Be Still My Soul

Do you ever just need your soul to "be still?" To just feel some peace within? I can tell you that many times I do...

Lately I have been struggling with many things in my life. Some of them are from current situations and some are from my past. After a melt down earlier in the week the Lord started really dealing with me about my mind set. So, over the last three days this is some of what took place for me.

I would open my bible and turn to scriptures like...

2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Isaiah 43:13
“From eternity to eternity I am God.
      No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
      No one can undo what I have done.”

Isaiah 63:7
I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
      I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
   I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
      which he has granted according to his mercy and love.

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.

I read many more scriptures that are wonderful...too many to list.

While reading and really just asking the Lord to help me with all of this, things started happening. At one point I had the thought...I really just have to make a pivotal change in my mind set. No more waffling back and forth. When things go wrong don't think about going back to my old ways. They don't work. Only use Gods ways because I know they work. Then it would seem that as soon as I would stop reading and talking to the Lord it would start all over again. It was just feelings of hopelessness. So when I was home I would read more and just talk to the Father and keep asking for help. Then this morning I found a scripture in Isaiah that really just did something for me...

Isaiah 62:3
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
      a splendid crown in the hand of God.

After reading the scripture I looked at the study notes. It says how names really mean something. This scripture is Isaiah calling believers..."a splendid crown in the hand of God."  It asks the questions...How does that change your self perception? I thought about it. My self perception has not been real good. Then...the next line. GOD has given you a new identity---Live It!! Wow...that just slapped me between the eyes! It makes me think of this passage...Colossians 3:1-17. Out of that passage one verse sticks out...

Colossians 3:10

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

I need to live out my new life trusting that the Lord has me in His hand. He has my life in His control. I have a new identity in Him...I need too believe it and live like it. He will not let me go!

Satan fights for our souls every minute of every day. How we react to what he does makes a huge difference. We can believe his lies and start on the path that leads us down into the dark valleys or...we can tell him he is a liar and to get away. Then start praising the Lord...worshiping...reading the Word...and anything else that keeps your mind set on the Lord! You have got to stay strong and fight. We live in a constant battle for our minds...which leads to a battle for our souls. We don't want to lose that battle.

One other thing that has helped me is an old song I listen to every night before I go to sleep...Be Still My Soul/What A Friend We Have In Jesus by Selah. Here is the link to watch the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRb5blYUQpc

Jesus...the Healer of our souls...if we will let Him be!!

Change...Embrace It!

Change...it's hard. There are only two times in my life when I remember embracing change. One was a little over six years ago when I left California and moved to Idaho. The second time was three years and nine months ago when I became a christian. Those were the two things I knew I wanted to change in my life. Since becoming a christian there has been many changes take place...and still more that need to take place!! The Lord is trying to help me with those but the name on my blog contains "rebel" for a reason...I know how to resist change!! Not that resisting is a good thing but sometimes old habits are really hard to beat. Well, today when I woke up what immediately came to my mind was that there was going to be...some change take place today. The funny thing about it is...

I didn't even try the resisting thing. I just looked up and said...Okay Lord, I will. For most people this would be so easy. Go to someones house...that I know...where there is going to be some other single women from church...and "fellowship"!! Fellowship..the state of sharing mutual interests, experiences, activities, etc. That is one of the most difficult things...ever...for me to do! Talking to one person at a time can sometimes be hard. But I decided...you only die once in this life so I might as well give it my best shot! All kidding aside...so to speak...there is a reason for this post other than to tell you what's wrong with my personality. Change has a purpose in your life...

No matter how much you are shaking...how many knots your stomach is tied in...how hard it is to find the right words to the questions...or any words at all for that matter...God works through change. What we are supposed to be doing as Christians is growing. God uses change to change us! So when we are presented with the opportunity to take on change in our lives we should embrace it. Not like you would embrace a porcupine but like you would embrace a nice, soft, cuddly little puppy! You see...Jesus is always the same. He never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

So...I decided to read some scriptures about peace because the closer it gets...the more knots there are!! LOL Here are some of the scriptures.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (New Living Translation)
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”


1 Peter 5:7 (New Living Translation)
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you

John 14:27 (Amplified Bible) Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

What do these three scriptures say to you? For me, in this time...


Don't worry about anything. God will be there before and with me. He cares about about me and won't leave me or let me down. So go...embrace the change He wants you to experience...and grow!

   

Matthew 11:28-30

For me writing is a little like therapy. It seems once I start to write about what is bothering me...the Lord speaks things into my soul. Things that help me to understand. So tonight as I was talking to the Father I picked up my bible and asked Him to please just show me something to read that would help me. This is what I turned to immediately.

Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

This was perfect. Tonight I really need to feel the rest that only He can give. I read it a few times and my soul really did feel lighter. Then I just glanced over to the side at the references and saw this verse.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Many times I have read these verses and I love them. But tonight...they were even more special. Right now I'm not going to go into the reasons, however...one day I will. The Lord has already dropped into my thoughts the title for a post soon to come. I also know that first...He has to prepare me. Everything is always in His time!!

God is good all the time...and all the time...God is good!!