Speak Life

I’ve been trying to search and study in the bible about speaking, lips and the tongue. God has been dealing with me on what I speak. Am I speaking value, hope love and life or am I speaking fear, death, slander and rubbish?

I’ve heard people say you need to speak things over you life and over your husband and children’s lives. I used to think that it was weird and dumb. What is speaking something over my life going to do? I honestly laughed when I heard people say that. I thought okay this must be something “those new churches” are teaching. I didn’t see the importance of it.

I literally had an epiphany the other night. It was like the curtain had been drawn back and I could finally see clearly. I was reading the verses again and I heard the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. I thought, yah but words can hurt me… Then BOOM. It hit me. I. finally. got. it.

I had been reading these verses about idle words and how the tongue is a weapon. I never thought about how the tongue could speak life. How it could speak hope? How it could speak love? I am going to share the verses that were most compelling to me on the power of our words.

Proverbs 10 talks about the wisdom of the righteous and what they speak.

Verse 11 is what started this spark. “The mouth of the righteous man is a well of life…”

Verse 13, “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.”

Verse 20-21 “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”

Verse 32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness (rebellion, contrariness, defiance or willfulness).

Proverbs 16:23-24 “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 18:4 “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.”

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat thereof.”

Isiah 50:4 “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

Instead of speaking ill towards each other, let’s speak good will and hope towards one another. Let’s lift each other up. Let’s speak hope and goodness over our lives.

What verses do you think of when you think of this subject?

Listen to Toby Mac’s song! It’s great and catchy! Speak Life

The Roaring Lion

Image via Z3news

Recently I answered the calling to go on a mission trip. I’ve been praying that God will use me and bless this trip. I am also praying that God will make the way for me to go if it is His will.

I am big on prayer. I believe there is so much power in prayer. I also believe that when you decide to answer God and do what He wants of you, you will see Satan fight to make you quit. Satan will attack you, your family, your finances, your health and whatever else he thinks he can reek havoc on. Satan has been attacking me and my family.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

The bible says it plainly. “…your adversary (enemy) the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.

Satan wants to destroy you. He doesn’t want you to do God’s will or answer God’s calling. If you do, you will impact others’ lives. You will spread the gospel and cause others to have a seed planted. If that seed grows and leads to salvation, another soul will be going to Heaven instead of hell with him.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

The thief is Satan. The bible tells us he is here to steal, to kill and to destroy.

He will try to steal your joy, kill your ministry and ultimately destroy you and your relationships.

Recently I have witnessed first hand what Satan will try to do to try to take your focus off of Christ so you will be distracted and start to sink.

He can use others to try to ruin you and your family. We recently had a situation where a family member tried to cause problems for my husband. This person wanted my husband to lose control of his anger. They wanted to see him fail.

I’ve heard the saying whenever you try to do good, evil is always present. It says it in the bible as well.

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me

This is for me as much if not more than it is for anyone else. I love when God speaks to us and puts verses on our minds to help us through.

We serve a mighty and a wonderful God.

Next time you feel like world is caving in or you are in a situation that tries and tempts you, remember that Satan wants to destroy you. Think of the above verses and let them remind you that Jesus will get you through! Remember that when you do good that evil will be present.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Love from above,

Iva Mae

 

The Driver

First let me start by saying I love when God talks to me. I pray a lot and I ask God to reveal things to me and to speak to me. I think if you want God to talk to you, you need to be open to it and you need to ask him to speak to you.

When we ride the motorcycle, I pray and ask God to keep us safe. I talk to God a lot on the motorcycle. We don’t have a radio and I find myself just talking to God and praying over mine and my husband’s lives. Last night I asked God to speak to me, to give me something for this blog. He did.

My husband and I took his motorcycle out last night.I was sitting with my head directly  his and I couldn’t see what was ahead on the road. Normally I lean my head over a little to see but the wind was too much on the highway to do that. I thought well it is okay that I cannot see what is ahead I trust him. BOOM   God spoke and said this is exactly how it is supposed to be with our relationship. A born again believers we are supposed to let God be the pilot and we are to be the co-pilots. When you are a passenger on a motorcycle you cannot “fight” the driver. You lean when he leans. You sit there holding on, not pulling or pushing or trying to be in control. If you do not follow those protocols you can make the driver wreck the motorcycle.

That is also similar with our walk with God. We shouldn’t fight, we should be in sync with God and move when he moves. We don’t want our “motorcycle” to go down because we didn’t go with the driver but wanted to be in control and fought the driver.

When you are a passenger on a motorcycle, you also cannot look behind you, you can make the bike go down. That is also true with our walk with God. You cannot dwell on the past. You are moving forward. There is no reverse on a motorcycle. The driver can back up, turn around and go forward but he cannot put the bike in reverse and go backwards. We don’t want to go backwards, we want to move forward.

The enemy will try to distract you and make you dwell on your past to wreck you and keep you from moving forward. He will make you fear what is ahead because you cannot see that. Your driver (God) can see where you are going and he has planned the course. He knows what lies ahead, He can see the bumps, the potholes and the roads to take next. You’re job is to move when God moves and not to fight His will.

We may feel the future is dim and isn’t promising. It may look like the storm isn’t going to be over anytime soon. Trust your driver to take you through that storm. He will not leave you or forsake you. He will hold you and love you.

My husband will pay my hand every once in a while to see if I’m still there and if I’m doing okay. I will squeeze him to let him know I am okay and that everything is okay. It makes me feel safe and loved when he does that. God is like that too. We may not think He can see us or knows we are there then He gives us that assurance that He is there.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to not do things our own way because we will fail. He will lead us and direct us.

I challenge you and myself this week to ask God to help you let him be in the driver’s seat and that you can trust Him with all your heart. Pray that verse and speak it. Find a verse and cling to it. God will move mountains and He will not fail you. He loves us.

God Bless! Love from above,

Iva Mae

Living by Faith

Let me start off by saying that I fail God daily. Every. Single. Day. I. Fail. Him.

I don’t really know if this blog helps anyone else, but it helps me and it keeps me in check. I write a new post whenever God lays something on my heart. Usually it is on what I am dealing with or going through. God’s been working on me a lot here lately. I am thankful for that!

I have been lacking in my faith. I used to have so much faith but it seems here recently that my faith is lacking. I’ve been questioning myself as to why my faith is lacking. God hasn’t changed, so I know that isn’t it. He never changes. I started examining my life and trying to pinpoint exactly why, when and how it happened. What have I let get in the way? What has gotten in the way? The answer? Iva has gotten in the way. Iva has doubted God’s love. What does God’s love have to do with my faith? Everything. Faith doesn’t work without love. Galations 5:6 “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.“

Faith works by love. At first I was confused by this. Utterly confused. I heard it explained like this. Imagine curtains. You have to have a rod to hang curtains. Try to hang curtains with the curtains on the hooks and not have a rod. The curtains will end up on the floor. Love is the rod that you hang your life on and faith are the hooks. When I heard this analogy, it was like a light bulb went ding ding ding! Bingo! Yatzee! Here it is Iva. Here is your answer. Deep down I have been doubting God’s love for me. I know. Stupid, right?

When I got up the morning that this all me I was in a horrible mood. Some possibly bad news had been given to my husband the day before. I was angry that God would give something then take it away especially something we needed. I drove to work angry. I was moody and grumpy at work and then out of no where the song Living by Faith came to my mind. Living by faith in Jesus above. Trusting confiding in His great love; from all harm safe in His sheltering arm, I’m living by faith and feel no alarm. I love when that happens. God always puts a song on my mind right when I need it. I looked up the hymn and read all the lyrics. I am a lyric nerd. I have trouble with lyrics. Just ask my husband. I sing songs around the house all the time and if I don’t know the lyrics I make them up. Kyle calls me out on it and I say I was just freestylin. Because of this, I like to look up what the lyrics actually are to songs that pop in my head. I also like to hear the song so I typed in Living by Faith on YouTube. I listened to the song and in the suggestions was a message by a preacher named Creflo Dollar. I listened to it and I was blessed. I highly recommended that you watch it. You can listen to it here: The Just shall live by faith

There are 4 verses in the bible that specifically say the just shall live by faith. If it says it 4 times you know it is important!

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:11 “But no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

So we know the just shall live by faith but what does that mean exactly? What is faith by definition? Merriam-Webster says it is: (1) allegiance to duty or a person: loyalty; belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2)belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion: firm belief in something for which there is no proof: complete trust (3) something that is believed especially with strong conviction; without question.

What is the biblical definition of faith? Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is the substance (stuff or essence or base) of the things we hope for but have not actually seen. The bible tell us to walk by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We are to live our lives by love and faith. We need love to have faith. Faith is the belief in God’s love for us. God loves me and I am confident that he will provide for me. He loves me and that is why I have faith in Him and His ability to take care of me. He loves me so much that he would send His only begotten son to die on a cross, bare the sin of the world so that we all could go to Heaven if we accept Christ in our hearts.

I listened to lies from Satan. He is good at his job. Satan will whisper lies. Things like, God isn’t going to take care of you, God will not do that, don’t count on God to make that happen, God doesn’t love you, God won’t forgive you, God can’t use you because you failed, God can’t use you because you’re different, God doesn’t care about you having a car, God doesn’t care about you having a house and so many other lies straight outta the pits of hell. We start to lose our confidence. We doubt ourselves and we doubt God’s love. Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

Satan will attack your confidence. He will remind you of past mistakes, shortcomings and failures to get your state of mind to make you feel like you are under God’s judgement instead of the blood.  It will make you think that God won’t help you because of something you did in the past. That is not true. If you are a born again Christian, you are under the blood! Yes we will fail and fall short. When you do you can go to God in prayer and ask for forgiveness and he will lift you up.

When you pray, pray with the confidence that God will do what you have asked Him. I think faith and confidence go together. I sit in my chair because I am confident it will hold me. Because God loves me, he will provide for me. Phillipians 4:19 “But God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The bible says it right there. He will provide my need according to HIS riches in glory. All that I have is His. Anything that I get it His. I just get to borrow it.

I love when God takes the veil off so that I can see the things I need to. I don’t know if anyone else ever feels or has felt the way that I had been but this helped me. God loves His children. He will take care of us. That doesn’t mean we won’t have trials or hard times. This means that God will provide for us when we need it.

God I ask that you would lift the veil off those who need it lifted off so that their eyes can see what you need them to see through your word. Help those today who may be struggling and those whose faith is being tested. Give them the strength they need to endure and let them feel your loving arms. I ask all these things in your name. Amen.

May all of you have a blessed Easter. He is risen!! Today is Friday… but Sunday is coming!!

Love from above, Iva Mae

P.S. I apologize if this post seemed scatter brained. It took me 3 days to finish this.

 

Don’t Give Up

I thought for sure by now that God would have answered my prayers. I don’t even know where to begin with where life has taken me these past few months. I’ve been desperately wanting something. Praying for something and it hasn’t happened.

I was reading my daily devotion today and it was like my eyes were opened it and I felt a peace. I’m reading Elisha: A Tale of Ridiculous Faith in my Bible Ap. I love it! I get something out of every day’s devotion. Today’s was on a miracle of Elisha. 2 miracles happened in this section of scripture I was reading (2 Kings 4:3-37). 1. Elisha told the Shunammite woman she would have a baby 2. Elisha brought the child back to life when he had died.

I’ve read this story many times. I failed to notice that it took Elisha 2x to bring the child back to life. I’ve never noticed that before. The devotional content talked about the fact that it didn’t happen the first time Elisha tried to bring the child back to life. It asked, how many times have we been in Elisha’s position? We’ve prayed and asked God for something knowing that he would do it, but it hasn’t happened yet. It may not happen for months or years. Don’t give up or lose heart! Just because you aren’t successful the first time doesn’t mean that God will not answer your prayer! God knows best and he knows what the best timing would be for what you have asked for.

I have wanted a baby for a long time. When people would ask me when my husband and I were going to have kids, I’d just give the answer that my dog was my baby and he was the only baby I needed. In my heart I was angry that someone would ask. I felt like they were saying I wasn’t whole without a baby but truth was that, that was how I felt. I felt like I wasn’t whole. It has taken me some time to realize that even if I never have  a baby, God makes me whole. It is God who completes me.

A few weeks ago I went to the alter because God was dealing with me about me being angry. I was angry for several reasons. 1. I wanted a baby. 2. I was pregnant but not long after I knew I was I lost it. I didn’t understand why God would take something from me that I wanted so badly. All of my cousins had babies. Most of my friends had them as well and I couldn’t understand why they could but I couldn’t.

I told my Daddy at the alter why I wanted to pray. He said baby, remember Hannah. He anointed me and asked God to give me the desires of my heart. It still has happened yet, but I am not giving up! I haven’t shared this with anyone but my close friends and my immediate family. I hate sharing my feelings because I hate when people feel sorry for you. I hate that! Don’t judge me, it is just the way that I am. I felt compelled to share this because I have read 3 different things about waiting for something that you have asked God for. I think a lot people are in similar situations. They may not be in the exact same situation but are in a waiting period in their lives.

If you are in a waiting period, do not give up. Don’t be angry at God. Realize that He knows what is best for us and in Hid timing our prayers will be answered. For now cling onto that hope from Psalms 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

This is the verse I am praying and clinging to.

May God Bless you!

Love from above,

Iva Mae

Come To The Well

I have what you need, but you keep on searchin’. I’ve done all the work, but you keep on workin’. When you’re runnin’ on empty and you can’t find the remedy, Just come to the well.

You can spend your whole life chasin’ what’s missing but that empty inside, just ain’t gonna listen. When nothing can satisfy and the world leaves you high and dry, come to the well.

The above lyrics from Casting Crowns, The Well stuck out to me. I’m done searching for something that I cannot get myself. I’m done stressing over things I cannot control. I’m done chasing things that do not bring me happiness. I am done holding onto things that I need to give to God fully!

I have had a mindset lately that has brought me down. I have let so many things bog me down and keep me in chains. I’ve let Satan have a hay day in my mind.

I forgot who the true enemy was. I have been dwelling on financial mistakes that I’ve made and worrying over how to fix them. I cannot fix it. I know God can but I don’t want to let my burdens go. I keep looking at what every body else has and dwelling on what I don’t.

The above verse says several things.

1. Take Heed- take caution, pay attention!
2. Beware of covetousness- watch out for your desire to have what others have.
3. Your life is not in the things that you own or don’t own.

L.U.S.T. – Living under Satan’s Thumb. We all lust after something.

We all have a desire/lust for more than what we have. Sometimes it becomes so strong that it takes over our thoughts and our lives. It will drive a wedge between you and God really quick.

God is the source of all joy and happiness. He has store houses full of things that we need.

Luke 12:28-30 “ If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.“

God know what we need. He will feel the emptiness. He will take the burdens. All we have to do is go to him. He will fill our empty vessels.

Sometimes to be filled we must first be empty. We must get rid of the pursuit of perfection, fears, temporary pleasures, earthly treasures, dried up & empty religion, chains of addiction and guilt that brings you down (These are all mentioned at the end of the Casting Crowns song The Well).

We must lay those things that have filled us up and left us filling empty. Give it to God. I have the hardest time doing that. I like to be in control. I hate to lose control of anything.

…life hits you out of nowhere and barely leaves you holding on. and when you’re tired of fighting chained by your control, there’s freedom in surrender. Lay it down and let it go…

I am still working on letting go and letting God. It is hard for me.

God has a never ending well and water that will quench your thirst. (John 4)

I am going to be working on letting go of my worry, my doubt, my fear and letting God take care of me. He can do it better than I can.

I know this was short and simple but this has been on my heart. I encourage you to listen to the songs below and to pray and ask God to help you let go of the things you need to and to fill your emptiness with his love.

Songs:

The Well by Casting Crowns

Just Be Held by Casting Crowns

Broken </3

We hear the word broken and typically the first thing that comes to mind is – “How are we gonna fix it?” or “How are we going to replace it?”

We have broken cars, washers, refrigerators, lawn mowers, plumbing, bones, lives, families, hearts, dreams  and homes.

What is the actual definition of broken? Is it something so far gone that it cannot be fixed? It is something meant to be left broken or is it meant to be fixed?

According to Oxford Dictionary Broken is:

1. having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order:

synonyms: smashed · shattered · fragmented · splintered · crushed

1. (a person) having given up all hope; despairing:synonyms: defeated · beaten · subdued · demoralized · dispirited

So broken is something damaged. It can be something that isn’t whole (one piece), It can be shattered, crushed, smashed or splintered. It can be something that no longer works. It can even be someone who has given up.

Recently my husband and I both have broken bones. I broke my toe and he broke his finger. I was angry when I broke my toe. I was so angry. It was an accident. Accidents happen but I didn’t want something like that to happen to me. I have too many things to do and I couldn’t walk as fast and could barely walk at all. I thought how could something so small cause me so many problems? My husband went roughly through the same thing. He couldn’t put his boots on or take them off. He found himself frustrated that he wasn’t physically able to do something. Both of us have had a lot of physical pain associated with these breaks.

I found myself really behind on my housework, laundry, dishes and everything else. My house was a mess and still kind of is. All of that got me thinking about how our bodies work. My toe is a small member of my body but when it is broken, my entire body and life suffers. The same goes with the body of Christ. When a member is broken, no matter how small, it is noticeable and until there is healing the whole body will suffer.

When a person is broken that doesn’t mean we need to fix them or that they are no longer worth saving. Jesus came to save the world and provide healing to those who are broken. God tells us so in His word. Isiah 53:5 “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

When we are broken we need rest. We need God to pick up the pieces and make them whole again. Our church had a revival a few weeks ago. I was only able to make it to one night. The night I went, the preacher preached about being broken by things we allow into our lives and by circumstances. He had a flower pot and spun it around in his hands and threw it up and caught it. He said we allow more and more things into lives and we let our vessel get loose. The next thing you know your vessel ends up so loose that it falls from your hands and breaks. He threw the pot behind him and it broke into many pieces. He said you can try and try to pick up the pieces but you can’t. He also said you can’t be used when you are a broken vessel. God won’t use a broken vessel. (One reason when members of the body of Christ are broken the whole body suffers)

The only way to get whole again is to get down on your knees and ask God to heal you and forgive you and to help you. He got down on his knees as he said this. He said God will pick up your pieces and he will put you back together again. He held up a new pot for us all to see what God can do with our lives and vessels.

At the time I was struggling with many things and I felt so convicted over his message. I had been broken for a long time and had not gone to God for my healing. The preacher went on to say that we could have broken marriages, lives, vessels, witnesses, homes whatever and that God would heal it. I felt so overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit telling me to go to the alter and ask for forgiveness and healing. I am glad that I did because I walked away feeling whole again. I walked away with hope and with a renewed heart and soul.

Sometimes we have to be broken to be made whole. God can make you whole. He can restore you and revive you. He will pick up your pieces and put you back together. It may be painful. The healing may be a process like the healing of a broken bone, but don’t give up!!! Keep praying, keep reading, keep trusting and keep the faith!

Whatever is broken in your life whether it be; your marriage, your heart, your life, your mind, your spirit, your witness, your finances, your body – come to Jesus and ask for a healing. If you’ve let sin slip into your life, come to Jesus. He will give you healing and forgiveness.

I always feel awkward writing a prayer but I need to do what is on my heart.

God,

I ask that you speak to the hearts of those who read this. I ask that you would provide healing in whatever aspect of life that it is needed. I ask you to give them a renewal of their hearts, souls and minds. I thank you for what you’ve done and what you will do. I ask that you flood each person’s life who reads this with your love. God we know you are exceeding and able to do all things and we know that you will. I ask that if someone is reading this and they used to be on fire for you that you would stir up their hearts and start a fire in them again. I ask you to give peace and comfort and joy to those who are without it. Lord we ask that if there is someone reading this who doesn’t know you, that they will come to know you. Use us Lord and let us be your vessels. I ask all these things in your name, Amen.

My hope for you is that you will come to the well that never goes dry and that you will get what you need.

Love from above,

Iva Mae

It Is Well

So let go my soul and trust in Him. The waves and wind still know His name.

2 Kings 4:26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

I love the story in 2 Kings 4. My summary of the story in 2 Kings 4 is this:

Elisha the prophet went through the town of Shunam quite a bit. A Shunammite woman always offered bread to Elisha when he would pass by. He came that way so much that her and her husband made him a bed at their house for him to stay when he came by that way. The man and woman found favor in Elisha’s eyes. Elisha told them she would have a son within the year and she did just like he said. When he was older, he fell ill and died. The Shunammite woman laid him on Elisha’s bed in their house and got on a donkey to go to Elisha. Her husband asked why she was going to see Elisha and she answered IT IS WELL. When she got close, Elisha saw her and sent his servant to get her. Elisha’s servant asked if everything was okay she replied IT IS WELL. Even thought her little son had died, she said it is well. She fell before Elisha’s feet. He knew something was wrong and she was “vexed in her soul”. She asked him did she not desire a son and to not deceive her. Elisha knew something was wrong with her son so he and the woman traveled back to her house, where he saw the boy was dead. He prayed to God & the child came back to life.

What gets me about this story, is that the Shunammite woman continually said IT IS WELL. Her circumstances were horrible. She lost the son that God had given her, but she refused to let that bring her down. I’ve said it before but attitude can make such a HUGE difference in your life.

I think sometimes in life we focus so much on the circumstances. We become blinded by all the bad things, unhappiness and the negativity that we forget that God can help us. We take on a poor attitude and outlook (I’m so guilty of this). The Shunammite woman was heartbroken! Her son that she never expected to have had died. Loosing a child would be devastating. She knew the only way she would get through and the only way to get help was to go to the man of God.

My soul has been weary and unsettled. I just feel burnt out and exhausted. I have had a bad attitude and have been in a bad overall mood for a long time. I was praying this morning, God please help me in my time of unhappiness and heartache I can’t take this anymore! The song It Is Well With My Soul came to mind. I LOVE when God speaks to me like that. I started singing it to myself. Then I looked it up on YouTube because I couldn’t remember the words. I am horrible with remembering words to songs! I listened to the Hymn version and saw a video It Is Well by Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music. I listened to it and was just overwhelmed with peace. I loved the line “So let go my soul and trust in Him. The waves and wind still know His name.” It just spoke to me. No matter how the storms may rage in my life God still has power over them! The winds and oceans have to obey God. He is in control and I can say IT IS WELL!

I have a hard time of letting go sometimes. I try to take things on myself. I am strong-willed and independent. I hate for anyone to do something for me, I’d rather just do it myself. I struggle a lot with letting go and letting God handle my circumstances. In the past few years I’ve learned more and more how to do this. I just feel like I’m burdening God with things that are silly or don’t matter. God cares about me and he cares about what I am going through. He loves us. He loves us so much, he gave his ONLY son to die on a cross for OUR sins. We just have to get over ourselves and surrender to him. Even though circumstances haven’t changed, I know God can change them. If he doesn’t, he will get me through! I know God hears my prayers! There is peace in that alone. Through it all I am going to say IT IS WELL!!

Below is a link to the YouTube version of It Is Well by Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music as well as a link to It Is Well (Elisha’s Song) by the Isaacs

God bless!

Iva Mae

It Is Well by Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music

https://youtu.be/YNqo4Un2uZI

It Is Well (Elisha’s Song) by The Isaacs

https://youtu.be/w87KlbHCZJw

His Eye is on The Sparrow

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Often I feel like I don’t matter and that my problems don’t matter to God. That is NOT true at all. If it matters to me it matters to God. He cares about me and he cares about my problems and my circumstances. He says in His word that He knows when a sparrow falls and to FEAR NOT! We are of more value than sparrows. If God knows when a small little bird falls, He knows what we need when we need it. It matters to him. We are important to Him!! We can go to Him with our problems, cares and worries!

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

God says in His word that he is a place of rest! He is also a refuge and a help when we are in trouble (Psalms 46:1). We can go to Him and be safe no matter what is bothering us. A refuge is shelter or protection from danger or trouble; a place that provides shelter or protection. Asking for help can be humbling. It is for me. I’m so independent and have been since birth. It’s a good habit that has it faults. Especially when it comes to asking for help when I need it. I still somehow think I can do it on my own.

1 Peter 5:6 & 7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

God’s word tells us what to do. We just sometimes do not want bother Him. I feel that way often. I believe that what I feel or what I am going through isn’t worthy of God’s time, but that is wrong. God says so clearly in His word to cast all your cares on Him.

I woke up this morning with the song “Better than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant on my mind. The words “We pour out our miseries God just hears a melody. Beautiful the mess we are the honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah sometimes” just keep going through my mind over and over again this morning. I said God what are you trying to tell me. I started reading and all of the verses above just spoke to me. I don’t have to fear, I don’t have to worry or hurt. God can take that for me. He wants to or He wouldn’t have told us in His word to cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you.

It’s a learning process every day as a Christian. I’m learning something new and understanding something more than I did before. I know now not to worry about taking anything to God, big or small, he will help me.

God Bless!!

Love from above,

Iva Mae

Treasures

I read Matthew 6 this morning and it really touched my heart. The whole chapter is filled with nuggets of information on how to live your life as a Christian. One of the things it talks about giving tithes but to do it in secret not make a show about it and God will openly bless you for it. It says the same thing about prayer and fasting. It goes further to talk about treasures.

Verse 20 & 21 says “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.”

The chapter also says not to take thought about what you will, eat, drink or wear. Jesus says the birds are fed by God and how much better are we than birds. Why wouldn’t God take care of us?! Verse 30 says “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

God will provide for us! He will meet our needs! We may not have the newest or most expensive things in life, but we will have what we need and that is a lot more than what others have. Times are hard. My husband and I both work full time and sometimes ends still don’t always meet the way I think they should. Right after we purchased our house I quit paying tithes because I felt that they were cutting into bills. By cutting out tithing I was actually cutting off my nose to spite my face.

Financially our life was going down the toilet. We racked up debt because I had to buy groceries, gas and other essentials with a credit card because we just didn’t have enough money. I was complaining to my Mom about it one day. She said “Iva, I can tell you why things aren’t working out. You’re not giving God your first fruits. No matter what you think, write your check to the church first out of every pay and see what happens. It may seem bad, but God will make a way. He always will work it out when you’re doing what you’re supposed to.” She also told me there were times where her and Dad didn’t think they were going to make it or the washer went out and somehow they had just enough to cover whatever they needed.

I can say that since I have been paying tithes, we have been tight on money but we have always had exactly what we needed and we haven’t overdrawn our bank account.

Instead of giving to God and placing my treasures & faith in God, I was placing them in materialistic things.

I have learned and grown from my mistake.

Since then, I have placed all my financial trust in God. I know he will take care of us as long as I do what I am supposed to and as long as I give him something to work with.

My treasures are not in money or materialistic things anymore. I may be poor to some but I am rich and I am blessed beyond all measure and God has been good!!! I have a thankful heart and I will never cease to praise him.

Last week we only had $5 until we got paid and we were out of produce and a lot of other things. I was almost out of bread and PB&J’s were getting old. My Mom went to the store and purchased some salad stuff and some fruit for us. I know God placed that on her heart to do for us. I have wonderful parents and wonderful in-laws.

Just remember “FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.” Matthew 6:21

I hope this helped someone as much as it has me! God Bless!

Love from above,

Iva Mae