When Your Strength Is Gone

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) 

Having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for many years being exhausted has seemed a way of life. On top of the CFS my other health issues have also weighed me down with fatigue. 

I sometimes think of it as running on a battery like a laptop or a phone. You use it until the battery power gets low then you have to give it time to recharge. We also need time and space to recharge. 

Recently I found my "battery" extremely low and feeling I was about to crash. Over the years I have learned that I need time to recharge my soul and spirit as well as give my body lots of rest. Dragging through life with a low battery is not an optimal way to live. 

Good music, a book, maybe a good movie or TV show, certainly time outdoors looking at God's creation helps to recharge my soul. Reading God's word and listening to good preaching and teaching recharges my spirit. Simply lying down and taking a nap or just being in a quiet room and restful environment can help to restore strength to my body. 

Even Jesus when He was on this earth needed time to rest and restore Himself. And He knew His disciples also needed to take time to be refreshed and renewed. 

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 (NIV) 

We also need time with Jesus to be restored and renewed. When we pray and listen for His guidance during prayer, when we let go of the clutter in our minds and the anxiety of our lives, when we turn our eyes completely upon Him—then we are refreshed. Through Jesus strength and power returns to our weary lives. 

Every day there are things that sap our strength, and some of you, like myself, begin the day with little strength to begin with. Everyone needs rest and to be renewed, and those of us with a myriad of illnesses and afflictions need even more restoration to live day by day. 

We may not be able to do much about the afflictions that sap our strength, but we can energize our spirit and restore our soul with the many blessings God brings our way. We can rest our bodies as we must. And find a renewed purpose and drive as our Lord empowers us with His word and presence through the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer: Lord thank You for giving us strength when we are weak, for giving us power when we have none. Thank You for upholding us when we cannot even stand. Bless You Lord. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas  

Copyright 2017 

The Crippling Nature Of Anxiety

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 

 "Bad Nerves" runs in my family. That is just another way of describing anxiety that has afflicted some family members including myself. I have battled it nearly all of my life. Even as a boy I tended to worry. And being the oldest of three children the responsibility of being the eldest, along with there being an absentee father, allowed the anxiety to become "normal" for me. 

Yet I have not stood by helplessly as anxiety has buffeted me over the years. I have counted upon the Lord, filled my mind with His words from the Bible, and depended mightily upon Jesus to see me through. 

Worry is dread of a bad outcome. Fear is the expectancy of terrible events or enduring what we comprehend as a terrible event. Anxiety is an emotion that latches onto fear and worry driving our thoughts in a direction away from faith. Faith is the antidote to fear and worry. 

When we put our complete trust in God, knowing that He is sovereign over all of the events in our life, even the fearful and tragic ones, we can begin to lay aside our worries. If we lay our fears and worries at Jesus' feet He knows the best way to deal with them. Leaving them with Jesus we will cease to be controlled by Anxiety. 

Anxiety can cripple us, especially when we give it a steady diet of fear and worry to feed upon. When we let our thoughts run down the darkest path of our imagination, when we let negativity and doubt about God's goodness and provision overcome the reality of God's sovereignty, we set ourselves up for increasing anxiety. 

Life will bring us troubles and fears. Every day will have its challenges. While we cannot always control out-of-touch emotions, we can always call upon God to help us with our worry and fears. When we place our anxiety under God's authority we can find courage, faith, and the boldness we need to move forward despite emotions and thoughts that would drag us down. 

Sometimes our anxiety needs medication because of biological issues. Other times we may need counselling to help rein in our emotions. Yet often the situations we find ourselves in with anxiety is because instead of faith, we have let fear and worry steal away our focus instead of focusing on God's Goodness. 

Prayer: Dear Lord deliver us from fears and vain imaginations. Give us boldness and wisdom and the understanding that You are always in control and ultimately there is nothing to fear. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017 

It Can Be Challenging To Be A Light In A Dark World

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 (NIV) 

There is so much darkness and negativity in the world that it can be a full-time job to not get caught up and carried away by it. Yet Jesus wants us to be a light in this dark world, and the light of Christ that comes through us is needed badly.  

Have a sincere desire to serve God and mankind, and stop doubting, stop thinking negatively. Simply start living by faith, pray earnestly and humbly, and get into the habit of looking expectantly for the best. –Norman Vincent Peale 

Staying positive in a negative world is an ongoing challenge that we are going to need the Lord's help in performing. We are surrounded by negative news, toxic politics, and emphasis on hate and darkness instead of love and light. The only thing that can overcome hate is love, not more hate. And the only thing that overcome darkness is light, not more darkness. 

If we could strip back the nonsense in this world, the prejudices, the antagonism, the bitterness and wrath, and instead see people as they truly are—weak sinners in need of a loving God—we could transform this world through humility and love. Kindness could do so much if we allowed the light of Jesus' love to shine through our lives. 

Sometimes we are so surrounded by the ugly things of life and our own troubles that we cannot see beyond our nose. Yet if we would only look up, recognize the love that God has for each and every one of us, the stranger could be seen as a brother and sister, a fellow traveler on the difficult road of life. One who needs love and kindness, tenderness and mercy, and above all: The Father's Love to see them through. 

When you find yourself surrounded by darkness, weighed down by the cares of this world, reach out to God and receive His love and mercy. Then share that same love and mercy with those around you.  

Prayer: Dear Lord, each day is an opportunity. We can look beyond this dark world and its many sources of pain and trouble to find strength and light through your love. Or we can give in to the dark and be overcome by it--God forbid! Pick us up Lord, clean off the filth, and enable us to shine like the lights you destined us to be. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017 

Who Is Your GPS?

He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? Luke 6:39 

It only took me five minutes to get lost. We had traveled to a large city to buy a car for my wife. I planned on following her in our older car as we left the restaurant to head home. I even told her at the restaurant: "You are my GPS." 

There was so much traffic I lost sight of my wife's new car almost immediately. So, I called her on the phone and asked her which way I should turn at the first light. She thought I meant at the first light before the highway, but I meant the light in front of the restaurant. She misunderstood me and I her, then I was completely lost and headed the wrong way. 

I had a fine GPS application on my phone. It was not my wife's fault that I got lost. Her talent was not in being my personal GPS. I should have used the expert map program on my phone, but it "seemed" simple just to follow the car in front of me. 

We get off track when we get bad advice or go to the wrong source for guidance. We may think our family or friends can give us the best direction for our life, and sometimes they can help. Yet it is only God who can lead us on the proper path home. 

Throughout the Bible we have sign posts and examples to lead us on the proper road to following God's will for our life. We can look to the examples of others, the good people around us can help, but the Bible is the ultimate guide to keeping us on the right path. 

Sometimes our inclinations are good and helpful, but too often we make assumptions or bad decisions because we do not have all the information or a reliable map to guide us forward. If we will keep our eyes on Jesus, follow the advice He gives us through the Bible, and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit within us, we will not only get home, we will take the right road getting there. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes we foolishly get off of the right path, help us to obey Your voice and follow Your guidance on the way home. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas  

Copyright 2017