By Ann Hutchison

Often while we're waiting for someone we love to enter the Kingdom of God, we feel we just don't have the words to convey what we want to.

Well, I often feel that way, anyway. Do you? I might know that a person needs Jesus, but my mouth seems muzzled because their heart is not ready. 

A time can come, however, when God opens a window of opportunity and gives us the perfect words to speak. When that happens it can be pretty amazing. Our job is to be ready and waiting.

A few years ago, God opened a window with someone close to me and gave me the exact words to speak. It was a WOW moment, so I'd like to tell you and I hope it encourages you. 

I have a dear friend who I knew before I turned to Jesus. She and I are close, except we're 'unequally yoked'. Still, we stay with each other. She's a wonderful friend.

What happened was my friend lost her Mum, and when someone loses a loved one it can very quickly make them re-think eternity. Which it did do in this case. 

My friend began talking to me about the question of whether there is more to this life than our time on earth. It was truly amazing to be able to talk about this with her, as we'd never done so before. But then, something more incredible happened: I woke one morning with a song in my head. It was a song from the 1970s. Along with that I seemed to get an image of a pastel-colored sweet from England where I grew up, called a 'refresher'. In the image, the sweet had a heart on it and the word Mum. It seemed God was saying, "I want you to refresh her heart, and give her this song."

"Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord." (Philemon 20, NKJV)

Now, that was easier said than done. She was still an unbeliever, so I was particularly keen to not sound weird. The song might have meant nothing to her, in which case it would all fall flat. Still, I mustered up the courage, texted her and said something like, "I think God wants to comfort you and has given me this song to give to you." 

She wrote back: "You won't believe this but that was the song my Mum used to sing to me when I was little! I then sang it to my own children. It means the world, and I was having a particularly bad day today. Thank you!"

Then, sometime later ... "What are you?!" 

That made me laugh.

I said, "A Christian." Which she knew anyway.

If I could go back and do that job even better I would have used the name of Jesus more clearly, to clearly glorify Him. I didn't want her to think this came from anywhere but him. Still, we're always learning and I'll know for next time.

That was a few years ago. Since then the window of opportunity to talk about God seems to have closed. But, the way I see it is that for someone like my friend it's one step to receive evidence that God is real. It's another step to discover that Jesus is the truth. Then, finally, it's a whole other step to bow one's knee to him.

In other words, it can be a process, not an instant change. And I stay ready and waiting for the next time a window opens.

The story above is unusual for me. I have a lot of unbelievers in my life and a willingness to listen for God's voice for them. I have not been given words like the above 'refresher word' for other unbelievers. Still, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 says that a prophetic word given to an unbeliever can reveal the secrets of their heart and make them fall down on their face, worship God and report that God is truly among us. Our job, then, is to be ready for it. It will always require bravery, but we can ask God to help us refresh others' hearts, and then watch for those windows of opportunity.

If you'd like prayer for having the perfect words to speak to unbelievers in your life oh I'd so love to pray for you. Pop a comment in the comments if so.

With love,

Ann

Hey SUM family, Tiffany here!

Those who have followed my story for a while have seen the struggle to let go of the fear of man. There have been many times when I would shrink back from what God was calling me to do because I didn't know how my husband would react. Would he approve? Would he leave me? Would he still love me? These are real struggles in the SUM life!

December 29, 2021, I let that fear go. I said good-bye forever. This is not to say that it has been easy these last couple of months. My tenacity to press into the "next right steps" of the Lord's leading has grown. So has my husband's visible frustration at my local civil involvement.

On New Year's Eve, 2021, God opened up some time for me to reflect on the upcoming year. I had the chance to be completely alone with Him and dig into the Word. What was revealed to me was pretty amazing. I would like to share with you what I learned. Perhaps you too have felt the nudge to get involved in your local community. I want you to be released from any anxiety, confusion or doubt that God is calling you.

The Holy Trinity has got your back:

• God the Father - exalts and promotes

Psalm 75:6-7 : For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the judge; he puts down one; and exalts another.

Isaiah 14:27 : For the Lord of Hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?

Job 42:2 : I know that you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you.

• God the Son - the government is upon Jesus' shoulders...not YOURS

Isaiah 9:6-7 : For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgement and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

• God the Holy Spirit - guides and equips

Matthew 10: 18-20 : You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony to them and to the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 : Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Important things to remember:

Government - there is much corruption, dark secrets, greed, Satanism. In order to walk "in" this world and yet shine and pierce the darkness I have to -

• Cling to Jesus, John 15:1-17

v. 4 - Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

• Hold higher standards (integrity, purity)

Exodus 23:8 : And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

• Understand the times and know what to do

1 Chronicles 12:32 : of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;

• Let go of any preconceived notions - God is doing a new thing

Isaiah 43:18-19 : Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

• Keep standing

Ephesians 6:13 : Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

You hold the keys:

Matthew 16:19 : And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ^[a]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Isaiah 22:22 : The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

You will make all the difference:

Jeremiah 29:7 : And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

Proverbs 29:2 : When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

1 John 2:20 : But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

In our SUM walk, it can be lonely when our spouse doesn't agree or support the things that God asks us to do. It may even be down right hard. Trust me, I know.

But God - He has equipped us with everything we need. We have the Holy Spirit. The entirety of the Kingdom of Heaven is accessible to us!

The Lord has called me to the "mountain of government." It may not be the case for you. Regardless of what your calling looks like, it is important in God's eyes. A stay at home mom, a retired worker, a teacher, a government official, a blogger, a public servant, an entrepreneur. God has something that only YOU can do. You matter!

Lynn, Ann, Martha, Ian, Dineen - these great leaders of faith in our community are great examples for us. Their testimony can be encouragement to us. Look at how their faith, trust and hope in Jesus has led them to closer relationship with God - and wow have their spouses grown because of it!

Let's talk in the comments, what has God called you to do in your sphere of influence? How can we pray for you in this area of your life?

Blessings!

Lynn Donovan here. It is with great joy that I announce that the Board of Directors of Three Keys Ministries has agreed to ordain for ministry, Ann Hutchison. Ann has faithfully served this community now for several years. She is a woman after God's own heart, a sold-out follower of Christ, and a woman that indwells the Holy Spirit. Ann has led this amazing community and spends hours writing, praying and encouraging the believers in the faith. I could spend an hour relaying her service here at SUM! I'm so deeply thankful for Ann!

I'm so honored and privileged to serve Christ Jesus at her side. A certificate of Ordination has been sent to her in New Zealand. 

Congratulations Ann!!!

Below Ann shares her SUM journey and how she came to leadership. Please leave her a note of encouragement. Hugs. Lynn

_____

Many of you know my general story. Fourteen years into my marriage, I turned to Jesus and was plunged into being spiritually mismatched -- Aggh! Yes, those first years were extremely difficult, and I won’t ever forget how much I needed this ministry.

I was the last person who would have felt able to front a website about being mismatched in marriage – I was too shy and it was too sensitive a subject. But sometimes God has other ideas than we do.

In 2018, having volunteered for SUM for a while, I suddenly felt that God was calling me to ministry. This is an unusual thing to handle when your spouse is not a believer! It was a strong conviction and quite the surprise. I left my job, even, led by God to do so. Meanwhile over in California something was happening with Lynn: She was nurturing a surprising conviction that her husband, Mike, would be baptized soon (impossible!) and she was to hand over the baton of this ministry. 

It was amazing what happened next: Mike did get baptized, suddenly, in March 2019. And so Lynn knew the baton was to be passed. I was available, off work, and began helping her a little more.

Eventually it did seem I was to lead the ministry, and at that point I remembered God had said to me years earlier that I’d be ‘Leading worship’ here. I love that analogy. Leading SUM does mean leading worship, for we’re worshippers of God foremost. Our marriages and families seem to naturally inch towards Jesus when we make worshipping Him our everything.

As for Bryce, well this part is amazing to me too: He started to visibly accept my faith just as Lynn was steadily handing over the baton. It was as if my tough season was over so that I could at least be cheerful enough from the front. Things changed for our kids as he changed, and last year one of our two teens even started coming to church with me.

I love our community so much; I think about you all the time and I’m captivated by the story God is writing among us. We see change and we see miracles, and the above testimony is just one example. I’m also so thankful for the groundwork of Lynn and Dineen who helped many of us grow, and I cherish my fellow writers, Ian and Tiffany, and our other teammates who do much behind the scenes.

Thank you for your love, and here’s to a vibrant 2022 together!

Hey SUM family, Tiffany here!

Not too long ago I posted an update about my house. I mentioned that I had written scripture throughout my (current construction) house with my children and grandparents. We went around to each of the rooms and took turns with markers and scripture in hand.

I came back some time later, maybe a week or two, to pray in our house. I like to take every opportunity to spend some quiet time in there - praying, dreaming, praising and inviting the Kingdom of Heaven to come and dwell.

I noticed that there were a couple of scriptures written that weren't there before. I was excited and my heart filled with joy. Could one of the construction workers be a believer? Could they be praying along with me?

Before I got to excited - I had a check in my spirit. Don't ASSUME that things are in good standing. Satan masquerades as an angel of light.

I took out my phone and opened up my Bible app -

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. - Revelation 2:9

I asked my husband if he had written any scripture in the house - not telling him what I had discovered. He said no. I begin to laugh and tell him what I had found; showing him the picture, I said, I would normally be angry about this...BUT - I have spent so much time praying over our house, even before we signed papers. I have written scripture throughout the house and anointed it. The devil will not steal my joy.

I was surprised to hear his response of the mystery writer, "Well that was really rude of them!" In his own way, he took defense for my efforts and I could sense a righteous anger about him. I called it a win in the Carter book.

Fast forward to January 20, 2022. Lynn taught a powerhouse End Times Seminar. There was so much revelation in this session. One thing that REALLY stuck out to me was this verse:

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. - Revelation 3:9

Did you catch that?? What the enemy means for evil, God means for good!

I may butcher this but Lynn mentioned that Revelation 3:9 is prophetic for our SUM community. Listen, we sometimes walk a hard and lonely road. We have to endure the persecution from our spouses; their misunderstandings; their lack of support; their opposition. BUT God! Won't He use our journey, our testimony to bring about our spouses to salvation?! Won't He bring our spouses to us and honor us for our righteous living and strong stance for the Kingdom of Heaven? This is NOT to say that our spouses will worship US - but God will reveal His deep love for us to our spouses someday. I do pray that it is this side of Heaven. I don't expect a huge fanfare by any means. However, I can't wait to see the day when my husband worships the King of Kings and Lord of Lords WITH ME. I've had a few dreams about this glorious day. I'm praying them into fruition.

Whatever you are going through, just know that God is faithful. He sees your efforts. He hears your cries. He spurs and cheers you on along with the saints in Heaven.

In some ways it feels like my husband takes 2 steps forward and 1 step back. We do not live based on what we see or experience in the natural.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. - Galatians 6:9

Don't give up. Don't give in. God is fighting for us.

I bless you with perseverance, joy, strength, tenacity and grit in Jesus' name.

See you in the comments!

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I hopped onto video and shared a few thoughts about how we can handle that feeling of not fitting in at church. Hope it helps you along. 

Ann

By Ann Hutchison

Dear friends, I shared last week about the small group I've been attending. Well, today I want to share a very encouraging story from that group.

There's a man in that group who's a great sharer. He's jolly, enthusiastic, and loves God. He brings plenty of ideas about faith to our group chats. He's in his sixties, and he and his wife have adult children. 

One night the group was mingling as the evening was wrapping up. Some were in the kitchen, others were in the living room, and I was sat on a couch beside this particular man and his wife. She was next to me, he was on the other side of her talking to someone else, and so she and I got quietly talking.

She began to tell me her story. It went like this:

"I actually went to church on my own for years. He wasn't interested, he never came with me. I was on my own in my faith for a long time."

She smiled at me.

I peeked around her to take another look at her hubby, a bemused look on my face. Are we talking about the same man? Then I focused on her again.

"Was that hard for you?" I asked. 

"Was it ever!" she rolled her eyes.

We shared a cheeky smile.

"So what happened next?" 

"Oh, he just gradually got there. Bit by bit, slowly things changed. He's only just started coming to this group. He would never have gone to something like this before."

I peered around her discreetly at him again.

"Amazing." I said with a big smile.

"Yes, amazing." She grinned back.

Looking at that man today, all I can see is one who loves being with God first thing in the morning, attends church, reads Christian books, plays worship music in the home for his own enjoyment, and gets his wife to do devotionals with him in the morning.

Well there we go. The joy of this story is that I will get to see this visible example weekly from now on at my small group, and they are a living breathing example of a spiritually mismatched couple who had one season then another season. 

In this ministry we need these examples, as hope is an important element of our spiritually mismatched walk. God wants us to hope because he doesn't want us to label our spouse as an impossible case (he wants us to bless our spouse not curse them, James 3:10) and he wants us to believe in His magnitude. 

It's summed up well here:

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7, NKJV)

So, while we must learn to be content in our circumstance (very important) and love our spouse exactly where they are (also very important), hey let's seize stories like this so that we can hope and believe that there is a bigger possibility beyond what our circumstance looks like today.

Hope you liked that story. Love you all,

Ann

Ann here, and I thought the title would make you smile. Yes indeed, I have a little story to tell today.

In Monday's post I left off where my small group had said: "Do invite your husband to the Christmas dinner, we would love to meet him."

Gulp!

Now, Bryce has said to me on a number of occasions that he finds the whole 'small group' concept difficult. He has a bad experience of growing up in an unhealthy and spiritually controlling church, and from that experience he was concerned that any small group I joined would be 'cultish and weird'. Those were hard words to hear, but hey, if this is how our spouse sees these things it's probably helpful to know. If we know, then we can try to understand and try to address it. Anyway, given all of that historical 'stuff' the thought of now inviting him to a small group Christmas dinner was not easy!

I wonder, though, whether at some point we all turn a corner where things become different? Where faith or church are not so contentious any more? Anyway, the long and short of it is that I plucked up the courage and asked him.

And ..... 

He said yes. No problem at all. Just like that. He said his 'yes' so easily, in fact, that I had to leave the room to process this massive new development, which felt like breaking news.

Now here's that same scene I described on Monday where I stand at a closed front door, behind which lies a small group, and I'm wondering how on earth this thing is going to go. Except this time my husband is standing by my side.

I hold a salad, he's carrying wine, and we're ready for a good time. He's perfectly cheerful but I've got a pounding heart. Why? It's the first time we've gone through the doors of church together since those difficult church days of his. Yes, it's only a small-group dinner, but it's the church.

We enter, join the chattering crowd on the back patio of the house, and before I can barely introduce him ... off he goes. Into a happy crowd and away from my side. And so the evening continued.

Later, as the sun set, he and I were sat in a circle of comfy outdoor armchairs chatting with some of the others about church and other things. He liked them, they liked him. At that moment I looked up to see a beautiful rainbow in the dusky sunset. I took it as a wink from God and thanked Him -- Seriously, seriously thanked Him -- for this moment.

Oh my dear SUM friends, it was a fascinating turning of a corner, and I know you understand the emotions around this sort of thing. It was indeed 'breaking news' for it broke some kind of barrier. It also broke away some of my own lingering angst about our spiritual mismatch, bringing us together and showing me all over again 'God's got this'.

Some of us have spouses who do visit church or its social events; others of us find that area more tricky. But however it looks now, things can always change --

"For nothing will be impossible for God" (Luke 1:37, ESV)

Does your spouse come to church or social events or not? Let's chat more in the comments.

Love you loads,

Ann

Over 30 speakers. Lifetime access. Worth your time and effort!! See Speakers at the bottom.

General Conference Information: The Thrive Christian Marriage Conference is a 4-day LIVE online conference happening February 15-18, 2022 featuring 25 professional Christian counselors, bestselling authors, speakers, bloggers, and more.

The statistics are sobering....

• An estimated 4 out of 10 U.S. adults are currently struggling with anxiety or depression (Source).
• Divorce rates are up 34% since the start of the pandemic (Source).
• More than 20% of U.S. adults are currently taking medication or are in counseling for mental health concerns. (Source)​

So whether you're dealing with job loss, the loss of a loved one, strained relationships, mental health issues, or any number of issues the recent pandemic has caused...

It's definitely not just you. These last couple of years have been tough on us all.​

That's why, at this year's Thrive Christian Marriage Conference, we're bringing in 25 licensed counselors, bestselling authors, professional speakers (and more) to share their best advice on:

• How to talk so your spouse will listen
• How to turn your greatest differences into your greatest strengths
• What to do if your partner has an affair, watches pornography, or wants a divorce
• How to know when to get help (what's normal and what's not)
• How to keep the romance alive - no matter how long you've been married
• and much, much more.

​FREE PASS: (Click here)

Speaker Pannel:

Ann here!

With Bryce not attending church with me, one of the questions I've often asked myself is whether it would be a good thing for me to join a small group ... Or not, given my circumstances.

Like many churches, mine has a home-group scene where people meet weekly at each other's homes. The idea is they build connections, care for each other, encourage each other, and have stimulating discussions.

It sounds great, but I can already hear a collective sigh here because it's usually not so simple for us.

First, these groups are either full of couples, or full of singles, and we struggle to fit. Second, our spouse might feel we're already leaving them on a Sunday, and now we want to leave them for an additional evening each week. That's in addition to all the other time we spend on our faith activities.

In fact, years ago when I asked Bryce if he'd mind me attending a small group it turned into one of the worst conversations we've had. He expressed very clearly that yes, he would mind very much!! I wrote about that story recently, it was not a good day. 

Difficult as it is, we do need to be with believers regularly, we do need to build Christian friendships, and we do need to fight for that. The reason we need to fight is that our spiritual survival hangs on it. That said, church community can take many forms and a 'small group' may or may not be the right format depending on where things are at in our marriage. A regular coffee with two other Christian friends might be just as good and easier to fit with your spouse.

When I joined my new church last year I was invited to a small group and, despite all the past conversations between Bryce and me about this issue, this time it seemed right.

By then Bryce was no longer appalled by the idea. I'd worked hard over a number of years to balance church and our marriage and he, in turn, had done some thinking. He didn't miss the opportunity to tease me when he heard it was a 'small group' but I said "I love you", gave him a kiss and off I went.

So now we get to me ringing the doorbell and arriving at said small group ...

The door opens, I step in, and I get hugged by everybody: Eight couples in their fifties and sixties and one other lady on her own. There is tea, coffee and food. Yum! I'm keen, but I do wonder if I'll cope being around couples. I'm not sure if I'd have coped with this until now, in fact.

Armed with our tea, and now sitting, we start to talk about Sunday's sermon topic using discussion questions. Now I'm loving it because all I want is to talk about faith, all the time, and I'm always in need of this!

That was the first taste, and I didn't fall over from 'Coupledom misery'. But over the weeks, hearing about their faith lives in detail, I did begin to see just how different a SUM walk is to a couples faith walk. It is different.

I would find myself driving home thinking two things. (1) "I'm more intense than they are because of the SUM." And, (2) "I don't fit." 

Still, I continued, and the 'not fitting' became a lie I needed to dispel. Why? I am part of the Body of Christ. I fit.

As the months went on, I actually found surprising treasures. For one, I loved getting to see guys' faith. And, second, I noticed how different the gifts and experiences within this group are. That part broadened my view, and I began to feel I was understanding the Body of Christ better... Simply by sitting with people who are different to me. 

My verdict? Being part of a small group has been beneficial and I will continue, but it's worked because the timing and fit was right. I guess, as with anything, we just have to pray about it and always follow God's lead about what's right for our circumstances.

There's part two to this story, next. Hold onto your hats:

Christmas rolled around, it was time for the group's Christmas dinner, and up came this offer "Please do invite your husband, we would love to meet him!" What happened next I will share next time... 

Do you go to a small group, or have you done? I'd love to hear.

By Ann Hutchison

Recently I was on the phone to my mum and told her I was going to take my two boys on a hike without Bryce. This sent her into instant Mum-anxiety mode. Breathing heavily down the phone she said, "Will you be ok?" and ... "Make sure you take water."

So funny. She will never stop acting like my Mum. Even though I am 46. To her I am like the big baby bird in this picture here -- Big, but still her baby.

I know many of you watch your adult children with baited breath: You watch them exercise their free will in matters that may get them lost ... And so does God watch them. I still have this to come, but I can only imagine how easy it is to get anxious about an adult child.

As an adult child myself who was spiritually lost, one day my Mum ever-so-gently gave me a book as a gift -- A Christian book. It was called Journey into God's heart by Jennifer Rees Larcombe. It was a powerful spiritual memoir and testimony. I read it on the plane home after visiting my parents and by the end of the plane journey I was bawling. That book had a big part to play in bringing me to God. Behind the scenes, of course, was my Mum.

Jennifer Rees Larcombe, that book's author, is now a minister in the UK and, because her book brought me to God I have a special love for her ministry (Beauty from Ashes). She remains one of my favorite people to read on Facebook. She is also a grandparent and has six adult children, some of whom have walked through some really tough stuff. 

Last week she posted this question on Facebook, and I'm going to repeat it because the replies people gave contained so much helpful stuff. She said:

Photo by Ethan Sees from Pexels

Happy New Year, my friends. I know it’s now February. Wow, where did January go? But this is my first post of 2022. I’m so looking forward to this year.

Where is our Focus?

A new year often brings new beginnings, new hopes, new challenges. Often it simply brings more of the same just in a new year. We can get caught up in channelling our focus and our thoughts on newness or on the existing. For those of us who can grapple with anxiety or worry, we can continue to allow ourselves to focus on the worries or the fears or the things that are making us anxious.

For many of us SUMites, the mismatched nature of our marriage will often feature prominently in our thoughts. Will 2022 be the year we see breakthrough? Will our partner find the Lord? And what if they don’t?

May I encourage you to simply take a few moments now (yes, stop reading this post) and simply ask the Lord to help you see what are some of the thoughts that are pre-occupying you at present? Why not jot them down.

The Enemy is a liar!

The Devil is a liar! John 8:44 tells us this. He will happily engage our minds with worries and fears that are simply … lies. I was reminded of this last week when I read a lovely post from Corrie Ten Boon¹. She wrote of a day she was convinced she was coming down with the flu. It was also effecting her eyes as she was struggling to see properly. Corrie had to give a talk and was so consumed by her fear that she didn’t do it well.

“It is impossible to listen to the Lord’s voice while listening to our own fear. Fear is loud, insistent and time-consuming.”

That statement just hit me between the eyes. Because fear is just like that, isn’t it?

To conclude Corrie’s story, her secretary who had been sick happened to listen to her talk. Corrie was surprised to see her as she thought she’d be home in bed. But her secretary realised she had Corrie’s glasses by mistake and wanted to exchange them. They swapped glasses and ‘miraculously’ Corrie’s symptoms disappeared. She had been wearing the wrong glasses.

“When we agree with fear, our symptoms continue … instead of partnering with my symptoms, if I would have sought the Lord, perhaps I would have noticed Him pointing to what was really happening.”

Ever partnered with your fears, worries or symptoms?

Shift our Focus

Worry, fear and anxiety mean our hearts and minds are focused on something else. Jesus asks us to focus on Him. That doesn’t necessarily mean that our circumstances will change, it just means that we are able to hear from Him in our circumstance.

I love reading the Psalms, especially David’s. They express all our emotions: fear, worry, ecstasy, joy, peace and so on. David, as we know, did great things but also some not-so-great things. Often, he struggled when he’d taken his eyes off the Lord.

Psalm 16 is a wonderful psalm of hope. I particularly appreciate these words:

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure" (v 7-9)

He reminds us that when we keep our focus on the Lord we will not be shaken.

For many of us in mismatched marriages, we keep questioning why it’s taking so long, what do we need to do different or better. We might also worry about the things we feel we can’t do because of our partner won’t like it and it can all get a little overwhelming. Can’t it?

But Jesus simply asks us to shift our focus. Stop thinking about the worries, the issues, the shortcomings, the why nots, and start looking at Him. And not to take our eyes off Him.

Next time I will share a little on how we can shift our focus. How can we develop greater discipline in keeping our eyes on Jesus. In the interim, may I encourage you to spend time reading a Psalm of David’s. 16 or 91(probably written by Moses) or 23 are great places to linger. Linger. Spend a week, a month just lingering on the psalm. And pray them like a prayer, put yourself in David’s shoes.

Grace and peace, my friends.

1. Corrie Ten Boom, God is My Hiding Place: 40 Devotions for Refuge and Strength (Chosen Books, Minneapolis, 2021), 101.