PART II: Commit Your Way to the Lord

The Inspiration Cafe Blog

PART II: Commit Your Way to the Lord 

By Adele M. Gill

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"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act."  Psalm 37:5

Today we are talking about praying & believing that God will act on Your behalf. This Scripture passage includes 3 “little things” we all can do to improve our lives and that of others we pray for. These 3 things may sound simple, but have a tremendous impact on one’s prayer life:

1)      Commit your way to the Lord. First of all, when you commit your way to the Lord, you are handing over whatever situation is at hand. However, that’s the easy part! The tough part is trying your level best not to take it back and try to handle it yourself. Actually, committing your way to the Lord requires great restraint, but it also has great benefits. Best of all, you can grow in confidence that “He’s got it” and you can stop worrying as “All things work for good for those who love God. They really do. There is no safer place you can place your concerns or your loved ones than squarely in the hands of God. Be not afraid!

2)      Trust in Him. Secondly, if we are truly to hand over to God whatever concerns and issues we have, we need to get on board to trust Him. There is no other who is more trustworthy to handle our relationships, our jobs, our finances, our families, than Jesus, the Omnipotent, Almighty, Great Healer, Shepherd, Protector, Comforter and Savior of the World. For He is our strength, our peace, our joy. He is the wind beneath our wings, our everything. Nothing happens in our lives that God does not know about, see, and experience first-hand with us. He is all knowing, ever-present, and kind and merciful working all things in our lives for the good simply for the asking. When we place our trust in Jesus, we are unburdened, untethered to the strife of daily life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Released from the bondage of mayhem and perfection, having to make everything work out just right to the best of our ability; because at that point, it is God himself who has the reigns of our lives in His hands for the asking.

3)      Believe God will act. When we truly give our cares over to Jesus, we are far better able to embrace God’s Bible promise to us in this Scripture passage. We are more apt to be patient and persistent in prayer knowing and believing that Jesus will, through the power of the holy spirit, show up and make all things new. And what a tremendous feeling that is!

Talking about the Holy Spirit…Recently, I was at Manna House, a local church-based soup kitchen in Bel Air. As I got out of my car, there was a gentle breeze and a calm feeling came over me as I made my way to the front door. It was a very different feeling altogether than I had experienced in my car.

Walking into the church through the church doors, the breeze turned warm, and as I entered the building, the excitement in the room was palpable. Many people approached our table who were either hurting or grateful to God, asking for prayers for their diverse concerns.  This--I thought-- is how it feels when the Holy Spirit is present. For wherever the Holy Spirit resides, the fruit of the Holy Spirit flow abundantly: Peace, love, patience, persistence, steadfastness, joy, kindness and faithfulness. Why? Because the Lord is present and His love permeates the air, spilling over to all who are present.

The Holy Spirit of Jesus is careful only to go where he is invited in, where people trust him and believe in His power to transform their lives. And the more we seek Him with all our being, and follow His laws of love, the closer He hovers nearby.

So as we go on our way today, let’s take a few minutes to invite the Holy Spirit of Jesus in. Take a few quiet minutes to feel his calm, and fully experience His joyful presence in your life. Breathe deeply and pray that He will bless you profoundly with discernment of His presence, and that He will allow you to experience, and share the fruit of the Holy Spirit with all who cross your path this day. Hopefully, doing this will make us all a little more patient, a little more persistent in prayer, a little kinder, more loving, and caring for all who we encounter in our days. For wherever there is a faith-filled, grateful heart, we are standing on Holy Ground.

Adele M. Gill    |    Copyright 2015

Commit Your Way to the Lord; Trust in Him and He Will Act

"Commit your way to the Lord; 
trust in Him and He will act." Psalm 37:5
By Adele M. Gill

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Trust. It's such a tiny, nondescript word with significant power and huge ramifications!

As you know, over the past 2 months since the end of August, I have been trusting in God for a miracle. Having spent the past 4 months in a wheelchair(May to September) has only solidified my efforts to pray for a full healing for myself, without back pedaling and taking my trust back as I sometimes do. For those of you who have joined me in this prayer, I am eternally grateful. This radical act of faith is proving to be fruitful, and I am eager to share with you what is evolving here, in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Sure, some days are better than others, but I am holding onto the above Scripture with all the strength I can muster. I was able to put away my wheelchair just 3 weeks into this adventure, and am between the cane and walker now for mobility! With prayer and exercise alone, my respiratory muscles are getting stronger by the week, and I am now able to drive again, do a full grocery shop alone, and am even able to take yoga twice a week! The fact is, I have been taking baby steps and have fully committed my way to the Lord. I trust in Him that He is walking with me shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, and He is acting on my behalf! Hallelujah...Oh happy day!

We hear about and reference trust so often in our daily life. Certainly it is central in relationships, at work, and especially with friends and family. Even people with what is commonly called 'trust issues,' and I am one, find that we all need to trust in someone or something at various intervals and times in this life.  It's just a part of life. Children need to trust their parents to provide for them. Seniors need to trust their bodies will hold up after decades of use. We all need to trust the bank will keep our money safe. 

Not sure why, but trust does not come easy for many of us, myself included. It is only natural to feel let down at times when our trust goes awry. In our humanness, our efforts to trust others are sometimes derailed and we are left stranded or bereft or holding the proverbial bag, so to speak. Sometimes trust is breached by others, but sometimes, we ourselves are to blame. Perhaps we are impatient and lacking in patience and perseverance to see a situation through. Or maybe we are limited in our ability to recognize trustworthiness in others. And sometimes plans just fall through, which is why I always like to have a backup plan at all times. 

The blessed truth about trust is that God is the only one we can trust with 100% surety. He is the only one who is really trustworthy all the time. We can rest assured that whatever we bring him in prayer from the depths of our hearts, He will work out for the good in His own special time, and way as only He can. And to that end, His trustworthiness is miles above that of others.

For when we place our needs before our triune-God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, trusting in His Omnipotence, mercy and grace, we can truly walk away from the need for hyper-vigilance. In my case, I am simply enjoying the strength He sends each day, while believing it is sufficient for me. 

There is no other time in life when we can so fully trust another as in heartfelt prayer. Our trust is manifold, as we are able to trust God will do even more than we asked of Him. He will bring it all to fruition in the most blessed ways, leaving behind hearts filled with gratitude.

Yes, my heart leaps for what God is doing here in my life; and I pray you will be able to see what He is doing in yours, as well. I can only say, 'trust God, and He will bring it for you, splendidly acting on your behalf.' 

Adele M. Gill   |   Copyright 2015

www.theinspirationcafeblog.net 

To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

Adele's Inspiration Cafe Blog:

 To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."   Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I find forgiveness really hard. Both asking for it and providing it to those who I feel have hurt me. Really hard. Yet, every now and then, it is brought to my attention that I have hurt or offended someone. At times, though never intended, we all hurt people we care very much about and must ask forgiveness. Sometimes we are the one who asks for forgiveness, other times we are the one on the forgiving end of things. In a way, it is all part of the seesaw of life relationships. In the past, I have noticed that sometimes it is harder than others to ask for forgiveness, especially where feelings are concerned. That is where discernment comes in from today's Holy Scripture, to rescue us from our own awkwardness with forgiving.

When we forgive others, we are fulfilling our own circle of faith in Jesus Christ. For un-forgiveness is a plague that, left unchecked, can cause more heartache, emotional upheaval, physical illness, and most of all, spiritual unrest in a hurting soul. Do we really need to forgive others? The Bible says categorically, we are called to forgive 70 times 7, that is, over and over again. But how is that possible in light of our humanness??? 

Today's Scripture specifically tells us we must put aside our anger and press on in faith to love one another as God loves us. Do we expect to be forgiven when we ask for it? Surely that hope prevails! Yet when we understand that we are forgiven to the degree that we forgive others, forgiveness suddenly seems necessary and possible through Jesus Christ. 

Personally, I often call upon and defer to Jesus to intercede when I am called to forgive and it is difficult. Alone I can do precious little, with Him, all things are possible!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015

God's Promises For You!

God’s Promises For You!

"I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

I have a book called "God's Promises." and refer to it often, lest I forget God's plan for my life. God's promises are true and enduring through good times and bad; His mercy endures forever.

God's promises are taken from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, giving timeless wisdom to all who seek it in the name of Jesus. This Holy Scripture passage above is especially valuable because it is contains four promises in just a single sentence.

I will instruct you: God promises to give us instruction for our journey, discernment we can lean on and embrace along the way. For me, He accomplishes this through scripture passages, prayer, circumstances, and through other people, Yes, Jesus has many ways that He communicates with us, but we have to be open to His promptings through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Show you the way you should walk: Jesus is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit gently guiding our words and actions. We have free will, and the capacity to get off course, and wander or walk away from God as we try to depend on our own devices. We must dedicate each day to His Divine Will lest we get lost in the peril we consciously or subconsciously choose for ourselves. The Holy Spirit is most present and powerful when we follow God's way rather than our own.

Give you counsel: When we lay our life in God's hands and ask for Him to lead us, things just seem to go better. The fog and cobwebs are cleared away, and the path is made straight.  We are able to put one foot in front of the other and breathe in the rich blessings He has for each of us. Resist his counsel, and you stand alone in the rain of your making

Watch over you: God watches over, comforts, and protects all who seek Him in earnest, providing a "Passive security system" for all who seek His face in prayer. Follow Him with all your being, and see the splendor of His presence in your life!

For Jesus is the Great Healer, the Awe-Inspiring Comforter, the Mighty Protector. Savior of the world, He stands in wait for you to but call His holy name to bless you profoundly with all that is good!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015  |   www.theinspirationcafeblog.blogspot.com

Rejuvenation

"For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens."      Ephesians 6:12                 

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As some of you know, many years ago, I fell into major depression. It was a deep, dark, and lonely time that required a brief hospitalization, My doctors and family wondered if I would ever find my way back from the depths of torment to a like of normalcy.There were 2 reasons for it:

1) I did not think I could live one more day in poor health, unable to walk, speak swallow or breathe easily. My vision was blurred, with double vision at times, and I could not imagine how I could press on
2) Though I did not understand it at the time, I was flooded with nightmares and corroborative flashbacks from untreated childhood trauma. I didn't even have a language for what was transpiring emotionally, and just getting through each day was a big deal for me.

 It took about 12 medication combination changes to help me pull out of it. Together, these factors in my life presented the perfect storm. Eventually, my medical team found the right combination of medications to get me back on track, and for that I am truly grateful. But there is more to the story...

During this harrowing life experience, I learned a lot about myself and life, especially about my faith, from a wonderful Psychiatrist at the hospital. Keep in mind that when someone is in deep depression, they are often unable to pray it through themselves. It took time, and the prayers of others were vitally important as they prayed fervently on my behalf, for which I am eternally grateful.

My Middle Eastern doctor, Dr Hanita Sawhney, was likely one of the people God sent to help lift me out of the depression. Recognizing that I am a religious person, she encouraged me along by talking with me about my feelings, God, Jesus, and my faith beliefs, something often omitted from psychotherapy. She challenged me to let go of some things I held onto with clenched fists to allow me to reach for my faith with both hands. She challenged me in every way to reach for God's waiting hand. And helped me reestablish my connection with God as part of my treatment. This was so life-giving. Before I knew it, my faith was restored and I was able to pray simple prayers again, such as "Heaven help me!" and regained the desire to live. In that way, she was a blessed life saver!

Though Psychiatry generally keeps faith separate when treating mental illness, reaffirming one's faith can be important to help people renew their belief in God during such harrowing times. When all seems lost, God will get you through your greatest challenges and obstacles in the most glorious ways if you or your loved ones simply call upon Him in your times of need. For even and especially when all seems lost, Jesus will step in as only He can and save you, removing you from harm's way. His unconditional love and mercy endures forever!

If I could tell someone who is struggling one thing, I would remind them, "If God is for us, who can be against?" For there is no principality in all the earth that is greater than He who is inside you. There is no problem too big to solve with Jesus at your side. The Lord is kind and merciful, just waiting for you to let Him into every circumstance!

Adele M. Gill  |  2015 Copyright   |  www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

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Embracing the Christmas Spirit

I am always impressed by the kindness and good energy people share during the Christmas season. People just seem to naturally go out of their way to go the extra mile to make everything just so for the Holidays. They donate more freely to the poor and those among us in need, and remember the sick. They send cards to share the warmth of the season, and place beautiful bows on gifts they give to others.

On Christmas day, they go out of their way to make sure that everything is really nice as they elicit memories from holidays gone by from years past. The good linen comes out, and, for some, the exquisite china. People go to great lengths to make sure that everyone has their favorite holiday cup of cheer: That is, mulled cider, special wine, mixed drinks or Shirley Temple’s for children and non-drinkers.

We light candles and extend extraordinary hospitality, some even try to embrace good will, opting for forgiveness in the name of Christmas.

In fact, the hospitality seems endless as we go from place to place sharing and experiencing the Christmas Spirit.

Is it possible that in the midst of all the holiday trappings, we find the true meaning of Christmas takes us right back to what Jesus told us in the Gospel right from the start:

Love God with all your heart above all others, and love one another.

In a way, this season serves as a reminder that behind all the gifts and excitement, behind all of the hustle and bustle, we are all in need of God’s love and love from one another. In my mind, there is no greater medicine than kindness, compassion, empathy, and encouragement.

Is it possible that annually, through the ‘Christmas Spirit’ indeed, that we discover, yet again, that we are loved & lovable and therefore naturally more loving?

Now imagine this for a moment. Imagine what this world would be like if we extended such love to one another all year through? What if we regularly tried to make amends with those we don’t love as we should, and spent our days looking for opportunities to lighten the load of others?

What if we took the opportunity to pray regularly for those in most need of God’s mercy and care? Perhaps it would be a big step towards having the ‘Christmas Spirit’ extend throughout the year.

Today, I stand before you, and pose a challenge that I also intend to try to live out. Let’s all try a little harder to forgive others this year. Perhaps if we strive to become encouragers of others, we may even succeed at it! Let’s try to avoid unkind gossip and try to build each other up. Let’s try to complain less and become better listeners for each other.

You see, through the eyes of faith, the Christmas Spirit is actually the Holy Spirit of Jesus, meant to be embraced and extended to others year round. As followers of Jesus, it is how we were meant to be. We were not put here to gossip, complain, envy or loathe each other. We are here to love each other and be supportive of others, rather than always being on the receiving end. The mystery here is that through the power of the Holy Spirit, everyday can be filled to some degree with the ‘Christmas Spirit’ of Jesus love for us.

May Our Dear Lord bless you and your family profoundly this Christmas season, and may He bless you with the Christmas Spirit throughout the New Year.

Adele M. Gill Copyright 2014