Streams in the Desert of Weariness

Streams in the Desert of Weariness

Weary, that is the word that comes to mind in this season of my life.  I feel like a weary worn solider dragging her sword through the desert.  My lips are parched and I feel faint.  It seems like I am going to drop at any moment and not rise up again.

 And then I look in the distance and I see an oasis, rising out from the sand.  Is this a mirage or is it real?   I continue slowly moving forward, willing myself to reach it, for there is hope that the oasis is truly just ahead of me.

 Finally I reach my destination and fall down on the ground, worn out.  I precariously stretch out my arms towards the stream that lies before me and as I dip my hand into the water, I feel the cool wetness run across the palm of my hands.

Slowly I bring the water up to my lips in amazement, its true!  I don’t want to lose one drop of this precious commodity in this desert place.  As my chapped and parch lips separate, I taste the sweetness of the water as it falls on my tongue and rolls down my throat.

Suddenly I release a huge sigh and I feel my bone weary body start to relax.  My senses have become alert and now I  feel the shade of the tree above me and the cool breeze flowing over my weary body in this quiet and refreshing place.

Finally, I have found a stream in the desert and I have permission to stay here and rest for a while!

We all need oases in our lives.  The world around us promises to give us what we need, but it only wears us out and leaves us thirsty.  Our everyday struggles, as well as unexpected events that pop up demand our attention and suck a little bit more of life out of us.  If we don’t find a place of rest in this midst of this world, we will dry up and collapse. 

The Only place that I truly find hope and refreshment is through my time with Jesus.  As I drink from His word, cry out to the Lord and listen for His voice, I am brought to a place of peace and rest. 

In this season of life I  feel the need to seek the Lord more often, for the desert seems wide, but God is good and provides many oasis's on my journey.  I find this is also a growing time for me, where I learn to lean more into Jesus as my provider.  I  remind myself of his promises to quench my thirst and give me rest.

So here I am again looking for a drink from the Well of Living Waters and remembering that He is with me in the desert places, and as I fill myself up with Him, I will be able to go forward on the journey that God has for me today. He is the source of Living Waters that never runs dry! 

Weary warriors, may you find rest and refreshment from the Living Waters today.

Love, Triss

(Lord, I see many who are weary and worn out from the battle.  Please bring us to a place where we can deeply drink of your water.  Even in the desert places, Lord, You have oasis for us, where we can find rest and receive your living waters.  Jesus, we want to be wells that your living waters spring up from within us.  Fill us O Lord, we pray.  Give us rest in You today.  Amen)

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Jeremiah 31:25
for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak."

John 4:14

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

The Pressure is On (Ouch This Hurts)

Right now I am in place where it seems like I am being bombarded with challenges from many areas of my life.  The pressure is on.  In reality, I would like my struggles be over and to have smooth sailing, but the Lord prefers to use the pressure to do a work in me.

Almost every morning I wake up with a feeling of anxiety that doesn't go away until I get up, read my bible and pray.  Some of the anxiety is from internal stress and the other is from external stress.  There are several situations that I would prefer to be different, but they are not and I don't have any control over them.   I can't change these situations and that is where the problem lies for me.

I feel like I'm in a vulnerable place where I am like a child again, asking her daddy to protect and help her through the day.  I need to depend on God's grace moment by moment. My strength is not enough and this is very humbling.

I am also quite aware of my shortcomings lately and feel more self-critical.  It's like I am fighting to remain in a place of grace for myself, as well as to pour out that grace upon others, specifically those that are the closest to me.

Yesterday when I was thinking how weary I felt in the battle, a picture of a piece of clay being shaped on a potters wheel came to mind.  It started  me thinking about the pottery classes I attended in College.  I had to first center my clay on the wheel and then put the correct pressure inside and outside of the clay so that I could shape it into the vessel I desired it to be.  Without the pressure, the clay would not move in any direction and it would still just be a lump of clay.

God does the same in our lives, He knows the right amount of "pressure" that we need, so we are  changed into a vessel that is beautiful and useful in His hands.  He even uses our internal pressures for our good.  The times of "pressure" can cause growth in our lives if we allow ourselves to be flexible and moldable in the hands of the Potter.

So even though it "hurts", I am trying to live in a place of surrender to the Lord's "pressure" on my life because I want it to change me for the better. I often find myself having to surrender to the Lord  multiple times a day, but as I do, I find the place of peace again, where the internal struggle subsides, in the midst of the external pressures.

Isaiah 64:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

By Triss Curtis  Oct 18, 2018

Life is not about comfort

Jesus said, "In this world you will have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." Our life here is not about how comfortable we can have it.  It is about how the Lord can mold and shape us to his image through all we experience.  It is about how we can learn to love and serve the Lord, who loves us so much.  It’s about His love shining through us towards others and having a servant attitude. 

The Lord gives us times of enjoyment, rest and refreshment, but he also challenges us to grow in our faith and he gives us seasons of challenges that stretch us to our limit and beyond.  It is in the beyond that we find Christ is our sufficiency.  He is the One that desires to strengthen and empower us and fill us with His joy, so that others notice His presence within us.

Faith is revealed most powerfully in our struggles. The world notices that we are different, when we are able to surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to raise us above life’s circumstances. And as we allow the Lord to sharpen and shape us through our trials, the future hope that we have of our heavenly home in the presence of Jesus, becomes all the more beautiful.

We are sojourners on this earth and "in the presence of the Lord is joy and at His right hand are pleasures evermore."   May it be our desire to experience his presence and his joy here through our struggles, as we wait for our faith to become sight and we see Him face to face forever more.

❤ By Triss Curtis (8-17-18)

Darkness my old friend?

“Hello darkness, my old friend..”   Is darkness an old friend or is it a foe?  Darkness to me means depression and anxiety, it is not my friend but I am acquainted with it.  I have always seen it as a foe, but the problem with that is that I have also seen it larger than life.  It is something that shows up unexpectedly during seasons of struggle and weariness.  It reminds me of the monster in the scary movie that pops up unexpectedly and causes the heroine/hero to scream and runaway to escape its evil grasp.  Sometimes our heroine/hero finds something to fend the monster off for the time being, but it only gives her/him a short reprieve.    Eventually she/he escapes unless the person being chased is the “expendable crew member”.  Thankfully by the end of the movie, the hero/heroine has destroyed the monster, but they had to first come up with a plan, which usually involves the support of others.

This morning I woke up feeling overwhelmed and anxious with my life situation as well as dealing with a recent reoccurring struggle with a negative attitude. A bad attitude tends to lead me to the cycle of guilt and shame, which then leads to depression, if I don’t nip in the bud and get to the root of the problem immediately! 

So here I was again with the monster of depression and anxiety popping up its ugly head and I didn’t like it! Instead of seeing it as an unconquerable enemy and trying to run away from it, or let it “run” me, as I would in the past; I was able to accept it as a foe that is not larger than life, nor larger than my God.  As I continue to face it head on, I believe it can be conquered with support of the Lord and others.   

 This realization is coming to me more and more that I don’t have to try and hide from this battle against the “monster”.  Instead I can recognize it for what it is, and invite Jesus to be there with me in the midst.  It threatens to eat me up, but it can’t, because the Lord is with me and He will help me overcome it.  The “monster” tries to make me feel like I must run and hide, because I am alone, but that is a lie.  The Lord has given me his support and the support of people that I can call on.  I don’t have to be a “Lone Ranger”, there are others that understand and that are “there” for me. 

You know Jesus, said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”, He also said, “The truth sets you free.”. I have found these two statements to become a truth I can depend on.  As I stop hiding from the “monsters” in my life and I honestly bring them forward, I feel the chains of anxiety, fear, guilt, shame; depression, etc… fall off.  The Lord brings true perspective to my life and as I accept the loving support I need, my heart feels at peace again.

If you are facing a “monster” today, my prayer is that you will know that Jesus stands with you and you can ask others to stand alongside you.

Love,

Triss

(Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence ……

by Simon and Garfunkel)

(Hello Jesus, my dear friend,

I’ve come to speak with you again.

 Because a lie so subtle starts to seep in.

It’s destructions starts to begin.

 I need your truth, I need your life

 for the darkness threatens to come in.

 I don’t want to give in, to the sounds of silence.)

By Triss Curtis

Living for Christ

Living the Christian life is not easy.  Suffering goes hand in hand with future glory.  This is a hard fact to face because we don’t like suffering.  We want life to be easy, but to receive the gain; we must go through the struggle. 

Just like a marathon runner must train and discipline himself physically, then run the grueling race to receive the prize at the end, so too it is for us in our spiritual life.  

The preparation for future glory with Christ requires the training of our character and what better shapes our character than trials. Within the trials we face, we learn patience and endurance which leads to an outcome of a hope that is not based on the temporal, but on the eternal.  

Christ has gone before us and He is our hope and our glory.  Keep your eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8: 28-30

Triss 

You are not alone (Peace during your struggles)

Last week I had to go to an oral surgeon to get two teeth extracted.  I was not looking forward to this experience.  I had never had oral surgery before and I already didn't enjoy going to the dentist for routine check-up and cleaning, so I certainly was not looking forward to having a more invasive procedure in my mouth.  I knew it had to be done, but I was feeling stressed about it.

I sent my prayer request in to a few friends who knew this was something that caused me anxiety.  Then a couple of days before my surgery, I fully poured out my heart  to the Lord, telling him my fears; fear of how much pain I would have to endure and  the  fear of the unknown.

I was going into "uncharted" territory and I didn't have control of the procedure.  My husband had to work, so I would be driving myself to the doctors. Even though I chose to have a  local anesthesia instead of being knocked out, I didn't know how I would feel afterwards and I didn't want to be "alone".

The Holy Spirit led me to Philippians 4:6-7:
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

As I dwelt on that verse, I realized that I had two choices:  I could either pray and remain stressed about the upcoming surgery, or I could pray and believe God's promise to give me peace that would guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

I decided that I would trust God's promise,  and at the same time the thought "hit me", I would not be alone, Jesus would be with me.  He is in me, so He would be with me through everything that I would experience during the surgery, as well as afterwards.  He would give me the strength that I needed to endure any discomfort, complication, or pain.  This  truth gave me peace.

 God also  graciously provided a sweet friend to drive me to the surgery and back home again.  He then gave me the idea to ask the surgeon to explain the procedure as he went through it, which the surgeon gladly did. I found  the procedure fascinating and gaining some understanding of it, caused me to feel more at peace.

Yes, I did experience some pain, discomfort and stress, but as I sang praise songs in my head and reminded myself that  I was not "alone",Jesus was with me , My focused changed and I experienced the peace I needed moment by moment. This was another "letting go" moment in my life, trusting Jesus to be with me through it all.

As the Lord walks with us on our journey through life; He continues to build our trust in him and  remind us of his faithfulness.  This life is not easy; there are many struggles that we face, but we can always know that we are not alone and Jesus will walk us through each and every one of our trials.

When I find my faith being stripped down to the very basics; one song comes to mind, "Jesus loves me, this I know for the bible tells me so."  Believing and trusting in the love of God for me, gives me peace because it means that I am trusting in His goodness toward me, no matter what trial I experience.

Your struggle today may be great or small, it doesn't matter; the Lord has promised to give you peace as you surrender your concerns to Him with a thankful heart.  Remember, he will be with you in the challenges you are facing every day.

May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, today.  Amen

Love,
Triss

Seated at the Table ( Accepted and Loved)

This morning  I was sitting drinking tea and reading "Seated with Christ" by Heather Holleman.  My finite mind was trying to grasp  the truth that God has "raised" me up and "seated" me  in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6).

I am seated with Christ in the Heavenly places.  I have a seat at the table of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  My mind says this is true, while my heart is struggle with, "I believe help my unbelief!" As I was trying to embrace the concept of "being seated with Christ", my "little girl" insecurities came to the surface and I honestly told the Lord that I needed to feel loved. I didn't feel worthy of the heavenly seat and I was having a hard time fully accepting the truth that I have a seat at the table of the King.

I reread Ephesians 2:6 and this quote from "Seated with Christ":

 "I am uniquely called, uniquely contributing and uniquely loved just like everyone else at the table. I can cease comparing myself to others. Nobody's inferior. Nobody's superior. We're on a mission together, and we're too busy serving a great King to bother with comparison and self-consciousness."

As the truth of realizing that God has seated me in the heavenly places with Himself, it "hit" me, that God's love for me was big. I don't have to compare myself with others and wonder how I can get him to love me more. His love is big enough for me, just as it is big enough for everyone else. He has enough love  to satisfy my need, as well as enough love to satisfy the need of each person. My Heavenly Daddy won't  ever run out of love!

I didn't have to try and get His approval and to make myself "worthy".  He already had placed his approval on me and made we worthy, through saving me by His grace in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Ephesians 2  continues to say that God has "prepared" good works for us in Christ Jesus.  This is another truth that needs to go down deep within me, to the core.  God already has good works for me to do and I don't have to fight for my place on the team.  He has a place for me; I just need to follow His lead and I will accomplish what He has called me to do. He has a calling and work for each of His children.

When I stop running around trying to accomplish what I think needs to be done and I just sit down, spend time listening to His word, I begin to hear His voice clearer.  My soul calms down and I rest in the knowledge that He will accomplish His work in me for this day.

(Abba Father, precious Jesus, Help us to understand what it means to be seated in the heavenly places with you. Give us a greater understanding of your love for us. May your truths change the way that we see ourselves,others and especially You.  Thank you for your love for us.  Thank you for the hope that we have now and the hope for the future when we see you face to face.  May we listen to Your Spirit and follow your lead.  Amen)

Ephesians 2:4-6 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been save-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"

Good News for the New Year

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  John 3:16-17

John chapter three, verse sixteen is a well-known scripture and a simple and valuable truth. Many people are making New Year’s resolutions to be healthier or to do something of consequence and value in the upcoming year.  They want to find something to “hold on to”, something that makes a positive change in their lives.  As we start a New Year, the hope of the Good News of salvation through Christ is for all who believe in him. This is something of value to “hold on to” that will make a difference in our lives.

 Every year people make resolutions to change for the better. What could be more important than focusing on what is of eternal value and what will truly last beyond this coming year?  2018 will have its enjoyable moments as well as its trials and struggles, just as there were in 2017.

We can either decide to “seize the day” and just live for the moment, hoping for things to change for the best, or we can live each moment for eternity, which will make a change for our best.   In I Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians of what is really important and what they need to “hold onto”, in the midst of their lives and every day struggles.

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”  I Cor. 15: 1-2

These people in Corinth had received, believed and were saved, by the Good News of Christ death and resurrection for their sins.  They needed to “hold onto” that truth and keep moving forward in their faith in Christ, so that it could continue to make a change in their lives.

The Good News is only useful for those who receive it, believe it and hold onto it.  If you don’t make it a part of your life, how can it change you?  It can’t, but to all who believe in Christ’s redeeming power through his death and resurrection, it is a power for salvation that lasts beyond 2018 into eternity.

If you have a relationship with Jesus, keep “holding on to him” because he is faithful to “hold onto you” and you have hope for this year and beyond.  If you don’t have the eternal hope of Christ in your heart, then I hope and pray that you will take a step of faith and believe the Good News that Jesus died for your sins, he was buried, he rose again on the third day and he is still alive and saving people today!

(Father God in heaven, thank you for the eternal hope that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord! Lord Jesus, give us the grace to hold fast onto you and the hope we have in you. May we share the hope of  the Good News with others this year, so they too can receive a hope that changes them internally for eternity.  Amen)