And Suddenly...Spring

"My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for
the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay
her young-- Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and My God.
Blessed are they who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. SELAH...
As they pass through the valley of Baca,
They make it a spring; The rain also covers
it with pools. They go from strength to strength...   Psalm 84: 2-4, 6, 7a


As I go from His strength to strength from one day to the next, suddenly I notice that once again we have made it through another winter. I will hang out laundry today in celebration. As I sat reading the Word this morning, I noticed a couple of little birds up in the rafters on the front porch. They are getting ready to have their family once again. No one told the birds that the world seems to be falling apart at the seams. They are doing what God appointed them to do. No one told them it was time to do it, they just knew it, because God gave them that wisdom.

One day last year my husband and I were walking up at the junior high and a couple of branches fell down from a beautiful white birch tree on the lawn. I arranged them together to make this cross. It was at a time when we were yet struggling through a long standing trial. Yet as I formed the cross, I reminded myself that as long as there are seasons, there is hope. For God promised us the seasons until the end of time.

God promised Noah after the great flood of the continuity of the seasons in Genesis 8:22 after Noah offered a sacrifice after the flood.

"While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease."

Though in my minuscule mind I cannot fathom how the world has managed not to destroy herself, I know that God is allowing the earth yet again to wake up from another winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. And as long as the earth remains, He will give me the strength for yet another day. Just like the Israelites had to gather manna every single day, I gather my "manna" for the day as I start it with coffee and the Word.

Sometimes the words just float on past my brain and I realize I have been thinking of something else altogether. I then go back and look at the passage again. Sometimes I realize that reading the Word, or hearing it taught, for that matter, is like having a spaghetti battle. You get what sticks to you. (I was given that expression many years ago when I wasn't sure how much of the Word I was retaining. I think it's a good analogy.)

So it is that we also have seasons in our life, too. I remember the earliest seasons, and all the anxiety I had as I grew into a young woman and tried to find my place in the world. Then the season of motherhood, with the feeling of being overwhelmed in trying to find a way to be a decent mother to three kids who needed me. I did not realize it at the time, but it turns out it seems that was a short season that I had young ones under my feet. How quickly they all sprouted from the nest. And now, I am in a blessed season as grandchildren are the light of my life. I can look at them a bit differently than I did my own children, because I know now how quickly they will grow up. But it is also a season of helping to care for my elderly parents, and not knowing what the future will hold in terms of them needing me.

It is easy for me to take on the role of "parent" in some ways as I see life becoming overwhelming for my mother. But I remember I will be the next one in her shoes. At life's end, it can be a struggle to face the winter season of one's life. I just hope that my memory will hold as much of the Word as it can to get my own self through my winter season, if the Lord should tarry that long.

But, in all these thoughts about seasons, it is comforting to know that the Lord only wants us to trust Him for each single day He gives us. I don't quite think He is into ten year plans and five year plans, though I could be wrong on that. I just know He says:

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34, NLT)

And so, as the eternal, endless Day approaches, I anticipate a future with no more night, no more curse, no more death, no more pain. And it is all because of the great gift of Jesus taking all my sins to His body that spring day so many years ago.

If you are not sure you have eternal life, believe the testimony God gives us of His Son:

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NLT)

What are the Chances?

...giving thanks to the Father who
has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints
in the light. He has delivered
us from the power of darkness
and conveyed us into the kingdom
of the Son of His love,in whom we
have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:12-13


Have you ever really considered the "all knowledge" of God? What are the chances that the King of the Universe would bow so low in order to have a relationship with someone like us that lives on this dirt ball spinning in the galaxy of space? How about the fact that He knows everything about us, and yet still loves us? I find myself thinking about God's attribute of omniscience in different, maybe strange kinds of ways, ways that might seem odd to someone who never thought of God's all knowing power. For example,  how about the fact that God knows how many grains of sugar would be in every sugar bowl sitting on every table throughout this entire world? God is also fully aware how many grains of salt are in all floating right now in all of the oceans over the world. He knows how many hairs are on each and every person's head, and  He even knows the exact moment each and every one of those hairs fall off our heads, where they will fall to, and what will become of them.

"And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Colossians 1:17

He holds this whole universe together: every atom, every molecule, every light wave. He knows how many times each one of our hearts have beat in their chests, and how many are left for each one of us. Why should I worry when I have such a God as that? Although I admit, I fail at times with worrying, even after knowing these things. He is so patient with me, each day He gives me a new chance to prove that I trust Him and a fresh clean slate unmarked by yesterday's failures.

I was struggling about trusting Him for my husband's being laid off, and this morning was no different. I started to read the Word as I always do, and found inspiration to write a poem. Basically it said I would trust Him, no matter how hard my feelings were rebelling inside. After I wrote it, my husband's phone started ringing, and he got the good news we have waited for for so long. He was getting called back to work. God's timing is always perfect.

Another thing we  have concluded: there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason, and if only we trust God, we can have the grace and stamina to hang on in the most trying circumstances.

My God knows every burst of wind and when it will blow. He hears all the prayers of all the people praying to Him around the world yet can still personally attend to each one. He knew in advance all the sins we would ever commit, yet still went to the cross to die and pay the penalty for each and every one. What an amazing God!

I wanted to share something about God's omniscience I found in the book The Integrity of God, written by R,B, Thieme Jr, about what he calls the "Doctrine of the Divine Decrees." On page 297, introducing the subject, Thieme wrote:

"The decree of God is His eternal, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending simultaneously
all things that ever were of will be in their causes, courses, conditions, successions, and relations determining their certain futurition."

God never learns anything, because He already knows everything! When I think back to when I was afraid to trust Him with my life, I'm ashamed of  my hardened unbelieving heart. To think that the created one did not trust the One who formed her, that somehow I knew better than He did in what was best for me? And yet this same One was so very patient with me, and let me discover through my own stupid decisions that to follow His ways really are for my best, even if the rest of the world thinks it to be foolish.

I read about God's omniscience in AW Tozer's wonderful book, The Pursuit of God.  I highlighted on my Kindle Tozer's amazing words:

 "He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us...Our Father in heaven knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust. He knew our inborn treachery, and for His own sake engaged to save us. (Is. 48:8-11) His only begotten Son, when He walked among us, felt our pains in their naked intensity of
anguish. His knowledge of our afflictions and adversities is more than theoretic, it is personal, warm and compassionate. Whatever may befall us, God knows us and cares as no one else can."
(Location 2762 and 2763)

And so, as we start off the New Year of 2016 and whatever it may hold, maybe my readers might want to consider: "What are the chances that the God of the universe would want to have a relationship with me? What kind of God must He be?"

For, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Not even one thing...

Luke 12:25-30 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

Confession time. I have been a worrier all of my life. Let me correct that. I was a worrier, but I am now a new creation. That is the way God sees me, so that is the way I should see myself. But I was thinking a lot today about my history as a worrier. I actually used to think the above verse meant that Jesus said not to worry about those things, but it was OK to worry about other things, the things He did not mention. Things like whether or not people liked you, or whether or not a certain job would come through, etc., etc. That just shows how little I really knew about God. It was pitiful, really. And what a slap in God's face, after all He did for me.

Many years ago, when I was still in elementary school, a kindly neighbor (who I blogged on here about before) had a Good News Club for kids at her home once a week after school. I still remember seeing her face greeting me when I walked in the door. You see, I was worrying back then, in the fourth grade, and she was a good listener. I told her the things I worried about and she helped me with answers from the Bible. The biggest help she gave was telling us all how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Each week we had to learn Memory Verses. My sister and I cheated, we only learned them right before we ran down into her yard for the club meeting at her home next door to ours. But she acted all proud of us anyways, like we had done some great thing learning our Bible verses. Still, we managed to get them all recited, and our prize was a New Testament in a modern version called "The Greatest is Love." She wrote a verse in my Bible in the front that she thought would be a great help to me. Of course, it is a familiar verse:

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

Now, her fight is over and she is with the Lord, but I remember her kind deeds with gratitude and look forward to seeing Mrs.P on the other side. Somewhere through the passage of years I have lost the Bible she gave me, but I can still see in my mind her giving it to me and the verse she wrote inside it. I thought I "knew" that verse, but every time an emergency came along, it seemed I still pressed the panic button instead of applying Philippians 4:6-7.

Well, let me tell you, I may have been able to recite that verse, but I know I did not "know" that verse. Yesterday, though, I had another little "emergency" come up and I felt like I wanted to press the panic button again. I can't go into detail but suffice it to say I chose to sing songs of praise when I was tempted to panic and I felt the most amazing peace wash over me, in spite of the tight place I found myself in. Suddenly I just wanted to praise Him more and more, He had given me the peace of God which passed all understanding which guarded my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I did not have to strain or struggle to get it either. It was simply a gracious gift. In the smallest way, I experienced the truth of that precious verse.

This morning I read in Philippians 4 and I read again Paul's instructions about not being anxious. He didn't just say, don't worry about things. Kenneth Wuest in his Greek New Testament Expanded Translation said this of Philippians 4:6-7:

"Stop worrying about even one thing, but in everything by prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion by supplication which is a cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for the things asked for be made known in the presence of God, and the peace of God which surpasses all power of comprehension shall mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (emphasis mine)

Now if anyone reading this does not know Christ as their personal Savior there is plenty to be worried about. Things are getting too crazy to just be passed off as "nothing" anymore. Jesus said of these times: 25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21: 25-26) (emphasis mine)

You, too, can have this peace that passes understanding. Now is the time to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who personally bore your sins on the cross of Calvary. For His return could be at any moment. You do not want to be left behind for the judgement that will follow on planet earth, called the Great Tribulation. Today is the day of salvation! He knew every sin you ever committed and already died for it. He also wants to take your worries and bear those also for you, for they are too much for you.Hear His gracious call today, before it is too late!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

He says to His children and to any and all who are longing to come into His family:

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

And for those of us who are saved, yes, it is really true, we do not have to worry about even one thing! Why? For we have a Heavenly Father who hears us when we call to Him with every single one of our needs. It is a much better way than worrying. Trust me, I know.

My Christmas Hope

Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort, O comfort my people," says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received from the Lord's hand Double for all her sins.

Christmas comes on the shortest and darkest time of the year for us here in the Western Hemisphere. In my area, most of the November and December days are pretty gray and dark, saying nothing of the bitter cold of January and February soon to follow. Holidays, thought to be a happy time, can evoke painful memories of people we once had in our lives who are no longer with us, through death or their own choice to separate from us for some reason. No matter the reason why, these losses seem more difficult at the holidays.

I read of many Christians being driven from their homes by persecutors, or those even being martyred for their faith. I have read of bombs being dropped on Christian villages in Africa, and of millions of Syrian refugees, living in camps. Though I have had what I would consider a difficult year, my suffering does not compare in any way to theirs. And yet, even though there is so much evil in this world, I rejoice when Christmas rolls around each year.

It is not because of presents, but I am reminded of His Presence, the best present of all. It is staggering to think that God Himself would reduce Himself to a tiny baby, and choose to be born not in a palace like royalty, but in a filthy, cold manger among animals. It is unimaginable to think that the very Creator of all the world came to visit us in His Incarnation yet mankind could find no place for Him in their inns. That He knew quite well all the suffering He would have to endure, but chose it gladly so that He could call us His brothers and sisters.

If I focus on people and my hurts, yes, I could be depressed on Christmas. But I choose to delight in the fact that this very God could love me,
me, and not only me, but all the other sinners of this world as well. He loved me so much that He took care of everything that would stand in the way of me having a relationship with Him. He actually took my own sin and shame upon Himself and gave me His very own righteousness in its place. There is no other religion on this planet that can offer you that.

"...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
"He made Him who knew no sins to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." II Corinthians 5:19,21

Buddhism may proport to give karma, but only God can pour forth abundant grace upon grace upon undeserving creatures. I love what John the Apostle says: "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." John 1:16-17

If I focus on my failures, again, I could be depressed on Christmas. But my slate has been wiped totally clean and each day I receive a fresh start to grow in grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior. For you see, God does not look at my sins, or yours either. They were all taken away on a single day. That is why David the King, who committed such a great sin as killing Uriah the Hittite, could say: "How blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! (Psalm 32:1)

I am not saying that we can just get away with sin with no consequences, but I am saying that God will not charge us with our sin, for He charged them all to Christ. It is to our advantage not to sin, for we will reap what we sow. But, as it says in I John 2:1-2: "...And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for ours; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

If I focus on the world around me, once again, I could get very depressed this Christmas season. In fact, when I think of all the waste of food and money in this country on the holiday while most of the world is starving, it does make me pretty sad. But, there is coming a day when righteousness and peace will reign in this world. For my Savior not only died for the sins of the world, but He is also coming again to put down evil forever and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The way things are going on this planet, I believe it won't be much longer until He does come again for His Second and final Advent. This time, it will not be as a meek and mild baby, but as a victorious King. Zechariah 14:3-4, 9, states:

"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations (*who oppose Him), as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south...And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one." (*my explanation)

If you happen to be reading this without the assurance that you know this wonderful Person named Jesus Christ, you can know Him today! Simply believe that God sent His only begotten Son to take your place on the cross, that He paid in full for your sins and was raised from the grave never to die again. For you see, this simple verse of John 3:16 is really the best Christmas present of all: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Give yourself the best this Christmas. Believe in Christ today.

His Truth (really) can set us free...

I am so excited this evening. I just returned from the most amazing ladies seminar message delivered by my friend and mentor, Mrs. Judy Seligman. Judy is a woman who takes God at His Word. His faithfulness to her has been evident to all who know her. She is a woman set free. I wanted to share with my readers some of the inspiration I received.

Did you know that when Christ died on the cross for our sins, He really did pay for them all? (Colossians 2: 13-14)Did you know that no matter what you may have done in the past, when you become a believer, all of that is wiped away forever? (II Corinthians 5: 17) It may seem too good to be true, but it is.

Jesus called out from the cross in victory not defeat, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) Yes, the most tragic thing happened when they crucified our Lord, but it was also the most important and most glorious moment ever in human history, too. In fact, human history was divided by the birth of Christ, even if men call B.C. now "Before the Common Era" instead of "Before Christ." If that moment had not occurred, there would be no hope at all in this world. (Romans 5: 5-8)

His death on the cross took care of all the sins we committed in the past, presently, or in the future. This is not so called "cheap grace." Jesus Christ poured out His soul unto death for us.(Hebrews 5: 7, Psalm 22: 14) There was nothing more He could give, He poured out His life as a substitutionary sacrifice and all the sins of the world were paid for that one afternoon. That does not mean that all men will be saved, for we must take His free gift as an act of faith. (John 3:16) Our will must agree with God's in believing on the person of His Son.
But think of what this means. Our sins were paid for, so we can truly walk free. Jesus said in John 8:36:

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

In my own experience, I did not experience that freedom that Christ talked about. Judy told us tonight what the missing ingredient is if we are not presently experiencing Christ's freedom. It is a simple thing, really.

I can either believe what God tells me in His Word or disbelieve it. Even if it feels untrue with all the feelings within me, it is still true. She shared that for years she had struggled with resentment toward another believer. As hard as she tried, she could not make these feelings go away. Have you ever been there? I know I have, way too many times to count.

The more you struggle to get free from sin in your own power, the stronger the sin monster becomes. In I Corinthians 15: 56 God tells us a curious thing about the law. It says:

"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is in the law." That means the more you try, the harder you will fail. But if you have reached that point of failure, as I have, many times, you should rejoice. Why? For then you will realize that if Christ does not perform the righteous deeds that the law commands inside you, it will not be done.

Galatians 2:20-1 tells us that we have been crucified with Christ, and why Christ had to die:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes by works, then Christ died in vain.

Righteousness will never come by works, but only by Christ living out His life through us. He promised us that we would have "rivers of living water" flow out of our heart in John 7:38. If this isn't our experience, then something is wrong with us, not Him.
We need to believe Him: that He lives in us, that He forgave us all our sin debt. And most importantly, we need to believe that when He died, our old sinful self died right there with Him.

Romans 6: 6 says: "knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." We have a choice. We can either let Christ live His life through us, and experience the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control--Galatians 5:22) OR, we can disbelieve it and continue living the lie of the self-life.

He does want us to give up our lives. But that becomes easy when you realize that our lives, without Christ, will only produce misery.

John 15: 5: "I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing."

Here is the "hard saying" of Jesus, which, when you consider the alternative of living gratifying your old nature, becomes a pleasant thing to do. John 12: 25 tells us the absolute Truth:

"He who loves his life {your own right to choose for yourself what you want*} will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." In hating what that old person so craves, we find a new life of joy and peace in Him. We give up the things that have kept us in misery for so long and finally have the life that we truly longed for.

Tonight, I was reminded that it is as easy as a simple decision. No matter how much my flesh will scream at me, God's Word is truer than that voice inside. I simply have to choose with God and His Word. If I fail, I pick myself up and receive a fresh new start every single time. What other religion in this world will offer you that?

It's never too late, we can make that choice and start having His resurrection life pour through us today!

*my added thoughts

Gratitude or Grumbling, Part II

As today is the last day of November, I wanted to do an update on my "Gratitude or
Grumbling" post from Tuesday. I had this "funny feeling" when I posted it that I was going to be tested on it. Well, let's just say the last couple days have been kind of rough for me. The enemy has been taunting me with "Look at how much good that did you!" admidst days of unresolved issues in my life.

I know condemnation is not of the Lord. (Romans 8:1) But I was feeling pretty condemned, truthfully. But I have this, this only as I cling to the Lord: He is not in the business of giving up on His kids.( Hebrews 13:5) He loves me unconditionally. (John 3: 16) God's love is not at all like human love.(I John 3:1) That is all I need, period.

He demonstrated that love when He died on that cross for me.(I John 4: 10) He knows my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. (Romans 7: 15) I am still thanking Him for things, even things that are hurting. The promise in Romans 8:28 still says, if I love Him, He will work all the tattered pieces of my life together for good. He promised. He does not lie. He does not change.(Malachi 3:6) You think I am writing this just for readers? I speak to myself first!

Sometimes, when you walk around, did you ever notice all the broken people you see? Those people that are "down on their luck," so to speak? One guy I see around the neighborhood has some kind of problem, he talks to himself incoherently and to others the same way. Most people hurry away from him. Jesus, If Jesus saw that man today, all scruffy and unkempt,He'd find a way to graciously communicate with him. Another old fellow walks down the street very slowly with a cane. He can even hold up traffic at times. One time I helped him with a door or something. I was tempted to be impatient because he was so slow. Then he told me he was blind in his one eye. He may have been injured in battle sometime. All of a sudden, I was ashamed of myself for being so thoughtless and uncaring. Jesus has all the time in the universe to care about people's needs....But my window of opportunity to show love and do good is fleeting quickly. In fact, Christ lived outside of time, in eternity. That's why He never was flustered and frantic like we are.

These two men reflect beatings on the outside, but we all have them, whether inside or out. Though we don't show them, we are just as roughed up as they are, even though many people might not want to admit it. Though my troubles rose rapidly to the surface after I set my mind to think gratefully, I am identified with the Greatest Victor in the Universe. (I Cor. 15: 57) If I set my mind on the things above, not the things of earth (Col. 3:1-2), my heart will remain grateful. If I fail, I pick myself back up again, confess it to God, for He will forgive and cleanse me up to "70 x 7" (meaning an infinite amount.) What more could a daughter of God want?

Thank you Lord for even allowing the hard trials into my life so that I will run back to You. Amen.