The Lion’s Den
Bible-reading, prayer, and being in right-relationship with God will mostly keep you out of the lion’s den. But when it doesn’t, it will make pets out of lions and result in your promotion, God’s exaltation, and growth in God’s Kingdom.
When I … God Is STILL …
When I am at my lowest, God is STILL the Highest! When things seem so dark, God is STILL the Light! When I feel weak, God is STILL the Almighty! When I feel alone, God is STILL my Comforter!
When You Are Despised, Resented, Rejected, Betrayed Or Abandoned…
Recall from the Holy Scriptures how Jesus was frequently despised, resented, rejected, betrayed, and abandoned…all because He lived the will of the Father in going about doing good. No doubt, this was a part of what Jesus had to pray through about in the Garden of Gethsemane…praying through over Judas betraying him…and being abandoned by those closest to Him…and being rejected and crucified by the people he loved and wanted to fellowship with the most. Of course, we know that in the end it did not go well for those who rejected and betrayed Jesus…but still, that did not make it any easier for Him while He was being rejected and betrayed. In the same vein…sooner or later…for those of us who truly believe on the Lord and place our faith, confidence, loyalty, and obedience in him…there will be people who despise, resent, reject, abandon, and betray us…all because they do not like the fact that we are striving to live our life in a way that is pleasing unto God…and we are striving to accomplish good works for the Lord. But, in the end, it will be well with the righteous…and it will be ill for those who have rejected us…because they are really rejecting Christ in us. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. — Isaiah 3:10-11 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. — Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. — Luke 10:16 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. — 1 Thessalonians 4:8 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be…despisers of those that are good” — 2 Timothy 3:1,2,3 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. — Philippians 1:29 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. — Matthew 5:11-12 Brother and Sister in Christ, as the following scripture states, there WILL come a time when it matters a LOT that you have loved, honored, and served God: Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. — Malachi 3:18 But until this time comes, remain steadfast and unmoved in the Lord no matter what…even when you are despised, resented, rejected, betrayed or abandoned. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. — 1 Corinthians 15:58
What Do You Do When Your Provision Runs Out?
What do you do when the source of your necessary provision dries up and is gone? What do you do when the supply that your well-being requires comes to an end? What do you do when what worked well before stops working? What do you do when your well runs dry? Well, let’s have a look… 1 Kings 172 And the word of the LORD came unto [Elijah], saying,3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; …5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.6 … and he drank of the brook.7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up. Let’s summarize these scriptures: So, the long and the short of the situation is that Elijah was in the specific place where God told him to be…and yet, the sustenance and provision that his well-being required dried up right before his eyes. Now, we would expect God’s blessings to dry up if Elijah was out of God’s will…or if Elijah was disobeying God…or if Elijah was sinning. But, Elijah was IN God’s will…he was obeying God…he was living and doing right…and yet, the sustenance and provision that his well-being required STILL dried up. That’s not what we want or expect, is it? That brings us right back to the big question: what do you do when you are in the place where God’s will has put you…and yet, that which your well-being requires stops being provided? As you hold that question, let’s get even more clarity on what Elijah had to deal with… It is easy to feel great when God’s rich blessings, sustenance, and provision…when that which your well-being requires…is just laying there waiting for you to scoop it up. All you have to do is just be there…with your cup in hand…and your cup is quickly and easily filled to overflowing. Plus, it feels really great to be able to pull from the abundance of the river and store up some extra provision. But, how do you feel when you notice that the river isn’t flowing like it used to? How do you feel when it becomes harder and harder to get your cup filled up? How do you feel when it takes longer and longer to get your cup filled up? How do you feel when what used to be a roaring river of provision is now a meager trickle? How do you feel when you can plainly see that the very provision that your well-being requires is drying up before your eyes? How do you feel when the day comes that the river…your source for required sustenance and provision…is completely dry…and now, you are forced to start drawing sustenance from your stored up reserves…and as day after day passes, your reserves drop lower and lower…all while the river continues to be dry as a bone? And finally, how do you feel when you are in that place where God’s will has put you…where God has COMMANDED you to be…that place where God has richly sustained and blessed you in times past…but now, the blessings have dried up…and your reserves are gone…and you can’t see an alternative source anywhere around you for the sustenance that your well-being requires? How do you feel now? And, how do you feel about God now? Well, that brings us yet again right back to our big question: what do you do when you are in the place where God’s will…and your obedience to God…has put you…and yet, that which your well-being requires stops being provided? Well, what you do is SURRENDER and SUBMIT yourself unto the Lord. What you do is seek direction from the Lord (Proverbs 3:6, 11:5, Ecclesiastes 10:10). What you do is tighten your belt if need be (Psalms 27:14, 37:9, 37:34, Proverbs 20:22). What you do is maintain your integrity (Job 2:3, 2:9, 27:5, 31:6). What you do is keep trusting and believing in the Lord (Psalms 37:3, 73:28, Proverbs 3:5, 29:25). What you do is hold the mindset, perspective, attitude, confidence, trust, and faith towards God and His providence towards you that you are directed to hold over and over all the way through the Bible. Consider just this one example: Psalm 1186 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear…7 The Lord taketh my part…8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.14 The Lord is my strength…17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord.25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good… Really notice the mindset and belief system here: Now, going back to Elijah and the serious situation that he was in…where his necessary sustenance and provision had dried up right in front of him…we find out that Elijah held exactly the mindset and attitude that has just been described…and just as God ALWAYS does for ALL of us…God came through for Elijah: 1 Kings 178 And the word of the LORD came unto [Elijah], saying,9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath…and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I
Don’t Quit!
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,when the funds are low and the debts are high,and you want to smile but you have to sigh,when care is pressing you down a bit – rest if you must,but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns.As everyone of us sometimes learns.And many a fellow turns about when hemight have won had he stuck it out.Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –you may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seemsto a faint and faltering man;often the struggler has given up when hemight have captured the victor’s cup;and he learned too late when the night came down,how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out –the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,and when you never can tell how close you are,it may be near when it seems afar;so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –it’s when things seem worst,you must not quit. — Author Unknown
If You Feel Despondent, Discouraged, Or Weary, This Is For You…
There are times when every Christian becomes despondent, discouraged, and weary. Sometimes, we become despondent because we don’t feel that we are important or needed…because we feel that we have no meaning or purpose…because we feel that we don’t matter. But, Christian Brother or Sister, hear the word of the Lord… Ephesians 2 – “(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.“ Isaiah 49 – “(14) But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. (15) Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (16) Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.“ 1 John 4 – “(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Zephaniah 3 – “(17) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Jeremiah 29 – “(11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Hebrews 3 – “(6) But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;” As these scriptures reveal, YOU ARE important and meaningful to God! God thinks about you continually. God has good plans for you. God IS with you. You ARE God’s and He is NOT going to forget about you…or leave you barren of goodness, good works, or blessings. Continuing on… Sometimes, discouragement sets in because to the best of our ability we are seeking good…we are doing good…and we are being good…and yet, it seems as if the only thing coming back to us is the bad, the unwanted, and the unpleasant. Sometimes, weariness sets in because it seems as if our labors for God and His Kingdom are achieving and accomplishing nothing. Brother and Sister in the Lord, recall that which God has already told you… 2 Thessalonians 3 – “(13) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” Galatians 6 – “(9) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (10) As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Psalms 27 – “(13) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Keep on believing that you WILL see God’s goodness, blessings, victory, deliverance, providence, or whatever it is that you need from the Lord…and you will SURELY see it. Now, let’s go deeper… Isaiah 40 – “(27) Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? (28) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. (29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. When we are discouraged and weary, it is so easy to start thinking that we are invisible to God…that God has doesn’t know about us…or that He has forgotten about us. It is easy to start thinking that God is not going to intervene in those situations where we need His divine intervention. Well, God DOES see us CLEARLY. He KNOWS EXACTLY where we are at…and what we are going through. And, He WILL intervene. However, it is important to notice that a key part of God’s intervention…a key part of the solution…includes US being increased in God’s power and strength. God wants us to be more and do more. God wants to accomplish more in us and through us. Yes, we must have patience…yes, we must wait upon the Lord…but God’s intervention and His solution for us will ALWAYS include our own improvement, growth, and development! Let’s consider some more scriptures… Romans 2 – “(5) …revelation of the righteous God; (6) Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” 1 Corinthians – “(58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 4 – “(1) Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;” Key to being discouraged and weary is FORGETTING what God has already done! But, when we start with the recollection of God’s mercy upon us…when we recall that by God’s mercy we are not in a devil’s hell right now…we immediately have cause to be thankful and to rejoice. From there, as we recall God’s subsequent and continued goodness
Whatever Your Problem, Situation, Issue, Or Difficulty, Nobody Can Resolve It Better Than God
Do you have some problem that is a big deal to you? Do you have a situation that is bugging you? Do you have some issues with other people that are eating at you? Do you have some difficulty in life that continues to plague you? Here is the best-ever advice… Advice that you have already been given…but perhaps need to be reminded of… Give your problem, situation, issue, or difficulty to God and LET God resolve it! God can work behind the scenes to resolve any problem, situation, issue, or difficulty that you are dealing with…and create far better outcomes than you or anyone else could ever create! That brings us to this: you probably have what you “think” is the perfect way that God should handle your problem, situation, issue, or difficulty in mind… …and you should just go ahead and LET GO of what you think God should do… …and just totally leave it up to God to resolve the matter… …because again, GOD CAN TRULY RESOLVE ANY MATTER IN YOUR LIFE FAR BETTER THAN YOU OR I OR ANYONE ELSE EVER COULD! So, if you have a problem that matters a great deal to you… God knows how to make your problem a non-issue. God knows how to make your problem go away. God knows how to turn your problem into a blessing. If you have a situation that has been a thorn in your flesh… God knows how to turn around any situation that is affecting you…in a way that is far better than anything you could ever come up with on your own…or could work out on your own. If you are having issues with certain people… God knows how to “deal with” those people in the way they need to be dealt with. God knows how to “teach” those people the lessons they need to be taught. God knows how to “rattle” those people in a way that gets them listening. God knows how to “touch” those people in just the right way…a way that gets their attention…a way that CHANGES them…a way that gets them doing right relative to you. Unlike you and I, God has no limits on what He can do or how He does it. God knows exactly what is needed in order to get a given person’s attention and to shift their attitude and behavior. In some cases, God knows that troubling a given person’s household or personal life will get their attention. In other cases, God knows that putting a given person’s livelihood in jeopardy will get their attention. In yet other cases, God knows that bringing a person face-to-face with their own mortality…or the mortality of a loved one…is what is needed to get their attention and to shift their behavior. In still other cases, God knows that touching a given person’s relatives or descendants is the way to get their attention. Probably all of us could give several other examples of ways that God has gotten people’s attention in a way that motivated them to change…but, that is not our business or concern…that is God’s business. We do not know what will work…but God does…so it is best if we just leave the business of creating change in other people up to God. All we have to know is that we can turn our problems, situations, issues, and difficulties over to the Lord and rest confident in the knowledge that He can and will resolve them for us. If you have an on-going difficulty… God knows how to build a hedge of protection around you. God knows how to provide…or to heal…or to deliver…or whatever it is that you need. God knows how to turn that difficulty into a beneficial strength…or even an important ministry wherein you become a mighty worker in God’s Kingdom. Now, we come to an important question… What do you do while God is working behind the scenes and taking the necessary time to resolve your problem, situation, issue, or difficulty? You busy yourself with drawing closer to God! You diligently seek to be more perfect before God! You rigorously strive to be more like what the Bible says you should be like! Let’s just say it like this: it is amazing how many problems, situations, issues, and difficulties go away of their own accord AFTER we develop ourselves into a MORE Christ-like Christian.
Who Is God?
Sometimes, we just need a Biblically-based reminder of who and what God is relative to us. So, who and what is God? God is our comforterGod is our confidenceGod is our delivererGod is our exceeding great rewardGod is OUR FatherGod is OUR GodGod is our goodnessGod is our healerGod is our healthGod is our helpGod is our hiding placeGod is our hopeGod is our joyGod is our KingGod is our lampGod is our LordGod is our peaceGod is our portionGod is our preserverGod is our protectorGod is our providence and provisionGod is our re-rewardGod is our rock and our fortressGod is our saviorGod is our shieldGod is our strengthGod is our strong refugeGod is our trustGod is the exalter of our hornGod is the uplifter of our head God is everything we need, our portion in the land of the living, our praise, our hope, and our eternal Father. Of course, the above list just barely scratches the surface of who and what God is. Who and what has God been for you that isn’t listed here? What are some other things the Bible tells us about who and what God is that are not listed here?
The Essential Pillar
Just as a pillar holds something up in the natural, so does a stalwart Christian hold up those around him or her. Yes, you may be tired of standing strong… Yes, you may be tired of holding everyone around you up… But be encouraged and keep standing…keep holding those around you up…because without you holding them up, they would surely tumble down in ruin.
When Life Takes An Unwanted, Unpleasant Detour…
Does everything ALWAYS goes exactly the way you want it to? Do things ALWAYS turn out exactly the way you want them to? Do you ALWAYS get exactly what you want? Well sometimes, the path of life takes unwanted, unpleasant detours from what we want, doesn’t it? Now, more often than not, unwanted, unpleasant detours are the result of our own: Willful ignorance … when we had plenty of opportunity to learn better but refused to embrace learning opportunities. Foolishness … when we could have been smart and wise … but we willfully chose not to be smart or wise. Stubbornness … when we would rather hurt our own self than give way to goodness with or for others. Rebelliousness … when we know better than to do something … when we know not to over-do something … when we know not to under-do something … but we rebelliously do harmful, damaging, destructive things anyway. Negative attitude … when we refuse to positively manage our own mind, attitudes, and feelings … and instead LET ourselves be negative, down, depressed, sad, unhappy, etc. Hatefulness … when we choose to be hateful, spiteful, vindictive, etc. because we want to hurt another person. Negative faith … when we hold so much conviction and belief about something unwanted and unpleasant … that our negative faith obligates God to give us something He never intended for us. Moreover, nowhere does the Bible teach that we should just lay back and passively, mindlessly want or expect God to do everything for us … or give us everything we want … with no learning, thinking, or effort on our own part. The Bible bears out … and experience bears out … that God predominately designed us and life so that we are free moral agents who are free to make our own choices and selections … who are free to pursue our own interests … who are free to learn whatever we want … and who are free to act and work as we see fit. Of course, we know that we should do all of our choosing, selecting, pursuing, learning, acting, and working in a wise, God-considering, God-honoring, God-pleasing manner … but for the most part, we are free to be wise … and we are free to be foolish … we are free to honor God and follow His precepts … and, we are just as free to not honor God or follow His precepts. And, life bears out that the wiser we are in our choosing, selecting, pursuing, learning, acting, and working, the more successful, pleasant, and enjoyable our life is … and the less-wise we are in these things, the less successful, less pleasant, and less enjoyable our life is. And so, to a large degree, the success or failure of our life is our own free-will handiwork. In other words, God will LET us bless our own selves … and He will also LET us destroy our own selves … or anything in between. That is the function of free-will-agency that God has designed and ordained for humanity. However, there ARE those times when our life seems to take a detour … there are times when no matter how good and how wise we have been … we find ourselves on an unwanted, unpleasant detour. I am talking about those detours where… • You find yourself in non-ideal circumstances that are outside of your control… • You feel stuck and it feels like you are doing nothing and going nowhere… • You are wanting to do good works but cannot for certain reasons… • You are doing your best to do right and good … and things still go bad… Here is the question I would like for us to answer for ourselves: Why does God send us on these detours into unwanted circumstances or conditions when that is not what we want? Why God sometimes sends us on unwanted, unpleasant detours… Psalm 25:12 – What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he (God) teach in the way that he (God) shall choose. (In general, the sooner we learn the lessons that God wants for us to learn, the sooner we will be free to move forward … and the longer we take to learn the lessons, the longer we will be on the detour. We can even forget the lessons and get to take more unwanted, unpleasant detours if we insist upon it.) Isaiah 32:17 – And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. (Sometimes, a detour is about bringing greater peace, quietness, and confidence into our life.) Philippians 1:12 – But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; Genesis 50:20 – But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. John 9:1-3 – And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Jeremiah 17:10 – I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (In other words, God sometimes puts us on a detour to see if we will be faithful to Him … and when we prove faithful, He gives blessings to us accordingly.) Genesis 22:10-12 – And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Peace Is Available If You Want It…
Do you find yourself filled with worry, concern, anxiety, unease, uncertainty, or fear…over what you are facing in life right now…and over what lies ahead for you and your loved ones?Do you find yourself frustrated and fretting…because you do not know what direction to take in life…or because you do not know what to do in a particular situation…or because there seems to be nothing at all that you can do to resolve a certain problem in your life? If so, remember these words from the well-known 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd“. IF you will LET Him, the Lord WILL be YOUR shepherd. IF you will LET Him, the Lord will take the steering wheel of your life and He WILL take you into all the goodness He has prepared particularly and especially for YOU. Life becomes so much easier and so much more enjoyable when we surrender our life and our will over to God through Jesus Christ. And in fact, WHEN you go ahead and LET the Lord Jesus Christ take over in your life and the things that concern you and your loved ones, that is when the Lord can fulfill another of His Psalm 23 promises in your life: “He leadeth me beside the still waters“. How much would you enjoy the “still waters” of peace, quietness, calmness, and comfort…that comes with knowing that the Lord IS leading you into all the goodness He has particularly and especially prepared for YOU? Are you ready for the peace and comfort that comes with knowing that God through Jesus Christ is in charge of your life and that He is directing your affairs, conditions, and circumstances? Consider these Psalm 23 words: “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.“ Just how comforting would it be to KNOW that the Lord is WITH you? How much better do you suppose you could face your life’s situations and circumstances if you KNEW that the Lord was with you? Well, you CAN KNOW that the Lord is with you…simply by surrendering and submitting yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ…by obeying and honoring His Word given to you throughout the Bible. Now, there is an important point we must understand about the goodness that God has especially prepared for us. MOST of the time, the goodness that the Lord has prepared for us will seem obviously good to us. On rare occasions however, there will be times when the goodness that the Lord has for us will not at all seem like “goodness” to us. It is in these times that we must implicitly, unreservedly, unconditionally, absolutely, and completely trust in the Lord…and time will INFALLIBLY PROVE that God WAS IN FACT being good to us. When we understand this point…and we KNOW that the Lord is with us…then there really is NOTHING to fear in our life. Rather, there is only excited anticipation as we look forward to the good that God is going to surprise us with. Having said all of this, there is a catch… Surrendering…submitting…obeying…honoring…those are words that our rebellious, sin-prone nature does not like. We want the peace, goodness, and blessings of God…but we want to stay free to do whatever our rebellious, sin-prone nature wants to do. But, the simple fact of the matter is, you cannot have it both ways! If you prefer, you can continue holding onto the steering wheel of your life, and suffering through EVEN MORE fear, uncertainty, and frustration. Maybe you want to loop and struggle for a while longer…maybe you feel it is to your benefit to stay stuck, trapped, and jammed up for a while longer. You can certainly SUFFER longer if you want to… You can certainly WAIT LONGER and HOLD YOURSELF AWAY from all the good that God has prepared especially and particularly for you and those you love… But, do you really want to do that? Haven’t you had enough suffering and struggling already? Haven’t you done without real peace and true happiness long enough? Haven’t you already learned…again and again…that letting your rebellious, sin-prone nature drive is NOT a good way to go through life? Perhaps the smarter thing to do would be to just stop right now…and have a little talk with Jesus Christ…just you and Him. Invite Him to be your Shepherd. Tell Him that you fully surrender your life, your conditions, your circumstances over to him and His goodness for you. Ask him to take away the fear and to bring peace into your life. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and mistakes. And then, make your way to a Bible-believing, God-honoring, God-worshipping church on Sunday…so that you can gain strength and encouragement by fellowshipping with some of God’s other blessed people.