Preparation
Café Menu for Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Today’s Special is: Prepare Your Heart Before the Storm Hits
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Kelly Brown
Main Ingredient:
For I, the Lordyour God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you'
Isaiah 41:13NKJV
Entrée:
About a year ago Iwas intentionally seeking Jesus like never before. I was praying, listening to worship music and doing Bible studies. I was hungry for the Word, and I was overflowing with a spiritual high like I had never felt before.
I kept thinking my life was great. My husband had given his life back to Jesus. I had been praying eight years for that. My daughter was away at college. I finally had a peace knowing God loves her more than I ever could and would always be with her even when I couldn’t.
I was way up on that mountain top and I thought I didn't need those encouraging scriptures or those storms of life stories in the Bible studies I was reading. But I tucked them in my heart anyway. I thought maybe I can share them with someone else that is going through a storm. Little did I know what was ahead, but God did! I praise Him for preparing my heart because a storm hit my life a few months later. Had I not been intentional in seeking Him, I would not have survived it.
With the preparation the Holy Spirit did those few months prior, I was able to weather the storm. Was it easy? No. Was it possible through Jesus? Yes. There are still days that I say, Why Lord? and I don’t think I can do this Lord., but with His grace and mercy I am. When my flesh gets weak, the Holy Spirit reminds me of those scriptures, those encouraging words from the Bible studies, those words in a song, those gentle confirmations, and I remember. Yes, Lord, whatever it takes I know you will be there with me, and I will praise you through it.
We have to make a daily decision to remain in Jesus. In good and bad times life can get hard, but we have to make a choice to prepare our hearts and be ready for what life throws our way.When we don’t have the strength to take another step, His grace will carry us through.
And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
Take Out:
Only by the Holy Spirit living in us, will we be able to handle the storms of our life. I encourage you to seek Him so that you will be prepared when the storms of life rage. Fill your heart with scripture and prayer that will give you the strength you will need. When the waves rage, and you don’t know what to do or say, just say, Jesus! Remember His Word that is hidden in your heart. His grace will carry you through.
Dessert:
Lord I pray that we will seek You. Prepare our hearts for the storms of life so that when they come we will be ready. We can call on Your sweet name and Your word to bring us through it. With Your grace, love and mercy we can weather anything that life brings. We will praise You asYou walk with us through it.
© 2014 by Kelly Brown. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Tuesday, 29 July 2014.
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