We Need To Start Looking At The HOPE Factors Instead Of The HURT Factors! All You Need Today Is HOPE In God For HELP With What May Be STRESSING You! Some People Need To Shift Their Vision And Focus From 'Buzzard Vision' To 'Hummingbird Vision.

Lamentations 3:19-27, "I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting bottom. But there is one other thing I remember and remembering; I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love could not have run out; His merciful love could not have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I am sticking with God (I say it over and over). He is all I have got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It is a good thing to hope, quietly HOPE FOR HELP FROM GOD. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times." (MSG)

We Need To Start Looking At The HOPE Factors Instead Of The HURT Factors! All You Need Today Is HOPE In God For HELP With What May Be STRESSING You!  Some People Need To Shift Their Vision And Focus From 'Buzzard Vision' To 'Hummingbird Vision.' God Has A Word For Someone Today.

I consider where I live to be a beautiful spot in the country! Daily I see things here that I would never see in the big City. The birdlife here is not limited to only sparrows, the wren, the whippoorwill, and there are a few rowdy crows, robins, cardinals, orioles, and blue jays.  I can see all those beautiful birds daily, including one of the classiest birds around – the hummingbird. Now, I am sure at one time or another, you have seen them probably doing their amazing hovering thing and flying from one flower to the next. But what I love most about them is their ability to be attracted to the most beautiful things in the yard. My husband loves watching the hummingbird and the orioles above all the others; for that one reason, it is always attracted to that which is beautifully scented. Now, as much as he loves to watch the classiest of birds (the hummingbird), he also, unfortunately, gets to see one of the un-classiest birds around, too – the buzzard. I mean, what a fantastic contrast. You have the hummingbird (attracted to that which has the fragrance of life) and the buzzard (attracted to that which has the aroma of death) flying over the same ground! The hummingbird looks for the beauty in life; the buzzard only looks for the horror of death! We need to shift our vision and focus from 'buzzard vision' (only looking for ugly death) to 'hummingbird vision' (only looking for beautiful life)!

Thinking of these two birds made me also think of the book of Lamentations, written by the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who wrote from a broken heart. You see, his country is devastated, and likewise, his personal life is shattered as well, and so he talks about his feelings in chapter 3, verses 19-20. He says, "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." (NIV). So, we are talking about a depressed prophet here! And he is thinking about all the negatives and the pain and the failures. Listen to him in the following translations:

"Remember [O Lord] my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul continually remembers them and is bowed down within me." (AMP).

Jeremiah is in deep pain! At this moment, he has 'buzzard vision'! He is looking at the ugly, looking at what is dying, or looking at what is dead. He sees affliction, wandering, homelessness, bitterness, depression, troubles, loneliness, misery, discouragement, grief, and loss. But before we judge him too harshly, can't we all be honest and admit we have felt some of those things too? And some of us thought many of those emotions for a long time, and even at the same time, for a long time. We have all had those moments when we could not walk by faith because we were stumbling in fear. When the loved one died, when the marriage is looking at divorce, when the children are struggling with sin and peer pressure, when we were afraid; we would lose the house or the car, worried that we might have to pull the aspiring student out of college because we could not pay the tuition. Or the moment when the doctor gave the diagnosis. When our strong parents have become so weak and frail with age and ailments, they are now more vulnerable than babies. When the business fails, the church declines, the job lays off. The long-time friendship/relationship ended in the blink of an eye. We have all had something (whether listed above or not) that dampened our spirit and deflated our faith. So, let us not judge Jeremiah too harshly. After all, when you have sat where someone else is sitting, shouldn't it bring out compassion, empathy, concern, patience, and understanding?

So, Jeremiah the prophet is depressed and in pain. And before we move on from here, can I say these Leaders Are Not Exempt from These Same Emotions! Jeremiah, THE PROPHET, the mouthpiece of God, proclaiming God's word and directions to the masses, still battled pain and depression, loss, and discouragement. Therefore, never let anyone tell you to 'get over it (no matter what your 'it' may be.) Believe it or not, Apostles deal with ailments; Bishops battle discouragement; Pastors press through pain; Elders must endure suffering; Deacons go through bouts of depression; Ministers have countless miserable moments. In other words, we ALL, even LEADERS, must deal with LIFE and all that it brings. This means you should never feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment when hurting. Do not masquerade, do not hide, do not pretend, do not cover-up. And despite what most will tell you, do not make the fool's mistake of' faking it till you make it.' Please hear me; nowhere in all of Scripture does God tell any of His children to pretend to be okay! What He does say is this:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)

Nothing about that says, 'fake it till you make it! Instead, you are admonished to be honest about how you are feeling, what you are feeling, and then to take it all to God. Aren't you glad you do not have to play a role and perform for God? He loves you, as is, and that is a beautiful feeling! So, leaders, and laity, alike, do not let anything or anyone shame you because of what you are dealing with right now. Be honest about where your emotions are visiting right now because that is all they are doing is Visiting! They will not, cannot, stay and live here!

That is the danger of 'buzzard vision'; it does not just look for something dead; it Always looks for something dead. Neither its vision nor focus ever changes. That cannot be you! It is one thing to deal with hurt, pain, and discouragement, but it is another thing to let that be all you see! And no one can better show us how to shift our vision and focus from 'buzzard vision' (only looking for ugly death) to 'hummingbird vision' (only looking for beautiful life)!

Read where Jeremiah's vision shifts; it is found in verse 21. He says this: "YET this I call to mind and therefore I have hope." (NIV) Let us look at this in more detail:

"Yet I still DARE TO HOPE when I remember this." (NLT)

You see, after all of that "affliction, wandering, homelessness, bitterness, depression, troubles, loneliness, misery, discouragement, pain, grief and loss," Jeremiah says there's ONE thing he remembers. It is that ONE thing that gives him hope! I must say that ONE thing must be something extraordinary and powerful, only to be ONE thing, and yet when he remembers it, all the rest is irrelevant! So, I do not know about you, but I want to find out what that ONE thing is!

Jeremiah goes from downcast to hope, from slumped shoulders to his chin held high! It reminds me of the Scripture, "But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory [and my honor], and the ONE who lifts my head." (Psalm 3:3 AMP).

But what made the difference for Jeremiah? What lifted his downcast soul to an uplifted position? Let us read and find out: "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.'” (NIV) The Message Bible says it like this: “God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out; His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I am sticking with God (I say it over and over). He is all I have got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It is a good thing to hope quietly, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.” (MSG)

What a change here! Jeremiah starts looking at the HOPE factors instead of the HURT factors! Can you believe it? As much pain as he was in, all it took was ONE thing, HOPE in God for HELP, to shift his entire perspective! And that is all you need today as well! HOPE in God for HELP with what’s HURTING You!

NOW, before you get to running and praising…here is a tricky question to ask Jeremiah: Has the situation changed? And his answer? NO. But his focus is about to because he talks first about the margin of difference when times are tough. He says, “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed.” He is suddenly deciding to focus on the Lord’s great love. When you realize just how much the Lord loves you, it deepens your hope in Him. Because when you think about it, when it comes to the people, we love, what do we do? We guard them, treasure them, cherish them, protect them, provide for them, help them, encourage, and strengthen them. And likewise, God loves us so much that he does not leave us in our helplessness. He steps in with a reminder of His love that brings back to our remembrance: HOPE! A hope that reminds you that you will not always feel this way; you will not always be in this place. A hope that reminds you that change is still possible. A hope that reminds you that no matter how long you have been driving down this dreary, miserable road, there is yet a TURN coming! “You have TURNED my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11 AMP). Your Turn is Coming! You have Endured, now get ready to Enjoy! “Weeping may ENDURE for a night, but a shout of JOY comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 AMP) In a nutshell: GOOD MORNING SAINTS!

And not only does Jeremiah now focus on Hope and God’s Great Love, but then he talks about the Lord’s Compassions that are new every morning. I think those compassions are like specific, customized actions of love from God every 24 hours. And you will see them if you will look for “God sightings” every day. They are God’s little interventions and sometimes significant interventions. And Jeremiah has decided to look at those instead. And because they are new every morning, God never misses a day of making sure you have hope, which is your reminder of His Great Love and Great Compassion! There is always something to see, but you must look for them!

God always supplies us with mercies for what this day will need. The Bible says it like this: “Give us THIS DAY our DAILY bread.” (Matthew 6:11) The New Living Version says it like this: “Give us the bread we need TODAY.” (NLV). How wonderful to know that God looks after us DAILY! He provides and protects us DAILY! He hears us DAILY! He grants us His Great Mercy, Great Compassion, Great Love DAILY! No matter what a day may bring, you are never in that day without God! Therefore, you need not worry, fret, fear, or be discouraged. God is with you every day! Do not worry about yesterday or even today or even tomorrow; God has them all covered on your behalf!

Here’s Proof: “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he will attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, not to be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who do not know God and how he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing RIGHT NOW, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:25-34 MSG)

Yet another reminder of the Lord’s Great Love, Great Hope, Great Provision, Great Compassion, and Great Faithfulness Towards YOU!

Maybe you have been dwelling on the pain; you have been falling into the identity of being a life-long victim. Perhaps the monster of self-pity is consuming you. You have been focusing on your failures and building this wave of self-doubt and paralysis of faith. If that is you, know this: It is only Satan who focuses on the past because it cannot be changed. A portion of John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy….” Satan focuses on the past (and tries to get you to do the same), which is done and over with. Those issues are dead and not to be revived. He has ‘buzzard vision’; all he looks for is bad and unchangeable. He focuses on dead things, but You Do not Have to! Why? Because the rest of that Scripture reads, “…I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” Satan and his ‘buzzard vision’ only focus on the dead, but God in His ‘hummingbird vision’ only focuses on life! God points to the future that has yet to be written, and so should you. After all, aren’t you tired of just seeing the carnage, the ugly, the hurting, the negative? Why don’t you choose to focus on what you can thank God for each morning? Look for His love. Review His interventions and His blessings, and you will feel wind start to rise under your wings instead of weights growing on them pulling you down! It is a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, second-by-second deliberate choice! And Only You decide what you want to focus on as you fly over today’s ground!

Do not be a buzzard! Go for hummingbird vision! Look for the beauty. After all, when you can wake up in the morning knowing that Last Night was not your LAST Night, why would you want to dwell on anything negative? You made it over into a new day; leave the old behind!

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, BE PRESENT. I am about to do something brand-new. It is bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I am making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘THANK YOU!’ —the coyotes and the BUZZARDS—Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” (Isaiah 43:16-21 MSG) How funny that you get to enjoy forgetting about old history…but even the ‘buzzards will have to tell God ‘Thank you!’ And indeed, if God can cause ‘buzzards’ to tell Him Thank You, so can you! Today, make a deliberate decision to be happy and content. Today, remember the Lord’s Help, Hope, Compassion, and Care. Today, remember the Lord’s Great Love and Great Faithfulness that are yours for the taking! Today, Dare to Hope Because God is There to Help!

Yes, like it or not, but we will ALL have moments just like the prophet of utter hopelessness because of varying life struggles. However, we must do as the prophet did, keep moving forward as you remember:

“…there’s one other thing I remember and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I am sticking with God (I say it over and over). He is all I have got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It is a good thing to hope, quietly HOPE FOR HELP FROM GOD. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.” (MSG)

Stick it out through the hard times knowing that you have God’s loyal love, His mercy, His faithfulness, His goodness! And all you must do is passionately wait and diligently seek God, knowing that your quiet hope is bringing some loud help from God that all will hear! So, keep trusting and relying on God; keep pressing through the pain; keep releasing all your hurt in prayer, your turn around will come right on God’s schedule, and He is never late!

Dare to Hope; God is There to Help!

Romans 5:5, “Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (AMP)

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Do Not Be Busy Trying To Force What Will Fail Because You Are Attempting To Make It Come To Pass, Out Of Season! What God Has Ordained For Your Life Will Have To Happen By His Hands, Not Ours. Do Not Attempt To Bring Forth Fruit In The Wrong Season.

 Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with Him?"  (ERV).

I am one of those people who is always trying to cram one more thing in before I leave for an appointment. And if I cannot, then I make the fools attempt to make it up while I am on the road! And to be honest, that is OK, when the weather is on my side! But on those days when it is, as they say, 'raining cats and dogs, that doesn't exactly work out in my favor! You see, I have attempted to travel in one of those types of rainstorms while I was already running late, mind you, and still to try to squeeze in another project on my way to a project! I ended up zipping down the highway at top speed, and suddenly I felt myself losing control of the rear wheels! Now, if you would like a fancy word for that experience, it is called "hydroplaning"! What happens is, water builds up under your tires, so you are skimming along on water rather than pavement! In case you are unaware, THIS IS NOT GOOD! The rear of your car starts to go somewhere you do not want it to go and never intended for it to go! If that has ever happened to you, you know it is a scary feeling to start hydroplaning – because you are going too fast, your losing control, and then you end up in a place you did not schedule on your agenda! Possibly in a ditch. For my sake, the Chinese Proverb proved to be true: "A fall into a ditch makes you wiser."

With that memory in mind, I thought of King David. King David was 'hydroplaning' when he wrote Psalm 42:1-5. You see, things were moving fast, and he was losing control, especially of his emotions. David says, "A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I am thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, 'Will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God's presence?' I am on a diet of tears—tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All-day long, people knock at my door, Pestering, 'Where is this God of yours?' These are the things I go over and over, emptying the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, shouting praises, singing thanksgiving – celebrating, all of us, God's feast! So why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?" (MSG).

David's hurting, David's crying – morning, noon and night, David is an emotional wreck, David has people looking at him and his situation, and so they began bugging him: 'where is this God of yours?' Which is how some people may view you and what you are struggling with: 'Where is this God of his?' 'Where is this God of hers?' They say things like, 'I thought you said God was all-powerful; all-knowing; ever-present; almighty; awesome; powerful; your provider; your healer; your protector; your deliverer; your way-maker; you're loving and altogether wonderful Heavenly Father. But, if He is, in fact, all those things, and He is your God, where is He in your situation? Where is His help in your time of need?' And David was so friendless while battling this ordeal that he, in fact, started talking to his soul: 'why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues…?' David's slipping, David's overwhelmed, David's emotions are hydroplaning out of control! Are Yours Too? It is OK, to be honest. After all, only the truth sets you free. But masking, masquerading, pretending, faking it till you make it are all nothing but chains of bondage. So please do not allow them to keep you bound any longer.

If the truth is told, many of us have been there. Unfortunately, our challenges were a lot bigger than our resources. We felt like our faith was like a twin-sized fitted sheet on a king-sized mattress; it just could not stretch far enough to cover! We were overwhelmed and anxious. Some of us felt like we would never catch up on anything. We were falling behind in our devotionals, proper scheduling of engagements, etc. Everything just seemed too much! You may have felt like you had two body parts being stretched into 20 different directions! The stress of it all will have you overwhelmed, losing weight, gaining weight, and losing sleep.

But I must say, I have been there before, and if truth be told, I cannot honestly say that I will never be there again. But that day, I wandered into this psalm, Psalm 42, where I was hit with a probing question that turned out to be the answer for me. So, if you feel yourself hydroplaning right now, maybe it is an answer for you, too. In Psalm 42:2, David asks a critical question that I had to learn to ask; likewise, he asked: "…When can I go and meet with God?" (NIV).

Like David, I needed to stop my spinning world and get away with God. So, I got away with just my Bible and my notepad, and I met with God. That may be your Lord's prescription for all that is ailing you right now as well. Although many of you may respond, "No way! There's too much for me to do to stop Everything!" Well, that is precisely why you need to! Whether you know it or not, you are losing control. You must slow down to listen to your Lord for an extended, uninterrupted, unhurried period if you will ever get back on track! Trust me; I was the Queen of, 'I don't have time!' But that is why you must be proactive. Purposely Schedule Time With God! That word 'schedule' is defined as, a set plan for carrying out a process or procedure; arranging a timetable.' And what is the first thing you need to do to start scheduling anything? First, you must figure out what your priorities are! A 'priority is defined as 'something that is regarded as more important than others; something that is superiority in rank, position, or privilege; preferential; something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives; something deemed urgent; supreme and most valued.' And shouldn't that be descriptive of our God as our priority before any other person, place, or thing? Isn't He Higher in rank and position than going to the laundry, movies, supermarket, or even a church or ministry event? Shouldn't God be the first person we give preference and privilege to? After all, He has done for us and means to us, doesn't that merit give Him our attention instead of all the other competing alternatives in life? And indeed, in these end times, wouldn't you say that meeting with God consistently is urgent?!

You see, I have said this before and will repeat it, 'people do what they want to do.' And it is true. Many of the things we say are out of our control and out of our hands are not. Yet, we have chosen them as higher on the priority chain than God. How insulting is that to one who laid down His life that we might live?!

The truth is, I understand. Life can become overwhelmingly busy. But nothing in life should become so busy that we have no time to spend with God. And that means outside of Sunday morning services; Wednesday night prayer and bible study; Sunday school, or other 'church/ministry activities. But this spills over into purposely getting up at 5 am to sit in quiet time with God. Not to repent, not to ask for stuff, not to seek His favor, but to sit and listen to the heart of God. I am persuaded we can no longer hear God because we talk too much! We can sit in prayer for a whole hour, and we are the only ones talking. Then we say 'amen' and off to the races. But God has things He wants to say too. How much of God's directions, wisdom, and guidance are we missing out on simply because we cannot be quiet and listen? But no, we cannot sit and wait for God to speak because we must beat the clock coming and going every day!

But here is a quote that has come to be one of my favorites: "Nature does not hurry, yet Everything is accomplished." (Lao Tzu). If you think about it, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall all come year after year, and neither ever rush to get here, yet they come faithfully and consistently! "For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." (Genesis 8:22 MSG).

In other words, all the things that God has set or, better yet, "pre-ordained" in life and for your life, Will Occur in their Proper Season! Habakkuk 2:2-3, "And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision message is a witness pointing to what is coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it does not lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It is on its way. It will come right on time." (MSG); Ecclesiastes 3:1, "There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: (MSG) That word 'opportune' is defined as, 'done or occurring at an especially appropriate time.' Its' Latin Origin 'opportunus' comes from the combination of: 'op' (meaning 'in the direction of') and 'portus' (meaning 'harbor'). This is descriptive of the wind driving towards the harbor, hence the idea 'seasonable.' It is when something happens at the right time and season, so it is effortless; even a simple blow can send it off in the wind right direction. It is timely and well-timed. It is appropriate, fitting, proper, suitable, fortunate, and seasonable. And 'seasonable' is defined as 'something appropriate for a particular season.' That is why you must stop running around trying to make Everything happen for yourself overnight! What God deems necessary to happen in your life will happen when it is the right season for it to happen! Isaiah 60:22, "...I am God. At the right time, I'll make it happen." (MSG) You do not have to be so busy trying to force what will fail because you are attempting to make it come to pass, out of season! What God has ordained for your life will have to happen by His hands, not ours. And when we leave it in His hands, you can be assured that it is already Handled with Care! You Have to Wait For Your 'Due-Season,' which means a suitable and appropriate time. God has something Good in store for you; you need to wait for the right, proper, good time for it to come to pass! Remember, God knows seasons, so we do not have 90-degree weather in winter, nor do you have snow in summer! God has ordained the seasons in the earth and your life! Trust Him and Trust His Timing.

Therefore, you need not hurry, rush, or attempt to bring forth fruit in the wrong season! If it is to happen, it will! But please do not make the mistake that many, especially those in ministry, are making and driving so fast up the mountain to reach the top that they have missed the breathtaking scenery along the journey! In their hurry to get to the top of the hill, to mount a flag of victory, to make a name for themselves, they missed all the "little miracles" along the way! They missed the clouds and the silver lining, they missed the calming powder-blue sky, they missed earth's most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, they missed the flowers that determined to push their way through the dirt and sprout forth anyhow, they missed all the creatures, the creation, and the Creator rushing to "create" something themselves!

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." (Saint Francis de Sales).

Slow down! Reprioritize your schedule and pen down more time with God. We need His guidance and direction. We need His instruction and wisdom. We need to hear His voice. And you cannot get any of that rushing into prayer and rushing out. You cannot get that while having a to-do list longer than your time spent with God.

You will come to a startling revelation in your quiet time with God. He will remind you of all the doctor and specialist appointments, all the 'abnormal' reports, addictions, cancer, all the migraines, the surgeries, the heart murmur, diabetes, someone who may have been homeless, financial ruins, bankruptcy, etc.…and then He will remind you that TODAY not one of those things is a problem for you. Why? Because He healed and delivered you and granted each of us wholeness! And for what purpose? So that we would be mindful of His promise to us: "…I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." (John 10:10 AMP).

Now, does that mean ministry/kingdom work is unimportant? Not at all! But the Scripture gives us the best advice: "Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be delighted!" (Matthew 5:6 AMP).

And to add gravy to our mashed potatoes: "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think He will attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, not to be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who do not know God and how He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Do not worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:30-33 MSG).

WE MUST STOP HYDROPLANING, GET IN HIS PRESENCE, AND HUSH!

Stop running around, "like a chicken with his head cut off"! Life goes by fast enough, do not rush and hurry through it, and do not busy yourself so much that you have no idea where ten years went! God will provide for you naturally and spiritually, so stop hydroplaning in all the wrong directions, stop wasting your time and your life!  Both of which you cannot get back once they are gone!

This week, take the time to write down what you are feeling and thinking as you make it your most important business to meet with God and listen to Him. First, ask Him for a fresh look at the people in your life, at the pressures, and your priorities. Then, ask Him to help you see the forest again; because, if the truth is told, you have been overwhelmed by focusing on all the individual trees!

In His presence, set some priorities. Make some plans and weed some things out. You can trust what you are sensing in an extended time with God. Which needs to be on a more regular basis. Matthew 11:28-30, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me, and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I will not lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (MSG) If you want to learn how to live freely and lightly without being tired, worn out, burned out, and weighted down with a life that is heavy and ill-fitting, then do what Jesus invited you to do: "COME TO ME; GET AWAY WITH ME; WALK WITH ME; WORK WITH ME; WATCH ME; KEEP COMPANY WITH ME!" That is a lot of 'ME'! Which tells us just how important Jesus feels about our relationship with Him. He desires to spend time with us, and He makes it a priority because He wakes us up every morning without fail, keeps us safe throughout the day, and blesses us with sweet sleep every night. How can we NOT desire to spend time with Him…On Purpose?!

And I am not talking about spending time with God when the doctor gives you a bad report, or you have lost a loved one, or the job laid you off, or the kids are acting up, or the marriage is about over; or the bank accounts have a whole lot of zeros but with no other number in the front! No, that is the time when we always go running to God. Then, He is a Priority Because, for us, Our Problem is a Priority. But that is not how you build a solid relationship. Spending time with God must be purposeful and consistent. Spend time with God when Everything in our world for a change seems to be going 'right and good.' Since those are the times when God is greatly ignored. God has already promised to meet our every need, but that does not mean we treat Him like that is all we need Him for. He desires a relationship, and a relationship requires time. Make sure you are not shortchanging God on your end!

If you are traveling at high speed right now and you feel yourself losing control, first, SLOW DOWN! You need to carve out time away from where your Lord can show you what He wants, what He sees when He looks at the people in your life, when He looks at the situations in your life, and when He looks at the needs in your life. Remember, you must be still to know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."). Here are some instructions for you every day from the varying translations of that Scripture: "Be still…" (AMP); "Let be and be still…"; (AMPC); "Our God says, 'Calm Down'…" (CEV); "Let go of your concerns…" (GWT); "Stop your fighting…" (CSB); "Stand silent!" (TLB); "Cease striving…" (NASB); "Be quiet…" (NLV). And lastly, the Message Bible says, "… "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above Everything." (MSG) That is what you need to do today: Be still, calm down, let go, stop fighting, be silent, cease striving, be quiet and step out of the traffic, take a long, look at God, your High God, and know that He alone is Above Everything! Even Your Schedule!

Stop allowing your entire life to be arranged around trying to get something done outside of God's Will, God's Plan, God's Purpose, and God's Timing. It is futile, and you are missing out on life, and more importantly, you are missing out on a relationship with God! Therefore, today, I challenge you to slow down long enough to ask a simple question: "…When can I go and meet with God?" Then, if you are smart, you will also take time to answer it by saying, 'Right Now!

Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with Him?"  (ERV). The word 'thirst' is defined as, 'a sensation of dryness; parched; deficient of moisture; eager; hunger; restless; breathless; longing; pining; dehydrated.' And 'dehydrated' is defined as 'burned out; drained; exhausted; fatigued; sapped; weakened; worn out; discouraged; disheartened; dispirited.' That is how David described his soul. Maybe that is how you can tell yours too. And if that is the case, all you need to do to quench your soul's thirst is meet with the Living Water. When your well is empty, you need to know where to go John 4:14, "But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life." (AMP)

David experienced a crazy emotional roller coaster ride throughout Psalm 42:1-5. But the last part of Psalm 42:5 says this, "…Fix my eyes on God – soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's, my God." (MSG) This is how you bounce back as David did. You meet with God and fix your eyes on Him alone. You purposely remove all the distractions and see and hear only Him. You Get in His Presence, and You Stay Present. And if you do, the conclusion of your meeting with God will be, "… I will be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's, my God." Check your calendar; this is one meeting you cannot afford to miss; raincheck, reschedule, or cancel!

Schedule Time With God, Your Soul (And Your Life) Needs a Drink of His Living Water!

"Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him." (Joyce Meyer)

"We schedule meetings to keep our business going in the right direction – we need to schedule meetings with God to help keep our lives going in the right direction." (DeVon Franklin)

"It is not easy to shut out the world, set aside a few minutes by yourself, and spend time in God's Word and prayer. But it is essential to grow in our relationship with God and be strengthened for the battles ahead. Do not delay. Begin now to spend time alone with God every day." (Billy Graham)

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

We Don't Pray to Inform God; We Pray to Involve God. God Already Know What's Going On In Your Life. You Are Never Without His Presence, His Protection, His Provision. Lord, I Am Exhausted And Empty. Please Fill Me Again!

 We are beginning the day in prayer! Father, Only You can satisfy the thirsty soul & fill the hungry soul with what is good, knowing that goodness comes from the manifestation of Your grace through Christ Jesus.

Let nothing that happens today, or has happened before, discourage you about tomorrow. Our words create things and tear things down. Pray that your words today would honor God and that the things you say might cooperate with what God wants to accomplish in you. God's plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day. Let God's promises shine on your problems.

I have learned that a closed Bible is no good. A word for today. You realize that the size of the situation and the size of the need does not change the size of your God at all! The size of your problem will never change the dimensions of your God! What may be too big for you will never be too big for Him! With Him, all things are possible, and they are likewise possible for you too because He's already told you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! So, stop listening to the words of your adversary, and start listening to the terms of your Advocate! He is fighting with you, and for you, you will not lose! He ALWAYS Causes Us to Triumph!

We Don't Pray to Inform God; We Pray to Involve God. God Already Know What's Going On In Your Life. At Some Point, You Got To Stop Thinking God Didn't Hear You, And Ask Yourself Did You Hear God?

Our Inspirational Reading For Today:

Lord, I am Exhausted And Empty. Please Fill Me Again! You Are Never Without His Presence, His Protection, His Provision. Do Not Dare Let The Presence Of This Storm Indicate The Absence Of God! No Matter What You're Going Through, Here's What God Promises To The Overwhelmed And Depleted Person.

Isaiah 40:28-31, "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (NLT)

Many of us are still driving along, not realizing that we are Directionally Challenged and Heading For a Crash because we will not slow down.

Shut Everything Down. Like Our Computer Our Life Gets Fragmented: One situation tugs on our emotions while trying to concentrate on something else. We want to accomplish everything that needs to be done, but our minds will not stop, and our bodies will not start. Sometimes we are scattered, restless, and a half here.  We need to pause from Time to Time and reflect on the condition of our hearts and lives.

I often defragment my computer; it needs a tune-up now and then. Then I had a thought: Prayer can help to defragment our lives. When we cast our cares on the Lord, He will show us what we need to do and what only He can do.  Many of us need some defragmentation going on right now.  We need prayer the most when we have the least time to pray. Take time to defragment your life today. Shut everything down and go to God in prayer. Is it time for your checkup?

God May Be Trying To Get You To Slow Down Or To Stop Right Now So He Can Show You Some Things That You Are Never Going To See If You're Constantly On The Run From One Project To The Next, One Fight To The Next, One Battle To The Next. But how can God show you anything when your focus is always on everything else?

It could be that you have been running ahead of the Lord's timing, or you have been pursuing what you want instead of what He wants.  Many of us are still driving along, not realizing that we are Directionally Challenged and Heading For a Crash!

Maybe you have been neglecting the regular timeout that God calls a "Sabbath"; you are all Accelerator and no Brakes, you are violating God's created order of taking normal rest! You're daily bypassing all the signs that are God's messages to you for your safety: 'Stop, Do Not Enter, Yield, Dead End, One-Way, Wrong Way, U-Turn, Speed Limit, Caution, Bump, Bend, No Passing Zone, Bridge, Slippery Road, Falling Rocks, Road Work Ahead, Detour, Under Construction, Don't Walk, Slow Down, Hazard, and even Hospital, just in case you decide to ignore all the other signs!"

God may have been trying to say some critical things to you, something that would bring sense to your swirling world, but you cannot hear Him because you are running so fast, in so many directions, with so many people, to so many places, on so many projects, to do far too much! Whatever the reason for your non-stop pace, I know there must be someone listening right now to whom God is saying, "It's time to take a break… it's time to hit 'pause.' It's Time for Time Off, Time Out, and Time Away!" Do not ignore His call to "be still and know that He is God."

Because the truth is, if we do not choose to slow down, He will, as the 23rd Psalm says, "…MAKE us lie down in green pastures..." And the truth is, many times, the only way I took my time Off, Time Out, and Time Away were by God's Force! It was not until I was flat on my back sick that I received the much-needed rest I should have been getting all along. And I had to learn how even to force myself to take better care of myself!  I did not want God to 'MAKE me lie down flat' anymore. So, I had to start taking a hard look at all the things I was involved in and see where I needed to make some better arrangements and adjustments for my life.

God asks us to pause or ultimately makes us wait, not to punish us, but to refit us. He wants to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He's wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth - to spend quiet time with Him. To hit 'pause' each new day so we can hear our Master's voice before we hear any other, appropriate our Master's resources, experience our Master's healing touch, and receive our Master's orders for the day. Therefore, you must take time Off, Time Out, and time Away! He is our reserve, but we are running so many times on empty, we do not realize that God is our reserve.

A good friend named Earl recently picked up a used pickup truck for a friend of ours. However, it is when Earl started up the car that the trouble began. You see, Earl (everybody's friendly neighborhood mechanic) was taking the truck out for a test drive for Jim, who had just bought it. And as he backed it out of the new owner's garage, it suddenly started sputtering and stalling. He could not keep it running no matter what he tried. He got to a phone and called the old owner and said, "What's the deal with this truck you just sold?" Well, the man who sold it is an honorable man, and he was distressed about this suddenly dysfunctional truck. Then suddenly, he asked Earl, "Did you happen to mess with the radio at all?" Yes, he had. The previous owner told Earl to check these two switches that are right next to the radio. You see, this truck has a beautiful feature, especially for the country roads that it travels so much. It has what they call a reserve gas tank. Earl had unknowingly turned off Tank 2, full of gas, and turned on Tank 1, empty. But the good news is that as soon as he switched from the empty tank to the reserve tank, Mr. Pickup Truck ran and ran and ran.

I am assuming that your life runs fast and hard, much like mine. You have family, work, church, friends, schedules, children, business, school, leadership, health, financial checklists, and the like. And because of it, there are times when your tank is empty. You are exhausted; you have nothing left to give. But there is good news that gets delivered Right when your tank has nothing Left!

Isaiah 40:28 says, "Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach." (CEB) Now, if you did not know, the God you belong to, the God who lives in you, is inexhaustible! And that wonderful word "inexhaustible" is defined as: "of a never-ending supply; incapable of being used up because of its continual abundance; tireless; incapable of being wearied or worn out. This is talking about the God who holds you together when you are ready to fall apart!

His resources and wisdom just never, ever run out, but yours do, and do not feel bad because mine does as well. But as for God, He is never tired or weary! He is the One who created the ends of the earth (and still He is never tired or weary). And no matter what the problem or struggle is, His understanding of it is still beyond human reach. There is nothing we can bring to Him that so perplexes us, will ever stress Him! He can handle anything and everything now; if only we would stop thinking we can as well! God never runs low or runs out, but we do. The good news is that when we do, we still have our connection to Him!

And here is where the reserve tank kicks in. The passage continues, "He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up." (Vss. 29-30 TLB). By the way, any words here that sound like you? "Weary, weak, tired, worn out, exhausted, feeble, faint, no might, stumble, fall?"

Furthermore, what is so attractive about this text is that even the "young" and the "selected" will not be exempt! You would think the young would have nothing to complain about, but the truth is told, life hits hard, and it does not care about your age! Even the youth will be exhausted, and young men will all give up. And we cannot judge them either. Because you never know what someone's struggle is. You may be 60 and battling diabetes, but believe it or not, there's six-year-old battling cancer and 16-year-old battling addiction. No one is exempt from running on empty! Not even the "select"!

Even those who are physically strong, in good health, young, at their best possible level of quality, in excellent condition, are still tired, weary, need rest, stumble and fall, get weak, and trip! So then, why are you so hard on yourself? Do not attempt to 'fake it till you make it.' Be honest with yourself; if no one else, admit that you are exhausted; however, do not get stuck there; remember you still serve an Inexhaustible God!

You see, much like Earl, who got inside the pickup truck and immediately went to pressing buttons, by the way, we do the same thing. Pressing an unnecessary button (the radio) caused a necessary button (the reserve tank) to be switched off. Sometimes in life, we think we know what we are doing, but we do not. And like Earl, who had to contact the person who owned the truck first and therefore knew it best, we need to go to God who created us first and knows us best to ask Him, "God, what's wrong with this?" This means our lives, family, finances and health, choices, decisions, marriages, churches, ministries, and businesses. "God, why is this not working?" And as silly as it sounds, I am sure we will get a response much like Earl did, "did you mess with the wrong button?" And if we are honest and humble enough, we will admit that we did. Then we can have God tell us what to do next to fix it. And like Earl, it will be the same answer, switch to your reserve tank. And what is your reserve tank?

Well, Here's What God Promises To The Overwhelmed And Depleted Person: "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift their wings [and rise close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired." (vs. 31).

When Earl's Tank 1 on that truck was empty, the fuel in Tank 2 made all the difference! I cannot tell you how many times I have reached devoid in my tank, and God's never-empty tank has kicked in, and it has likewise made all the difference. After an exhausting week, I wake up and say, "God, I'm so tired." He says, "I'm not." I say, "I'm empty, Lord." He says, "I know, but switch on My power. I'm not empty."

Now, I know we are "supposed" to be solid and handle anything and everything. But can I tell you how untrue that is? You are to be god-like, but you are never to attempt to be God. You will get tired and weary and worn out and exhausted. And none of that make you a "weak person." What makes you a "weak person" is when you think your source of strength and power comes from you!

No Matter What You Are Going Through, God's Grace, Loving-kindness, and Mercy are Sufficient More Than Enough and Always Available REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION! There is nothing you can bring to God that He cannot handle in your life! Nothing that weakens you can weaken Him! His power is more evident and effective IN YOUR WEAKNESS! That is why we can boast because no matter what weakens us, God will always be our reserve of strength! Whether it is divorce, debt, death, or diabetes, God can handle any situation that is draining you! But you must contact Him like Earl had to get the previous owner of the pickup truck. God is waiting for you to stop trying to be strong and hold it all together. He is waiting for you to slow down and come to Him for Help!

Now, I do not know about you, but when I go to someone for advice and help, I like to see that they have already sat where I am sitting. And who better to talk to about our weaknesses than one who has experienced weakness and overcame it?! This is our God who so desperately wants us to bring our failures, hurts, discouragement, disappointments, stress, and struggles to Him. He wants us to bring Him our weaknesses and emptiness to Him. He desires that we cast every care on Him!

Remember, You Have To Slow Down, Even When you are Exhausted, Never Forget Your God is Inexhaustible! When You Need to Refuel, He is Your Reserve. Today, Don't Complain About Being Empty, Just Switch Tanks! Take Your Empty Tank to God in Prayer and Watch Him Pour in Fresh Power to Keep You Pressing Onward, Going the Full Distance to Destiny!

Who knew that GRACE is the GAS we need to REFUEL?! And all we need to attain it is honesty. "Lord, I'm Exhausted And Empty, Please Fill Me Again! Help me to slow down and rediscover Your reserve tank of strength, just for me!"

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org