In Your Darkest Hour

A question I find myself asking those I counsel is: "what rattles around in your head in your darkest hour?" The reason I think this is such an important question is because the answer to that question represents their greatest and often most suppressed fear. On a good day it is very possible to get on top of life limiting fears and pretend they aren't there. The sun is shining, circumstances are good all around me and I convince myself that this is reality. Then, circumstances change, it is cloudy and cold and those fears rise to the surface and want to take over.

How do you handle that darkest hour? There are many ways to deal with fear and anxiety. Some people like to make life a constant celebration. They try to make believe life is a party. These people are often addicted to entertainment. They run from anything negative and try to surround themselves with people who only make them feel good about themselves and life in general. These folks actually create an atmosphere where they control other people around them and make others perform to keep things pleasant. The other people are the ones having to deal with anxiety, the anxiety cause by the one they are trying to keep happy.

As with all fear, the only healthy way to deal with fear is "head on". You can't imagine it away. Within fear and anxiety are roots that will poison every positive initiative within your life. Here's the really hard part: you can't deal with fear only on sunny days. Fear doesn't usually manifest on sunny days. Fear is like a mouse, he only comes out boldly in darkness. That is why fear must be confronted in darkness. It takes great courage to confront an enemy in darkness. However, as a Christian, you have the key to winning over this dark fear. You not only have fear with which you are dealing, you also have great light within you! You see darkness doesn't just run from light, darkness is destroyed by light. What is the light within you? It is the light of the Lord Jesus, the light of the Scripture and the illumination of the living Holy Spirit. Fear tries to lie to you and tell you that you cannot be free of fear and anxiety and that you need to try to cope with it. That is why fear tries to convince you that you cannot be at rest except on bright happy days. That is a lie.

You and I can win over fear! Learning to face our greatest fear and admit it is our first victory. Yes, as a Christian admit that this specific area of fear is real and needs to be confronted. If you find mouse droppings in the kitchen, you can't imagine it away. It doesn't mean that you fear mice, it means you really do have a mouse. Face your fear today. Bring it out in the open before the Lord in prayer. He will not be surprised. Then begin to find Scripture that relates to victory over fear and memorize those verses. Use them against fear over and over again. Now you are doing warfare in the middle of the night. In prayer ask the Holy Spirit to hunt down the causes of this fear at it's deepest level and reveal it to you. Invite Jesus to deal with these issues at the very root. Deny nothing He uncovers.
You will discover and unfolding deliverance and the day will come when you have less and less rattling in your head on dark days. You will learn to live in the sunshine even on cloudy days!

Your Amazing Possibilities in God

Teresa and I were hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park a number of years ago. This turned out to be the longest climb we had ever made. Our goal was the summit where from the base of the mountain, you could see a faint water fall. We climbed for 5 hours on what would also be the most exhausting climb of our lives. Finally, we reached the origin of the water fall or what we had thought was the source. We sat down to have some water. As we were sitting there enjoying the moment we realized that we weren’t quite to the top! We looked at each other and said, “let’s see if we can get there.” We had to climb a steep rock face, exhausted at this point. When we finally came out of the top, we were amazed to see the real source of the water fall was a mountain top lake! It was unbelievably beautiful there, as we sat in what seemed like heaven.


I am so glad that we persevered that day. Mark Twain said, “in twenty years you will regret what you didn’t do as much as what you did do”. As a young person I was too cautious. Caution certainly has its place. There is a time to evaluate and hold back, or put off the challenge to a better day. However, to live a life settling for the easier way, the safe way, the way that promises no failure is a puny excuse for living. One of the primary places that people settle for mediocrity is in their spiritual lives. The problem here is that your spirit is “control central” of your life. Everything flows from your spirit. If you stop short in your spiritual life, you will stop short in all areas of life.

Most Christians became believers because of some crisis. They responded to the good news of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit entered them and a wonderful transformation was underway. Jesus was now the one in charge leading them to their true destiny for the first time ever. Bad habits were broken, relationships were mended and the path of a new direction was found. They attended Bible classes, asked someone to disciple them and loved church. Life was good. Is that it? Have you arrived? Not in the least. It would be like graduating for Middle School thinking it was the University. Yet, all too many if not most, stop near here. Rather than being on a journey to the summit they have proven they were simply trying to get out of a storm and get into a place of comfort. “It’s good enough!” I hate that phrase! The only thing good enough is finding the amazing possibilities that God has in store for you!


Stopping short is coping. We, as Christians cope when we experience salvation but stop short of experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We cope when we settle for relief rather than restoration. We cope when we settle for restoration rather than destiny. Today, be aware that you are fixated on the natural realm around you and before your eyes. Close your eyes and pray and ask the Lord to show you what He has intended for your future. I believe you will discover an amazing view and great expansion and fruitfulness ahead.

How Bad Do You Want it?

Well, I made it to 60 this year. Now that I'm here, it doesn't seem old. I remember school teachers that I thought were ancient and looking back they were probably 35! I have now lived in 7 decades counting the 1940's when I started this journey. Of course that was while I was still wearing diapers. For those of you younger people, that's what kids wore before pampers!
I have learned a lot, and most of what I have learned came with a price. It has been said that we learn little from success but much from failure. I have had my share of both. I try not to dwell on failure but I do try to learn from it. I believe that is a part of the way wisdom comes from experience. Experience only produces wisdom if we learn from it and see it as a mentor. Yes, wisdom comes at a price. The older I get the more questions I am asked. I think wise young people ask a lot of questions, and the wiser they are in their youth, the wiser they will be in old age. It is something that must be pursued. I have seen some pretty dumb old people which makes me know that wisdom must be sought as Proverbs tell us.
What kind of price is attached to progress? Every thing that I have wanted to accomplish in life so far has cost way more than I first thought. Herein lies a problem. If we don't first, as Jesus taught us, "count the cost", we won't be able to pay the price of completion. Everything of any value is much more expensive than we thought when we started the pursuit. Building a house usually cost, on average, about 25% more than we first estimated. Repairing you car usually cost more than the estimate. I haven't had the mechanic come back many times to say, "well, I was wrong, it cost $500 less than I thought!"
In the Kingdom of God it is not any different. There is a price to be used by God. There is a cost of pioneering churches, becoming a senior leader, living a Godly life out in the workplace, or being a parent. My daughter gave me my first grandchild. They waited over 8 years before having their first child. It was a joyful and exciting season getting ready for the birth of the child. Then the cost came. The labor was about 28 hours and that was only the beginning. Recently they visited our house and I could see the price on my daughter. She is an excellent Mother. I am amazed at how the grace of God has changed her from the normal young woman pursuing a career to a Mother focused on her child and husband. It has required a selfless transformation and she has made the journey. There was no way she could have imagined 2 years ago the price for this progress.
Where do you stand in all this today? What have you set as a goal? What do you want to accomplish? I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first? The good news? Great, here it is. You will make it! You can, and I believe will, see your dream fulfilled! Here is the bad news. It will be tougher than you think! God will help you and you will have days you want to quit, but you can make it through to completion. The price and the struggle is a part of the journey. The little chick needs the challenge of the breaking out of the shell to prepare it for living the life it so desperately desires.
Count the cost now, knowing it will be more costly than you think, then press toward the goal with reckless abandon. It will be worth it in the end!