HIMSELF

Greetings, dear friends! First of all, thank you so much for your many encouraging comments which are so uplifting. Your kind thoughts are such an encouragement to this fellow pilgrim! What a blessing!

Perhaps I've not articulated this fact in simple words so let me do it here and now:

My posts on "the Barnabas Blog" are birthed in my own life experience. I pray that you can sense that. Usually I seek to encourage others out of my own hurts, my disappointments, my frustrations. My prayer is that "the Barnabas Blog" will NOT be a symposium of pat answers, pet peeves, "pit" experiences, pot shots and put downs but a true source of encouragement, born out in everyday living and grounded in the eternally relevant and wonderfully inerrant word of God.

Which reminds me of a scripture passage that comes back to me time and time again. Many years ago I was ministering to a ballplayer from a visiting team in Montreal and the Lord directed me to this powerful verse. The apostle Peter penned these glorious words, "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever, AMEN." - 1 Peter 5:10,11 (NIV)

Who restores and make us strong? God HIMSELF. Yes, He can and does use His people to come alongside suffering saints but He HIMSELF is the One who does the inner work of restoration and healing.

Rejoice in this truth today! If you are battling through a difficult circumstance, allow the God of all grace to extend that grace to you today in all its fullness. Know someone who is struggling? You can be an agent of reconciliation today. You can be God's hand extended to a hurting fellow pilgrim. God HIMSELF invites you to participate but He will effect the change. Hallelujah!

Deep Valley?

The following "post" appeared on our Pilgim Scribblings blog yesterday but I felt that it would bring encouragement to you so I've added it here to the Barnabas Blog. I trust that you will sense the presence of the Lord today as you walk with Him whether it be through the valley or on the mountain top.

DEEP VALLEY?

Going through a deep valley? I've gone through my share of them over the years. So did Joseph, Job, Elijah, David, Paul and millions of others. Guess what? They all came out of the valley again.

Paul Mackay posted this incredible photo on his Still Rambling blog. See all the traffic in the valley? Where does the road lead? Out of the valley and up the hill...in both directions. (Click on the photo to get a larger, clearer view)

Do you seem stuck in your valley? Look for a way out! "God will make a way where there seems to be no way!"

"As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools." - Psalm 84:6

Note: As my dear friend Terry, the Canadian Blogger, stated in her comment, you can't really get the whole picture clearly until you click on it. By the same token, we can't really understand "our valley" until we see it from God's perspective. For, as Dottie Rambo sang, "in the valley He restoreth my soul."

Our Dwelling Place

Our Dwelling Place is a Safe Place

Welcome to the Encouragement Headquarters, dear friends:

This morning, while searching for another scripture passage, I came across Psalm 90:1,2 which, in turn, reminded me of Psalm 91:1,2. Both Psalms begin with a declaration that those who find their dwelling place in God will be safe and find shelter and rest. Where is your dwelling place today, friend? Do you find refuge in the arms of the eternal God or do you seek satisfaction, fulfillment and peace in places that are fleeting and temporary? I'm thankful this morning that we can "pitch our tent" in the yard of our eternal Father who is "from everlasting to everlasting". No need to pull up stakes tomorrow and move on. He is our final dwelling place! The safe environs of His dwelling should be our final destination. Where are you abiding today?

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:1,2 (NIV)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:1,2 (NIV)

Your Safe Place

Where is your safe place? A spot where you can find rest and peace in the midst of life’s storms? Perhaps you have a place that you retreat to where you can unwind and relax and clear your mind. Maybe it’s just a place you wish you had, a place that dreams are made of, a mountain cabin, a warm beach in the Caribbean or, if those are impossible, just an empty booth at the back of a smoky restaurant.

I’m so glad we can look to our loving Father when the storms of life surround us and troubles rush in like a flood. God is a REFUGE we can run to when life’s circumstances seem overwhelming. I know, I’ve been there many times. During these discouraging moments, GOD certainly is our:

R – Rock of Strength
E – Energizing God
F – Faithful Friend
U – Unchanging One
G – Gracious Father
E – Eternal King

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1

R – Recognize the problem and admit it
E – Escape (or pull back) from the situation to get a better perspective on it
F – Find someone to confide in who can help us in the situation
U – Unburden our hearts to that person
G – Grow through the circumstance
E – Equip ourselves to help others when they face the same struggles

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” – Deuteronomy 33:27

My prayer is that you would look to God in “every” circumstance of life and find that He is everything you ever needed and more. He loves you and cares for you! He will be your safe place!