Shield of Faith

I woke up thinking about Job from the Book of Job in the Holy Bible. I have experienced so much loss but it is so little compared to what Job loss. I lost my daughter, my dad, my fur baby, and due to a car accident I have a deformed finger, and I lost a job that I loved. All of these things took place in a matter of a year. The car accident was in May, I lost my dad November 1st and my daughter November 20th. I lost my job and my fur baby within that year. But job lost all of his son's and daughters and all of his wealth on the same day. And he suffered tremendously physically from boils. He was in so much pain. His friends accused him of doing wrong in the sight of God. His wife told him to curse God and die. (Job 1:13‭-‬19 KJV And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.)

But Job held tight to his Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:16 KJV Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.) He remained faithful to God.  He did not doubt God nor blame him for everyone and everything he lost nor his physical condition. He did not curse God. He did not allow his circumstances to destroy his relationship with God. He stood strong. In the end, God blessed Job with a whole lot more then he had lost. 

Don't lose sight of God's unconditional love, mercy, or grace. Keep your eyes on him through all of the hard times as well as the good. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. 

(Philippians 1:3‭-‬6 KJV I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.)

Written by: Lisa Clewis 

I Lifted My Hands in Prayer Even Then

I used to wonder why the Holy Bible states praise is a sacrifice that we make. Then I learned first hand that when you praise God even through the tough times like losing a loved one, a home, a job, or whatever the case may be, you gain strength and are filled with joy, peace and love. Have you ever heard someone say praise God until you have a break through? It really works. When you can continue to trust God and praise Him even when you're hurt, angry, confused or utterly crushed by life you are supernaturally lifted up in a way that only God can do. Even when you're sobbing so hard you can barely speak or sing, lift your hands to God and start praising him. Everything we're directed to do in the Holy Bible is for our benefit. We are God's children and like any parent he is sometimes misunderstood. He wants good things for us, not evil. So next time you're hurt, shocked, feel lost or afraid, start praising the one who can give you supernatural strength to get through it. He will never leave you. Just praise him, trust him, until you feel him. 

Last year I was in a life changing car accident no fault of my own. I have a permanent deformity. I also went through a lot with my daughter. It was a nightmare. We want so much to protect our children. I lost my daughter. She died twenty days after I lost my step dad whom I was very close to. That in itself was a horrible experience. He suffered so much. I lost a job that I loved. Even though the work stress was affecting my health, I loved what I was doing. And I lost a beloved pet which was my daughter's pet until she was old enough to leave home. She couldn't take her with her. These are just some of the main events. This isn't conclusive of everything I went through or was going  through. But through it all I learned the secret to unbelievable strength to get through anything and I learned how to tap into God's peace and joy and love and to feel his presence even though I felt completely crushed on the inside and so far away from him. I learned to praise until I had a breakthrough. God honors his word. He keeps his promises. He is not a man that he should lie. And his love is unconditional. Honor him with praise, trust him, even when you don't understand it all. He will be your refuge, your strength, your night in shining armor, and your closest friend to through it all, whatever you're going to through. When you want to give up and die, praise Him. Lift your hands to Him. Wave your hands at Him. Let him see you humbled by your heartache, and lift you up and set you on higher ground. 

Written by Lisa C.

🙏By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Hebrews 13:15‭-‬16 KJV

Daily Encouragement

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