Faith Inspiration - Be Thou My Vision

This hymn has been inspiring Christ followers for over one thousand years. Originally an Old Irish hymn, the song was translated into English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905, and put into verses by Eleanor H. Hull. (Information take from Hymnary.org).

“1 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2 Be Thou my Wisdom, be Thou my true Word;
be Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
be Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
be Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3 Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight;
be Thou my whole Armor, be Thou my true Might;
be Thou my soul’s Shelter, be Thou my strong Tow’r,
O raise Thou me heav’nward, great Pow’r of my pow’r.

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5 High King of heaven, Thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be Thou my Vision, O Ruler of all.”

— Be Thou My Vision - Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (From Hymnary.org)

I think this is a beautiful hymn, and one that is rarely sung. Some may say it sounds like a dirge, but I like the lilting, Celtic style music. Let’s take a look at it verse by verse.

Image by Joe from Pixabay

Verse 1 - The writer of the hymn pleads with God to be his vision. He wants God to consume him. He recognizes his own struggle with the flesh and realizes that God’s thoughts are his best thoughts in the day and the night. He desires God be his light.

As we saw last week, our struggle with the flesh is ongoing, but if God is our vision, we can and will have victory, and we will continually be in His light.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

— Matthew 6:33 (NASB 1995)

Image by Thomas Wolter from Pixabay

Verse 2 - The author not only wants God to be his Vision, but to be His true word and to dwell in him, and he in Him, always. He recognizes that God is his Father, and he is His son.

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

— John 14:3 (NASB 1995)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

— John 14:23 (NASB 1995)

“15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:15-17 (NASB 1995)

God dwells with us if we love Him and keep His word. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children. Being His children means we are heirs with Christ. We are children of the King!

Image by Donna Kirby from Pixabay

Verse 3 - He knows God is his breastplate, his sword, his FULL armor, his might, his shelter, his tower and his power. His desire is to be raised “heavenward”. This may have had two connotations. It may have referred to his mindset, his thoughts and desires, but it also may have been the longing for finally being home with his Savior.

“13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

— Ephesians 6:13-17 (NASB 1995)

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.”

— Psalm 18:10 (NASB 1995)

“4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ”

— Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB 1995)

Image by NikolayF.com from Pixabay

Verse 4 - In this verse the author recognizes God is all he needs. He doesn’t run after riches. He doesn't seek the praise of men. He knows the “High King of Heaven” is the only treasure he needs.

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

— Matthew 6:20 (NASB 1995)

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

Verse 5 - The last verse is a final stand on the foundation of all that is God:

High King of Heaven

Heaven’s bright Sun

Great Heart of my own heart

Ruler of all

God is all these things and more that we cannot comprehend with our finite minds. The author knows that all his joy and all his victory our found in Christ. He also desires that no matter what happens he would keep God as his Vision.

“O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

— Psalm 98:1 (NASB 1995)

“...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— I Corinthians 15:57 (NASB 1995)

On a personal note, I have always loved this hymn. When I gave my life to Jesus at the age of 12, I knew I wanted it to be for keeps. I wanted Him to be foremost and forever my vision. Unfortunately, ever since that age I have struggled in that desire. My vision is often clouded by doubts, fears, and failures. My eyes often wander to things that might satisfy my flesh such as food, clothes, or fictional worlds.

The counselor I am currently going to said it is absolutely normal to have set backs in life. The difference comes in how long I choose to stay in the setback mindset. The phrase “begin again”, is a mantra we all can put into play. As long as I have breathe I will begin again. I will place my eyes back on His face and know His amazing grace. I will say again, “Be Thou my Vision.”

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:12-13

This week’s Mulling it Over passage is going to continue to look at Romans chapter 8. The book of Romans is full of doctrine that relates specifically to our standing before God without Christ and with Christ. It deals, in detail, with the flesh versus the Spirit and how that plays out in our lives culminating either in the devastation and destruction of the one (flesh), or the fullness and life of the other (Spirit).

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Today I am only going to look at two verses.

“12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ”

— Romans 8:12-13 (NASB 1995)

Verse 12 tells us, “…we are under obligation…” What does it mean to be under obligation? Being obligated means I have a duty or responsibility to someone or something. In this case Paul is telling us we have a responsibility “…not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” We are duty bound to not be living according to the flesh. That sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? The next verse tells us why.

Verse 13 begins with a devastating statement. “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” Whoa! Now wait a minute. How can we not be living according to the flesh? We are, after all, walking in our skin, or flesh. In a manner of speaking we are always living in the flesh.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

The idea of “living according to the flesh” isn’t speaking just of the physical, fleshly body we are stuck in while on this earth. Living according to the flesh, means that we are letting our flesh rule our lives. We are living for our desires, our passions, our lusts and our self. We want what we want, when we want it. If you are a Christ follower and think you no longer live according to the flesh, don’t fool yourself. We are in a constant state of dying at all times. Look at the rest of verse 13.

“…But if, by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the the body, you will live.” The tense of the word “putting” means we are doing it on a regular basis. If it had been in the past, it would have said, “…if, by the Spirit you put to death…” This would have changed the meaning making it that we only had to put our flesh to death once.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Before you get discouraged let’s remember what Christ did on the cross. Verse 3 of Roman’s 8 reminds us that God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh. Jesus was made flesh for us and then put to death for us. The moment we align ourselves with Christ we have His blood covering us and giving us the ability to die to sin, and flesh. We are dead, because of what sin has done, but alive because of what Christ has done.

How do we put this flesh to death on a regular basis? If you are like me, you might find yourself easily sliding into old habits like feeling sorry for yourself, thinking you are not enough, turning to food or purchasing items to make you feel better. These are all “fleshly” rather than “Spiritual” forms of coping. I am learning, to battle and put to death the flesh there are several things I need to do.

Image by Firmbee from Pixabay

1 - Keep short accounts. Checking in with God regularly helps me to keep my mind and heart where it needs to be and keeps me from focusing on the flesh.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

2 - Find some accountability. I have a good friend that I know I can text any time and she will pray for and with me. I also have a group of women I meet with virtually once a week for a Bible study, that I know I could check in with any one of them if I am struggling with my flesh.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

3 - Memorize God’s word. This is one I don’t do nearly enough, in fact hardly at all, and of that I am ashamed. God’s word is our sword, and if you want a quick way to put your flesh to death, the sword of the Spirit is it.

Image by Himsan from Pixabay

4 - Pray without ceasing. You all know this from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, but we need to make it a reality in our lives. Praying doesn’t have to be an on your knees posture. It isn’t about physical posture, but heart posture, although, getting on my knees or even flat on my face on the floor does wonders for my prayer life and for my dying to the flesh.

Image by bangindsoft from Pixabay

5 - My sister-in-law gave me some great advice, which she had gotten from a book she was reading, take life 24 hours at a time. When you wake up in the morning, before you even get out of bed, dedicate the next 24 hour period to God, submitting to His divine appointments. Sometimes, life just doesn’t go as planned, but when we begin to see that each 24 hour day is a gift from Him, even the bad stuff can be used for our growth and His glory. This is Spirit living, not flesh living.

Believe me ladies when I say, I am struggling right now to live in the Spirit rather than the flesh, but even taking the time to mull over these two verses has brought me back to His center, and that is the only way we can really live.

Next month we will delve deeper into Romans 8.

Creative Christianity - Midlife Battle Cry by Dawn Barton - A Book Review

This book review was done in exchange for the book. No money has exchanged hands for this review.

About a month ago I was contacted by a company who does marketing for Christian books and movies. I was asked if I would post a review of a book in exchange for the free product. I have been asked before to do these, but this is the first one that really pulled at me. I said yes. What follows are my thoughts and opinions on Midlife Battle Cry: Redefining the Second Half by Dawn Barton.

I had never heard of Dawn Barton until I received this book. A blonde, southern gal, Dawn has an infectious smile and an earthy sense of humor that pokes fun of life in all of its beauty, and ugliness. Dawn is no stranger to success, she left a thirty year career in sales marketing to become an author; and she is no stranger to difficulty, she has been through the loss of a child, divorce, rape and cancer. Anyone who has been through that much bad stuff and still has their sense of humor, has my attention.

The premise of the book assures us there is more to come once the kids are grown and retirement is looming. Many of us who have reached mid-life, and are moving into our late forties, fifties, sixties and beyond feel like we are done. We are done raising kids, retirement is not that far away and we feel like we have nothing to offer a society that looks at youth and beauty as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We are afraid, as Dawn says, “of becoming irrelevant to the world.”

“The story is always the same: look younger, dress younger, eat younger, just BE younger. The message is clear: old bad, young good. Thanks for coming. Good night.””

— Midlife Battle Cry by Dawn Barton (p. 13)

Dawn is encouraging us to get out of the “irrelevant” mindset through practical steps, exercises, and entertaining stories, all with her sassy, southern comedic voice. This is Dawn’s second book and she is an Evangelical Christian Publishing Association best selling author.

When I am reading Dawn’s book I feel like I am sitting down on a lovely wrap around front porch, with a gentle breeze blowing. I am chatting with a close friend, one who gets me, and really understands the hard bits of life. This friend is one who gets to the point quickly and though her honesty is sometimes hard to handle, she accepts and loves me immensely.

Here are a few of the chapter titles from Midlife Battle Cry:

1 - Did the Fat Lady Sing?

2 - The Shift

3 - Hello You

4 - The “I Love Me” Challenge

5 - The Black Hole of 45+…..

and more.

If you order Dawn’s book at midlifebattlecry.com you get a free Book Club Kit, which is good wether you use the book in a group, or use it for individual study.

This book spoke to me. It came into my life at the precise moment that I needed the reminder that I am still important and I still have something to offer the world, even though at the moment I feel I am in the chapter where Dawn talks about God forcing us to rest, to prepare us for the next thing (Chapter 16 - Hello, God, Remember Me?)

“He needs you ready for the next thing, and in order for that to happen you need rest. You need to recharge, and you need to pour into your soul, you mind, and your body. Remember, a season of rest is not because you are forgotten or that He doesn’t love you; it’s because He does love you.”

— Midlife Battle Cry by Dawn Barton (p. 171)

I hope you will check out Midlife Battle Cry. It is a book worth your time, especially if you are entering the next phase of life and feel unsure how to proceed, or that you are done.

“I’m not sure if we’ve done the damage ourselves listening to generations before us or if it’s the rambling of social media and society, but we are a huge group that for the most part has become silent during a time when we are profoundly needed in this world....This is not our time to stop being wild participants of life and just become mere spectators...It’s time for us to lead.”

— Midlife Battle Cry by Dawn Barton (p. 184)

Wonderful Words of Life - Partake of His Divine Nature

Today’s Wonderful Words of Life, take us back to the first chapter of second Peter. I did a series on verses 1-11. If you would like to see the introductory post on verses 1 and 2, you can see that here. I am focusing only on verses 3 and 4 today, for the specific purpose of sharing these wonderful words again.

Image by RachH from Pixabay

“3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

— 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NASB 1995)

I would like to look at these wonderful words in phrases.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

seeing that His divine power - The words “seeing that” as they are used here could be replaced with “since”. It is used in direct correlation to the phrase, “His divine power.” This phrase applies to what follows. I find it wonderful that it is His divine power. God’s power is limitless, and His, referring to Jesus Christ, was that same power that raised Him from the dead.

has granted to us - He didn’t use His divine power to give good gifts (Matt. 7:11) to the trees or grass or animals, He granted them to us. The word granted, according to Webster’s Online Dictionary has these definitions:

1 - a - to consent or carry out for a person

b - to permit as a right, privilege, or favor

2 - a - to bestow or transfer formally; specifically to give the possession or title of by a deed

What is it, exactly, that has been granted to us?

everything pertaining to life and godliness - This is so encouraging to me. God’s divine power has granted to us everything…EVERYTHING…pertaining to life and godliness. When I don’t think I have the ability to go on; when I can no longer stand; when I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow…His divine (heavenly) power gives me everything pertaining to living life and being godly. How is this accomplished, because obviously I still have to do things myself. I have to live life, go to work, take care of my family, survive the difficulties, so how does he do this?

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence - What does it mean, “true knowledge”? In a world with so much learning, so much knowledge, so many books, podcasts, how-to videos, and so many ideas, how do we know what true knowledge is?

The world will tell you true knowledge is only that which you learn through your own senses. Only the things you can taste, smell, hear, see or touch is true knowledge. However, our senses can be skewed. We might have a cold, or ongoing sinus issues that cause our taste and smell to be off. We may have poor vision or the day might be foggy or rainy causing us to not see clearly. Noises are not always perceived correctly either. What sounds like a baby crying, might actually be a tiny dog yapping, or a rabbit being attacked by a cat.

True knowledge can only be the truth which God has established. God has allowed us to share in that truth by giving us His word, the Bible. This is true knowledge. If you do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you cannot know true knowledge. Sure, you can read the Bible and you can have all sorts of PhD’s and certificates that give proof of your head knowledge, but true knowledge is only found in a heart that is walking humbly with the One True God.

We come to understand this true knowledge when He calls us by is own glory and excellence. He doesn’t call us to another glory…the glory of a professor, a priest or a preacher…He calls us by His glory, and His excellence.

For by these - This refers back to His glory and excellence.

He has granted to us - Once again, it is God Almighty who is doing the giving.

Image by Cheryl Holt from Pixabay

His precious and magnificent promises - We could spend an entire year looking at God’s precious and magnificent promises. His promises include things like, He is always with us (Hebrews 13:5), He will give strength (Isaiah 40:31), He gives us rest (Matthew 11:28-30), He delivers us and forgives us (Colossians 1:13-14), and so very many more. If you want a good study that encourages you from top to bottom, find all the promises of God in Scripture. It will leave you feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and amazed at His goodness and mercy.

So that by them - refers back to those precious and magnificent promises.

You may become partakers of the divine nature - How cool is that? We actually can partake, like drinking deeply of God’s very nature. Wow!! I am on the floor, prostrate before him in my heart as I type this. Why would such a powerful, mighty being allow us, allow me, to partake of His divine nature? Refer back to John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world….”

God says we are to be holy for He is holy (I Peter 1:14-16). We cannot strive to be holy. Only He can make us that way. Remember it is by His precious and magnificent promises that we are able to become partakers of His holy divine nature. We are not made holy by a new church program, by showing up for every service, by witnessing, by passing out tracts or helping at the soup kitchen. While all those things are good, only God Himself through the blood of His Son Jesus can make us Holy.

Having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust - Let’s sit here a minute. There are several things being stated in this phrase. First, the world is corrupt. We know this because of what happened in the Garden, when Eve listened to that slippery snake, and convinced Adam to listen as well.

We engage in this corruption in its many forms when we lust for that which we do not have. Think about it. Just about every sin that we can engage in involves some sort of temptation. Temptation is the lure that whispers to us all that we do not have…money, power, fame, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a big house, the perfect marriage, and on it goes. Lust takes over when we recognize we are dissatisfied and so we strive for all that we do not have.

Image by Pascal Laurent from Pixabay

I hate to break it to you, but we will always feel that emptiness and lust for what we do not have, unless we have Jesus in our hearts. Even when we do, we must claim those precious and magnificent promises to really begin to partake of His divine nature, and fully realize true peace and contentment.

I hope these words reminded you of several things:

You are not alone. God is with you and His is doing, moving, and working all the time.

You have His divine power, which can help you live this life.

You have all of His precious and magnificent promises.

You can partake of His divine nature.

You can escape the corruption of this world by delving deeper into the depths that are God.

You are loved!

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:9-11

In this series we are looking at the eighth chapter of Romans. It is commonly believed that Paul’s letter to the church at Rome was written from Corinth and was written to provide guidance and encouragement. The church in Rome was probably rather large and had been established early on after Pentecost. Today we are going to unpack Romans 8:9-11, only 3 verses, but a lot of information.

Image by Abstract Vibe from Pixabay

“9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

— Quote Source

Let’s take this a verse at a time.

Verse 9 - The emphasis here is that the individuals being written to are believers. They already have the Spirit of Christ. Paul reminds them they are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. From reading other writings of Paul and even in this letter, we know there were plenty of false teachers around, and in turn false believers.

How can someone be a false believer in Christ? For an answer to that we have to look at the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds.

“3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
8 And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.””

— Matthew 13:3-9 (NASB 1995)

Image by Florian Pircher from Pixabay

From this parable we learn that the seed, which represents the Word of God, can have four outcomes after it is sown:

1 - It can be eaten up by birds, meaning those who hear it have no interest at all.

2 - It can fall on rocky soil, where it takes root, but because it has no depth it withers away, meaning those who heard it, took it to heart, but in never took deep root, and as soon as the camp high is over they forget about it.

3 - It can fall among thorns, and the thorns take over and choke it out. I am unsure with this one whether the seed actually developed at all, or if it never has a chance, because the thorns, or the cares of life, difficulties and struggles overpower its development.

4 - It can fall on good soil where it takes root and grows and yields a crop one hundred fold. These seeds take root in a person’s heart who is truly searching for the truth and here they grow, and grow, and eventually they deliver the word to others, and so on.

Which of these would you say is the person in whom God’s Spirit dwells? Remember the word dwell means to abide or take up residence. Are you a person in whom God’s Spirit dwells?

Going back to verse 9 of our Roman’s passage. Pauls continues, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” It is important to know whose spirit we have allowed to take up residence in us. If it isn’t God’s spirit, then it is Satan’s, there is no middle ground.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Verse 10 - In this verse the emphasis is on Christ’s part. “If Christ is in you…” Once again, Paul is reiterating the importance of knowing Christ and of inviting Him in to dwell with you. It is Jesus Christ who took us from death to life. It is only through Him that we are able to be righteous.

You can be a good person doling out kindness, love, generosity, and helps, but still be dead in your sins. Remember:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

— Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB 1995)

Image by D. from Pixabay

Verse 11 - The truth is driven home once again, if God’s Spirit is in us, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, then He will give life to our mortal bodies. This work is done in the afterlife, through His Spirit, but it is also done in this life. There is never one more alive, than the one who is in complete communion with his/her God.

Speaking from my own experience, I know the days that I give to Him, and the days I spend time with Him are the days I have focus, energy and joy. Unfortunately, so often I don’t do this. I roll out of bed feeling fatigued, and I think about doing some exercise, and spending time with God in His word, but it doesn’t happen. I get distracted by my phone, or my spouse, or the dishes that are still sitting in the sink, or my grocery list and on and on it goes.

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

If there is only one thing in life I need to do better, it is this: living in His Spirit. I need to allow Him to consume me and give me the gift of His presence every single moment of every single day.

Relentless - Part 6: Home

Laney, could hear the steady beep, beep, beep of the machine monitoring her heart. She knew where she was, and what was going on. She was dying, but an amazing peace surrounded her, a living, breathing presence. She thought back to all those years ago, the night Steve walked out on her; the night the Shadowed Ones tried to get her to take her life; the night she met her unborn daughter. That night she had given her heart back to its maker; the King.

Image by OsloMetX from Pixabay

“GG?” A sweet, young voice called her name and she could feel the tender hand on her own. She opened her eyes.

Her youngest great grandchild stood next to her hospital bed. He was only eight, but his faith in the King was as strong and as deep as a mighty tree. She smiled at him.

“Silas.” Her voice came out in a raspy whisper.

“GG? Are you going to see Him? Are you going to see the King?” His eyes were wide with hopeful, childlike anticipation.

Laney managed a nod. “Yes, sweetheart. Yes I am.”

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Laney turned her head and saw the room filled with her family. She could see Steve in every single one of them. The thought made her smile. Steve hadn’t really given up on her, just like the King and His Son, he relentlessly pursued her.

For a long time she carried the guilt of her abortion, and it made seeing Steve even harder, but gradually, time, and the King’s soothing words reminded her she was forgiven. She was made new, and nothing ever captured her attention again, like His love.

Silas squeezed her hand. “GG, when you get there can you tell Gpa I miss him? Can you also say hi to Cocoa, and Nut?”

Laney managed a soft chuckle as she thought about the last two dogs she and Steve had rescued. The grandkids had been a little older than Silas when they adopted a dark brown puppy from a puppy mill, and a fluffy, white, very busy puppy from the Humane Society.

Image by carpenter844 from Pixabay

“Silas, I will tell them, and I’ll tell Myles, Sophie, Frito, and Chip.”

Silas’ brow wrinkled. “Were those your doggies when you were younger?”

“Oh, yes, Silas. Myles and Sophie were the dogs who helped rescue me. Frito and Chip were your dad and Aunt Evi’s dogs as they grew up.”

Steven Jr. stepped forward and put his hands gently on Silas’ shoulders. “Come on, bud. We need to let Gram rest.”

Silas squeezed her hand one more time then let his father lead him a way from the bed. Laney looked at all of the blessings the King had given her. His grace and mercy showed in every single face that stood in that room.

She lifted her hand towards her son. “Steven, come.”

Steven stepped to the bed and put his arm around his mother lifting her so she could see everyone.

“I love every single one of you, and I know you love me. You all know my story, because I never want you to go down the road I did…to run away from the King. No matter what happens in your lives, only He is truly trustworthy, and loves you completely. He alone makes you exactly who you are supposed to be. Always remember.”

Laney leaned back weakly on her son’s arm, and he gently placed her head on the pillow. “Good bye, Mom. We’ll see you again.”

Her daughter, Evi, came over and kissed Laney’s forehead, her tears anointing her mother for her last journey.

Laney closed her eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

When Laney woke, the first thing she felt was warmth. It was as though she was laying on a glorious Mediterranean beach, the sun beaming down on her with a gentle breeze blowing across her skin. She took a breath and realized she could breath without pain, and she could smell. A million different scents blended together filling her with a joy she had never known. She opened her eyes.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

She found herself in a garden, one that caused all the Better Homes and Gardens winners to look faded and tiny in comparison. She sat up. She was on a blanket, and laid out beside her was a picnic complete with gingham napkins, a wicker basket, and food that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She felt her stomach growl. What a glorious feeling after years of having no appetite.

“Laney.”

She looked up. There stood Steve, and her daughter Elena. They had decided to name her, after they had gotten back together. Both of them looked radiant. Stepping out from behind them was the King, His Son, and their presence, Arabella. Arabella was luminescent, as though a million stars filled her very being.

The Son came to her and reached out His hand. “Laney, we are so glad you are here. We have been waiting for you.”

Love, all at once a force, a thought, a breath, a place, an entity clothed her as His hand touched hers.

She was home.

Faith Inspiration: Psalm 23

The following are my own musings on Psalm 23. It is a prayer. It is a testament. It is a poem of praise. It is the work of a writer following the inspiration of one of David’s most famous psalms.

Image by António Cascalheira from Pixabay

The Lord is my shepherd - You are the one who cares for me. You tend my every wound. You collect my every tear. You always know where I am at every moment of every day.

I shall not want - How could I want anything when You have given me everything? Yet, even in that knowledge, I yearn. Help me to be satisfied with You alone.

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

You make me lie down in green pastures - Pastures of peace, lush with your provision, and goodness. Pastures of rest. Help me to lie down and know I can rest, because You have provided a place of peace.

Image by Nicholas Demetriades from Pixabay

You lead me beside quiet waters - These waters are not tumultuous, they are quiet. They flow along with only a rippling, gurgling whisper. These waters are meant to drink from. You are this living water.

You restore my soul - It is beside the quiet waters that you fill me, quenching my innermost thirst and refreshing me to my very core. Only you can restore on this soul level. You make all things new again.

Image by Silvia from Pixabay

You guide me in the paths (tracks) of righteousness, for Your name’s sake - These paths are worn. These tracks are easy to follow, because of all who have gone before. Let me be like those who have walked these trails before. Help me to follow hard after your righteousness, so that you are lifted up and glorified, forever; so your name is elevated above all others.

Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay

Even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness (the valley of the shadow…of death) - It is inevitable, I will, I am walking through this dark valley. The darkness is - I can’t see my hand in front of my face - darkness. Yet I am upright. I am walking. I have not given up. I have not fainted from the shadowed ones all around me.

I fear no evil, for you are with me - My good shepherd You are here, with me. You are here in this darkness.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me - Your rod is not there to beat me into submission. It is there to guide me, to comfort me. The feeling of your rod at my head, by my side, on my back, remind me You will never leave me. You are the good shepherd and You love Your sheep…You love me. What comfort!

Image by Julie Rothe from Pixabay

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies - What a bountiful table this is, full of every good thing. This table is always available for me. All I need to do is come. Why would I not come? My enemies are on every side. Most, I cannot see, but they are doing the will of their master, to bring me grief and turn my eyes away from you. I must come to Your table to refresh and restore.

You have anointed my head with oil - You have lavished me with your riches by anointing my head with oil. You show me that I am set apart for your purposes and my life matters.

Image by Bernd Müller from Pixabay

My cup overflows - Again, You show your riches in grace and mercy as you refill my cup over and over again. You remind me, that I am not just a welcomed guest at your table, but your daughter.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life - Just because circumstances are difficult, doesn’t mean you have withdrawn your goodness and love. Indeed, that goodness and lovingkindness are even more pronounced during that valley of darkness. Your character does not change and never will as you journey with me for as long as I live.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

And I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever - Dwell, live together, abide, with You, the three in one - Father, Son, Holy Spirit, forever. Amen!

Relentless - Part 5: Rock Bottom

“Laney! What are you doing?”

Laney heard her boyfriend’s voice, but she couldn’t remember where they were. Were they at home? Where were the dogs? She suddenly felt Steve shaking her.

“Laney, what did you do? You killed our baby…my baby…” Steve shook her harder. “Open your eyes, damn it! Look at me!”

Laney forced her eyes to open. She tried to smile, but her face didn't seem to want to respond to what her brain was telling it to do.

Image by 0fjd125gk87 from Pixabay

“…hey, babe…what…time is it?”

Steve shoved her back into the couch. She usually didn’t make it that far after a binge.

“I’m done, Laney. You are on your own. That’s really what you wanted anyway, wasn’t it. You aren’t selfish, you are lost.”

Steve left, slamming the door.

Laney tried to say something, but nothing would come out. She tried to sit up, but she was so hungover she knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

What was his problem anyway?

“It was my choice…” The words rang out into the empty room sounding like a hollow bell. “Myles? Sophie?”

Image by Linda Crouse from Pixabay

“It was my choice…” she muttered as she fell back asleep.

When she woke some time later it was dark. Not merely the darkness of night, but an inky, thick blackness that seemed to suck the breath out of her. Laney felt paralyzed, but she knew it wasn’t the alcohol and drugs, this was the paralysis of fear.

“Was it your choice?” A smooth voice whispered out of the blackness.

Laney forced herself to sit up. She knew her eyes were open, but why couldn’t she see anything. She felt the fear, like a leggy spider crawling up the back of her neck.

“My body! My choice!” She barked out the words like an angry, caged beast.

“My, my, so adamant, so angry, so vulnerable.” The voice taunted her, like a calm, stoic bully.

“Go away! Leave me alone!”

“But where would the fun be in that? My friends and I have been watching you, following you, waiting for you. You may have the King’s seal, but we can still make your life miserable. That’s really what you want anyway, isn’t it? To be miserable?”

Laney thought the voice sounded strangely like Steve’s.

“You are pathetic. You sold those dumb, four legged beasts to support your growing addiction, and then, last week you sold your own fetus.”

The voice began to giggle. The giggle turned into maniacal, stark raving hysteria. That voice was joined by another, and another, and another, until Laney was sure the laughter was coming from inside her head.

Image by Rebecca Martell from Pixabay

She covered her ears and dropped to her knees on the floor her screams becoming the crazed harmony to the unhinged laughter.

“You aren’t real! You’re just some sort of delusion from the alcohol and drugs. Go away!”

The laughing slowed, but it was replaced by whispers that sounded, oddly, like the hissing of a snake. Laney thought she had finally taken too many hallucinogenics, that her brain would no longer be able to tell the difference between the trip and reality. But then the voice started speaking again.

“I’m just a delusion? A monster of your own making? Tell me, Laney, what would the perfect enemy look like? A man with a funny little mustache who commanded armies and almost took over the world? Or how about a man who took his lovers home, then killed and ate them for dinner? No, no, no, my dear girl. I am perfection. You see I have convinced the world that I don’t exist. I can go about my business of manipulating and destroying lives without anyone ever being the wiser. You have talked yourself into believing a lie, and you even have the King’s seal. All of humanity is pathetic…”

Laney heard what the voice was saying, but she couldn’t make sense of it. “Go away!”

“Come now, Laney. The party is just getting started. You know what, I am a rather busy Being, why don’t we just get this over with. Get that bottle of pills that you have hiding in the cereal box in the cupboard. If you take them all, it should be over in just a few hours.”

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Laney gasped. How did he know about the pills? She smirked. Well, of course he would. He was her made up delusion.

“Why not,” she said as she struggled to crawl across the floor towards the kitchen.

“That’s right, Laney. You have nothing left to live for. No dogs, no family. Even your boyfriend, who had bought a ring, left you.”

Laney stopped. “Steve, bought me a ring?”

She felt something begin to twist inside of her. She ignored it and kept moving in the direction of what she thought might be the kitchen. She had to get those pills.

The voice dug in again. “He wanted to marry you. Can you believe he loved you? You made the right choice, you know. You would have never been a good mother.”

“He loved me?”

Image by aleksandra85foto from Pixabay

“Oh, come on Laney! You know he was only marrying you because of the baby. But, even that you have thrown away…the pills are waiting my dear. They will make all of this go away.”

Laney was frozen in a prostrate position when suddenly a thought whispered through her mind…you are loved with an everlasting love…you are the daughter of the King…you matter.

Laney touched her forehead to the floor. “Forgive me, my King…my Lord…my Savior. Rescue me.”

“Do you really think He’s going to listen to your prayers now? After all the weeks, and months, and years of your rebellion?” The voice was becoming angry.

Laney felt the air begin to move. It started like a soft summer breeze and built into a gale force wind. Her hair was whipping around her face. She was sure she could hear thunder, and the hissing and whispering grew tumultuous. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she couldn’t breath.

I’m going to die, she thought.

“ENOUGH!”

Image by Design n Print from Pixabay

Immediately the darkness was overtaken by a beautiful light. A light so warm and comforting that it caused Laney to weep. She felt her heart, iced over from so many years of pride and rebellion crack. From within it, began to seep all the darkness that she had allowed to consume her life. She cried and cried. As she remembered all the choices, her choices, she felt something like steel wool begin to scrub away the grime of manipulation and deceit.

Time passed. Her tears ebbing and flowing from her place on the floor, then she heard a different voice. She looked up.

“Laney.”

All around her home stood warriors in shining armor of light. Each one nodded at her, their faces full of compassion and joy. In front of her stood the elderly man from the park and at his feet sat Myles and Sophie. He made the motion and the two pups bolted for Laney smothering her in doggie kisses.

Laney couldn’t speak she was so overwhelmed. Then she noticed the young woman standing next to the man. She was shining, like the warriors in their armor. She came to Laney and knelt down beside her. She touched Laney’s cheek where tears had moistened it.

“Mom, I love you, and you are going to be okay.”

Mulling It Over - Romans 8:5-8

I wanted to get back to our Romans 8 passage that I started in my Mulling It Over series. Due to a busy week last week, I did not get to this post, so I am going to forego the Faith Inspiration post for this month, so we can get back to the Scriptures. There is so much in this passage, that it is like going to a buffet and being overwhelmed by all the choices. The best way to approach it is a bite at a time. Today we are going to look at verses 5 through 8.

Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay

The first two sections we covered reminded us of our position in Christ Jesus and showed us, in Him, we are no longer condemned. Paul reiterates the weakness of the law and flesh, and the need for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, which brought about a new covenant. Today’s verses go deeper.

“5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

— Romans 8:5-8 (NASB 1995)

Let’s do a compare and contrast chart:

Flesh

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

• Death

• Hostile towards God

• Not willing to subject itself to the law of God

• Not able to subject itself to the law of God

• Cannot please God

Spirit

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

• Life

• Peace

• Not hostile towards God

• Willing AND able to subject itself to the law of God

• Can please God

Besides the obvious differences between the Flesh and the Spirit, there is an underlying current; the current of the will. The one who is living according to the flesh sets his/her mind on the things of the flesh. The one who is living according to the Spirit sets his/her mind on the things of the Spirit. What does this mean? How do we know what things are of the flesh and what things are of the Spirit? Let’s start by looking at simple definitions.

Flesh - the physical nature of human beings; human nature (other definitions include the soft parts of the body, the skin, the edible parts of an animal.)

Spirit - an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms; a supernatural being - as in Holy Spirit; the activating or essential principle influencing a person; a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature.

For the purpose of this post the flesh represents anything having to do with living in this physical world: feelings, desires, needs, and the skin we are in. The spirit, on the other hand represents anything in a spiritual realm or in correlation to knowing and living for God.

Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay

What, then, does it mean to live according to the flesh by setting our minds on the flesh? Simply put, living according to the flesh is a living a life only for the fulfillment of the flesh. That doesn’t necessarily mean a hedonistic lifestyle of orgies and self gratification. Living for the fulfillment of the flesh can look as innocent as having that six figure salary so you can buy the big house, get the cool car in the color you want, or have the walk in closet of you dreams. Living for the flesh can be seeking greater worldly knowledge through higher education, not for the purpose of knowing things, but because knowing things makes us worthwhile. You see, living according to the flesh makes “ME” and what I want the highest priority.

We can be a born again believer and still be walking in the flesh. Remember it says, “…set their minds on…” What am I setting my mind on? How often do you wake up in the wee hours of the morning and start to worry and fret? How many times during the day do I find myself listening to secular music, or watching shows that might be somewhat questionable? How many pills, classes, diets, and advice columns do I regularly ingest just so I don’t have to feel pain, or sadness, or anxiety, or have to be reminded that I am not enough?

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

On the other hand, living according to the spirit and having our minds set on the spirit is to seek the fulfillment of God’s desires. It is a striping away of the fleshly, worldly concerns so that they may be replaced with the knowledge and wisdom that comes from an Almighty and loving God. This does not mean that we don’t take care of ourselves or that we cannot enjoy so many wonderful things that life has to offer. In contrast it means that we carry those things loosely, and with gratitude, because we know they could be gone in a moment and from whom they come.

God’s Word is clear, if we set our minds on the flesh it will result in death and in outright or eventual hostility towards God. Can you hear Satan’s voice in your ear, just like it was in Eve’s ear, "Surely, you won’t die…I mean everyone dies, but why not enjoy life while you can, after all, you deserve it! You work hard. You try to be good, and you are redeemed right? You can’t do anything that God hasn’t already forgiven you for….” On, and on the manipulation goes.

God’s Word is also clear, if we set our minds on the Spirit it means life and peace. Isn’t that what we are all craving? A life of abundant peace? Sure it’s great to have things, and to experience life to the fullest, but within the gentle constraints of His Spirit. When we start pushing against those constraints to fulfill the desires of our flesh, and start regularly setting our minds on the flesh, our peace will disappear like the morning dew as the heat of day intensifies.

The desire of our hearts should be to please God. The best way to do that is to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

Relentless - Part 4: The Pursuer - The Prince

He paced the floor, as he often did when things weighed heavily on him. He could feel the cool night air filtering in from the open doors that led to the balcony. He could smell the fire as it flickered brightly, seemingly without a care in the world. There were moments he wished he could be that free, but he cared too deeply.

Image by Jazella from Pixabay

He could not get her off his mind. She was his sister. She had become thus when she gave her heart to his father in the oath; an oath that could not be undone. Why did she not want to return to them? Why did she run away in the first place? Why did she not see how much they cared for her and wanted her to come home? Didn’t she know how her actions tore at his father’s heart? Didn’t she know the shadowed ones were always looking for an opportunity to destroy her?

The more he meditated on it, the faster he paced.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door.

“Come!”

His father entered. His face, always alight with passion and energy, was shadowed with care.

“Father! Do you have news? Has Laney returned?”

His father moved to the plush, oversized chair near the fireplace and fell into it with a sigh.

He quickly took the other chair next to his father and waited. It was never wise to push the King for information. He knew him like he knew himself. The King would speak when he was ready. The fire grew dim before the King finally spoke.

“These next few weeks are critical. While she cannot see it, she has crossed into their territory. They will take advantage of every single bad choice she makes. It will be dangerous for her. I need you to post a small company of the Guard around her. They are to watch and keep the darkness at bay, but not interfere.”

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

“Father! Why can’t we just pull her out? Why must we let this go on, leaving her to her own will; watching her dive deeper and deeper into destruction?”

“You know why, my son. Her will is strong. Almost as strong as yours.” The king smiled gently. “But you used your will to accomplish my purposes. She is not there yet. It must be her choice. To take her back by force will only cause her to rebel more earnestly. Believe me, I know her inside and out.”

The king rose from the chair and he followed suit.

His father grasped his shoulders. “I know how hard this is for you. You have been there living among them as one of their own. You are intimate with their limitations and struggles, but you know I am trustworthy. You placed yourself at my behest, even though it involved great sacrifice.”

Image by KTDesign_studio from Pixabay

He looked intently into his father’s golden eyes. He saw what he always did. Mercy, patience, forgiveness, and a love so deep it was unfathomable.

He nodded. “I know, father. You are right. I know that she is there by her own choice, but it pains me to see her suffer.”

“You are not alone in that, my son.” He turned to go. “When you are done gathering the Guard, go to Arabella. Together you can pray.”

Wonderful Words of Life - Information or Transformation: Part 2

Last week I shared a quote from D. L. Moody.

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

— D. L. Moody

Image by Gerhard Bögner from Pixabay

The reason I started with this last week under my Faith Inspiration column was due to the fact that a single quote like this one can be so inspiring, and can cause us to look deeply into God’s word. I fleshed out the idea of our part in our own transformation, by choosing to read, study and meditate on God’s word. This week I wanted to discuss God’s part in the transformative process. To me those words about His power and work in our lives are wonderful words. Let’s dive in.

Image by Jimmy Lau from Pixabay

Last week I used the analogy of a butterfly to explain our part in the transformation process. We know God is the one who gave the butterfly the ability to transform, but the insect itself has to make the cocoon and push it’s way out once the transformation is complete.

This week I want to use the transformation of leaves in the fall as the analogy for God’s part in the transformative process. A deciduous tree goes through the process of leaf change every fall. As the weather cools, the tree gets less sunlight and in turn the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down, leaving behind other pigments like yellow and orange. A few trees go through a chemical change where sugar gets trapped in the leaves producing new pigments called anthocyanin which are typically red. (Information from Smithsonian’s online article Why Do Leaves Change Colors in the Fall?)

This transformative process in trees is a process the Creator of the tree put in place. It is something that He instilled in the tree with the idea that as the season changes from summer to fall, the tree will begin that transformation. The tree doesn’t go to the mall and pick out a new gown to wear to the Autumn ball, the tree transforms as God makes it happen.

Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

While the transformation in our walk with Him happens in part by our choosing to study and know Him more deeply, our complete redemption, justification and sanctification is the work of God. Let’s review those two passages.

“20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

— Philippians 3:20-21 (NASB 1995)

When we die, or when Jesus comes again, we will receive new, transformed bodies. Our humble state of living in the flesh will be brought into conformity with His glory. Revelation 21 says there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and that there will be no more death, crying, mourning or pain. The old will be passed away.

Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay

“15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NASB 1995)

This next passage reconfirms this idea that the transformation comes from the Lord. The physical Israelites were unable to truly understand the prophecies in the Old Testament, because they were unable to accept that Jesus was the fulfillment of those prophecies, thus the veil that still lies over their hearts. However, whoever turns to and believes in the work that Jesus did through His death and resurrection, Jew or Gentile, he/she has the veil removed and they are filled with the Holy Spirit receiving liberty.

Having the veil removed we are able to see the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into that same image, the image of Christ, from glory to glory. It is from the Lord; a work that He set into motion and accomplishes by His Spirit.

Going back to our beautiful trees, we see that they are transformed from glory to glory. The beauty of their starkness in the winter is now being transformed into the newness as the greening of spring is taking place. However, their true beauty does not compare until their leaves begin to die in the fall. That is when the hidden mysteries of their Creator are fully known. We will not fully know, until we meet Him face to face.

“12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

— 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NASB 1995)

The fact that God is transforming us into the image of His beloved Son, so that one day we will be glorified, just as He is glorified gives me hope. I hope it does for you as well.

Have a great weekend!

Faith Inspiration - Information or Transformation: How We View the Bible

Today’s post is going to be divided into two parts with the next part falling next week under my Wonderful Words of Life post.

Dwight Lyman Moody was an American evangelist who founded Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishing company, all based in Chicago, IL. Moody gave up his shoe and boot business to invest himself in the revivalist movement. His dynamic and fiery speaking style drew large crowds in both the United State and the British Isles.

Rather than try to dissect an entire sermon, I want to talk about the inspiration we can draw from just one of Moody’s quotes.

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

— D. L. Moody

Image by simardfrancois from Pixabay

Most of us are familiar with the transformation butterflies and moths go through. Starting out as a caterpillar, the little beastie will eat him or herself plump, then build a cocoon around themselves. Over a period of time the caterpillar will slowly change or transform into an entirely different bug with legs, antennae, and wings.

When we allow the Bible to transform us, God is changing us from one being into another. Where once we lived in the flesh, we begin to live in the Spirit. Where once we were in darkness, we are now in the light. Where once we were enslaved, now we are free.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

— Romans 12:2 (NASB 1995)

“15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NASB 1995)

“20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

— Philippians 3:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Image by Kei Rothblack from Pixabay

From these three sets of verses we witness two types of transformation: the kind that we have control over and the kind that God has control over. This week we will look at transformation we control.

1 - Transformation we Control

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.How do we achieve this sort of transformation? We achieve it by allowing God’s word to permeate and change the way that we think. How can this be? I can read all sorts of books, magazines, and articles but they don’t necessarily change the way I think; or if they do it is a temporary fix until the next fad comes along. Biblical transformation has to do not only with the author and the reader, but with the vitality of the words themselves.

“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)

The Bible states of itself that it is living and active. Obviously, this is not some magical spell, it is the natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the words of the Almighty God. We come into an understanding of this outpouring of living words when we give our hearts to Christ. That is why the Bible seems like stuff and nonsense to those who read it without the pulling and pouring of God’s Spirit.

However, this kind of transformation only takes place as we allow God’s word to change us. We can liken it to being a caterpillar in a cocoon. Just as the butterfly must push its way out of its flossy sleep we too must wrestle, and meditate, and study to wake ourselves from our sleep of mediocrity. If we approach God’s word with an open heart and an inquiring mind, really wanting to know what God is try to teach us, then we will see ourselves being transformed from the old beast into an enchanted creature meant to fly.

Next week we will continue our look at how we view the Bible and learn about the beauty of the ever transforming God. I hope you’ll join me.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:3-4 - Easter Thoughts

When I study scripture, one of the first things I do is exactly what I do here with you, I take the verses I am studying apart. Words are important. How those words are used is important. Obviously, we are looking at English words, not the original language of Hebrew or Greek, so the words have already been translated into a form for us. It would definitely be advantageous if we could read the Bible in it’s original language to truly understand the nuances and meanings of some of the words, but I trust God. I know that the book that He allowed to be translated into our language is just as true and powerful as the original documents that were penned so many, many years ago.

Image by Robert C from Pixabay

Last month we looked at the first two verses of Romans 8, which reminded us that we do not stand condemned if we are in Christ Jesus, and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the Law of sin and death. Let’s continue our study by looking at verses 3 and 4.

“3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

— Romans 8:3-4 (NASB 1995)

As we move into Easter weekend and contemplate what our Lord Jesus did for us, it is apropos that we look over these two verses.

Let’s change it up just a little bit this week and instead of going through this phrase by phrase, let’s look at what we can learn about the Law in these two verses.

1 - The Law was weak - The Law, given in the Old Testament to Moses on the mountain, was given as both a mirror and a shadow. It was given as a mirror to reflect sin. The whole point of the Law was to point out and remind people they are sinners, separated from a Holy God.

Image by Med Ahabchane from Pixabay

The Law was also a shadow of the spiritual reality. The reality is that we cannot save ourselves. No matter how much we try to obey the law, we still fall short of God’s holy identity. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is only one way to have right standing with this Almighty being and that is through the sacrifice of blood. That sacrifice came through His son, Jesus.

2 - The Law was flesh - Everything that the law encompassed in the Old Testament had to do with deeds of the flesh. The sacrifices, the portions, the building, the lineage, the priesthood, the garments, the tabernacle and temple furniture and ornamental pieces, the commandments…all of it had to do with this life, in this flesh. Even today, we are all about doing, or what can be done or accomplished in our flesh.

Image by roxanawilliams1920 from Pixabay

Don’t get me wrong, doing is good and it absolutely should be a part of our lives as human beings and as Christians. However, the ability to save ourselves has nothing to do with our flesh. Even Paul in the book of Galatians reprimands the Jews who are trying to add to the gospel by telling new converts to Christ they have to be circumcised. (See Galatians 3 and 4.)

3 - The Law and the Flesh are associated with sin - God created Adam and Eve with fleshly bodies, but in the Garden of Eden that flesh was meant to be enjoyed, and used to take care of the animals and all the things that God had created. Sin came about when Eve, tempted by Satan in his serpent form, wanted to taste the fruit that was forbidden. It was the desire of the flesh that caused her and her husband to fall. If they would have immediately ran to their loving Father with their fleshly desire, not only would they have remained pure, but then sin wouldn’t have been given reign in the flesh. As it was, they were cast out of the Garden and became painfully aware of now frail and sinful their flesh was.

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

From that first connection of flesh to sin, came about the need for the Law, a shadow of what was to come in the fleshly form of Jesus Christ who would take away the sins of the world.

4 - The Law was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ - God in His great goodness and fathomless love provided! Isn’t it amazing that the very God with whom we in our flesh, broke covenant, was prepared from before the foundation of the world to provide the needed, perfect and unblemished lamb to be a sacrifice for our darkened hearts. Not only did he provide the perfect sacrifice, but it came in the person of His own son, Jesus Christ. In this, He and the Father were one. The son did what the Father wanted, because the Son loved the Father and loved us.

Image by Raheel Shakeel from Pixabay

Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us…it is important that we understand He had to take on flesh for His sacrifice to fulfill the requirement of the Law. The Law required a fleshly sacrifice particularly for the atonement of sin. What was a shadow in the Old Testament became a reality in the New Testament. The Old Covenant was set aside for the New Covenant.

What a blessing is ours, for we were born in the time of the New Covenant, or the New Testament. We are not dependent on our own flesh to be one with God. The requirement of the law is fulfilled in our flesh because Jesus became flesh, and was the perfect sacrifice for all. Now we live, not according to the law of the flesh, but the law of the Spirit.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. Have a beautiful Easter weekend! Until next time, keep seeking Him.

Relentless - Part 3: The Pursued - Mercy upon Mercy

Laney had just brought the pups in from their walk and all three of them were wet. It had turned gray early in the day and soon after started to rain. She didn’t like having to walk the pups in the rain, but she knew it was good for all of them. Laney had become very disciplined in her life. It was something she was proud of.

Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay

“Okay, guys, no jumping on the furniture until I get your feet wiped off.”

She grabbed a towel she left hanging by the door for just that purpose, and began to wipe Myles’ paws. Sophie sat obediently waiting her turn. Myles gave her plenty of kisses, then padded into the living room where he jumped up to his spot on the couch. Just after she finished Sophie’s paws and hung up the towel, there was a loud clap of thunder that made her jump. Both dogs barked. The lights flickered.

Laney spoke gently to calm the pups down. “It’s okay. It’s just a little thunder. You know it happens a lot when it rains.”

It went dark.

She looked out the front window and the whole neighborhood was dark. The rain was coming down in sheets, while thunder and lightening rumbled and flashed simultaneously.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

She looked at her phone, thinking she had better log the outage with her electric company. It lit up for one second then it went dark, just like the neighborhood.

She felt panic, the same kind she had felt in the bar on that night over two years ago. She could still hear the whispers. She clenched her teeth.

“Alright, guys! We need to find the flashlight and get some candles lit.” She forced her voice to be calm and upbeat.

It made her think of her dad. He had always been buying candles at garage sales for just those occasions. Her mom would light them all over the house when the lights went out and it always made her feel safe, so she was going to do the same.

Image by Obsidain Photography from Pixabay

The pups padded along behind her as she found the flashlight and then grabbed a variety of candles and their holders from various places in the house. She soon had the living room and kitchen looking like a bright fairy festival at Christmas time.

She gave the dogs their dinner, then scooted down the hall with a candle to her bedroom to change into dry clothes. She looked out the bedroom window and was stunned by how hard it was raining. It looked like there was a wall between her and her neighbor whose house was only a grassy patch and a driveway away.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

She noticed the reflection of the candle in the window, but there was someone standing next to it. She whirled around fear catching in her throat. There was no one there. She nervously pulled the curtains closed without looking back at the window, quickly changed her clothes and went back out to where the pups had curled up on the couch.

She closed all the other curtains as well, then sat between the dogs pulling a blanket over her lap. Myles yawned and rested his head on her lap, while Sophie put her back against her leg. The dogs were her salvation. She did not know what she would do without them.

She began to doze, hoping the rain would stop and the electricity would come back on soon.

Image by Waldryano from Pixabay

Laney woke with a start. Blinding light filled the room and in front of her was the silhouette of what looked like a man in a suit. Both Myles and Sophie had gotten off the couch and were sitting by the man and looked to be licking his fingers.

“Who…who are you?” Laney’s voice trembled. “What do you want?”

Myles barked. The man bent his head towards the dog, then said, “Oh…yes…you are so right, Myles.”

The piercing light diminished. Laney could see the candles she had lit around the room. The light continued to recede until it was just a warm glow around the man. She saw him smiling as he looked around her home.

Laney grabbed her phone still laying in her lap from when she had dozed off, but of course it still had no charge. She stood up.

“What are you, some sort of utility worker? It’s great that you got out here to fix the power so quickly, but you really shouldn’t be coming into people’s homes without being invited!”

The man chuckled. “Well, Myles and Sophie said I was completely welcome. Besides, I was sent here to talk to you.”

Image by Lalo Viamontes from Pixabay

Laney glanced towards the front door. If she could make a mad dash, she might be able to get out of the house. She could run to a neighbor’s.

“Laney.” The man’s voice was gentle. “I’m not going to hurt you. I am here at the request of the King. He wants you to come home.”

Laney rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Why does he keep bothering me? Doesn’t he understand I want nothing to do with him or his silly kingdom. He doesn’t own me.”

The gentleman moved towards one of the chairs opposite the couch. “Do you mind if I sit?”

Laney was about to say of course she minded, but he sat.

“You say he doesn’t own you, but you gave him your heart oath and in turn he placed his seal on you. Let me show you. Myles, Sophie, here.”

Laney was aghast as the dogs moved obediently to wear the man sat. He raised his hand and it began to glow brighter. He lifted up Myles’ ear. Placing his hand behind the dog’s ear, Laney could plainly see something that resembled a royal seal glowing.

“Sophie’s is embedded near her heart, and yours…” He stood and moved towards her gently taking her wrist.

“You wanted yours on your wrist so it looked like a tattoo.” He smiled as the glow from his hand revealed the same royal seal on her arm.

She pulled her arm away angrily. “You need to go! Now!”

The man’s face looked sorrowful. He turned towards the door, but stopped and said. “Laney, it is easy to cling to bad things that happened in your life, but it blinds you to all the times mercy was extended to you in the form of his protection, his provision, his love. Open your heart to him again. Even this evening, this storm…it was his way of watching over you.”

He turned towards the pups. “He knows you are doing everything you can and he is so pleased. Don’t give up on her. He isn’t.”

Myles and Sophie barked and followed him to the door. He opened the door, his glowing silhouette backlit by a flash of lighting, then he was gone.

Laney rushed to the door, slamming it and turning both of the locks. She even went to all the other outside doors and the windows and made sure each one was locked.

Image by PublicDomainArchive from Pixa

“Stupid, weird utility man…” she muttered as she finished.

* * * * *

Laney woke to the clock on her bedside table blinking, and the sun shinning through a slit in between the closed curtains. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps the whole incident with the stranger in her house was just a dream. She decided it must have been and began her morning routine.

She turned on the TV, starting her healthy morning smoothy. As she cut up the fruit to throw in the blender her ears tuned in to something the local news anchor was saying.

“…Late last night police finally caught the Urban Exterminator, notorious serial rapist and murderer. It seems the Exterminator was looking to take his next victim from one of the neighborhoods near 8th and Dernst Avenues and stalled out his vehicle going through a flooded area near a plugged up storm sewer drain…”

Laney’s jaw dropped. Hers was one of those neighborhoods. The stranger’s voice echoed in her head. “…it is easy to cling to bad things that happened in your life, but it blinds you to all the times mercy was extended to you in the form of his protection, his provision, his love…Even this evening, this storm…it was his way of watching over you.”

Words of Life - Comfort

Today we are going to take a quick look at a few verses from the book of 2 Corinthians. This second book that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, gets into the theme of suffering and Paul’s own walk in the Spirit to carry out the work of spreading the Gospel.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

The word comfort is both a verb and a noun. As a verb it is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary as the act of giving hope or strength to, or to ease the grief or trouble of someone. As a noun it can be defined as: strengthening aid, consolation in times of trouble or worry; a feeling of relief or contented well being; a satisfying or enjoyable experience, or a person who brings comfort.

Look at the following pictures. Which of these make you think of comfort?

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Image by Анастасия Белоусова from Pixabay

Image by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pixabay

Image by Thanks for your donation for the download. from Pixabay

I love a cozy fire, furry pets, warm drinks, relaxing smells, hot baths and comfy beds. All of these make me think of being comfortable and cared for. Let’s see what Pauls says about comfort.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ”

— 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NASB 1995)

Let’s face it, there is a lot of hard, uncomfortable stuff in our lives. Since the onslaught of Covid it seems that every time we turn on the news or open our computers we hear about some other disaster, either in the health field or in the natural world. In addition, we are inundated with bad news both close to home and far away. Who doesn’t have ill relatives, children who have walked away from God, job loss, divorce or feelings of being overwhelmed just by the thought of getting out of bed. We all know somebody who is suffering.

These verses tell us several important, life giving thoughts about God.

1 - He is the God of ALL comfort. This God, the one who created us from dust (and yes I will keep reminding you of that), who provided a way through His own Son for us to come back into a right relationship with Him, who knows the number of hairs on our heads and stars in the sky - He is the same God who provides all the comfort we need through whatever valley we are walking through.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

2 - He comforts us in ALL our affliction. God is certainly the God of ALL’s! He’s not just the God of ALL comfort, but He comforts us in ALL of our affliction. Think about all you are struggling with. Now think about how God comforts you in it. We most often miss the working of God in our lives because we are too distracted by our suffering and our sorrow to recognize His hand of comfort. His hand is there in the many forms of His word, His people, His songs, His prayers, and His Spirit. Remember the Spirit intercedes for you.

Image by Katrina_S from Pixabay

“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;”

— Romans 8:26 (NASB 1995)

3 - God has a purpose. Our struggles and our suffering always have a purpose; a purpose which is always preceded by God’s approval. Why? Because life isn’t just about us. Life is about bringing glory to God and the way we do that is by living in community with others. God doesn’t want us to be hermits, always keeping to ourselves protected from the harm that relationships can bring. We struggle so we can help others. Suffering, if given over to God, tenderizes our hearts so we are able to give care and encouragement to others who are also suffering. This is part of how we share in the sufferings of Christ.

Image by Ronny from Pixabay

“16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:16-17 (NASB 1995)

4 - Abundant suffering means abundant comfort. God doesn’t just comfort us once in a while. He doesn’t just comfort us through one really hard time. He comforts us every time we are suffering, no matter how big or small the suffering is. Since the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, meaning we benefit from all the suffering He endured to be human and to pay for our sins, then the comfort of Christ is also ours in abundance.

Image by Jackson David from Pixabay

Learning to lean in to the suffering of Christ is a hard concept to grasp and, perhaps, not the most fun thing to think about. However, the reality is as long as we are living life on this planet we will endure suffering, if not our own, that of others around us, including those we care for. Knowing that God is there to comfort me through it all gives me life giving hope. I hope it does for you as well.

Faith Inspiration - The Prayers of Paul

After the death of my father-in-law back in December, a good friend sent me a paper filled with handwritten paragraphs that a friend of hers, had given her when she was going through a difficult time. At the top of the page it says, Paul’s Prayers.

These are some of Paul’s prayers for the body of believers; those he had met on his journeys through out Syria, Asia, Macedonia and finally Italy, where he was imprisoned and later killed in Rome. All throughout his ministry, Paul was never concerned for himself. His concerns lay in lifting up of the name of Jesus, preaching the Gospel, and in the unity and building up of the Christ Ones.

I have read these prayers many times as I am typically reading and rereading the letters of Paul, but I don’t always focus on the prayers. More often I am focusing on the parts that show me what I should be doing. This is an unfortunate habit that most of us as Christians get into. We concentrate on the doing, rather than the Being - the person of the Lord Jesus Christ - and all that He has done and wants to do for us.

As you can see from the highlighting on the paper, I decided to really look and mull over these prayers of the Apostle Paul. We all know how important the words of Jesus are, and the high priestly prayer (John 17) that He prays for those who were following, and who would be following Him in the future. Paul’s prayers are important too, and are so adept at reminding us of who Christ is, and who we are in His sight.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

I want to share one of these prayers with you today as not only a source of encouragement, but a source of inspiration to remember whose we are.

“9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

— Colossians 1:9-12 (NASB 1995)

What I have been doing with each of these prayers of Paul is to write them out, but write them as though praying for myself. We need to pray for ourselves. Why do we think that is something that is selfish, or unreasonable? Yes, God commands us to pray for others, but He also commands us to pray without ceasing. I am sure some of that time can and should be used to pray for ourselves. This is my prayer:

I pray this according to Colossians 1:9-12 - I pray that you would fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. I pray this in order that I may live a life that is worthy of You, and may please You in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so I might have GREAT endurance (all steadfastness) and patience; joyfully giving thanks to You who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of ) Light. (This last phrase was handwritten including the Kingdom of - we can assume from other knowledge of the scriptures the saints are not just in the Light, but in the Kingdom of God also known as the Kingdom of Light).

Image by Michael Kleinsasser from Pixabay

Using these four Scriptures to pray over myself had an incredible affect on me. It made something, that I might have otherwise glossed over, come alive. It reminded me of several key points:

1 - God gives us knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. One thing I often heard when I was a younger Christian was, how do I know God’s will for my life. Simply put, God reveals His will as we grow in our spiritual wisdom and understanding. We aren’t going to learn His will from reading novels or watching our favorite shows. We learn his will as we gain spiritual wisdom and understanding.

2 - In having this spiritual wisdom and understanding we A) Walk in a manner worthy of Him, B) Bear fruit in every good work, and C) Increase in our knowledge of God. This makes sense and hopefully doesn’t need to be explained.

3 - God strengthens us with all power according to His glorious might. He gives us strength with all power, not just a tiny bit of power, but all of it. God doesn’t do things half way! Not only does He strengthen us with all power, He does it according to His glorious might. This is the same might we see that raises Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:18-23)

4 - God gives us this power so that we might be able to endure, and have patience. Wow! How cool is that? We have His power, all of His power, so we can keep going through the difficulties and do it with patience. This really speaks to me. With all the issues I have been having over the last two years, I can say it has only been His power that has given me the ability to patiently endure. Is it easy? No! Not at all, but it is truth, and His truth is all that matters.

5 - We can joyfully give thanks, because of what follows this phrase - He has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of) light. There is no denying this spiritual and scriptural truth: we are children of the King. Being a child of royalty means I have all the resources of the Kingdom at my fingertips. I partake of those resources as I clasp my hands together in humility and thank Him for them.

I hope you are inspired by Paul’s prayers as much as I am. Have a great week!

Relentless - Part 2: The Pursued - The Gift

“Where are they? Myles? Sophie?” Laney called and whistled, but the dogs did not respond.

She had come to the park, their evening routine after she got home from work, but something had caught their eye, or their nose, and they had nearly pulled her down on her face before the leashes slid roughly from her hands.

She felt herself beginning to panic. What if she couldn’t find them? What if they didn’t come back? They were her constant companions. She couldn’t live without them.

“Sophie! Myles! Come!” She called loudly again as she jogged in the direction they had zoomed off.

She pulled out her phone. Her friend Jeremy would know what to do. He was always there to help her out. After a second he answered.

“Hello?”

“Jeremy, this is Laney. Hey, I’m at Preston Park. Myles and Sophie got away from me. Can you come help me look for them.”

“Um…well, I…I’m kinda busy right now, Laney. I’m sure they’ll be fine. Just hang out for a bit and they’ll probably come loping back in a few minutes.”

Laney was disappointed, but she didn’t let on. “Oh, okay. Well, thanks. See you at work tomorrow.”

She kept walking, but slowed her pace. Jeremy was probably right. They would come back in just a few minutes after they were done stimulating their noses. She headed toward the wooded area because she knew the pups loved to rummage around in the leaves.

Laney was proud of herself. She’d finally stopped messing around and started to take life seriously. After that last weird encounter at the bar, she decided to keep her drinking confined to her small home, and only when she had friends over. She had finally gotten an administrative position at work, got a great raise, good health insurance and a title that made her finally feel worth something. People came to her for advice and looked up to her.

Why was it then, she felt so alone?

Image by Werner Heiber from Pixabay

Still, he pursued her. She could feel it in the quiet moments, which was exactly why she didn’t allow the silence. She had a routine. As she got home she was greeted by the barking of Myles and Sophie, the two rescues she adored. She changed her clothes, put on her headphones, cranked up the music and took the pups for a long walk. When they returned she turned on the TV to have a show on in the back ground as she made herself a healthy meal. It stayed on until she either went to bed, went out with friends or had friends over.

Her life before she left Him was becoming a blur, almost as though it wasn’t real. She had just about convinced herself it was just some sort of weird dream, a fairy tale of sorts, or it had seemed like a fairy tale until something bad had happened; something that He had not stopped. The question always nagged at her, if he really loved her why hadn’t he protected her?

Laney followed the path that wandered into the heavily treed area of the park. Just as she came around a corner she saw Sophie and Myles sitting in front of an elderly man on a bench.

“There you are! You two are in so much trouble.” She reached them and picked up both of their leads.'

“I am so sorry,” Laney said to the man. “They just took off. Just about dragged me with them.”

The gentleman chuckled. “Oh they were zooming for sure, but I could tell they belonged to someone who cared for them very much. I told them they had to sit with me until you came.”

Laney wasn’t sure what to think of the man, but he seemed quite harmless. Plus it was still daylight and there were people around. She sat down next to him.

She smiled. “You told them?”

He was looking off into the woods. He started, as if noticing her for the first time. “What was that?”

“You said, you told Myles and Sophie to sit with you until I came.”

He smiled gently as he patted Myles on the head. “Oh, yes…yes. This one is all for fun. He wanted to keep running, but his sister told him to listen. She’s the one with the deep desire to please you.”

Laney let out a small laugh. “You understand them…who are you Dr. Doolittle?”

The man smiled. “Oh no, no. That was just a made up story. I…well….I have a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Some would call it discernment. Others might call it knowledge…whatever it is I just know I’ve had it since I was seven years old.”

Laney looked at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. She suddenly felt worried for the man. “Are you okay? I mean do you need me to call someone? Do you live around here?”

He gently put a hand on her knee and patted it. “Now don’t you worry. I am perfectly sane, if that’s what you are wondering. I just know things, that’s all.”

Laney was intrigued. “What sorts of things? Has Myles told you he wants another sibling, because I cannot afford another…”

The gentleman burst into laughter, his eyes crinkling with mirth. His smile seemed to make the shaded path burst into light.

“I can tell you that Myles and Sophie were both rescues. Sophie has always loved to submit. It makes her happy to do her owner’s will. She is gentle and peaceful. Myles…well, he’s a lot like you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. He likes to run. He has very little patience for sitting still. Some days he wants to run and run and never turn back.”

Laney looked at Myles. “What? You would do that?”

Myles barked. The man continued. “Oh, he won’t ever leave you. He has a seal.”

“A seal?”

“Yes. Both Sophie and Myles have it. It was given to them by someone very important. You see, Myles and Sophie were both severely treated and abused. He gives them the most important job, to watch over the lost ones…You are very fortunate. He must love you a great deal. Myles and Sophie were created just for you.”

Laney sat there stunned, a tiny pin prick poking her heart. She took a deep breath and willed her mind to override the feelings. She stood up.

“Well, that’s all very interesting. I really need to go. I’ve got friends coming for dinner. Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone?”

The man patted Myles and Sophie again and whispered something only they could hear, then lifted his head to Laney.

“Thank you for sitting with me, even if just for a minute. It means the world to me.” He smiled again.

Laney had to pull the pups away from him as she moved down the path out of the woods. She turned back one time to see if the old man was going to try to follow her, but he was gone.

Words of Life

“Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.”

— Wonderful Words of Life (Hymn written by Philip P. Bliss)

There are words in the Scriptures that give us instruction, relate our condition, direct us on how to leave that condition behind and remind us to love and forgive just as He loves and forgives us. There are also many passages and verses that speak to encourage us. The God who created us from dust and foreknew the depths to which we would go, also knew that we would need constant reminding of our value, our worth and whose we are.

Image by Aline Dassel from Pixabay

A parent who gives life to a child seeks to encourage that child to do all that they can to be a good human being. They teach them how to behave, relate stories from their own lives as examples, direct them how to do better and remind them to always be kind and think about what they are going to do.

A good parent also recognizes that children need encouragement. It is not the strict, finger wagging instruction that will remain with a child, but the gentle, time involved words that uplift and remind them of how valuable they are. It is these words that make the child want to do and be better and give them the hope that they will be able to do so, because of the parent’s love and support.

Image by Diep Vu from Pixabay

In the same way our Heavenly Father, knew we would need those gentle words of encouragement and love, of which there are many in His word. This is what I want this monthly post to focus on: the love, the joy, the relationship, the promises, all given to us by our completely good and kind God.

The Psalms are a wonderful place to find encouragement. Not only do we see the struggles of David, but the end result when he turns his eyes from his difficulty to his God. Today I would like to look at two verses from Psalm 37.

“23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.”

— Psalm 37:23-24 (NASB 1995)

There are several things we can take away from these two verses, which should cause us great joy.

1 - The promises - First we can see that our steps are established. Other translations say, “…makes firm the steps…” God doesn’t cast us out onto the slippery slopes of life without giving us the footing to be able to maneuver the path.

The second promise has to do with God’s character. I stick to the New American Standard Version as it is one of the most word for word translations. God delights, or finds pleasure in our ways when we are walking as righteous people. Some versions put the emphasis on our delight in God, but this makes more sense to me in that this is part of the promise God gives to us, not something we do for HIm.

The third promise may not seem like a very nice promise, but it is truth. We will fall.

The fourth promise follows that we will not fall with such great speed and or from such a great height that we die from the impact. No! Because the Lord is holding our hand.

Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay

Have your ever held the hand of a small child and felt them tug and pull when they want to get away from you, but you know that letting them go will involve a devastating tragedy, such as running into traffic, or at the least a bleeding boo boo? We don’t let them go because we love them and we do not want to see them suffer. God’s care for us is the same. Yes, there are times He will, like with our own children, let us go so we can be free to make our bad choices, but He’s always right there, ready to grab hold of our hand again.

2 - The Take Aways -

Image by Eddie K from Pixabay

Meant to Move - The fact that our steps are established shows that we are meant to be moving. Our lives as Christians are not meant to be stagnating from standing still. They are meant to be dynamic and energized because we are moving in sync with His will in our lives. That doesn’t mean we won’t have still times, but even in the stillness our faith should always be moving forward in our understanding of Him and in our prayers.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Firm Footing - No matter where life takes us God places our feet on firm footing.

“My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.”

— Psalm 17:5 (NASB 1995)

“You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.”

— Psalm 18:36 (NASB 1995)

“The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.”

— Psalm 37:31 (NASB 1995)

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Delight from God - When we are walking the path that God lays out for us, He delights in our way. I don’t know about you, but I find that so amazing. I a sinner, saved by grace, can make God feel delight. Wow!

“He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.”

— 2 Samuel 22:20 (NASB 1995)

“Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him”

— Psalm 22:8 (NASB 1995)

“Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

— Psalm 35:27 (NASB 1995)

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.”

— Psalm 37:23 (NASB 1995)

“The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.”

— Proverbs 11:20 (NASB 1995)

Image by 鹈鹂 夏 from Pixabay

We are held by the Most High - It doesn’t matter what our situation is, God is always there with us. Moses spent years in the dry wilderness because of his own choices, but God was still with him. In the same way we may be in a bad place due to our own selfishness and sin, but God is still with us. Not only is He with us, but he is holding our hand and won’t let us be hurled head long into destruction.

“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.”

— Psalm 73:23 (NASB 1995)

“7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”

— Psalm 139:7-10 (NASB 1995)

I hope these words from the Scriptures have given you hope and encouragement, for indeed, they are the Words of Life.

Have a great weekend!

Faith Inspiration - There Was Jesus by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton

I grew up every Saturday night watching Hee Haw with my mom and dad. If you have never seen Hee Haw click on the link to see a trailer for a disc collection. It will give you a taste of the silly humor and country music vibe that the show put forth each week. In addition to Roy Clark and Buck Owens there were always country music stars including Dolly Parton who made regular appearances from 1970 to 1975.

Being a rock and roll girl, I wasn’t into country music all that much, and I think I watched Hee Haw with my mom and dad more as a way to have something to do on a Saturday night. I enjoyed the silly comedy skits and jokes even more than the music, but still it holds a place in my memories and therefore I do like certain country music songs.

Though this song came out in 2019 I didn’t come across it until the last year or so. Zach Williams has his own story of redemption, which you can read a snippet of on his official website. I have learned that many songs I was familiar with from listening to my Christian radio station were songs done by him. It wasn’t until recently that I took a closer look at the artist and his music.

I chose the lyric video rather than the official music video because I wanted you to see the words. Often, a song will spark our interest because of the music, but when it comes to Christian music I want to know what is being said. Some of the best theology in history came in the form of music known as hymns…The Old Rugged Cross, Up From the Grave He Arose, Silent Night, O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus and more.

Let’s look at a few phrases from There was Jesus.

“In the waiting, in the searching, in the healing and the hurting,
Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces.

Every minute, every moment, of where I’ve been and where I’m going,
Even when I didn’t know it, or couldn’t see it.

There was Jesus.”

— There was Jesus - Zach Williams (& Dolly Parton)

These words ring true for all of us, and they are scripturally sound. Jesus said,

“19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

— Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB 1995)

I love the connection here between the lyrics of the song and the Great Commission given by Christ to all who are called His disciples. We are called to make disciples. Disciples of ourselves? Disciples of whoever is in the political office? Disciples of the overpaid football player or the underpaid pastor? No! Disciples of Jesus. If we bear the name Christ One (Christian) we are commanded by our Lord and Savior to make disciples. We are to teach them to listen to and do what Jesus has commanded.

Many times I find myself thinking, but I am home alone all day, how can I make disciples? I can hardly talk right now due to sinus issues, how can I make disciples? Or maybe you are thinking, I am going through a divorce, how can I make disciples? I just lost my child, how can I make disciples? The answer is so simple:

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

“In the waiting, in the searching, in the healing and the hurting…”

We can make disciples because there was Jesus, going before us to prepare the way. There was Jesus present with us in the mess. There was Jesus coming along side in the difficulties. There was Jesus following after us as we moved forward thought grief and sadness. We make disciples by being real with the people around us and by being available to do whatever He asks us to do: sending a card to a grieving widow, inviting a friend you know is struggling out for coffee, or offering to babysit for a single mom.

Image by Marcin from Pixabay

“Every minute, every moment of where I’ve been and where I’m going, even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it…”

We don’t always know how our God is working, or why He leads us where He does, or allows the struggles that He does, but in those things He is. He is making us His disciples through His teaching, leading, loving, talking, and revelation of His truth, so that in turn we can make disciples who will follow Him.

“There was Jesus -

On the mountains, in the valleys,

Image by Sabine from Pixabay

There was Jesus -

In the shadows of the alleys,

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

There was Jesus -

In the fire, in the flood,

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

There was Jesus -

Always is and always was.”

Image by yueshuya from Pixabay

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Mulling It Over: Romans 8 - Part 1

This week I want to start my Mulling It Over series where we will be taking a passage of scripture and move through it slowly. The idea of ruminating on something is likened to a cow chewing on its cud. Not a pleasant thought, but for the cow it aids in the digestion process. For us ruminating on a passage gives us time to think about it and digest what it is saying. It also allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us through His word and that is part of what enables us to become more Christ like. Obviously, we have to be willing to do the listening and participate in what the Spirit wants to accomplish in our lives. I believe that is best done at a slow, deliberate pace.

Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

I recently was directed back to Romans 8. It is a chapter packed full of God’s promises and gives us so many tools to use as we go about our daily lives.

“1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death”

— Romans 8:1-2 (NASB 1995)

If you have been through one of my Mulling It Over series before, then you know I like to take these passages apart verse by verse. Seeing as there is so much in this passage, I feel it important to look at it in small bite sized snippets. We are serving finger foods here, not a whole roast beef dinner. But hopefully when we are finished you will feel like you have eaten a meal prepared by the King’s very own chefs.

Therefore there -

In order to understand what the Therefore is there for, we must look back at chapter seven. There is one verse that I think sums up the section that is being referred to (7:14-25).

“18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”

— Romans 7:18 (NASB 1995)

This passage in chapter 7 is referring to the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. More specifically, to the Law of God, which is Spiritual, and the flesh which is sinful. Can’t we all concur with the Apostle Paul in this struggle? What sort of struggle would it be if we didn’t have the Holy Spirit? We would go about our business, not really giving a thought for the struggle that could have been.

Image by M P from Pixabay

When we allowed Jesus to put His seal on our hearts the struggle became real. Suddenly we find our flesh wanting all manner of things that aren’t good or godly. Day in and day out we fight this battle of flesh, not because we are ungodly, but because we are His and we are meant to be righteous, and righteous we are because of His blood that covers all our sin, but we still live in this earthen vessel.

“25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

— Romans 7:25 (NASB 1995)

Knowing this is the struggle all Christ followers will endure, we come to verse 1 of chapter 8, and now we know what the Therefore is there for.

…is now…

The word now speaks of time. The time is not future and it is not past. It is today, this morning, this hour, this moment. It refers to what we now know because of what was referred to in the previous chapter.

…no condemnation…

What could be more beautiful and life giving that those two words? This is a promise. The condemnation that we could be under because we know the law of God, the spiritual reality, yet our physical reality binds us to this flesh. How is it that a Holy God would not condemn us, since we continue to struggle against sin.

…for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Oh the blessing that is ours, because we are His and He is ours. We are not condemned because we are in Christ Jesus. What does it mean to be in Him? It means that we live with Him, abide, dwell, invest and put all our heart’s trust in who He is and what He has done for us on the cross and in the refrain, “Up from the grave He arose…”

Now we come to the reason:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus….

We are no longer under the law of death as the physical Israelites were as they lived and moved across the wilderness, trying to adhere to a system of weights and blood balances that they could never completely live up to. We are under a new law: the law of the Spirit of life. This is only available through our Lord and savior, and by it He -

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

…has set your free from the law of sin and death.

Blessing upon blessing. Mercy upon mercy. We were under the law of sin and death, but now we are under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I have to really think about this and ask myself, am I still living as one in the wilderness continually looking back to my “Egypt”, wishing I could go back, longing for the comfort of my sin, or am I a new creation forged by His blood and released into a Promised land of freedom and joy?

Until next time dwell in His promised land, that place where you are not under condemnation, but lavishly loved.