Our yard was looking pretty shabby and needed a complete
clean-up. Without supernatural help from the Lord there was no way I could achieve this on my own in one day.We hadn’t been able to do much in it because of all the extenuating health activity the past eight months. I knew my work was cut out for me realizing that my husband wasn't able to lift or bend much.
Last Saturday I prayed for strength physically to handle
all the tasks that I had before me. However,
it was the meeting earlier that week that gave me emotional strength to endure
in the first place.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Bagmati
Zone, Nepal; Auckland & New Plymouth, New Zealand; Swan View, WA,
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Kicevo, Macedonia; Tanzania; Norway; Lebanon; Denmark.
USA – Fairmont, WV; Salem, OR, Kelseyville, CA;
Seymour, TN; Omaha, NE; Phoenix, AZ; Riverton & Barnegat, NJ; Crete, IL;
Augusta, GA; Durand, WI; Security, CO; McBee, SC; Waterford, NY; Mountain View,
MO; Portage, MI.
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Our Belief on Daily Favor. (DFB -
Daily Favor Blog) Living
my life before God and man, by sharing experiences as I walk out my faith.
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Don't miss
out on this week's challenge (below).
While hubby was in the hospital I had to run errands that he usually made, including paying the local bills. I remember distinctly that it was a Friday afternoon when I needed to drop off the car insurance payment before they closed.
The place was empty
except for the receptionist. She seemed
glad for the company and expressed that it had been a quiet day. Since she knew us I filled her in on how my
husband was progressing.
Our conversation led to her sharing her own husband’s
story with his heart surgery in 2012. I
was glad to hear the details, but intrigued as to how she handled the
situation, especially because she had children.
Their journey was quiet difficult with him having his operation over 100
miles away from their home.
The verbal engagement left me wanting to learn more, so I
asked Merry if we could have lunch to discuss what things she did to help her
stay in faith. On Friday, June 12th,
2015 we kept that purpose driven lunch date.
11:30 AM ...
Not a second was wasted in our outing. Even our order was
exactly the same with both of us getting iced tea (mine unsweetened), and a
baked potato with broccoli and cheese.
Our discussion was seamless and flowed from topic to
topic, with each of us interjecting our life story throughout the conversation.
To my surprise the things that concerned me had also plagued her thoughts
during her family crisis. She shared
concrete information on what to expect and in what areas I could be supportive
in the coming days of my husband’s rehabilitation.
Both of us discussed how we prayed while we were in the
midst of the storm. In some instances
our requests before the Lord were mostly the same when it came to healing our
loved one.
Not wanting to sound grim, I asked her about the
emotional part and if she thought about what might happen. Without saying the “D” word, she admitted that
her thoughts did take a side detour down that road. Chiming in I confessed that I was feeling
selfish, because my concerns weren’t about that as much, because I knew he was
born again. No, my thoughts were mostly
about not wanting to be alone.
It felt good to openly discuss what we had been experiencing
emotionally, since neither of us had shared these feelings with anyone before
that time. Sometimes I think Christians believe that talking over such things
are a sign of weakness and lack of faith, but I feel it’s the opposite. Being able to remind one another of how God
was in all of it was a comfort and boosted our faith.
11:45 AM ...
Around fifteen minutes into the meal we talked about the
physical side of all this. I questioned how she handled all the work load of
caring for a farm, family and completing her “honey-do” list while getting very
little sleep.
Merry assured me that her strength to persevere did come
from the Lord, but that she cast some of the burden on to her children when it
came to chores around the house and farm.
Jokingly I said, “I don’t have any
munchkin slaves to help, so I asked God for what I needed concerning those
matters.” She began to smile when I
proceeded to explain my statement.
I went on to say how I used to kid my mother that the
only reason she had so many kids was so she didn’t have to do anything. Well, if you knew my mom you certainly knew
that wasn’t true. My lunch buddy totally
understood the humor coming from an extremely large family on both sides of her
parents. Large families have to work together
or the household would always be in chaos.
Say What?
After we finished laughing about the sizes of our
families, she followed with this statement.
“You did something right.” That phrase will cause anyone to perk up and
listen.
“What did you say?" I inquisitively asked not being sure I
heard her correctly.
She repeated, “You did something right.”
When we first sat down to talk, I explained how I asked
God to pour out His favor and send people to help me do what I couldn’t do for
myself. One of the things I prayed was for someone to mow and weed-whack (trim
around the bushes, trees, etc.) our yard.
That was one prayer God answered, but there were others.
I cast the burdens on the Lord and He met each need as
they came. My friend said she never
thought to pray that way. Several years
ago I may not have either. I confessed to her that teachers have no problem
asking for help or designating duties, so I did what I knew to do. Knowing what the Bible promises was another
thing that helped me in decision making.
Not in My Strength
For as long as I can remember I have trusted in the verse
Philippians 4:13 and relied on God giving me strength in every situation.
Sometimes it’s physical, but not always.
God may give me strength to do a task on my own, but being of a small
stature he often sends someone to do those things for me.
What I was in need of at that time was spiritual and
emotional encouragement. The Lord has
given me wisdom, guidance and understanding to recognize what happens when iron
sharpens iron.
In other words, what I
can expect to happen when faith sharpens faith, and that is what this luncheon was
all about for me.
King David gave this declaration of faith in the promises
of God concerning favor on his life.
“The LORD is my Light
and my Salvation. Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1(b)
God promises that when we truthfully believe what we claim
we believe about His Word, we won’t be disappointed or put to shame. (See Romans 9:33) I have to believe that if I
commit my life to Him, He will deliver me “through the fire” and grant the
favor (answer my prayer requests) in the areas I asked.
“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it (our requests) to pass.” (Psalm 37:5 NKJV)
Take a look at how the Wycliffe Bible states this
passage.
“Show thy way to the LORD; and hope in Him, and He shall
do (it). Give all thy ways to the LORD, and trust in him;
and He shall make it happen." (Psalm 37:5 WYC)
Find God, Find Favor
My husband and I have both sought out ways to sharpen
with iron this week to uplift others and kindle our faith.
Our decision over who we were to fellowship
with came from time spent with the Lord and seeking His wisdom. In doing so each individual come away from
the meeting encouraged and enriched.
Proverbs 8:35 tells how those that seek the Lord will
obtain favor. Literally if we “find”
God, we will “find” His favor. When we
take action in doing the Word of God it means we want to find the Lord, because
we are inviting Him to be a part of our lives.
Since He is in on the task, His favor will always be available.
What does “iron sharpens iron” really mean?
In the physical realm it is when two iron objects are
struck against one another making the object(s) sharper. Obviously a sharp tool is more effective than
a blunt one. The same metaphor is used
in scripture concerning people of like faith, whether it is a man or woman.
People of like faith stimulate, excite, spark, inspire
and fuel a fire of God inside one another. The devil tries to extinguish that
flame by using anxiety, worry or fear.
This is why we need one another to keep our spirit man sharp even when
the flesh is weak.
Proverbs 27:17 states “iron sharpens iron: so a man (or
woman) sharpens the countenance of his friend."
When I seek out the company of my friends of faith for
support it gives me joy that shines through the expression on my face
(countenance).
“Ointment and perfume
delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty
counsel.”
(Proverbs 27:9 NKVJ)
Irons of Faith
Spending time with God’s people should always leave individuals
feeling inspired, light hearted, encouraged and invigorated to press on to the prize
of the high calling. Passages of scripture like “I can do all things through Christ” and “all things are possible,” are the foremost thoughts as conquerors
through our Lord and Savior.
When I am weak God’s Word says for me to say I am strong.
Why? It’s the Word of God living in me that fills my life with joy, knowing
that all things are possible to me when I believe.
If a feeling of being renewed over a time of fellowship
doesn’t happen when you are with your Christian friends, than you’re doing
something wrong or you’re not with iron strong believers. You decide which you want to spend time with
if your journey to believe what you believe is to succeed. It takes iron faith to sharpen iron faith. Nothing else will work or last.
Our faith should be so strong that other believer’s would
seek our godly counsel to sharpen their iron!
Watch this 1:34 minute video that briefly explains the
purpose of staying focused irons of faith.
What happens when iron sharpens iron in the life of a
believer?
Anything!
This Week’s Challenge:
It’s usually enjoyable to go out to lunch with a friend
or visit them at their dwelling. However, do we always leave that place of
fellowship with the other person glad they spent time with us?
Our challenge this week will have us seeking God’s wisdom
as He directs us to the individual(s) that need to have their faith iron
sharpened. Perhaps you are in need of
that as I was. Make sure your visit is with
someone that will be able to give you the “edge” you are looking for in any
given situation.
Here is a key factor in making sure you stick to this
task correctly. Set your appointment in
the middle of other engagements, this way you will not lolly gag or get on to
another topic. Also if you can, try to
set something up outside of a person’s home, that way you will not overstay
your welcome.
Also, make it known that the purpose of the meeting isn’t
for chatting, but to sharpen irons of faith.
Each individual should leave with spiritual and practical solutions
along with answers to their questions. Remember
you selected this person for a specific reason; keep that in mind throughout
your appointment.
My time limit was one hour. We set it that way so we could both be back
to work on time and it helped us to stay on the topic. Now my husband’s was one and a half hours,
but he still redirected the task when it started to go off the purpose of the
meeting.
Both time tables worked, but I
wouldn’t suggest it going over one hour if you can help it.
Go - Do Something! Be strong faith irons for Christ this week and no power will
stand against you!
All things are
possible to those who BELIEVE!
All Things Are Possible - by Hillsong/Darlene Zschech
Until next
time, God’s favor is always available!
“My favor is always where I Am.”
Jesus Christ
Note:
The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him
no place in our lives.
Disclaimer:
Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical
issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
What’s New This Week: Click
on book or link.
by Donald Devereaux
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible.Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: June Calendar Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese Blessings of God's Favor Proverbs 27:17 Iron Sharpens Iron One Hour Rule
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Believe in God, Daily Favor Blog, Do Something, Encouragement, Favor, Favor of God, Favored1, Mentoring Believers, Philippians, Prayer, Purpose Driven, When Iron Sharpens Iron, Christian Living, Darlene Zschech, Hillsong
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