Today’s devotional had a statement in it that should become a quote for all of us to hang onto. It said, “Anxiety is a result of envisioning the future without God.” I use to think, years ago, that I was not an anxious person. However, I’ve learned that I do struggle with a level of anxiety/fear. This quote slapped me right across the face as I read it. I stopped and reread it several times. I then took a notepad and wrote it out so I’d have it to pass along to others. In times past I’d pretend that whatever I was anxious about didn’t exist–at least I’d act this way around others. Inside I would be most anxious. I’ve learned in recent years that I am anxious as I face new challenges or live each day in unresolved ones.

Starting the biblical counseling program at our church was a perfect example of my anxiousness. The difference for me was that somehow I knew God was in it, I just couldn’t believe He was in it with me. I kept seeing myself going into it as the broken person I had been–the one I needed to keep hidden. Little by little God helped me break through this lie to find Him using me to help others–counsel them. Things would come out of my mouth which were not of my wisdom–it would certainly be God’s. I would find that I benefit from what I heard myself say as much as the counselee.

Anxiety is certainly an issue of needing us to allow God into whatever is triggering it. I want to keep this quote close at hand from this day forward.

Freedom is a word often used in our wonderful country of USA. We have freedom here like almost no other. Freedom as God gives, on the other hand, is something no man can give. Yes, man can help man find ways to receive this spiritual freedom, but it still comes down to each individual reaching out to God for it. It all starts when one understands that God’s freedom for His kids began with Him giving His own Son for this freedom. When we receive this freedom it is all about living eternally with God and all others who have asked Jesus Christ into their lives.

There are other freedoms that God also wants us to know about. These are the freedoms from the hurts, hang-ups and habits we develop from living in a sin infested world which we are born with and into. The sin we are born with is the sin nature we received from man’s original sin–Adam & Eve (I call it selfishness–the sin of wanting my way). This sin nature we have leads us into our own personal sins. God wants us to find His spiritual freedom from all of this sin. We will never be free from the temptations of sinfulness this side of death, but we can strengthen the freedom we have living in it one day at a time.

No man can do this in isolation. We need each other for accountability. Reaching out for this support goes against our pride and selfishness, but when we step into the richness of this help, it is amazing how James 5:16 comes into LIGHT. This freedom we can have each and every day we are here this side of death. The verse says: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Everything about Spring this year has been delayed. Winter wants to keep its grip on the weather. However, Spring is here no matter what the outside acts like. When the desire returns to get one’s hands into the dirt, Spring is here! Little by little it is happening.

OK, with that said, I can now write my blog. Sometimes my journey has a moment of intense Spring! Most, if not all of us, have a friend or friends. In addition to this we hopefully have a FRIEND. This is the person who can easily hear every ounce of one’s story and not even flinch. They just nod their head while you continue on with the story until the end. When your done they might ask, “Is there anything you want me to do with this?” I had this moment last night. Kathy is gone to our church’s women’s retreat so I text this friend to see if he wanted to get together last night since his wife is also at the retreat. The night was so good and seemed that way for both of us.

God is so good and I never want to lose sight of this truth. I thank Him for His Son Jesus and for a friend who is like Christ in the flesh when one needs a moment of sensing Christ’s presence through the presence of a friend.

God’s faithfulness is always so rich and true. One of our worship songs we sometimes sing at Celebrate Recovery is titled: “Same Power”. A portion of the lyrics say: “the same power that rose Jesus from the grave, lives in us”. I’ve sung that song many times in the more recent years of Celebrate Recovery. However, when I was prepping for our worship last night, this song was resonating in my mind and spirit.

I know that I’ve longed for God’s Power to be real in my life. I have momentary times when it is genuine and I can log it as a powerful moment in time. The reality of God’s Power however, isn’t momentary. It is eternal and ever present. It resides in us if we have asked Jesus into our lives. The counseling opportunities I get to experience find this true over and over again. I also find that it is so easy for me to see God’s Power at work in other’s lives. This makes me realize all the more how blind I’ve been to God’s continuous work/power in my own life.

Seeing God’s Power and experiencing it is a choice. So many times it is my own stubborn will that interferes. I think my way is the right one so I go that route and then stumble only to find that God was waiting for me to seek His guidance–ask. His Power is always available for the asking–it is another choice I don’t want to lose sight of.

Today is my middle daughter’s birthday. I had gone to school that morning and was teaching a lesson when the principal walked into my room and pulled me aside. She said I needed to head home, my wife was in labor. About 4 hours later Amber was with us. That moment was the start of a blessing that has kept on giving. How I love her!

As I was logging in to write today’s entry, I read the previous day before beginning to write. I had just finished praying over the ones on my prayer list which include the ones written about yesterday. In the process of this my phone dinged a message. As I looked at it I could see it was from one of the very people I had just prayed for. They were asking for prayer. Sometimes God’s timing is so stunning I just sit and marvel at it.

God is endlessly at work and we get to see a very small portion of it. I sure want to learn to trust the immense amount of His Work that I never see. In our human life, trusting is spiritually seeing and I need this reminder so frequently. Oh what a blessed Savior and Lord we get to serve!

Yesterday I wrote about the ones coming for counsel and I know their spouses. I also wrote what I had heard from God when I asked Him what He wanted me to know for today. In the afternoon I had a meeting with the two counselors working in the program with me. Both of them are retired licensed counselors. I asked them if they had tools addressing the issues I had described. They did have some and are bringing them to me today as today is the day when all three of us are counseling together.

This morning I was thanking God for yesterday’s help and He brought something to mind I needed to hear and put into my daily living. He reminded me that the ones coming for counsel, I am to do just that–counsel. The ones connected to those coming, such as the spouse, I am to pray for them. This much I have been doing. However, my praying for them was more of a release of responsibility for I felt helpless. God’s message to me was a reminder that when I pray I am to believe, trusting that God is at work. I’m helpless for a good reason–I’m not the one to provide help. It is sad for me to admit, but most of the time my prayers have been ones of release only.

As I have reflected this morning on the significance of trusting and believing while I pray, there is an assurance God gives my spirit that I have not had. Boy, did I need today’s message!

Yesterday morning I went to see my prayer warrior. She had worked on an assignment putting scriptures to a counseling tool I had been using. It addressed thinking errors we have and I had asked her to put God’s Word to show what He had to say about this way of thinking/acting. She had asked me for a copy of the completed work so I took her one. While there I spent some time going over some areas for which she could be praying for ones seeking counsel.

While there I shared with my prayer warrior a struggle I was having when one spouse of a marriage was seeking counsel and I knew their other half. There are four cases of this. It is difficult to hear one spouse talk of their “marital issues” when one knows the other half and what is being said there. As I was bringing this dilemma to God while journaling yesterday morning, He remined me that He was their answer, not me. I am asked to counsel the one coming to me. He said they are all His children. I am to simply give counsel to the one seeking it. As their Father, He will take care of what I may hear and know, but am helpless to address. I am to let it go and let God do what only He can do.

This prayer warrior is 92 years old and is still very sharp. I cannot thank God enough for providing her support to me. Her wisdom deepens and broadens what God may have revealed to me during devotions. I know her wisdom comes from God’s Holy Spirit and I treasure it.

Today follows the greatest day man was ever given–the day Christ arose. With this tremendous miracle of God for us, came freedom. For the disciples, Christ reappeared numerous times in the following days to help them realize the impact this freedom had for them and for the world. He also promised them the Gift of The Holy Spirit which came upon them only a couple months later.

As I’ve reflected this morning on “the day after” I am examining my own interpretation of the freedom offered to us today. It is not a different freedom for God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit are the same yesterday, today and forever. The freedom most importantly that Christ offers to us is first and foremost the freedom to know Him and to accept Him and to serve Him. Man keeps wanting to make this an assignment, a job, an action we take to show we are Christ followers. Somehow, I believe the greatest freedom Christ offered each one of us is the freedom to choose Him! I don’t care what bondage we live with. It can be bondage of our past, present, government, job, environment, culture or anything else–we have the choice to allow Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord. No one can take this from us!

The day after Easter, I rejoice and weep with joy at this personal opportunity to live for Him–Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord!

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!! This dynamic statement has been proclaimed each Easter since the actual time Jesus Christ did ARISE from the grave. The beautiful thing about the fact that we still celebrate this time in Christ’s life is because it is still just as true for us today as it was for the followers so long ago. The work of the Cross hasn’t changed and will never change for mankind as long as sinful earth exists. It is so good to relive this glorious event so we never lose sight of Christ’s miraculous work for each one of us.

The small group of men I’m meeting with each Saturday morning is going through a study called Conquer Series. It specifically addresses the topic of sexual sinfulness. The video we watched yesterday was a beautiful one explaining the difference between knowing and believing. It is not enough to know that Christ died for our sins–we can never break a habit until we believe this is true for me. When we know something, we see the something we know (the sin). When we believe something, we begin to see the reason (person) causing the belief to take root. Our eyes are no longer only on the sin, they turn to Jesus Christ who conquered the sin once and for all! I had told the guys at the end of the session that this one was a perfect lesson for Easter time.

When Christ died for each of us and when we ask Him into our lives accepting Him as our Savior, God no longer sees the sin in us–He sees His Son Jesus in us, replacing the sinfulness. This we have known for a good length of time. Now, it is a belief too! Today I believe God sees Jesus living in me. Not so long ago I would not have written this for myself hearing my dad’s voice saying you are so arrogant. Today I hear dad say, “No son, it is not arrogant to believe what God did for you and me. It is why He came in the first place. BELIEVE!”

There is something about growing older and working with younger folks. The determination of man that “I can do this” is strong. The need to see that I can do this on my own has not been bruised enough to know that “no, I cannot do this on our own”. Even when we are working on this reality in our sessions, one quickly returns to one’s own determination as one’s “go to” for help

Even at my age I find myself needing to address this weakness of man/me. Turning this determination into the strength that it is will look more like, “I will keep working on turning my struggles over to God confessing them one to another so God’s miraculous strength is put into power in our lives.” This is determination being used as God wants it to be.

Allowing ourselves to “be weak” so we can “be strong” is an oxymoron that has tremendous Spiritual Meaning. Keeping this reality alive in our daily living and helping others do the same is critical. This is a major focus of this morning’s session with the group of men. To God be the Glory for great things He has done and wants to do with each one coming. Learning to surrender is not a one time lesson.