Robert Lustig on ABC: Sugar - the Bitter Truth!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
11 Ways To Create More Time To Think
Paul B. Brown, Forbes, Feb. 9, 2014
It could be just a coincidence, but I don’t think so.
In the course of the last 10 days or so, I’ve had three in-depth conversations with businesspeople that I truly respect. The theme: Carving out more time to think.
All three people–two men and a woman–had been searching for ways to do it.
The three don’t know one another, but why they had this quest in common is easy to understand.
You need new ideas if you are going to stay ahead of the competition. And it is awfully hard to come up with those ideas if you don’t have any time to think.
And so those three people were looking for ways to create “white space” in their lives that they could fill with new ideas.
Let me share with you the things they are trying.
1. Breakfast could be the most important meal of the day. One of the men has taken to getting up earlier and is in his local coffee shop by 5 a.m. He says he always buys a newspaper, “so I won’t look even more weird than I am,” but he spends virtually all of his time just staring into space. “The key, I find, is not to distract myself with things like checking email or voice mail, or making to do lists. I just sit and think.”
2. First things first. Intriguingly, the other two people I talked to also tried to carve out thinking time early in the day. But they did it before breakfast. Typically, they said, the first they used to do was check email and skim the headlines. Now, they are putting that off, until they have spent some time thinking about their most important objectives.
3. Simplifying. Stress and needless distractions (“where the heck did I put that file”) detract from your ability to think. Each of the people I talked to said they were taking steps to become even more organized. One of the ideas I particularly liked: Creating an agenda for the following day–with all the necessary supporting materials at hand–before they turned off their computer at night.
4. Reinstating the lunch break. Unless you are meeting with a client, there is a natural tendency to work through lunch; you have a quick sandwich or salad at your desk while tackling yet another thing you have to do. One of the ideas that surfaced was walking away from your desk and finding some place where you could find 30 minutes to get away from everything.
5. Relaxing before taking a break. “I really am one of those guys who gets his best ideas in the shower,” one of the men told me. “But I noticed that the ideas only occur if I am not stressed. If I am worried about something, that’s all I concentrate on in the shower. Now, I try to be stress-free before I step into the tub. It doesn’t guarantee I will get a new idea, but it seems to increase my chances.”
6. Building in a break. Within a five minute drive of her house, one of the entrepreneurs told me, is a upscale gym and a place where “I can grab something healthy to eat. I have made it a point to budget an hour a day to take advantage of both places and I refuse to check email or voice mail during that time.”
7. Fly first class. It used to be people said they used their travel time up in the air to think. But with packed planes and smaller seats that option has become more difficult. One option: Fly first class whenever you can, said one of the men I talked to. “It’s about equivalent to what coach used to be about 30 years ago. I find it helps.”
8. Schedule it. I have my doubts, but one of the people swears by it. He blocks off 15 minutes every day–in the middle of the day–which is labeled “thinking” on his calendar.
9. Shake up your routine. I found this one interesting. One of the reasons people say you are able to generate more ideas in the shower is because the task of showering is so routine. Since you do it by rote, your mind is free to wander. No one I talked to disagreed with that theory, but they said they noticed that that they got more and different ideas when they were doing something out of the ordinary like seeing a movie in the middle of day or taking a break at an unexpected time.
10. In praise of dead cell phones. “I would have never believed this one, if it hadn’t happened to me,” one of the people told me. “I was driving to a client meeting four hours away and my cell phone battery died and I didn’t have a car charger. After about 20 minutes–20 long minutes of panic and withdrawal pain–I came to appreciate the fact that I was not about to be interrupted. I am still not great about turning off my phone for long stretches, but I try.”
11. The old ways still work. I was curious, so I asked about the idea of taking some time off–a long weekend perhaps–where you tried to do nothing but contemplate what’s important. All three endorsed the idea and then promptly said they can’t remember the last time they did no work over three consecutive days.
It could be just a coincidence, but I don’t think so.
In the course of the last 10 days or so, I’ve had three in-depth conversations with businesspeople that I truly respect. The theme: Carving out more time to think.
All three people–two men and a woman–had been searching for ways to do it.
The three don’t know one another, but why they had this quest in common is easy to understand.
You need new ideas if you are going to stay ahead of the competition. And it is awfully hard to come up with those ideas if you don’t have any time to think.
And so those three people were looking for ways to create “white space” in their lives that they could fill with new ideas.
Let me share with you the things they are trying.
1. Breakfast could be the most important meal of the day. One of the men has taken to getting up earlier and is in his local coffee shop by 5 a.m. He says he always buys a newspaper, “so I won’t look even more weird than I am,” but he spends virtually all of his time just staring into space. “The key, I find, is not to distract myself with things like checking email or voice mail, or making to do lists. I just sit and think.”
2. First things first. Intriguingly, the other two people I talked to also tried to carve out thinking time early in the day. But they did it before breakfast. Typically, they said, the first they used to do was check email and skim the headlines. Now, they are putting that off, until they have spent some time thinking about their most important objectives.
3. Simplifying. Stress and needless distractions (“where the heck did I put that file”) detract from your ability to think. Each of the people I talked to said they were taking steps to become even more organized. One of the ideas I particularly liked: Creating an agenda for the following day–with all the necessary supporting materials at hand–before they turned off their computer at night.
4. Reinstating the lunch break. Unless you are meeting with a client, there is a natural tendency to work through lunch; you have a quick sandwich or salad at your desk while tackling yet another thing you have to do. One of the ideas that surfaced was walking away from your desk and finding some place where you could find 30 minutes to get away from everything.
5. Relaxing before taking a break. “I really am one of those guys who gets his best ideas in the shower,” one of the men told me. “But I noticed that the ideas only occur if I am not stressed. If I am worried about something, that’s all I concentrate on in the shower. Now, I try to be stress-free before I step into the tub. It doesn’t guarantee I will get a new idea, but it seems to increase my chances.”
6. Building in a break. Within a five minute drive of her house, one of the entrepreneurs told me, is a upscale gym and a place where “I can grab something healthy to eat. I have made it a point to budget an hour a day to take advantage of both places and I refuse to check email or voice mail during that time.”
7. Fly first class. It used to be people said they used their travel time up in the air to think. But with packed planes and smaller seats that option has become more difficult. One option: Fly first class whenever you can, said one of the men I talked to. “It’s about equivalent to what coach used to be about 30 years ago. I find it helps.”
8. Schedule it. I have my doubts, but one of the people swears by it. He blocks off 15 minutes every day–in the middle of the day–which is labeled “thinking” on his calendar.
9. Shake up your routine. I found this one interesting. One of the reasons people say you are able to generate more ideas in the shower is because the task of showering is so routine. Since you do it by rote, your mind is free to wander. No one I talked to disagreed with that theory, but they said they noticed that that they got more and different ideas when they were doing something out of the ordinary like seeing a movie in the middle of day or taking a break at an unexpected time.
10. In praise of dead cell phones. “I would have never believed this one, if it hadn’t happened to me,” one of the people told me. “I was driving to a client meeting four hours away and my cell phone battery died and I didn’t have a car charger. After about 20 minutes–20 long minutes of panic and withdrawal pain–I came to appreciate the fact that I was not about to be interrupted. I am still not great about turning off my phone for long stretches, but I try.”
11. The old ways still work. I was curious, so I asked about the idea of taking some time off–a long weekend perhaps–where you tried to do nothing but contemplate what’s important. All three endorsed the idea and then promptly said they can’t remember the last time they did no work over three consecutive days.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
Breakpoint, February 17, 2014
Did you know that there have been more large movements of Muslims coming to Christ in the last two decades than in the preceding fourteen hundred years combined? David Garrison has documented these movements in his book, “A Wind in the House of Islam.” He also tells how many Muslims are reporting dreams and visions about the truth of Christ.
And to hear first-hand what God has done in the life of one formerly devout Muslim in particular, you’ll want to go to BreakPoint.org and catch my “BreakPoint This Week” interview with my friend Nabeel Qureshi.
Nabeel grew up in a solid, and loving, Muslim family—and not just any Muslim family. A devout family that, though residing in America, was very serious about their faith. Nabeel’s grandfather and great-grandfather were even Muslim missionaries to Indonesia and Uganda.
As a young boy, Nabeel had memorized large chunks of the Qur’an. By the time he had reached middle school, Nabeel had learned how to challenge and stump Christians who tried to share the gospel with him by asking them, for example, to defend the reliability of the Bible or the doctrine of the Trinity.
“I found out,” he said, “from a very early age that Christians just did not have answers to these questions. Each time I had a conversation, it bolstered my Islamic faith,” he told me. Nabeel stayed secure in his Muslim beliefs and identity until college, when he met a sophomore named David Wood.
David was a Christian, but when Nabeel challenged him, something strange happened. “David didn’t react like other Christians I had challenged,” Nabeel said. “He did not waver in his witness, nor did he waver in his friendship with me. Far from it—he became more engaged, answering the questions he could respond to, investigating the questions he couldn’t respond to, and spending time with me through it all.”
That, my friends, is a model of witnessing that we can all follow: explaining our faith as best we can, admitting when we don’t know the answers, doing our homework, and remaining a friend. And let’s face it: A lot of us just don’t know why we believe what we believe. As a consequence, we’re not ready for those kinds of intellectual challenges. This dishonors Christ and shortchanges our faith. After all, the command is to love God also with all our minds.
David Wood hung in there while the back-and-forth went on for years. Eventually, Nabeel had to reluctantly conclude that the case for Christianity was very strong. And then David asked Nabeel to give the Qur’an the same sort of critical treatment that he had given the Bible. He did, and he was shocked to learn that the case for Islam was so weak.
Distraught, Nabeel asked God to guide him into the truth, and you might guess what happened. After one vision and three dreams, a continued study of Scripture, and the faithful witness of a friend, Nabeel was faced with an excruciating choice: Did he love Jesus more than his family?
Finally Nabeel knew what he had to do—come off the minaret, pick up his cross and follow Jesus, no matter what. When he told his family, his mother was crushed, saying, “Why have you betrayed me?”
They left Nabeel, but Jesus didn’t. Nabeel wanted to die, asking, “Why, God?” And then he felt Christ’s answer: “Because this is not about you.” Now, Nabeel is an itinerant evangelist with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, and his story has just been published in his book “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.”
Did you know that there have been more large movements of Muslims coming to Christ in the last two decades than in the preceding fourteen hundred years combined? David Garrison has documented these movements in his book, “A Wind in the House of Islam.” He also tells how many Muslims are reporting dreams and visions about the truth of Christ.
And to hear first-hand what God has done in the life of one formerly devout Muslim in particular, you’ll want to go to BreakPoint.org and catch my “BreakPoint This Week” interview with my friend Nabeel Qureshi.
Nabeel grew up in a solid, and loving, Muslim family—and not just any Muslim family. A devout family that, though residing in America, was very serious about their faith. Nabeel’s grandfather and great-grandfather were even Muslim missionaries to Indonesia and Uganda.
As a young boy, Nabeel had memorized large chunks of the Qur’an. By the time he had reached middle school, Nabeel had learned how to challenge and stump Christians who tried to share the gospel with him by asking them, for example, to defend the reliability of the Bible or the doctrine of the Trinity.
“I found out,” he said, “from a very early age that Christians just did not have answers to these questions. Each time I had a conversation, it bolstered my Islamic faith,” he told me. Nabeel stayed secure in his Muslim beliefs and identity until college, when he met a sophomore named David Wood.
David was a Christian, but when Nabeel challenged him, something strange happened. “David didn’t react like other Christians I had challenged,” Nabeel said. “He did not waver in his witness, nor did he waver in his friendship with me. Far from it—he became more engaged, answering the questions he could respond to, investigating the questions he couldn’t respond to, and spending time with me through it all.”
That, my friends, is a model of witnessing that we can all follow: explaining our faith as best we can, admitting when we don’t know the answers, doing our homework, and remaining a friend. And let’s face it: A lot of us just don’t know why we believe what we believe. As a consequence, we’re not ready for those kinds of intellectual challenges. This dishonors Christ and shortchanges our faith. After all, the command is to love God also with all our minds.
David Wood hung in there while the back-and-forth went on for years. Eventually, Nabeel had to reluctantly conclude that the case for Christianity was very strong. And then David asked Nabeel to give the Qur’an the same sort of critical treatment that he had given the Bible. He did, and he was shocked to learn that the case for Islam was so weak.
Distraught, Nabeel asked God to guide him into the truth, and you might guess what happened. After one vision and three dreams, a continued study of Scripture, and the faithful witness of a friend, Nabeel was faced with an excruciating choice: Did he love Jesus more than his family?
Finally Nabeel knew what he had to do—come off the minaret, pick up his cross and follow Jesus, no matter what. When he told his family, his mother was crushed, saying, “Why have you betrayed me?”
They left Nabeel, but Jesus didn’t. Nabeel wanted to die, asking, “Why, God?” And then he felt Christ’s answer: “Because this is not about you.” Now, Nabeel is an itinerant evangelist with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, and his story has just been published in his book “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.”
Loneliness is killing us
Philippa Perry, The Guardian, 17 February 2014
That loneliness is a health issue would not have been a surprise to Mother Teresa who once said: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody.”
But now doctors have quantified the effects of the loneliness disease, warning that lonely people are nearly twice as likely to die prematurely as those who do not suffer feelings of isolation. Being lonely it seems, is a lot more worrying for your health than obesity.
In a report called Rewarding Social Connections Promote Successful Ageing that Professor John Cacioppo presented in Chicago at the weekend, the effect of satisfying relationships on the elderly was measured.
Cacioppo’s team found that friendships helped older people develop their resilience and ability to bounce back after adversity, as well as an ability to gain strength from stress rather than be diminished by it.
Not surprisingly, there is no corresponding good news for those less well connected to other people. Loneliness has dramatic consequences on health. Feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, lower immunity, increase depression, lower overall subjective wellbeing and increase the stress hormone cortisol (at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually wears your body down).
Older people can avoid the consequences of loneliness by staying in touch with former colleagues, taking part in family gatherings and sharing good times with family and friends, says Cacioppo. Moving away from an established community to retire to a seaside idyll could often be a mistake, but such good common sense probably doesn’t go far enough.
The Lonely Society, a 2010 report commissioned by The Mental Health Foundation, cited a link between our “individualistic society” and the increase in common mental health disorders in the last 50 years.
It also drew on research showing that mental health problems occur more frequently in unequal societies where vulnerable people are often left behind. By squandering “social capital” in the individualistic pursuit of greater wealth, or treating social networks as incidental, are we neglecting a part of life that makes us happy and keeps us healthy for longer?
Loneliness is often the core feeling that gives rise to emotions of anger, sadness, depression, worthlessness, resentment, emptiness, vulnerability and pessimism. Lonely people frequently feel that they are disliked, are often self-obsessed and lack empathy with others. They fear rejection and keep themselves at a distance, which feeds the loneliness.
People who are lonely often think that everyone else is doing OK while they are not. They think they are the only ones carrying a burden. I have had clients talk about putting their “game face” on rather than sharing truthfully about themselves. And it can be difficult to know when it is appropriate to make the move from the former to the latter.
That loneliness is a health issue would not have been a surprise to Mother Teresa who once said: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody.”
But now doctors have quantified the effects of the loneliness disease, warning that lonely people are nearly twice as likely to die prematurely as those who do not suffer feelings of isolation. Being lonely it seems, is a lot more worrying for your health than obesity.
In a report called Rewarding Social Connections Promote Successful Ageing that Professor John Cacioppo presented in Chicago at the weekend, the effect of satisfying relationships on the elderly was measured.
Cacioppo’s team found that friendships helped older people develop their resilience and ability to bounce back after adversity, as well as an ability to gain strength from stress rather than be diminished by it.
Not surprisingly, there is no corresponding good news for those less well connected to other people. Loneliness has dramatic consequences on health. Feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, lower immunity, increase depression, lower overall subjective wellbeing and increase the stress hormone cortisol (at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually wears your body down).
Older people can avoid the consequences of loneliness by staying in touch with former colleagues, taking part in family gatherings and sharing good times with family and friends, says Cacioppo. Moving away from an established community to retire to a seaside idyll could often be a mistake, but such good common sense probably doesn’t go far enough.
The Lonely Society, a 2010 report commissioned by The Mental Health Foundation, cited a link between our “individualistic society” and the increase in common mental health disorders in the last 50 years.
It also drew on research showing that mental health problems occur more frequently in unequal societies where vulnerable people are often left behind. By squandering “social capital” in the individualistic pursuit of greater wealth, or treating social networks as incidental, are we neglecting a part of life that makes us happy and keeps us healthy for longer?
Loneliness is often the core feeling that gives rise to emotions of anger, sadness, depression, worthlessness, resentment, emptiness, vulnerability and pessimism. Lonely people frequently feel that they are disliked, are often self-obsessed and lack empathy with others. They fear rejection and keep themselves at a distance, which feeds the loneliness.
People who are lonely often think that everyone else is doing OK while they are not. They think they are the only ones carrying a burden. I have had clients talk about putting their “game face” on rather than sharing truthfully about themselves. And it can be difficult to know when it is appropriate to make the move from the former to the latter.
More Reflection, Less Action
by Tony Schwartz, NY Times, Feb. 14, 2014
Like a classic scene in “I Love Lucy,” we default to whatever feels most urgent in the moment.
Earlier this week, I found myself talking with the chief of staff to the chief executive at a large company. The two of them had been on the road together for four consecutive weeks. I asked how that felt. “It’s brutal,” he said. “But it’s typical. My boss essentially has no openings on his schedule for the next three months.”
Think about that for a moment: This executive had no times at work when he could just breathe deep and relax for a half hour, nor could he step back after a key meeting and quietly metabolize what had just happened or look forward and muse about strategy. He could not simply wander through his office, talking to people about what they’re doing, in order to energize and enrich them, and himself.
It’s not possible to move from one activity to the next at blinding speed and be reflective at the same time. The more complex and demanding the work we do, the wider, deeper and longer the perspective we require to do it well. It’s almost impossible to do that when we create no white space in our lives.
By wider, I mean taking into account the practical effect an action is likely to have on the full range of people affected by it. By deeper, I mean considering the emotional impact the action is likely to have. And by longer, I mean thinking not just about its immediate consequences, but also its implications over time.
Consider this observation from President Obama, caught on an open mike during a stroll with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain in 2008:
“The most important thing you need to do [in this job] is to have big chunks of time during the day when all you’re doing is thinking.”
Judgment is grounded in discernment, subtlety and nuance. “I don’t do nuance,” George W. Bush once famously said about his approach to foreign policy. But would that he had. We might have avoided a costly and unnecessary war.
Instead, we too often view the opposite of “doing” as “not doing,” and then demonize inaction. In fact, good judgment grows out of reflection, and reflection requires the sort of quiet time that gets crowded out by the next demand.
There are occasions when our first intuitive judgment is the best one—or at least moves the ball forward—but even then it makes sense to revisit decisions as new facts arise. To reflect literally means to throw light back.
The folks at Google have made a mantra out of “iterating.” They push new products out, even when they know they’re imperfect, and then constantly improve them over time. Rethinking, reconsidering, and even reimagining are built into the process.
Regular reflection also provides the space in which to decide what not to do. At the companies I visit, no topic comes up more frequently than prioritizing. It’s as though we’ve all finally recognized that there is no way to accomplish everything we’ve got on our plates—but we still haven’t figured out how to take anything off them. Time to reflect is what makes it possible to prioritize.
Instead, we keep adding new tasks, defaulting to whatever feels most urgent in the moment, while unfinished business piles up. I can’t help thinking of the classic “I Love Lucy” episode in which Lucy and Ethel are overwhelmed trying to wrap the chocolates that just keep coming at them on an assembly line.
One of the most important vehicles I use to ensure that I both reflect and prioritize is an old-fashioned handwritten to-do list, with a twist. I use it to download everything that’s on my mind—not just calls to make and emails to send, but also ideas I want to explore, conflicts I haven’t resolved, and longer-term projects I intend to pursue.
When I can’t decide whether something is worth my time, I try to stop and answer two reflective questions—a task that ends up saving rather than costing time.
1. Could someone else do this just as well or better than I can? If so, I try to turn it over.
2. Is the time and energy I invest going to produce anything I’ll still consider worth having done a month from now?
We need less conventional wisdom and more genuine wisdom; less sheer output and more insights that add enduring value.
Tony Schwartz is the chief executive of the Energy Project and the author, most recently, of “Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live."
Like a classic scene in “I Love Lucy,” we default to whatever feels most urgent in the moment.
Earlier this week, I found myself talking with the chief of staff to the chief executive at a large company. The two of them had been on the road together for four consecutive weeks. I asked how that felt. “It’s brutal,” he said. “But it’s typical. My boss essentially has no openings on his schedule for the next three months.”
Think about that for a moment: This executive had no times at work when he could just breathe deep and relax for a half hour, nor could he step back after a key meeting and quietly metabolize what had just happened or look forward and muse about strategy. He could not simply wander through his office, talking to people about what they’re doing, in order to energize and enrich them, and himself.
It’s not possible to move from one activity to the next at blinding speed and be reflective at the same time. The more complex and demanding the work we do, the wider, deeper and longer the perspective we require to do it well. It’s almost impossible to do that when we create no white space in our lives.
By wider, I mean taking into account the practical effect an action is likely to have on the full range of people affected by it. By deeper, I mean considering the emotional impact the action is likely to have. And by longer, I mean thinking not just about its immediate consequences, but also its implications over time.
Consider this observation from President Obama, caught on an open mike during a stroll with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain in 2008:
“The most important thing you need to do [in this job] is to have big chunks of time during the day when all you’re doing is thinking.”
Judgment is grounded in discernment, subtlety and nuance. “I don’t do nuance,” George W. Bush once famously said about his approach to foreign policy. But would that he had. We might have avoided a costly and unnecessary war.
Instead, we too often view the opposite of “doing” as “not doing,” and then demonize inaction. In fact, good judgment grows out of reflection, and reflection requires the sort of quiet time that gets crowded out by the next demand.
There are occasions when our first intuitive judgment is the best one—or at least moves the ball forward—but even then it makes sense to revisit decisions as new facts arise. To reflect literally means to throw light back.
The folks at Google have made a mantra out of “iterating.” They push new products out, even when they know they’re imperfect, and then constantly improve them over time. Rethinking, reconsidering, and even reimagining are built into the process.
Regular reflection also provides the space in which to decide what not to do. At the companies I visit, no topic comes up more frequently than prioritizing. It’s as though we’ve all finally recognized that there is no way to accomplish everything we’ve got on our plates—but we still haven’t figured out how to take anything off them. Time to reflect is what makes it possible to prioritize.
Instead, we keep adding new tasks, defaulting to whatever feels most urgent in the moment, while unfinished business piles up. I can’t help thinking of the classic “I Love Lucy” episode in which Lucy and Ethel are overwhelmed trying to wrap the chocolates that just keep coming at them on an assembly line.
One of the most important vehicles I use to ensure that I both reflect and prioritize is an old-fashioned handwritten to-do list, with a twist. I use it to download everything that’s on my mind—not just calls to make and emails to send, but also ideas I want to explore, conflicts I haven’t resolved, and longer-term projects I intend to pursue.
When I can’t decide whether something is worth my time, I try to stop and answer two reflective questions—a task that ends up saving rather than costing time.
1. Could someone else do this just as well or better than I can? If so, I try to turn it over.
2. Is the time and energy I invest going to produce anything I’ll still consider worth having done a month from now?
We need less conventional wisdom and more genuine wisdom; less sheer output and more insights that add enduring value.
Tony Schwartz is the chief executive of the Energy Project and the author, most recently, of “Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live."
Deus Tem Seus Motivos
Maria Fontaine
“Entre vocês há alguém que está doente? Que ele mande chamar os presbÃteros da igreja, para que estes orem sobre ele e o unjam com óleo, em nome do Senhor. E a oração feita com fé curará o doente; o Senhor o levantará. E se houver cometido pecados, ele será perdoado.”—Tiago 5:14–15 NVI
O ministério de cura incorpora o amor e o poder de Deus na vida das pessoas tanto fÃsica como espiritualmente, e elas ficam muito agradecidas. Ser um canalizador desse amor é uma inspiração e até transforma a sua vida. Todos nós ficamos encorajados após ouvirmos testemunhos de como o Senhor curou.
Por mais maravilhoso que seja vivenciar a emoção de testemunhar uma cura milagrosa, um grande dilema para qualquer cristão sincero ao orar por cura, é a possibilidade de a pessoa não ser curada de imediato. Se isso acontecer quando você estiver orando por alguém, talvez se sinta sob condenação, achando que você falhou à pessoa. Às vezes a cura não acontece porque algumas condições não foram cumpridas, ou por faltade fé da sua parte ou da pessoa que estava recebendo a oração, ou ambas as coisas. Precisamos ter em mente que os caminhos de Deus estão acima dos nossos caminhos, e que Ele nem sempre age como esperamos, pedimos, ou achamos que Ele deveria.[1] Em algumas ocasiões Ele prefere não curar a pessoa fisicamente. Por quê? Só Deus sabe o motivo. Cada situação é única, especÃfica das pessoas envolvidas e tem relação à maneira como o Senhor está agindo em suas vidas.
Muitos de nós sabemos, por experiência, que existem bons motivos para problemas ou perdas. É um fato evidente na vida de grandes cristãos como Fanny Crosby, Louis Braille, Helen Keller, John Milton, Amy Carmichael, Samuel Schereschewsky, e muitos outros. Se virmos como Deus usou grandemente muitos homens e mulheres cristãos e o fruto que eles deram apesar de seus problemas, é fácil entender por que Ele permitiu tais deficiências, tanto as temporárias como as permanentes. As dificuldades na vida de alguém, cristão ou não, tem o potencial para gerar compaixão, maturidade, e a compreensão que Jesus pode usar para abrir nossos corações para o Seu EspÃrito de amor.
Eu já ouvi falar de evangelistas com ministérios maravilhosos curando as pessoas, mas eles próprios sofriam de enfermidades graves. Eles oraram repetidamente por cura, mas nunca foram curados. Às vezes, o Senhor, na Sua misericórdia, usa esse tipo de situação para ajudar a contrabalançar a inclinação que essas pessoas têm ao orgulho devido à fama e ao louvor que recebem. Ou pode usar para ser uma demonstração ainda maior da grande fé e confiança que tais evangelistas possuem, como no caso de Jó, que disse: “Ainda que Ele me mate, nEle confiarei”.[2] Até o apóstolo Paulo afirmou ter orado várias vezes para ser libertado do seu “espinho na carne”, e aparentemente não foi atendido.[3]Ele afirmou: “Portanto, eu me gloriarei ainda mais alegremente em minhas fraquezas, para que o poder de Cristo repouse em mim.”
Faz-me lembrar da história de um jovem gago. Ele era um testemunho incrÃvel para o Senhor, mas queria muito ser libertado desse problema que tantos constrangimentos lhe causava, e pelo qual ele tinha orado muitas vezes. Mas ele não recebeu o milagre que esperava e desejava. Pelo contrário, descobriu algo mais valioso. Ele explicou: “Acho que o Senhor quer usar a minha gagueira para a Sua glória, porque quando testemunho, as pessoas sentem tanta pena de mim, que sempre prestam atenção!” Apesar de não ter sido libertado do problema, ele aprendeu a usá-lo positivamente e para a glória de Deus. Percebeu que, no seu caso, o que ele considerava um empecilho, na verdade era uma ferramenta de testificação.
Outro caso é o de Nick Vujicic, que nasceu sem membros inferiores e superiores, no entanto conduz um ministério incrÃvel, e viaja pelo mundo inteiro testemunhando a muitos. A sua deficiência tem servido para ele encorajar milhões de pessoas que se sentiram atraÃdas pela sua fé e amor por Jesus, bem como sua perseverança e atitude positiva mesmo com essa deficiência.
A lista é bem longa. Eu acho que, se pararmos para pensar, encontraremos motivos muito importantes por que o Senhor permite problemas na vida dos Seus filhos e não os liberta imediatamente e nem nesta vida.
A fé não é uma questão de confiar quando tudo dá certo. Mas quando as coisas dão errado é que a fé entra em cena. E nós deverÃamos ter uma reação de confiança quando as coisas não acontecem como esperávamos ou pedimos. A nossa confiança de que o Senhor sabe mais do que nós, mostra à s pessoas que servimos a um Deus magnÃfico, que é digno da nossa confiança e serviço. Graças a Deus Ele sabe mais do que nós, e graças a Deus Ele faz o que sabe que é melhor!
Nós não somos responsáveis por decidir quem é curado ou não. Mas é nossa responsabilidade ter amor suficiente para arriscar sermos considerados uns fracassos contanto obedeçamos ao Senhor e ajamos segundo o Seu conselho. Se estivermos orando pela cura de alguém porque desejamos glorificar ao Senhor, por um amor puro por Ele e pelos outros, não vamos ficar muito preocupados com o nosso aparente “sucesso”. Poderemos confiar nEle quer as coisas ocorram como esperamos, quer não.
Se você orar, Deus responderá da maneira que a pessoa mais precisa, e no melhor momento. Só que Ele nem sempre atende à s nossas orações da maneira como esperamos ou desejamos. Mas precisamos confiar nEle. Deus nos chamou para ministrar o Seu amor a outros, inclusive orar em fé pela cura das pessoas quando Ele nos conduz nesse sentido. Se o fizermos, poderemos então depositar a nossa confiança nEle, acreditando que Ele vai responder na Sua hora e à Sua maneira—curando a mente, o coração, o espÃrito, ou o corpo.
“Eu acredito em um Deus que tudo pode. Mas se Ele preferir não me dar armas e braços, eu sei que é por um bom motive. Posso não entender, mas só preciso saber que Ele vai me ajudar e que isso tem um propósito.
“Nós não podemos nem devemos comprar o sofrimento das pessoas. Nós nos reunimos como uma famÃlia de Deus, de mãos dadas. E juntos nos firmamos nas promessas de Deus, sabendo que, não importa quem somos, não importa a situação pela qual estamos passando, Deus está ciente, está ao nosso lado, e vai nos ajudar a superar.
“Os desafios da vida servem para fortalecer nossas convicções, e não para nos atropelar.”—Nick Vujicic
Publicado originalmente em março 2011. Adaptado e republicado em agosto 2013. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.
[1] Isaias 55:8–9.
[2] Jó 13:15 NVI.
[3] 2 CorÃntios 12:7–10 NVI.
“Entre vocês há alguém que está doente? Que ele mande chamar os presbÃteros da igreja, para que estes orem sobre ele e o unjam com óleo, em nome do Senhor. E a oração feita com fé curará o doente; o Senhor o levantará. E se houver cometido pecados, ele será perdoado.”—Tiago 5:14–15 NVI
O ministério de cura incorpora o amor e o poder de Deus na vida das pessoas tanto fÃsica como espiritualmente, e elas ficam muito agradecidas. Ser um canalizador desse amor é uma inspiração e até transforma a sua vida. Todos nós ficamos encorajados após ouvirmos testemunhos de como o Senhor curou.
Por mais maravilhoso que seja vivenciar a emoção de testemunhar uma cura milagrosa, um grande dilema para qualquer cristão sincero ao orar por cura, é a possibilidade de a pessoa não ser curada de imediato. Se isso acontecer quando você estiver orando por alguém, talvez se sinta sob condenação, achando que você falhou à pessoa. Às vezes a cura não acontece porque algumas condições não foram cumpridas, ou por faltade fé da sua parte ou da pessoa que estava recebendo a oração, ou ambas as coisas. Precisamos ter em mente que os caminhos de Deus estão acima dos nossos caminhos, e que Ele nem sempre age como esperamos, pedimos, ou achamos que Ele deveria.[1] Em algumas ocasiões Ele prefere não curar a pessoa fisicamente. Por quê? Só Deus sabe o motivo. Cada situação é única, especÃfica das pessoas envolvidas e tem relação à maneira como o Senhor está agindo em suas vidas.
Muitos de nós sabemos, por experiência, que existem bons motivos para problemas ou perdas. É um fato evidente na vida de grandes cristãos como Fanny Crosby, Louis Braille, Helen Keller, John Milton, Amy Carmichael, Samuel Schereschewsky, e muitos outros. Se virmos como Deus usou grandemente muitos homens e mulheres cristãos e o fruto que eles deram apesar de seus problemas, é fácil entender por que Ele permitiu tais deficiências, tanto as temporárias como as permanentes. As dificuldades na vida de alguém, cristão ou não, tem o potencial para gerar compaixão, maturidade, e a compreensão que Jesus pode usar para abrir nossos corações para o Seu EspÃrito de amor.
Eu já ouvi falar de evangelistas com ministérios maravilhosos curando as pessoas, mas eles próprios sofriam de enfermidades graves. Eles oraram repetidamente por cura, mas nunca foram curados. Às vezes, o Senhor, na Sua misericórdia, usa esse tipo de situação para ajudar a contrabalançar a inclinação que essas pessoas têm ao orgulho devido à fama e ao louvor que recebem. Ou pode usar para ser uma demonstração ainda maior da grande fé e confiança que tais evangelistas possuem, como no caso de Jó, que disse: “Ainda que Ele me mate, nEle confiarei”.[2] Até o apóstolo Paulo afirmou ter orado várias vezes para ser libertado do seu “espinho na carne”, e aparentemente não foi atendido.[3]Ele afirmou: “Portanto, eu me gloriarei ainda mais alegremente em minhas fraquezas, para que o poder de Cristo repouse em mim.”
Faz-me lembrar da história de um jovem gago. Ele era um testemunho incrÃvel para o Senhor, mas queria muito ser libertado desse problema que tantos constrangimentos lhe causava, e pelo qual ele tinha orado muitas vezes. Mas ele não recebeu o milagre que esperava e desejava. Pelo contrário, descobriu algo mais valioso. Ele explicou: “Acho que o Senhor quer usar a minha gagueira para a Sua glória, porque quando testemunho, as pessoas sentem tanta pena de mim, que sempre prestam atenção!” Apesar de não ter sido libertado do problema, ele aprendeu a usá-lo positivamente e para a glória de Deus. Percebeu que, no seu caso, o que ele considerava um empecilho, na verdade era uma ferramenta de testificação.
Outro caso é o de Nick Vujicic, que nasceu sem membros inferiores e superiores, no entanto conduz um ministério incrÃvel, e viaja pelo mundo inteiro testemunhando a muitos. A sua deficiência tem servido para ele encorajar milhões de pessoas que se sentiram atraÃdas pela sua fé e amor por Jesus, bem como sua perseverança e atitude positiva mesmo com essa deficiência.
A lista é bem longa. Eu acho que, se pararmos para pensar, encontraremos motivos muito importantes por que o Senhor permite problemas na vida dos Seus filhos e não os liberta imediatamente e nem nesta vida.
A fé não é uma questão de confiar quando tudo dá certo. Mas quando as coisas dão errado é que a fé entra em cena. E nós deverÃamos ter uma reação de confiança quando as coisas não acontecem como esperávamos ou pedimos. A nossa confiança de que o Senhor sabe mais do que nós, mostra à s pessoas que servimos a um Deus magnÃfico, que é digno da nossa confiança e serviço. Graças a Deus Ele sabe mais do que nós, e graças a Deus Ele faz o que sabe que é melhor!
Nós não somos responsáveis por decidir quem é curado ou não. Mas é nossa responsabilidade ter amor suficiente para arriscar sermos considerados uns fracassos contanto obedeçamos ao Senhor e ajamos segundo o Seu conselho. Se estivermos orando pela cura de alguém porque desejamos glorificar ao Senhor, por um amor puro por Ele e pelos outros, não vamos ficar muito preocupados com o nosso aparente “sucesso”. Poderemos confiar nEle quer as coisas ocorram como esperamos, quer não.
Se você orar, Deus responderá da maneira que a pessoa mais precisa, e no melhor momento. Só que Ele nem sempre atende à s nossas orações da maneira como esperamos ou desejamos. Mas precisamos confiar nEle. Deus nos chamou para ministrar o Seu amor a outros, inclusive orar em fé pela cura das pessoas quando Ele nos conduz nesse sentido. Se o fizermos, poderemos então depositar a nossa confiança nEle, acreditando que Ele vai responder na Sua hora e à Sua maneira—curando a mente, o coração, o espÃrito, ou o corpo.
“Eu acredito em um Deus que tudo pode. Mas se Ele preferir não me dar armas e braços, eu sei que é por um bom motive. Posso não entender, mas só preciso saber que Ele vai me ajudar e que isso tem um propósito.
“Nós não podemos nem devemos comprar o sofrimento das pessoas. Nós nos reunimos como uma famÃlia de Deus, de mãos dadas. E juntos nos firmamos nas promessas de Deus, sabendo que, não importa quem somos, não importa a situação pela qual estamos passando, Deus está ciente, está ao nosso lado, e vai nos ajudar a superar.
“Os desafios da vida servem para fortalecer nossas convicções, e não para nos atropelar.”—Nick Vujicic
Publicado originalmente em março 2011. Adaptado e republicado em agosto 2013. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.
[1] Isaias 55:8–9.
[2] Jó 13:15 NVI.
[3] 2 CorÃntios 12:7–10 NVI.
Treasures of His Presence
Words from Jesus
Audio length: 13:05
Download Audio (11.9MB)
In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.—Isaiah 33:61
*
God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery … which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.—Colossians 1:272
*
I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory. The one who walks beside you, holding you by your hand, is the same One who lives within you. This is a deep unfathomable mystery. You and I are intertwined in an intimacy involving every fiber of your being. The Light of My presence shines within you, as well as upon you. I am in you, and you are in Me; therefore nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from Me!
As you sit quietly in My presence, your awareness of My life within you is heightened. This produces the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. I, the God of hope, fill you with all peace, as you trust in Me, so that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.3
*
When people’s hearts are empty, they are unhappy and unfulfilled. They desire to be happy and to satisfy the hunger that they have. They often look around and they see that which is appealing in the world, and they try to fill their vacuum. But what they do not see or understand is that these things will never fully satisfy.
Some will think they will find no happiness in surrendering to Me. They do not see how that could make them any happier or fill the vacuum that they have in their heart. But those who give in love for Me and in unselfishness, experience the true joys of My Spirit which are beyond comparison with anything else in this world! This satisfies the heart like nothing else can. It fills the need and satisfies the hunger. But the only way this comes is through surrender and loving Me.
*
When you look about you in the world today, there are the rich, the very rich, the poor, and the very poor. There are those who have much and those who have little. You look about you and you say, “Oh, these are rich and these are poor.” But I say to you that in your faith you hold the true riches, the riches of the Spirit. You are the ultra-wealthy in the Spirit. You have so much—an abundance of the wealth of My Word, My truth, My peace, My love, My understanding, and My depth of Spirit. And they who don’t know Me, whether rich or poor materially, are all spiritually destitute.
So give of your abundance. Give of your wealth. Share and pour out the wealth that I have poured unto you—the wealth of My Word, the wealth of My love, the wealth of My compassion. Give to them that are needy and that are destitute. All those that do not know Me are needy and destitute, for they lack the true riches of the Spirit of God, the true wealth, the coinage of the realm of faith—love, hope, salvation—the true riches of the Spirit.
For you have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and I send you forth as My ambassadors to disburse the riches of the kingdom. Freely you have received, freely give. Pour forth to these who are lost and destitute, who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
*
I give grace to the lowly, and a broken heart I will not despise. All those who come before Me seeking My guidance and My direction, I will guide in a plain path, whether it be night or day. I will give you answers. I will dispel the questions and uncertainties. When you are undecided, I will give a clear indication. I will be a red light when you need to stop, a green light when you need to go ahead, and a yellow light when you need to proceed with caution.
I am your light in darkness to give you hope. I am your armor to protect you. I am your force field against all harm. I am your blanket for warmth, and your cool breeze in the heat of the day. I am a word fitly spoken for every occasion.
I am the garden where you will find fellowship. I am the rose whose fragrance brings a soothing calm to your spirit. I am the dewy early morning where time stops while we share heart to heart. I am the sunset that warms and satisfies your heart with its eternal majestic glow. I am the tide with its faithful and cleansing rolling waves lapping on the shores of your life.
*
In times of darkness, I will be your light. In times of sadness, I will be your joy. In times of struggle, I will be your deliverance. In times of weakness, I will be your strength. In times of question, I will be your answer. In times of doubt, I will be faith unto you. And more important than any of this, I am love to you. I love you and I forgive you. I want to heal you and mend your wounds. I want to strengthen you and renew your heart, renew your spirit, renew your conviction and your will to live.
So do not be discouraged or disheartened. Do not look back. Do not be remorseful over the mistakes and sins of the past, for the past is the past. I have covered those mistakes and sins, and that which was scarlet shall be made white as snow.4 As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you.5 In the very moment that you seek My forgiveness, in the very instant that you call out to Me, I immediately grant My forgiveness, and there is no more need to worry or fear or carry the burden yourself.
*
Think of My Word and everything it is to you. It is love and warmth and power and light. It gives strength and satisfaction, a purpose in life, and a reason to live. In My Word you’ll find answers to all your problems. It never fails. It never lets you down. My Word is as precious gold. It is a rare treasure. It stands forever. It is comfort, peace, light, and life. My Word is the secret to everything. It is power and enlightenment. It is knowledge and wisdom. My Word is fulfillment. My Word offers thrills, excitement, and challenge.
*
You are precious in My sight, for I love you dearly and intimately. Even the very hairs of your head are numbered. I know your heart and your many thoughts. I want you to know that I am right here beside you, holding your hand. I am a constant help in time of trouble. Never think or feel that you are alone, for My presence is always with you, and My Spirit will give you help.
Come unto Me. Cast aside your cares and worries. I love you more than you can know! My love for you is without measure, without end, without boundaries. My love for you is eternal. Remember that. Keep your eyes steadfast on Me and on My love. Be reassured in your heart that I am with you always, holding your right hand.
Spend time with Me, and you will be refreshed and strengthened and inspired. My strength is sufficient through you. I am nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and I save those who are of a contrite spirit. Trust in Me. Trust in My love for you. Don’t look at the waves. Don’t look at the obstacles the Enemy would put in your path to try to discourage you, to slow you down, to even stop you. Keep looking ahead. Look unto Me, for I will never let you down. I will never fail you.
I am thankful for your many years of faithful service and for all that you have done for Me and for My kingdom. Do not think that I have not noticed it! I have noticed and greatly appreciated it, and I will reward you accordingly. You are laying up for yourself great treasures, great riches. And one day you will hear My voice saying to you, “Well done, My precious and faithful one. Enter into My joy! Enter into My wonderful kingdom of love and enjoy all these things which I have prepared for you.”
Therefore keep that heavenly vision of the wonderful things in store for you—not only in heaven, but there on earth. So think on these things, and let your heart be filled with My love and joy and peace. You are Mine forever, and nothing will separate you from My love.
Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished February 2014 @tfi. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 NLT
2 NET.
3 Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
4 Isaiah 1:18.
5 Psalm 103:12.
Audio length: 13:05
Download Audio (11.9MB)
In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.—Isaiah 33:61
*
God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery … which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.—Colossians 1:272
*
I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory. The one who walks beside you, holding you by your hand, is the same One who lives within you. This is a deep unfathomable mystery. You and I are intertwined in an intimacy involving every fiber of your being. The Light of My presence shines within you, as well as upon you. I am in you, and you are in Me; therefore nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from Me!
As you sit quietly in My presence, your awareness of My life within you is heightened. This produces the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. I, the God of hope, fill you with all peace, as you trust in Me, so that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.3
*
When people’s hearts are empty, they are unhappy and unfulfilled. They desire to be happy and to satisfy the hunger that they have. They often look around and they see that which is appealing in the world, and they try to fill their vacuum. But what they do not see or understand is that these things will never fully satisfy.
Some will think they will find no happiness in surrendering to Me. They do not see how that could make them any happier or fill the vacuum that they have in their heart. But those who give in love for Me and in unselfishness, experience the true joys of My Spirit which are beyond comparison with anything else in this world! This satisfies the heart like nothing else can. It fills the need and satisfies the hunger. But the only way this comes is through surrender and loving Me.
*
When you look about you in the world today, there are the rich, the very rich, the poor, and the very poor. There are those who have much and those who have little. You look about you and you say, “Oh, these are rich and these are poor.” But I say to you that in your faith you hold the true riches, the riches of the Spirit. You are the ultra-wealthy in the Spirit. You have so much—an abundance of the wealth of My Word, My truth, My peace, My love, My understanding, and My depth of Spirit. And they who don’t know Me, whether rich or poor materially, are all spiritually destitute.
So give of your abundance. Give of your wealth. Share and pour out the wealth that I have poured unto you—the wealth of My Word, the wealth of My love, the wealth of My compassion. Give to them that are needy and that are destitute. All those that do not know Me are needy and destitute, for they lack the true riches of the Spirit of God, the true wealth, the coinage of the realm of faith—love, hope, salvation—the true riches of the Spirit.
For you have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and I send you forth as My ambassadors to disburse the riches of the kingdom. Freely you have received, freely give. Pour forth to these who are lost and destitute, who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
*
I give grace to the lowly, and a broken heart I will not despise. All those who come before Me seeking My guidance and My direction, I will guide in a plain path, whether it be night or day. I will give you answers. I will dispel the questions and uncertainties. When you are undecided, I will give a clear indication. I will be a red light when you need to stop, a green light when you need to go ahead, and a yellow light when you need to proceed with caution.
I am your light in darkness to give you hope. I am your armor to protect you. I am your force field against all harm. I am your blanket for warmth, and your cool breeze in the heat of the day. I am a word fitly spoken for every occasion.
I am the garden where you will find fellowship. I am the rose whose fragrance brings a soothing calm to your spirit. I am the dewy early morning where time stops while we share heart to heart. I am the sunset that warms and satisfies your heart with its eternal majestic glow. I am the tide with its faithful and cleansing rolling waves lapping on the shores of your life.
*
In times of darkness, I will be your light. In times of sadness, I will be your joy. In times of struggle, I will be your deliverance. In times of weakness, I will be your strength. In times of question, I will be your answer. In times of doubt, I will be faith unto you. And more important than any of this, I am love to you. I love you and I forgive you. I want to heal you and mend your wounds. I want to strengthen you and renew your heart, renew your spirit, renew your conviction and your will to live.
So do not be discouraged or disheartened. Do not look back. Do not be remorseful over the mistakes and sins of the past, for the past is the past. I have covered those mistakes and sins, and that which was scarlet shall be made white as snow.4 As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you.5 In the very moment that you seek My forgiveness, in the very instant that you call out to Me, I immediately grant My forgiveness, and there is no more need to worry or fear or carry the burden yourself.
*
Think of My Word and everything it is to you. It is love and warmth and power and light. It gives strength and satisfaction, a purpose in life, and a reason to live. In My Word you’ll find answers to all your problems. It never fails. It never lets you down. My Word is as precious gold. It is a rare treasure. It stands forever. It is comfort, peace, light, and life. My Word is the secret to everything. It is power and enlightenment. It is knowledge and wisdom. My Word is fulfillment. My Word offers thrills, excitement, and challenge.
*
You are precious in My sight, for I love you dearly and intimately. Even the very hairs of your head are numbered. I know your heart and your many thoughts. I want you to know that I am right here beside you, holding your hand. I am a constant help in time of trouble. Never think or feel that you are alone, for My presence is always with you, and My Spirit will give you help.
Come unto Me. Cast aside your cares and worries. I love you more than you can know! My love for you is without measure, without end, without boundaries. My love for you is eternal. Remember that. Keep your eyes steadfast on Me and on My love. Be reassured in your heart that I am with you always, holding your right hand.
Spend time with Me, and you will be refreshed and strengthened and inspired. My strength is sufficient through you. I am nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and I save those who are of a contrite spirit. Trust in Me. Trust in My love for you. Don’t look at the waves. Don’t look at the obstacles the Enemy would put in your path to try to discourage you, to slow you down, to even stop you. Keep looking ahead. Look unto Me, for I will never let you down. I will never fail you.
I am thankful for your many years of faithful service and for all that you have done for Me and for My kingdom. Do not think that I have not noticed it! I have noticed and greatly appreciated it, and I will reward you accordingly. You are laying up for yourself great treasures, great riches. And one day you will hear My voice saying to you, “Well done, My precious and faithful one. Enter into My joy! Enter into My wonderful kingdom of love and enjoy all these things which I have prepared for you.”
Therefore keep that heavenly vision of the wonderful things in store for you—not only in heaven, but there on earth. So think on these things, and let your heart be filled with My love and joy and peace. You are Mine forever, and nothing will separate you from My love.
Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished February 2014 @tfi. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 NLT
2 NET.
3 Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
4 Isaiah 1:18.
5 Psalm 103:12.
