God Will Strengthen You: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV).

This was Paul’s testimony of what Christ did for him in very dire circumstances. Yet he could state that Christ gave him strength and that he learned to be content in all circumstances. (Philippians 4:11) Paul faced tremendous opposition for his testimony about Christ. He was flogged, stoned, and in danger constantly. Yet, he could state that he could do all things through Christ.

When my father was dying of cancer I worried about how my mother would ever handle being the care giver and watching dad die a little every day. I told her that I was worried. She said, “Ann, you should know that God is giving me the strength to handle this.” She had peace that only God could give her during a very stressful time in her life. To me she was such a great witness of how his strength is perfect when our strength is gone.

I have seen it in my own life. I could not have taught special education for thirty years without the strength I received from Christ. The above verse was one I recited daily while I was teaching. He gave me strength, wisdom, and patience to do my job and try to meet my students’ needs. It was very stressful at times, but I would pray and feel his peace envelop me right when I needed it. It was only with His strength that I did my job.

I do not know what you are facing right now, but I do know that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  Please know that Christ is there for you in every circumstance and will carry you through it. Just surrender it to him, and watch what happens. You will be amazed by the outcome. Then please tell others about how his strength helped you. You can lighten somebody’s load of care and guide them to the one who can give them peace.

Dear Lord,

We know that we will face times in our lives when we will need to rely on your strength to manage trials. Help us to trust that you can do this for us. Help us to believe that we can do the impossible with your help. Then help us to share with others how you gave us strength to carry on.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Do Not Worry: A devotion by Ann Broughton

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).

Have you ever found yourself in a wave of anxiety? It can be a very scary feeling. Long term anxiety can make you very ill. I went on-line and checked out the WebMD site about worrying. If you are in a constant state of worry or anxiety it can cause serious health issues such as:

• Suppression of the immune system
• Digestive disorders
• Muscle tension
• Short-term memory loss
• Premature coronary artery disease
• Heart attack

So you see worrying and being anxious can be a life threatening thing. I do not know about you, but I have a tendency to worry. I worry about other people too. I take on their burdens and have a tendency to worry about their problems. I worry about things that might happen in the future also, which is totally out of my control. So I did a search for the word worry in the Bible. I wanted to see what Jesus had to say on the subject. Jesus gave great advice about how to deal with worry.  “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27 NIV). “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV). The whole section is well worth reading: Matthew 6:25-34.

As I pondered the worrying dilemma, I remembered listening to Jill Briscoe, a Christian speaker and author, speak of worry. She said that there are plenty of things to worry about, but she has dedicated a portion of her morning to praying about her worries and giving them to God. Then she did not think about it for the rest of the day. She trusted God to help her and those people she was worried about. It is a good idea, especially when we have no control in the situation. I am doing this now, and have greater peace of mind. You see when you surrender all of your worries to the Lord, He gives you peace to fill your heart instead of anxiety. This is a promise from Jesus. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV). Peace is wonderful when you are in a panic mode because of worry and stress. All you have to do is give your worries to God and ask for Him to fill you with His peace. I have felt this peace and can tell you that it is real, but you must surrender your anxieties to Him.

Dear Lord,

It is very easy to get all caught up in worrying and anxiety, some of which that are totally out of our control. We know that you do not want us to worry, so we surrender our anxiety to you. We trust you and know that you will give us strength and peace to carry on.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Press On: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 13-14 NIV).

For some of you today, pressing on toward the prize of heaven seems difficult. You may be feeling as if there is no hope and that the future seems bleak. I want to reassure you and encourage you that our sight, no matter what our circumstances, needs to be centered on Christ and the prize of heaven. Please do not lose faith when you are feeling like nothing seems to be going right for you. God still loves you and wants you to have peace in the midst of your problems.

I especially like when Paul says that he forgets what is behind. It is very easy to wallow in our past sins or self-pity from bad experiences. This only will make you depressed and feeling like a failure. All of these thoughts will make you feel hopeless and not able to really feel God’s peace. You must not let these negative thoughts of your self worth stifle your faith in God. If you start thinking about your failures or other bad experiences that have happened in your life, you can tailspin into total depression and darkness. The minute you start thinking these things, stop it, and pray for God to help you to stop thinking negative thoughts. Read the Bible for encouragement of his love for you. The Bible is full of stories of men and women who failed, but were able to repent and God used them in mighty ways. Paul was a murderer, but he changed completely when Jesus appeared to him on a road. After that he preached about Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and was the main writer of the letters in the New Testament. He knew he had to forget his past. His life was made new in Christ, and he knew that heaven was his goal. He was pursuing that prize with all of his heart.

My friend, no matter what you are facing, you are not facing it alone. God is with you. He will give you the strength, peace, and courage to face the hurdles that are in front of you. Press on, knowing that your prize is eternal life.

Dear Lord,

Sometimes life seems difficult. Problems arise, our past convicts us, and we feel hopeless. Help us to turn to you knowing that you love us and want us to have peace. Let us be still and know that you are God and that we should continue to strain toward what is ahead: heaven.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen