September 11, 2001 - May We Never Forget!

I remember getting ready for work on the morning of September 11, 2001 and I received a call from my mom telling me to turn the TV on as there was an accident involving The World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. 

As I, like many, watched everything unfold in disbelief, we soon learned it was no accident as shortly after the first plane crashed into one tower, a second plane crashed into the second tower. We then heard about The Pentagon and another plane that crashed as a total of 4 planes were hijacked in a coordinated effort to destroy life using the planes as weapons.

Needless to say it was very difficult to work that day knowing what had transpired or was transpiring. I remember seeing the images of First Responders courageously running into the buildings to climb flight after flight of stairs running toward danger to try to stop the raging fires that resulted from the planes crashing. I also remember the images of people covered in dust, some bleeding from injuries running for their lives as as the towers eventually came crashing down succumbing to the fire that weakened what once held the towers strong and towering over the landscape. We all watched in horror and disbelief as the towers fell. The images are ingrained in my memory including the following days and weeks as coverage of the search and rescue efforts took place at the site where the towers once stood. It was heart wrenching to watch and read about and the memories still bring emotions to the surface at times because of the great tragedy we witness.

Some are of the opinion that we should just forget about it and move on while there are others who vacillate on one conspiracy theory or another and still others are pointing fingers at this or that person.

As for me, I would challenge us to never forget what took place on this horrible day in history. We should never let our guards down and no matter what country we live in, the potential for evil acts such as this still exist so we ought not take life, including the people in it, for granted. We should dwell on it in an unhealthy way but, let's never forget, and in the process of remembering, let us especially honor the memories of those who lost their lives, and may we love our neighbors as much as possible and stand ready to protect others as needed lest we forget and great evil is allowed to repeat itself.

Sincerely,

Randolph Koch

Let your light shine before all mankind!

On a recent family vacation, we were blessed with the use of a friends house situated by a beautiful lake.

Out of the reach of the light pollution from the city lights, typically on a clear night the sky comes alive with the milky way and other constellations visible in a brilliant display of God's creation.

On this trip it just so happened to coincide with a Super Full Moon and because of the additional brightness of the moon, the stars weren't visible as they normally would be out there. It was still a beautiful sight to behold and over the course of the days we vacationed there, the moon shone brightly each night and the reflection off of the water was incredible!

As I gazed at the brilliance of God's handiwork I was reminded of the simple fact that when we look at the moon and see how brightly it reflects the sun, you realize again that the moon wouldn't shine at all without the sun.

Likewise as a follower of Christ, we should strive to reflect The Son brightly in all we do! He is the reason why you and I shine at all!

So my friend...shine brightly for Him because of Him as He is our light and hope and in turn, we can shine His light and hope to an often dark world.

Read Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 ESV and then shine out His light before all mankind!

Blessings in Christ, 
Your Brother and Servant, 

Randolph Koch

Please consider helping this ministry through prayer and other ways! Find out more here:  https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html

Also, here are a few ideas of how I can serve you: 
https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/ministry-service-offerings.html

Parenting: The Art Of The Release and Other Practical Advice.

Read Proverbs 22:6, 2 Peter 1:3-12, Colossians 1:28-29, John 4:7-14 for an encouragement and challenge from God’s Word.

As a dad who has helped raise 5 kids, (All but one are young adults now but I give most of the credit to my wife that they made it into adulthood alive) :-), it’s not uncommon to reflect on things you could have or wished you’d done better as well as the things you did do well too. As I reflected recently, there were many things that came to mind and wanted to share a few reflections / learnings with you. There more to share another time but here's a mini-share for now. :-)

As a parent you learn quickly that there’s no manual for parenting other than of course as followers of Christ, the pages of wisdom found in God’s word.  We are also influenced in one way or another by how we were raised. So, each parent does (or should do) their very best to raise their children with the goal of launching them into adulthood, because launching them is the goal.

As followers of Christ we strive to model an abiding faith in Christ for our children.  However, as they launch into adulthood we have to remember that they have to choose to own their faith and even prior to this they have to own their faith if they are a follower of Christ.

Years ago I read a book by Stu Weber titled, “Tender Warrior” and in that book he describes a quiver of arrows.  What I learned is that there are different arrows for different weather conditions and as I recall, Stu used this as a picture of how each child is different and we pour into them differently and it's not easy sometimes to remember and do, but from the time they are born until they launch into adulthood we are practicing the art of the release. If you've done any amount of archery you quickly get the mental picture of that release.

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." -Zig Ziglar

You have to have a direct aim with parenting and while it’s true that we do need to keep the day-by-day in mind, we also have to keep the future release in mind as we have a responsibility to help launch them successfully.  Ultimately we are not responsible for their actions, for the actions they choose, but, we are responsible for pouring as much into them as possible. 

This doesn’t mean we’re so wrapped up in their lives that we neglect our marriages and don’t continue to build a relationship with their spouses, (keep in mind, once they are launched it’s just you and your spouse if our married and you need to build into your relationship all along and if you haven't...that can make things difficult for your relationship) but it does mean we are responsible to do our very best in God’s strength in order to help our kids become adults.

The scripture reminds us that we’re to train up a child in the way they are to go and the hope is that they would turn to the truths that have been instilled in them from God’s word as well as the wisdom and life skills we tried to instill in them as parents. 

Remember this, as parents, none of us are perfect and we need to learn from our mistakes and grow in grace even for ourselves. We also need to draw from God’s Wisdom and Strength often as parents and consult Him through His Word and prayer. Please drink deeply from God’s Well! As we do, we can build into our children and practice the “release” and speaking from experience, as the day comes more quickly than we imagine. So, you and I better be ready and stay ready building into them as we practice releasing them into adulthood and we can’t do this in our own strength and wisdom alone.

Another thing to consider is that you don't have to go it alone with parenting nor should you. You should seek out and learn from the wisdom and experience of other parents who are at different stages in parenting or stages ahead of you as you progress forward as well. You can and will be used in the lives of other parents too!

Let's pray for one another as parents and let's encourage each other to keep pressing forward. Also, guess what…as your kids launch into adulthood, they will still need you and your counsel so get ready for spontaneous late night conversations on their terms (even in high school) because even though they want to be independent, they still want your counsel too. Doesn’t mean they will follow that advice but it does mean they still want your input so be ready for that! :-)

Keep pressing forward and practice the good form of release just like and archer does. 

In Christ,

Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Please consider helping this ministry through prayer and other ways! Find out more here:  https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html

Also, here are a few ideas of how I can serve you: 
https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/ministry-service-offerings.html

Having a Kingdom Perspective

Read: Matthew 13:24-52, Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 25:1-13, Hebrews 12:28, Matthew 7:21,  Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2-4, Luke 12:29-32,  Colossians 3:1-4  

Of all the topics in the Word of God that Jesus taught about, He had more to say about the topic of The Kingdom than pretty much any other topic. If it was as important to Him to teach so often about it then it ought to be important to us as well! 

The Kingdom is mentioned and taught about many times throughout the Gospels as well as other parts of the New Testament. 

The kingdom of God is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven and Jesus taught that we should have a Kingdom perspective and keep The Kingdom in mind in all we do.

There is so much one could teach about The Kingdom that one post can only scratch the surface on such a big topic

So what is The Kingdom and What is a kingdom perspective and How do you and I keep a kingdom perspective? 

The aim of this communication is to briefly touch on these topics in order to wet your appetite for your further study about this.

5 Tips From God's Word for Seeking Wisdom and Direction

It may come as a surprise to you, but, you and I do NOT have all the answers and by design, we need help along the way.

From the time we’re born until we depart, we need help from God and others in one form or another as we'll constantly experience situations, tasks, and circumstances where we'll need God’s wisdom and direction. We'll also need godly counsel from other's in the body of Christ.

It's a lot like going on a road trip and unless you’re a rare individual that basically has a GPS embedded in their brain…you need at least some pre-trip planning. (OK, maybe I read and watch too much SciFi sometimes) :-) Not only what supplies to bring but also a general understanding of what the directions are and what direction you're heading.

I remember the family road trips I went on when I was young, yes, I was young at one point in my life, and we used these things called MAPS… :-) They were paper and folded out so you could see the area you’d be traveling to and through including the roadways you needed. My family and I traveled all over the place with via maps We even went on trips to places like Yellowstone National Park and back as well as many other places.  

I still keep current road maps in my glove box as sometimes technology doesn't work and you still need directions! 

Now-a-days we have GPS technology built into our phones and other devices, but, a wise person stops and considers the directions and asks for directions as needed no matter if they use maps or GPS technology. Even using a GPS you have to look at the route so you understand enough about the route especially for a place you've never been before. 

Life is just like this as we need to continually seek wisdom and direction which in the life of a follower of Christ, always begins and ends with seeking God and His Word. 

With this in mind, I wanted to share the following encouragement and starting point for your further study as you continue to seek God's wisdom and direction.

9 Tips For Discovering The Will of God.

My Friend,

It's important to discover, understand, and fulfill God's Will for your life.

In life you may seek God's will about many things, such as: what career path you should take, what apprenticeship you should pursue, what college or trade school you should attend, where you should work, what does He want you to get involved with, whether or not He wants you to be and stay single or does He want you to get married, what investments of your time and money you should make, what home church you should be a part of, and many other things that require wisdom in your decision making.

Speaking from experience, there will be times in your life that you will seek God’s Will more often than other times.

I've heard people say at times that, "God's will is a mystery", but, His will isn’t as mysterious as we think it is because sometimes it takes time for Him to reveal it and for us to understand it and receive it, so we think it’s a mystery.

In fact, read the following passages for examples of how He makes His Will for you and I very clear: Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Ephesians 6:5-8.

Take Romans 12:1-2 for instance,  to know God’s Will, you need to reject conforming to this world and instead, allow God to transform you by His Spirit. 

In many passages like this, He clearly lays out His will for you and I. As you abide in His Word, you will see His revealed will because it’s very clear! 

God's Will is knowable, (He wants you to know His will for you), and its clear, (He will make it clear.)

Another thing to consider is that while we serve the same God and reply on  and are empowered by His Holy Spirit, (The same Spirit), He may lead us the same or different direction as others and use us in similar or different ways than others. 

His Word also reminds us that we are one body but there are many gifts and we don't all have the same gifts (see Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12 for example). So again, He may or may not call us to be used the same way as others and He may not lead us in the same direction as others. 

My aim in this communication is to share a small glimpse of some of the Biblical and practical principles about seeking and understanding God's Will as well as practical tips and tools you can utilize so you can figure out what His will is.

Here are 9 Biblical and Practical tips that will be of help as you seek His will:

It's "Time To Make The Donuts."

Read: Genesis 2:15, James 2:14-18, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:9-10, Matthew 5:16, 1 Timothy 6:17-18, Titus 2:6-8, Titus 3:14, and Galatians 6:9 

From the very beginning, God created mankind with a specific purpose and work to do just like we see in Genesis 2:15.

The 3 Part Test of a Prophet

Read: Deuteronomy 18:20-22, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, Ezekiel 13:9, Matthew 24:24, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 Timothy 4:1-10, Acts 20:28-30, 1 John 4:1-6, Matthew 7:15-20, 1 Peter 5:8, Hebrews 13:9

It's been my observation that there are many gifts such as the gift of prophecy and speaking in tongues that aren't handled or expressed Biblically today and we need to be careful to take in any teaching that doesn't align with God's Word. 

It's seems that specifically with the gift of prophecy, that it is often only thought by some to be the foretelling of future events but it is also and more often than the previous - it is the proclamation of God's truth from His Word. 

It's Not "Hammer Time": Being mindful of your words and actions.

Read: Proverbs 10:11, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 15:4. Proverbs  16:24, Proverbs 18:21, 1 Corinthians 13.

God has given us many tools and also wants to produce the fruit of The Spirit in and through us. Sometimes people forget that things like harshness, anger, etc are not part of the fruit of The Spirit. 

Furthermore, the scripture reminds us that Love is patient, love is kind...(See 1 Corinthians 13) but sometimes others in our lives or even ourselves lack these very things in relation to others. I'm also reminded of Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." 

As always, our words can bring life or death to the hearer. Our words are more powerful than we realize because those words whether good or bad, stay with the hearer and sometimes much longer than they should when we speak unkind words. This is why I've shared in the past that the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me," while a nice sentiment, it's not really true because words do hurt and it takes more time mentally and emotionally to heal from words spoken to us. 

While there are times where we need to be more firm in our communication, we need to remember that even in being firm with others who have wronged us, or who need correction, or that we disagree with, we need to season that with grace so we can represent The Lord more effectively. 

Lay ALL of Your Burdens Down!

Read: Matthew 11:28 or 1 Peter 5:7

We read passages like Matthew 11:28 or 1 Peter 5:7 where we're instructed about laying our burdens, anxieties and more, down and then we seem to forget about it or say, "that's nice" and then go about "our" business. 

Then, we run into an issue, trial or something that weighs us down and sometimes instead of turning directly to The Lord Who is our strength, we try to carry the burdens on our own. How's that working out for you and I? Not very good...speaking on behalf of "a friend" of course. :-)

It's like we take scripture sometimes as if it's a passing phrase like a well meaning greeting card or something but it's much more than this as it's the very Word of God!

We are not to nor were we ever supposed to carry our burdens on our own. We cannot handle the vast weight nor should we because that's not our job...Jesus is our strength and can carry them all...it's no wonder He instructs us to give all our burdens to Him!?

So, the question is...will you and I continue to be miserable, stressed out and more trying to carry too heavy a load or will you and I listen to The Savior's word of grace, truth and love and actually lay ALL of our burdens down?

I pray that we lay ALL of them Down not just some of them Down, in Jesus name, amen.

Lay ALL of your burdens down friend! 

Blessings in Christ,
Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

P.S. Do you have a friend who is struggling under the weight of burdens? Encourage them to lay their burdens down...give them all to Jesus! Please pass on this encouragement to someone today! 

A New Year and a Request for Ongoing Prayers for A Shepherd's Heart.

Hello and Happy New Year!

As the New Year begins, I want to simply ask you to keep A Shepherd's Heart in your prayers. 

Here are thoughts and several areas where your prayers will be appreciated: 

Specifically prayer for God's wisdom, direction and provision for A Shepherd's Heart as I seek to continue to serve The Lord and His people seeking to encourage all of us to Live Life On Purpose...grounded and routed in Christ!

I want to focus on the projects, resources, teaching / speaking opportunities as well as any other opportunities He provides and directs me to do in serving Him from the heart He's given me. 

I've been a "tent-maker" for years and I'm constantly seeking The Lord for the continued direction He wants me to go and I know He'll provide the clarity needed as He directs my path.  

Please pray that God will help me be very strategic with my time as working high demand positions in the marketplace as well as every other important priority God's given me including a family and friends I've been blessed with, a home to maintain, etc., time is always at a premium. All of these areas are important and I need to be present in the lives of my family especially and my friends too and with this...again, need to be better at time management. 

May God provide the availability and means to serve in each case He opens and directs me to serve including the tools, technology, time and financial resources. 

May God help me grow more as a shepherd-servant, communicator, husband, dad, friend and employee. 

May God somehow expand this ministry including it's reach - for His kingdom and glory. 

May God help me grow the needed income to meet every need for my family, ministry which includes helping others. There are many growing needs including practical every day needs where my income isn't keeping up and I want and need to provide better. With this, please pray that God will open up a new good fitting and providing position that also provides enough flexibility to serve or possibly something entrepreneurial that will do the same.

Thanks for your prayers and please know that I'm praying for you! Please don't hesitate to let me know how I can be praying for you!

I'll keep you posted on new projects and items I'm working on this year some of which includes...I hope, new encouragement / teaching videos and finally publishing my first 30 day devotional.

I'm here to serve you so, feel free to share your thoughts on resources and topics you might be encouraged by and I'll definitely take your suggestions into consideration for future projects!

Thanks again for your regular prayers!

In Christ,
Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Merry Christmas From A Shepherd's Heart!

Hello and Merry Christmas!

I pray that your Christmas celebration is filled with the joy and hope found in Christ!

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and most of all for allowing me the privilege of serving you this year!

This Christmas I'm looking forward to the blessing of spending time with family and friends celebrating the Birth of Jesus!

As we all celebrate, I'm reminded of this great truth from Roy Lessin: 

God Sent Us A Saviour
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Saviour.
-Roy Lessin

It's so encouraging to be reminded that God, in His wisdom and divine plan, knew exactly what we needed and loved us so much that He sent Jesus because we needed Him, The Savior! 

Jesus came from heaven to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cruel cross for mankind, rose from the dead winning victory over death and now is seated in heaven!

May we never forget the deep truths of Christmas as well as the truths beyond the manger!

As you celebrate, here's a little Christmas gift from me to you, I wanted to share again a recording of the Luke account of The Birth of Jesus again from Luke 2:1-35: https://soundcloud.com/user-335546274/the-birth-of-jesus-luke-21-35

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Please share this imaged with the above encouragement with others! 

Choosing To Live Significantly

Read: John 15:5, John 15:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 3:12, Philippians 4:13

On some level, we all want to be significant. We want to feel valued which in and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we don't pursue it or live it out in an unhealthy way.

With this, we can often struggle with feeling insignificant or unworthy, and more. You may struggle with feeling insignificant at times as well. You are not alone...the world is full of people searching for significance and struggling with the very same things.

Unfortunately, some confuse significance with fame or popularity which it is not. They identify their worth by what they do or accomplish. In addition, some want to seek fame …the next viral video or YouTube. Some feed on how many “likes” or followers they receive on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Some will also try to bring you down and make you feel that you aren’t important, worthy or worth something…but as for you...hold onto God's truth and don't believe the lies spoken to you or that you speak to yourself!

Reformation Day

Happy Reformation Day! 

During the 16th century a period in Church History known as The Protestant Reformation took place which we remember and celebrate today as Reformation Day. 

Martin Luther and other reformers, were convicted that the church had departed from many of the core teachings of Christianity which should be grounded in the Word of God and this was the catalyst for their actions to work to try and correct this. 

They came to this reality because sadly, they saw that the core teachings of God's Word was at times in stark contrast to what they saw the church teaching in that period of time. 

Because of this, The Reformers worked to realign Christianity to The Word of God.

Through this period of time five key phrases which helped summarize their convictions about the core teachings of Christianity surfaced. These are also known as the Five Solas as they were latin phrases. 

The Five Solas are:

Sola Scriptura: “Scripture alone” - God's Word alone is our highest authority.

Sola Fide: “faith alone” - Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Sola Gratia: “grace alone” - We are saved by the grace of God alone.

Solus Christus: “Christ alone” - Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.  

Soli Deo Gloria: “to the glory of God alone” - We are to live for the glory of God alone.

It was with great cost, (some of The Reformers gave their lives during this time due the great opposition they faced) that we as follower's of Christ can enjoy studying God's Word and being instructed from God's Word in our Church meeting place as part of the body of Christ. 

I encourage you to study this important time within Church History and do your part to re-calibrate your faith daily to the core teachings of God's Word and live them out!

Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria!

May God do a reformation in us through His continued transforming work renewing us heart, mind and soul!

In Christ Alone,

rlk

 

#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #bible #scripture #Godsword #ReformationDay reform #reformation #Jesus #HolySpirit #Christian #Christianity #heart #mind #soul #strength 

Experiencing Joy Through The Gift of Friendship

This may surprise some who read this but, God's purpose isn't to make us happy as some try to say...in other words the idea that "God just wants you to be happy" isn't true plus...happiness is subjective. What makes one person happy isn't the same for the next person.

Now joy on the other hand isn't subjective as joy is a gift from God and a fruit of The Spirit. 

God does want us to experience joy and The Word of God reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (See Nehemiah 8:10)

Finding His Peace In Every Moment

Read: Philippians 4:7

Sometimes we buy into the idea that peace is only found in the absence of conflict but that isn't necessarily the case!

It may not make sense to us sometimes but if you're in Christ...As you abide in Christ you will be able to experience His peace all the more...even in the midst of troubling or tumultuous times!

His peace is supernatural and can be found and experienced in any moment including the storms of life.

You and I need to seek Him in those good or hard moments because no doubt...He will give you His steadfast peace, love and strength that will help sustain you through that time. 

The peace of God is truly beyond understanding...but it is available to us through His Holy Spirit.

May we seek and find His peace in every moment! 

I pray that we experience His peace through every season in Jesus name I pray, Amen. 

In Christ Alone,

rlk




#peace #rest #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration  #Jesus #HolySpirit #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind  #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart

Don't Just Say That You'll Pray...Actually Do It!

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Colossians 4:2-6

When you say you will pray for someone, do you say it as just a passing phrase or do you actually intend to pray for them?

I think we're all guilty sometimes of saying we'll "pray", (kind of like "how are you doing" but not really wanting the answer sometimes...just a passing phrase) and not following through with prayer and...we need to change this! 

The fact is that prayer is a fundamental tool God has gifted us with.

"When you say you will pray for someone, actually pray for them!"

We're to be people of prayer and commit to praying for one another.

So, let me encourage and challenge you to be a man or woman of your word and The Word...and make every effort to follow through and pray when you say you will do so.

I pray that God will help us take prayer all the more seriously.

Prayerfully,

rlk

#pray #prayer #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #integrity #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart

A Worthy Walk

Read: Proverbs 10:9 and Ephesians 4:1

As a follower of Christ...one who has been redeemed at a great and ultimate price, (thanks to the saving work of Jesus) you are called to live your life in a worthy manner. 

 
A life marked by traits such as integrity, honesty, love, grace, hospitality, unity, honor, forgiveness and much more.
 
Your life should also bear the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control with the help of The Holy Spirit. 

Your life should not be driven by hate, anger, racism, greed, holding grudges, self-centeredness, lying, stealing, character maligning and more.

In a world that is full of negativity as well as negative and destructive behavior...you and I need to shine His light all the more in the darkness!

Let's pray for each other that we will walk a worthy walk for His kingdom, glory as we are His ambassadors and need to point others to Christ Who is our only true hope!

Watch the brief video above (or via the links below) and then #1 walk a worthy walk and #2 pass this message on! 

https://www.facebook.com/HeartofAShepherd/videos/1657732627633938/

or here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6GmnNjx94/

In Christ Alone,

rlk

The Fine Art of Allowing God To Be Your Defender.

Read: Exodus 14:14, Romans 8:31, Romans 12:19, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 3:22, Mark 14:61, James 1:19 

It's not our natural inclination to be silent sometimes. 

This is especially true when someone is being rude, abusive in speech, wrongly accusing us, trying to malign our character, misrepresent the truth or a multitude of other things.

We're all growing in grace and in those moments, we are most likely quick to try to defend ourselves, however, we have to be careful to no not rely on our emotions in those moments as often times we can make things worse by our response. 

We need to immediately seek the Lord and ask for His wisdom and help to know how to respond which in the moment may be difficult...however, all it takes is a real "in the moment" silent or spoken prayer that will truly help you and I!  

We also should remember that there were times when Jesus, even though He had all the authority and facts to do so, He didn't defend Himself when accused.

God is still writing your story!

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 139:16, Proverbs 3:1-8, Romans 5:1-5

I'm reminded of many conversations and experiences I've had over the years with people. 

I've experienced, observed or heard a retelling of a series of events or a single event that took place that didn't go as planned and then feelings of "defeat", "failure", "life is over" and etc begin to crept in. 

In our weakness as human beings, its pretty normal to feel that way but if you are in Christ then you are a new creation and those feelings should not last as you turn from your feelings and what you see to faith instead.