"Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." Psalm 103:2 NLT

"Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

When the burdens and struggles of life pile up in front of us and block our vision, it's easy to lose sight of the lessons of the past. When we add up the blessings God has given us and remember the times he has shown himself faithful, suddenly we have a new vista in front of us.

The challenges we face sometimes seem insurmountable. But we do not face them alone. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, he sends his Spirit to live inside us. Whatever we face, he faces with us. Sometimes he is called The Counselor, and other times The Comfortor.

These times of uncertainty test our faith and have the potential to build our character. If only our emotions didn't tangle us up and short-circuit our memories. When we feel overwhelmed by the mountain of troubles staring us in the face, we need to drop to our knees in prayer. And when we see God's work in our lives, we need to make record of it and retrieve it like a weapon to face the next onslaught of trials.

Is there something in your life that looms like Mt. Everest in your path? Praise the Lord for his past faithfulness, and ask him for the strength and wisdom to navigate the rocky terrain.

If you would like someone to pray for you, please reply to rebekahsjubilee@yahoo.com and I will come alongside you in pryaer. If you do not wish to share details, simply request prayer and God will know what your needs are. You are not alone.

"So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31 NIV

Have you ever had that sinking feeling as the terrible awareness hit that you weren't good enough? That you were unwanted? Or unloved? That you failed again at something important. You feel sick and want to curl up in a ball and cry yourself to sleep. We've all had them. And the memory remains even after we think we've moved on.

Somewhere in the human psyche lingers the question of worth. Maybe we failed because we don't deserve to succeed. Maybe no one loves us because we aren't worthy to be loved. We just aren't good enough. Perhaps no other issue has the ability to incapacitate us as effectively. Given full reign, the demon of worthlessness can deprive us of every joy we desire.

How do we combat these debilitating feelings? First of all, we need to confront the truth. The things that have been done to us by others, or the things that just happened in life, sent us an untrue message. We interpreted these negative experiences as reflections of our value. But our worth is not defined by the external events that shape our lives. Our worth is given to us by the Creator of Life, and nothing can take it away from us.

Jesus warned his disciples that they would face persecution, betrayal, and want. But he also told them that there was no need for fear. They were loved.

God sees the little sparrow when it falls; and you are worth more to him than many sparrows.

"The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!'

He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'" Matthew 8:25-27 NIV

The disciples witnessed first-hand as Jesus healed a wide assortment of illnesses and cast out demons. Were they dense? Did they have short-term memory loss? Why didn't they know who he was and believe that he could rescue them from this storm?

But before we criticize the disciples too harshly, let's pause and look in the mirror. How many times have I witnessed God working in my own life? How many storms has he safely carried me through? And yet I feel afraid. The winds and the waves in my life look so strong and I feel so weak. I forget who he is. I forget what he can do.

When the disciples begin to panic, Jesus looks at them and ask, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Our fear reveals that at the core level, we're failing to trust God. Fear cannot live in the presence of trust. The only remedy to our fear is to place our trust completely in God.

Of course, he won't always command the winds and waves to calm down. Sometimes God lets the storm rage and guides our little boat safely to shore. Either way, we can find calm in our hearts if we would only remember who he is and trust him with our lives.