Christian

The Holy Spirit, Our Helper

Cindy Dawson

I went to my office, laid my head down on my Bible, and sighed in defeat, “Lord, I don’t know what to do.” As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I remembered something that I had read earlier in the day.

When King Jehoshaphat was warned that a vast army was coming against him, he was alarmed and resolved to inquire of the Lord. He called a fast for all of Judah and the people came together to seek God.

King Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly and cried out to God in prayer. He ends the prayer with these words:

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV

I quickly found the passage in my Bible and read it over and over. God was telling me what to do: Keep my eyes on Him! I can do that! Immediately my anxiety melted away. My fear disappeared and I felt the comfort only God can provide.

I also remembered, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 NIV

What does it mean to keep your eyes on the Lord? Here are some thoughts.

  1. Acknowledge that you can’t fix this in your own strength. Jehoshaphat knew that he was in for a battle that he was not strong enough to win and he didn’t know what to do. The enemy was getting closer every minute.
  2. When we realize that it isn’t within our own ability to fix the problem, only then can we really depend completely on the Lord.
  3. These kinds of opportunities will stretch our faith and bring us closer to God.

You might be wondering what happened to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when they fixed their eyes on the Lord instead of the problem.

This is what the Lord said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. (v15) Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. . . Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.”(v17)

“Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. . .Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord . . . ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” (v18&21)

Take away: They depended completely on the Lord. They worshipped Him. They thanked Him. They praised Him. The Lord threw their enemies into confusion and they were defeated.

Read more about Jehoshaphat’s battle here. (2 Chronicles 20:1-30)

When our battle is too hard, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us worship His holiness, thank Him, praise Him, and give Him glory. When you read God’s Word, God Himself will teach you and encourage you because He says,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 NIV

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you, today. Comments are welcomed and appreciated.

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 6/24/22

Cindy Dawson

“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[a]
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[b]
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12 NIV

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Verse for Meditation, 6/23/22

Cindy Dawson

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Jesus (Luke 12:48b NIV)

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Ariel Schmunck on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 6/22/22

Cindy Dawson

Sometimes, if you begin to sing in a halfhearted mood, you can sing yourself up the ladder. Singing will often make the heart rise.”

Charles Spurgeon

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 6/21/22

Cindy Dawson

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Sabeer Darr on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Monday’s Verse, 6/20/22

Cindy Dawson

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 NLT

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Joel Holland on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Sunday’s Memory Verse, 6/19/22

Cindy Dawson

“Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10 NIV

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Dawn McDonald on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

An “Annoying Distraction”?

Cindy Dawson

Did you know even that if you’re the most eloquent preacher on the planet and thousands attend your conferences and buy your books, if you don’t show God’s love to people, God says you are only an “annoying distraction”?

And if you have such a strong faith that you can perform miracles, but you don’t love your fellow man, you’re just a nobody.

Not only that, if you sell everything you own and give it all to feed the poor, but you don’t spread God’s love, it does you no good at all.

Read 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 from the Amplified Bible, (AMP).

 “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. 3 If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.”

Many years ago, the Lord showed me the tremendous importance of showing His love to others. I was questioning something I was being taught in my church and decided to re-read the New Testament. I read it three times in a row as I searched for the truth.

I was looking for the answer to this: What’s the main idea of the New Testament? What is most important to God? Is it prosperity? Is it faith to heal the sick? Is it abundance in this life? Is it praying for revival?

I kept track of the number of times each topic was presented in the Word of God. Every time faith was taught, I tallied it. I did the same for every topic that came up including healing, prayer, prosperity, hope joy, mercy, love, and many others.

Do you know what I discovered? Overwhelmingly, the main message of the New Testament, and the most mentioned topic, was love! If love was the most talked about subject, it must be really important! I knew that if I understood nothing else, I must understand what matters most to God – love.

Back then we didn’t have Google, but now I know that the Bible mentions love 686 times in the New International Version. Thanks, Google!

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 6 NIV

With the discovery of this truth and knowing that walking in love was of utmost importance to God, I began on a journey to learn how to walk in love. The Old Testament and New are full of insights that teach us to love as Christ loves.

 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 NIV

How can you show God’s love to someone today?

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Lydia Torrey on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 6/17/22

Cindy Dawson

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Verses for Meditation, 6/16/22

Cindy Dawson

“When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Jorge Fernández Salas on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog