Stress! It is an unwelcome part of our lives. It has the ability to dominate us. It can make us sick, bring on migraines, heart problems, distract us from our duties and generally be a health hazard. It can even cause death. For many years it was a factor in my life that caused many problems. The cause? Usually fear or uncertainty. Health, job security, family problems, death of loved ones or any number of things can cause stress. Everyone has faced stress at one time or other. Much of what we face in life is uncertain. Why is recognizing this so important? It always has to do with what we cannot see. It is not something we can pick up or touch, smell or see physically. It is the unknown.
What
does this have to do with faith? Let me ask you this? What is it in
your life that causes stress for you. OK! How do you handle that part
of your life? Does faith enter in as a solution? It should because we
are told not to worry about our needs or concerns. (Matt 6:31) Christ
is there with guidance and blessings to fill every need. (Mat 6:26)
All
too often we allow ourselves to be convinced that our freedom from
these things is beyond a solution. That is exactly what our adversary
would have you believe. The truth of the matter is we are free of
such things through Christ, the Holy Spirit and YHWY, our father in
heaven. Have
faith in Christ and believe that His death has freed use from stress.
Praise the Lord.
I
have some photos I would like to share with everyone. We had a storm
roll through here several days ago. Shortly after the rain stopped,
Jill came upstairs all excited and wanted me to check out back. I got
up, went to our back window, came back to the office, grabbed my
camera and went out back. This is what I captured.
This and the next image are not as spectacular as the 'in person' double rainbow.
It is only the second complete ground to ground double rainbow I have ever seen. It is the brightest by far.
It is also the only one that hinted at the existence above the red and below the violet bands that there were more bands. Actually there are that our eyes are unable to see.
This last image was taken as the rainbow faded. It serves to remind me of God's promises and that just because they seem not to be there, they are there forever. The faint second rainbow is a reminder that even greater things are promised. Faith is a powerful ally in our walk. Without it there is no hope. Believe and you shall be rewarded.
It has been a blessing to have you stop by. Thank you for your comments and remember to always Love The Details.
Hi Jim. great to see you around again. Rainbows are indeed very special. Hope you are keeping well, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteOh Jim, I hear you, and yes faith helps negate, and definitely minimises, stress - if there is one thing I have learnt from the past 8 months it is that God never leaves us or forsakes us, and if we keep our eyes on Him and not our circumstances, somehow we get through them way better!
ReplyDeleteEven in grief, somehow it doesn't seem quite so overwhelming for quite so long when we hold onto the hope we have in God. Doesn't mean we short circuit it, more that we have hope despite our loss.
Blessings
Maxine
As always, beautifully said! That was the most spectacular rainbow that I have seen in my lifetime! I'm so happy that we didn't miss seeing it, and now we have those beautiful picture to remember it by...Hugs, Jill
ReplyDeleteJim, first of all, thank you so much for your visit to my blog today and for your kind comment. I really appreciate it very much. Your post is such an inspiration! Stress can do so much, and sometimes we forgot that God can conquer all! Your photos are gorgeous! Every time I see a rainbow, it reminds me of God's promise. Thank you for sharing this, and your post is such an encouragement!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words of faith. Love reating your comforting words.... Love the rainbow and it's God's way of shining upon us.xx
ReplyDelete[aNNie]
I'm so glad you and Jill were at home and aware of this grace-filled event when it was happening and I'm so glad you grabbed your camera so we could all share in the event! Thank you, Jim! And thank you for your thoughtful and insightful essay!! Hugs, Darnell
ReplyDeleteI need to look out my window more often, because I missed seeing this amazing rainbow! I'm glad I'm able to see it in all the photos folks have taken and blogged about though! A rainbow always seems to give me a sense of new-found hope and a peaceful feeling that everything is going to be OK. TFS.
ReplyDeleteStress is in inescapable fact of life these days, sometimes it's hard for us to have faith and trust that all will be well and worrying about matters that we can't do anything about just causes more stress....
ReplyDeleteYour rainbow photos are beautiful.
Chris
x
Oh your post is absolutely fabulous, Jim! and a great reminder that through the trials and tribulations of life God never for sake's us and his ever present in our lives !!
ReplyDeleteHi Jim, So nice to hear from you on my blog. Last time I stopped by you had gone through major health ordeals--hope you're feeling much better now. Love this post which reminds me of my wonderful dad who always loved seeing a rainbow & always said it's a promise from God. Take care, Greta
ReplyDeleteJim, God has blessed you with a way for words and for sharing His Word with us so beautifully! I praise God for how He is always there for us...through stressful times and other times. Stress is bad, and I know it really makes me feel worse. So I work at reducing stress. I praise God that He is always there to comfort and give me hope during difficult times. I continue to pray for your health and trust that you are getting stronger. I praise God for the photos you were able to capture of His amazing display in the rainbow! WOW! It's gorgeous, and I know they are always far more beautiful IRL! Thanks for another beautiful and thought-provoking post, Jim! Hugs and love to you and Jill!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for only getting to this stunning post now, but as you know I've been stressed with the edit; so having finally finished it this post is the perfect closure and as always your words move me.
ReplyDeleteLove, hugs and blessings
Em xoxox