I gathered together today with a group of pastors where I heard the most amazing Jesus story. One of the guys shared about how his wife has been going through stomach issues for over five months. It took the doctors months to discover what was wrong and then it’s taken additional time for the treatment to reverse the damage cause by the little bugger that caused the problem.
During this time, she lost pounds she couldn’t afford to lose. Worst of all, she wasn’t able to leave the house, which meant attending service or having guests over was out of the question. After finally getting healthy enough to attend service, she told how she held onto her faith in a good God even when He wasn’t answering her prayers. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place! People could relate big time to her situation.
Lives were immensely touched that day. Then I remembered what I wrote yesterday, “Let the Spirit, using your current challenges, enlarge your view of your God. As you do, you’ll experience the kind of victory that others will see and ask about.”
Then I thought, Should I have been praying for God to heal her when in fact it was through her painful struggle that not only did her view of God enlarge, but so did those in her church family? I know it sounds harsh, but doesn’t it often take struggles coming from this world to get us to begin to think rightly about our God? (See Hebrews 12:1-11.)
I’m not saying to ask the Lord to pile on the pain! I guess what I’m suggesting, though, is that we stop and ask, “Lord, how do You want me to enter the battle for this for request?” Might He say, “Pray for them to have the strength to endure it so their view of Me will enlarge”? Would you be willing to enter the battle in this way, even though it goes against every fiber in your soul? Prayer is indeed not for wimps.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I have a t-shirt that I love to wear that has white straggly haired, blue sunglassed Albert Einstein surfing a good sized wave, only with no board! Underneath this picture is the word, “Imagine.”
It’s asking us to get out of our boxes and think bigger, even the impossible. Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” We all have challenges. We all want to experience victory and taste the goodness and greatness of God. The solution starts with the size of our God.
There is a worship song with the lyrics, “How great is our God – sing with me/How great is our God – and all will see/How great, how great is our God.” How great is your God? Victory over your challenges can only come if you know your God to be more powerful than your challenges. Is He?
Let the Spirit, using your current challenges, enlarge your view of your God. As you do, you’ll experience the kind of victory that others will see and ask about.
S“E”t Free Nowww

Surprise, you’re adopted. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba Father.’” (Romans 8:15)
I’ve learned a couple of things from talking with those who’ve been adopted. One, they wanted to know why their parents didn’t want them. And two, they worked hard to make sure their adoptive parents would keep them.
This makes what Paul wrote in the above passage so insightful. We don’t have to fear our Father giving us back to the orphanage called this world if we fail. We are safe and secure in the warmth of His love.
He loved us when we couldn’t love Him and couldn’t do anything right. In fact, He wanted us as His children so badly that He sent His own Son to get us from that orphanage. Jesus did and does all the work to make and keep us God’s children. It’s on Him, not us!
Fight your enemy’s lies that make you feel unwanted or have to be God’s workhorse with this truth – you’re adopted! Relax and enjoy your relationship with your Father! You don’t have to earn something that you already have – love and security.
“S”et Free Nowww