Month: July 2016

Fact: You Can Find God.

Today you are going to hear from my husband, Eric Couch. He is sharing something God continually reminds us…Fact: You can find God.  Hope in the storm.

In the midst of the storm… or steeped in silence …
there is hope.

FACT: We can find God. We. CAN. Find. God.

In the midst of life, chaos engulfs us and we are blinded by our own selfish ambitions, cares and worries. We’ve completely lost sight of what really matters and finally realize it when hurt, tragedy or difficulty strikes. We need God. We can find God.

Ever felt like a little kid lost in a store, panicked and scared and not sure what happened to our parent? It’s overwhelming to feel lost. Yet, often times our parents could see us the entire time and knew exactly where we were and how to find us. However, that doesn’t help the panic stricken child who feels lost and abandoned. Anxiety, worry, fear consume us rather than calling out to the One who sees us, knows us, hears us and is with us… even when we think we are alone.

Our Heavenly Father always knows how to find us. He never loses sight of us.

Psalms 139:7-12 says,
Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.  

He always is there and knows exactly where I am because he has me resting in the palm of His hands. HOWEVER, in the midst of the storm it feels like a different story and not so easy for us to be peaceful and stay focused on the Captain.

I know God can find me, but can I find God?

That’s a question many of us have had at one time or another. That was my question for a long time.

That’s why I find rest in knowing that I can find God. He promises us in Jeremiah 29:12-14 that He WILL be FOUND if I will seek Him with all of my heart.

Now, that seeking Him with all my heart thing can be an overwhelming task due to all the things pulling for my time and attention. Regardless, the fact is that the only way to seek Him with ALL my heart is to focus my whole being on Him and let everything else fall to the wayside… 

The good news for us perfectionistic control freaks is that He’s much better at keeping all the balls in the air any way; at least the ones He wants me to juggle. However, if I will do that one thing, then I can and WILL find Him.

SEEK. HIM.

My job is to run the race He marked out before me and to “run in such a way as to win the prize.” He is the prize and my focus is to be on Him and Him alone. Just in case we didn’t catch on, in Jeremiah 29 about finding him, He says it twice! “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I WILL be found by you”, declares the Lord.”

If you are surrounded by chaos, tragedy, sickness, unrest… Seek Jesus. He’s waiting for you.

Now that gives me peace.

Love you my friends,
– Eric

CHECK THESE TRUTHS OUT:

Thy Will Be Done

Thy Will Be Done
The first woman that taught me the meaning of those words was a woman who babysat me when I was a child. I can remember so vividly…  My sister had been killed in a car accident a few years before and this babysitter was a seminary student who planted a healing seed in my life when she taught me these little words:

“The Lord has a will and I have a need
To follow that will and humbly be still
To rest in it, nest in it, fully be blessed in it
following my Father’s will.”
(Sung by Amy Grant: Songwriters: Hudson, Barbara/Hudson, Michael Vincent)

I sat in the swing in the backyard of our house. She would push me in the swing and would sing those words to me over and over as I went back and forth… “The Lord has a Will…and I have a need… to follow that will…” When she was finished pushing me, she would end our swinging time by cheerfully saying, “Thank you, God for this beautiful day! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done! Amen!”

She was lovingly teaching me that even with the tragic death of my sister the Lord has a will. She prayed with me one night and I remember asking her what that song meant. She told me it was about trusting God more than “the hurts.” It’s the equivalent to saying, “Lord, I trust you NO MATTER WHAT.”

She’s right. God’s will may hurt. But do I trust Him even if it hurts?

Was it God’s will for my sister to be killed? Yes.
Do I trust Him? Yes. He is God and I am not… so I choose to trust.
Is it hard to trust Him? YES.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us:
‘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.’

THY. WILL. BE. DONE.

I can’t control or change anything, but I serve a God who has a will for me. He sees me. He knows me. He hears me.

Even though it’s been years since my babysitter sat me down in that swing and sang to me, those words ring true and minister to my heart and mind daily. I’ve struggled and gone through phases where trusting God with my circumstances seemed impossible. I’m here to tell you this:

He sees you. He knows you. He hears you. He is for you. He will not abandon you. He cares for you. He will never leave you or forsake you.

Do you trust God enough to say those words? “Thy will be done.”
Is God stretching you and wanting you to trust Him even if it hurts?

SCRIPTURES TO CHECK OUT:

This is my jam of the week. Listen and be blessed:

Here’s the old Amy Grant song that my babysitter sang to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhVkccKRyc8

 

 

Don’t show up naked!

This morning I woke up and asked my husband this simple question…

What are you wearing?

I wasn’t asking him because I disapproved of his attire. I wasn’t concerned with HOW he looked… I wanted to know how his heart and mind were clothed. Who’s strength did he clothe himself in. And I ask myself the same question…

You see, it’s so easy to wake up and rush to the gym, hit the shower, quickly skim through a morning Bible “perk” and rush out the door to work… But what happens if I leave the house yet forget my glasses? …I am not able to function without my glasses!  I’m not wearing the “tools” I need in order to make it through the day… Kinda like showing up naked! Isn’t that similar to spiritually getting dressed every day? Are we putting on our “glasses” so that we can fully function at the level God has enabled us?

Don’t fall into a ritualistic pattern of “healthy habits,” to check off your “Bible-time-box,”  yet completely miss out on quality time in God’s Word by completely covering yourself with HIS armor.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Currently, I work in the corporate world. I have the opportunity every day to be a light for Christ. But I also have the opportunity to be hit with every flaming dart imaginable… We, as believers, are under attack every minute of every day — whether we realize it or not. We must take every thought captive and hold it to Truth. We must question our motives. Stress, failure, praise, acclamation, and everything in-between may be entwined in our day. The question is, did I remember to get dressed in HIS righteousness? Am I taking the Truth and Strength of Christ into that conference room? Or am I clothed in my own strength?

  • Truth
  • Righteousness
  • Peace
  • Faith
  • Salvation
  • Word of God
  • Prayer