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DEFINING OURSELVES

DEFINING OURSELVES

Recently, two sweet friends and I, went to the Women Walking with God conference, in Hartman arena in Wichita, Kansas. Once again, a beer sign was behind my booth. But it is an arena where so many events are held throughout the year, including ones they sell alcohol. So, before long I forgot that it was even there, because so many women came to my booth wanting to hear what my published books were about. I was able to tell them part of my story and several started to cry because they could identify with being a caregiver and the difficult road that involves. I would go around my booth, hug them, talk to them and pray with them. That is my purpose in having a booth there; to tell others my story and give women encouragement to keep on keeping on and not to give up hope in the midst of trials. (If you have never been to this amazing ladies’ conference, always held in the spring, go with me next year. It is a time to get away from everyday life-to find encouragement-be uplifted-participate in beautiful arena singing-a hilarious comedian, and an a carpella group. It is a time to refresh and renew our hearts and spirits for God!)

A few years ago, one of the speakers said she had talked to someone who felt like God would never forgive her for her thoughts, her sin, because she had done so much furthering the devil’s mission here on earth. She was defining herself by her sinful life. The speaker pointed out Paul of the Bible who committed terrible sins, but yet he was forgiven, which took away his definition of himself thru his sin and he went on to do amazing things. Saul, later called Paul, in Acts 8:3, “…he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” Acts 9:1 tells us “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…” In the same chapter, the scriptures tell us that, God told Ananias, who was to teach Paul, that “…he is a chosen vessel…” And then later in that chapter, “Immediately he (Paul) preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Paul was a sinner, yet God forgave him and chose him to preach about Christ and go on to write some of the books of the New Testament. Paul was forgiven and went on to fulfill his God given purpose for his life.

God is a God of forgiveness and He has redeemed us. The meaning of redeemed is: to purchase. Jesus with His death on the cross, He paid the price to release us from the bondage of sin. Eph. 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” We are not defined by our weakness, but we are defined by the redemptive blood of Christ. We are defined by the fact that what Jesus did for us, gives us the fact that we are no longer a victim, but rather have victory and freedom from this world.

The lady above was defining herself by what the world called her: unworthy for God’s love and salvation, she thought she was unable to change, and was unforgiven. We look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves these lies making us believe God cannot accept us back into His arms. These lies make us feel defined by relationships of the world we have and what people think about us; surrounding ourselves with those voices we listen to, thus giving the definition to ourselves, like the lady above. The only true one who can define us is the one who created us, our Creator, God. The negative definitions the world give us are not what God defines us by. He calls us: worthy of God’s love and of the redemptive power that His love has-we are forgiven-we are beautiful in God’s eyes-we no longer have to live in fear of our future. We are defined by what Jesus did for us on the cross.

So many stay in that box of their past sins, also defining others by the definition they have of themselves. The world gives them their definition of themselves. These are the work of the devil. We are saved from hell by a new life in Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:17 tell us “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Romans 12:2 reads “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” My last blog, I talked about guarding our minds. Change starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world will produce a life tossed back and forth by culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time. We have to rest in the scriptures to help us thru those trials. Colossians 2:8-10 tells us “…put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth…put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge…” How do we renew-change our minds? We renew our minds, by reading the scriptures that give us knowledge of what types of people we need to be, in order to change our hearts and the definition we have of ourselves. Verse 11 of the same chapter, tells us some of the qualities a new mind should define ourselves with. “…put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another and forgiving one another…”

How are you defining yourself? Do you linger in the past sinfulness of the world’s definition or are you defining yourself by the promises that only our God can give us, knowing we are His child, and with that comes so much definition of who we truly are defined by. Today is the day! Change your mind and realize that the world’s definition, is Satan’s definition of who you are, and leave all that behind you. We need to reach to God’s definition of ourselves, which is full of promise-a new life in Him.

I hope that what she said, was a help and comfort to those in the audience who had told themselves the same lies. I pray that they realized that with setting a new mind towards God, through reading and meditating on scripture, that they could renew their definition of themselves. We must put away all the sins of the past and follow God’s definition of ourselves. Praise God, for Your promises and Your love!

Till next time!                         Keela

GUARD YOUR MIND

During those rough years when my husband was mentally and physically sick, he got angry about something. Usually, his reaction would be to go back to bed, but this time, he walked out the door and down the street. I thought, ok, he will be back soon. But after an hour, my mind started to imagine all kinds of things and I started to worry about him. I thought: what if he fell and is in a ditch where no one can see or help him-what if he got lost-what if he had a heart attack. My mind went to so many ‘what ifs.’ I got in my car looking for him, but I could not find him. I called my son and daughter-in-law and also called precious friends from church, who were always there for me. I stayed home, in case he came home, pacing back and forth and my anxiety grew with each step. My daughter-in-law found him walking, a few miles away. She tried to get him to get into her van, even opening the side door while she crept along. He refused to get in and just kept walking towards home. At least, he was going the right way. Once he got home, I lashed angrily out at him letting him know how worried we all were about him. Telling him to never do that again! He went back to bed. Was that the right reaction I should have had when I met him at the door? Probably not!

Have you ever had something happen to you, that caused you to get so worried that you started envisioning all kinds of bad things? Have you ever let your mind go to places that there was no way of getting your thoughts back? Have you ever reacted in such a negative way, by lashing out? I dare say, that everyone has at one time or the other. Philippians 4:6-7 is one of my favorite verses in the bible which has helped me through so many trials in my life. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus.” The mind, which God created, is such an amazing creation. It is said, we have 30,000 to 60,000 thoughts in a day. We let so many negative thoughts filtrate through our minds every day. We have to learn to clear our thoughts of negative reactions and not let them land there. Kinda like, when an airplane is cleared for landing or take-off. Sometimes, planes are redirected because of weather or a malfunction with the plane. We have to learn how to redirect our minds from all the negative “what ifs.”

In the Philippians verse above, Paul chooses to use a military term: guard. Our mind is a battle zone. We have to protect it from the forces that the devil tries to penetrate into our minds. Paul tells us in 2Corinthians 10:4-6, “For the weapons or our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” Our thoughts are at war! The media today is so toxic, feeding so much negative information into our minds, telling us we are too fat-too thin, too smart-too stupid, too ugly-too beautiful, not loved because of who we are and look like. The media tries to make us believe that we are not good enough for God to love us. These thoughts become our beliefs and are now part of our core, making them hard to push away from our minds. These thoughts hold us captive, causing many to turn to things of this world to make them feel better, even going so far as to lead to suicide, eating disorders and depression. These thoughts can cause us to spiral into the darkness.

Romans 12:2 tells us, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” How do we renew our minds? We have to allow the truth of God’s word to wipe out anything contrary to it. In Ephesians 6, God has given us the armor of God. “The helmet of salvation” is one of the forces we have to help us. This helmet protects and guards the brain. It protected the soldier from certain death. As the helmet protects the head, our hope in salvation protects our minds from Satan’s lies. The power of the cross through Jesus’ death, is our defense from Satan. We have to make the choice to defend our minds from all the negativity that Satan feeds us every day. We have to set our minds towards the hope we have through Jesus’ death on the cross, that we will leave this earth, with all its hopelessness, and live with Him eternally in heaven one day. The cross transforms how we think.

So, what should I have done when I could not find my husband?

1. I should have spent more time in prayer. I should have reached out to the One who can truly help me: my God and my protector.
2. I should have turned to God’s word. Read some of the scriptures that give me peace when my life was in turmoil.
3. I should have taken some deep breaths and tried to relax in the memory that God had always helped me through the trials in my life before.
4. I should have focused more on the fact that I had family and friends who were always there to help me and were helping me right then.
5. I should have remembered that there was nothing I could do at that moment. I had no control over the situation.
6. I should have not let that anxiety get such a root in my heart, that when we did find him, I lashed out at him.
7. I should have taken my thoughts captive and guarded my mind, realizing that it was a beautiful day and it was a good thing for my husband, who was normally in bed, to take a walk even if it was because he was angry.

    I am going to close with one of the verses I turn to during my hard times.

Psalm 27:11-14 “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies, do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries’ for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”

The next time your mind wanders to all those “maybes,” bring it back into focus centering it on God’s truth. He is always there for you-God’s word holds peace if we just put our focus on it- take a deep breath and focus on talking to God. If you have let your mind wander to all the negatives, like I did, you are not guarding your minds with the tools God gives us in His word. Like I did, it is so easy to lash out at this world and its trials if we do not center our minds on God. God is true to His promises. We just have to fill our mind with God’s truth. It will guard your mind!

Till next time!                                                 Keela

HEART PAIN

Several times, I would come home from my two, sometimes three, jobs and not want to go into the house. My chest felt so tight, like something was twisting and turning like a tornado in there. If it was not for our teenage daughter, I might have stayed in my car. But knowing she was there or coming home soon, helped me get my feet on the driveway and make my way up the stairs to the front door. What was causing this feeling? My husband was in the middle of his two-year deep depression, (which actually continued to plague him until the day he passed away.) I was not sure “which husband” I would find. The one who had gone to the grocery store and put something in the crock pot or the one who had stayed in bed, all day.

I realized this “tornado” in my chest, day after day, was bitterness! I felt bitter towards him. Here I was working so many hours, trying to keep up with our daughters’ activities and at work with clients plastering a smile on my face, whether I really felt like it or not. He was home all day, playing games on his computer and sleeping.  I was starting to physically feel sick and of course, the reason was that my heart was spiritually sick!

The meaning of bitterness is: anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly, resentment-envy. When you are bitter, you are thinking about yourself and forgetting what the other person is going through. Key elements are: unresolved anger-the inability to grieve-lack of forgiveness-feeling life is unfair. This bitterness takes hold of the heart and becomes rooted in there. It is so strong that it continues to grow and grow, deeper and deeper. This root feeds the soul with lies. Which makes you feel like you have the right to have disappointing and painful experiences, that would make any human feel hurt, angry or sad. Most can feel these feelings, then let them go. But the bitter person holds on and on, refusing to let go-forgive-give to God. Researchers say holding onto bitterness can: affect metabolism-immune response-lead to physical disease. Bitterness blows out the candle of joy and leaves the soul in darkness.

I was able to separate those feelings within, when I was laughing with my daughter and trying to forget that bitterness, living my life thru her active life. Or when I was with friends or family. But I am sure she and others were able to really see the heart pain I was in.

One day, I finally woke up and realized that I was holding bitterness in my heart towards my husband. When I would come home from a twelve-hour day and he would be in bed, those feelings reared up in my chest. I had to fix supper, do the laundry, clean the house, go to much loved activities with my daughter, etc. and here he was, in bed, been home all day and done nothing. (Now, I want to point out that depression is a disease and he was going through his uncertainties of his future. He was in his own dark place.) But I am addressing in this blog, my bitter heart pain. When that pain in my chest became so fierce and painful, I realized I had to do something. I was sinning by holding those feelings. I needed to turn to God for answers. I prayed, with tears rolling down my face, that God would give me the wisdom to gain the knowledge and understanding to help relieve my heart of this terrible pain. When a person prays for wisdom, they do not automatically get a zap and they know what to do. (God kind of did that with Solomon in the Old Testament.) God gives us the Holy Spirit through reading the scriptures, to give us the knowledge and then the understanding to gain wisdom to fight. Wisdom comes when that knowledge and understanding, is put into action. I turned to scripture. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” I had put myself and my feelings ahead of remembering that God could help me to cleanse and heal my heart. Here are a few scriptures I read that “hit me between the eyes.”

Colossians 3:19 is talking to husbands, but applies to us as wives also, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.”

Acts 8:22-23 “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Hebrews 12:14-15 “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

James 3:13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

There are so many other verses that I leaned onto which helped my hurting heart. But not enough room here.

There are many examples of people in the bible who were bitter towards someone. Go to Genesis 16-18 and read about Sarah’s bitterness of Hagar, even though it was Sarah who caused the situation. The verses above in Acts 8, are talking about a sorcerer, named Simon who wanted to have the power that Peter and John had. He was even willing to pay them for it. And again, so many other examples, but not time or room here. 

God led me through these scriptures giving me knowledge how to heal. But I had to do some action to help that healing. Philippians 4:6-8 gave me some understanding what to do. “Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Every morning, I would think and write in my journal, ONE good thing that I was thankful for about my husband. Then, I would thank God for him and that one GOOD thing all day. Some days, it was hard to find even one good thing about of him, because of something that may have happened. I remember one extremely tough day thanking God he was still alive! Slowly, but surely, that deep pain in my chest and heart started healing. My husband HAD NOT CHANGED, but God led me through the scriptures to change ME. There were times, that I had to remember this little heart exercise and do it, but that bitterness did not take root again. Thank you, God for Your power, of healing the heart!

I had to give forgiveness. I had to cut down deep into that bitterness that had taken root and residence in my heart. I had to bury it and put those feelings into the past. I was causing myself to miss out on too much goodness in my life that He had given me.

There is so much more that I could say here. This is just a short segment from a book I have in my heart to write, from the angle of a caregiver for a depressed or ill person: DEEP-PRESS-ON: a Caregiver’s Heart.

Why do I keep going to the past and dredging up those hard, painful times? 2Corinthians 1:3-5 reads: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.” My hope in sharing my story and pain, is to help others realize that thru God there is hope-there is a future-there is healing! Now I look back at that time, and remember how hard it was for me. But also, I know it was hard for our daughter as a teenager and the pain she felt, no matter how I tried to protect her, and also for his pain, though his was in a different way.

If you have bitterness in your heart, about any circumstances or against anyone; once you realize that, you have taken the first step. Then, go to God in deep supplication and let the word of God fill and renew your hearts and minds. (Romans 12:2) Open up your heart and let God heal you of your heart pain! I did.

                                                                          Keela

SEEKING THE INVISIBLE

During covid in 2020, we learned that an invisible virus was taking so many to their eternity. We cleaned off everything that came into our homes: the mail, groceries and even taking off our shoes before entering the house. My son, who lives with me, had to work during that time, as he was a necessary worker. When he got home I would Lysol everything he touched. I sprayed doorknobs, outside of washing machine handles, handles on the refrigerator and stove. (The Lysol caused my refrigerator door handles to turn yellow and they are still yellow to this day.) We did not want any invisible force in the form of a virus getting in and causing us to get sick, go into the hospital, never to get out alive. We were seeking to protect ourselves from the unknown germ that was invisible and causing the very breath to be sucked out of our chest.

As time progressed, and much study done seeking answers, we have learned more about this invisible virus. Recently there have been several families at church who have tested positive for covid. My dad tested positive for covid. Fear ran through my mind and heart. A few weeks before, I had taken my dad to get the latest vaccine. He lives in an assisted living center and they told him there, that if he had not had that shot his symptoms would have been much worse. He is improving every day and they are taking great care of him there. Also, members of church are improving day by day.  I just went today and got the newest covid vaccine. We know now what will protect us from getting or at least not having, this invisible virus to the degree of death. Thank you, God for scientists who can learn how to treat us! They have the God given knowledge how to seek the invisible virus and get it under control.

Just like the scientists are seeking for an answer to protect us, we should be seeking after the cure for our sinfulness, who or what will keep us safe-protected. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “…do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Faith is not a tangible thing we can put into our hands and actually see or feel. We know that the 11^th chapter of Hebrews, is full of examples of faithful people thru history. The chapter starts with these words “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith means we cannot see the outcome. We are not sure what lies ahead. Faith also means, that we do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future! Faith means clinging to the hope that God will triumph. He will come back to earth in judgment, to reward those who have sought after Him, thru obedience, and take those faithful to live with Him eternally. Those who don’t have faith in God, can only see the physical-what is in front of them-what they can actually touch. After Jesus’ resurrection, in John 20, Thomas would not believe that Jesus was among them. Jesus told him to “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe…Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

But is faith really invisible, to and in a believer? Did you know that our faith is not brought visible, until we go thru a trial and must seek it and lean into that faith and those promises given by our God! The unbelieving world, who are not even seeking the invisible faith, can see faith in our actions-how we react to a situation-what comes out of our mouths-how we reach out in prayer and patience in the storm, even when no end is in sight. James:14-17 reads “What does it profit my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body what does it profit? Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” The reality is that if you have faith, works will naturally be a product. True faith and righteous works go hand in hand. The world does not have to seek your faith, because they see the works you are doing in your everyday life. Then, faith is not invisible.

Those who do not have faith cannot see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities which transcend this world. Their hope is in God’s strength and in His faithfulness. In that hope they find the strength to endure. Read Colossians 1. This beautiful chapter tells us Jesus “…in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…He is the image of the invisible God…”  It is with and through Jesus that we can see the very image of the invisible God!

If the faithless would just look around them, they would see God at work. Romans 1:20 reads “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God head…” How can a faithless person, watch a sunrise or sunset over the wide ocean, or a newborn baby, or the seasons which are the same every year, and not believe in the existence of a seemingly, invisible God. God is in every day-in every second-in every blink of the eye. We just have to open our eyes!

Mankind needs to stop seeking the invisible and realize that God is right in front of us-right beside us-right behind us. Mankind needs to stop their busyness and rest in the reality that there is a God and He is ever present. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. God never changes. He is our protector. Seek Him and you will find Him! Just as in the invisible covid virus, which was visible after all, by the aftermath it left as it spread; have faith in the ever-visible God and let your life shine brightly for Him! The world will see your faith in action and they will no longer need to seek the invisible because they have found our very visible God! I want to close with these verses from Deuteronomy 4:28-31. Moses was talking to the people of Israel before they crossed over to the promised land. “And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things cone upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”

Till next time!                                 Keela

BREATHING THRU THE FIRE

BREATHING THROUGH THE FIRE

In your life, have you ever experienced trying to breathe thru the fire? I have many times when the trials of this life have seemed to smother me and I feel like I can’t breathe. Times when I have felt like something was at the top of my head and down all the way to the bottom of my feet, trying to squeeze the very breath from my lungs.

Our life is in our ability to breathe. Human beings are merely a piece of clay of the earth without that breath. But the life comes when God breathes into the nostrils of the human. God did it directly and personally. Genesis 2:7 reads “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” When we don’t have those lifesaving breaths, we will die. Psalm 104:29b reads “…You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”

We start out our lives, when we come out of our mother’s womb and we take our very first breath of air, which fills our lungs and we cry. We don’t have to think about breathing. It is automatic-constant-always a part of life. I have a touch of asthma and especially during our humid days in the summer, I have trouble breathing, trouble physically getting that full breath of life. I use an inhaler during those times and I can get a full breath of air again.

Mentally and spiritually, I have also had trouble breathing-many times when I have been through the “fires” of this life.  One example was when my husband had been in the hospital so many times (sometimes 2 to 3 times a month), that the medical bills just piled up and we got behind on our mortgage. We ended up losing our home to foreclosure. We had to go downtown Kansas City to the courthouse. Our oldest son took us there, because driving downtown is stressful for me and he wanted to be our support system that day. We sat in a room with our lawyer, with so many others whose dreams had been shattered. When they called our names, I remember standing up and it felt like I was walking on coals of fire. That “fire” felt like it was going to smother me. It was hard to breathe. This is not what I had envisioned for our future! We had lived in that home many years. We had spent holidays with family and friends. We had brought home our daughter from the hospital in this home. We had parties where there was much laughter. We had experienced much joy in that home, as well as much heartache. Where were we going to go? What were we going to do? It was so embarrassing! How had our lives come to this moment in time? How was I going to get that crushing feeling-the feeling of the breath being sucked out of my lungs, out of my heart and my life? Well, you know the answer to those questions! God led us to our future. There are so many examples of God working in our lives during that time. Some, that are only a God thing. There are no explanations but that God was at work in our lives for a better future. He knew what we would face in the future and He orchestrated so much during that painful time; during the time I felt like I was trying to breathe through the fire.

There is a song by Jordan St. Cyr called “FIRE.” It speaks to my heart when hard trials come! These are the lyrics.

“I remember how You told me that life may not be easy and everything that I need you’ve already given me. I remember how You told me I can trust You completely, so why am I doubting when You proved that You’d fight for me. (chorus) -You’ve walked me through fires pulled me from flames. If You’re in this with me, I won’t be afraid. When the smoke billows higher, oh and higher and it feels like I can barely breathe, I’ll walk through these fires ‘cause You’re walking with me.- I’m changed by Your mercy, covered by Your peace, I’m living out the victory, doesn’t mean I won’t feel the heat. (chorus) I can face anything ‘cause You’re here with me. I can do all things ‘cause You strengthen me. I remember how You showed me the price of my redemption Lord, how could I question when You proved that You’d die for me. (chorus)”

Physically, we have medication to help us breath when breathing is so difficult. Mentally and spiritually, we also have “heavenly medication” to help us take those hard breaths when we are in the middle of this earth’s trials of fire. We are never told we will be saved from the trials, but rather God will be by our side helping us to maneuver through them. Isaiah 43:1-3a reads “…thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”

Read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in Daniel 3. What an amazing example of God taking care of three men who had been thrown into an actual furnace of fire, because they did not bow down to the king. In verse 25 of that chapter, king Nebuchadnezzar said “Look!…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” God has all power! If He can be by three young men, who were serving Him, who had been thrown into an actual inferno, He can take care of us also! He is always by our side, helping us to breathe through our fiery trials.

The next time you feel like the fiery trials of this life are taking your very breath away, remember God is by your side and He will guide your steps. I am so thankful that I am a daughter of the King, Who will be by my side and guide my steps!

When you are trying to breathe through the fire, take a deep cleansing breath. Fill your lungs with the breath that flows from the One who created you and called you good from the very beginning of time! Trust in the very One who actually breathed life into your lungs!

Till next time!

                                                                       Keela