shocked-but-not-shaken/

This was a true test of resting in God alone. Our flesh finds it much easier to rest when things are predictable, structured, and familiar. We grow accustomed to incoming paychecks. We feel secure when the savings account balance increases. But when the paychecks stop and the account gradually decreases, it is a wake-up call as to what your true rest is in. When our eyes were fixed on trusting God and not fixated on the numbers, we found true rest!

God was faithful and He provided.

The blessings showered upon us during this time were priceless. Here’s some of the highlights:

*The very day he lost his job opened up the opportunity for him to join us on a trip to visit our son.

*My husband got to spend the majority of the summer with his wife and daughter. How rare is that? Most dads and husbands only get a couple of weeks vacation at the most to spend uninterrupted time with their families.

*We enjoyed multiple boating trips that we wouldn’t have been able to take if he’d been working. He usually travels for his job and is too exhausted to do a lot on the weekends. (We got the boat just weeks before he lost his job!)

*He had time to start (and finish) multiple projects around the house that are usually put on a “wish list”.

*We went on a mission trip to Beattyville in the Appalachia Mountains through our church and someone anonymously paid the balance of our expenses.

*My mom decided to treat us to an unexpected vacation in Florida to wind down our summer.

*The amount of money he received from unemployment was more than enough to pay our mortgage payment.

*God blessed us through his previous job to be able to save money for this “rainy season”. (And over the years He’s given us wise advisers such as Dave Ramsey who encourages people to put away money in an emergency fund when job loss occurs.)

*God has strengthened our faith!

*This season of uncertainty has given us a front row seat to witness that God is faithful and can be trusted.

If you are in a season of uncertainty, I want to encourage you to trust God wholeheartedly. Surrender your frustration, worries and fears to Him. Rest in Him alone. You might not know what’s around the corner.

But He does.

And because He loves us, we can trust Him. We will not be shaken.

God is my rock

 

 

Trudging Up the Steep Hills

Lisa Preuett

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

It’s painful when you’re trudging up a steep hill. Every fiber of your leg muscles tighten. You feel as if you won’t make it to the top. Your calf muscles silently scream, “Please stop! We can’t go another step!” Instead of looking up ahead at how much farther I have to go, I look down at the ground and literally watch my feet, one step at a time.

There’s something invigorating about finally reaching the top of a steep hill. I finally look up from the ground and realize I’ve made it! Trudging up that hill caused my heart to almost pound out of my chest. My rapid breathing finally slows down. I let out a sigh of relief. Yes! The ground ahead of me begins to level out now. It’s smooth and I can see more of what’s up ahead.

But I take a moment and turn around.  Did I really just come all this way? I stand in awe of the beauty around me. Depending on the season, I might be looking at lush-green trees lining the path behind me, blue sky overhead. At other times I might be looking at autumn leaves splattered with bright orange-red colors. My absolute favorite view at the top of the hill is in winter. The snow-covered trees, glistening in the sparkling light of the sun. I breathe in the air and turn my head back in front of me.

I’ve had my share of steep hills in this life. Some of them I’d rather forget about. But I can undoubtedly say that there’s something invigorating about finally making it to the top. Those trials I thought for sure would kill my soul and squash my spirit. Yes, there are times my heart has nearly broken, fiercely pounding out of my chest. My flesh shouting, “I can’t go another step!” But when I came to the end of that challenge, my breathing slowed down. My tears and anguish turned into joyous breaths of praise. Praise to my Lord Jesus who walked beside me each step of the way.

Did I really just come all this way? I stood in awe of the beauty around me. Not physical surroundings, but the beauty of what God had done in me. The beauty of the strength He equipped me with. The beauty of his promise to never leave me or forsake me. My faith was strengthened. My hope was renewed. My love for Him was magnified. And this view was something I wouldn’t trade for anything.

READY? Where are you, dear friend? Are you gasping for breath, trudging up a steep hill? Do you feel you won’t make it to the top? Does your heart ache and you just want to stop? I encourage you to tightly grip the loving arms of Jesus. He is right beside you as you go up the hill. He is with you every step of the way. He can’t wait to show you the view at the top!

GET SET. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

GO! Lord Jesus, the hills of this life are hard. Sometimes I just want to give up. When I feel this way, please help me remember your truth. Help me cling to the fact that you are with me even though I can’t always see what’s up at the top. Thank you for your promise of being with me each step of the way. Amen

Hill-Running1

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett 

 

Shocked, But Not Shaken

Lisa Preuett

Sometimes life is going smoothly and suddenly, out of nowhere,your cage is rattled. You’re caught off guard and have the wind knocked out of you. A phone call leaves you utterly shocked. This is what happened to our family yesterday. My husband’s job was eliminated. No warning. No red flags. Nothing.

“We’re downsizing. Sorry this has to happen, but it’s the direction we must take the company.”

And so that is how our morning started off. After realizing this really happened and we weren’t dreaming, we had to pull ourselves together and do what we most often do when a crisis comes our way: We cried out to God, our Faithful Father. Although our hearts ached and confusion swirled mindlessly, we took it all to the throne of God. This most certainly caught us off guard, but it was no surprise to Him. We have no idea what lies ahead, but He does. We don’t understand the reasons or the timing, but He has a purpose and His timing is sovereign.

My human, finite mind fills with questions: Why now God? Why did we not get any warning about this? Didn’t you lead our family to this job? Don’t you know how uncertain our economy is right now?

But He whispers to my heart ever so gently, “I’m in control. Trust me. Lean not on your own understanding. I’ve carried you through trials before and I’ll carry you through this one too.”

The scripture God is shouting loud and clear to me is this: Psalm 62:1-2 “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

Our true security is in God alone. Period. Sure, He blesses us with people and things that help us rest, but our ultimate rest can only be found in Him. (Is my faith being challenged since the home page on my blog is entitled “Jesus…the Ultimate Rest Stop? Am I going to live out the words I type?)

True rest can’t be found in a job. True rest can’t be found in houses or cars. True rest can’t be found in the amount of our bank account. True rest can’t even be found in the humans who love us most. No, our only source of true rest can be found in God alone.

God alone is our rock. Anything else we attempt to call our rock will only crumble. It will shatter right before our eyes.

He alone is our fortress. A fortress is where you run when you need help. Where you run to when you are in a storm. Where you run to when things fall apart. I can honestly say that physically I can’t run fast, but I’m capable of sprinting like crazy to God my fortress. It’s the only place I can find refuge.

I will not be shaken. Yes, things in life will shake around us. The economy. The weather. Our marriages. Our children. Our own prideful choices. But without a doubt, our God almighty will never be shaken. And if He lives in us, then that means WE will not be shaken.

I can’t be certain of when and where my husband will get another job. But I can be certain that God is in control. He will carry us one step at a time. We will cling to the truth that although the ground we walk on is unstable and shaky, we will not be shaken as we hold tight to HIM.

So what is shaking around you, dear friend? What are you allowing to rattle your cage? Who or what is attempting to crack the foundation of your rock? Whatever it may be, join with me in prayer as we run together to God in the midst of our challenges, trials and times of uncertainty.

Psalm 62:1-2 “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

unshaken

Look at the Birds!

Lisa Preuett

We have a bird feeder in front of our dining room window. It’s amazing to stop and watch these creatures as they sit perched up high, eating to their heart’s desire. Once one bird discovers the feeder, it’s not too much longer before a whole crew shows up for the dinner party. Just when I fill up the feeder, it seems I’m filling it up again and again.

One day my daughter asked me, “Mom, what would the birds eat if we didn’t feed them?”

I assured her the birds would eat food in the wild without our help. God even tells us this in His word!

Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

God most certainly created birds to display His awesome power and for our enjoyment. But I think He also created them to remind us of how much He will take care of us.

If birds could speak our human language, I wonder if we’d hear them say things like this:

“I wish I had a different flavor worm today!”

“Why does that blue jay have more than I do?”

“Hey everybody, let’s build a Sams Club to store up food for a whole year!”

“I’m so worried there won’t be any worms tomorrow, I might as well head back to my nest and just die.”

I don’t think we’d hear the birds utter anything like this at all. Their behavior seems to indicate the opposite.

Just listen to them chirp.

Listen to them sing.

Watch them bounce happily across the lawn.

They appear to be very content.

Why can’t I be more like these birds? Sometimes I make my life so complicated. Sometimes I bring undue stress on myself. Sometimes I worry about something tomorrow, zapping my joy for today.

What qualities do these birds possess that I want? Contentment… with life as it is. Trust… that their needs are always met.

God promises to take care of their needs. Their God-given menu consists of worms, insects, plants, berries and even weed seeds! But the fancy bird feeders are extra to them. The fancy bird feeders are like icing on the cake. The fancy bird feeders are equivalent to our wants…beyond our basic needs.

Oh how the truth of this convicts my heart. Why do I ever doubt God’s provision? Why do I worry about something that is not in my control? If God promises to take care of these simple birds, then how much more will He take care of me? We are eternal souls who get to live in the lavish love of our Heavenly Father! Of course He will take care of us. And He goes way beyond just meeting our basic needs. He often gives us an overflow so full we can hardly fathom it. He lets us perch on the never-ending flow of the fancy bird feeder. He gives us more than a basic “worm and insect” diet.

So where are you dear friend? Are you perched happily on the edge of your bird feeder? Or are you scrambling around on the ground worried about getting worms?

From here on out, anytime you see a bird, let it be a reminder to you that God will take care of your needs. And He will go way beyond that!

Matthew 6:26 ” “Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

birds on feeder

Give Up and ASK FOR HELP

Lisa Preuett

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..”

The other day I was pondering this passage of scripture and the word ask seemed to jump off the page at me. Just days prior to reading this passage, I experienced something with my daughter that God used so powerfully to drive home a much needed message I needed to hear.

My daughter is very strong willed and quite independent. She frequently has a hard time asking for help in any given situation. She was attempting to fix the adjustable strap on her new pair of jeans to make them fit her waist just right. After several failed attempts, I asked her if she needed help.

NO Mom! I can do this myself!(eyes rolling as she blurts this out.)

She became more and more frustrated at this point, continuing to fidget with the elastic strap that just wasn’t cooperating with her. Her frustration grew as we were trying to get out the door to go somewhere. All along, I watched her. Waiting for her to get to the point of wanting my help.

Finally……she broke out in tears, heaved a heavy sigh and looked at me with desperate eyes.

I give up! ! Will you help me, Mom?

Of course I helped her, smiling at her while fixing her strap. Once the tears stopped and she had calmed down, I asked her why she didn’t ask for help sooner. Her response caught me off guard and God spoke loud and clear to me through it.

I really thought I could do it by myself, but it was much harder than I thought!

I am JUST like my daughter when it comes to certain areas of my life. I think I can handle them on my own. But I let pride get in the way, and I don’t want to admit I need help. Or admit that my way isn’t working. No wonder I sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated!

And God is there watching……waiting……for me to call out to Him. Waiting for me to admit my weakness and humbly ASK Him for help. Just as I waited for my daughter to become desperate enough for help, God so lovingly and patiently waits for us to call out humbly to Him.

So what is it for you? What are you hesitant to ask for help with? Challenges in your marriage? Difficult season with your kids? Or maybe it’s another area of your life causing constant strain and stress. Whatever it may be dear friend, I want to encourage and challenge you to humbly drop to your knees and ASK HIM for help. Go ahead and admit you can’t do it on your own.

He is waiting. Waiting for you to cry out to Him. Ever so patiently and lovingly. (With much more patience than we could ever offer when we’re frustrated with our stubborn kids!)

Look at Ephesians 3:20 again:  He wants to do immeasurably MORE than what we ask for! As a follower of Christ, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

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