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everybody says so

8/12/2017

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Do you ever sell yourself short and believe others are doing the same?  You think you're disorganized or scatterbrained, so surely, everyone else thinks the same thing.  You believe you don't have what it takes to accomplish a goal, and one glance around tells you that everyone else feels the same about you.  But you know what?  We're usually wrong—not only in what we believe but also in what we think others believe, just like the children of Israel.

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:32-33)

This is a familiar account in the story of the Exodus.  After about two years of journeying in the wilderness, the children of Israel finally arrived at the Promised Land.  The land of which they had been dreaming all their lives.  The land God had promised to give them.  As soon as they arrived at the border, Moses sent in twelve spies to see what the land was like and what they were up against.  Forty days later, the spies came back with their report.  The land flowing with milk and honey was far better than they had expected, but it was occupied by mean, BIG enemies.  According to ten of the spies, there was no way they could take the land, but Caleb and Joshua had a different story to tell.  They understood that it wasn't up to them to "take" the land, for God had already promised to give it to them.  All they had to do was act in faith and accept what God was giving.

But the other ten spies were adamant about what they had seen.  Notice the last phrase of verse 33:  we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.  Well, that's an interesting statement, isn't it?  Not so much the first part.  I can see where that would be an appropriate response, but the last part:  so we were in their sight.  How did they know what the enemy thought of them?  They were supposed to be spying, which means hiding or, at the very least, not drawing attention to themselves.  If they did that, the enemy would have never noticed them let alone told the Israelites what they thought of them.  This reaction was nothing more than fear.  Yep, anxiety had them believing that the enemy thought the children of Israel were as insignificant and powerless as they believed themselves to be.  They had the attitude, "We're weak and no match for the trials ahead.  Everybody says so."  But everybody didn't say so.  Only they did, and I can prove it.

If we jump over to the story of Jericho, we'll see what the inhabitants of the Promised Land thought of the children of Israel.  Let's look at Joshua 2:9-11 and see what Rahab told the two spies who searched out the land at that time.

And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Terror has fallen on us.

Our hearts melted.

No more courage.

Hmm, it sounds like the people of Canaan were more scared of Israel than the other way around.  They were terrified, waiting for the day when this great host would come and destroy them.  So, how is it that the enemy was so frightened while, at the same time, Israel felt they didn't have a chance?  It's easy to "see."  Notice the statement from the children of Israel again.

The people that we saw.

We saw giants.

We were in our own sight.

So we were in their sight.

What were they looking at?  The enemy and themselves.  No wonder they were afraid.  The enemy looked so big and bad, and the situation seemed impossible.  But now, look back with me at Rahab's statement.

The Lord hath given you the land.

The Lord dried up the water for you.

The Lord is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Interestingly enough, while God's people were looking to themselves and the enemy, the enemy was watching God.  They saw what God was doing, and it scared them senseless.  If the people had believed Caleb and Joshua, the Israelites could have marched into the Promised Land and said, "Boo!" and sent half the crowd running.  That was how much faith and fear of the Lord the enemy had.  Unfortunately, the children of Israel had more faith in what they thought the enemy believed about them, and it cost them the Promised Land.

Don't lose your Promised Land because you're convinced you have the enemy figured out.  Who knows?  They may be more scared of you than you are of them.  You'll never know unless you press on, looking to God, not the enemy or the circumstances.  Look at what God is doing and what He has done for you in the past.  Have more faith in the God who slays giants than in the grasshopper mentality that says you're not good enough.  Only then will you reach your Promised Land.
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*Here's one of my favorite songs that really drives home the point of today's lesson*
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Little By Little

8/8/2017

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Do you ever feel like God is taking His sweet time in answering your prayers or meeting your needs?  Maybe it's a relationship, a job, health, finances or some other equally troubling circumstance. You know that God sees what's going on, and you understand that He cares for you. So why does it take Him so long to act?  Surely, the God who spoke the world into existence could easily speak our problems out of existence, but He chooses not to work that way. All it would take is a single word or possibly even a thought, yet even in the circumstances where we see God moving, it seems like the process is excruciatingly slow. Why would a loving God make us wait for an outcome when He could easily make things right immediately? I believe we find the answer to that in Exodus 23.

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. - Exodus 23:29-30

In this passage, God is making a promise to the children of Israel that He will drive out the inhabitants of Canaan so that Israel can possess the land. But notice what He says in verse 29:  He makes it clear that even though He could, He was not going to drive out all the nations in a single year; He was going to do it little by little. And if we look carefully, we'll identify his reasoning.

First off, God needed the Israelites to understand that He could see the consequences of a rushed takeover. The land would suffer, and instead of walking into a paradise, the children of Israel would enter a land unsuitable for survival. The slow process of driving out the nations was not a punishment but rather a provision. God knew what Israel did not, and acting with that knowledge, He decided on a course of action that was best for His people. Likewise, God sees our future and the consequences of rushed actions. Knowing what lies ahead, He gives us what we need when we need it in order to bring about the best outcome.

Secondly, if you will look at verse 30, God told the children that He was waiting until they had increased. It's very possible that God was speaking about increasing in number, but I think it went further than that. Sometimes, God takes us the long way around because it is in the process that we grow. If God were to instantly give us the things for which we've been praying, how would our lives change? Would we become closer to Him? Would we become more spiritual? How would our relationship to others be influenced? And, to be blunt, how long would it take before we were asking God for more? God knows and understands that it's not enough to give us what we want, but it's imperative that we grow along the way. And as much as we hate to admit it, growth takes time.

Too often, we are so focused on the destination that we lose sight of what God is trying to teach us in the journey. His delays are not a punishment or means of instigating frustration. He is truly doing what's best for us whether we realize it or not. So as you embark on your journey, I urge you to remember that God is working all things for your good, and if it's taking longer than you expected, that's okay because God has something good in store for you. Be open to His working in your life and accept the growth He wants to see in you. And as difficult as it may seem at times, try your best to enjoy the journey.  God is working. . . little by little.
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The Simple Formula for Daily Strength

8/8/2017

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I pray for a lot of things.  Health, safety, provision--these are just a few that top the list.  But if I had to qualify the majority of my prayer requests into a single word, that word would be "strength."  Strength of body to perform the tasks that need to be accomplished.  Strength of character to do what's right no matter the situation.  Strength of mind to make wise and timely decisions.  And strength of faith to trust God in all things.  I need strength.  I crave it.  And recently, I heard a Biblical formula for gaining such strength.

Psalm 22:3 tells us, But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.  God inhabits the praises of His people, so it's safe to say that praise brings about God's manifest presence, right?  Okay, then let's move on to the next step.

Psalm 16:11 says, Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Praise brings about God's manifest presence, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy.  So, praise = presence = joy.  Still with me?  Good, let's take it one more step.

The last phrase of Nehemiah 8:10 says, For the joy of the Lord is your strength.  According to that, joy = strength.  So, if we put it all together, we see that praise brings about God's presence which, in turn, brings about joy which brings about strength.  Praise = Presence = Joy = Strength.

Want strength?  It all begins with praise.  Whether we need physical, mental, emotional or spiritual strength, the formula is the same.  It all starts with praise.  Daily worship of the Lord opens doors that nothing else can open.  If we're seeking to feel God's nearness, we need only praise Him.  If we long for more joy, praise can accomplish that too.

We often talk about how powerful prayer is, and I completely agree.  But I think we have a tendency to lose sight of how powerful praise can be in our lives.  Prayer is talking to God.  Praise is thanking Him.  Prayer is asking for God to move.  Praise is honoring Him for how He has already moved or how He's going to.  In many ways, the two go hand in hand.

Looking for strength to make it through the day?  Well, now you know where to begin.  Let the praises roll!
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The Non-Superhero's Guide To Saving the Day

8/8/2017

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Have you ever longed for superpowers? Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero? I've often wondered if I had a power, which power would I want? Super strength? Invisibility? X-ray vision? Lately, I've been fascinated with the idea of being a speedster, like the Flash. Not being much of a fan of comic books, I was always under the impression that the Flash's speed was restricted to his running. So, he could run fast. Big deal! But recently, I've discovered that not only can he run fast, but he can do everything fast. He can read 400-page books in a matter of seconds. Now that's a superpower I'd like to have!

To be honest, though, the idea of constantly saving the day sounds exhausting. Every time someone robs a bank or steals a car, the superhero is called to the rescue. Never able to live a normal life. Never able to make plans or have a routine. Always at the beck and call of law enforcement or bad guys. While I'm all for doing good in this world, I just don't think I have what it takes to be a superhero.

Fortunately, the Bible reveals a way for me to save the day, time and time again, without disrupting my own life. In fact, this method of saving the day will enhance my life and the lives of others. And while this formula may not prevent thefts and other injustices in the physical sense, it will impede the theft of my joy and peace and offer me super strength day in and day out. Would you like me to share with you this non-superhero's guide to saving the day? It can be found in Isaiah 30:15.

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Step one: Return to the Lord.--Too often in life, we get so busy running this way and that, we run away from the Lord without even realizing it. We cling to our own ways and the opinions of others. We follow the advice of the "experts" instead of seeking God's wisdom on the subject. Sure, we may still have our prayer time and Bible reading, but after that, God is all but forgotten as we go about our day, trying to accomplish a myriad of tasks in our own strength. Therefore, the first step to saving the day is to return our attention to God.

Step two: Rest.--After turning our attention back to God, we need to take the time to be still in His presence. I know, I know. There's so much to do and so little time, but what we fail to realize is that our busyness is not accomplishing as much as we think, and it's killing us little by little in the process. We need to be still. We need to rest in God's embrace. We need more than a few minutes of peaceful time with him in the morning.

Step three: Be quiet.--In that stillness, we would do well to do something that we often fail to do--be quiet. Unfortunately, most of our prayer time with God involves our talking. We talk about our problems. We talk about our family. We talk about our needs. And sometimes we even talk about our blessings. But how much time do we spend just listening? How much of our quiet time with God is just that–quiet? Saving the day has nothing to do with how many words we can utter during a single prayer time. I don't think that counts as a superpower.

Step four: Have faith.--Once we return our attention to the Lord, take the time to rest in His presence and get still before Him, then it's time to have faith that God will do what He has said He will do. We must have confidence in the nature and character of God, knowing that no matter how dark things may seem, God knows and is doing what is best for us. We must trust that even when things don't make sense, His way is perfect. Only then, will we have super strength and be able to save the day.

There it is. We have the formula to make every day a great day. The question is, will we use the formula or will we fall into the category of the last phrase in Isaiah 30:15--and ye would not? God will not force us to return to Him. He will not hold us down until we rest in His presence. He will not place His hand over our mouths so we will be quiet and listen for a change. And as for faith, He's already given us that; we only need to activate it. He has given us the guide, step-by-step. We have the information. It's up to us what we do with it.

We may not have superpowers, but we know Someone who does, and He has given us the opportunity to save the day. And the best part of all is we don't even need a mask or cape!
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    dana rongione

    Welcome to the Rise Up and Build blog.  I, like you, have had many battles against anxiety and depression, but now I know there is a better way to live.  I have found the path to the abundant life Jesus promised, and I want to show you the way!

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