Are you going through a very hard time in your life that feels like a storm? Do you feel trapped? Are you faced with questions and cannot seem to find the answers? Are you franticly trying to work it all out by yourself, and wondering when it will all subside or end? Don’t let go. Help is near!

You are not alone where you are. Many of us are stuck in responsibilities and problems that are tossing us here and there, and we wonder if there is any end in sight. You are trying to take a firm hold on the answers but the answers disappear from your grasp. It all doesn’t make sense. You’re anxiously busy, and you know you could use some rest; if only for a moment to close your eyes and be still. Everywhere you turn there seems to be a great tempest appearing, insomuch that your peace and your sleep are covered with waves of care. Every care seems to be beating against you to the point where you are fully overwhelmed.

At any moment you feel like your life is about to capsize but it won’t! You may be flooded with cares and despair but help is near.  You may be wondering if anyone cares, most of all, does God care that you’re about to go under. God cares about you. He will not allow you to be overtaken by life challenges. He will, by his power, keep you from falling to pieces. He will rebuke all that is threatening your peace and joy; but you must trust in the truths of His word! (“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 NLT) You might be experienced in life, but when you depend on your own knowledge to get you through life’s stormy circumstances, you will get stuck.

When you acknowledge God in all your ways, He will lead you in the right direction. God wants all your care, and you cannot have peace until you willfully give them to Him. (“Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” 1 Peter 5:7 TLB)He is constantly inviting you to come to Him and exchange your cares and problems for His peace which is able to keep your heart and mind free of despair. Whatever your storm is, whether it’s illness, depression, panic attacks, frustration, or even worries about the bills getting paid, God is always near to help. You just have to call upon Him! He is the great comforter. He will bring calm to your life when you feel stuck in a storm.

Don’t be afraid of the stormy circumstance, but exercise your faith in God who is able to make a way for you in every circumstance and bring great calm to your spirit.

What Does GOD Say?
“Fear not,  for I am with thee”  (Isaiah 43:5 KJV)   

Other Verses: Mark 4:35-4; Isaiah 43:5;  John 14:1-3; 4:26-27; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalms 121 

“Sometimes you have to die a few times to truly live”

I find it interesting how apathy seems to be like a built in cancer that surfaces at the first glance of abundance. Blessings beyond the eye can see are rarely appreciated, but at the mere thought of losing that one thing that did not seem important at the moment can be a real paradigm shift. It’s only when something is truly gone forever is when it’s true value is revealed…most people don’t realize it at the moment, until it’s too late…………….and there’s nothing worst than too late.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:6-9 ESV)

Who is someone you consider rich? It’s probably someone who has more wealth than you. We tend to compare ourselves to others around us, and what others have can quickly become our “measuring stick” for contentment and thankfulness. This is often magnified when we face financial hardships. With many people in our nation facing financial difficulties, it’s very easy to focus on what we don’t have rather than how God has faithfully provided for us. If we’re able to take a step back from our immediate and urgent circumstances and look the rest of the world, we can quickly see that God has taken care of us much more than we realize.

Chances are that many people reading this are in the top 10% of the world’s riches people. Really—no kidding! If you have shelter, own a TV, and a car you qualify. According to the Global Rich List:

If you make $20,000/year you are almost in the richest 11%.

If you make $30,000/year you are almost in the richest 7%.

If you make $50,000/year you are in the top 1% of the world’s richest people.

See where you rank at http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Richard Steams puts it this way in his book, “The Hole In Our Gospel:”

It is important to put the American Church in perspective. Simply stated, it is the wealthiest community of Christians in the history of Christendom. How wealthy? The total income of American church goers is $5.2 trillion. (That’s more than five thousand billion dollars.) It would take just a little over 1 percent of the income of American Christians to lift the poorest one billion people in the world out of extreme poverty. Said another way, American Christians, who make up about 5 percent of the Church worldwide, control about half of global Christian wealth; a lack of money is not our problem.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT THIS

THANKS GIVINGSEASON:

When you look at the rest of the world you are probably a very wealthy person. How does this impact your attitude of contentment and thanksgiving? How does this impact the responsibility you have with the resources God has given you?

This organization is established and dedicated to serving the poor and the homeless. Since its inception in 1987 its mission is to fight, poverty, homelessness, the causes of it, and the problems related to it. Harvest Rock Foundation is dedicated to utilizing the resources of the community and the church to create programs and solutions to help fight the causes of poverty and homelessness.

In Los Angeles, a square mile area of the city has achieved international notoriety as “Skid Row” – a literal hell-hole in the worst part of town. Here the needs of homeless and hopeless people are reflected in the filth and squalor that so often accompany poverty. Here people live in vermin-infested flop houses and shabby “Welfare Hotels” that line crime-filled streets. Drug dealers and streetwalkers ply their trades on every corner and in every alleyway. Here children learn to grow up fast and hard. It’s as important for the children as well as for the adults that Azusa Lighthouse Mission (HRF) work to fight poverty and hunger on skid row. You see, the tragedy of poverty is that it robs those who are mired in it, especially young boys and girls, of the single most essential element of life – HOPE. For thousands of families and children to whom escape seems impossible, hopelessness is a life sentence, and Skid Row is their prison. That’s why Azusa Lighthouse Mission through the help of Harvest Rock focuses on restoring hope in the inner city of Los Angeles.

We bring hope to those whom society sees as “derelicts” or “human Wreckage.” We work with hundreds of people who’ve been wasted by drugs, alcohol, or those who have simply dropped out from the responsibility of maintaining family or employment, We also work with men, women and children who are caught in a web of poverty, or abuse. Many of these lives face few choices many turn to Azusa Lighthouse Mission simply because they know we care and that we will help in every way we can with meaningful programs and services. There is truly a great need in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Please remember we are here every day for the hurting and hungry of our great metropolis.