Mulling It Over: Romans 8:37-39 - Conquerors because We are Convinced

It has taken us a long time to get through this one chapter of Romans, but I believe it has been worth it to take such amazing doctrine one bite at a time. God’s Word is truth and it is life transforming, so we do ourselves an injustice when we skim quickly through its unfathomable wisdom and insights. Today we are going to finished this chapter with the last three verses.

Image by Jiří Pohlídal from Pixabay

“37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 8:37-39 (NASB 1995)

We spent the last two years looking at Romans 8 and we have discovered amazing things. We learned that if we are in Christ Jesus we are not condemned. We also learned that the law is not able to accomplish what Christ accomplished by the shedding of His blood on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In addition we learned our flesh is something that we will struggle with until it no longer binds us to this earth, but the good news is that even in our flesh we are loved and cherished by an amazing God who desires that we call Him Father. His Spirit prays for us at a gut wrenching level that we cannot understand.

Even still, we face obstacles as we walk this life. The enemy of mankind, Satan does everything he can to trip us up and to make us think that we are separated from our Creator. He regularly sabotages our efforts to abide, but the truth is he cannot separate us from God.

Let’s look at these last three verses phrase by phrase.

But in all these things - This grouping of five words is referring back to the list Paul gives us in verse 35: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword. However, I would like to add that it can also be referring to what was previously said throughout the chapter which would include: condemnation, the flesh, suffering, corruption, and death. Indeed, in ALL these things…

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

We overwhelmingly conquer - We aren’t just scraping by, winning by the skin of our teeth, we are overwhelmingly conquering. If we look more closely at the word overwhelm we see that it includes the idea of overcoming, and engulfing.

I love this idea. We don’t just conquer sin and all the other things on the list, we do it by overcoming it and completely engulfing it. I had a flash back to the movie, The Blob, from 1958, where an alien entity crashes on earth and begins consuming everything in its path. Ha, ha. We crush and smother the opposition, that’s what it means for us to conquer in His name.

I know many of us don’t feel like we are conquering. I have days where I feel more like I am being consumed by that alien blob, than crushing the things that come against me. So how do we do it? Obviously, it isn’t something we do in our own strength. The next phrase gives us a clue…

Through Him who loved us - Just as Jesus said -

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

— John 15:4 (NASB 1995)

It is time we own up to the fact that without Jesus we are lost, and I don’t just mean spiritually. We just can’t do the things that Jesus does. We aren’t immortal, yet, and as long as we are in this flesh we will struggle. This was part of the reason Jesus sent the Holy Spirit.

Image by Arnie Bragg from Pixabay

“5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

— John 16:5-15 (NASB 1995)

We are able to overwhelmingly conquer because we have the Holy Spirit. Through this third person of the Triune God we don’t just learn of His love, we know His love. Through this ethereal being we are given full knowledge of who God is and how He operates in our lives. True, there are still things we don’t and won’t know until we have transferred from this earthly world to the heavenly one, but with the Holy Spirit’s life in us we are overcome and engulfed in all that is holy, beautiful and right.

For I am convinced - the author of this epistle, the Apostle Paul, is confident in who Christ says that He is, and knows the transformative power of the Spirit in his own life. The Holy God did the work of convincing him, let Him do the work of convincing you.

“6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 1:6 (NASB 1995)

Image by Eliane Meyer from Pixabay

That neither death, nor life - I might be stating the obvious, but we often think death is the main thing that will, in the end, separate us from God’s love, but those of us who have put our faith in Christ know this will not be the case. Death will be the thing that takes us out of this world and opens the door to our heavenly home.

It is more likely the case that we allow life to separate us from God’s love, and this is where we need to be aware and keep an eye on our walk with Him. In reality, there is nothing that can keep us from God’s love, but we can certainly do things that make us feel as though He is far away.

You regularly hear me talking about the idea of abiding in Christ. That is because it is so very important to stick close to Him. Life is hard, and our enemy is relentless. He will use any chance he can to turn our eyes away from our Savior to the crashing waves around us.

Image by Myriam - No AI pictures in my gallery. from Pixabay

Nor angels, nor principalities - We might wonder why Paul included this in the list, but it is understood that not all created beings remained true to God. Satan was an angel and so were the demons that followed him in his attempt to usurp the throne of the King of Glory. None of these can keep us from the love of God. Let’s not forget, His seal is on us, and nothing comes into our lives that hasn’t first passed through the Father’s hands. We see this in the book of Job.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Nor things present, nor things to come - We know time is relentless and we cannot get away from it’s passing. In fact, its passage has a profound affect on our lives in that it makes us age, and there is nothing we can change about this fact. However, no matter what we are going through right now, or what we will face in the future, we go through it wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus.

Nor powers - We are living in uncertain times and it is pretty clear people are concerned about the powers that be, not only in our own country, but in other countries around the world. I am so thankful that God holds me and the world I live in, in His hands. Only He can and will bring about the new heavens and the new earth. No matter who is in charge, they only hold the power that God’s allows them to have.

Nor height, nor depth - It does not matter the heights we achieve in this life; not the riches, the glory, or the fame. It also doesn’t matter the depths we have fallen to; the darkest cave, the deepest ocean, none of these can separate us from the love of God. You may feel you have done something so bad, Christ will never take you back, but if you made a decision to follow Him, you cannot be separated from His love, and it is that love that can help you find your way back to Him.

Nor any other created thing - There is nothing in this world that hasn’t been created, either by the omniscient God, or by the beings He created.

Will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus - It is important to note, this love of God is only found in Christ Jesus. It is not found in Allah, Buddha, Krishna, or any of the many other beliefs and ideologies that populate our world like a patchwork quilt. Only Jesus, because He and the Father are one (John 10:30). Jesus is the One who binds us to the Father and we know this through the Holy Spirit.

Thank you so much for coming along on this journey through Romans 8. I hope you have enjoyed it and learned as much as I have.

Faith Inspiration - Oswald Chambers - Our Great Capacity for God - Part 2: Sin's Beginning

Last month we started a deeper dive into this quote from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest.

“We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep us from getting to Him. God delivers us from sin——we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality. This means offering our natural life to God and sacrificing it to Him, so He may transform it into spiritual life through our obedience...We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him...we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our ‘arguments...and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5)——we have to do it.””

— My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers - November 18

I discussed what it might mean for us to have a great capacity for God. You can see that post here. This week we are going to start looking at the three things keeping us from experiencing this great capacity for God. The first of these deterrents is sin. Let’s do a quick Biblical review of sin’s origins.

Image by Petra Ohmer from Pixabay

Once again, we are taken to the beginning. In the book of Genesis we see the story of the creation of the world, including all that is living from plants and animals, to fish and humans. We see that God placed Adam, the first man, and his wife, Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. He gave them everything they needed and they could eat from any tree in the garden but one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.””

— Genesis 2:15-17 (NASB 1995)

Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay

All we need to do is read the following chapter to see that Adam and Eve chose to do exactly what God told them not to do and from that tree they ate. Of course, they were manipulated by God’s enemy, Satan, who was disguised as a beautiful serpent.

“1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”

— Genesis 3:1-7 (NASB 1995)

Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay

We need to look at this passage and really understand how easily one wrong thought, one wrong choice led to the downfall of humanity. Let’s look at Satan’s tactics (and yes I have covered this before, but it is important), and look at Adam and Eve’s responses.

1 - Satan went to Eve first. We are not told where Adam was, but the serpent started with Eve. I don’t know why he approached her first. Perhaps he knew she was more easily persuaded by his charm and beauty.

2 - Satan immediately manipulates God’s words. He asks Eve, Did God say you couldn’t eat from the trees in the garden? I am assuming he already knew exactly what God had told the couple. He knew they could eat from all the trees except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

3 - Eve misquotes God. We can see in chapter 2 God told them if they ate of the tree they would surely die. He said nothing about them touching it. Eve adds the idea of physical touch also leading to death, as though that would seem more dramatic.

4 - Once again, Satan manipulates. “You surely will not die!” While we know it was not an immediate physical death, we also know eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did lead to both an eventual physical and spiritual death; just a little detail the serpent left out.

Image by Alex Yomare from Pixabay

5 - Satan turns the screw tighter. “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil.” Satan offered, not only the possibility of being like God, but he caused Eve to question whether God was trustworthy. Can’t you hear her thinking, “If God really loves us, why didn’t He tell us this from the start? Why is He withholding it from us?”

6 - Eve looked and desired. Instead of turning away from Satan and looking for Adam to seek his input, she looked at the tree and saw it was desirable for food, and a delight to look at. You can see the wheels spinning in her mind. She saw that it was beautiful, then she desired it, then she remembered what Satan had just told her, it would make her wise…so she took and ate.

7 - Eve took her husband down with her. We can’t say Eve did this with any bad intentions. She may have just been very excited and perhaps the fruit tasted divine and she wanted to share it with her beloved. Whatever her reasons for including her husband in this defiance of God’s command it lead to the fall of humanity from the grace of their loving Creator.

Image by Nika Akin from Pixabay

8 - Adam and Eve immediately experience shame and want to hide. The serpent was absolutely right about one thing, their eyes would be open and they would know good and evil. It would be interesting to hear their conversation as they suddenly came to the realization they were naked and as they sought to find leaves to cover themselves.

The reason I covered this in detail is to show you the progression that all sin takes and has taken from the very beginning.

1 - Satan finds us when we are alone and vulnerable. When do the temptations come in our lives? It is always when we are struggling and discouraged, and most often when we feel no one has our back. Sin will creep in when we feel alone, sad, angry, discouraged, overwhelmed, anxious, and not enough.

2 - Satan will manipulate God’s words. How often have you heard people say, “If God is good, why is this bad thing happening?” Or, “God must not really love me, or I wouldn’t be struggling.” Or, “Where was God when this terrible thing happened?” Satan takes the truth about our God: that He is good, that He loves us, or that is with us always, and turns it on its head. “God didn’t really say….”

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay

3 - Satan doesn’t just manipulate God’s words, he manipulates our circumstances and the voices we hear around us to reinforce the lies he has begun to feed us. God isn’t really loving if He condemns people to hell. God isn’t really good, just look at all the terrible things going on in the world. There is no such place as hell, we will all be in heaven one day. When we die we become our spirit animals and play happily in the clouds. I am sure you can list other thoughts and ideas you have heard.

If we do not know God’s word well, or we begin to question God’s love and authority, we will begin to question the authenticity of the Bible. I know many who were raised in the the church who grew up under the teaching of God’s word who now are questioning that it was actually inspired by God, and that the men who wrote it were just interjecting their own opinions and thoughts. It is not too far a leap to give up on the truth of the Word all together when going down that path.

4 - We no longer talk about sin. The word sin is no longer politically correct, or woke. This is exactly where our enemy wants us to be. Sin has gone into hiding, covering itself with the beauty of the world’s philosophies that everyone is okay and no one is bad.

Next month we will delve deeper into what the Bible says about sin, this obstacle that keeps us from our great capacity for God. I hope you will join me.

Let me know your thoughts by leaving me a comment. I appreciate all of your feedback.

Creative Christianity: The Widow's Quest - Part 5

(This story and its previous parts are based on the story of the widow and the judge found in Luke 18:1-8. This is a fictional story with a world and characters built by me.)

Connie had been working for two hours on the old water heater, but she finally managed to find the problem. Several of the pipes had become clogged with mineral deposits and rust. It was amazing the pipes had not started leaking. She moved up the basement steps and found Rocky playing with Adam and the pups. She found Maribelle in the kitchen working on a pot of soup.

Image by Tom from Pixabay

“That smells delicious!”

Maribelle smiled. “It was my mom’s recipe. It lasts a few days if we are careful. It’s not as rich as she used to make it, but…well…things are not as easy as they were when she was alive.”

Connie nodded her head. “A lot has happened in the last few decades. How long has she been gone?”

“About three years. She got the lung illness, and my dad was already gone. We tried the best we could to help her, but it finally took her.”

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Connie wiped her dirty hands on a rag that Maribelle had given her and then put her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. It is never easy to lose a mother. Mine has been gone for almost twenty years, but I try to remember the good days we had together. Your mother was very fortunate to have you and your husband to help care for her.”

Maribelle nodded and seemed to brighten a bit. “I guess you are right. I never really looked at it that way. I only wish she would have lived long enough to meet Adam. He’s our future.”

Connie looked at the waning daylight out the window and realized she would not get to the Manor of Minward on this trip. She was going to have to return to the Rift by tomorrow morning, or Neopolo would send a few of his goons after her. It seemed ridiculous. She was nobody, but De Caro believed everyone in the Rift was his. If you went out, you came back, or you died.

Maribelle must have noticed her gaze out the window. “If you have to be going, I understand. It has been wonderful for Adam to have a few playmates for a while. Please don’t feel the need to stay.”

Connie turned, her mind already made up. “I’m not going anywhere, leastwise not until later tonight when I have to make my way back to the Rift. I found the problem with your water heater, all I need are a few clean pipes, and a torch. I already have solder and the other necessary tools. Usually at steam works they have torches for workers to use. Any ideas?”

Image by Ken Boyd from Pixabay

“My husband, Lukas has a torch. He does metal work for the Hy-Breds. They like all them fancy fences and designs on their moving vehicles. I’m not sure about clean pipes. You could check at the church. They take in a lot of scrap stuff in trade for food. I’m pretty sure, it is just another way to get people in to hear their message.” She laughed.

“If you think Lukas would let me borrow his torch, then just point me in the right direction and I will go see if I can get the pipes I need for the job.”

“Oh, I am sure Lukas will be happy to loan you his torch in exchange for a hot shower. I’ll write the address of the church down for you. It’s just a few blocks away.”

“Do you mind if Rocky hangs out here while I’m gone?”

Maribelle peeked around the corner to where Adam was giggling and puppies were yapping. “Not at all. He’s the first babysitter I’ve had since Adam was born.”

* * * * *

The church was a solid, old structure built from brick, with large wooden doors and stained glass windows that still looked mostly intact. There were only a few open churches in the Rift, and they were barely hanging together. De Caro gleaned anything and everything shortly after he came into power. He wanted all the residents of the Rift to know they, and everything they had, belonged to him.

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

Connie saw a few people standing outside one of the sets of doors, so she moved in their direction.

“Excuse me, I was told I might be able to find some usable scrap materials here.”

A very large, dark skinned man gave her a stern look. “Who sent you?”

Connie had no idea who these people were and she wasn’t about to give them Maribelle and Lukas’ names, especially after they were being so kind to her.

“Well, I...as you can see I am a steamer, but I live in the Rift and often when I get sent to a job out here, I try to pick up a few odd jobs, just to help stretch the coin…I mean who can blame me…my name is Connie by the way. What is yours?”

The man looked a little unsettled by Connie’s friendly, matter-of-fact tone. He hesitated. Another voice from behind him said, “His name is Reggie, and he is being very rude.”

An older man stepped past Reggie and extended his hand towards her. “I’m Andreas Eastman. I help out around here when I have time.”

Connie took his hand and smiled at him. He was a nice looking man, and she suddenly felt mortified at how dirty her hands and everything else on her was. She quickly pulled her hand away and adjusted her hair behind her ear.

“What can we do for you?”

“Well, I am doing a job nearby on an old water heater and a few of the pipes need to be replaced.”

“Come on. I’ll show you where we keep the scrap metal.”

Connie followed Andreas into the church. They went through the sanctuary where a small group huddled together with their heads bowed. They came to a hallway which led past several rooms and what looked and smelled like a kitchen. Connie’s stomach growled. Eventually they went through another outer door into a small yard. Taking up about one fourth of it was an area filled with all sorts of metal, wood and other material scarps.

Image by andreas N from Pixabay

“Wow! This is impressive, and everything is so well organized.”

Andreas chuckled. “We do a lot with volunteers. It’s our way of trying to keep people off the streets. It gives them a place and a purpose. The scrap is here for locals to purchase.”

Connie felt her heart sink. “I’m afraid I don’t have much in the way of money.”

Andreas smiled at her warmly. “Oh, you misunderstand. When I say purchase I mean barter. People can stay for a message, help in the kitchen, even do some cleaning. No currency is ever exchanged. Around here that is hard to come by.”

Connie still felt wary. She didn’t have much time.

Andreas seemed to sense her hesitation. “I overheard you say you are from the Rift. You are a ways from home aren’t you?”

Connie nodded, but didn’t speak. She was feeling overwhelmed.

“Listen, I am aware of how it works. I have a few friends in the Rift. You have a time limit. Did you get all your legitimate business finished?”

Connie felt herself coming unhinged. She was so tired of carrying this burden alone. “Well, I…I actually didn’t have legitimate business. My work papers were forged. I was on my way to the Manor of Minward. I expected to be there and back before my time was up. I didn’t know I would meet an orphan, a mother pup and her babies and a family who needed a little help…”

She looked up at Andreas and noticed his light eyes looking at her intently. “Why were you going to the Manor of Minward?”

Connie took a deep breath and stood a little straighter. She was not going to be deterred in her efforts. “I am going to talk to the Lord of the Manor. He needs to do something about the Rift. People are living in squalor and Neopolo De Caro needs to be taken down!”

As soon as it came out of her mouth, Connie worried that she had said too much. How did she know that the “friends” this man had inside the Rift weren’t a part of DeCaro’s mob?

“Look,” she started. “You don’t need to worry. I’m not going to hurt anyone. I’m just one person who would like to make a difference. You get that, right?”

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

Andreas smiled. “Yes. All of us who are at this church want to make a difference.”

"Why don’t you just let me scrounge through the scrap, tell me how to pay and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Sure! Have a look. When you are done you’ll need to talk to our pastor. He’ll tell you how you can pay.”

Connie nodded then slipped past Andreas and began scouring the scrap pile. She found several pieces she thought would work, plus a few flexible stainless steel pieces with the appropriate attachment ends. She was delighted by that find. When she was finished she made her way back into the church.

She was just going to step back into the sanctuary when Andreas called to her from down the hall. “Connie?”

She turned and he motioned her to follow. She moved down the hall and saw him slip into a doorway a few feet further on.

When she stepped inside she took a sharp breath. Sitting in a chair on one side of the desk was a man she assumed to be the pastor. Across from him sat the guard from the first check point in the Rift.

“Hey there, Sunshine!”

Word for the Year: Trust

Here we are, barreling through another January. A new year has begun and time continues to fly. As I was mulling over the idea of doing another Word of the Year, I had several in mind including a return to believe, or a look at hope. As a friend and I were discussing after our Saturday morning Zoom Bible study the words believe and trust came up. Both words are rich and full of meaning and depth, especially when taken in the context of the Holy Scriptures and our relationship with Christ.

Image by Lisa Caroselli from Pixabay

The word believe is defined: to accept something as true, genuine or real; to have a firm, wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion that the existence of God is true; to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy or ability of something.

The word trust is defined: the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something; dependence on something future or contingent - hope; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of - believe; to place confidence in - rely; to hope or expect confidently.

Both of these words have similar tones and you honestly can’t have trust without belief, nor can you experience true, life changing belief without trust. We can see this idea in the the story of the man who brings his demon possessed son to Jesus for healing. I did a more in depth look at this passage in 2022 when I chose believe as my word for the year.

“20 They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth.
21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.””

— Mark 9:20-24 (NASB 1995)

Image by Artur Skoniecki from Pixabay

This man took an actionable step from belief to trust. He recognized he did not have enough belief to go from “…if you can do anything…” to “Of course you can heal him! You are the Son of God.” (My own idea of what he might have said if he already placed his complete trust in Jesus.) He placed his trust in Christ when he exposed his vulnerability by saying, “help my unbelief."

This idea of trust is not easy. It is a step that takes us from a place of alleged safety to a place of exposure. Take for instance an individual going to a counselor seeking help for a mental health problem. Perhaps they are struggling with depression or anxiety. In order to take this action step they first need to see they have a problem that requires help. After they make that discovery they must call a therapist or psychiatrist. It might be that they ask friends and co-workers for the name of someone these people deem trustworthy. They make the call, setting up the appointment, then with some additional amount of fear they go to their first appointment.

When they are sitting in the therapist’s office they must answer this question: “Am I going to trust this person enough to really open up to them? Am I going to expose my inner most fears and struggles? Am I going to let them peek into my inner closet where all the skeletons and, perhaps demons, hang?” It is only by choosing to trust the professional with their struggles that the individual is going to make progress towards being mentally healthy and whole.

The same idea is true in our relationship with Christ. We come to Him by believing, but what makes our belief different than that of the fallen angels?

“18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? ”

— James 2:18-20 (NASB 1995)

Our belief is a choice to open up to a mighty God and the first thing we must do is admit we have a problem. We are sinners. We are of the lineage of Adam and Eve and their sin became our sin. The only healing for this problem is to place ourselves in the hands of a pure and holy God. We come to Him hoping for His mercy, love and forgiveness and He freely gives it to us. This is the beginning of a life of trust.

Over the next twelve months we will look at the word trust and how a lack of it leads to a life of worry and fear, whereas a life of abandoning all to Him will free us up to know joy unspeakable. I hope you will join me.

Faith Inspiration - Oswald Chambers - Our Great Capacity for God - Part 1

Oswald Chamber’s devotional book My Utmost for His Highest has been one of my most used devotionals over a span of nearly three decades. The book, put together by his wife after his death at the young age of 43, gives 365 devotions taken from her notes of his sermons, talks and writings. Each devotion emphasizes a verse or two from the Scripture, and my personal habit is to read the entire chapter where the verse or verses are found. This has been a great exercise in learning more from God’s word and understanding the context of certain passages. Today I want to look at a quote from the devotional that struck me as profound and has stimulated a good deal of additional thought and study.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

“We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep us from getting to Him. God delivers us from sin——we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality. This means offering our natural life to God and sacrificing it to Him, so He may transform it into spiritual life through our obedience...We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him...we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our ‘arguments...and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5)——we have to do it.””

— November 18th

There are three things, Oswald lists that keep us from God. I want to take the next few months of these Faith Inspiration posts to look at these in depth and talk about steps we can take to get closer to our amazing God. Before we take an in depth look at the first of these deterrents, sin, next month, I want to talk about what it means to be “designed with a great capacity for God.”

We learn in the very first book of the Old Testament that we are creations of God. Not only are we His artistic work, we are made with His image stamped on our beings.

“26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

— Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB 1995)

We also see evidence of this Creator/creation connection in the New Testament.

“10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

— Ephesians 2:10 (NASB 1995)

Image by endri yana yana from Pixabay

Just as an artist, or a craftsman puts a bit of themselves into the things they make: the pictures they paint, the statues they mold, the beautiful furniture they carve, God put a bit of Himself in each of us. It is in this imprint where our great capacity for Him lies. This image of Him we are created in enables us to know Him intimately, and to enjoy a pure and beautiful relationship with Him. This frontier is wide open, and yet we know so little. Just as many of the Israelites stood at the edge of the Promised land, but were denied access due to their stubborn sin of pride and lack of trust in God, we too stand at the edge of our great capacity to dive into the deeper layers of God, but fear, mistrust and pride keep us from jumping off the precipice.

The Psalmist also recognized our position before God. We are not His equal. We are His possession, but not a possession to be taken advantage of or abused. We are a possession He longs to come along side and care for.

“6 Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,”

— Psalm 95:6-7 (NASB 1995)

“1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.”

— Psalm 100 (NASB 1995)

Sheep do not care for themselves. They are cared for by a shepherd and Christ described Himself as our Good Shepherd. It is not the fact that we are truly like sheep. We can certainly take care of ourselves. Our humanity demands that we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and do what we have to do. Unfortunately, this independent spirit limits our capacity for God, and we will talk more about that when we look at the idea of our own individuality. No, we are not sheep, but perhaps the Psalmist and our Savior are making the same point, we should be.

“11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ”

— John 10:11-15 (NASB 1995)

I believe to truly understand, as Oswald states, “our great capacity for God,” we must learn the ins and outs of humility and trust. We will look at these more fully next time as we delve into how sin keeps us from truly experiencing what that great capacity is. I hope you will follow along.

A Year of Waiting - Respite

The word respite is a waiting word, but one that usually gives the idea of a welcome break. A respite is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary as (noun) a period of temporary delay, an internal rest or relief; as (verb) to grant a temporary period of relief to, or to grant a respite to, or to put off or delay. A respite is a term also applied to giving a caregiver a break from caring for an ill loved one.

As I type this my husband and I are on, what I would call, a respite. We got away for the purpose of rest and relief. Although, I think a true respite would be to completely unplug, with no phone or internet, something that is rarely attained, even when we purpose to do it. However, just getting a change of scenery and getting outside can provide a similar benefit to a true respite.

Image by Julia from Pixabay

Doesn’t that picture make you want to get away? Ha, ha. Getting away is something both my spouse and I find cathartic to the chaos filled, fast paced and anxiety inducing lives we are often living. Even though we no longer have children at home, we live close to our girls, and in turn our grandsons. This is a wonderful thing and I count myself very blessed to have both of our grandsons in our lives and to be a part of helping our daughters and their significant others take care of and have input in their lives.

In addition to family my spouse’s job keeps him busy, and I have my blog and all the other responsibilities of maintaining a home, grocery shopping, making meals, laundry, the list goes on. As with most people we are also constantly bombarded by images, noise, and input in the form of news, social media, and everything else we have access to on the internet.

As I have in all the past posts on A Year of Waiting, I find a definite connection to our waiting on the Lord. So often, God brings circumstances into our lives to bring us into a waiting position. We are to wait for Him, whether it is for deliverance, justice, healing, rescue, hope, glory or perfection. Waiting is much less about what we are waiting for and more about who brought us to a place of waiting.

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

The Old and New Testaments are full of examples of men and women who had to wait. Noah had to wait while building the ark for the actual flood, over 100 years of waiting. Abraham waited a lifetime for a son. Hannah waited for a child. The people of Israel waited 400 years before they were lead out of slavery from the Egyptians. Simeon waited his whole life for the One who would save Israel. Jesus waited approximately 30 years before starting his public ministry. Life is filled with waiting.

When we look closely at the word respite we see it is a waiting that is meant for good. Indeed, I believe that all waiting brought about by God’s orchestration is meant for our good. As I mentioned in my original post at the beginning of this year, Word for 2024: Wait, waiting can be to keep us safe, give us rest, or give us time to think through a decision or recover from a difficult circumstance or tragedy.

Unfortunately, finding a respite in these busy, chaos filled, and tragic times can be difficult. It really takes a choice and often a predetermined plan. Whether you need to find time to spend with God or time to regroup and reenergize, or time to grieve and heal, the best way to get a respite is to schedule it in just like you would a doctor’s appointment, a trip to the gym, or a visit with a friend.

Image by SerenityArt from Pixabay

Don’t think of it so much in terms of quantity as in quality. An individual who is providing long term care for a sick or aging family member finds they are much better able to cope when they can just walk a way, even for a short time period. Whether it be 15 or 30 minutes for a walk outside, a two hour walk around the mall, or an entire weekend in a different location you can find respite in the smallest of changes and moments.

Also, recognize what might work for me, might not work for you. Not everyone likes the outdoors. I can actually sit out on our patio on a sunny day and feel like I am getting away from whatever struggle I am dealing with. Both my spouse and I love to take walks and hike, but not everyone does. The point is to find what works for you.

Respite is a type of waiting that is important for all of us to do. God made the Sabbath for our benefit, and for His glory, but it seems in this day and age, we have forgotten how to rest and be still, whether you believe the Sabbath is on Saturday or Sunday. God knew how restless a people we would be and also how fatigued we would become from our nonstop lifestyle.

“10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””

— Psalm 46:10 (NASB 1995)

“28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble 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 (NASB 1995)

I hope you will find time for a respite, and find time to go to the Creator of your soul who truly knows how to give you rest.

A Year of Waiting - Tarry

The word tarry as defined in Webster’s Online Dictionary means: to delay or be tardy in action or doing; to linger in expectation; wait; to abide or stay in or at a place; stay, or sojourn. Tarry is an older word used in the first few senses in the 14th century. Ask yourself, how often do I use the word tarry today? We don’t usually say, “I tarried at the train station.” “I’m going to tarry at the seashore.” “I’m sure to tarry in line at the concert.” It sounds rather archaic.

Image by Thomas from Pixabay

When it comes to this word journey I have been on for the year 2024, I like the way tarry opens up other doors and windows to this idea of waiting. As I have noted previously, waiting can be a complete drag, and most of us would not sign up for an adventure in waiting, but our lives are full of lines, traffic jams, delays, and prospects of a future that require we wait.

When I hear the word tarry, I do not think of a long term situation. However, if we look at the King James Version of scripture, which uses a synonym, sojourn we see that the span of time could be quite lengthy.

“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.”

— Exodus 12:40 (KJV)

Still we get the sense that it was not intended to be forever. When God speaks of a long term living situation He often uses the word dwell, or abide. We took a closer look at the word abide in February. You can see that post here.

“1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.”

— Psalm 133 (NASB 1995)

Psalm 133 has a tone I would associate with a long term living situation. God intended that we dwell together in unity in a place where we experience the blessing of life forever. In this psalm it is a reference to Zion, which we can also look at as eternity with God. With the state many of our current churches are in it can be hard to imagine being able to dwell with those same brothers or sisters together forever in unity. Ha, ha. However, God said it will be true. We won’t just be tarrying, but putting down roots and dwelling.

Image by Filip Loczek from Pixabay

Since we already looked at the idea of abide, I wanted to spend some time thinking about what it means to tarry with God. I have learned, it is essential that we tarry with God as much as we can, especially when our lives are pulling us in so many directions. You might feel on any given day, “I don’t have time to abide. I am too busy.” However, if we don’t find the time, God will give us the time, and that is not always preferable as it usually comes with some sort of difficulty. God is not mean hearted, He loves you purely with everlasting love, and He knows exactly what you need, and that is directly linked to the time you spend with Him.

Let me give you a personal example. I was really struggling for several weeks this past month. I was exhausted, discouraged and my heart felt so heavy. Grief was a blanket I was regularly wrapping up in. Grief over my mom being in a nursing home and not being able to be there to help with her care. Grief over my children who have walked away from the truth of the scripture and the love of Jesus. Grief over the state of our country and the fear of the looming downward spiral. Grief over relationships. Grief over loved ones with cancer and other illnesses. Grief over other people’s kids who were struggling with addictions and various other issues. Grief over my own health. The list goes on.

Image by Tern70 from Pixabay

I am learning the importance of acknowledging these feelings and allowing myself to feel them. They are real, after all, and are felt on the deepest levels. However, we all know we can’t live in those dark places. We always need to return to the light, otherwise the darkness will become an all too comfortable place to abide and dwell.

I felt God pulling me. Whispering to me, “Amy, come to Me. Spend time with Me. Only I can meet every need and help you bear every burden.” I know this to be true, but as you know our flesh wars against us every chance it gets. Finally, one sunny afternoon, I took my Bible and my prayer journal out on the patio and began a search through the scriptures. I was looking for Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

— Psalm 34:18 (NASB 1995)

I knew it was in the psalms, but I couldn’t remember where, so I just started leafing through. God brought me two different passages.

“8 Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.”

— Psalm 6:8-9 (NASB 1995)

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

“1 “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.”

— Psalm 18:1-3 (NASB 1995)

Image by Enrique from Pixabay

When we tarry with God we can find peace and joy, even in the midst of our grief and pain. When we tarry we spend time, even just a small amount of time, doing the following:

1 - Remembering God’s character - He hears our weeping, our supplication and He receives our prayers. Don’t you love that? God isn’t ashamed of our emotions. He wants us to come and ask. He is our Abba, Father and He loves us. He wants to hear our prayers. He doesn’t just hear them, He receives them. He takes them on as His own. Remember The Bee Keeper? If you don’t, buzz on over to that post for a refresher.

2 - Acknowledging His abilities - He is our strength. He is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. He is our shield. He is our salvation. He is our stronghold. He is our refuge. All of these things are His abilities, and He gives them to us without reserve. He can protect, give strength, and get us through anything that comes our way.

“7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
10 He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
15 Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.”

— Psalm 18:7-15 (NASB 1995)

Image by Jean Louis Tosque from Pixabay

3 - Renewing our understanding of Him - I have read Psalm 18 numerous times, but the Scripture, being that it is living and active, spoke to me anew. The above verses floored me. He is not just a gentle and loving God; He is a powerful, mighty force able to move mountains with a thought. He has, can and will display holy anger when the time is right for His wrath and will to be accomplished. It sets my heart to quaking, but also fills me with hope. He will have the final word, and all that is dark, and ugly, and painful will be burned away in His purest, most holy light.

“16 He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.”

— Psalm 18:16-19 (NASB 1995)

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

“49 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord,
And I will sing praises to Your name.”

— Psalm 18:49 (NASB 1995)

4 - Thanking Him for all He has done - If you can only tarry for a few minutes, I think this is the best bench to sit on. Gratitude is known to change hearts, minds, health, and perspective. When we sit for a few minutes on God’s goodness and provision to us it gives us the ability to keep going because we come away with hope. With God there is always hope.

Take it from me, if you are struggling with grief, pain, bitterness or other unresolved feelings and situations it certainly is helpful to talk it out with a trusted friend or counselor, but also don’t forget to tarry for a little while with Jesus. He makes all the difference.

Faith Topics: Quarrels or Kindness

We are living in a time where information is readily available at the push of a button. Whether we want to look up our symptoms on WebMD, watch a YouTube video on how to clean a headlight, or scroll through Instagram to see who’s wearing what, we can access anything at any time of day or night.

Image by Pixelkult from Pixabay

Not only is information instantaneous, but responses and opinions about the information are immediate as well. You can disagree with someone promptly without really thinking through if the things they said, or you said are going to be beneficial or helpful. From what I have seen, it is more often the case that the original information is not the issue, but how people respond to the information given.

Just what is our responsibility as Christ followers when it comes to the management of information, and our responses to that information? Are we suppose to stand up for God, and defend Him? Are we suppose to preach truth, no matter who it might hurt, or what toes we might step on? Are we being irresponsible if we don’t respond, or if we decide we no longer want to deal with the the messiness of disagreements and name calling?

While I am not a pastor, or a psychologist, I do believe God gave us clear instructions in His word for how to maneuver life in this chaotic world. As always, when we are unsure about something we should explore His word first and see what He says.

We are going to look at several passages that I think speak to this issue, and then I want to offer a few guidelines to keep in mind when you are wondering if you should “speak up”.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy two times. In those letters he tried to encourage the young pastor with regards to handling his congregation. Paul knew it wouldn’t be easy for a young man taking on a group of people who were not only stubborn, but easily pulled along by the current trend of teaching and information.

“20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”

— 1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Obviously, the letters to Timothy are included for our benefit as well, so we might take the same advice to avoid worldly, empty chatter and the opposing of arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”. So much of what we see on social media and hear from what are often thought of as reputable news sources is falsely called “knowledge.” That will be a post for a different day, because today I want to focus on our response to “information” whether it is true or false.

Let’s look at another passage also in a letter written by Paul to Timothy.

“23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

— 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NASB 1995)

What I like about the Apostle Paul is that he was very straight forward. Verse 24 is really all we need to remember when we ask the question, should we as Christ followers quarrel? No, we should not. Does that mean we shouldn’t discuss, try to make a point, give evidence to support what we believe and so on? Of course not, however, we must do it as the above passage states: with kindness, able to teach, patiently, with gentleness.

When I read many of the comments to volatile posts on social media I do not see a whole lot of kindness, patience, or gentleness. Most of the time it is not about teaching, it is about wanting to be right. Our job is not to be right. Our job is to lead others to the Lamb of God. We are here to lift up the name of Jesus, not prove how intelligent or special we are.

Image by Elsemargriet from Pixabay

Believe me, I get it. There are times I want to bring down all the hell fire and damnation I can find in the Bible to make a point. There have been many times I have thought about taking the blog in a different direction and trying to be more issue oriented, but that is not what God has called me to. He has called me to encourage, pray, love, and when there is opportunity lead back to Him. People don’t need my point of view, they need Jesus!

We are called to kindness, gentleness and patience for a purpose, that God might grant those in opposition repentance leading to knowledge of the truth…His truth, not that which is “falsely called knowledge”, so that they might come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, because he has taken them captive to do his will.

I don’t know about you, but this changes my perspective in such a huge way that I can’t even talk about it without getting emotional. We are here for the glory of God. We are here to be lights in the darkness. We are the front line warriors called to fight in the unseen realm to help those lost lambs come back to their senses and escape the snare of the evil one.

What does this mean? How do we respond in these powder keg times? Here are a few ideas.

1 - Pray.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

If we are praying as Paul told us:

“18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,”

— Ephesians 6:18 (NASB 1995)

…then our attitudes will already be in check. Not only that, but praying in the Spirit enables Him to do the work before, during and after. We can’t soften people’s hard hearts, that is the Spirit’s job. We can’t draw people to Christ, that is the Spirit’s job. We can’t force a brother or sister in Christ to see things our way, that is a Holy Spirit work.

Prayer has always been the work we must do first and foremost, yet it is almost always an afterthought. What does God’s word say?

“17 pray without ceasing;”

— I Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB 1995)

This quote says it all.

“It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.”

— Hudson Taylor

2 - Question your motives.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

If you are like most of us, meaning flawed, sinful humanity, then always ask yourself, why do I need to respond to this? Will my response be met with openness or with hostility? Am I doing this because it is a Holy Spirit leading, or my own leading? Am I looking to encourage and give hope, or am I wanting to put down and destroy?

“1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.”

— Proverbs 16:1-3 (NASB 1995)

3 - Question the source.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Often times social media posts are about numbers and reactions. The more people give a thumbs up or a thumbs down, the more times the post is shared, and the more comments on a post are all part of the social media formula. If the source isn’t someone you know, or a source you identify as reputable it is better to let it go and not respond.

The other thought to keep in mind is many people who post in anger are often in pain. Think about what might be driving that person to say what they are saying, or to respond to a situation with deep bitterness or hatred. Often, that person is suffering, have experienced loss, or is in real physical pain or torment.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

— Proverbs 15:1 (NASB 1995)

4 - If you still feel the urge to respond, do it in private.

Image by alda2 from Pixabay

There is a way, on most social media apps, to message someone in private. You do not have to continue down the proverbial public rabbit trail, whether you are responding to the original post or a comment on the original post. Send a message expressing your concern and/or your thoughts so that person can think about your input without the opinion of the masses.

When you are able to have a private conversation with someone, and I believe this is better in person rather than via email, text, or in a public social media thread, you can both ask questions to clarify statements being said, and you can read each other’s body language and facial expressions. You can see if something you are saying is causing the other person to erect a wall, or throw up roadblocks and you can back off, or change the subject. Why is this important?

“20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him..”

— 2 Corinthians 5:20-22 (NASB 1995)

As His ambassadors we are His representatives. It used to be important to behave with propriety in public whether you were a politician, a religious leader, a teacher, or a clerk at a fast food restaurant. This is still true for those of us who call ourselves Christ followers. We are to represent God and His heavenly kingdom on this earth, not in a the manner of a bar room brawl, but with love, respect, dignity and honor.

“26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. ”

— Ephesians 4:26-27 (NASB 1995)

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gave you some things to think about. Thank you for stopping by the blog. Have a great week!

Faith Inspiration: Psalm 139:1-3

This column is meant to inspire our faith; to move us to action or even to contemplation. Scripture has become more and more my source of inspiration. After all, these are the words of God; His thoughts given to men and written down. All of them were spoken, or God breathed by His Spirit to the men who wrote. I believe, though this is becoming a less popular opinion, that God’s word is without error. I believe that it is alive and transforms us as we read and meditate on it.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Today’s source of inspiration comes from one of my favorite Psalms. Psalm 139 is a psalm of David. I recently decided to reread this Psalm taking it three verses at a time. Often, if we want to learn more we need to take a deep dive into just a few verses at a time, thus my Mulling it Over series. I am finding more and more that a brief look at God’s word is never enough. He has so much more to say to us in between the lines, through the voice of His Spirit speaking to our spirit. This is the beauty of an intimate relationship with God.

“1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.”

— Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV)

I have long looked at this passage as a way to understand my standing before God. Indeed, it reminds us that we are worthy and needful of His love and compassion, and it has been so since the beginning of time. As I read through these verses again, I was suddenly struck by the fact that the psalm is not just telling us details about ourselves, but it it telling us great secrets about the Almighty God.

What do we learn about God from these three verses?

1 - He desires to know His creation. God didn’t just set the world into motion and walk away, though some like to believe that is the case. God interacted and wanted to have a relationship with his artistry. Let’s look back at Genesis. First of all we see God actively involved in the making process. He didn’t just make primordial ooze and let it evolve, he spoke, molded, shaped, and breathed everything into existence. The more telling statement is this, “And God saw that it was good.” God actually took time, not only to create, but to enjoy what He had created.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Further on we see God’s personal involvement to make sure His work was taken care of by creating Adam. (See Genesis 2:5.) After this He also attended to Adam’s need to not be alone by making a companion completely suited to him. (See Genesis 2:18-24.) In addition we are told that God walked in the Garden. He was part of their community, and though we don’t know exactly what this was like we can use our imaginations. (See Genesis 3:8.)

Maybe this seems scary or off putting to some, but to me it gives such comfort and reassurance that can only be described as complete trust. If a being as powerful and righteous as our God wants to know us He is doing it with complete, pure love.

2 - He has know His creation from the foundation of the world. This is obvious from the same verses I pointed out from above. In addition, the first line of the psalm says, “…you have searched me and known me.” Both these words are past tense.

Image by info254 from Pixabay

As a writer I do like words to make sense; to choose the correct word for the correct sentence, and have the appropriate grammar, tense and so on. However, when it comes to God, I do recognize He is outside the bounds of time. The Bible is written for our understanding, so that we might comprehend what is being said. Since God is eternal He not only knew us from when He set the world into orbit, but He knows us in the present and in the future.

3 - He desires intimacy with us. It isn’t enough for God to know His creation. He wants to be intimate with us. Intimacy basically means familiarity. We often use it with regards to a sexual relationship, but today many sexual encounters require no intimacy at all. True intimacy is a feeling of closeness, belonging and trust.

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.”

— Psalm 25:14 (ESV)

Image by Dim Hou from Pixabay

The psalmist says, “You know when I sit down, and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” God must be up close and personal if He knows when I am sitting, and when I am getting up. He also knows my personality and what makes me tick. He can take one look at my face and know exactly what I am thinking. My husband is good at reading me, but not that good. He also knows where I am most of the time, but not every single minute of every day.

4 - God is aware at all times. For the same reasons stated above, God is fully aware of where we are, what we are doing, and what we are thinking. (See Psalm 139:7-8.) I know there are varying thoughts on the omnipresence of God. Some say that while He is everywhere present, He doesn’t necessarily know everything that is going on at every moment. Others say God can be everywhere present, but also chooses to not be at all times. My belief is that God is big enough to know all of us, at all times, in every place, and in all circumstances. This is what makes Him a personal God. It is not for us to understand this mystery, merely believe.

“9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

— Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

“4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”

— Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”

— Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

5 - God is actively involved. Verse 3 states that God searches out our path, and our lying down. He is acquainted with all our ways. How can you be acquainted with all of someone’s ways without being a part of their life? God is our Good Shepherd. He knows the lamb who has the loud, obnoxious baaa; the one who hides in the corner of the fold; the one who bullies the others, and the one who tends to wander away. Make no mistake, God quietly observes, but He is actively orchestrating our lives to bring us into intimacy with Him.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.”

— Isaiah 40:11 (ESV)

This gives me great comfort. Life is hard, and having loved ones who don’t walk with Him makes it even harder, but these revelations about God, through His word inspires my faith to trust, be still and lean on His timing and compassion to bring them back to Him.

I hope this has inspired you to worship, praise and thank Him for the amazing God He is.

Until next time.

Mulling It Over - Romans 8: 26-27

The month of May flew by with my younger daughter’s graduation from the Master of Nursing program, our meandering trip across the states of Wisconsin and Michigan, and the last week spent helping to take care of our two year old grandson while his mom and dad were on their anniversary trip in Cancun, Mexico.

June started off with a literal bang as the roof on our house and garage got completely torn off and redone. The roof was followed a few days later by the gutters, and then about a week after that a few guys came out to finish off a few trim pieces that had been missed. In the midst of all of that I got slammed by a sinus infection. As I write this I am once again on an antibiotic, steroids and I’ve been working with my pulmonologist on switching up inhalers. Eye, yie, yie. Welcome to Amy’s “new normal.”

I know I am not alone in this journey we call life, and as Jesus said before and I will say again, “…you will have trouble in this world.” Trouble with a capital “T” is often lurking around every corner. I know numerous people struggling with the respiratory gunk, have cancer, or are struggling with relentless burdens. That is precisely why this 8th chapter of Romans is so fitting to our lives today. Remember we, along with creation, are longing, and groaning for that future glorification of our bodies and an eternity with our God.

La Crosse, WI

In this Mulling It Over column, I have been looking at the 8th chapter of Romans. Romans is packed full of theology and doctrine that is pertinent to our faith as Christ believers. Chapter 8 reminds us who we are in Christ and why his death on the cross was necessary to set all things right and fulfill what the law could not do. This week we are going to look at two more verses, and only two because there is a lot to mull over.

“26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

— Romans 8:26-27 (NASB 1995)

Let’s take these verses a phrase at a time.

Image by Andrea Don from Pixabay

In the same way the Spirit - When we see the phrase, “in the same way” it typically refers back to the verses or passage that came before. In this case it is referring to the work of the Spirit in the previous verses. Let’s review what that work is.

1 - The Spirit of life in Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death (vs. 2)

2 - The Spirit gives life and peace to those whose minds are set on Him (vs. 5)

3 - The Spirit dwells in us if Christ is in us (vs. 9-10)

4 - The Spirit of Him (God the Father) who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies (eternal) (vs. 11)

5 - The Spirit helps us put to death the deeds of the body (flesh) (vs. 13)

6 - The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (vs. 16)

7 - The Spirit gives us first fruits (referring to the gifts of salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness and so on that we receive when we believe) (vs. 23)

As we can see from looking at this list, the Holy Spirit has an equally important place in the Christian’s walk, and now we come to the next, gloriously wonderful thing He does for us.

Also helps our weaknesses -

Image by Лечение наркомании from Pixabay

The Spirit helps our weaknesses. Having a chronic health problem has put me fully in contact with my weakness. The reality is we are all weak. It doesn’t matter how physically, mentally, or emotionally strong we are, life can take us out in a heartbeat. It is here, in this realization of our weakness, the full beauty of the Spirit’s work in a believer’s life takes place. Could it be, our weaknesses are the result of one very important point?

…for we do not know how to pray as we should…

Image by Malachi Cowie from Pixabay

Imagine a world where, when anything goes wrong, we drop to our knees in prayer? We don’t just throw up a rote prayer, or one we’ve learned by heart as a child, we come into full combat mode aligning our desires, interests, struggles, thoughts, and heart with the One who truly knows what is best for each and every one of us. We would pray according to the Spirit. We would pray as Jesus taught us with a “…gentle and humble heart.” It is only in learning to pray this way that we will truly find rest for our souls.

As we study God’s living word we are reminded again and again we do not do this alone. He is with us. He is making it possible. He is instilling us with Spirit filled, death-defying, almighty power through the blood of the one we gave our lives to, Jesus Christ.

Once again, I am stunned by this beautiful Savior who made it all possible. He gave us a choice. He gave us a hope. He gave us grace that is unbound. He extended mercy where none is deserved. He knew how we would struggle in this life, fettered by the chains of flesh, constantly struggling to keep our eyes on Him, but fiercely aware of the multitudes of unseen that desire to take us down.

Once again He provided a way.

….but the Spirit Himself intercedes with groanings to deep for words…

Image by Richard Reid from Pixabay

This phrase is rich with images. Imagine the Spirit doing this work of intercession. This is not an easy work. Ask yourself how easy it is to pray, and you begin to understand how amazing our Holy Spirit is. He doesn’t just speak, He groans; so deep and heavy is the need for each of His Father’s creation whom He indwells. Words cannot do this intercession justice. These prayers fall to the language of lament and mourning. For a being, not restricted by language, how very telling it is that His mighty prayers are lifted up as groans. (If you get a chance read my allegory, The Bee Keeper. This gives life to the above words.)

…and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is…

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

Who is He who searches the hearts? It is God, our Abba, Father. The God who is everywhere present and all knowing, is also the God who is one in three. The trinity works from the same mind. While we know that not all things have been revealed to the Son, or the Spirit, such as the time of His return, we do know that the three work with the same goal in mind; that of our salvation, sanctification and future glorification. The Father is confident in the Spirit’s intercession and rightfully so…

…because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Image by Jondolar Schnurr from Pixabay

The Spirit cannot do anything other than the will of the Father, so His intercession for us is according to what God’s will is for us. The possibility of a simple, child-like trust arises from this knowledge. If we truly believe that God is good, and we know that He is working out good in our lives, then we can lean back in His mighty arms as the same Spirit who lives within us intercedes for us in complete alignment with the Father’s will.

“13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

— Philippians 2:13 (NASB 1995)

These two verses are the basis for what comes in the next session as we narrow in on one verse, Romans 8:28. I hope this has been an encouragement to you today, just as it has been to me.

Until next time.

Creative Christianity: The Widow's Quest - Part2

(This is a fictional piece based on the parable of the widow and the judge from Luke 18. I wrote this piece for entertainment purposes only.)

By the time Constance got to the second check point the rain was torrential. Her coat felt heavy as it took on water, and her tool bag was completely soaked. Thankfully, there was a long line of people which, she hoped, would make it easier for her to just slide through without much notice.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

As she stood in the line, she noticed the other people waiting. It was a hobby of hers, people watching. She had always enjoyed sitting in obscure places to watch people. People were so interesting and unique. That was how she and Amos had met. He had been sitting on a different bench a little way away from her at the small park near her parents’ home. Apparently, he enjoyed doing the same thing. It wasn’t that unusual. If you weren’t part of DeCaro’s network, there wasn’t much else to do.

She noticed him sitting there, and he noticed her. Eventually, they noticed each other noticing each other. One day when she arrived at her spot, he was sitting on her bench with a bag. Inside were two sandwiches. His pick up line had been, “I made too many sandwiches this morning. Would you mind eating one so I don’t have to throw it away?”

Image by WikimediaImages from Pixabay

They both laughed. No one ever threw anything away in the Rift. Every morsel, every scrap contributed towards keeping you alive.

The people in the line were mainly workers, but there were a few Hy-Breds. These were people from the upper echelon that came into the Rift to gamble, buy drugs, and abuse whoever they could, just because they had money. One couple in particular was getting impatient and tried to cut ahead of others in line. This caused a small fight to ensue.

Check points at the perimeter of the Rift were actual guard stations, all employed by DeCaro. Several guards came out to break up the fight. There were at least two people who scooted past the check point without getting their papers stamped. The problem with this lay in the fact that if they got caught outside the Rift without their papers in order they would be sent back to DeCaro, and from there most likely sent to the Extermination Yard.

Constance kept her head down and stayed out of the way while the guards took control of the situation. The Hy-Breds were taken inside to warm up while they waited for a ride to take them home. The others who fought back were beaten and not allowed to cross.

It was all so incredibly unfair. That was exactly why she was willing to risk an audience with the Lord of Minward. She had no idea what sort of a man he was, but she knew she had to try to get his attention focused on the Rift and the people who were being preyed on who lived there.

Image by gregkorg from Pixabay

“Papers!”

The man behind the window was angry, Constance assumed, for having to deal with the fight. DeCaro’s employees preferred to not have to work. She quickly presented her papers. He barely even looked at them before he stamped them and shoved them back at her. She fought the urge to grab them and run. Instead, she began to fold them while she still stood in front of the window.

“Move along!”

Constance moved slowly as if she was still struggling to get her papers back into her coat pocket before the rain completely soaked them. What she was really doing was trying to make herself look as inept as possible. She walked away, breathing a sigh of relief.

Just because she was no longer in the Rift, didn’t mean she was out of danger. Not everyone in the city of Minward were law abiding citizens. She kept alert. She was thankful once the rain slowed eventually stopping. She crossed a few streets, but at the next corner she knew she was being followed.

Image by 652234 from Pixabay

Running was not an option, so she decided to confront the person. She whirled, coming face to face with a young man, probably not more than twelve or thirteen. Startled, he stopped, looking at her with wide eyes.

“Can I help you, young man?”

“I…I…thought…maybe, I could help you…you know…for a little coin.” He gave her a sideways smile trying to look hopeful.

Constance sighed. “I’m sorry, lad. I don’t have any extra coin.”

The boy didn’t give up. “Well, what do you have in that bag? There’s got to be something valuable in there.”

Constance felt bad for the boy, but she also knew she wasn’t in a safe place. He might be working with a gang, and she could be surrounded before she knew it. “This is just my tool bag. Do you live around here?'“

“Here and there.”

She looked around, noting the windows, doors, and side streets. She didn’t notice any movement, so she started to relax.

“Where’s your family?”

“Dad left a while ago and hasn’t come back. My mom said, that’s because he’s no good. My mom….” It was plain to see the boy was grieving. “She got sick. Without a job, she couldn’t afford to go to the doctor. She died a few months ago.”

Constance’s heart broke for the boy. “You don’t have any other family? An aunt or uncle? Grandparents?”

He wiped at his eyes with his ragged shirt sleeve, and shook his head. “I had a baby sister, but she died when I was little. I never knew my grandparents.”

What could she do for this boy? She lived in the Rift. She was just as bad off as he was…well, that was not entirely true. She had been raised by two loving parents. She had known the love of a wonderful man. She had friends, and she had a purpose. An idea came to her; a crazy, but wonderful idea.

“Since I would be negligent to leave you alone would you like to come with me? I am going to see the Lord of Minward.”

The lad’s jaw dropped. “Do you have an invitation? I heard he don’t see anyone without an invitation.”

Constance was quiet for a moment. “Well, no, but I am going to see him anyway. I have to see him.” Her voice grew stronger. “Besides I could use the company, and you look like you could use a decent meal.”

“Hey! I thought you said you didn’t have any extra coin!”

“I don’t, for someone who is trying to take advantage of me, but I do have coin to share for someone who is a friend.”

The boy thought for a moment, then he smiled. “I can be your friend.”

“Good! Let’s be off then. I want to get to the upper city and the Manor of Minward by the time the sun is high over head. What’s your name, by the way?”

“My mom named me Peter, but you can call me Rocky.”

“Rocky it is. I am Constance, but you can call me Connie.”

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Constance wasn’t sure if she believed in God or not, but for some reason this young boy had wormed his way into her heart and her mothering instinct took over. She and Amos had tried to have children, but never did, and then he died.

Maybe, just maybe she was being given a second chance.

Faith Inspiration - Solar Eclipse

I just love when God uses His beautiful and amazing creation to teach us something He wants us to know about Him. Just a few days ago we got to witness an event that only happens once every so many years: a total solar eclipse. We got to witness a partial eclipse back in 2017, but that definitely dims in comparison to the total eclipse we just saw.

Image by sandid from Pixabay

It is a fantastic phenomenon, and those of us who follow Christ, know that it is all brought about by God’s mighty hand. He is the One that set all of these heavenly bodies into motion, and He is the one who keeps those bodies just exactly where they should be.

We see in the 1st chapter of Genesis the creation account. These heavenly bodies came into existence on the fourth day.

“14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”

— Genesis 1:14-19 (NASB 1995)

We see here God made the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. It is interesting to mull over, now that we know more through telescopes and men going into space, that the moon does not generate its own light, but is a body that reflects the light of the sun. The sun, the greater light that rules over the day, does not just give us light, but it does so much to give our planet life. Along with the moon, the rotation of the earth on its axis, and the revolution of our solar system around it, the sun provides the basis for the water cycles, the ebbs and flows of the oceans, and the regenerative cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Plants would not grow without the warming light of this immense celestial star; for that matter all life would cease to exist without it.

So why did God give us this greater light to rule the day, and this lesser light to rule the night? “…to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years…He placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness…” All of this He did for our benefit.

Image by Patou Ricard from Pixabay

Seeing the solar eclipse was an inspiration to how wonderful our God is, and how He established this place to be our home. It’s not a place of drab shadows and dim understanding, but a planet alive with His creative power and amazing, lavish love. He made all of this, even the moon passing in front of the sun so that we might remember what a beautiful, enchanted Being breathed life into this dust, and how very fortunate we are that even when darkness entered the world in the form of sin, He had a plan. He made a way. This leads to my second thought.

You know I have written about light and darkness on various occasions. See Light Beyond the Darkness, When Darkness Comes - Part 1: The Light, When Darkness Comes - Part 2: The Dark. There are several more parts to that series, which you can find on my Faith page under June and July of 2021. Darkness and light have always fascinated me. Though, I love winter, I need my sunshine. Being a Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferer, the shorter, gray days of winter are a detriment to my mental, emotional and physical well being.

When the eclipse moved into full totality, I couldn’t help but imaginine what the world would be like in permanent dusk; never to feel the heat of the sun, or to know the glory of it shining full bore in a pristine blue sky. It would be horrible. As we know from that first chapter in Genesis God gave us the sun for our benefit. We would not last long without its beautiful light.

However, there was something even more telling that began to illuminate my spiritual mind. At the point the moon fully covered the sun we were able to remove our eclipse glasses and look at it. It was awe inspiring to know all at once this would not happen again for a very long time, at least in our area, and to realize how apropos this celestial phenomenon was in reminding us that the light of Christ cannot be dimmed.

Image by bdabney from Pixabay

We can be in the throes of darkness, being beaten down on every side, but Christ in us shines like that sun as it glowed fiercely all around that orb until it began to pass and the light burst forth exploding onto the landscape below chasing the darkness back into the deep corners. This is who our Savior is in our lives, if we let Him be. He is the Son, the bright light of salvation, deliverer from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

“13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

— Colossians 1:13-14 (NASB 1995)

I hope that you are inspired by this post, but even more so I hope you are daily inspired by God’s amazing creation, and His steadfast love.

Have a great weekend!

The Greatest Story - The Story Behind the Cross

We are all story tellers in one form or another. Whether you are telling a friend about your trip to the doctor’s office, your spouse about the new movie you just saw, or people on social media about the sales at Nordstrom, we are all telling a story. Your story might not be exciting, or full of action and romance, but it is your story. Story telling is a way of relaying information. At times the information might be made up for the purpose of entertainment, but more often story telling is a way to relay true accounts and facts.

Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

We tell stories with our words, but we can also tell stories with our body language and other vocalizations. Crying tells a story of great sadness, or euphoric joy. Anger tells a story of frustration or hatred. Walking with your head raised, making eye contact tells us you are confident and most likely friendly. Sitting alone at a social even with your head down looking at your phone tells a story of relational struggle and possible low self esteem.

Story telling has been around for centuries. It is one of the oldest ways of relaying information. When God inspired the writers of the Old and New Testaments He spoke to them in a type of story form. He didn’t just give them a list of facts telling them to write them down as bullet points. He gave them people, places, events with incredible details.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are rich with details on the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. Indeed, they do not just include the who, what and wheres of a good story, but they are also seen as true accounts of Christ’s teaching, travels, prayers, and sufferings.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

To be sure, these are not made up stories, but factual accounts of the life of Christ and the lives of his followers. From His birth in a stable in Bethlehem, to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to His agony in the Garden, to His death on a hill with a criminal on each side, to His burial, to His walk in the garden after three days, these books give us every detail we need to know the living Christ.

What makes Christ’s story the greatest story ever told? It is unique in its message, and universal in its reach. This story is the only one inspired by the true, living God, put together by 36 different men, all with the same message over a period of 1500 years.

The focus of the Old Testament is the why. The first two chapters of Genesis relate the beautiful symphony of the triune God bringing our planet, and life into existence. Unfortunately by Chapter three, we learn of the devastating fall of that glorious creation by one choice to sin. What follows is a detailed telling of the history of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people and the system of the law, God put into place to govern those people.

We need to remember this was all laid out to point to a future event: the coming of the fulfillment of the Law, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is full of prophecy pointing to Christ’s coming. In order to fully understand the need and provision of the New Covenant, God gave us the detailed account of the Old Covenant. As seen in Hebrews, the Law was imperfect, but Christ was perfect.

“18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness
19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath
21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn
And will not change His mind,
‘You are a priest forever’”);

22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

— Hebrews 7:18-22 (NASB 1995)

Christ is the guarantee of a better covenant, the new covenant brought about in the New Testament. This covenant is laid out simply in a few simple verses from the New Testament.

“16 “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.”

— John 3:16 (NASB 1995)

Image by Fernando Rodriguez from Pixabay

The following verses are known as the Roman Road. They tell the Gospel of Christ in simplistic terms.

“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

— Romans 3:23 (NASB 1995)

“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 6:23 (NASB 1995)

“8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

— Romans 5:8 (NASB 1995)

“9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. ”

— Romans 10:9-10 (NASB 1995)

We learn all about the system of sacrifices that were part of the Old Covenant in the Old Testament. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross did away with the need for that system. The Law given to Moses by God, was fulfilled in Christ given to us by His Father.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The story of the cross was centuries in the making, but the most beautiful thing about it is that it gave access to the throne of God to every single person who believes. It doesn’t matter who you are or who you have been. It doesn’t matter where you live or what sort of job you have. It doesn’t matter how low you have gone, or how great you have been. The story of the the cross is for all.

If you are struggling today with the story of your life, look to Jesus. He will make all the difference.

Faith Topics: Why is it Necessary to Study the Bible?

Let’s face it, life is busy, especially if you are working, have children, or are involved in any sort of activities outside the home. People just have a lot to do these days. If I am a Christian and believe in eternal security (once saved, always saved) what’s the point of studying the Bible? Isn’t it enough to hear it on Sunday morning? Isn’t reading it once in a while more than sufficient to keep me grounded in my Christian faith?

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

There are several thoughts I have on this topic and I think it is an important issue to address. Let’s start by looking at what scripture itself has to say.

“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

— 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB 1995)

This verse gives us several good reasons to study God’s word.

1 - All of Scripture is inspired by God.

Image by Aritha from Pixabay

If you were interested in learning more about a certain historical figure, Hollywood star or famous pop singer would you go to the Tabloids or would you want to go to the direct source? An autobiography is going to be more revealing about a person than a few short paragraphs about where they were last seen and who they were last hanging out with. If we claim to be Christians and want to live a Christ like life then the place to go is the Word of God to receive information that is most accurate and truthful. God, Himself, inspired the men who wrote the words. I believe this is the most accurate historical document we have.

2 - All of Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness.

Image by Dolf Maurer from Pixabay

Think about this for a minute. If you read a magazine, a textbook, or a fictional piece, each one may give you some sort of benefit. You might learn how to cook a certain dish from a recipe book. You might learn more about what vitamins to take as you age from a magazine on aging. You might find yourself swept away by a riveting adventure which helps you relax. However, unlike the Bible most things we read are not able to do everything the Bible can do.

The Bible is a historical account of the Nation of Israel, giving us a history lesson. The Bible is a book of poetry and love. The Bible gives us steps to ease anxiety, love our neighbor, and forgive those who have hurt us. The Bible teaches us how to live, how to love and how to have a relationship with an amazing God.

3 - All Scripture enables us to be adequate and equipped for every good work.

Image by free stock photos from www.picjumbo.com from Pixabay

You know what I like most about that last phrase? The word adequate. It doesn’t tell us that we will be perfect. It doesn’t say we will be all knowing, powerful, or rich. It says we will be adequate. Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the word adequate as: Sufficient for a specific need or requirement; good enough. God gives us what we need when we need it. He doesn’t give us more. Why do you think this is? It might have something to do with humility and dependence.

Our ability to be equipped for every good work, isn’t dependent on our ability. It is dependent on God. This fact takes us back to the first two points…it’s all from Him, and it is meant for teaching, correction, training, etc. We have to be continuing to learn and study and grow.

Another familiar verse in the Bible about why we should study it is the following:

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

— 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

I went for the King James Version of this verse, as it is the verse I remember growing up with. It is one of the few versions that uses the word study and links it to the ability to understand accurately what God’s word is saying. We don’t need to be ashamed if we know God’s word, what it says and what it means. If we look at the New American Standard version, it reads a little differently, but the end result is still the same. We are to be diligent workmen, who don’t need to be ashamed, because we know how to handle God’s word.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

— 2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB 1995)

If we just look at this one verse we can come up with several more reasons we should study God’s Word.

1 - To be able to present ourselves to God.

Image by svklimkin from Pixabay

Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is merely the first step in a life time of growth and knowledge as we get to know Him more and more. Not only are we getting to know Him better, but He is making us more like Christ. When we know His word, we can bring that to Him and show that we know Him and His desires for us. Knowing and studying His word is like giving a gift back to him. We are saying that we agree with what He has said.

2 - To be an unashamed workman.

Image by 652234 from Pixabay

Often what makes us feel ashamed in our Christian walk, is not what Jesus has done for us, or our belief in Him, but our inability to talk about those things. I believe one of the important ways we become better able to talk about our faith and defend it is by knowing what the Bible says. Regular study of the Word helps us to walk with Him without feeling unable to share our faith.

3 - To be able to accurately handle truth.

Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay

Regular study of God’s word will not only make us more confident, but will enable us to know what is true and what is untrue. There are many who believe the Bible is just another book. They might even acknowledge that it has historical significance, but they do not believe everything in it to be true. They argue that everything from creation and the flood, to the virgin birth and resurrection were just fabrications put together by a random string of zealots to lead people into some sort of cult like living. The problem with many of these supposed arguments is that they really don’t take into account the actual words of the scriptures. A question both my husband and I ask people who say they don’t believe is, “Have you ever read the book?” Most often the answer is, “No.”

Let’s not depend on the world to tell us whether to believe the Bible or not. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to do what He is best at, revealing the truth in the living, God breathed, words of Scripture. Paul admonished us in the book of Colossians:

“8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. ”

— Colossians 2:8 (NASB 1995)

Paul also instructed Timothy about not listening to the “irreverent babble”.

“20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”

— I Timothy 6:20-21 (NASB 1995)

I hope this gives you a little motivation to start looking at the Scriptures with more time and care, for in studying His Word we will be blessed with a deeper relationship with Him.

Creative Christianity - The Widow's Quest: Part 1

The following piece begins a series based on the passage found in Luke 18:1-8. It presents a fictional account with allegorical aspects which coincide with the parable told by Jesus in those Scriptures. This is a fictional story with a world, and characters built by me. I hope you enjoy it.

Constance made her way through the narrow, muddy streets, thankful it was raining. A constant downpour washed away some of the surface filth making her feel there was a modicum of cleanliness here in the Rift. She kept her head down, the hood of her coat concealing her face. She didn’t want anyone to know where she was going. If they found out she was on her way to the Manor of Minward they would beat her until she was no longer recognizable. The Black Needles didn’t appreciate the people of their ward asking for help. They didn’t need help. They could make it on their own.

Image by Lucent_Designs_dinoson20 from Pixabay

Constance smirked beneath her hood. Neoplo “The Builder” De Caro wasn’t just known for building the run down, decaying ruins the people of the Rift had to live in, but for raising up the crime syndicate that preyed on the very people it was supposed to protect. She had seen enough; enough suffering; enough struggle; enough darkness. If the Lord of Minward was truly just, as she had often heard through her fourty-three years, why didn’t anything change? She was going to find out.

She was going to have to get past a few of De Caro’s check points. He wasn’t fond of people leaving his barony. He had an intricate web of knowledge woven together by his army of groveling lackeys. Constance learned from the time she was very young to blend in. She didn’t want to stand out. Being noticed by Neopolo, meant you became one of his, either that, or you conveniently disappeared. She felt bad for the younger people. De Caro’s appetite wasn’t just reserved for food and drink.

Constance felt bile rise in her throat, but she swallowed it, and clenched her fists. She wasn’t going to become just another of De Caro’s appetizers. She had to have hope; hope that the Lord of Minward would be able to make a change. Maybe he just wasn’t aware of how bad it was in the Rift. As the Lord of an entire city, he must be very busy, and maybe information wasn’t getting through due to De Caro’s influence.

The first check point loomed ahead. Her training in boiler maintenance should be able to get her through this one. She felt the tool bag by her side, then slid her hand into her coat pocket where the forged work papers printed on union stationary, and folded neatly, stayed dry from the down pour.

Image by Anna Veronika from Pixabay

Constance wasn’t alone in this quest. There were a few others who wanted a better life, and knew De Caro’s empire building wasn’t going to benefit them. She and Amos had formed a small group of other “believers”, which now was up to twenty members. They rarely all met together, but stayed in touch using messages sent via trusted couriers. Since the steam movement, and its subsequent advancements in communications, things like sending handwritten messages on foot had become obsolete. Now things were moved along through vast tubular networks both above and below ground pushed along by the compressed power of steam.

Amos had been like a little boy, completely enamored with the advent of the new Steam Era. He loved the machines, the gears, the noise and the power behind something so simple as heated water. She missed him terribly. It was coming up on five years since his death, but grief was relentless where darkness bred, and the Rift was a breeding ground for all that was dank, and miserable.

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

Constance took a deep breath and moved confidently to the first check point. Each check point held a small booth barely big enough for one person, but often occupied by several of Neoplo’s goons. There were three of them in this one. They were chatting and laughing. There were several other people in line.

When her turn came, Constance pulled the papers out of her pocket and quickly shoved them through the small opening in the window.

The man looked down on her, from where he sat in the dry, heated booth.

“You in a hurry there, lass?”

Constance wanted to quip back she was old enough to be his mother, but didn’t reply, just shrugged. She found the best thing to do was not engage. Once you started talking, they became interested. She waited, turning to look at the line that was forming behind her. That was a good thing. The more people waiting, the less time they would take to push you through.

The man stamped her papers and passed them back through the window. As she reached to take them, he wouldn’t let go. She looked up at his scruffy face.

Image by Sammy-Sander from Pixabay

“Smile, Sunshine. Life ain’t so bad. Doesn’t old De Caro take good care of his people?”

Constance swallowed the retort brewing in her gut, gave a shy smile and nodded her head.

“There we go! You have a good night now, lass!”

Constance placed the papers back in her coat pocket. As she walked away she let out a deep breath. One more check point to go.

A Year of Waiting - Abide

Back in January I published a post on my word for the year 2024. The word was wait. At that time I decided I was going to spend once a month looking at different words and definitions related to the word wait. This month we are going to dive into the word abide.

Image by 32520394 from Pixabay

When I hear the word abide I think of an image like the one above. This is a fictional place where I would like to abide, or live. I want to dwell there, not just visit. To me abiding feels more cozy and desirable than the word wait, but what if you don’t like your abode? What if you would like to move to a different place to abide, but you can’t. At that point you might feel more like a prisoner than a resident.

We learn a lot about a word by looking at its definition. Webster’s Online Dictionary defines abide in this way:

- to continue in a place: sojourn (intransitive verb)

- to remain stable or fixed in a state (intransitive verb)

- to bear patiently: tolerate (transitive verb)

- to endure without yielding: withstand (transitive verb)

- to wait for; await (transitive verb)

- to accept without objection (transitive verb)

Grammar tends to drive most of us crazy, but I found the differentiation between transitive and intransitive curious. Since it has been a long while since I took an English class, I had to look at what those words meant and how that affects these meanings.

“A transitive verb is one that makes sense only if it exerts its action on an object. An intransitive verb will make sense without an object. Some verbs can be used both ways.”

— Grammarly (online)

Image by Christoph Partsch from Pixabay

I can say, “I abide in a house in California.” I can also say, “I cannot abide a house in California.” If I just said, “I cannot abide…” then you would have no idea what it is that I am not abiding. In the first sentence it is obvious, albeit an odd way of saying it, that I live in a house in California. You could have shortened the sentence and just said, “I abide in California.” Okay, that is enough grammar for one day. Ha, ha.

So when I use the word abide as it pertains to the idea of waiting what definition is most appropriate? Would it be odd to say, I believe all the definitions pertain. Let’s dig deeper.

One of the most familiar passages in scripture where Jesus talks about abiding is found in John 15.

“1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

— John 15:1-11

When Jesus says, “Abide in Me…” He is talking about continuing or sojourning in Him. Basically, when we make Christ our Lord and Savior He wants us to come live with Him. He is also saying to remain stable or fixed in Him.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

The image of a grape arbor comes to mind when Jesus is talking. The base part of a grape plant, the vine, becomes like a mini tree trunk. The branches are the long arms that extend from the vine and the part that produces the beautiful clusters of grapes. The grape clusters don’t just happen. They have to be part of the bigger vine, the part that digs down into the soil and brings nutrients to the rest of the plant. Just as the branches have to be part of the vine to grow and produce, we have to be part of Christ to bear the fruit of the His Spirit.

This is where I want to make a connection between abiding and waiting. There are seasons in life where you might feel useless, or like you are not bearing any fruit. We start to question our relationship with Christ, and maybe even doubt our salvation, but lets look back at those transitive uses of the word abide. There are times where we have to bear patiently, endure without yielding, wait for, and accept without objection.

Image by Petra from Pixabay

Perhaps the whole point behind Jesus’ talk on abiding in Him was not only about bearing fruit, but about the changes that He knew we would all face living life in a fallen world. Just like the grape arbor we face all manner of storms, from wind and hail, to lightening, to torrential rains, to snow and ice. During those times we have to wait, stand firm, and sink our roots ever deeper into the good soil of our Heavenly Father. Most importantly we need to learn to accept without objecting. Our Father is a good Father, and He knows exactly what the arbor needs to produce the best fruit. During these times of waiting out the storms we can remember what Jesus said. “As the Father has love me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.”

Finally, Jesus ends with the statement, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Christ has made clear, by abiding in Him, not only will we bear fruit, but we will know the Father’s love and our Savior’s full joy.

If you are in a waiting time, don’t be discouraged. Look at it as the opportunity it is to abide and know your Savior even better.

Have a great weekend!

Maintaining the Presence of Peace

If you have been following along, you know I have been talking about the last name of Jesus mentioned in Isaiah 9:6, Prince of Peace. Even though we often refer to that scripture at Christmas, I believe it is one that we should look at again and again. We need to be reminded who this One is that we call Lord and Savior.

Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay

While it is true that we always have the Prince of Peace with us, as I explain last week, we don’t always feel His peace. We all to often allow life and all of its difficulties and distractions to take the place of peace in our hearts.

Many of you are probably familiar with the “love bank” idea created by Dr. Willard F. Harley, clinical psychologist and author of a variety of relationship and marriage books, including His Needs, Her Needs. The sum up is that the more we put into someone else’s love bank, the more they will feel loved. When we criticize, demand, or do unkind things we make withdrawals from the their love bank, thus causing damage to the relationship.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I believe we can use a similar analogy when it comes to peace in our lives. When we read God’s word, pray, have fellowship with others, and abide in Him we add to our “peace bank”. When we neglect those activities, or do things that go against God and His truth, we make withdrawals from the bank. It is easy to suddenly find ourselves lacking funds in our bank account when we have been living life in our own strength and might.

For this final post on the Prince of Peace, I would like to look at some of the tools we can use to ensure our peace banks never run low. I want to look at a few specific ideas. As I said earlier, prayer, God’s word, etc. help us maintain peace, but I want to look at specific thoughts in this regard.

1 - Prayer

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a - Prayers of confession and repentance. There is nothing faster at removing our peace than unconfessed sin. I like the idea of keeping “short accounts”. Did I hurt someone’s feelings at work today? Did I gossip when I was with my lady friends at lunch? Did I speak harshly towards my spouse? We must be ever vigilant to keep our minds and hearts clean before our Prince of Peace.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

— 1 John 1:9 (NASB 1995)

b - Prayers of release. As a parent, and grandparent, this is one of the hardest things to do. You might wonder, if I let it go, how is that going to give me peace? Don’t I have to do something about it? Actually, the most important thing we can do is to lay our fears, doubts and desires at the foot of the cross. We need to find our Lord to be the most trustworthy friend we will ever have. Let go of those things that are troubling you and let Him be God.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

— Philippians 4:6

2 - Scripture

Image by peachknee from Pixabay

a - Using God’s Word for meditation. When we are having difficulty with peace going back to God’s word and mulling it over helps to bring back our connection to the Prince of Peace. I always have a journal and at least a pen when I read passages from the Word. The Holy Spirit is always able to give us new insights, even from passages we have read over and over. I am not afraid to underline and write notes in my Bible either. Being centered on His holy Word will always reconnect us to our wonderful Prince of Peace.

“And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.”

— Psalm 119:48 (NASB 1995)

b - Using God’s Word for battle. I have discussed my walkabouts on here before, but as a refresher, a walkabout is when I pace around my house praying out loud for the purpose of spiritual warfare. I do this often when I am praying for my children, grandsons and my spouse, although, many people end up on my walkabout list, because so many are struggling. During these times of intense communication with God, I take the Words He has inspired in the Bible and I pray them back to Him.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

— Ephesians 6:17 (NASB 1995)

The Word of God is not passive. According to Hebrews 4:12 it is, “living and active.”

“ For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

— Hebrews 4:12 (NASB 1995)

3 - Changing our thought life.

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

This might seem obvious, and certainly spending more time in prayer and the Word of God will help. However, I thought it important to give this a little more emphasis since we can change our thoughts by doing other things as well. The mind is not the only part of our bodies affected by a lack of peace. Anxiety, anger, lust, bitterness, and lack of forgiveness can affect our digestive systems, cause aches and pains and can rev up the inflammation triggers all over our bodies. One of the main areas we can control is our thoughts.

a - Scriptures to help our thoughts:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8 (NASB 1995)

“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You..”

— Isaiah 26:6 (NKJV)

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”

— Psalm 29:11 (NASB 1995)

“Those who love Your Law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.”

— Psalm 119:165 (NASB 1995)

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.”

— Isaiah 26:3 (NASB 1995)

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 4:7 (NASB 1995)

I am particularly fond of this last verse. The word guard in this verse evokes the idea of a battalion of soldiers standing guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is what God’s word says about His peace. His peace is beyond our comprehension, meaning we can have it, even when it doesn’t make any sense, and it will be like a company of warriors watching over our hearts and minds.

Image by Amber Clay from Pixabay

c - Other ways to maintain our peace:

There are plenty of secular things people do to give them peace of mind from meditation, and medication, to music, to exercise and getting outside. All of these are good, but don’t forget, as a Christ follower your peace ultimately comes from the Prince of Peace. Nothing else will give you true, deep, lasting peace like Jesus.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at the word peace, and our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Please let me know in the comments how our Prince has given His peace to you.

A Further Look at Peace

Last week we took a look at the last name of Jesus mentioned in Isaiah 9:6. Next month I plan on getting back to my monthly columns, but I thought this idea of the Prince of Peace something we need to sit on for a spell. Peace is a commodity that is hard to come by. Even as Christ followers we struggle with anxiety and worry, just like many people. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then why do we, who call Him our Savior, have such a hard time finding peace?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Finding peace is directly related to knowing the Prince of Peace; Jesus. It isn’t just a head nod to whether Jesus was a real, historical figure, but an understanding and acceptance of why He came to earth and what He did while He was here. Even that understanding can be on an intellectual level rather than a heart level. Truth faith is committing ourselves to what God says in His word, the Bible, about who Christ is, who the Holy Spirit is, and our part in the faith process.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

— Romans 5:1-2 (NASB 1995)

Once we have that relationship with our Prince of Peace we begin to grow in our walk with Him. As we read His word our understanding of His movement in our lives and our responsibilities to Him become more clear. However, we are still walking in this world, daily affected by our flesh and all of its struggles and appetites. Peace comes more easily as we walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ”

— Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB 1995)

What is it, then, that destroys our peace? What keeps us from having that peace from Prince of Peace? Why do we so often strive when we are facing difficulty, rather than just having the peace that passes all understanding. Let’s look at a few thoughts.

1 - Anxiety

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

“No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”

— Roy T. Bennett - The Light in the Heart

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

— Corrie Ten Boom

Here is an interesting article from Psychology Today on the difference between worry and anxiety. For this post today we are going to look at the two as one. Certainly worry can lead to anxiety, and it would be rare to have anxiety without some sort of worry.

Obviously anxiety/worry can take away our peace. If we live life in the realm of the “what if’s” we will never know the beauty of a life of peace or contentment. God’s word is very specific about worry and anxiety. Our great Creator knew we would struggle with this, so He gave us tools to use when we are in the anxious state. We’ll look at those next week, but for now, this is what the Bible says about worry and anxiety.

““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to 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, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

— Matthew 6:25-29 (NASB 1995)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

— Philippians 4:6 (NASB 1995)

2 - Unresolved Emotions

Image by Grae Dickason from Pixabay

You might wonder what I mean by unresolved emotions. I am referring to emotions that have come about due to difficult circumstances or relationships. Anger, sadness, or fear when left to fester will consume us and take away our peace.

Emotions are God’s gift to us. They give us the ability to live a full and productive life. Fear enables us to keep ourselves secure and away from harm. Sadness allows us to see that which is really important to us. Desire motivates us to do things. Anger itself can be a useful emotion if it moves us to take good action like lobbying for change or protecting someone who is being harmed. However, these emotions can also be the pathway for anxiety, bitterness, addiction, and wrath. What does the Bible say about our emotions?

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

— Psalm 27:1 (NASB 1995)

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”

— Psalm 42:5 (NASB 1995)

“You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

— Psalm 145:16 (NASB 1995)

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

— Ephesians 4:26 (NASB 1995)

God knows our emotions better than we know them ourselves and we were created with them to use them as a way to worship and draw closer to Him. Allowing those emotions to take over will take away our peace and cause further problems. Counseling offices are full with people who are trying to figure out how to manage their run away emotions.

3 - Pride

Image by Daniel Borker from Pixabay

How does pride get in the way of having God’s perfect peace? What does the Bible say?

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

— Proverbs 16:8 (NASB 1995)

That one verse sums up God’s opinion on pride. The Bible is actually full of examples of men whose very kingdom’s fell due to their pride. Let’s not forget Satan, our enemy whose pride led to his being banished from heaven. See Ezekiel 28:13-19. Pride is the exact opposite of humility and humility is essential in our relationship with God.

Peace in our lives requires dependence on the Prince of Peace. Dependence requires a humble heart.

Next week I will share with you ways to combat these three thieves of peace. I hope you will come back again.

Have a great weekend!

His Design in Our Desires

I was recently going through a struggle brought on, in part by two problems, the long dreary wearies of winter with no sunshine, and a post New Year bout with Covid. Seasonal Affective Disorder always leaves me feeling more blue during the short gray days and longer dark nights of this season. I really need to invest in a light to help with that. Getting sick on top of SAD and it being after the holidays left me in a pretty low place. Being in a low place usually makes me more susceptible to the enemy’s tactics of blame and self pity.

Image by Mimzy from Pixabay

It came to my attention that a friend of mine was in a similar place, but for her the struggle was from a difficult marriage. She had texted me asking for the name of the counselor I was going to. I could tell by the tone of her text that she was not in a good place. We ended up having a video chat that ended with us both in prayer for one another. The interesting thing about our struggles, was that even though they stemmed from different sources we were still looking for the same things: love, affirmation, and companionship.

Over the next 24 hours, both my friend and I were on our own journeys seeking the Lord, knowing that we wanted to be spiritually right, but also not quite sure what to do with these desires that we had. Were these desires wrong? Were we just supposed to not think about them? Were we supposed to sacrifice them on the altar of, “Well, that’s just what Christians are supposed to do without?”

The Lord in His kindness took me to a passage in Isaiah, which I felt not only applied to myself, but applied to my friend, so I texted her a few of those verses. (My friend was also being led by the Lord to a different passage in the Psalms, which she also shared with me.)

Image by Monika from Pixabay

“10 They will not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has compassion on them will lead them
And will guide them to springs of water.
11 “I will make all My mountains a road,
And My highways will be raised up....

13 ...Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people
And will have compassion on His afflicted.”

— Isaiah 49:10-11,13 (NASB 1995)

The Lord was telling us that our desires were not only real, but good. The desire for food and water is not a wrong desire. In fact, just like food and water is a desire that must be met, our desire for love, companionship and affirmation are just as necessary.

My husband and I like to watch survival shows like Dual Survivor, Dude Your Screwed, and most recently Alone. The thing I have found fascinating is that not everyone leaves due to starvation or injury. In fact, often times it is the aloneness of their situation that finally drives them to pushing the button to tap out. We are made to be in relationship, and in community.

Image by Joe from Pixabay

Over my years as a church going Christian I have seen problems arise when we forget that the church is the body of Christ, and we are meant to look out and care for each other. That means taking the time to listen, to pray, and to help. We also have to be willing to be vulnerable. When a person is struggling whether in a hard marriage, a tenuous work environment, or a changing family dynamic the enemy will always take advantage, and He will always blame.

“Well if he only would….”

“Well, if I don’t get that promotion then I’m out…”

“If she would just listen when I tell her something…”

We suddenly become all about our rights and desires. Is that what God called us to? Or did He call us to trust in Him?

The above verses tell us we will not hunger or thirst. We will not be struck down by the sun by day nor the moon by night (Psalm 121:6). This isn’t just a reference to physical hunger, thirst and discomfort. It applies to every aspect of our being. God cares for every desire and care we have.

We are created in His image. We are able to reason, love, care, act justly, and have compassion. God doesn’t just say He’s going to meet our needs, He does meet our needs and our desires, every single one. When we look back at Isaiah 49:10 it says God has compassion on His people and He will guide them to springs of water.

As we continue to read the passage we hear the Lord say, “I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways will be raised up…” That tells me that God is going to provide a way for those desires to be met. The thing we need to understand is that we are limited where God is not. We see things in a physical dimension, but He works in both the physical and the spiritual.

Image by Lisa Caroselli from Pixabay

“4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

— Psalm 37:4 (NASB 1995)

Could anything be more simple or sure than the meaning of this verse? If we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Every desire we have for love, companionship and affirmation will be lavishly and fully met by our Lord and Savior.

Don’t think this is going to be easy. Verse 13 shows us that we are going to have affliction. There may be seasons where we don’t feel the love. There might be weeks where the blame game seems to work better at every bend and turn. However, what does it say about God? He comforts His people and has compassion on the afflicted. He’s got you. He’s got your desires, every, single one. Our job is to:

Be still and know He is God - Psalm 46:10

Remember we are not condemned - Romans 8:1

Give it all to Him, because He cares for us - 1 Peter 5:7

As we journey into this new year, I hope you will recognize every opportunity to know Him more deeply and that every desire you have will be filled in Him.

Wonderful Words of Life: Come!

Fatigue, it is like an old friend; you know the kind, the one who lingers in your house when you really wish they would head home and give you your space. I don’t know about you, but my husband coined the phrase “existential fatigue”, and it often seems appropriate. Existential fatigue is fatigue to the very cellular level. In other words, the fatigue of existence.

Before you start to worry, being existentially fatigued does not mean we are looking for a way to end our lives. My spouse and I struggle, but not to the point where we are ready to throw away what the God of the Universe has given us. We are just very tired. Tired of things being hard. Tired of always having to struggle. Tired of family issues, church issues, national issues, and issues on a global scale.

Existence is akin to a caterpillar firmly encased in its self bound cocoon coming in to the knowledge of its imminent change and beginning to feel the need to stretch, and reach, and grow, and fly. Perhaps the caterpillar turning into a butterfly at some point begins to panic, recognizing the tiny, dark, cave which lovingly embraces it is now holding it too tightly. It must move on. It must move to its glorified state. It must become exactly what it was meant to be.

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When we become Christ followers we become attuned to the disconnect that the world has from its creator. This is due to sin. A once perfect world, became imperfect when Adam and Eve believed the lies of the serpent, and not the truths of the Creator. Immediately, the created began to place itself above the One who created. The result was not just evil in the world we live, but the ripple effect of that evil: hatred, lies, selfishness, perversion, murder, adultery, manipulation and toxic behavior. The list is long, and all of this lends to that existential fatigue that we feel.

Paul understood this dichotomy we feel; this pull to stay and live life here, and the pull to go and be with Jesus, to get out of our tiny cocoon and soar.

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“21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. ”

— Philippians 1:21-24 (NASB)

As a Christian is it wrong for us to feel existentially fatigued? I don’t think so. In fact, I think Jesus knew we would all get to those points where we just felt we couldn’t go on. That brings us to our Wonderful Words of Life.

“28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble 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 (NASB 1995)

I believe I have talked about this on my faith page before (see Our Need for Rest - Part 1), but Scripture is living and active. It never grows old or tiresome. A passage we have looked at for years may suddenly leap off the page, grab us around the neck and shake us furiously. When this happens we must ask ourselves, why this, why now? Let’s take a closer look.

Come to Me - Jesus isn’t telling us to go to a sleep therapist, a personal trainer, or a counselor, He is calling us to come to Him. Why is this important? Because, not only does Christ know us better than any other living soul on the planet, He is the One who has the power and ability to do something about what we are going through.

…all who are weary and heavy-laden - That pretty much sums up where most of the world is. We are existentially fatigued and overwhelmed by all the burdens living in this fleshly world places upon us.

,,,and I will give you rest. - Jesus tells us straight He will give us rest. He is the One who can make all the difference in our lives.

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Take my yoke upon you… - What does Christ mean here. We aren’t oxen are we, that we should have an actual physical yoke placed upon us? No, however, Christ is making an important point. It is easier for a pair of oxen to plow a field in tandem, than for one ox to plow alone. The yoke is a necessary connector between the pair of beasts. Without it, one or both oxen would simple walk away, or just stand still, stubbornly refusing to do the work.

…learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, - When farmers train a new or younger ox to plow a field they will put in in a yoke with an older or more experienced team member. The young, inexperienced ox learns how to work with the older ox making their burden much easier, and their job much more efficient.

Jesus wants us to learn from Him. He is a gentle and kind master. He is not a know it all (though he does know it all). He never makes us feel less than by berating us and whipping us because we stupidly keep trying to go a different direction. He gently shows us the ropes. He speaks to us and reminds us of our value and worth.

…and you will find rest for your souls… - By working with Christ, leaning into His sufferings, learning to hear His voice and believing what He says, we will find rest for our souls. What wonderful words are these, that my existentially tired being will find rest, right down to the molecular and spiritual level,

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For My yoke is easy and My burden light. I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling that Christ is actually bearing more of the load than we are. He brings us into sync with Him, not so we can go out into the world to walk alone, but so we can go out with Him at our side. This burden of being a Christ follower becomes much easier when we are yoked with our Savior.

If you are feeling existentially tired, realize you are not alone. All your fellow Christ followers get it, but even more important, our Savior knows exactly what we need. When Jesus says, “Come,” go!