Have you ever felt absolutely pushed to the very limits of your spiritual, emotional, mental and physical strength? I have. Often.

Today just happens to be one of those days.

But that’s okay, because the truth is I don’t have enough strength on my own to take all the pushes and pulls that circumstances and people bring into my life. I was never meant to do life or relationships in my own strength.

None of us were. No matter how strong–or right or wise or self-justified in doing things our way–we may think we are. We all need God. All of the time.

It is a good thing–a very good thing–to really grasp (and to act like I remember!) how desperate I truly am, we all are, without God’s strength to keep us from falling. God wants us to rely on Him–His unfailing love and unlimited strength–all the time. 

Those times when I haven’t relied on God’s strength, I have done some serious falling. And it’s not just me that gets hurt on my way down. Feeling pushed, I have often pushed back–in ego-centric, angry, self-justifying ways–instead of trusting God’s strength and listening to His song that would calm my thoughts and lift my heart. 

God is my only true help when life and people push and pull on me. God is is my only strength. My only song. My only salvation.

And nothing and nobody pushes God around!

I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  Psalm 118:13-14

Remember: Our LORD put before us the choice between life and death. Then, Jesus made it very clear that He is Himself that Life. Jesus is the Messiah, the one true way to life with our Heavenly Father.

Choose Life.

Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

We often long to prolong those sweet and easy times of life. And we would be very happy to rush through as quickly as possible those painful, ugly times.

May God give us the trust in Him we need so that our eyes will see and hearts will acknowledge that there is purpose and beauty in each day and in each season of our lives. 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…God has made everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11

There’s a famous (and old!) rock song that echoes the cry of far too many hearts,  “Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”

The truth of that depends on what we are seeking to satisfy us. Stuff never will.

When what we are seeking is God’s love, we will be fully and eternally satisfied and filled to over-flowing with what our hearts cry out for the most loudly: unfailing love. Now that really is worth singing about!

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  Psalm 90:14

God knows that our circumstances can sometimes be hard, horrible, heartbreaking or just plain frustrating at times. Yet, in every moment and in every experience of our lives, God wants to be our strength–and truly is our strength–giving us joy right in the very midst of our most unimaginable and unexpected struggles.

God calls out to each one of us in His love, calling us to look beyond our own limited perceptions of our particular circumstances. God knows that our joy will come in strength when we focus our minds and hearts on Him–our loving, eternal, almighty LORD. Our strong, joy-giving Abba!

 …the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Sometimes I can be so dense, or so intensely focused on something I’m doing, that my husband, a friend or a co-worker may have to repeat some important information or a necessary action item that was just told to me.  (Sorry!)

In my relationship with God, I know I always need to focus just a little more fully, listen just a little more intensely and obey just a little more quickly and willingly. (Okay! On many days, that would be: a lot more!)

And I need to do this all with the right attitude.

God is good enough, and lovingly insistent enough, that He will be sure to get our attention. And when it comes to our attitude and our perspective–no matter what our circumstances may be–our God is more than happy to repeat Himself!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4

I hate the idea of judgment. But it is God’s truth.

I hate the idea that there are people who are enemies of God–as I was without Jesus–and that they will perish if they remain God’s enemies. This, too, is God’s truth.

God loves every person He created. God has given His very Son to show us His love, and on Jesus, God has placed His entire judgment against and punishment for sin. For every sin. Ever committed. By everyone.

There is no need for anyone to remain God’s enemy when Jesus Christ has already perished in our place. And in Jesus we, who love God, will rise up with Him like the sun in its strength!

So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You be like the sun when it rises in its strength. Judges 5:31

Personal Reflections from Sylane:                                                                           Is it time for you to say , “Yes!” to the salvation that is offered freely, fully and eternally through Jesus Christ?

Is it time for you to stop being an enemy of God’s because of unforgiven sin?

Is it time for you to realize how much God loves you–and out of His love for you, assures you of the gifts of His unlimited grace and complete forgiveness because Jesus Christ has already paid your sin-price (and mine) in full?

If you do not YET have this full assurance of God’s loving forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ for yourself, please, don’t wait another day.

You don’t know if you will have another day.

I’m not trying to be melodramatic. And my big sign board proclaiming eternal judgment is out for repainting, so I’m not currently wearing it.

However, Christ’s love compels me to tell you, right now, how very much God loves you, each and every one of you, and that Jesus Christ is God’s Only Way to eternal salvation.

I am so thankful that my friend, and brother in Christ, Alvin knew that. Because just two days ago on March 23, my brother Alvin suddenly died on his way to his car. No warning. No preparation. Just gone to this earth.

I can not even begin to imagine the hole this will leave in the hearts of his beautiful wife and precious children, the rest of his family and countless others who counted Alvin as their friend.

But Alvin’s heart is secure.

It was long before the moment of Alvin’s death here on earth because he loved God! Alvin had turned from being an enemy of God long ago. He put his faith in Jesus as his Savior and enjoyed an intimate love relationship with his LORD who loves him immeasurably and for all eternity!

Yes, Alvin’s heart is secure and so is his life. In the Son of God, Alvin will rise like the sun in its strength!

Will that be true of you? And if it is–Thank our Holy Living Lord!

And, then, ask yourself : Is there someone that I love enough to share the grace and truth of Jesus Christ? That grace and truth is: That though there is judgment against God’s enemies, our Lord has loved us–by giving His own life for us–so that we may be His children and His friends.

I pray that each of you will know the joy of loving God who loves us so much that He did not spare His Son Jesus in order to secure the promise that we will rise like the sun with His Son!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane  

Let’s open our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, to all that God has for us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ–God’s True Light!

With Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, we have been given new life. We need to see, through His Light filling the eyes of our hearts, all the abundance that God gives us through His love and goodness.

In God’s True Light, we need to live as people of unlimited hope, rich beyond measure in God’s promises and overflowing with the Spirit’s power!

Open the eyes of my heart, LORD! Don’t let me stay blind because of any hardness of my heart. Don’t let me stay blind or spiritually-visually-impaired because of my sin, my doubt, my fear, my pride. LORD, let me see and let me live in your True Light–my Lord Jesus Christ!

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance…and His incomparably great power for us who believe.  Ephesians 1:18-19

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane   

There are so many things I cannot do. There are so many things I do not understand.

The truth of that  is not meant to weaken me. Keep me humble before our LORD, YES, but it doesn’t weaken or diminish me in any way. Truth never does that.

Rather, accepting this truth helps me to choose to trust my God, my Abba, even more with every part of my life.  

What I cannot do in my own strength, I can trust completely over to God. Because I know if it lines up with God’s loving plans and timing, then nothing can stop the LORD Almighty from bringing  it to pass.

What I am too limited in my own thinking to fully comprehend, I can still stand strong and in peace because I know that there is no limit to my Abba’s understanding.  

In God’s love for me and to keep me growing in my trust of Him, the LORD often keeps me on a need to know basis only. And even that comes out of Abba’s unfailing love, mighty power and unlimited wisdom!

Great is our LORD and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. 

Psalm 147:5

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane  

God’s unlimited power is perfectly matched by the great delight our LORD takes in His children. If we would let God’s love quiet us from all our anger, fear, hurt, frustration, shame and disappointment we might just hear God’s love song flowing over us.

How intimate with us is the Sovereign Lord of all creation!

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17