Monthly Archives: July 2012

What are you standing on?

July 31, 2012

There’s an old hymn that I used to sing when I was younger called Standing on the promises.

The chorus really sums up the whole song

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour

Standing, standing…

I am standing on the promises of God

A pleasant, catchy little chorus, but it’s so much easier said than done.

As I awoke this morning, I was meditating on my foundation. And for a split second I had to ask myself “what are you really standing on?”

Sometimes when the going gets tough, we get ‘breaking’. And it’s not really us that break, but it’s just that foundation below us that starts to crumble and once it does, we go along with it.
It’s kind of like standing on ice. If the ice is really solid, you could skate, jump, fall and get up, do whatever you want…with confidence. Because you know that the foundation you’re on, is going to hold you. And that life will continue for you. But if the ice is thin, well… the least pressure that is exerted, could send you sinking, without a hope.

As believers, we need to have a firm foundation. And at random moments, we can lose sight of this and trade our firm foundation for something that is really shaky. It’s important to know, and stay knowing however that there is no firmer foundation that Christ and the Word of God. If you’re holding on to a relationship, or the person in it as your foundation, if you’re thinking that without a certain person around you’d never be happy, never make it, that your ‘world would fall apart’, it’s possible that you’ve switched your foundation to something that won’t stand. The same goes for relying on a job to provide for you, or depending on someone to make things right for you.

While God uses people, He really wants us to place our confidence on a sure foundation. The fact is, anything natural has the potential to decay…That’s somebody’s law, I’m sure. But the one thing that will not decay is the Word of God. The one person that will not ‘flip switch’ on us is God himself.

Can you imagine for a second, standing on thin ice? Can you imagine now that God has laid his hand as the foundation on which you stand? Well He will uphold you in His hand, if you let Him.

The question is are we willing? What are you standing on right now?

Posted by schadah in Tidbits for the weary, Uncategorized Tags: Christian, Christianity, confidence, hope, relationships

He knows your name.

July 30, 2012

As I was doing my devotions this morning, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper in my spirit, “I know your name”.

It caught me by surprise. For one thing, I am not one that gets God’s audible voice a lot. Usually I hear God through His Word. But even when I do hear Him, it’s often a voice that I have to ‘second guess’, just because I want to be right.

When I heard these words this morning, I shot back with “what does that have to do with anything?”. And of course that was the end of the ‘Audible Voice’. So I decided to search the word to find the scripture that spoke about that:

Matt: 10: 28“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^j29What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin^k? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

There are of course many other scripture references about God knowing your name. But i guess this one ministered to me because of my situation. Currently not feeling so ‘hot’ physically. And I am totally believing God for total healing. But as I am being healed, God reminded me this morning that He knows my name.
To understand what that means… I thought of the mafia. I don’t know much about Sopranos or the Godfather movies, but based on my little knowledge, I know that you don’t mess with the families of the mafia people.You just don’t. You could die. If anyone touches a family member of one of these mafia people, it’s because he allowed it. And the “Boss”, he knows every far removed distant cousin in his family, at least by name. And they are all under his protection. So if word comes to him that his son’s wife’s brother’s son got punched in the face…woe unto the puncher.

So… I am not comparing God to the mafia obviously, but when God ministered this to me… it was confirmation, that No evil- sickness, death, or any such thing, can have victory over me. He basically was saying “hey.. I got you. No weapon formed against you will prosper. Because I have released my angelic host to protect you. The weapons may form… but I promise you they will not prosper. I won’t let them”

When God says He knows your name, He’s watching out for you. There’s no strand of hair that is removed from your head that He doesn’t know about. Every pain that you feel, He feels. And everyone that tries to hurt you, He knows. God is totally familiar with everything about you. Not only your name, but your number. You’re wired to His infinite network, and every time you cry out for help, your number is patched through to Him. When harm comes your way, He releases angels to fight for you. You are always represented. Never alone.

All in all, whatever you’re facing, you will not die. You cannot die. No one, nothing can take you out without the permission of God. So. even if it seems like you’re not going to make it, you will make it. As long as God knows your name, you have nothing to fear.

Posted by schadah in Uncategorized

The purpose of gratitude.

July 27, 2012

Lol. I almost started to write “day 22:…” in the title bar. 21 days truly curb the habit.

I’ve been a bit under the weather over the last few days, so I only get to write whenever I am actually awake (lots of sleeps, which is totally unlike me). But today, I just want to summarize what gratitude does. And I apologize for any typos in advance. lol

As I’ve been saying all the while, one of the easiest ways that the enemy will distract us is by trying to take our praise. Ingratitude breeds a lot of negative things… bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, hatred… you have no idea. So you will find that each day, there’s a reason to complain. I guarantee you that something will happen that will irritate you. Complaining about the things that happen to us has become such a common thing, that we actually believe it’s normal. We call it ‘freedom of speech’, ‘ saying how you feel’.

While we have those rights, isn’t it amazing that God’s word teaches us the total opposite? Paul said

“In everything give thanks… for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus”

Why in everything? Why not some things, and then you cue out in others? It’s God’s will. And why is it His will? I dunno. When you see Him ask Him.:P

But I believe that a part of why God wants us to have a grateful heart is so that we we don’t seep into sin. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and perhaps I am not correct, but why do most marriages end in divorce these days? Why is it that people hate Obama so much? What if they had Hitler for President? Why do we see so many people angry and frustrated at every little thing these days? Perhaps it’s because we keep complaining about what we don’t have, rather than be grateful for what we do have.

Take it into the spiritual. How easy it is to complain to God and blame Him when things aren’t going our way. I realized that for a little while, half of my prayers were about what God wasn’t doing for me. How He hadn’t answered my prayers. It’s so much easier to ‘vent’ at God for what He’s not doing, rather than give thanks for what He is doing. But which parent doesn’t feel hurt when his child cusses him out for the things he missed? Which parent would want to bless a child when that child is never grateful for the good gifts that have been given?

This is why I think it’s the will of God to give thanks. It’s for our own good. It will keep our relationships on fire, it will keep us happy on the job, and it will keep our storehouses full. I am not saying that we shouldn’t be upset when bad things happen, or when things seem to not go our way. But I’ve learned in this fast, that God always always looks out for his children. He doesn’t give bad gifts, and if He seems to not be pouring out His hand… one of the reasons could be that we’ve been very ungrateful children. It could be that we’ve become angry, callous, bitter at things…and even at God.

So we’re done the 21 days of gratitude devotion. I hope you’ve learned something…anything…. But most importantly I hope that you’ve learned that God loves a grateful spirit. So how’s about we continue to walk in an attitude of gratitude on a daily basis.

Thank God for at least one thing every day. Thank him for:

Your five senses, food, your friends and family, you are where you are and not where you used to be, your house/apt, travelling mercies, financial blessings, yourself, seasons, small victories, deliverance from evil traps, that you’re making it, for love, restoration, that he’ll come through for you again, that everything will be alright, just because He’s God, that He’s with you, for angels unawares, for the cross, and for life.

So, no, the devil still continues to bring challenges and stuff for me to complain about (that’s his day job), but I am keeping my eyes on God and His goodness. I am beginning to see God’s grace, favour and love from a whole new perspective. And my testimonies will begin to roll in very soon. And yours will too. So keep me posted if your life has been changed by the 21 days of gratitude challenge.

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving, Uncategorized Tags: content, giving thanks, happiness, love, relationships

Day 21: Life!

July 26, 2012

I know it’s cliche. But life is something that we should truly be grateful for, and I am truly thankful to God for my life.
I was told that when I was born, I came out with my fists tightly clenched. Born a month premature, and even after I had already broke through the ‘barriers’ and into the world, I struggled to take my first breath. For a good minute, the doctors thought I was going to die because I wasn’t breathing. But my mom insisted, “she’s come too far to give up now. She’s gonna live”. It was on that basis that she gave me a name that meant ‘I have a zest for life’ (Well actually, the name that she gave me didn’t mean that, but she had pretty much made up the name, and so she gave it its own meaning).

That was almost 30 years ago, and at least once a year, the enemy tries to take me out. At every crossroad of my life, he tries to steal my joy, my peace, my health, or he tries to destroy me in some way. And if he can’t do that, he’ll try to make me complain about things… anything…: my finances, my family, my home, my past, my future…anything. Because once he can get me to complain about my circumstances, then he can get me to destroy my own ‘self’. Because if I complain, I will lose hope in life, and hope deferred does make the heart sick (Provs 13:12).

I realize though that he’s not so much after me. He’s after my ‘zest for life’- my purpose. And so when he attacks, I cannot give in. I have to respond. I have to arm myself with weapons of praise, with the word and with a positive attitude, and fight back, knowing fully that the fullness of the Godhead is backing me.

When he attacks, I have to muster up whatever little energy I have left and declare that I have a zest for life, that I have a right to live—abundantly and on this earth. That joy and peace, and every good gift is my portion and I am taking all that God has for me.

When I think about it, life is not short, or long. it’s what we make of it. And we could spend day after day, after week, after month, after year, complaining about the same things. Or we can see that life is a precious commodity that God has given us, a commodity that must be kept, defended, and showcased for His glory.

So day 21, I want to thank God for life. My life. It was one of the best gifts that He ever gave me. So precious that He sent His son to die so that I could have life abundantly. So with all of its ups and downs, and merry-go rounds, I thank Him for life. And I promise to not complain about things that happen in life anymore, but everyday to be grateful for life itself, and to live it with zest.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Posted by schadah in How He Loves Me, Thanksgiving, Tidbits for Love, Hope and Joy Tags: Christianity, encouragement, gratitude, peace

Day 20: The Cross

July 25, 2012

I had the opportunity yesterday to talk to a young woman who had recently discovered her love for God. As I listened to her, I couldn’t help but think of how much God loves us.

Today, I want to thank God for the cross. And no I don’t want to get all super-spiritual about it. Because I believe that half the time that people say “thank you for the cross”, they are referring to something that they don’t fully grasp.

When I say I want to thank God for the cross, I am talking about the actual tree, what took place on that tree and what it represents.

The cross has become a watered down symbol which people wear on their necks as a fashion statement, but isn’t it amazing that God took something so simple and made it important? Why a cross? Why not a stone? Why not just endure a quick death and bury Jesus?

No. He chose the cross. And I don’t have all the reasons why, but I know that the cross was the only structure, which would allow those soldiers to stretch Jesus’ arm across. More than that, it was only by hanging him on a cross—standing up, could he feel the full suffering of man. Had he been tied up on a pole, he wouldn’t have truly suffered. If he was thrown on a stone and beaten, he would have had the refuge of a rock to ease the blow. But no, He had to be nailed a few feet off the ground on a that cross, with his hands nailed across, so that he could feel the weariness of a man, the absolute pain of torture, the helplessness of someone who didn’t commit a crime.

Jesus was nailed to a cross, so that He could identify with everything that we face on earth. Talk about being spit in the face, he felt that. Talk about being backstabbed, side stabbed, he felt that. Talk about being nailed for a crime that he didn’t commit, He experienced that. Talk about being insulted by people he tried to help, He was. Talk about being rejected by friends, He felt that.

Everything that could possibly go wrong, Christ experienced on the cross. And why? So that we don’t have to accept defeat when those things happen to us.

Now we have a High priest who totally understands us, because of what He went through on the cross. And every single thing that we face, He says “hey, I’ve been there. I overcame. So can you.”.

So what is it that feels impossible? What is it that feels overwhelming? Who is it that has betrayed you? Insulted you? Is there anything that we can’t bring to the cross?

The cross lets us know, that we can overcome. That we are victorious. That there is nothing that Christ would not defend us for. It lets us know, that God loves us so very much because He allowed the only Son that was made from His bowels, to die so that we can have eternal life.
So yep! I want to thank God for the Cross. The tree, the experiences and the purpose of it.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Posted by schadah in Uncategorized

Day 19: Angels unawares

July 24, 2012

The true nature of God is his love for relationships. He does not exist in a vacuum, and He didn’t create us to live that way either. Unfortunately, many of us miss the true blessing of relationships and the people that God has sent to us to make our lives better.

This morning as I was reading my emails, I came across one from a friend that said “we’re in this together”. I don’t suppose she knew what she was saying, but I thought of how God always positions us in good relationships because he wants to bless us. So today, I want to thank Him for Angels unawares.

What do I mean by “Angels unawares”.

In Hebrews 13:1-2, the author writes:

Let brotherly love continue.Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Everyday, if we allow God to do His bit, we entertain angels in ordinary form. I am not talking about those close people in our lives. But have you thought about

The postman who delivers your mail.
The person who walks by and offers a sincere smile to you
The friend who sends you an email to comfort you.
The attendant at Mcdonald’s who unwittingly declares “have a good day” over your life.
The pastor/youth leader at your church who always knows exactly what to say about your situation.
The random sister, who gives you a big hug even though she doesn’t know you
The colleague who brings you an ice capp to help your work a little easier.
Even the little cat or dog, that you have that’s always licking you when you need it.

There are so many examples around us where God is blessing us in little teensy bitty ways. But the enemy will trick us into believing that these people are bothering us, nuisances, distractions, just so we can foster the cycle of discontentment. The truth is God has positioned people all around to show His light and love.

We should be grateful for each person that’s in our lives. They may not be as close as family or friends, but God has placed these strangers as ‘angels’ to be a blessing to us in some small way. Not only should we give thanks to God for them, but from time to time, we should also convey our gratitude to those people. Take time out of the busy schedule to encourage them, talk to them for a few minutes, or return a coffee favour.

In everything we must give thanks. God has orchestrated all of the happenings of our day and has positioned angels to bless us.

Posted by schadah in How Great is our God, Thanksgiving, Tidbits for Relationships, Uncategorized Tags: content, grateful, gratitude, relationships

Day 18: God is with me.

July 23, 2012

Monday morning… Day 18. Three days left.

As we go through life, day after day, things can get overwhelming. And it’s no one’s fault really. It’s just that life is ‘dynamic’ and especially when you’re not an ‘island’, things will not work out perfectly.

But especially in those days when there is a rough patch, I have to make myself think about the Lord of Hosts.

Remember when Elisha kept deferring Aram’s attack against Israel by warning the king about Aram’s attacks? When Aram found out, he decided to take Elisha out. Elisha’s servant was very overwhelmed, saying “what are we gonna do?”.

2 King 6:16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Who was encamped round about them? It was the Lord of Hosts. A great army of the Lord, letting them know that victory was sure.

Do you ever have those ‘what are we gonna do’ moments? In times when we feel overwhelmed this is good to know: They that are with us, are more than those against us. At our lowest points, the Lord of Hosts and His army are there with us, fighting off every attack in the spirit realm. They are there, holding up our hands so that we can continue to fight. They are there fighting on our behalf when we don’t feel strong.

So today, I am giving God thanks in faith that He is with me. It doesn’t matter if I see Him or not. Elisha’s servant couldn’t see until God opened His eyes. But the truth is that God has released a mighty army to see us through. See me through. See you through. He is Captain of this army and He never slumber, nor sleeps. He’s just there…with us. And because He is, all things have to work together for good.

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving, Uncategorized

Day 17: Just Because You’re you.

July 20, 2012

As worship leaders, we always tell people in the congregation that there’s a difference between praise and worship. That you thank God for what He’s done, and worship Him for who He is. It’s an easy way to get the congregation to move in a certain ‘flow’. But I dare to say that praise… goes beyond giving thanks for what He’s done. In fact, the word “praise” in the Bible was never only used as a response to what God has done for His people.

I heard someone say that “if God doesn’t do another thing in my life, He’s already done enough”. It got me thinking… Well what if God just doesn’t ‘do’. Would we still praise Him?

And so I see a pattern among us these days that we’re grateful to God, because He has done something. That’s all good. But what about when it seems as if He’s not doing anything. Like, what do you do when it seems like God took a vacation from blessing you at the time that you think you need it most? The enemy will use that very opportunity to tell you that if God hasn’t done anything, we don’t need to thank Him.

For me, giving God thanks, has to be more than just for something. Yes, I’ve spent 16 days giving God thanks for things He has done or will do… But I want to take my ‘gratitude walk’ a little deeper. So today, I want to give God thanks…Just because He’s God.

Late one night during last week, I emailed a couple of people just to say thank you… I am sure to them, the emails didn’t make any sense because they hadn’t been in my life for a while… But to me… it did. I just wanted to say “thank you for being you”. Because if they were not themselves, they would never have impacted me the way they did. And I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.

I want to tell God thanks…just because He’s God… He’s silent sometimes… and I don’t get that…especially when I need answers on my time. Sometimes He chastens me because He loves me… and I don’t get that, but I feel it. Sometimes He’ll delay things…because it’s not the right time to give it to me… But at the end of the day… It all works out for my good.

See, if He wasn’t God…Silent God, Sovereign God, “On time” God, Strict God… I would never be the woman that I am today. His silence makes me want to listen more closely. His Sovereignty brings me to a place of humilty, recognizing that He can do as He pleases, His ‘punctuality’ makes me patient, His strictness makes me walk upright. All in all, His personality makes me want to draw closer and closer to Him.

So no, if He was anything else, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. But thank God He is who I need Him to be.

God, thank You..for being You. I praise you… because if You weren’t you , I wouldn’t be half the person I am today.

(lol, See? I can write short blogs too )

Posted by schadah in How He Loves Me, Thanksgiving, Tidbits for Trusting God, Uncategorized Tags: ., Christianity, encouragement, love

Day 16: Everything’s gonna be alright.

July 19, 2012

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11

This is one of my favourite scriptures, and yet I often don’t remember it when I need to. But isn’t it amazing that God has plans for us? And what kind of plans are they? He said that they are plans to give us hope and a future.

Today I want to thank God that everything is going to be alright.

You may be thinking “why would you want to do that?”. And 3 years ago, a year ago, six months ago, I would have thought the same. I remember waking up a long time ago and wondering what kind of future I would have. In fact, when I closed my eyes to imagine my future, I couldn’t see anything except darkness. I couldn’t imagine my future being anywhere close to alright.

You may know what I mean. It’s the thought that you have when you lose your job, your husband/wife walks out on you, you’ve lost a child, you just figured out that you’ve been pursuing the wrong thing for 20 years.

But even though the place where we stand may seem as if we’ve reached the end of the world, God always has a plan for our future. We may not see it, but He has the blueprint, and He’s smiling because the outcome is good.

That’s the thing with blueprints. Nobody really gets them except the Architect who design them. But if you trust your architect, then you know that His finished product is going to be great.

Sometimes, I imagine God singing Bob Marley’s “Everything’s gonna be alright” (And no. Let’s not debate about the song. It’s a positive confession). Why would he sing that, because He already knows how the end is going to be: Great! So we need to asked ourselves, “If God has the blueprint for my life, and He’s smiling… why should I frown?” We already know that

1. No good thing shall He withhold from those who love Him

2. All things work together for good to them that love Him

3. He gives us the desires of our heart when we delight in Him.

4. He is a good God.

(PS: Those are all scriptural texts).

So even though things may not be the way we want them to be right now, we need to thank Him anyway because His plans for our future is amazing.

So these days, i find myself daydreaming when the present circumstances around me seem hopeless. I think of my future home, and my children, I think of the husband that I will have, and all the great family trips that we’ll take. I think of my career, and all the great things that I will be doing for God. Do I have any of those things right now? Nope. But I am going to thank God for them anyway. Because His plan for me is great and it will include every good thing that I need.

Don’t look at where you are, look at where you’re going…And thank God that everything is going to be alright.

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving, Tidbits for the weary Tags: Christianity, content, depression, encouragement, faith, giving thanks, God, gratitude, hope, peace

Day 15: He’ll do it again

July 18, 2012

Word of Encouragement: It is much harder to hold on, than to give up. But if you give up on God, you give in to a live of despair. You may choose to give up on everything and everyone else around you, but don’t lose hope in God.

Last night was a pretty sleepless night for me. After realizing that I was probably going to be up all night because of how I was feeling I began to do some reading… Basically anything that was beside me on the bed (Lisa Bevere’s Lioness Awakening, Kathy Ciaramitaro’s The Cross, My Bible, The Youversion App). I needed to respond to the enemy’s attack with the Word of God.

Now I know the worst thing you can ask someone when they are experiencing pain, is to pray or read anything scriptural. When you’re ill, you just really want the pain to go away. And yet in my spirit, I know that the only thing I could do at that point was to ‘latch’ on to a Promise from God. As I tried to meditate in my discomfort, i recalled that there was a page in my bible where I had kept a record of things that God did. When I looked at the page and the list of things I had written, I found the promise: If God has done it before, He will do it again.

Today, in light of the fact that I am thanking God for future things, I want to thank God that He will do it again.

As I previously said, when you’re going through a difficult time, you really don’t want to hear anybody telling you to “smile Jesus loves you”. Let’s be honest. You don’t. Your soul does not want to hear anything about God. Of course, that’s the devil trying to creep into your life and suppress your spirit man. But when the going get’s tough, I dare to say, you need to take a quick glimpse at all the things that God has done for you before, and then look at your future with an assurance that He will do it again.

My list was a lot longer than the 15 days that I have been writing. But on it was almost every breakthrough God had given me: success through school, scholarships and grants, finances, friendships, deliverance from depression, anger, healing from past relationships, strength to overcome issues, provision of jobs, cars, houses, protecting me from the snare of the fowler, healing me from illnesses and diseases… there is so much that He has done. And the one conclusion that I came to was that if He could do all of that, He can do it again.

God is a good God. He’s a good God… And sometimes the things that happen to us may seem as if they come from hell, but the TRUTH of the matter is that in the beginning, the middle and the end, God is a good God. He’s never finished any of your past experiences with bad endings, and if there was a bad ending, it’s because the story isn’t finished. He cannot lie about His goodness, so despite your present, remember that He’s good.

Try to make a list of all the things that God has done for you.. Maybe in the last year, the last two. I dunno. You’ll see how good He is. And once you do, you can rest assured that the same good God that did all of those things before, will do it again.

So right there, is something to give God thanks for. Why would a God who has been blessing you, keeping you, protecting you, providing for you, healing you, delivering you, holding you, just all of a sudden…stop? No. the same God that did those things in the past, He will do it again. You may not know the end of the matter, but rest assured that it’s good. And if it doesn’t look good now, give thanks, because God’s going to show His goodness to you again.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?- Numbers 23:19

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving, Tidbits for Love, Hope and Joy, Tidbits for the weary, Tidbits for Trusting God, Uncategorized Tags: believe, Christianity, content, discouraged, encouragement, giving thanks, hope, jesus, relationships

Monthly Archives: July 2012

What are you standing on?

He knows your name.

The purpose of gratitude.

Day 21: Life!

Day 20: The Cross

Day 19: Angels unawares

Day 18: God is with me.

Day 17: Just Because You’re you.

Day 16: Everything’s gonna be alright.

Day 15: He’ll do it again

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