my wings are made of faith

ESTABLISH YOUR HEART - Part II

This week, I noticed a small pocket-sized Hallmark calendar lying in the floor under my computer desk.  I realized I must have dropped it from the old Bible that I sometimes flipped through lately, seeking guidance for the blogs.  That old Bible was one my husband gave me before he went to Vietnam, and was worn to the point that the pages are falling apart.  I am so afraid of it sliding out of the leather cover and having to sort the pages, that I don’t look through it extensively, so I had not remembered the little calendar that lay hidden in its pages.  I knew the calendar was old, but I had no idea how old until, I thought, “I really need to pick that up and not let it get torn up, because I must have kept it for some reason.” Thinking it was a budget that I must have made and kept because the Lord had blessed us for some reason, I considered for a moment that I could just toss it.  “One less thing for my children to be bothered with one day.” Then I turned it over and was aghast that I almost tossed it without thinking twice!  It was for 1971, and when I opened it, I read: “January 14, 8:30, Bob Hope Christmas Special.”  My head began to spin.  I had a record of the date that I was going to watch the “Bob Hope Christmas Special?”  Jimmy was going to be his driver – IN VIETNAM!  I was going to watch it so I could see him – Jimmy that is.  Actually see him alive and well in Vietnam. Newly married only weeks before he left, I longed to just see him any way I could. It had been several months since he left, and I just wanted to see his face.

 We have told this story over and over because in the end, as Mr. Hope exited the helicopter and my husband reached to point for him to take the jeep ride, Mr. Hope declined, deciding to walk instead. And all I was able to see was my husband’s hand and arm just above his watch, for it was all the camera caught on the TV, before they cut away. I would know that hand and watch anywhere, but it was all I got to see of him.  My heart sank.  But I had marked the date, and I had seen that he was alive and well on that date. I had established in my heart that point in time, to see the one who was gone from me and of whom I was longing to see return again.  Just a glimpse but it gave me hope of the day he would come home. How I longed for that day.  I thought how interesting that Mr. Hope’s name was “hope” as I scanned the pages of the datebook. I almost cried, for it seemed only yesterday… 

Jan. 18 – mailed Jimmy package

Feb. 12 – Lincoln’s birthday, Send Jimmy package

Feb. 18 – Jimmy called from NAM

Feb. 21 – PRAY  Time: 10:00 P.M. PRAY  (obviously a night spent wondering if he was wounded, and he was on one of those prayer dates. But that’s another story.) …

April 8-9 - Good Friday - Jimmy should be home, with a line drawn through it.   April 11 - Easter

Two more long weeks….

April 26 – (circled..) Jimmy’s coming , with an arrow pointing backwards to  the day before <===…

April 25 – Jimmy arrived 7:24 A.M. on Eastern………..!!!!!!!!!  (R &R)

April 28 – Dr. Bradford – ( sick??? LOL)

May 5 – Jimmy left, 8:45 A.M. (tour of duty not over) back to Vietnam.

May 15 – Armed Forces Day

June 8 – Mailed Jimmy Package today

June 14 – Flag day

June 15 – Dr. Bradford, 1:45

June 20 – Father’s Day, (how I wished he would be able to call.)

July 4 – Independence Day

July 14 – Dr. Bradford

July 16 – Jimmy called this morning!

July 27 – 100 days to go

From this point on each day was marked 99, 98, 97, etc. as we counted down the days, and I mailed him one more package, my birthday and his passed, Labor Day and Columbus Day, Doctor visits, Veterans Day and Halloween eventually passed. But on Veterans Day the number of days left was 10. On Halloween, 5 – 4, 3, 2, 1, and FINALLY, on November 5, a Friday, in red letters – No More Nam. 

Service members back then kept a "short timer’s" calendar, so as I marked my days so did he.  They were considered the most dangerous days of any soldier’s stay, because they had a difficult time staying focused on the dangers instead of the hope of going home, yet they were encouraged to keep the calendar for the hope of that wonderful day.   Jimmy still had just a few more days before he was released from service once he was home, and he once again left us, flying to Colorado just before Christmas.  Given an “early out”, however, on December 14, 1971, it says – Jimmy released from service.

I hope I didn’t bore you with the exact reading.  But may I say, that just reading it, makes my heart pound remembering the anticipation and fears, and finally the thankfulness to have him home.  It was established in our hearts, that there was a day when he would come home.  We looked anxiously for that day.  Looking back, I see my own life a type of waiting on our savior’s return.  The doctor visits were due to the fact that I was also counting down the days to our first child…I can tell you the day he became a living soul, just as I can tell you the day I was born into the family of God.  There is a time and a place when each became a fact of my life.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8.

Friends, there is a day marked on the calendar which only God can see, and there is a point when he will begin the count down for the day, when he will gather his bride to himself.  Christ will come from his faraway land, and when he comes he still has things to do before he establishes his reign.  And there will be a thousand years still on this earth when he will be our King.  He too will fight a great battle, and gloriously defeat our enemy.  Then, we are promised a time of peace, and of great things happening on this earth. 

Let no one tell you he isn’t coming. Let no one tell you it is the end of the world!!!  It is the one thing that the Saints who lived in the years soon after Christ's death and resurrection, wanted so much that they had difficulty being patient. The longing in their hearts was much like the longing in my heart for my beloved husband to return.  But they were told to be like a farmer, waiting on his crops to bring a yield in due season.  Their comfort was to be found living in a simple phrase, “Establish your hearts!”

God is also waiting on that day!  For him the countdown is on.  I wish every soul on earth would be ready for that day.  I wish every saint and child of God would have a calendar on their hearts that is also counting down the days.  Longing for the appearance of our KING to come for his bride.

Establish the day in your hearts.  Then think of how much it means to you.  When were you most impatient?  What in your life did you long for with bated breath, marking the days? Have you established that whether it is, in your lifetime or not, there is a day marked on the calendar of God.  And we must wait, and ready the harvest.

Lord, the tools are ours, the time is ours, the souls are our loved ones, and the time is certain.  Help us be expecting you with the love of one who awaits, with great desire, the return of someone they love, or like a mother awaiting the birth of her child, or a Bride, her wedding.  Help us establish this truth in our hearts.  May our expectation be with patience and with hope, and help us while we wait to “establish our Hearts.” AMEN

ESTABLISH YOUR HEART

As the friends, disciples and family of Jesus began to miss him, they wanted his return to be very soon.  Many of them died, wondering secretly I am sure, “Why had he not returned as he promised.”  Generation after generation has been told of his second coming, and when we begin to love him as a brother, we too often long for his presence on earth.  And as there have always been, there are skeptics who laugh at the notion of his coming again…especially, of it being soon.

We can relate to how the early Christian community wanted to see him.  As our loved ones pass into a spiritual realm, we miss them.  If we could bring them back, we wouldn’t bring them back to sickness and pain. But if they could come back to good health and appreciative loved ones, we might want to spend time with them on earth just once more.  But Jesus’s coming would be amazing, and those who knew him well were anxious for it to be in their lifetime.  We may never be able to relate as well as they to hoping for his soon return.  Some on earth that I have known, have longed for his soon return that they might escape the pain and suffering in their lives.  That isn’t the attitude the Lord would have us take.  He would have us establish our hearts.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8.

The admonition to be patient, for the coming of the Lord is at hand, which James gave the brethren, is not only a great comment on waiting for the Lord’s second coming, but on waiting on the Lord in general.  He compares it to the farmer waiting on the rains and the forming of the fruit, expecting a harvest.  God himself practices this principle as he waits for the very last Christian to come to fullness, and be ready for the harvest of the souls.  Does God fully expect that there will someday be a large harvest?  Absolutely.  Every farmer who plants makes the investment believing that he will have a yield. So he waits on it.  He knows it takes time; that his harvest will depend on the elements and environment to provide a bountiful return.  A healthy baby requires that the seed planted must come to nearly full term so that it doesn’t begin life with a struggle to survive.  Does a farmer count the weeks, much as a mother would?  Yes.  Do we mark on our calendars expecting the day certain things will come to fruition? We do. That is what is meant by establishing it in our hearts.  It is like marking it on the calendar of time to be harvestable on a date in the future.  Establish your hearts, when waiting on the Lord.  

In 1971, my husband was in Vietnam, waiting on the fullness of his tour to come, and he wanted it to be soon.  But since the end of the war was not imminent, he would have to, as all the others would, wait until his “tour of duty” came full term.  There was a day set that he could say, “I have fulfilled my commitment, now take me home.”   It was a day that he anticipated with all his heart. He established in his heart that this day would certainly come, if the Lord allowed him to remain alive. He and I both marked the days on calendars with great expectancy and a great deal of prayer.   

I am going to split my story in two parts this week.  On Friday I will tell you more about the longing of the heart to have something happen to the point of finding it almost impossible to be patient and wait on the Lord.  But let us contemplate what it means to consider the farmer who waits on his crop, believing it will come to fruition, or he would not bother to plant it.  Can we establish our hearts in times when we are waiting on the Lord?  Count the days while we ready the fields, plant the seed, water the crops, and till out the weeds?  Can we be about the business of doing what we believe to be fruitful in the end, and find our patience in establishing our hearts upon a date that will come in God’s own time? Can we mark an invisible calendar, whose dateline says “Only God knows the day; but he holds my future.  So I will mark the date in my heart, to be a sure and expected end.”

Lord Help us to be like the farmer when we wait upon you… and help us find the true meaning of how to “establish our hearts.” AMEN  

Please join me Friday for Part II

No Stopping It

In the fifth chapter of Acts, a lawyer named Gamaliel warned the men of the temple to be careful about what they intended to do with the disciples.  He told them of another teacher named Judas whom the people had followed during the time of the taxations.  He too had been killed, and his followers simply dispersed, Gamaliel reasoned.  So to the men who wished to threaten, jail, and perhaps even have Jesus's servants punished and killed, he said:

And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.  But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it. Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. Acts 5:38 - 39.

He could have been a lawyer for the disciples... LOL.

I suppose he thought that they would just go away eventually.  Yet he spoke with more wisdom than any lawyer I have ever known.  He spoke a profound truth!

Take a good look at the things that are gaining momentum in your life.  If it is something men are devising, in the great timeline, it will mean nothing at some point.  But if it is of God, we have no effect on it.  We pray as Jesus taught us: "Thy Will Be Done." But sometimes we pray it as if we are giving God permission.  Lest we forget, it is God's will.  We are merely deciding to accept it, or reject it, whether to submit to it or to "fight against God."

Sometimes we want something to happen or to not happen so badly, that we try praying harder, longer, with more faith that our will might be done..."Please please please God we pray."  I can name you times when I have fallen into that trap.  The question is - "what is God's will?"

Prophecy is like that.  If God says it is going to come to pass, it will. Sometimes our politics fall into a routine of trying to make something God predicted would happen to NOT HAPPEN.  We are missing the mark!  God didn't put Christ on this earth to make the politics of the earth suit Christians.  Our freedom is first a freedom from the burden of sin. I believe the forefathers of the USA understood the principles of freedom and justice as presented in God's word.  But they also understood that the real constitution, which makes a difference, is when, in an environment of freedom to do so, we are about the business of winning souls to Christ. No laws or president will be able to change the circumstances of our political or social standings.  Only the change of men's hearts will bring about such changes.  In the days that Peter and Paul and the other disciples taught about the Lord, souls were added to the church daily....DAILY.  At least once, more than 5000 men had that amazing change of heart that began to build the church among Jews and Gentiles, which spread into the whole world. 

Put your energies into God's plan, and it won't be wasted.  In the sixties, when I was young, I had the great joy of being present when I saw this kind of thing happening.  Our pastor was a man who stood firmly on the word of God.  He took his truths from the scriptures, without making an agenda from them.  He made it clear at church and on the radio when he preached, that God's full intent was to save the souls of lost men and women.  God accepts us just as we are.  No consideration for where we've been or plan to go. He doesn't judge us by our depth of sin. He simply provided a solution for all sin, and included all to be eligible for freedom from sin. 

Gamaliel didn't figure on the impact this would have on people who needed that kind of God.  Or maybe he did...just maybe he knew that he would appease those who sought to do the will of Satan, long enough to let as many people as possible hear this great news...because he knew that once men heard, they would know the freedom he knew.  I like to believe that Gamaliel had discovered Jesus as his own Savoir.  And he knew that there was no stopping the momentum that having a savoir affect men's lives could have.

One more note. I have always said that if what you are doing is leading souls to Christ, then you can know that you are a part of God's plan.  If your church isn't growing, if you never have opportunity to share your savoir as the Christ, if you are not planting seeds, if you go years without seeing souls around you being saved in some place where you are involved....Satan has you genuinely fooled into thinking your life is right with God.   But no ministry will gain souls by holding the feet of the children to the firey heat of the law.  Or bashing their saints til they are discouraged.  This is why we at My Wings Are Made Of Faith seek to uplift the readers, to bring joy to those in pain, and share the freedom the children of God should be experiencing.  But we encourage you to know you are in God's will, because as Gamaliel said: " If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it."

Why not be a part of it?

Dear God,  I long for my children and grandchildren to see what happens when people hungry for the power, that was winning souls by the thousands in the days of the disciples, is governing the hearts and actions of everyday people. If that same momentum was to occur in our generation of technical ability, the whole world could hear of and be changed by the grace and mercy of your love in a few days!  Lives could be changed by the thousands today as much as then. Even now, in our age of sarcasm and disappointed Saints.  Fill us Lord with a new amazement for the change you made in each of our own lives. AMEN

In the days just before, during and after the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, there were a lot of reasons to believe that all was lost, and everything they had hoped for was null and void.  The momentem of healings and miracles had come to a complete halt and left them with a long list of "WHY"s.   The disciples and friends of Jesus were caught in the emotions and fears of what was happening...until...

Jesus left them with scriptures he had quoted and explained from the old promises of God.  He had reminded them of how those scriptures applied to himself, and how the promises of God had a time and a place to be fulfilled.  It was when they began to say, "Jesus said..." that their hearts were lifted, to hope that this was not an end to the promises of God, but a beginning to a new way to serve God as the promises were fulfilled. It included them, secured them, and gave them hope. 

They needed to get past the emotional trauma of circumstances and be able to think about the words of Christ for things to start making sense.  The promise to them was that they would receive the Spirit and a new era of life would begin.  We need to remember that the fulfilment of promises comes AFTER a sequence of events, in which the will of God has been done. When death and sorrow and unexpected pain take our eyes off the promises, it is time to return to the Words of our Savoir, where we find promises for our future.  Think how bleak it must have seemed to his disciples and friends.  Now compare your hardest times in life.  Similar, no doubt.  Filled with fear, and overwhelming losses, and walls of confusions that were difficult to see over.  Where do you look for truth, or renewed confidence?  To the promises.   

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise~ Hebrews 10:36

I believe it is a good idea to keep a filebox, or a certain color of markings in your bible, or a book of verses which contains the promises handy.  Know the promises of God.  If you have never considered that God has promises for you consider this verse:

 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. Galatians 4:28

The word promise is one worth months of study. Seeking the promises that we may claim, may carry  us through our hardest circumstances in life, because no matter what is happening in life, God still must keep his promises.

This week was a week of rainbows for me, the symbol of God's promise to Noah.  The song, "STANDING ON THE PROMISES" has been quietly running like a stream under my thoughts. God desires to give us all a future and a hope.  And that's a promise.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

I have a promise I want to claim.  I am going to post it where I can see it often.  And I am going to watch the process of the will of God play out, and do all I can to keep this promise foremost in my mind, until God's time is complete, and this promise he gave me is fulfilled.   Are you asking God for intervention and blessing? Find a promise, his promise to you...and never forget that God keeps his promises in due time.

Lord, I believe that, like with Abraham and Sarah, the unusual and the miraculous is not out of the realm of being fulfilled if it is your promise.  But I am not asking for a miracle, just the change that your promises bring. Accepting your promise as if it were already fulfilled. In Jesus Name. AMEN

 

 

 

Thy Face

When you said, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Psalm 27:8

When my children were little, scarcely a day went by that I didn’t say a dozen times: “Look at me.”  It was difficult to get them to focus on what I was saying to them, unless I could get them to look at me.  Every mother must go through a period of seeing their child discover how to ignore Mom’s instruction, and act as if they don’t hear her reprimands and direction.  When this happens, Mom’s go through a period of repeating themselves, over and over, unless they get smart and outwit the child.  With 3 toddlers, I finally learned that it was important to get them to at least look at me. In order to not just be talking to the air, I learned very quickly that I had to get down face to face with them, and insist they look at me. 

Well they resisted, and when they resented my forcing them to look at me, I learned that there must be some distance between us, but they needed a reason to look my way.  Without that reason,  they simply found lots of reasons to ignore me until I was frustrated with them.  I really can’t remember how I came upon the solution, but it was the best answer to my exasperation, and I really don’t know why it works.  I decided that I would not give my children unlimited opportunities to listen and respond to my voice.  They didn’t realize that their lives might depend on it one day, especially if I already had two of the three of them by the hand.  Since I didn’t have 3 hands, my voice would simply have to be the thing that held them back from harm, or sent them in a direction that was functional to us all.

So, I began to make them look at me, but I instructed them to look first at my face to see what I was saying, and then at my hands to see how long they had to get busy doing what they were told.  It was a hand signal of “one, two, three.”  Initially, my instructions were that they look at me, and if they didn’t obey quickly, I would say, “one.”  If they didn’t respond, I would say, “two.”  If I got to “three,” they knew they were going to be punished, or disciplined in some way.  I made sure there was enough time between the numbers to give them response time.  Just like stopping your car, it takes a bit to make the decision to just move your body.   But, eventually, I could tell by the attitude of their bodies, if they heard me or not, and if they intended to obey right away.  I could see them quicken their movements to complete what they were doing, and they would look at my hands to see if I had said one or two, to know how much of a hurry they needed to be in.  The time came that I almost never got to “three.”  In fact, the time came that I could have my back to them, and have my hands behind my back, using only my fingers to designate the numbers.  I held up one finger, then two, and usually by three, they were either standing by my side, or had quieted themselves and were busy doing what I had asked them to do. This was especially good when I was talking to someone, but needed them to be quieter, or get ready to leave.

Eventually, my children would look at me often just to see if I was simply waiting on them to look my way so I could quietly instruct them to do something.  Or to see if they missed something and I was already holding up fingers to count down their time.  By this time, the decision was now theirs. I believe this worked because they needed the limits on the time it took them to look at me and obey.   When I was able, I also sometimes used the "Come to me," instruction to give them a reward for paying attention and looking at me.  If I had to go back, I would have spanked them far less, and would have given far more rewards for having them respond appropriately. 

The “Look At Me” Principle is very Biblical.  Learning to practice it as mindful children, looking to a loving heavenly Father, helps us focus and obey the voice of God as much as it helped my children. He too, needs not to have to repeat over and over his will for us, nor should we tarry 'til he gets to "3."

Let us decide today to look to the face of our heavenly father, several times during the day.  May we not miss his guidance and give him opportunity to need to place discipline in our path to redirect us toward looking to his face and listening for his voice.

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord: for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.  Psalm 25:15

Lord, I desire to be like David and be an obedient Child, focusing often on you, to know your will and recognize your voice.  If there is a frustrated mother or teacher, needing a way to have their children listen, help them apply the principle, and find the joy getting their children to choose to respond will bring. Bless their efforts and ours as we look to thee. Amen.

CALLED, CHOSEN, FAITHFUL

My son posted last night in hours of insomnia that he was mulling over the “thus far” of his life, and wondering if he had wasted his life, and was speculating how to make a mark in life and be able to die in due time, believing he had done what the Lord would have him do.  I can say I have been there, have you?  One of my neighbor’s grandchildren expressed to me this morning the issues of her making decisions that would affect her life’s future.  She is only about to be nine. She is mulling over her salvation and that she would like to be baptized. I never brought the subject up, nor even hinted at it.  She is hearing the Holy Spirit. Each and every time we face this point in life, our emotions may vary, from the extreme of silently invigorating to the other extreme of powerfully debilitating, or anywhere in between. Some will know exactly to what God is calling them, and others will struggle with how to know why the Spirit stirs their soul.  Regardless of the circumstances, I am certain of one thing.  God doesn’t call us all to be missionaries, in the “go to the ends of the world” sense.  Instead, if we are called to serve him, but not chosen to be preacher, teacher or missionary…we still have a place in his great plan if we come with the right attitude.

There are 6 verses that come up in a Bible Gateway search when you type in “called, chosen” in the King James version. I was searching only one particular verse, but was impacted by the six verses that came up. All six speak of exactly this situation in life.  I want to share what I saw in each one:

1.When Samuel was seeking the new King, he followed the command of the Spirit to go to Jesse to select this king from among Jesse’s sons. Jesse brought the sons whom he felt would make the best king. However, after going through Jesse’s sons, Jesse’s chosen were not God’s chosen. David, his youngest, was.  Seven (the number of completion) of Jesse’s sons were called to pass before Samuel, but only one, the eighth, (number of new beginning) was chosen. And he was the least expected to be God’s chosen. What’s more, David was in the fields keeping sheep one minute and was the King of Israel the same day. God’s call can be a sudden and unexpected new beginning.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. I Samuel 16:8.

2.Isaiah relates the story of God’s conversation with Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel, and whom he chose in spite of his past and in spite of his fear. It was his servant’s attitude that determined that choice.

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:8- 10.

3. Matthew retells a story that Jesus told about a man who needed laborers. He hired men in the morning who agreed to work for a penny. Later as he saw they needed help, to get done for the day, he hired more men whom he also paid a penny. He paid the men, the last first. When he got to the first men, they expected to receive greater pay. They, just as we might, believed that if they worked longer, they should receive more pay. The late day workers were actually a gift to the tired men, but they never saw this. The last were chosen exactly the same as the first and agreed to exactly the same pay. Jesus is saying to us, that no matter the time of life we are called to the labor, we are equal to any who serve him for a lifetime. God does not look on the length of service, just that we be willing.

 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16.

Every Day With Jesus

Let me give you an old song to get playing in your head today.  Perhaps it will lift your spirits...

Written by Robert and Wendell Loveless, and inscribed to Pinebrook, PA Young People's Conference; copywrited by Percy Crawford in 1956 _

EVERY DAY WITH JESUS

Every day with Jesus, is sweeter than the day before.

Every day with Jesus, I love him more and more.

Jesus saves and keeps me, and He's the One I'm waiting for;

Every day with Jesus, Is sweeter than the day before.

I was 5 years old when this song first started to be sung.  I don't know when I first heard it, but I know that it began to be something I sang as a child when I rode my bicycle.  I had plenty of reasons as a kid not to think life could be sweet.  But somehow, every day with Jesus...was sweeter than the day before.

The old songs had so much encouragement in them.

NO Never Alone... we sang "he promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone." Anonymous

HE Lives, He lives. Christ Jesus Lives today.  He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way. ...You ask me how I know he lives...He lives with in my heart."  (Rev. A H Ackley)

In WHAT A FRIEND we sang: "O what peace we often forgeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in Prayer."  (Charles Converse)

OVERSHADOWED - "I'm overshadowed by His mighty love, Love eternal, changeless, pure...He lives to keep me day by day, Love that brightens all my way."  (George Schules)

"Isn't He wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,  Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful....(S. Jones) "Saving me, Keeping me, now and through eternity, Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful."

After All he's done for me, after all he's done for me, How can I do less than give him my best, and live for Him completely, After all he's done for me." (Daasvand and Loveless)

Day by Day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here..." (Sandell and Ahnfelt)

Going to church when I was growing up, was about renewing our minds, and singing was one of the ways we did it.  We often sang 5 - 8 songs almost back to back, with a quick beat so we could get to more verses.  The melodies stayed with you all through the week.  And the words replaced the sadness and downbeat rumblings in our heads with the uplifting truths of the Word.

I want to share just one more:

The whole first verse, leaving you with a question.  How can you believe what this song says and not be encouraged?

I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW by Ira Stanphill:

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. 

 I don't borrow from it's sunshine, For its skies may turn to gray. 

 I don't worry o're the future, For I know what Jesus said. 

 And today I'll walk beside him, For He knows what is ahead.

 Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand.

 But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.

******************************

When you get discouraged... an old hymnal is a great source of encouragement.  Try it one day.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mine is stayed on thee.  Isaiah 26: 3.

A song on your mind is the best way I know to help you keepy your mind "stayed" on the Lord.

My Familiar Friend

Thursday night I was able to reconnect with a friend from 20 years ago in another town.  Once we had seen one another and hugged, they told me that some had stood back and just watched to see what my reaction would be in getting to hug her again after all these years. I told someone that, back then, if I turned to the right out my drive, one of my best friends lived across the road, and if I turned to the left, my other best friend lived across the road, and now, here she is.  We reminisced and as we spent time together, my heart was warmed as she became familiar to me once again, not only as a friend but in the nuances of things I would only know if I spent a lot of time with her – things that would help me know her even if she looked a lot different, which she didn’t. Memories drifted back to me of her facial expressions and how she adjusted her clothes, the way she punctuated her sentences, the way she lifted one eyebrow, the smile that never seemed to fade, the great way she could tell a story, how we all loved to gather at her house for food, the organized way she kept her household going, the giving heart she had for absolutely everyone.  I could go on and on, because it was like seeing a sister after a long absence.

Some of my favorite memories of living in that place as our children grew up include her and her children.  Some of my life lessons were learned in her living room.  I was always welcome there, and I knew how lucky I was to count her among my friends. It was such a joy to see her again.

As I told you all on Wednesday, my beloved Father-in-law passed into the spiritual realm, and dumped his dilapidated old worn out body to put on his new glorified one. Then he also went to a place where he was able to meet with old friends, and family members whom he hadn’t seen for a while.  I’ll just bet you there were Angels who stood back while the meetings took place, watching to see the looks on His face as they were joyously reunited.  I wonder how differently they all might have looked in their new bodies, but because the scriptures say that, in God’s world, we will be known as we were known, the nuances will be the same.  We like to make sweet imaginations about that heavenly reconnection, because it gives us some peace, but they are just that.  Our earthly imaginations trying to wrap our minds around something we can’t even imagine. 

But there is one someone, whom he had never met in person, whom he got to know here on earth.  Someone, whom he loved, about whom he rejoiced to get to see.  And when they met, Millard knew him.  Of course I am speaking of Jesus.  And actually, I believe this loving man met our Lord face to face at 9:15 am Tuesday morning.  Every nuance of Jesus’ voice, of the loving way he encouraged Millard’s giving spirit, and of His total acceptance of all His children - became real to Millard at that moment.  It was for him like reuniting with an old friend.

Put It On!

There are certain things in life that we do because our parents taught us to, as children, and over time they have become almost second nature. One of these is dressing. Putting on clothes has been a common occurrence in daily life since God first dressed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Although we often do it, with an attitude of adorning ourselves to look nice to others, it should never be a burden. I knew a lady once who would never let her husband see her without her make-up on. She woke very early and actually obsessed over her appearance in the dark. Dressing should never be so stressful or vain, obsessive or cause for paranoia. Preparing our soul for the day should be easy as sliding on our clothes. Once learned, never forgotten.

Jacob, in genesis 28 made a vow to God "saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on..." He wasn't asking much of God. But he was expecting God to provide some basics for life. He wanted to not have to think about these things, but rather just trust God. (verse 20.) Jesus reflected this verse when he told his disciples -

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. Luke 12:21-23. Why? Because it is the Father's to provide.

Now this verse doesn't mean we can't literally "think" about these things. It means that it should almost be mindless to expect God to provide our daily needs. There have been a number of times my understanding of this concept has really been tested. But lately, I have tried to live in expectation of God meeting my needs, so that I might be free to do what ever He expects of me. God doesn't want our needs to over power our thinking about walking in his wonderful plan, or distract us from doing things in His Name.

Scripture uses this simplicity of the act of dressing oneself to refer to how we prepare our spiritual selves as well. We've discussed lately how to dress in the armor to protect us from the wiles of Satan. There are a number of other scriptural references to "put on" something. A quick review reveals a theme. Remember that dressing our soul should be as practical, and simple as dressing our body. It should be second nature, not a burden:

Fret Not Thyself

In Psalm 37 the first phrase in the chapter is, "Fret not thyself."  Before verse 10, it appears in the text twice more.  Now the translation would obviously be: Don't be anxious," but there is a curious thing about the way it is spoken in the old form.  It seems to say that anxiousness and worry are something we do to ourselves.  As a worrier myself, I have been trying to apply these verses, with the recognition of that fact.  If I worry, I may be bringing a state of FRET on myself.  So since I know I have a need to do SOMETHING, what can I do in response to what causes me to worry that would be the right response?

These are the words God gives us to replace being fretful.They are given in an almost " if we, then God" format -

If we:

• vs. 3 ~ Trust (in the Lord) & Do Good - then God will provide that we will dwell in our land and be fed.
• vs. 4 ~ Delight ourselves (find pleasure in the Lord) - then expect Him to give you the desires of your heart.
• vs. 5 ~ Commit our way (to the Lord) &  believe He will "bring it to pass," - then He will make our right choices perfectly clear in time, bright as the noonday sun.
• vs. 7 ~ Rest and wait patiently (on the Lord) staying  focused, without looking at what's happening with others, (for in time wicked people get their justice,) then we can hear God laughing at them, because he sees their day is coming.
• vs. 8 ~ Cease (from anger, leaving wrath behind), turning our thoughts from doing evil..or retribution - then He will take care of those who do evil things in our pathway, and take that burden from us.

I especially like the light-heartedness of God telling us to imagine Him laughing at people who try to devise thier own way out of their troubles. Can't you just see Him shakin' His head? But wait, he calls them wicked.  Oh yes, when we are trying to spend all that time figuring a way out, and worrying ourselves with the devices, it is sin.  Sin is anything going in the opposite direction of how God is trying to take us.  So I guess, any devisive thinking, is really sin, because God says "don't fret yourself with it."  SO...

A Call To Action

Exodus 12 tells us the specifics of the Passover.  The name of this Jewish celebration came from the fact that God promised that when he saw the blood, he would not allow the destroyer to come into their homes and take the lives of the firstborn, as occurred in the houses where the blood was not applied.

...When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Exodus 12:12

The text says in the last verse that all of the Israelites did as they were instructed. It indicates that, not a single home in Egypt was unaffected, indicating that none of them were covered by the blood. Even to those held captive in the Egyptian dungeons.  To me the miracle of that night was not that the firstborn of the Israelite families escaped if God saw the blood, but that the Israelites came together as a nation of people to all do the same thing.  They were instructed to participate in a specific action, and they apparently did. They all believed.  They all placed the blood on their doors. (verse 50.)

I don’t think they were concerned about this being a picture of the Savoir of future generations dying on a cross. They were concerned that God would kill their firstborn.  Now it is sometimes forgotten that this would not only mean the children, but many of the adults were also the first born in their families.  My husband and I are both firstborn children, so I often think what an impact it would have on some families to lose not just one child, but possibly parents, and grandparents. 

The Egyptians were given 10 incentives to allow the people of Israel to go.  God is willing to give a number of opportunities for people to act on his direction. But there does come a time when there are no more opportunities.

The one thing the Lord wants me to share from these verses, today, is that there is a call to action in order to receive the blessings of the Lord.  It was possible to believe that the God of Israel was the one true God, and not place the blood on the door as specified, and reap the great losses of that decision to ignore the call to action.  There is also a time for action.  These things are true of God’s call to Salvation as well.

The blood applied leads to open doors.

Three Thousand Souls

Now when they hear this they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and  brethren, what shall we do?  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord Our God shall call.... 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2: 37 - 39, and 41.

This is such a lovely set of verses, which tell in a couple of brief statements exactly what to do to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savoir. Several things delight me that they are included in this "summary." 

1. I totally love this phrase "pricked in their hearts."  It refers to the "call" of the Lord, that is a little like the love attraction of a young man or woman. It is new, is often constant, and is attention grabbing.  When God calls to your heart, it can be a bit of a stabbing heart ache, for something you may not understand.  Here we find a new phenomenon, where 3 thousand people have been "pricked in their heart" to move to some kind of action, and they could do nothing else but find someone who could give them answers. 
2. Secondly, the question: "what shall we do."  They were certain in a very innocent way, that there was something they were being impressed to do.  Being baptized for the repentance of sins was not something new. Since the time of John the Baptist, and maybe fefore, Jews were seeking something to do to be faithful, to acknowlege before God their sins, and their repentance.  What was new was receiving the Holy Ghost as a gift, and not being a prophet or king or priest.  In years gone by, they knew only of God's special interaction of speaking to his people through his Spirit, as coming through some sort of leader, whom God chose.  God speaking to individuals was an incredible concept.  Notice they didn't shy away. Instead they came by the thousands to receive this gift. These people were craving the one-on-one love of God.

Life Through His Name

When   revealed himself unto his disciples and followers after his ressurrection and before his ascention they often didn't all  see him at the same time. Thomas who was not present on many of these occasions doubted the reports of the others, and was totally skeptical.  I think of my husband who is that kind of personality. But when   came into the room with the doors completely shut, and He spoke directly to Thomas and said, "be not faithless, but believing."  He had told Thomas to touch him and put the truth to a physical test - to do what ever it took that he might believe. Then he said to him,

 "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."  John 20: 27 - 29. 

Verse 30 of the same chapter makes it clear that this occurred to make a point.  Christ's signs, in the presence of his disciples were done that we "might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing [we] might have life through his name. " It is a blessing that we can believe, never having seen   as his followers did. The lives of 11 men were drastically changed because of the events that had occured from the day called them to be disciples.  The principle of multiplicity was set in motion first as he walked and taught in this world, but became exponential once he rose again. When these men were exposed to the truth of Jesus' resurrection, they knew they had the greatest news that man has ever known.  They became the CNN of thier day! LOL  In fact, the word Gospel means "good news."  They took Christ's admonition, to go into the world and tell everyone, very seriously. 

Debt Free and Choosing to Live Like It

Today is the day that we choose to acknowledge the death of our Savoir.  Over time, I have come to celebrate the day with joy, but each year, if I take time to think much about it, I am always brought to tears. Realizing what Christ was willing to do to provide the forgiveness promised for centuries, and to know it was an act done in love…   Well, I can’t even think how someone could love me that much. 

It wasn’t a romantic novel, a dramatic imaginary saga, like some modern movie that compels us to watch but walk away unaffected, trying not to have nightmares. It took some time when I was a child, contemplating whether I wanted to accept the necessity of such an act.  But even as a child, I was able to be convinced of my inability to free myself from my sins.  The Holy Spirit did a great job of that. I had tried to be a good girl and had fallen short, when in my mind I found myself capable of hating someone, or knowing my own selfishness.  Although I was frightened to near dysfunction of dying before I was “saved” from my sins, the gruesomeness of Christ’s death had no effect on my decision.  It was only after I was born into God’s family, accepting his death and resurrection as truth, that I was overcome with compassion for His great sacrifice.  But even then, He didn’t let me linger in my tears, because His resurrection is where he wanted me to focus. It is why we honor Good Friday, and celebrate Easter.  We must not stay at the cross.

It has always been obvious to me that this great act, was complete.  It was the total package, all that needed to be done to remedy the distance that sin put between me and my heavenly Father. When he said that it was finished, it was.  The long process, from man’s point of view, to make an end of all the reasons that sin burdened our lives, was final. God no longer seemed mean and judgmental to me. I would come to realize how loving and merciful He is.  He really wants us to accept the forgiveness he offers. Totally accept it, without trying to pay for it, earn it, or make excuses for it.  He has been ready to forgive us, since before Adam and Eve disobeyed Him. There’s plenty of mercy for all who will ask, no limits.  God didn’t reserve His forgiveness and grace for just a few, for one nation, or color or kind of people.  There is only one restriction on forgiveness.  It is that forgiveness is of no effect if we don’t receive it on an individual basis.

 I love to remember - "I" am forgiven, it is individual. I "AM" forgiven, it is ongoing.  I am "FORGIVEN", it is complete freedom.   Because He died, because His blood was shed, being forgiven became my choice. How do you convey the power of that to people who live in fear of a God who expects them to somehow pay for being responsible for the death of His Son?  That’s how some people live. As if we owe God for our redemption. Define mercy to mean that God also forgives us for the fact that His Son had to die, and we were responsible for His death. It is not, and never was, held against us. We are forgiven for the death of his Son, because Christ had power over death, both physical and spiritual. He also had the power not to die. He chose to die. To pay the price- so that we might be debt-free. It was the most powerful death ever on earth, which gives to all, who believe, power over death in a spiritual realm.   

This week we’ve discussed forgiveness for our sins, forgiveness from our sins, forgiving others and forgiving ourselves. Today I wanted to remember the depth of our forgiveness, to the extent even that we are not held responsible that Christ had to die for our sins.  What more is there to be forgiven for? Yet there is one thing for which there is no forgiveness…  There is no remedy for not calling on the Lord to ask for this great gift. It's like winning the lottery, and not claiming the prize.

For thou, Lord art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.  Psalm 86: 5

Forgiveness Means Freedom

Have you ever, for even a second, thought, "God, you could stop this from happening if you just would?" I know I have wondered why God seems to not have mercy in certain situations and just stop death and suffering and illness and hunger. If we are in the situation, we could develop resentment toward God for not doing something positive that we think needs to be done. Especially, if the results hurt us personally.  Being hurt requires forgiveness as a resolution, so this issue is one of 3 that Christ dealt with on the Cross requarding personal injury.  And the hurt was to himself.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying before he was taken, he prayed and asked God to let this cup pass from him, if there was any way.  The full realization of his emminent death, and the severity of how it was to occur was taking a tole on his human Psyche.  He had a desire that he would rather not suffer in such a way, if there was any way out.  He must have thought about the time God asked Abraham to sacrifice Issaac, but provided "the Lamb of God" instead and saved Isaac from the knife. Might there be a way, would God show Him something new in these final hours? They say that He sweated great drops of blood as he pleaded with God, enduring the stress that his human body most certainly was beginning to endure. Most pastors say that it was not the death that concerned him most, but that he was taking on the sins of the world.  The misjudgement of the world, the shame he did not deserve, the lies that were out there for anyone to believe, and the hurt of all our sins laid on him...were surely  more compelling to stress than merely wishing he did not have to suffer. He was wounded for our transgressions, inside and out.  But his parent, his loving Father, would leave him to this one act of maturity, to find his way through it, with no way out but to endure the unfathonable.  Jesus could have rejected his Father based on allowing him to suffer anyway, just as most of us would. Just this week I read or knew of at least 3 specific real life cases, where teens decided thier parents didn't love them, because they allowed them to suffer in some way.  Dr. Charles Stanley discusses in his book, "THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS," how anyone hurt by someone, because they didn't come through when you expected them to, must deal with the issue of the hurt and find a way to forgive. 

We aren't told that Jesus said, "I will forgive you anyway, Father,"  but he did say, "not my will, but thine be done..." He rose from his ordeal of pleading with his Father, accepting the Father's will, rather than his own.  Accepting the circumstances can be the first step to forgiveness.

What will you do when you are alone and adrift?

I watched as my daughter disciplined her toddler son one day.  And I thought how Godly the process was. He was kicking and screaming, resisting what his Mom wanted him to do. She got his attention, put him in time out, and when the time had come that he understood he had done wrong, and ceased crying and feeling sorry for himself, she brought him back to herself, having fulfilled the resolution for his behavior. She made him understand she still loved him.

Sometimes we want to go our own way.  God made us with a sense of independence.  It is what motivates us to get up in the morning and get things done. But independence without the balance of unity, someone to love us, and boundaries can take us to places of loneliness and ineffectiveness.  Sin is when we ignore the need we have as humans for our creator to provide that balance.  We become heavily weighted on self-indulgence and things get out of kilter. 

Think of an astronaut in space.  He is a daring independent kind of guy.  Extremely so sometimes.  Intelligent and capable of flying his craft. If he weren’t, he might not get home. Apollo 13 was a great example.  But without his team on earth - helping him find the boundaries, sort the difficult calculations and extremes of detail - he would fail, and the results could be disastrous. I heard an astronaut say yesterday that if you are off just a little in the beginning and don’t adjust early, you could miss your target altogether. Without the altering of the cross on the sin issue, we would miss our eternal target all together, but we will miss the daily blessings of God as well.

God wants our independent character to get us where we are going.  He desires his best for us.  But we need a mission control!  Personally, I don’t like thinking of being alone in this great big universe like a pilot alone in outer space with no contact to what grounds him.  I want God’s universe-capable power to reel me in. 

Sin, Sins, or Sinful? It Grows on Ya!

I have been accused often of being too soft on sin.  And I have been told often that I am a pessimist.  But to me those are people who don’t recognize sin for the power it has on life, and fail to do the one simple thing that is required to resolve the issue.  An “ignorance is bliss” attitude will never give anyone the same optimism I have, that my sin has been dealt with.  I confidently trust the power of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to take care of my sin.  And I walk daily in that confidence.

 Sin is frequently dealt with in the extremes: from the extreme of denial to the extreme of constant fear - of not having confessed sin.  Christ wants us to be in neither place. Our place is also not a middle ground somewhere in between these two. Living in the middle ground is a push/pull life of trying to figure out where you stand on what constitutes sin – which things to do and which to not do, to stay in a right relationship with God. One church says this and another that. Sin is a job for God, and He freed us from that kind of life. It is not a life of choices of which sins, but what resolution, that I chose to live by. The point of scripture in its entirety is to reveal this truth. It is necessary to trust that God has done what it takes to meet his own standards for reconciliation, and come to him with complete and utter confidence that our sins are covered by the blood. 

I do not wish to undermine the effects of sin on our lives.  Or say that salvation takes away the consequences of sin.  Not so. Recognizing our sin, and desiring to avoid those consequences by avoiding the sin acts is a matter of mapping our life to seek God’s best. That too was what the cross was about. I did a research project of the words in the Greek and Hebrew that are generally translated “sin.”  I discovered that the whole gist of it fell into two major categories throughout the ages of scripture.  By far the most scripture words refer to “missing the mark.” Aiming for God’s best and hitting somewhere outside the bull’s-eye. The second is a concept that sin is an element of our inner character which leads to us acting out in a sinful way. It was not the individual sin actions that the scripture themes of redemption, salvation, etc. deal with, but rather, the sin nature.   That nature is the seed for the sinful acts, which grow into the sin condition.  There’s a long discussion of how dealing with sin as if it were individual acts of “dos and don’ts” is out of man’s thinking.  Suffice it to say, that I prefer to deal with allowing God to replace my sin nature with his divine nature, and then I don’t have to worry about how to deal with individual acts. Whether or not I am aware of individual acts, I try to focus frequently on the fact that my behavior should reflect that I am not governed by my sin nature when God is in control.

 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8: 3-4

Lord, I accept that my sin nature steers me outside the boundaries of your best for my life.  I confess a need for the divine nature to overrule my actions sometimes.  Please, Lord, don’t let sin take root in my life, but fill me with your power to live in a Christ-like way.  AMEN

When Bad Things Are a Stepping Stone to Good

My Cup Runneth Over: recognizing daily blessings.

If you have a two week vacation planned, you will generally pack those two weeks with lovely getaway things you plan to do. If however, you have two weeks dropped into your lap, with doctors orders to steer clear of anything stressful, what a gift of liberty! My husband's plans are to retire in a few months.  He has planned carefully over the year, and has what he calls his 5 year plan.  Yet because he has loved his job, and interaction with people so much, everyone says, "You will never like being retired. You will back out when it gets time." So I have honestly questioned him, if he is truly ready. Who knew it would take a heart attack to know for sure?

Following his heart attack, Jimmy was given strict instructions to steer clear of the work phone for at least two weeks.  I can hardly believe he has basically done exactly that. Not like him, but I am so proud of him.  And wonderful things have happened.

1. There have been days that the TV didn't run all day long.  In fact there have been hours on end that we found so much to do, that even when it was done, we sat outside on the deck enjoying the stars.

2. We have found several different ways to accomplish something together without arguing.  We are such opposites that we come at everything from opposite ends.  Yet we have done more in these two weeks than we have done in years, with cooperation!

3. Our conversation has changed. We have realized that we have to live with each other day in and day out soon. We actually said "I'm sorry to each other as simply as saying I love you several times this week." It comes easilly if you just do it, and move on.

4. We found several things that we forgot about having equal loves for.  We always were on common ground looking at birds, or searching out ancestors. But we forgot how much we both loved flowers, for example.  We are always successful making something with flowers as gifts, but we haven't done it for ourselves in years.  We both like the smell of petunias.  He always has given me flowers, not just because I like them, but because he does too. Common ground is good.

5. In almost 20 years, we haven't completed a conversation or found a few hours that were not interrupted by a phone call from work.  We once got a call from work, in the everglades. I have had to talk so fast to get only a few of my thoughts spoken to my own husband before one of us had to go to work, on opposite schedules that you could scarcelly call it conversation. I remembered I love the sound of his voice.

Blessings for all time

My Cup Runneth Over ~ Recognizing Daily Blessings

As the sun rises this morning, I am working on placing a tiny bit of information on my new blog for my family’s ancestry.  Our air-conditioner is not working, so the windows are open to take advantage of the cooling night air.  The blessed perk to having the windows open at dawn is that I can hear the birds awaken, as they begin to sing at first light. Each morning for 4 days now I have heard the sweet call of a Northern Parula bouncing among the trees.  In migration, they are usually on their way North with no thought of hanging around for several days.  I generally only hear them call from tree tops two or three times, and they are gone. Only once or twice have I actually gotten a good visual of their lovely colors.  Unless, I was awake and had the windows open, I would never have heard its diminutive call.  What a blessing I would have missed if the air conditioner was working. This has been my gift from God for several mornings.

Daily Blessings ~ Little Miracles

My Cup Runneth Over: recognizing daily blessings:

As I watch my grandson growing and his new communication skills developing, I am amazed at the quickness of his baby mind to absorb and evaluate information. A clean slate, a mass of cells begging to have a matrix of usable electric energy make a permanent mark on his chain of language and motion, reasoning and calculating skills.   And he’s loving it! Everything new delights him. Each time he revisits something learned, he shares it with gusto- each new song, new animal, new letter or number. How to say  “pease” and “tot too”.  Yes and no.  And, his own personality is shining through. He makes something not funny to be funny, uses a long watering wand for a microphone to sing, climbs on the table to be his podium, plays motorcycle racing on his toy plastic scooter – wheelies and all. Wrecks and flips – he plays it all out in his imaginative re-enactments, in his little miracle brain.  And his doting grandmother loves to watch every minute of it.

Yes, we are wonderfully, marvelously made.  This week as my husband lay in the hospital healing from his heart attack, I watched as the monitors first showed his heart rhythms to be erratic and frighteningly high then dangerously low.  Each day I was encouraged as the beats of his heart became more regular, his breathing less strained, his color more natural.  And I couldn’t help but recognize that the same processes were at work in his body as in the baby’s.  The body was doing what it was created to do. It would fight to live and grow as it was created to.

We visited my husband as much as was allowed, in ICU, but try as we might, we couldn't give him what he needed. He was lacking that sparkle of joy he usually had.  As much as we tried to cheer him and keep his environment quiet according to ICU protocol, the more it was obvious my husband is not a soft music and quiet room kind of guy. So he was going crazy.  He just didn’t seem to want to be his usual happy self.  But one day, he called out to someone going down the hall, and I saw the spark in his eyes. This person was, for him, a chance to have a conversation with someone he knew, who would actually recognize him by his voice.  A friend, and former employee who was now working in this unit. Jimmy’s whole demeanor changed. Only God knew what would brighten his spirits.  It was a great blessing to me, to see him perk up.  And it was no coincidence that it was someone with whom he could connect even when visiting hours were over; when he was alone and lonely. 

I asked God to provide everything my husband might need following his heart attack this week, and He did - right down to the desires of his heart, including allowing a friend into the unit.  (Only family was supposed to visit )   

When I got my gas, I thought what an odd amount. It came to. $30.33. And as I glanced back to check it, I read it backwards. 33, 3. I immediately thought of the scripture:

Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3.

In a week, when I couldn’t remember a scripture to claim, how curious that it came by way of a gas pump. My husband needed a friendly person to speak to between visiting hours. By the grace of God, a former employee with whom he had a special connection, heard Jimmy call out to him, and recognized his voice.  When I needed encouragement that the body is a miraculous regenerating machine, begging to be challenged, I could see it in my grandbaby and found peace.  I call these little daily blessings, “Daily Miracles.”  Our world is full of them, if we allow God to use the unexpected to bless us.  They are not coincidences. They are orchestrated by the Spirit of God, whose ministry it is to do exactly that: Make Daily Miracles that we might see the hand of the Father specifically in each of our lives.

Thank you Jesus for all the “Daily Miracles.”  Thank you for helping me see them. In Jesus Blessed Name, AMEN

Daily Blessings: Have You Thanked God Today?

Trauma both focuses your thoughts and scatters your ability to function, all at the same time.

My husband had a heart attack Sunday night and we were totally focused on getting him help, but I forgot how to answer my phone, drive familiar streets, and couldn't bring a single scripture to mind. Then, there by the elevator in the hospital was a little sign. "Have you thanked God today?"  I was able to focus on it while we waited, and realized at this moment, I didn't need a scripture - I needed to thank God for anything I could think of about every thing that was happening.

When the elevator door opened, I snapped back into reality - realizing I had completely slipped away for a few moments as I contemplated how thankful I really was. And I was calmer, able to say with absolute resolution, "Thank you God for taking such good care of my husband!  And for all the people who were soooo kind and helpful.  So dedicated and capable. Who saved my husband's life.

As we entered the elevator, I was able for the first time to focus outside my own small world and I remembered the little girl crying in the hall.  ~Lord bless her to not be afraid of what was happening behind those great big doors.

Then, the 25 year old boy, who came in directlly behind us, also having a heart attack. His family finding out for the first time that he'd had a heart defect since birth, and now required repair of a heart valve  ~ Lord bless the surgeons and people working on this young man. Give his family the calm you have shown me. Protect him, bring him back to health.

Then, the young person throwing up in the in the emergency while I waited for them to let me go back to kiss Jimmy, before they put him in the ambulance to the second hospital.   The nurse was kindly asking had he ever had a heart troubles, as she gave him a container to throw up in.  She saw something other than a virus on this young man, and possibly saved his life by not sending him to a corner to wait like so many others, who were sick but not critically so.  His mother was shaking worse than me.   ~ Lord help her and take special care of her son.

I almost hated that I ran out of reflections as the doors of the elevator opened, because for a few short minutes I almost felt as if I were holding God's hand, as he helped me look around. I heard his still small voice say: "They are all in my care."

Earlier for a second the fear and worry came rushing in – and the Lord said: “Halt! Don’t go there.”

I told myself, “NO Absolutely, NO! I will not let myself go down that path.” So I prayed, “Lord, Thank you for hearing our prayers. I am refusing to believe anything other than that you are making it possible for Jimmy to retire with everything we are going to need.  This is your hour of providence. I count it already to be in place. I claim your best for him. He is in your hands. AMEN”

Now, he is doing well.  As I look down on the table beside me where I am sitting writing this, I smile to see what is lying there. It is a Gideon Bible.  God also provides the scriptures I could not call up from my distressed mind. And the first thing I opened it to was the story of Joseph taking his children to visit Israel when he was sick. (Genesis 48 ) God gave me the Word and the few minutes to read it. He will provide everything we need in due time. Exactly when we need it.

How simple it was to open my heart and recognize one of the best of God's daily blessings.  To see him at work in people's lives by an act of looking around me to see what I can be thankful for. This has changed my life.

Once again I say,

Thank you , Lord, for sharing what the act of saying thank you can do to calm the turbulent seas. In Jesus Name,  AMEN

Recieve and Enjoy His Gifts

The Lord has laid it on my heart that I should encourage his people to use the gifts he has given them.  From creation to salvation to the everyday things of life, God gives freely and out of love.  In fact, most things are already given, and we often fail to look at our need as if God is already out there ahead of us, with provision and a desire to bless us.  He is asking us to have a change of attitude about how we approach seeing His grace.  America needs a change of heart, but that occurs with one American at a time.  I am trying to open my own eyes and heart to see it from God’s point of view.

Let the word speak for itself:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…James 1: 17

…each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. I Corinthians 7:7

Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God that is in you… For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:6, 7

… that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.  Ecclesiastes 3:13

What if in light of the above scriptures we prayed,

 “Lord help me to perform out of the gifts you have given me, to stir up the power and love and mental soundness that will edify life lived through you. Help me to find the blessings that are already mine, and to share my gifts in a way that brings fruit to your kingdom.  And help me enjoy the good things that come of my labor, which are a gift from you. May I seek to use my unique gifts, given by you to accomplish those good things.  Help me come at my day saying, I already have the gifts of God to make it through this day. Lord I accept those gifts. Jesus, bless each one this day, and help me to find joy and peace in using them. Help me daily to honor the most precious of your gifts – of the Spirit and of eternal life.  Help me to pray not as a beggar, but as a rich man.“  Amen

SIN IS SIN

SIN is SIN. Any way you dress it, pretty it up, or frame it out….it is still sin.  And it is against the will of God, is black and dark.  But what does that exactly mean?

Let me tell you a story. A ridiculously fictitious story.

Once a man bought a new car.  It was a marvelous new car that was on the cusp of being like no other car ever made.  In fact, in the world of cars, there was nothing else ever made that was like it.  The manufacturer had a manual that gave explicit instructions on how to take excellent care of the car, keep it running and preserve its beauty and performance.  This man was so proud of his car, but he soon tired of cranking his car the same way every morning.  If it was such a marvelous car, there must be something more to it.   So he lifted the hood and he tinkered with the wires to crank it.  And what do you know, he cranked it.  This was a little more interesting than cranking it with a key, so he decided to see if there were other ways to crank his car.  Well it was a part gas, part electricity car, so he decided to find some new electrical ways to start his car.  After success with a mini generator, a switch on the plug, and numerous other experiments, he felt like he was getting really good at finding fun ways to enjoy his car.  But he was spending so much time making his car be different than it was supposed to be, that he did little to follow the things in the manual that were meant to keep it in tip top shape. He ignored vitals concerning the way it was made to run.  So it began to not go as far. It left him unable to get to his destinations, sitting on the side of the road.  He was annoyed with his new car, and one morning it wouldn’t crank.  Instead of going to the manual, or seeking a person who was knowledgeable about the car, or getting online with the manufacturer to find how to best resolve his problem, he decided to do something drastic.  He ran an electric wire directly into the gas tank and turned on the switch…..!!!!!

Well, I am not entirely sure, but I think that was the end of his car.  And of the man as well.  I think the correlations are obvious, but we will mention them anyway. Living in sin is a ridiculous story, but real for all of us.

The manufacturer of humans is God.  The car is man’s body, spirit and soul.  The manual for the car would be like the Bible. The man tinkering around with the proper way to keep his car in order is sin.  The man engaging in small experiments with how his car ran was “small sin.”   Yet it was interesting. It had some rewards - fulfilling his curiosity and helping the man feel like he knew more than the manufacturer. His satisfaction however, did not last, and he moved on to more and more “little sins.”  His eventual avoidance of his manual which would lead to proper maintenance and trips to have tune ups, oil changes, etc. is comparable to ignoring prayer and Bible reading. The break-downs, and frustrations, compared to life, are the result of not doing things the way God created us to operate. Then finally, the man’s disastrous end was like becoming frustrated and embarrassed about  sins, enough to avoid seeking the very source that could remedy the issue and fix things.  That source, of course, is God.  The end of that is disastrous for not only our souls, but for daily function.  The man’s only really “big” sin was turning on a deadly energy source, after sticking the wire in the tank.  All the others were just different versions of the first “small” sin. In a mechanical kind of way they were all pretty dress-ups for his sinful nature. The only reason the big bang was like a “big “ sin, was because it was the last opportunity the man had to resolve his living in his misaligned ways. 

If you are frustrated and sitting on the side of the road a lot, my friend, seek the mechanic of the soul and get things fixed!  It won’t cost a thing. But you might be inclined to forsake playing around with how God intended you to run , some of the time.

Sin is like a dirty diaper in a pretty box.  Discard the whole thing!

Lord, sometimes, learning how I don’t work well is as valuable and knowing how I do work well.  So I believe that is why you sometimes let us just keep living in our sins until we start to fall apart. It may be an inconvenience to search the manual everyday sometimes.  And I am embarrassed to admit my failures to follow your plans for whatever reasons.  But, I commit myself today, to remember that you understood and cared enough about me to make everything like new.  All I have to do is call on you, and claim the warranty on my life and soul. And you are able and willing that it will be as if I never tinkered with the best way to live.  How did you know that it would have to be that easy, or I would never seek you for help? I confess I am a sinner, totally in need of you daily mercy and care. “Just as I am, I come.”  Much praise, dear Jesus, for the newness in my soul.  AMEN

  

 

Courage to Move Forward

I confess that I have difficulty sometimes with moving forward, having the confidence and a will to get finished, which I was really good at in my professional life. There are legitamate reasons, not the least of which is my husband's criticism early in every project I tackle.  I have to just do things when he isn't here, more than when he is.  In my old shop, my landlord was telling me a new reason everyday to be afraid to unlock the door and stay there all day. He told me once that there were some men who were robbing little shops along the very road mine was on, but several miles west.  If I had not just thought that I was where God wanted me to be, and said a little prayer for protection, I might not have gone into work in the morning until they caught the men.  Once there was a bear which was roaming our neighborhood and turning over people's trashcans.  If I had not just said, "God please protect my children." and believed He would, they would not have gone out of the house again until the bear was caught. Recently, my grandson took his first dirve alone with his new driver's license. His mother and I just looked at each other and when he got to the top of the drive, turned and blew us a kiss, we both almost hit the dirt. All she could say was, "How did you do this?"  We didn't have to say it..we both knew it was prayer.

I often encourage others to move forward and find myself crippled from moving forward, afraid of not having enough money, or of being crushed by my husband's broken record that resounds like my Mother saying, "You don't need to do that."  But oh yes I do!  I do because God gave me gifts to do certain things. I have been successful doing so many things for other people that I know God's calling on my life, in this stage of my life, is to find the courage to move forward in my own life.

So I have challenged myself over the last few years.  I haven't succeeded in quite the way I wanted to, and it is tempting to think, "Lord, did I misunderstand?" But I already know the answer. Part of cultivating the courage to move forward each day is just doing it.  Not with expectations of results necessarily. For me lists are a huge motivator.  Picturing the possible scenarios can backfire if I dwell on the possible things that can go wrong, so I admit the foibles but make myself not dwell there. But the biggest thing that moves me forward is prayer.  Just sharing all those things with God, admitting my fears, and tackling things.  Then the next thing is forgiveness. I have learned to forgive myself when I just don't  get done when others think I should. Thirdly, I have learned to use what I  have.   I often have almost everything I need to get a project going.  God is a provider. A forgiver. A motivator. An encourager. I am trying more and more to heed His voice and act upon the ideas He gives me.  Together, we can get a lot done. In the end, however, God doesn't want me to tarry too long in prayer, or sit a while forgiving myself in pity, or just keep taking inventory of all he has given me.....He wants me to ACT upon all that. To borrow the famous NIKE phrase: "JUST DO IT."

And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.  Now therefore perform the doing of it: that as there was a readiness to will so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. II Corinthians 8:10 - 12

Looks like I am not the only one who has needed help in moving forward. God is bigger than anything that holds me back. I need to trust that.

Lord, I never want to go back to driving myself to ridiculous scedules, but I don't want to fall into the quagmire of not giving myself the same value that I gave to everyone else.  When I set out to get things done, let me do it with purpose. I confess a need to value the tasks you direct me to in my own life the same way I do when doing something for others. Keep me grounded, but give me courage at every task to move forward. AMEN

 

HE REMEMBERS THE DAY

When Jesus was on earth in human form, he spent a lot of time trying to explain to people that he had come from his Father, who he sometimes clearly, and sometimes not so clearly, signified was God.  Some understood and believed, among both Jews and non-Jews.  Some never understood his hidden meanings and ceased to follow him.  He made constant references to elements of the old scriptures and compared himself to them, sharing that, in those stories of old, he was hidden, if they would just open the eyes of their hearts and see him.

One tiny little mention he made about knowing Abraham personally angered those who sought to kill him for his craziness.  All these men could understand was - he was talking about things that made no sense to them!  Asking people to eat his body and his blood. Saying he was the bread and water of life; and if they partook of him they would not hunger and thirst again….  Would you have listened to such a crazy talking person now?  (John 8)

He told them if they would keep his saying, they would never die. And the Jews said, ”Now we know you have a devil.” Jesus’ response was delightful~

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham?  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. John 8:55–58.

Most of us focus on the last part of Jesus’ statement, but I can’t help but pause and think of this precious moment when Abraham recognized his Savoir - long before he was born a babe in a manger and died for Abraham's sins.  What sort of day was it for Abraham, the day he believed in Jesus, although he didn’t know him by name? Jesus says he remembers it as a day of rejoicing and gladness.  Think, for an instant, how Jesus might relate the story of the day each of us became believers. Abraham looked forward and understood the blood and the flesh scenario. He understood about the Father who would give his son as a sacrifice. And it gave him joy. What did the Spirit share with you that made you believe?

Why didn’t these men hear and understand?  Because, even though they had been taught the stories their whole lives, they were just stories to them.  They claimed God because of their heritage as Jews, not because they listened to the Spirit of God who opens the hearts and minds of people to understand and receive God. At this time, the Spirit was not given to indwell sinful man, but it is made clear in Old Testament verses and in many of Christ’s own teachings that the Spirit has always spoken to our inner man. And just as Jesus taught of the Father and the Spirit, the Spirit teaches of Jesus and the Father.  Most of the times the Old Testament characters spoke of talking to God, it was the Spirit with whom they spoke.

Jesus said: He that is of God hears God’s words: ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God. John 8:47

How can anyone know for sure he belongs to God?  Well according to Jesus, he can hear the words of God. (Hear means to hear the words in our hearts in such a way as to understand.)  If you don’t always understand scripture, are you lost?  No, you are listening aren’t you? The difference with the men in John 8, is they didn't want to hear what the Spirit was saying. All those who followed Jesus, often didn't understand yet, but they were listening. Just open your heart to hear the Spirit as he teaches you what he wants you to know.  That will do. 

Lord, my favorite part of my relationship with you has always been how your Spirit lets me know you are real, thousands of times in thousands of ways, you make yourself known.  Please never stop making yourself visible to my heart, even if my mind fails me…continue precious one to speak to my heart. And Dear Jesus, it makes me glad to think that you remember the day we met, just like I remember the day we met. Thank you for that sweet revelation. AMEN

Scratching the Curiosity Itch

Sometimes when I study God's word, I find myself thinking, "Wonder where that place was?" or "Wonder what that looked like?"  When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by the different cultures, art and lifestyles of the people whose stories I was reading in the Bible.  In fact, to understand the stories, I sometimes needed to know more about the background. I spent hours looking at books with the "ancient stuff." That hasn't changed for me down through the years.  I find my curiosity about the places and people who wrote the Bible has never changed.  I love seeing the things that archeologists unearth, and visiting the virtual places where things from the Bible occurred.  I probably will never travel to the Holy Land but I love books and websites which will give me glimpses into that history. Besides, I want to know how it looked then, not now.

Here's a great place to scratch that history curiosity itch: Bible History online ~

http://www.bible-history.com/

It opens on the home page, but I like to navigate it from the sitemap page.  There are lists of subjects and types of info that can be looked at from the site.  Each subject ususally brings up another list, but don't stop there.  Start clicking! Maps, Study tools, Archeology, Images, Art, Geography, Names....the list goes on and on of the links this author has compiled.  In some cases I could not use my back button, so I just went to the search bar on the top of my page and erased back to bible-history.com, then hit refresh (low tech). I ran across a note from the site owner which said that Vista had some problems when navigating his site, but I have and old version of Windows, and Window 7 and had no difficulty other than the back arrow. I especially liked finding a map of early Bible lands in the first century. When you click on a site, a box of associated sites will pop up above the actual listings. Some are adds, usually Bible related. Don't click into the box unless you wish to leave the site. Listings in the box are sometimes links to other resources. 

Below the box will sometimes be only one line which will link you to information, images, and a side bar list of sub categories or additional subjects. Infomation is generally alphabetized and easy to navigate.  If your curiosity sends you seeking, this is a good place to start. If your children need ancient history research tools, this could be helpful to them too.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (which comes up under the study tools ~ dictionaries and encyclopedias) has a search feature, as did several of the other tools I clicked on. But the site itself did not seem to have a search feature. 

This site is just plain interesting. When I think of how peoples of all the earth down through the centuries have held their books precious, preserved their histories, ancestries, and details of every element of their lives, I pause to thank God that we have access to so much of it.  When they wrote it in stone, they had a sense that someone might read it many years in the future.  But I bet they never guessed there would be a time that anyone, who took a minute to look, might read it from anywhere in the world on a tiny little screen. If you have even a little curiosity for knowing how and where our Bible ancestors lived, check out this site.

On the site map is a subject heading: Bible Backdrops. The sub-heading is "Relevant Historical Insights into Scripture." First on the list is a note on the money changers doing business in front of the temple. (John 2:13-16) I learned something from the short narrative that is written there that I never knew. It makes this story of Jesus come alive, and deepens the blessing. It says: "The large outer court was called 'the Court of the Gentiles' because it was devoted to the foreigners who had come to worship God at the temple and they could proceed no further. It is interesting that Jesus chose to stop at this place to show forth his anger toward the money-changers, ...and this was not the first time he came to the aid of non-Jews." 

Why that is so precious to me to know, is that it is just one more way Jesus showed how he came for the lost of the whole world, and he loved Jews and Gentiles. It goes on to say that the pilgrims who arrived there were met with scorn and contempt, and the money changers took up space where the worshipers would have preferred to stand. Jesus made room for them, and put the purpose they came for back into proper perspective. I can be assured of Christ's love for Gentiles, especially when I know the context of the scripture, and the story behind the story. I am making "Scripture Backdrops" my devotional for a while. It is a refreshing way to look at the Word.

Thank you Lord, for glimpses into the lives of those who lived in Bible times.  And for the insites of people who have loved and studied your Word around the world.  So much is offered to strengthen our faith and expand our understanding of just how much you love us.  I am so glad to see how the things we find continue to show that you are always the same. It blesses me to know more about the people who saw fit to write it down, or carve it in stone, or paint pictures, or build buildings to store it. Bless all who continue to preserve and share the treasures of Bible history. Thank you for touching my heart with something new, that continues to inspire me, after all these years. AMEN

Bible Study Tools ~ Online!

References and sources, which we refer to in order to present you an accurate depiction of God's Word, formerly were hard copy.  Books like a condordance, expository, and bible dictionary are required to fully understand what we are reading sometimes, especially in the old languages.  But we are so blessed to have access to valuable resources online now, and the most versatile of those we use is, of course, Biblegateway.com/ which is on our sidebar. It allows us to send you to the scriptures instantly, while giving you the opportunity to view those verses in parallel to several translations. It unifies our interpretations and allows us to make comparative references to wording from Old and New Testaments. No verse is good outside of its context, and we value the time you spend reading the story or verses that surround the scriptures we give you.  Often so much more is gained from the whole Biblical story.

This week, I have two new resources I want to share, for your discretionary use, especially if you are a teacher of the word, or a blogger, author, or parent. Also, if something God is giving you blesses you, expanding on it will help it stick. Find and explore these sites to gain the full potential offered on each. I will give you one today and one on Friday. My sincere hope is that these simplify your life rather than adding one more aggravating technology.

~The first is simple to remember: Bible Study Tools at:

http://www.biblestudytools.com/

On this site, it is possible to set up your own personal account, where you can access scripture, highlight verses, take notes, and use a multitude of references such as commentaries, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. There is a library tab that is a resource in itself.  Click on the "Browse the Bible" tab on the right side of the page. How could that be easier or quicker to use? Take a moment and check it out. Notice that there is a speaker icon once you have arrived at your scripture passage - click this for the chapter to be read to you! Listen to the Bible while you wash dishes or fold clothes! We believe knowing how to get the answers when you are on the run is a great oppportunity. I am putting this one on the top of my 2012 new favorites list.  Hope you will too.

Our keyword today: Study.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15

...and for balance:

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that wich was written was upright, even words of truth...by these, my son be admonished; of making many books there is no end, and (too) much study is a weariness of the flesh. Ecclesiastes 12: 10 and 12.  LOL

Dear Lord Jesus, even you spent some time among the books in the temple.  You saw fit to preserve a series of books through the centuries which would help us along our way. Please continue to preserve the understanding of those books in our hurried technical world.  I thank you for access to study helps like the ones listed here, and ask you to bless those who prepared them.  Empower our readers who may need quick references in this busy world.  May these offerings truly be useful, and not burdensome. Use them to bless someone today. In your name, AMEN.

 

 

A Healing Love

Ancestry is important in the scriptures, and the book of Ruth is especially explicit about the fact that Ruth was not an Israelite, but is counted among the ancestors of King David.  She was his great-grandmother.  Ruth’s story isn’t about first love, and the youthful infatuations stemming from hormones and good looks. Hers is a story of recovery from anguished loss of her first love, and choices she made to move toward healing, while not forgetting she was not the only one in pain. When she uttered her famous phrase, “Whither thou goest I will go,” commonly used in weddings, she was making two choices at once.  She chose to show a remarkable kind of love, by giving herself to care for her bereaved mother-in-law, who was old and discouraged now that her sons had died.  And, she chose the God of her deceased husband and his mother to be her God.

Where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God. Ruth 1:16.

The couple today, is of course, Ruth and Boaz. When Boaz first noticed Ruth in his fields, nothing is said about his loving her. A good bit of time passes, while she gleans with his maidens, following the young men who harvested in his fields. The only thing we know of his interest is that he forbids the young men to approach her, and tells the harvesters to leave some extra to be gleaned on purpose.  But his kindness caused her to wonder if Boaz might care for her. When she asked him why he took notice of her, he said he had heard of her dedication to Naomi. Then he said this:

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Ruth 2:12

Ruth's testimony preceded her and Boaz saw the hand of God on her life.

I wonder if Boaz had any clue what God was about to do in his life?  Of one thing I am sure. God is a God who turns tragedy and heart ache into greatness.  Ruth chose to serve God, and God paired her with someone who also chose to serve God. So many things could have happened differently in this story.  But Boaz behaved in a respectful manner and gave Ruth a great deal of credit, and honor.  He also wisely gave her time to heal from her loss.  He also brought hope into Naomi’s life and a new reason to live and love, when he allowed that the son he and Ruth brought into the world, be known as Naomi’s grandchild. 

 Chapter 2, verse 15 tells us what Naomi’s neighbors and friends thought about this baby:

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

The elders of the city who witnessed the purchase of the rights to Naomi’s family inheritance, made this comment to Boaz about his decision to marry Ruth, knowing she was a Moabite:

“The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel, and do thou worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem.”  Ruth 4:11

And so it came to be, for Boaz and Ruth are listed among the ancestors of both lines of Jesus’ heritage, in Matthew and in Luke.

Love that arises from pain, and is first founded in our gracious God, will be blessed.  He is the healer of the broken hearted and faithful. He makes great things come from small goodness. He is able to use anyone who will accept him, and yield to his leading. Ruth was able to move on in life because she continued to love, and she chose to serve God.

Lord, bless someone who has had loss, to chose to move on, and continue seeking love. May the example of Ruth and Boaz give courage and inspiration to someone who is needing an unusual solution to having a family and a future to look forward to. Strengthen the hearts of the discouraged and lonely.  Help us all to be more like the encouraging neighbors of Ruth and Boaz. Put the people in our paths who will be as responsible and honorable as Boaz, and help us trust that when we have done the best right thing we are able to do, that You are able to stir the hearts of your people, to provide the support we will need to do your will.  Lord work in the hearts of Christians...open their eyes to the opportunities to be used for something bigger than our understanding. Amen 

Love That Stands The Test Of Time

In this week when we celebrate love, “Wings” has dedicated these days to couples.  These couples didn’t wear halos. They were normal people, living in the difficult circumstances of normal life. Not one story is a picture of perfectness. But each story is, in some way, a picture of the love of God, and includes types of the future Savoir, Jesus Christ.  The couple who is the subject of our discussion today is Jacob and Rachel. There was nothing about this relationship that is typical of the ideal couple in today’s social patterns.  Yet, these two were the parents of Joseph, who through much hardship became a Prince of Egypt. He saved his family most of whom rejected him, when they might otherwise have perished from famine.  The whole family story (Genesis 29- 31) is full of types of the love of God for his beloved Israel, his chosen people, and of Jesus who came, not just to the Jews, but to the whole world. But was this marriage built on love?

To me this story has always been the exemplary story of just how much a man can love a woman.  And it is the picture of the long-suffering love of God for his earthly family.

When Jacob fell in love with Rachel, it was almost at first sight.  He knew within a month he wanted to marry her. He agreed to serve her father for 7 years in order to make her his wife. Through the deceit of his father-in-law, Jacob was forced to work another 7 years to make Rachel his wife. He married Rachel only a week after being tricked into marrying her sister Leah.  But he worked hard and under ridiculous circumstances to pay the price of 7 additional years, which her father demanded.

The sweetest verse in this whole story is verse 20:

And Jacob served seven years for Rachael; and they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her.  Genesis 29:20 KJV

This is the love God has for us.  It isn’t meant to exemplify an ideal picture for couples on Valentine’s Day.  There is no ideal picture. There are no ideal love stories. There are no fairytale marriages. God wants us to know that only one love is stronger than time. He is always willing to work for the object of his affection, each soul he would woo to himself, no matter how many years it takes to win them.

This is also a story of God’s purposes for our lives.  We may never know what God’s long-term plan may be, but he can take any situation and bring blessing to us and to future generations. God blesses the children of the unloved mothers too.  Through no fault of his own, Jacob was tricked into marrying Rachel’s sister.  Although he never loved her like he loved Rachel, he trusted God to build his family through her as well.  It is from this mixed up family that the 12 tribes of Israel were generated. And one of Rachel’s sister’s boys was Judah. This was the tribe through which Jesus’ ancestry can be traced, all the way to Mary and also to Joseph.  How much did Jacob love Rachel? Enough to look to the future and make a commitment to that plan, suffer through hardship and betrayal, and stand his ground.  How much does God love us? Enough to look to our future and make a commitment to that plan, suffer with us through hardship and betrayal and stand his ground!  All the years to God seem but a few days.  We have only just begun to get to know the extent of his love.

Father, thank you for loving me like Jacob loved Rachel.  Thank you for this example of how you have a plan for our future, and the future of our children. Help us see past the deceitful people in our lives to the bigger picture.  Help us not be so hurt by the turmoils of reality that we give up the pursuit of love relationships.  Give us a mindset that overrides the here and now, and draws on faith that you are able always to bring something wonderful when everything fails to be as we expected. AMEN

God's Love Over Time

My Grandmother was my anchor for the love of God in my life. She never missed an opportunity to tell me to depend on God and extol Him for his unfailing love.  She exemplified the love of God that was not judgmental or conditional.  Her way was to love you and then guide you.  Each time we visited her she captured a moment of our time to remind us of two things.  First to remember God in all we do, and to know that God never fails or ceases to love us. And secondly to help our mother.  She was looking out for the people she loved, giving us the best advice she could give us, and it was always the same.

In all the years I knew her, she didn’t change her expectation of God’s unfailing love. Reading up on love, I found many scriptures in the Old Testament that spoke of God’s loving kindness showing that God’s love is unfailing. Men over hundreds of years echo the refrain.  I have lived through some hard times in life when I just couldn’t see the unfailing love of God. It seemed that He would never honor all that faith I had in Him.  Months and years would go by and I just didn’t know how God intended to resolve my dilemmas. I would wonder why, if I loved him so much, he didn’t hear my pleas for answers to my prayers? How did my grandmother do it? How did she stay so even keeled in her faith?

Then I realized, as I know now, that grandparents have the advantage of looking back on life, and seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises working out in their lives.  They can see that the God of the universe did not forget them, and his love was truly unfailing.  Sometimes his power and grace, mercy and love are worked out so slowly that we truly can’t see him in the midst of it.  But like my grandmother, I can look back now and see the truth of God’s unfailing love. We are asked to live by faith after all.  So when my Grandmother shared it to me, she had the advantage of having been through the trials of life which she already lived by faith.  She could say with ease that the God she served loved her with an unfailing love. And she demonstrated that love toward us better than anyone I have ever known in my life. 

I have already failed my family in being the stalwart example of God’s unfailing love. I have fallen short of living the unconditional love with which God loves us.  But I can say with the same certainty that my grandmother had - now that I am a grandmother with a few grandmotherly years on her - God will never fail you.  I can look back and see that when I continued to trust Him through the darkest times, faith became fact. God never failed me. Things didn’t always work out as I hoped, nor did they always portray me as a child of God.  But like Job, I knew in my heart that God was real, and his love was unfailing.  My Grandmother didn’t lavish me with gifts or fix my problems.  She just loved me, accepted me, guided me, and talked to me like I was the only one in the room.  She emulated God.  I stuck it out sometimes because of her example. She will forever be my picture of what a loving God is like.

Here are some key phrases from Isaiah 63:7-16 which speak of God's loving kindness toward the Israelites over the years, even to those who had been taken captive:

I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord...according to all the Lord has bestowed on us...According to the multitude of his loving kindness, He became their Savoir. In their affliction he was afflicted. And the Angel of his presence saved them. In his love and his pity, he redeemed them. He bore them and carried them all the days of old...Then he (the prophet) remembered the days of old, Moses and his people saying, Where is He who brought them out of the sea, with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowlege us not: thou O Lord, art our father, our redeemer...

Interesting how it alludes to the generations of future Christians as well. Read the whole story in context in Isaiah 61 - 66. Here is a writer in a place of decision, feeling like God had forgotten him and his generation, who chose to believe in God's love and look forward to his blessing.  Isaiah looked back on God's love and promises as proof, but he also looked forward to God's promises for a future with faith. Isaiah 64:4 sort of sums it up. How big is the unfailing love of God?

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor preceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

AMEN!

Lord, thank you for the blessing of your love which never fails. Thank you for my grandmother who exemplified it, and reminded me of it often.  Though we sometimes look to people for love, may we not be short-sighted about love. Help us see by faith that it is you, not people who will provide our unfailing love. Thank you for your Word which provides so many more examples of people who looked back on the years before, and found faith enough to see you working out their future because you loved them. Let it be so for us. Amen