Mary Kane blessed us with an incredibly important Bible Study yesterday on James 1:21-15.  For me, it was also a tough topic – being a doer of God’s Word, not just a hearer.  I find it much easier to read or hear Scripture and hope it works some “magic” in me, changing me as I listen.  The fact is, and as Mary’s study points out, the more time I spend in the Bible the more I realize that God expects me to do the sometimes hard work of living out my faith.  There are times in life when we come to a fork in the road and have to decide if we are going act in faith or not.

What does it look like to be a doer of the work (verse 25) when your child has a serious illness?  We must begin by looking at our own “filthiness and overflow of wickedness” (verse 21), as my New King James Version puts it.  Sometimes, when we read such strong words, it can be easy to think, “I’m not that bad!”  When asked to describe ourselves, I don’t think many of us would say, “I’m overflowing with wickedness.”  Let’s read a couple of different versions to help us get a clearer picture of what James was talking about…

So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage.  In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

~ The Message

Put out of your life all that is unclean and wrong. Receive with a gentle spirit the Word that was taught. It has the power to save your souls from the punishment of sin.

~ New Life Version

Has the enemy whispered to you that God doesn’t really care, or that He can’t help you?  Has he predicted evil and darkness over your child’s life?  Has he condemned you with the lie that God is silent and/or causing this because you are too sinful?  It is wrong, a cancerous evil, and, yes, wicked to believe the enemy’s lies over our Father’s promises and truths.

Once we begin treating his lies as truth and let it haunt our minds, we open the door to more filth – fear, doubts about God and His goodness or power, avoiding God because our sinfulness overwhelms us and makes us wrongly afraid of Him, trusting man (doctors) more than we trust God.  Have you said or heard someone else say, “If God is loving, why did He let this (children starving in Africa, Hitler slaughter millions of Jews, my child’s illness, etc.) happen?”  Doesn’t that question sound familiar? (Underlining is mine.)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 ~  Genesis 3:1, New International Version

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

~ Matthew 4:3, New King James Version

and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and,‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

~ Matthew 4:6, New King James Version

    Our enemy is clever, his lies are mixed with small doses of truth.  Every question he asks, every statement he makes is designed to plant a seed of doubt that he knows will grow rapidly.  If we do not keep that seed from taking root in our souls, he has successfully made us hearers of the word only.  We can not be doers of God’s word and His kingdom works because we are too afraid of God and the future.  It may very well be your biggest work as a Christian to daily reject those lies and practice living the truth.

My prayer is that as you read this article, you will hear God’s word for you and not the enemy’s because I fearfully understand that he could use this post to heap guilt onto you.  May you be free from any false-guilt that is not yours to carry, but may He shine His healing light on any sin He wants to help you remove.

I’d like to leave you with some verses to help you to begin, right now, to reject the lies of our enemy.  I encourage you to keep track of the promises and truths of God as you find them in your own Bible readings.  Jot them done on index cards or a page in your journal, anywhere that’s easy for you to read often.

(In speaking to the Jews who did not believe in Him, Jesus said,) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

 ~ John 8:44, New King James Version

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

~ Psalm 31:14, NKJV

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

~ John 4:8, NKJV

O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

~ Isaiah 25:1, NKJV

In His Love,

Kimberly

kimberly@kimberlyehlers.com

“‘I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth,’” (Revelation 3:15-16, New Living Translation).

     Sometimes people think that this passage means that God would rather have us hot, on fire for Him or cold and against Him.  I know that for a very long time I thought that “cold” referred to someone who was either angry with God or rejected Him, as in giving God the cold-shoulder.
     My pastor explained that at that time there were two types of springs in the area of this particular church.  One spring was a hot spring.  The warmth was comforting and people drank from it like we drink hot tea or coffee.  The other spring was cold.  It provided people with a refreshing drink.  Lukewarm water just doesn’t taste as good as the others!
Understanding that, makes God’s meaning in these verses much clearer.
     If you listened to my audio “Day of Miracles” (grab your copy by signing up for The Heart Connection Ezine), you heard me tell of Seth’s big moment of choice.  As he walked to the operating room he had to decide if he was going to trust God or not.  He chose to trust.  (I didn’t know about this decision until days later.)
     Moments like Seth’s are the kind of moments that can leave us passionate about God.  When we face something that terrifies us or we hit rock bottom, we are also coming to the point where our only choice is to either grab onto God’s hand and trust Him or stay stuck in our pit.  When we choose Him and we experience His powerful love protecting, helping and saving us or faith grows.  We’re excited about what He’s done and it renews our spirits.  We fall deeply in love with God.
     That passion, though, often fades.  Our faith neither refreshes our spirit or leaves us comforted, trusting in Him.  Our faith becomes something we simply believe – we become lukewarm.
     This passage from Revelation tells us what kind of faith God wants for us.  He wants our faith in Him to renew us when things get tough – like a cold glass of water after mowing in the hot sun.  He wants it to give us peace in the middle of a storm – like hot chocolate during a blizzard.  It’s an active faith that dictates our lives.
     Are you there, my friend, living the faith God wants for you or have you fallen into a pitfall of doubt?  Does your faith really matter to you?  Not sure?  Pick up your copy of my free report “Does Faith Matter?”  Find out what the pitfalls are that we so easily fall in to (yes, there’s more than one), how to avoid or get out of them, and the incredible blessings God has for you when you are “hot or cold”, walking in true, life-changing faith.  Don’t go another day without it!

 In His Love,

Kimberly

You may have heard me say before that I originally wrote “The Faith Challenge” for my family.  We were facing Seth’s open-hear surgery, and I wanted to get back to the days after Seth’s birth, when my faith was its absolute strongest.  I wanted my family, especially Seth since he was the one having the major surgery, to have that kind of faith too.  I can’t get away from the fact that when I look back on the roller coaster ride my faith has been on, the peaks have always come when I lived on and believed God’s Word.  The times when faith really carried me came from reading Scripture, thinking about it, and applying it to my life.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  But it’s not so easy to do.  Oh, we can read His Word, but we often resort back to doing what our feelings urge us to do in times of trouble.
     In the early morning hours before one of Seth’s appointments years ago, I read 2 Kings 6:16-17, “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’  And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha,” (New King James Version).  How timely God is.  While I am very thankful for the care Seth has always received, the hospital we go to is state funded and works very had to keep God out.  I have to say that Seth’s current doctor is a blessing, and we wish we had always had him, but for many years, we struggled with our doctors.  When your child is so seriously ill, you would love for your doctor to be a Christian.  It would have been a relief, and we would have felt more like a team with the doctor.  Instead, we always felt that we had to be guarded and prayed for lots of protection because doctors seemed to look at Seth as an experiment.  His case was rare, and we worried that the things they wanted to try were more for the sake of science than for Seth’s best.  His appointments felt like us vs. them.  So, after reading these verses, I walked into the hospital praying for eyes to see those with us.  While I didn’t see the Heavenly warriors, I knew we were surrounded.  Anxiety was replaced by peace.
     On my Facebook page, we have something called “Faith Fridays”.  I share a healing verse along with a couple of thoughts.  Last Friday’s verse is one of my favorites, and on that day, it really caused me to think, so I’d like to share our latest Faith Friday post with all of you.  This is what I wrote, “These verses make me cry.  The woman’s years trying one thing after another, hoping each time that this will finally be the thing that cures her – that’s easy to relate to, isn’t it?  Her miraculous belief even after all her struggles that just a touch of Jesus would heal her… And sweet, compassionate Jesus’ response.  It wasn’t enough for Him to heal someone; He had to know the person too.  He had to look her in the eyes and bless her with not just healing, but love.  Are you weary of trying this and that?  Are you desperate to touch Him?  Dear One, He’s longing for you too…

     This verse comes from Mark 5:25-34, New King James Version:

     ‘Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”  

     Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”  
     But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”  
     And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”’ 

     I’ve experienced the help of faith, this woman clearly did, what about you?  How has your faith helped you?  Is there a particular time that your faith got you through?  Has it helped you to endure?  Please share your story of faith below.
     Also, if you would like to continue growing your faith, click this link and sign up to get your FREE copy of my report “Does Faith Matter?”  Find out just how much it DOES matter and how to remove the junk keeping you from great faith.

In His Love,
Kimberly
P.S.  Why not join us on Facebook?  We’d love to have you there!

Yep, it’s another audio!  As I explain in the audio, I have a message that I believe is incredibly important and the best way to share it is to say it!

Here’s a hint – Doubts in God’s trustworthiness and goodness are common to someone whose child has a serious illness.  But do you know just how dangerous those doubts can become?  They’re no joke and they’re nothing to tolerate.

Join me in discussing the serious pitfalls of a lack of faith, how you can aviod them, and, best of all, open yourself up to receive all the blessings God wants to heap upon you!

(The blessings alone are worth 30 minutes of your time, don’t ya think?  Plus you’ll help ease my guilty conscious for not sharing this sooner! :) )

Grab your free report! (You’ll understand this after listening to the audio!)

Download audio file (Lackoffaith.mp3)

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Lack of Faith - right click to download

In His Love,

Kimberly

If you are signed up for my ezine “The Heart Connection”, you received some pages I created to help you better see your immense value to God, who He really is, and what His promises to you are.

I have a promise I’d like you to add to your list.  It comes from James 5:16b and says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,” (New International Version 2011). 

I confess that I have missed this verse, and I don’t want you to miss it!  Your prayers for your child and their illness are powerful and effective!  Did you know that?  Do you believe it?

Dear One, it doesn’t matter if you feel righteous or not.  If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you have been made righteous.  “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness],” (2 Corinthians 5:21, Amplified Bible).  I like this version because it does such a good job of defining what righteous really is.  Being righteous simply means to be right with God.   Your belief in Jesus has placed you under His wing where you are covered in His righteousness.  It’s not yours to create, it’s His free gift, which you received just because you said, “Yes, I believe!”

If your prayers don’t feel powerful, as if they’re causing great things to happen, look at how you’re praying.  Are you praying in confidence of your righteousness in Christ, coming boldly to the throne room of your Father who loves you deeply, or are you praying in fear and doubt?  It’s OK, Dear One, if your confidence is shaken right now.  God has more than enough grace to cover your doubts.  Never forget the Mark 9:24 father’s prayer, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”  It’s a prayer Jesus honors.

Start where you are.  Ask God to help your unbelief and fight off your fears.  Fear is not of God.  It belongs solely to the enemy.  (Of course, we’re not talking about the good fear or awe of God or the fear He gives us to protect us from danger.  It’s wise to be afraid to walk down a dark alley at night by yourself.)  Ask Him to help you understand and believe in your righteousness through Christ.  Then, Sweet Friend, make the effort to believe the truth about who you are. 

What is on your heart right now?  What do you need God to do for your child?  Take a chance.  If you don’t feel confident in your righteousness, fake it!  See yourself as the person you will be; the woman living in a right relationship with God.  Soon, you will trust in Christ’s gift of righteousness and fully accept it.  You will be able to call God, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15) and pray powerfully with expectation.

As I mentioned in the beginning, my latest edition of “The Heart Connection” focused on knowing who we are to God and how to immerse ourselves in His Truth.  When we know the Truth we can reject the enemy’s lies and pray confidently – 2 things Mom’s of children with serious illness really need to do!  If you’d like a copy of this ezine, sign up using the form on the right of the page, and I’ll send you one ASAP . 

In His Love,
Kimberly
Kimberly@kimberlyehlers.com

As many of you know,  my husband and I have one child, a boy, now 12.  There are a couple of reasons I remember his birth like it was yesterday.  First, it was the most incredible life changing experience I’ve ever had.  Yes, even bigger than getting married.  After all, I knew the man I was marrying well.  On May 29, 1998 I met my baby boy for the first time.  He was no longer the mysterious baby I carried everywhere with me for 9 months.  He made his entrance into the world full of personality.  A little one I had to get to know.  The second reason I remember his birth so well is because it was the day I heard those words, “Something is wrong with your baby.”
     After a day of labor, my husband and I spent our evening waiting for test results.  Those tests found multiple heart defects.  Seth had his first open heart surgery at 4 days old.
     Maybe you were told there was a problem during an ultrasound.  Maybe you were like us, surprised with bad news the day your child was born.  What is a mommy to do when she hears those dreaded words, “Something is wrong”?  Well, it’s normal to first go through shock and disbelief followed by feelings of fear and panic. When the panic subsides, we experience a heightened instinct to protect our baby.  That desire drives our every thought turning us into a mama bear.  We demand answers.  We expect the doctor to “fix it” and we tirelessly seek information.  (Actually, we’re very tired, but we are even more determined to find answers.)
     Dear One, can I tell you though, that after our initial panic, we must fight to seek God above medicine, doctors, and information?  We must force ourselves to run to His loving arms before we run to the doctor or the internet.  When we need help making a decision and our child needs healing, we must seek God’s intervention first.  Even in emergencies, we run to Him first, praying for wisdom, protection, and our child’s health as we drive to the hospital.  We hand the hospital, the doctor, our child over to God.  After all, we need Him to be in control of everything that’s happening right now.  We decide to trust that He is good and wants good for our family.  We cling to the promise He makes us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,” (New King James Version).  (I highly recommend keeping this verse near by all the time.  You will need to remind yourself of God’s word to you often.)
     Not only does God have good plans for our families and is ultimately in control of our lives, but He wants us to turn to Him first.  I wrestle with sharing this verse with you, because if you are a mommy whose child has a serious health problem, I’m afraid you will grab on to its harsh beginning.  I want to protect you from the scary, painful thoughts that it’s sure to stir up in your mind.  PLEASE, read the whole verse and let me share with you what I think God wants you to understand.  Listen to how 1 Chronicles describes King Saul (underlining is mine), “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD;” (1 Chronicles 10: 13-14a, New King James Version).  Did you hear that?  King Saul turned to another human instead of turning to God.  Can you feel how that broke God’s heart?  The God who loved Saul, and thought good thoughts of Him, who wanted so much for Saul’s future was rejected and replaced by a person. 
     King Saul wasn’t the only one to do this to God.  King Asa, who once removed his own mother from the throne because of her idol worship, turned away from God (underlining mine), “And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians,” (2 Chronicles 16:12, New King James Version).
     Both of these men began by loving God passionately.  Both also gradually walked away from that love and focused it on someone else.  King Saul turned to his many wives and their idols.  King Asa lost his trust in God and gave it to others – first the Syrians and then a doctor. 
     If you take the time to read about these kings, you see how their turning from God led to their gradual death – a death that was just as spiritual as it was physical.  King Saul and King Asa were both dedicated to God.  Their relationship with Him led them to walk in confidence because they knew God.  They knew His plan.  They trusted in Him completely.  But, eventually, Saul became driven to insanity by his sin.  Asa’s fear grew and he trusted in people who harmed him instead.  Their confident walk became a sick crawl.
     Can you see how Saul’s unfaithfulness killed him?  Both of these great kings began to die the moment they trusted in someone else.  The life of God that filled them seeped out slowly and steadily with each new sin.  Every time they rejected Him, darkness, fear, and evil filled the void of the love they lost.  Their vibrant lives were gone. 
     So, what do we learn from these kings?  Well, sometimes it’s easy to trust God.  Sometimes it’s not.  It’s in those times that it’s all too easy to trust in others.  Those are the times we need to fight for our faith.  We decide to turn to God before anyone else.
     If we turn to science and the people who study it before we turn to God, what might our “death” look like?  We would stay stuck in our initial panic and grab on to the doctors, medicine and research to solve our child’s problem.  We would wear ourselves out trying to find answers.  We wouldn’t sleep at night.  Our personality would change as worry and tiredness consume us.  We would lose our vibrant lives created by God’s love.
     Yes, our god given purpose is to mother this special child of God, but it never comes before our higher calling – to be God’s child.  Another verse I love is Matthew 11: 28-30, “‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light,’” (New International Version).  This is the picture of what God wants for us right now in the middle of our trial.  He doesn’t want you to be so frightened and weary.  He wants you to seek Him and let Him carry your child.
     What do you do if you recognize that you have been stuck in panic mode and you’re following the same path as the kings?  You don’t beat yourself up.  You thank God for loving you and your child so much.  You tell Him your fears.  You ask for His guidance.  You yoke yourself to Jesus through prayer and reading God’s Word.
     On the days your faith is weak and your doubts are loud, you join the father in Mark 9: 23-24, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” (New King James Version).  God will answer that prayer.  He will help your unbelief.
     Those scary words, “Something is wrong with your baby,” may seem like the end of the world, but it’s the beginning of your opportunity to see God move mightily for your little one.  Hold tight to Him, Dear One, and never stop inquiring of the LORD, seeking His guidance.

In His Love,

Kimberly

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“The worst prison would be a closed heart.”
Pope John Paul II

The prison of a heart is dark and lonely.   Too hurt from the past, the door remains securely locked, tightly shut off from everything good.  Hope knocks on the door, only to be ignored.  Peace and Happiness, even Joy, want to come in, only to see the prison walls actually grow and fortify themselves against their attempts.   Safety is all that the heart seeks.  Too never be hurt again, it has too harden with anger and bitterness.  Feeling those emotions has to be better than to dream with happiness and hope only to be disappointed AGAIN.  Yes, it’s much better, much safer to be bitter.  The “worst prison” is dependable.

When you have a child facing a serious health challenge, more than likely you have experienced unanswered prayers or have clearly received a “no” from God.   We all have had those times, but when God says, “No,” to helping our child something happens to our heart.  It starts to harden; it becomes that prison Pope John Paul II warns us about.  Listen also to the warning that King Solomon gives us, 

“Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble,” (Proverbs 28:14, New International Version).

While our harden heart gives us a prison that feels safe and reliable, it doesn’t stay that way.  While anything good has no way of getting in, we invite everything ugly inside our prison gates.  We think that they will strengthen our walls and will keep the hurt out, so we encourage them to come.  We don’t realize that their wickedness eats our heart from the inside out. 

Our prayers weren’t answered so we justify our new doubt in God.  How can we believe He’s good, loving, kind, faithful, and sovereign, like the Bible says?  He didn’t just not answer our prayer; he hurt us more than any man could.  He didn’t take care of our child, the one person we would lay down our life for.  We may still believe that He’s the creator and judge, but our correct fear of the LORD has been destroyed.  We do not want a relationship with Him.  We will not sit in awe of Him.  We’d much rather harden our hearts and keep Him out.

You may be thinking that you have had faith and loved Him whole-heartedly and still fell into trouble.  Unfortunately, as we know, being a Christian and having a right fear of the LORD doesn’t mean we won’t have trouble.  How I wish it did!  The Bible is full of stories of God’s people facing horrendous struggles.  They suffered.  Some received their deliverances when they clung to God.  We, like the others in those Bible stories, can fall into more and deeper trouble without God.  (The Old Testament is a cycle of God’s people living in relationship with Him, then turning away and suffering, then coming back to Him.)

I know this isn’t pleasant, but let’s be honest about some of the troubles your hard heart can cause you to fall into.  You will probably come up with more on your own, and if you feel brave enough, I’d encourage you to share them below in the comment box.  You could be helping someone else identify their own struggle.  Once it’s identified it’s much easier to give to God and let Him set you free.

One of the troubles we will face is becoming more dependent on people, specifically, doctors.  We will depend on their fallible wisdom, medicine and technology.  When our hearts reject God this is our only choice – to make our child’s doctor our god and put our hope in him or her.

If we turn from God, we will no longer have His guidance and wisdom.  It will be up to us to figure it all out.  We can spend hours upon hours studying everything that has anything to do with our child’s health so we “know” exactly what needs to happen for treatment (of course, our decisions are based on mistake prone humans and their experiences).  Or, we can go the other way, and completely put it all in the doctors’ hands – that puts us back to the situation above.

This is a horrible thing to think of, but it’s something that I’ve thought about often.  What if Seth’s life was threatened and I didn’t have God to turn to?  That thought is what always helped to bring me back from the brink of turning away – of hardening my heart.  Ultimately, I only want Seth’s life in God’s hands.

But what about the troubles hard hearts bring on ourselves?  This is the really yucky stuff.  This is the wickedness I mentioned earlier.  We allow it in only to have it then eat away at our hearts.  Our worries and fears accumulate and consume us.  They grow larger and more realistic until we believe they are truth.  Our personality changes.  We become angry, bitter, resentful, and afraid of everything.  We’ve shut out the One who can destroy each of those evils AND replace them with incomprehensible goodness.  Those attitudes are robbers.  They cause us to miss out on the very thing we love so much – our family and more.  We have to recognize that we are not the only ones effected by our hard hearts.  We may believe they’re hidden away where no one else can see.  But our loved ones always know if our heart is open and happy or closed and sad.

What do you do if your heart is either already hardened or wanting to harden?  Can I tell you to have hope?  You being here, at my site, shows that you’re seeking God in the middle of your struggle.  The answer comes down to a simple prayer adapted from Ezekiel 36:26, “God please give me a new heart and a new spirit.  Remove from me this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh.”  Then pray your hurt.  Tell Him why your heart is hardening and ask Him to help.

If you could use some extra prayer, please e-mail me at Kimberly@kimberlyehlers.com or join our Yahoo! group (just fill out the form on the right side of this page).

So, how about it? Are you ready to free your heart from its prison?  If you are, walk through “The Faith Challenge” step by step, letting God heal the hurt that has hardened your heart.

In His Love,
Kimberly

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion,” (New International Version, Proverbs 28:1).

Picture with me the scared little man hiding in the shadows.  He crouches down, eyes wide, seeing every movement around him.  He fears the results (real and imagined) of his bad choices seeking their payment.  They are the consequences and he knows he has to suffer them.  Ironically, he already is suffering and they haven’t even found him yet!  BUT, if they catch up to him, their punishment would be worse than living in fear, or so he believes.  He is the wicked man, living with the results of his wicked ways, always sure someone or something is after him.  He is the man King Solomon is talking about.

Can I ask you a couple of questions?  Are you full of fear too?  Has that fear caused you to feel wicked?    Right now, you may feel like that man hiding from the possible results of your child’s illness, the outcome of upcoming tests, or all the “what ifs” that plague your thoughts.  You may be shaking with fear for your child on the inside.  That fear you feel can make you feel guilty too.  It can condemn you, especially through Scripture, and call you, “Wicked!”  It will say to you, “You are not living as bold as a lion.  You are not righteous.  You are that scared little man!  If you were a real Christian, you would not be afraid.  You have failed God.”  Fear loves to point out all the ways we are failing. 

I hope you can take this all into your heart.  It is a lesson I wish I had learned.  For so long, I believed I was failing God in my fear.  If I were a good Christian, my faith should have been stronger, right?  I was failing to trust, to have faith, and to be a good Child of God.  Those feelings drove a huge wedge between me and God.  I was not only afraid but unworthy, so, in shame and guilt, I kept my distance from Him.  Then there were the times my fear caused me to be flat out angry with God – insert another wedge!  Fear is consuming.  It affects who you are and how you relate to God.  It dictates how you see yourself.

Child of God, even though your heart is overcome by fear, it is not you in this passage. There is a BIG difference between you and that man, if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior.  The truth is you are righteous, dear one!  “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous,” (New King James Version, Romans 5:19).  “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” (New King James Version, Romans 10:10).  Drink in what that means for all of us believers.  Jesus died for our sins, if we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, He makes us righteous. 

What does it mean to be righteous?  These are some of the definitions I found at bluteletterbible.org: upright, virtuous, keeping the commands of God, innocent, faultless, guiltless, approved of or acceptable of God.  Reread those words again.  Do any grab your heart?  Talk with God about why that word grabs you.  I can tell you that when God has squeezed my heart by words it’s because He wants me to experience healing.  He wants that for you too.

Now, being called righteous doesn’t mean that we always behave righteously.  It’s not a free pass to Sin City.  We can’t say, “I’m righteous, so I can do what I want!”  It also doesn’t mean that we automatically become bold.  It means that we have everything, well, the 1 thing, we need to overcome our mistakes, our sins and our fears.  We have Jesus.  We do not have to wallow in the mire of sin or fear.  Jesus is our Savior from Hell, Satan, and ourselves. 

What does righteous living look like?  First, understand that you can not make yourself “bold as a lion”.  Do not waste time beating yourself up for being more of a frightened mouse than a lion.  If you do, you will only find yourself further from God.  Truly know that we can not conjure up God sized boldness.  We can only receive it.  Embracing and living in our righteousness and its powerful results takes time.  It takes allowing God to work out His plan for you.  He’s going deep after those heart matters that cause your fear in the first place.  He wants to destroy their stronghold.

If you have weeds growing in your lawn, will you choose the weed killer that you have to use over and over again because it just kills the top part of the weed or will you choose the spray that gets down into the plant killing the roots and all?  God wants you to be free permanently from fear.  Just as killing the roots will kill the weed; killing the root of your fear will kill the fear itself.  That takes time because our root systems are large and complicated.  The hurts of life have grown those roots into a messy tangled up ball.

When you recognize that by God’s grace you have been made righteous, you have something more powerful than any fear.  You always have the hope of being “bold as a lion”, no matter what your child’s illness causes you to face.  You have the hope that you will be lifted up out of your worry and fear.  You don’t have to stay crouched down hiding.  God is holding out his hand, extending his righteousness to you.  All you have to do is have the courage to grab on.

Grabbing on is simple.  You pray.  You give every fear that you have to God, asking Him to intervene – easing your worry and working for His very best in this situation.  When Scripture makes you feel guilty, confess the sin it reveals.  If you do not receive the peace of forgiveness, you know it’s a false-guilt – something that isn’t yours to bear.  Pray for His truth and protection from the enemies lies.  Ask Him to forgive your fears and doubts.  You also ask Him to continue to make you righteous and help you to trust Him so that you can be “bold as a lion”.  Then, you sit back and let God work on your root system.  Unlike a weed, this process can hurt us.  Our fear usually comes from something very painful.  To remove it, means to dig it up.  This is when we have to decide to trust the Good Gardner.  He knows what He’s doing and His work will make you flourish as a healthy Christian.  Someday His scared little mouse will become that bold lion all under His wise care.

In His Love,

Kimberly

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Are you ready to be “bold as a lion”?  Or just wanting to be free of fear?  If so, you are ready for “The Faith Challenge“!  Begin your transformation from scared little mouse to bold lion today!

This was a question I asked myself many times.  How about you?

I was giving God my all.  I truly believed He could heal, but whenever I said that to myself, a whisper of doubt would say, “It doesn’t mean He will.”  Then, in the back of my mind, I’d hear the question.  “What will I do if He doesn’t answer my prayer the way I want?”  What I wanted was full healing and no more surgeries for my son.  I didn’t think my relationship with God could survive these unanswered prayers.  I would always see Him as God Almighty, creator and maker of all things.  Could I ever think of Him as good, love itself, merciful, and my Helper again if He didn’t heal Seth?

That nagging question had too much power.  It limited what I prayed.  It would destroy my faith if I allowed it to grow.  It would grow if I denied it was there or tried to fix it on my own.

Determined to break the power of this doubt – I confessed it.  I decided to confess it in a big way, not just between me and God; I shared it with my church family one Sunday.  Tears streaming down my face, I stood at the front of the church and told everyone that I was so afraid of what will happen if He didn’t bring healing.  Dear One, I’m sorry if I’ve scared you with the mere thought of standing up before others confessing your doubt:). Do you have to do that?  Probably not, but then again, maybe God wants you to.  He uses our weakness to strengthen others and glorify Himself. “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,” (2 Corinthians 12:9, New King James Version).  Paul knew that God would receive all the glory because he couldn’t brag about his own abilities.  Now, I’m not saying that He caused your child’s illness for the benefit of others.  We have to realize, though, that what the enemy meant for evil, God is working for good.  He wants to use us just as He used Paul.  He’s ministering to others’ hearts while He ministers to you.

After confessing my doubt publicly, I felt an immediate lessening of my fear and worry.  Notice I didn’t say it was all gone!  I had to decide to make the choice to believe the truth of His Word.  Through the Bible, He tells us that He is good and that He is always with us, ready to rescue us.  I chose to believe He would do the very best for my son.  Daily, I had to make the effort to believe what His Word told me.  I also had to keep talking with Him about the hurt all my past unanswered prayers caused.  The most damaging experiences to my faith were all the time’s Seth’s oxygen readings were low.  All year long, year after year, I’d pray for healing only to go to the cardiologist and see, once again, that his oxygen stats were still low.  There were so many smaller unanswered prayers too.  You know, the prayers for daily help that doesn’t seem to come – the coughs that don’t end, the allergies that don’t go away.  If Paul needed to let go of the past, don’t we to?  Listen to what He said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,”(Philippians 3:13-14).  Some hurts, some experiences take time to let go of.

I realized something very big back then.  My purpose (and yours!) is to worship and glorify God.  That’s why He made us, right?  We are here for His glory, and I could trust He would be glorified through Seth.  I didn’t create that trust.  It grew from my time with God.  It came from reading His Word, expecting Him to teach me what He wanted me to know.  It came from talking with God, not just praying at Him.  I learned that some of the most powerful prayers were simply sitting in His presence, not saying anything.  I also learned that these kinds of relationship prayers can be messy.  My prayers may not always sound like I’m being a “good Christian”, that’s why I love God’s Word.   I read of David and his sometimes messy prayers and see a Godly man I understand.  I also see a man who keeps going back to His Father and doesn’t give up on their relationship.

So, Dear One, what are your doubts?  What are your fears?  Are you afraid He won’t answer your prayers?  Talk with God about it.  Tell Him your doubts and why you have them – did He “let you down”?  Next, share them with someone you love (or maybe the whole church:)).  Voice those doubts and weaken their power.  Then hang on to the Truth while praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

I found a great video of Casting Crowns’ song “The Voice of Truth” put to clips of the movie “Facing the Giants”.  It is POWERFUL!  There are so many giants to face in this world – ours is our child’s illness.  Make sure you watch until the very end!

       [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68q8y5nkdPo[/youtube]

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Not sure how to do this often times difficult relationship with God?  Let me help you give Him all of your fears, doubts, and even anger.  Take “The Faith Challenge“, and begin a new walk with God.

God has a special mission for us.  Oh, all His children are called on this mission, but none are called to go as deeply as we are into unknown, scary territory.  We, the parents of children with serious health issues, are called to have the kind of faith that moves mountains.

It’s usually easier for parents of healthy kids to have faith.  Of course, all parents worry about their kids, the “what ifs” of the future are frightening for everyone.  As soon as we know there is something really wrong with our child, our worry goes to a whole other level.  We have to have faith that our God really is going to meet our families’ needs today and every day.  Like they say, this is where the rubber meets the road.

God knows what He’s asking of us is impossible.  He knows that we can’t produce that kind of faith on our own no matter how much we want to.  That’s why God makes His requirements of us clear, “Come, do this life with Me.”  Listen to what He tells us through Micah and Moses:  

 
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”  Micah 6:8 (New King James Version)

“ ‘And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?’ ” Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (New King James Version)  

When we read these verses we get a peek at God’s heart.  Can you see our God longing for you or do you see rules you can’t follow?  Dear one, this isn’t a list of “dos and don’ts” followed by a push to send us on our way.  He paints a picture of the life He wants for us – a life with Him. 

He loves us and He knows that the impossible becomes possible when we’re by His side.  So, how do we get there?  We spend time with Him.  We read His Word allowing the power of those words to wash and change us.  We listen for what He wants to tell us.  We pray, talk with Him, and listen.  Throughout our day, we remember Him and listen for His guidance.  This is just as much for me as it is for you, sweet parent.  I know it’s all too easy to talk at God and read His Word just to do it.  BUT, we miss out on so much when we do!  We don’t hear all that He has for us.

Our mission of faith centers on our active relationship with our Father.  Every moment that we’re really with Him is a shot of “Miracle Grow” to our belief.  We grow, we flourish, and we bare His fruit under His care.  Our hearts change so that we love mercy and doing what is right (see our verses again).  We stand in awe and gratitude before Him.  We love our Father so much we want to serve Him and walk through each day with Him.  We want to please our Daddy and obey Him.  Those requirements that seem to be impossible grow naturally from knowing God.

Through that relationship, He also grows in us the 3 things we parents of children with serious health issues need the most:

• trust in Him
• the instinct to turn to Him
• the courage to take off the chains and let God be God

We can not make ourselves trust God.  We can decide to want to trust Him though.  Then, we can work on our relationship with God so we trust Him as naturally as we breathe.  That’s what time with our Father does.

When Seth was born, I read and re-read the stories of healing out loud over him.  Even through all the tubes and machines, the power of His Word transformed my faith.  (Years later, I would need that strong faith again. That’s why I wrote “The Faith Challenge” – to build up my own family’s faith.)  My faith and trust in God was rock solid.  I saw my son’s life with my Father’s eyes and it didn’t make sense to anyone!  I needed to “accept reality” they’d say.  I’d say, “God is in control”.  I seemed to argue daily with doctors.  Then, over the years, as we waited and waited for healing Psalm 25:2 became my prayer: “O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me,” (New King James Version).  I really didn’t want to be just another religious nut in the eyes of the doctor’s for 2 reasons – 1. my own pride   2.  I wanted the non-believers to see God and this was an opportunity for Him to be real to them.  

I praise God that even though it took a very long time, I was not ashamed for being so vocal about my faith (and in spite of my messy motives!).  God had, indeed, triumphed.  Now, please know that the doctors were not my enemies but their disbelief was.

There are so many verses about trusting God found in Scripture.  I’ve listed more for you at the end of this article.  This one, though, jumped out at me and I wonder if it will hit you too.  Listen to how King Hezekiah is described,

“He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.  For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses,” (2 Kings 18:5-6, New King James Version).

I read that and thought, “I want God to say that about me!”  I want to trust Him like no other.  How does that sound to you, dear parent?

I have to interrupt my train of though to share something with you.  Forgive me, please, for jumping around like this!  On Monday, I felt God laying on my heart the message, “I’m calling My people to have faith.”  Believe it or not, it takes me awhile to write my articles .  Now on Tuesday, as I finished this section on trusting Him, my husband called to let me know that the doctor confirmed our suspicion that he does have cellulites (a cell infection, from what I understand) in his leg.  More than that, though, the doctor is concerned Randy’s developed a blood clot and sent him to the hospital for an ultrasound.  I thought writing would be a good distraction as I wait to hear news, but I looked at my notes and read, “To Trust Him”, “To Turn to Him”.  I had to ask, “God is this article for my readers or for me?”  Boy, can I be thick headed!  Instead of keeping myself busy, I needed to be on my knees.  I needed to turn to God, surrender my husband, and let Him build the trust I need.

Just so you know, that’s what I did.  I stopped writing and prayed.  I don’t know, maybe I was to share this with you so you can see that faith isn’t something we can achieve and clasp onto.  We don’t get to say, “I’ve arrived!  I’ve got plenty of faith for anything!  I can relax now!”  Trials challenge our faith – they can make or break our relationship with God.  Yes, we can walk away when things get tough (or we can keep ourselves busy, avoiding the trial) or we can follow that instinct, that heart desire the Holy Spirit gives us to turn to Him.  This is how Moses describes the longing for God that grows from knowing Him:

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them,”    (Deuteronomy 4:29-31, New King James Version).

If we turn to God when a trial comes, we will find our faith and our relationship with Him to be stronger than ever.  Turn to Him now, dear one.  Let Him create that instinct that tells you to run to your Daddy when there’s trouble.  He will not forsake you.  No, our Father will stay by your side to help, protect, and guide you.

While preparing this article, I was also struck at how many times God’s Word warns us against turning to anything but Him.  (Go to www.Biblegateway.com and do a keyword search on turning to idols or turning away from God, and you’ll see what I mean!)  He warns us not only because He loves us and wants us to love Him, but because he knows that no one else can help us when we need a miracle.  If we’ve idolize doctors, medicine or supplements we will eventually be crushed by their failure – their lack of Godliness.  Remember how Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to call on their god in 1 Kings 18?  Those prophets did everything they could to make their god work, but in the end, the one true God was the only god standing.  Today, He is still the only one who can do the “God Stuff” we’re looking for.

As we trust and turn to Him more and more we will begin to take off the chains and let God be God.  First of all, God is never really chained or in a box or anything but Himself.  We need to understand the affects of our thoughts on our relationship with God.  Imagine our Father standing in your doorway.  First, the door is wide open, but each worry, fear, doubt, and moment we turn away, shuts the door a little more.  He will not put His foot in the door or shove it back open.  He allows us to shut Him out.  Matthew recalls Jesus’ time in Nazareth, “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief,” (Matthew 13:58, New King James Version).

Are you ready to open he door to Him?  Do you long to truly know Him?  Not sure how to enter into a relationship with Him or where to start?  “The Faith Challenge” will help you do all those things, but, most of all, start today by simply turning back to Him.  Make the decision to get to know your Father better.  Make the decision to accept His mission.

How about a super simple way to start?  Enjoy this beautiful video made to a song by Jaci Velasquez, “On My Knees”.  If you’d like a copy of the lyrics, here’s a link.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gArr7gyiMBY[/youtube]

In His Love,
Kimberly

Extra verses on trust: 2 Samuel 22:3, 2 Samuel 22: 31, Psalm 18: 2, Psalm 20: 7, Psalm 31:14, and Psalm 36: 7.  This is just a start!  Go to www.biblegateway.com for an easy way to search for more!

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Ready to try the impossible and walk in faith, even in “impossible” circumstances?  Take “The Faith Challenge”?  It can be yours today!  Just go to www.kimberlyehlers.com/my-products/the-faith-challenge . 

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