Rayni Risher

Step Out in Faith…God Responds!

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We all have those landmark moments of faith in our walk with God. You know, those God-encounters that boost your faith and propel you forward toward becoming more like Jesus.

One of those moments for me came my sophomore year in college. My pastor had done a lot of research about various historical revivals, including the Welsh revival of 1904. Listen to this! During that time in the country of Wales, there was a huge revival and over a short period of time more than 100,000 came to know Jesus.

It began when a young Welsh man named Evan Roberts, who was passionately committed to Jesus–and spent lots of time studying the Bible and seeking God through prayer–was led by the Spirit to begin preaching with great passion about the salvation God offers through Jesus. Evan had four main points that were a part of his message:

+Confess all known sin.

+Get rid of any ‘doubtful’ habit in your life.

+Obey the Holy Spirit promptly.

+Confess Christ publicly.

Now, back to my sophomore year…

My church held a consecration ceremony where we were offered an opportunity to make a commitment to do those four things I just shared.

So, I did.

It wasn’t just an outward act to go down to the altar and make a commitment…it came from my heart. And let me tell you what happened as a result! I was spontaneously filled with this non-stop, overflowing joy that could only supernaturally come from God.

I didn’t ask for that joy. I wasn’t expecting it. But it surpassed anything I had ever experienced before. And it just kept happening. Every day.

My heart was full of joy all the time. I even found that as I walked to classes I was smiling and saying hello to people I walked by who I didn’t even know. I couldn’t help it! I was joy-full.

I also found that I was so much more free during worship times at church, and didn’t care about what other people thought of me…I just wanted to connect with God and worship Him.

So…

Has something like that ever happened to you? Have you ever had a God-encounter that left you dramatically different? When you make a genuine commitment to God, either for the first time, or to give yourself more fully to Him, He responds. For me at that point, God was responding to my step of faith by filling me with an abundant joy that I knew I didn’t manufacture on my own. I knew it came from Him. God did it, and He was glorified through it.

What step of faith is God leading you to take this week?

Even though taking a step of faith is risky and can be scary, just do it. God is faithful to meet you on the journey. And He will respond in ways that are more wonderful than you can imagine.

For a video version of this blog click here.

This post is part of a group blogging project celebrating the release of Inciting Incidents, a book featuring the stories of six creatives who share honestly about surviving life’s difficulties while attempting to do great things. Visit IncitingIncidents.Org to read an excerpt from the book, learn more about the authors or to share your story.

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Treasures in Darkness

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“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” I read that Persian Proverb several years ago as I was walking through a year-long wilderness journey of extremely high anxiety and panic attacks that came on out of nowhere. The anxiety was so high and so pervasive that I couldn’t even shake it when I was with close friends who I knew I could fall apart in front of, if needed.

It led to a huge crisis of faith where I questioned if God was even real and if the Bible could be trusted. Much of the time I felt like I was hanging onto faith by a thread. God eventually led me out of that intense anxiety and taught me how to overcome it. Now I can honestly tell you that on the other side of it, I am thankful for the experience.

Treasure Hunting With God
In Isaiah 45:3 God says, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Only in walking through darkness–that wilderness–do we receive those secret treasures from God. There are certain things we only learn and experience while suffering.

My experience of anxiety tested my faith (proving it stronger on the other side); developed my character; gave me deep compassion for others in similar trials; and drew me closer to the heart of God. In the midst of what feels like darkness to us, we can be encouraged that even “darkness is as light” to God (Psalm 139:12). He sees everything. He is with you, no matter what “time of day” it is in your life.

Recently I listened to a sermon where the teacher suggested that perhaps the wilderness times in our lives are one of God’s favorite times to spend with us. Not because we’re suffering or are experiencing pain but because during those times we tend to draw even closer to the Father; to have our character refined causing us to resemble Jesus more and more; and we gain insights we never would have learned if we always stayed on the mountain top.

And while suffering we also have the opportunity to fellowship with Jesus in a way that we cannot at any other time; to tap into just a small piece of what He suffered for us on the cross.

O My Strength, I Watch For You
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is written by David, who went through a very long wilderness experience before he became king. During that time he grew so close to God and learned to truly depend on Him for every need. David’s character, way of thinking, and the way he worshiped God were forever imprinted in a positive way because of that dark wilderness journey; a journey that prepared him to be king of God’s people. In Psalm 59:9-10 David writes:

“O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” 

Notice that David addresses God as His Strength and his fortress; and even in the midst of his trial David knows how kind and loving God is toward him. But here’s an interesting thing: David is watching for God to show up to help him. He is expectant. David knows that God will come through for him; he doesn’t doubt for a second. He knows from experience after experience that God will not fail him. Ever.

God Will Never Fail Us
God always wants to draw us to Himself. He wants us to rely fully on Him. He wants us to give up control to Him. So He will allow certain situations into our lives that accomplish just that: coming to the end of ourselves; not being able to control situations; having to fully lean and rely on and trust in Him. That can be a tough experience to live out daily. And that is where I was living while walking through anxiety.

But the result of that experience is that I know that He is my Source. And I know now that God will not fail me. Ever. I don’t just mean I know it in my head. I mean I know it. Just like David, I know to look for God and expect Him to come through for me no matter what I am facing.

Be encouraged by that today if you are in the midst of groping your way through the darkness. God is with you. He is. Submit yourself to Him. Trust Him and watch for Him. There is treasure in the dark times, just as the stars are a treasure only visible to us at night.

 

 

 

 

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Encouragement From Psalm 121

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If you are feeling discouraged, invisible, exhausted, confused…whatever it is, KNOW that God is with you always; protecting you and caring for you.

Psalm 121

I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

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Are You Filling Up On Junk?

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Every now and then I buy a bag of real potato chips. Since it’s an occasional treat I find that it’s easy for me to overindulge. The other morning before breakfast I thought, Mmm there are potato chips in the pantry! I’ll just eat a few to begin the day. I ate way too many felt full; so much so that when I made my standard healthy oatmeal I didn’t even want it. I had to force myself to eat it because I knew it was healthy, but since I had already filled up on junk food there wasn’t as much room in my stomach for the healthy food.

If we’re not disciplined it’s easy to do the same thing when it comes to spiritual matters, isn’t it? When I get up in the morning the first thing I want to do is turn on the news. I love current events and like to keep up to date. I’ll just watch the headlines, I think to myself, then I’ll turn off the TV and read the Bible and pray. If I’m not careful, some days “the headlines” turns into several hours of mindless TV, then I have to run off to my commitments, then I get home late and need to make dinner and if I get around to it I’ll read a chapter in the Bible before I go to bed, thinking, tomorrow I’ll spend more time with God. Uh…not if I turn the TV on first thing…

Giving God Our Left Overs
There are lots of days that I spend lots of time with God and choose Him first before anything else; worshiping, praying, listening, reading, seeking Him. Time with God isn’t just a box to check off my ‘to do’ list. He refreshes and renews me; encourages me and gives me insight….LIFE….when I am in that focused time with Him. I need it to thrive. And it’s a choice. But there are also days when I make the decision to put other things first; things that aren’t nearly as important; things that can wait. I fill up on the “junk food” and if God’s “lucky” I give Him my little bit of left over time late in the day.

When I start my day with God, I find that I feel more at peace and full of joy throughout the day. Tasks are easier to complete with a good outlook. When I start my day with junk and give God the left overs, my outlook and attitude are often junk, too.

What Do You Meditate On?
What are we listening to, thinking about, talking about, watching, reading, and spending our time doing? Are they things that honor God and help us toward honoring others?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

It matters what we are putting into our minds because it goes into us and ends up in our hearts. And then that comes back out of our mouths, for better or worse.

“What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 NLT

 

So…
When we fill up on everything else but God why do we expect to be full of God? Do we assume the fruit of the Spirit will easily flow out of us when we are filling up on life-taking things rather than the Life-Giver? This week join me being intentional about filling up with God, not with junk. I think we’ll be surprised how much better we feel and how much more the intake of godly things produces a greater outflow of the Spirit through us!

 

 

 

 

 

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Breaking Chains

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“This is really heavy. Maybe too heavy to wear for an extended time. But I’ll try it anyway.” That’s what I was thinking the other day as I put on a beautiful necklace with large stones. I like the necklace a lot and got it as a souvenir in one of my favorite cities but I rarely wear it because after I bought it I realized that it’s a bit heavy sitting around my neck; especially for longer periods of time. It made me think about the bondages that often hold us down in life. Those things that keep us chained and in the proverbial pit. We notice the heaviness of those chains but how do we get free?

Isaiah 52 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible! God is calling His people out of captivity in Babylon. He is getting ready to deliver them from what has been oppressing them. That is something to celebrate! In verses 1-3 He says:

“Awake, awake, Zion,
clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.

Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

I love how God tells His people exactly what they need to do. God is going to deliver them but they have a part to play, too. They have to make a decision to stand up, to get free, to walk into their true identity in God, and to get moving forward! In John Wesley’s commentary he notes this about the word “awake” — “This is a prediction and promise what she should do, that she should awake or arise out of her low estate, and be strong and courageous.” Matthew Henry adds, “The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Let those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears, and loose themselves from those bands. The price (is) paid by the Redeemer for our salvation…”

So…
+What is holding you down? Is there a stronghold or invisible chain around your neck? Is it from past mistakes? Fear of moving forward? Hurtful, untrue words that shaped your thinking?

+Will you make a decision today to rise up, shake off the dust of victim thinking, break those unhealthy chains and move forward in Christ? If you don’t know where to begin, ask God to show you. He will. He wants you to be free!

Prayer
God, You truly are our deliverer and You are able to break every chain that binds us so we can follow Your call to stand up and move forward into more and more of the abundant life that Jesus offers us (John 10:10). Help us to be strong and courageous as we make a decision to “awake” and partner with you as You deliver us from strongholds. Amen.

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