Pray Unceasingly, Remember God’s Words, And Carry A Big Hammer

 Proverbs 4:20-23,25-27

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their whole body.  Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow]the springs of life.  Let your eyes look directly ahead, And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.  Watch the path of your feet, And all your ways will be established.

    God doesn’t promise that there won’t be tricky things that happen in your life. What He does promise is that He will never desert you or let you down (Hebrews 13:5) and if you ask, you can have God’s perfect will for your life.  “God’s will” is “Bible speak” for the best possible outcome to any situation.  Three great strategies to use when you are having a difficult time and feel your spirit start to sink are: Pray unceasingly; Remember God’s words; and Carry a big hammer.  Visualize yourself out in the ocean with sharks that contain your deepest fears popping up every few seconds. Pretend you have this very big hammer. But this is no ordinary hammer.  Your hammer is the hammer of faith with God’s powerful promises written all over it.  Then start bopping the shark!   The minute your mind becomes anxious, bop that “shark” with your hammer of faith by saying one of God’s “power verses” right out loud. As you say them, or read them, or just think about them, it will affirm to you that God is in charge of everything, He’s got you covered and you aren’t going to get gobbled up. Remember “The Wizard of Oz,” when they poured a bucket of water on the bad witch and she just dissolved into nothing?  Well, that’s how God’s verses work.  Satan causes your mind to obsess about that which you can’t control, such as what you might have said or done differently or what horrible thing “might” happen if things continue the way they are.  That’s when you need to bop the shark, and just like with the witch, he will dissolve. There are hundreds of verses you can use as shark-boppers, but the following ones are particularly effective.  First, “You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not approach you” (Psalm 91:5-7).  Another helpful passage is: “No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.  For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91: 10-12). A reminder to keep your eyes on God who will not let anyone or anything “get you” is: My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net” (Psalm 25:15).  Pick any verse that comforts you. That’s God “talking” to you, trying to send you a message.  The minute your mind comes back to what is troubling you; bop your “shark” of disaster right on his head to get “him” out of yours! A final verse that you can pull out in any situation and it will never fail to comfort you is “"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).  Man, sharks, wars or floods, nothing is too big for God!

Click the link below to see my books,
"Keeping Your Lamp Lit"
http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Lamp-Lit-Schuler/dp/1451559321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277386999&sr=1-1#noop
"Good Strategies for Bad Times"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategies-Bad-Times-Schuler/dp/1438257775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265471485&sr=8-1