Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

6/30/2020

Jesus Understands Pain

Tuesday Matters- June 30, 2020
Everyday Pain Praising

I hate being in a state of fear, especially the intense, paralyzing and irrational kind known as an anxiety attack. I haven’t had an attack for a very long time so I was very alarmed when one Friday night my body froze in fear, my heart was beating rapidly and my body was sweating like crazy. I know God is there when an attack happens but my feelings usually tell me otherwise. Because I said; “God help,” quietly and nothing happened. Because I have made it an exercise to memorize scripture I remembered Psalm 116:17; “Offer up a sacrifice of thanks and call on Jesus.” So even though it seemed weird I began to Praise God. At first I just whispered, but gradually I began praise God louder Him and after about two hours… I was good.

Praising God in the pain is one of the most powerful ways to throw the enemy off his course who tries to attack us with fear. Praise and thanks first and everything else seems to fall in place…everyday.

6/29/2020

Heaven is Real

Monday Matters-June 29, 2020
Everyday Eternal

One of the very first verses I remember learning in Sunday school was John 3:16; "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." And I understood as much as I could at age seven that because of the sacrifice of Jesus paying my debt I had inherited eternal life. But I never thought much about how my life on earth would affect my life in heaven.
It’s hard to understand that how we live and what we do in this life will affect how deeply we enjoy eternity. The gifts and talents God’s given us to fulfill a purpose continues into eternity. There are far too many people who end their life because they’re in complete despair with no hope. But oh to know the truth that this earth is not our home and that eternal life in heaven is a meaningful with purpose but no more pain and tears. Receive Christ and the hope of eternity …everyday.

6/26/2020

Jesus never will fail you

Friday Matters- June 26, 2020
Everyday Justice Delayed

Life is promised to be wonderfully perfect AND with purpose in heaven. This earth is not our home. There’s something more!” Psalm 145:8 is good; “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.” His love for us waits, waits for us to know and accept Him and what He did on the cross for us and our sins.

Dr. Joad was the head of the Philosophy Department at the University of London. He was known for undermining Christianity in the college world. He believed that God was an impersonal part of the cosmos and that there was no such thing as sin.
But before he died, Dr. Joad came to the understanding that there was sin as the Bible describes and the only solution for sin was the cross of Jesus Christ. He became passionate about following Jesus. God’s love delayed justice and gave this man time to recognize his sin and receive life in Christ. In this instance, justice delayed is condemnation denied. God and His love are real…everyday.

6/25/2020

Satisfying your Hunger

Thursday Matters- June 25, 2020
Everyday Hungry

Generally, I don’t think most Christians think of themselves as superior just because they’ve accepted Jesus into their lives. Religious people…well yea…there may be a superiority factor there. Let’s say; before someone becomes a Christian, they’re always eating but never really filling up, they’re always hungry. But one day they taste and see that the Lord is good and they realize they were actually starving (Psalm 34:8). But once Jesus is in their lives they’re completely filled up. So, I’d ask the unbeliever, “If you saw someone that was starving and you had at one time been hungry and starving yourself would you be superior to that person because you’re not starving anymore?”

A big problem lies in the fact that a lot of people think that Christianity is just another religion of judgment. But Jesus didn’t die on the cross so we could have a religion. He died and rose again so we could be saved and have a real and intimate relationship with Him, one that leaves us filled and satisfied…everyday.

6/24/2020

Joy and Trials

Wednesday Matters- June 24, 2020
Everyday Good God

God is good. But have you ever thought that in His goodness He permits you to suffer? Yeah, I know. But look at 1 Peter 4: 12 and 13;“Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in His suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory when it’s displayed to all the world.”

Being very glad when trials come my way isn’t usually my first response but when I think about it I know God permits me to suffer to accomplish things in my life. And it’s also because Christ suffered that I have my salvation and a relationship with Him. Plus, the goodness of God also insures that planet earth is not my final destination.

Life is hard. God is good. And I’m gonna choose to trust Him in all things…everyday.

6/23/2020

Jesus Listens

Tuesday Matters- June 23, 2020
Everyday Cry

You want to look up but you can’t because the burden you’re carrying is so heavy and you feel strange because the alter call at church was about going forward to pray for a prodigal child and your kids are all in church wondering, “What’s wrong with mom?” Others come forward to pray with those in front but I sat alone. Then suddenly, a woman, who could be described as the exact opposite of me, gentle and quiet, put her arm around me. It was quiet and not a word was said but gradually more tears started rolling down my face and then I started to sob. This woman gave the love and understanding of Jesus, who also wept with loss and felt alone. She put her arms around me and just sat with me because she knew what my heart must be feeling. Jesus waits with us, sees our tears and cries with us. Sometimes He sends just the right person He can work through to meet us in our need…everyday.

6/22/2020

Compassion

Monday Matters-June 22, 2020
Everyday Bouquet

I was absent one summer, for an extended period of time, and even though I’m not a “flower person” I cried when I came home and saw this large bouquet greeting me on the kitchen table. It was special and apparently so for our teenage son Joey. He seemed to be continually asking me, “Mom, aren’t those flowers from Dad beautiful?” “Yes. Yes they are Joey.” And yes, the best thing we can do for our kids is to love our spouse. Unity. If our children see a crack in the foundation, they often find a way to slip through. Of course we have disagreements and we have had our share of fights but it’s how and where we choose to handle conflict, especially with our spouse. It’s important for our children to see unity, not division and so we often have to “agree to disagree” while privately we try and work things out. Jesus tells us that, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. When you’re marriage stands strong so does your family…everyday.

6/19/2020

Follow the path of Christ

Friday Matters- June 19, 2020
Everyday What Road

There’s only one road to God? What? But that view is narrow minded. You’re right, it is narrow but through a relationship with Jesus, not religion, it becomes clear that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. There are amazing people who love others but think there are many roads to God and that true spirituality is just to love your neighbor and help the poor.

How then do you know when you’ve given enough to get to God? What about the people who’ve been taught to hate? Are the poor just virtuous? That sounds right, but listen, if a soldier drapes his body over a grenade to save his friends, we recognize it as a sacrifice. Something we honor, but not something we can pay him back for. The same is true with Jesus. We can’t earn our salvation. It’s a gift we have a choice to receive by accepting His sacrifice Christ for our sins. Trust the path He sets and what He’s done for you and then walk in full freedom…everyday.

6/18/2020

Jesus Guides the Way

Thursday Matters- June 18, 2020
Everyday His Hand

I just stared at my journal looking at the verse I had written down from Psalm 139:5, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” I didn’t believe it. I was feeling sorry for myself and God felt far away so I slammed my journal shut.

We have a choice on what we think on and I was making bad choices. I felt my circumstances weren’t fair and I was tired of waiting. I know where the “Poor Me” road leads so out of obedience I put on fun music and said the verse aloud, “God I trust that You. Your hand of blessing is on my head. It wasn’t an immediate shift in my attitude but the choice to think on what I knew was true and then names things aloud that I was thankful for, made a difference. The truth is, God loves you right where you’re at, no matter how you’re feeling …everyday.a

6/17/2020

Greater is God than the enemy

Wednesday Matters- June 17, 2020
Everyday Oh, you, the Enemy

“If God has such great plans for me why is it they all seem to be falling apart?” Everyone seems against me. Some talk about a devil but is he even real? Does he have horns and carry a pitchfork? Yep, the devil is real. He’s not a Halloween costume and he has plans to destroy the ones God has.

Face the fact that there’s an enemy who’ll never leave us alone but we don’t have to let him bother us. “Oh, it’s you again,” I’ve said, rather than caving into the temptation to give up. Satan throws garbage lies at us because it's the way he is able to hurt God. When someone attacks your kids you take action to protect them because you’re on their side. God is on our side too. We are created in His image. “Be bold,” I told my son, David. “You can be aware of the devil but you don’t have to let him get to you.” We have redemption through Christ and nothing that’s happened to us is so destructive that God can’t redeem it…everyday.