Distresses

P 3352 Holy Spirit please give me strength!

/ DVH

Our daily battles are proof that our Heavenly Father is taking us at our word. Somewhere, somehow, at some time or other, we told Him – “We want to serve You. You are our Lord and Saviour and we choose to follow You, Jesus. Nothing of me, Lord and all of You.”  Amen. Guess what? He remembered that prayer… Yeah I know, bring that up! However, let’s not get offended when He takes us at our word! 

In this life there is always a suddenly! Somebody does something unexpected and we feel lower than a snake’s belly because they just proved we were wrong. Well, maybe you don’t hate that, but I sure do!! Instead of being angry, defensive, or feeling rejected, let’s see what has happened as an opportunity to learn to do this life, His Way.

Here is some great advice from the bible: “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV. It is natural in unexpected moments to realise that we need His strength, but we are better off acknowledging that before we get overwhelmed by our feelings. I know we need His strength to overcome temptation and sin, but we can easily forget how badly and how often we need His strength, minute by minute, from day to day just to deal with ordinary things … not just when the ceiling falls in. Let’s depend on His strength, and run to Him first! 

Sometimes there can be a big catastrophic event … you get a waterfall in your bedroom, and you can’t take delivery of your nice new helpful bed because the roof is still leaking and you don’t want to mix electricity with water, and become a pop-tart! … BUT, some days a disaster consists of the cat deciding to do it’s business in a random corner;  plus a kid can’t find its very important project, and it’s weeping and wailing all over the place! And now you seem to have less money in your wallet than you thought you did. In those moments of extreme irritation and angst, his mother calls to see how you both are!

We need His strength all the time, every single day, because we don’t know what comes next. The following is one of my favourite prayers: “Help, help Lord, I need Your strength.” Sometimes it doesn’t quite come out like that, but He knows what I mean. I can’t count how many times I call upon the Lord’s strength, especially now I have grown older. I feel feeble a lot!

The Holy Spirit says His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and He gave us every right to call on that strength. Here’s a secret I’ve learnt:  don’t start out in your own strength, ask for His strength when your feet first hit the floor. Why would we wait to ask for His help, when we know we can be easily distracted by circumstances. His strength is right there with us, why exhaust our own strength first?! This life has proven to you and I that our own strength is limited – start out poor!  Remember the bible says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit because they will inherit the kingdom of God…” well, that’s kind of what it says in Matthew 5:3. That’s a promise for today not when you are dead. Start and finish poor, it’s one of His ways into kingdom living.

Let’s look at our verse from 2 Corinthians 12:8-10: “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

First of all, I want to say that it helps me to find that the Apostle Paul had a weakness, or three — and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Our decision is simple, do we want God’s perfect strength or our own? His strength comes with the understanding that we can’t do it on our own. Our effort comes with a pile of control, agitation, worry, and — don’t forget how anybody can get angry — especially when the other person is not on the same journey we are. How many times have we all said:“I did all I could!” Yeah, we probably did, but we forgot we have heavenly resources now. My best is pitiful, His best means REST.

This is how you get into rest. You give it all to Him and give up striving to do something you clearly can’t do, or even maintain. God has already provided a way, and that way includes Him helping us to reach the goal. Jesus sent us back SomeOne to be with us Who has the Name  – HELPER. The Lord died to give us a brand new way to live, He doesn’t want us killing ourselves trying to be something we are not in order to please Him. It pleases and blesses the Lord when we learn to lean on Him, then we step out in faith as He leads us. We will stay humble and He gets the glory … win win. 

Back to Paul and my last point – God’s Grace is sufficient for me. Sufficient means we always have enough. We have enough for anyone who might be temporarily driving us crazy. We have enough for the kitchen sink tap that won’t stop dripping. We have enough for the kid who seems to perpetually have a cold and is always sniffing! We have enough! God says so. So we pray, ‘Holy Spirit, please give me strength’ and we do what He says – and then we end up with a testimony about what the Lord did. It’s a no brainer. Bye. 👋

P 3218 I may fail – but God WILL not.

/ DVH

Those of you who read this blog regularly will already know that Cyclone Alfred (Feb2025) caused a flood in one of our lower rooms. It quite literally washed away some of the floor. Our house is like ‘The House that Jack built,”and I’m sad to say that in my opinion – Jack was a lousy builder! God bless Jack if he is still among us, but very little in our downstairs area has been built up to spec. Parts of it are not legal, including the height of the roof, but the council doesn’t care, because it was like that when we bought it. Which means it was not our fault. Thank the Lord for that!

While the many builders we hired were analysing what needed to be done — they kind of smiled — then they looked at us with dollar signs in their eyes! I assume that’s because we are their idea of a windfall, and their magical dream of an all expenses paid trip to the Bahamas seemed much closer than it did before they met us! And then they announced that all our building problems are insurmountable and we should pull the entire downstairs area down and start again. I guess we will have to live in our mango tree while that happens.

Around about the same time, the insurers agreed with the builders, and announced that we were not covered by insurance, despite our copious, regular expensive payments, because of paragraph 390 subset 4,251. Yay!  We don’t have a money tree or bush in our yard, so we both got on our faces, and asked the Lord, what’s next? Ya have to seize the adventure before you, that’s what I say… I have also been known to say ‘well that sucks,’ but talking about ‘seizing the adventure’ sounds wa-ay more spiritual. 

So, after much prayer, with God leading us — we met Ali, a person of another faith, and a brand new unemployed immigrant who had just arrived from another state. His English was limited, but he assured us in sign language and broken English, that he knew all about tiling floors and fixing the concrete underneath. He originally came from Iraq so we figured he wasn’t exaggerating about that! 

Ali, it transpired, truly was God’s choice! BTW, we found him through a reputable agent. He worked like a beaver, kept us up to date with what was going on, and we had many opportunities to encourage him, and talk about our faith, as well as put it into action in his life. When we said goodbye to him, we hugged all round. Our floor in the meantime looks like a palace! 

Moving on to December, 2025. This time the roof in our downstairs bedroom turned into a waterfall, and we had numerous tennis ball sized hail-strikes all over that part of the roof. It was leaking because the rain was so heavy and the hail broke the tin roof sheeting. So back we went to our insurers — however, we weren’t very surprised this time when we discovered that somehow paragraph 390 subset 4,251 also applied to leaking roofs! The insurers were polite … but because the downstairs does not conform to council standards they were not obligated to … blah blah blah blah. 

I tuned out. I had heard it all before. Naturally I responded with great Grace to the insurers. After HOURS of prayer and a whole lot of “gee I hope some tennis ball hail gets YOUR roof next time!” I eventually moved on. Yes, I repented! And right now I am laughing, but smiles were a bit thin on the ground back then! 

We had to move out of our bedroom, which was working on becoming an indoor lake, and jam ourselves back into a much smaller space upstairs. Not the best option given the daily disabilities we both face. Our family came to our rescue again, to help us move. In just a few months they had helped us move out of, and back into. our bedroom twice! That, BTW, includes the bed, wardrobes, etc. etc. More blah blah blah.

So we returned to our trusty agent again because Ali had been so brilliant last time, and this time we found a family of roofers. They too, were honest men who gave us a fair price, and they not only fixed the roof, they made it so it would not leak again. And then they gave us a written guarantee for 15 years!  As the Lord led us we were able to minister into their lives too. We paid for that privilege! Ministry will always cost you – it’s free to them.

I’ve written this today to assure others that they are not the only people whose lives sometimes are shaken by trouble and strife. Let’s look at Paul’s life. In the past Christians have tried to minimise trouble in our lives as if trouble is somehow a sign that we are not spiritual enough. However, Paul was somewhat of an expert about trouble. He shared some of it in: 2 Corinthians 6:4a-5:

“…in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; …” 2 Corinthians 11:25-26: “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers …”

Our experiences at our house obviously do not compare with the Apostle Paul’s hardships! However, I’m not giving up on my own transformation – He’s doing something. Sometimes I may fail, but God will not! Hallelujah. Have a good one. Bye. 👋

P 2858 No strength. No problem!

/ DVH

2 Corinthians 12:8-10: “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

My first thought is that we all need to read these verses at least a couple of times to absorb what Paul is saying. Then I want to ask all of us a question … ‘why do we try so hard to get everything right, when His strength is made perfect in weak people?’ Yeah I know… it seems dumb when you put it like that! Here’s a thought that has greatly benefitted me and I will pass it on to you — go straight into being a weak people! Yes, seriously. Don’t waste your time and energy trying hard to be a ‘good Christian.’ Give up and rely upon His strength. Learn to say: “I can’t do that.” And then step out and act on His word when He speaks to you, and watch and see what He will do.

I know it’s kind of a terrifying thought. Imagine what other people will say if you tell them you really can’t … do the flowers, or bring morning tea, or read the bible out loud from the pulpit, or do the work of 4 people! But when we make ourselves do something without waiting on the Lord and talking to Him about it, we are forming a religious habit that can last a lifetime. We know that whenever He asks us to do this or that, we will need to grab our courage in both hands and do it… but, in those moments we can have the confidence that He spoke to us, to back us up. We know He will complete what He said! 

Listen to what this man said about Jesus: “For I also am a man subject to authority [of a higher rank], with soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:9. This man understood delegated authority. When we wander off quoting this or that, or something that someone else said, without first interacting with the Lord Himself, we have nothing to stand on. We are trying to borrow someone else’s authority. Each of us has been given His authority but we need to personally get something from the King Himself to stand on..

I am blessed, I know I am not strong at all. And according to Paul that’s a fantastic place to be!!  I have had to learn to rely upon His Grace and strength. All I do is turn up and do whatever He told me to do. At the same time, I am no longer scared to say ‘no!’ Because outside of what Jesus has told me to do, I definitely know I will fail. My strength physically, mentally, and spiritually can falter – but He does not. My faith is aways in Him. He will come to rescue me, even when I’ve done something dumb. I confess my error, and turn it back over to Him – then I stand still and wait for further instructions. I know I have a part in what He wants to do, but understanding authority and how it works helps me apply myself.

It is far better to appear to be weak, than it is to save face. ‘God hasn’t talked to me about that stuff, I’ll ask Him,’ is a valid reason. At the same time, it isn’t a cop-out either! In reality: ‘I don’t want to do whatever it is,’ is not a valid answer. I think that many of our church institutions need to revise what they keep on doing, over and over again, but unfortunately the people within them keep on doggedly filling roles, so all will appear to be well. The Lord is not interested in the appearance of good, He wants His good to prevail — only God is good! Mark 10:18. 

The best thing we can do is to start from, and finish with, whatever He has asked us to do, using our faith. I get so happy when I know can’t do something He asks me to do, because I know I’m about to see His supernatural strength in my life. Many people get burnt out and exhausted because God didn’t tell them to do what they are doing in the first place! It is the Lord Who will build His house. Our job is to ask Him how He wants us involved. I cannot begin to say how many times I have heard Him say: “Not yet. Wait.”

Actually, I think we often rush ahead of His timing. We want or need the Lord to do a quick work, so we try to sort-of hurry Him up with our own activities. The Holy Spirit will leave! And sadly, He leaves so quietly we won’t even know He is gone for a long time! One of the Lord’s favourite things is when He can see that people want to embrace His timing. His will His Way. Having no strength to do what He asks us to do is not a problem. It is actually an asset. His strength is made PERFECT in our weaknesses. So, the thing is – do we want ‘kind of good enough’, or perfect Answer? No strength is never a problem…👋

P 2733 Let’s let PAUL pray for us.

/ DVH

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21. 

Aren’t we blessed to be His? After all, God has made His love available to you and I, in so many ways, through Jesus Christ, as revealed by the Apostle Paul. Most of us are in fact, Gentiles. Now there’s an interesting thought to start our day. I’ve been praying bits of the bible for myself for years. I pray this other verse too … ya just gotta love Ephesians! Here’s chapter 1:V18: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, …” Amen to that one as well. I need that! Hope deferred can make my heart sick, but hope that is recognised enlightens my inner eyes.

Praying the scriptures is another way to digest them. Meanwhile, it seems to me that we can all use greater spiritual vision. Here’s an interesting thought, I’ve noticed something interesting, older people seem to gain spiritual vision as they start losing their physical eyesight. I wonder if that works for hearing too? However, it seems kind of a shame that you can see stuff more clearly just when your energy starts to run out! But then again there’s that other thing that Paul said elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 …  “His Grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in weak people …” Now that’s definitely a cheery thought! I’m weak all the time, how about you? This means we can all be stronger, spiritually!

Most of us know that verse off by heart, but do you know the rest of it? “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Let’s just pause there for a minute, Paul is saying that he is glad, to the point that it gives him pleasure — that he is weak. Because now he has to rely upon God’s strength and not his own. I wonder if anybody is brave enough to pray:  “Lord please make me weak so I can be strong in You.” Do I hear an Amen? ….Moo-ving on… Actually I don’t think Paul is over emphasising anything. I believe HE LIVED THAT WAY. Instead of barraging heaven with personal prayers for relief from our difficulties, maybe it is time we started to thank the Lord for giving us the opportunity to be weak and helpless, so we can be strong in Him, in the middle of whatever is going on!!

The bible is designed to challenge us at every turn. It says so many incredible things that it becomes easy just to nod our heads and say, ‘yes, that’s great – hallelujah!’ But as we’ve seen before, nothing will change just because we agree with it. I honestly don’t think the Apostle Paul was prone to exaggeration or that he indulged in overbearing rhetoric – I think that he did not say one word that was not alive and active in his own life. As well as prayerful about. So what does that mean to us? Only you can answer that question.

So when he says:‘ask for the power to comprehend how deep, wide and all-encompassing God’s love is…” – let’s just ask expectantly for it! Let’s pretend it’s an important parcel and wait and watch for it to turn up! It’s not like we have to dig and slog away to try and find it. That’s what it says, so why not take the man’s word and ask the Lord for it? I think that sort of comprehension of the power and passion of God’s love for us has to change us, and mark us forever. Let’s ask … and keep on … asking!

Praise the Lord we have a book full of these things and they all belong to us. Feel free to cheer, after you catch your breath at the enormity of it all. Like I said at the beginning, let’s let Paul, as well as Peter, and Jude and John, all the authors of this book, pray for us. It’s in the book, so we can’t get muddled up about it. Bye. 👋

PS: JESUS HIMSELF PRAYED FOR US TOO, THAT’LL REALLY BLOW OUR MINDS! LOOK IT UP. 🤪