Recovering Joy by Giving to Others
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Posted:Sep 24, 2005 6:28 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4909 Views
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When those who struggle with depression begin to recover faith and hope, a desire to give will gradually increase. Instead of giving up, which keeps them from being what God wants them to be, they can grow to be wrapped up in giving for the sake of others. As they begin to act on the desire to give, a deep sense of joy will begin to fill their hearts.
Nothing brings more satisfaction in this life than sacrificial giving. The principle that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) was stressed by Jesus in both His life and His words. It is one of the most radical ironies of life that cuts against the grain of a culture that promotes the god of self-indulgence.
Giving can be as simple as allowing a car to enter the flow of traffic ahead of us. It can be helping a neighbor who is recovering from surgery. It can include listening to our read a story at bedtime or going to work for no other reason than to provide for our family. At times, it may call for giving notice to the people who use and/or malign our dignity that there will be consequences if they continue to cross the boundaries of love. Giving never passively permits that which regularly compromises what is best for others and ourselves.
For example, one wife learned that it was loving to give her husband consequences for his involvement in pornography. She still felt despair, at times. But rather than getting depressed in order to hide from hope, her life began to sparkle with a joy that came from giving her husband the kind of honest ultimatums that would get his attention and help him deal with his sin.
Depending on the situation, giving involves offering people a mixture of gentleness and strength, which affords them an opportunity to encounter God's character. To give at this level requires nothing short of a miraculous work of God in our hearts. Only when we are amazed by and grateful for the ultimate example of giving--God giving His only as a sacrifice to redeem us from our sins (Jn. 3:16)--will we give others a sample of God's gentleness and strength despite the risks of attack or desertion.
It is in Jesus, God's , that we see the Provider of our souls. In Him we see God involving Himself in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice to meet our deepest need for forgiveness and life. By dying for our sin and rising from the dead to confirm the success of His mission, Jesus showed His power and right to give spiritual well-being and confident hope to all who receive Him (Jn. 1:12).
As God captures more and more of our appreciation and confidence, we will discover a rich sense of honor and value that comes from being used by Him in the battle against Satan. It has always been Satan's goal to smear and distort God's reputation. It's thrilling to know that we can play a vital role in setting the record straight by revealing to others the kind of being God really is, so that they can be drawn to Him as well (Ps. 73:2 .
The process of recovering hope through despair, recovering faith through doubt, and recovering joy through giving should be taken as a biblical frame of reference and not as a rigidly followed blueprint. Life is rarely that straightforward or easy. The process is actually a way of life that one gradually learns to develop with the help of the Spirit of God.
The process doesn't eliminate pain or fear. It doesn't guarantee that our circumstances will improve. Only heaven offers us those options (Rev. 21:4). It does, however, offer the opportunity to live more in touch with our built-in hunger for our heavenly Father--a hunger He longs to satisfy--and to develop a thriving passion to give. It's often a peculiar process. Before it can get better it must often get worse. But those who learn to put their hope in God "will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isa. 40:31).
Blessings,
Coni
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John 14: 18-20
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Posted:Sep 23, 2005 5:48 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4632 Views
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On that bright day so long ago Jesus was speaking directly to us when he said: "I will not leave you desolate. For on that day, you will know that I am in (God) and you are in me, and I am in you." I realize this may seem impossible. We are so accustomed to living in the absence of God that we cannot even imagine being that close to our Creator.
"I am in (God) and you are in me and I am in you."
See how easy it is to miss the clear meaning of these words. Right here in the text from St. John's gospel a disciple named Judas asks a question which reveals his complete misunderstanding. This is not Judas Iscariot; this is simply one of the many millions of Christs followers, then and now, who have a problem conceiving that we can actually be in such a direct, personal relationship with God. Rather than taking Jesus at his word, Judas asks: "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world."
Judas seems to be imagining some kind of cosmic spectacle, lightening and thunder perhaps, or some gigantic eruption of the aurora borealis, lights flashing across the sky, voices ringing from the heavens, maybe a celestial choir thundering out, "This is the voice of the Lord speaking, listen to me!" And Judas wonders how it is that if God spoke in such a clear voice we Christians would hear but the rest of the world would not?
The God Judas imagines is still that remote and distant God, that deity who rules from on high, whereas Jesus has something very different in mind. Having failed to communicate the first time, Jesus tries putting it another way: "Anyone who loves me will keep my word and we will come and make our home" in that person's heart.
Here's an image that blows the circuits of the imagination.
Here Jesus paints a word picture that is so vivid and so bright that it may be difficult for us to see. It's a scene of homecoming to beat them all. Typically Jesus puts it all in a phrase. "We (God and  will make a home within" you. Note that Jesus is using an image similar to the one he used in the opening verse of this same chapter in St John's gospel. "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house there are many mansions."
That opening verse, beautiful though it is, pales by comparison to the passage that we are grappling with now. For in a way it's easier to grasp the idea of God's heavenly mansions. In the life after death, when we are at last freed from the trials and temptations of life, when we are no longer shackled by the limitations of our mortal bodies and our slow witted brains, then, maybe then, we can find the room that he been prepared for us in God's house and be welcomed into God's everlasting kingdom.
But in our present verse, it's not a question of being lifted up to some supernatural realm. Quite the reverse. Here Jesus is speaking of the here and now. He is referring to our own hearts, our minds, and our bodies. These frail vessels of flesh shall be the dwelling place of God. It's so radical a thought, so stunning a conception, that our minds almost recoil from it. Like Judas, we back away from the clear meaning of the words.
In this short passage Jesus alters our whole frame of reference in thinking about God.
It's no longer our spirits ascending after death to some higher realm of spiritual being; it's God making a home in our hearts, here and now. Suddenly we find ourselves sitting in a room bathed in light. We imagine that it is dark and dangerous out there in the world beyond, but in the room which God has created within us, it is completely peaceful. It is tranquility and tenderness itself. And one can actually feel God's love pervading that whole space, just as the warmth and aroma of candlelight pervades the whole interior of a small cabin, or a crackling fire fills a room with its warmth. We, each of us, have this peaceful room within us, whether we are conscious of it or not. It is a room filled with the memories we hold most dear, a room decorated with the hopes we hold most passionately, it's a room filled with the people who are connected to us in their love.
This room which God creates within us is not just a hideaway, a refuge, or a sanctuary where we retreat from the storms that rage in the world without, though it is all these things. It is also a source of life and energy and vitality radiating outward. Just knowing that God is there waiting for our return to the room within, this knowledge is a source of all the peace, hope and courage we will ever need.
Often, of course, we do not feel it this clearly. We do not feel God's presence within and we do not see the manifestations of God's power in the world without.
So what's the problem? How do we enter the room that God has prepared for us? "If anyone loves me," said Jesus, "then we will make our home within them." It all falls into place in the simple act of loving the one who first loved us. How slow we are to comprehend the most basic and the most simple things. This passage reminds me very much of the question which Jesus put over and over again to Peter. "Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?" This was the most important question of all, and yet Peter kept evading it.
Do we really love the Lord and take Christ at his word?
Our doubt about this basic question is perplexing. What more could any of us ask than the knowledge that we have been chosen as the dwelling place of God? So what's keeping us from experiencing this sense of closeness to the creator? I don't think it's because we're particularly evil or pernicious. I don't see many of us leading lives of crime or corruption such that the Lord would withdraw from the room within , never to return.
As I look out across any congregation or any group of people for that matter, I see a people who are, by and large, seriously trying to be right with God. But what I also sense is a reluctance, perhaps even a fear of taking Jesus at his word. "Be not anxious," said Jesus, "I will not leave you desolate." Actually, spoken in Aramaic as Jesus would have spoken, the word is even more powerful. "Be not anxious, I will not leave you an orphan."
Whatever happens, we shall not be cut off from the love and protecting care of the Creator. God loves us in a way that is more direct than our own parents can love us. For the very reason that God can reach inside our hearts and hold on to us through the very bones and sinews of our bodies. God can get to us from the inside. God can reach out to us even before we are aware what is happening. The problem is we hold back from such intimacy.
Not wanting to admit our fear of God, we focus our anxiety on lesser things.
There won't be enough money to make me happy! I'll be ripped off, robbed or cheated! They won't like me when they discover what I'm really like! In our anxiety we devote ourselves with greater and greater intensity to the task of holding on to what we have, instead of risking what we have and allowing God to occupy that anxious space at the center of our hearts.
Right now in your own life there is probably a great deal of anxiety. Some of us are anxious about health; some of us are at a stage of life when good health is something we are thankful for every single day and the possibility of losing our health makes us anxious every day. Some of us are anxious about our work, whether we will be able to succeed at what we are doing, whether we will even have a job. Some of us are anxious about problems in our families, relatives who are in trouble, who are sick, who may be dying, who are doing things that make us very anxious indeed.
But in the face of all our fears and anxieties, Christ's words are simple and his words are clear: "Let not your hearts be troubled. I will not leave you desolate." Well, if you are to mature in your faith, you've simply got to take Christ at his word. If you do put your trust and confidence in the Lord, then I can assure you that your future does bear promise in its wings. If you begin to act in the confidence that flows from a direct relationship with the creator of the universe, you will find the solution to your problems.
For each and every one of us the question for today is this: "Are we prepared to take Jesus Christ at his word?" "Do you love me," asks Jesus. "Do you really love me?" Somehow we've got to answer with the resounding affirmation that question calls for. Somehow we've got to arrange it so your love of the Lord becomes evident, becomes alluring, becomes appealing, I might even say seductive. As soon as you allow yourself the faith to speak and to act in the assurance that God has made a dwelling place in your heart and mind, then your most serious personal problems will suddenly seem far less intimidating.
Have you ever spent the night in a warm and comfortable room, with great curtains drawn against the night? You know what I mean - those heavy opaque curtains that shut out the early morning sun so that you catch a few more minutes of sleep after the sun has begun its morning rounds. Well imagine you've had your long, restful night of sleep and you roll out of bed. Slowly you make your way over to the window and pull the cord that throws back those curtains. The warm light of the sun comes pouring in. Startled by its warmth and brilliance you throw open the sash and you are greeted by the fresh air, the smell of flowers, the song of birds. It's a wonderful day. Suddenly you feel completely alive. You want nothing more than to be outside taking it all in. Well its that way when God makes a home in our hearts. The presence of God, comforting and peaceful like a long night's rest, also inspires us to move on out.
When we allow God to occupy our hearts, we not only experience peace within, we also have strength and energy to address the problems of the world without. Are you ready now to pull back the curtains and let the light come streaming in? Because God has already made a home in your heart, you can pull back those curtains of anxiety, let the light come streaming in, and then step on out into the light of day!
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An actual News Posting
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Posted:Sep 23, 2005 5:44 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4736 Views
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Due to hurricane Rita we are unable to announce the weather. We depend on weather reports from the airport, which is closed, due to weather. Whether we will be able to give you a weather report tomorrow will depend on the weather.
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When I say I am a Christian
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Posted:Sep 22, 2005 6:39 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4999 Views
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When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting, "I am saved!"
I'm whispering "I was lost"
"That is why I chose this way."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble needing
God to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And pray for strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
Asking humbly to be taught.
When I say... " I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are too visible.
But God believes I'm worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
Which is why I seek His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I'm loved!
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No Competition
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 8:07 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4754 Views
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Opposites attract! We're so different...there's no competition.
I like real life stories, he likes action movies...there's no competition.
I like to shop, he doesn't...there's no competition.
He likes to preach, I don't. ..there's no competition.
I love computers...he doesn't...there's no competition.
I like to drive, he doesn't...there's no competition. (He gets lost)
He likes to talk to people, I'm shy...there's no competition.
When you are opposite in likes and dislikes, there is no competition. We never fight over the last piece of cake. What a blessing in disguise!
The secret to maintaining a love and compassion for the work of the Lord and for one another is to be who you are in Christ! God made you special. There's not another person in the whole world like you. Don't try to be like someone else.
When you are you...there is no competition!
Like Ralph use to say to Alice on the Honeymooners, "Baby, you're the best!"
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Standing AGAINST or FOR????
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 8:04 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4936 Views
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Scripture: James 2: 14-18
I have really struggled with this message today. Not because I don’t know what message I want to share, but because I have been unsure that I can say it exactly the way I want to so that you hear the message I want to convey. So I think I will just tell you in one sentence what the message is and, then, you can decide if you want to stay for the unabridged version.
The message is this: Standing “against” is not the same as standing “for.” Standing “against” is not the same as standing “for.”
Too many of us seem to be “against” someone or something. I find myself wondering, where are the crusaders when it comes to mounting a “for” campaign? We can generate a huge amount of passion against abortion, but not much energy for universal health care for living . We are able to create a firestorm of moral indignation against same sex marriage, but almost no passion for the idea of reducing the heterosexual divorce rate from its current level of 50%. Now, don’t misunderstand, I am not taking a position in favor of either of these issues; I am simply saying that, it is a curious thing that standing for something is not a position that Christians get very passionate about.
It is a hard thing to talk about and to create any clarity around, this idea of being for instead of being against. It is a nuanced argument. Quickly, one might say, “How can you be for something without being against something else?” Let me see if I can use a couple of fictional illustrations to help you understand what I am trying to say.
You are probably quite familiar with these scenes.
You recall the situation in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Set in the US in the early 1900’s, the story is told through the eyes of a pre- known as Scout (her given name was actually Jean Louise.) Her father, Atticus Finch, was an attorney who defended a black man accused of a white woman. Atticus stood firmly on the side of providing the best representation possible to Tom Robinson. To do this, he withstood the anger of the other whites in town as well as the oppressive atmosphere of racism, segregation, and injustice. He did so with dignity and strength. You remember how the trial turned out. Tom Robinson was guilty. Eventually, he was proven to be innocent, but at the trial he was found guilty.
Indicative of the segregated society of the day, the African-American members of the community sat in the balcony of the courthouse. When Atticus left the courtroom at the end of the trial, Scout was sitting in the balcony with the Blacks. As Atticus walked out, the Blacks of the town all stood and Reverend Sykes said to Scout, “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” They did not applaud; they did not shout. They simply stood to honor a man who had respected them.
If you’ve watched television movies at Christmas you know who George Bailey was. Jimmy Stewart played this part in the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” George was a small-time banker in a small town that was dominated by a mean-spirited old man named Mr. Potter. The premise of the movie was that George came to believe that his life was worthless and he wished he had never been born. George despaired that his honesty, his belief in helping people achieve their dreams, his dedication to hard work were all for nothing when a dishonest person controls and exploits everything. An angel, Clarence, came to visit George and show him what would have happened had he not been born. In the end, the dozens of people who were helped by George gratefully came to his rescue by contributing money to cover funds that were missing from his bank. You remember that joyful scene in George’s house when people came from all over town to toss their $5 bills into the hat. Even the bank examiners chipped in.
What did Atticus and George have in common? They were steadfast. In standing for and doing the right thing, in doing the honorable thing, in respecting everyone, not just those who agreed with them, not just those who believed as they did, not just those who looked like they did or acted like they did. Atticus was steadfast in his belief that Tom Robinson deserved a fair trial and deserved Atticus’ respect as a fellow human being. George was steadfast in his belief that everyone was worthy of respect and, that, when respected, they would do the right thing.
Neither man saw judgment of others as their role. Neither needed to denigrate others in order to help the people they helped. They were steadfast in their belief in the dignity of every human being and steadfast in their belief that doing right for others was the highest value.
Those first two illustrations came from the world of fiction and film where it is easy to demonstrate the ideals of human character. A third scene comes from the real world. We all know who Martin Luther King, Jr. was, either because our lifetimes overlapped his or because we have read his writings or heard his speeches. Most important, we live in a country that has been changed for the better because of what Dr. King stood for. Many of you who have read his letter from the Birmingham jail will remember this important sentence in that letter. He wrote, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
Atticus Finch defended the rights of one man. George Bailey helped average people live their dreams. Dr. King stood on behalf of every person whose rights were trampled under the oppression of racism. They stood for their cause and based their stand on the rightness of their cause, not the wrongness of other people. Atticus did not destroy others to defend Tom; George did not attack Mr. Potter in order to provide banking for his customers; Dr. King did not try to reduce the rights of whites in order to gain civil rights for blacks. They stood for right, for good. Therefore, they did not need to destroy anyone else or any other cause. They realized that the tide of human dignity and success lifts all boats.
Another way of thinking about this is that they realized that playing a zero sum game results, by definition, in the ultimate sum being zero. Zero sum games are games in which the amount of “winnable goods” is fixed. Whatever is gained by one player is lost by the other. Mutual benefit does not result from zero sum game.
I would ask all of us to consider if a zero sum game where mutual benefit is not possible is the best way to conduct human affairs. For example, I cannot understand the zero sum approach being taken by many Christians today. They seem to be saying… they don’t seem to, they are saying, that their righteousness, is built on someone else’s unrighteousness. “I am only as right as you are not right. If you get to be as right as me, then I have to raise the bar above your level of righteousness. If you disagree with me, in our game, you must be wrong because both of us cannot be right.” It is a zero sum game.
You may be asking: what about standing against sin and against all the bad things we see? Certainly, what one stands for does define what one stands against. Atticus was against injustice; George was against taking advantage of people; Dr. King was against actions and philosophies that denigrated mankind. But their effectiveness was based on standing steadfastly for the cause of justice, for the cause of dignity, for the cause of equal rights. Demonstrating what you are for is so much more powerful than is simply standing with arms folded against people who disagree or shouting about the sin you see in those people.
Disrespecting others is unproductive. Many Christians justify bitterly attacking others on the ground that God put us here to help others see the light. I think he did that, but the method of helping others see the light has been twisted by those who think they have it right and others have it wrong. God did not put us here to judge others, but to love others–that was his commandment to us. He did not put us here to point out the error of other’s ways, but to live in a way that would eventually help them see that our way is better.
Let me ask you to do one thing. Be like Atticus. Stand for one person. Stand for one cause. The person or cause you stand for will benefit, as will you. The negativism may not recede immediately, but if enough people stand for something they will crowd out the people who only stand against. Without a word of anger, without a word of hate, without analysis of why the others are not good enough Christians, we can make a difference. The influence of those who simply stand “against” will eventually decline.
We can begin by standing for honor and integrity in the classroom–during testing, in debates, or in class preparation.
We can begin by respecting those who meet our needs on a daily basis. The greatest respect you can show a custodian in your residence hall is not just to say hello pleasantly, it is to take care of the place.
We can begin by offering our time and talent to a person, a service, or a ministry and not expect any recognition.
We can begin by trying to understand where the other person lives, how the other person came to believe what they believe and respecting their right to do so. I’m not talking about “tolerance.” I’m talking about time spent listening, about comprehending another’s philosophy, and appreciating a perspective that differs from ours. It does not diminish my beliefs to respect another’s beliefs.
Long enough good people have been silent and allowed the “against” folks to take up all the space on the platform. Be like Atticus. Stand FOR something.
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Five Pennies or One Quarter
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 7:31 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4869 Views
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Everything written about reaching goals says the same thing, "Set your goal, decide what it will take to reach your goal, break this down into small, manageable steps, get started right away on step one, climb through each mini goal, and soon you have achieved your major goal."
Apparently, God has not read any of those articles. At least, that's not the way He works with me. I set a goal I know will take me to what God has called me to do, break it down into steps, start with step one, and before I know it, I am making no progress at all. I am nowhere near what I started out to do and declare I am sliding backwards. How can things go so wrong when I am working so hard to stay right?
The answer is Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Those are comforting verses, but how different can God's point of view be? Shouldn't I be able to see at least a little bit of progress?
Then I remember Scott. When I was a , I did a lot of babysitting and really liked it when the came to my house because of my little brother. He was not much older than the I sat for, and would play with them, saving me a lot of work.
One day I babysat for four-year-old Scott. While playing together, he and my little brother found treasure: five pennies and one quarter. They decided to divide the spoils, so my brother generously gave Scott the quarter and he kept the five pennies. I was proud of my brother for his sacrifice, but Scott wasn't happy. He cried and said we weren't being fair. Between sobs, he made it clear he thought we were cheating him because my brother got five coins and Scott got only one.
We tried to tell him that the quarter was like having twenty-five pennies, so he was getting the most out of the deal, but he didn't believe us. No amount of explanation, mathematical theory, or flow charts convinced Scott he was coming out ahead.
He was no fool. He could see with his own eyes that five coins were more than one coin, so who did we think we were kidding? Give him that choice today and he would choose the quarter because now he understands that, no matter how it looks, one quarter is more than five pennies.
Like Scott, I look to the natural and I'm disappointed. I can't comprehend that there might be another viewpoint, God's divine perspective. The spiritual can be as inconceivable to a mortal mind as one coin being worth more than five coins is to a four-year-old 's mind.
All we humans can do is believe that reaching goals in God's eyes is not like reaching goals to the rest of us. No matter if every one of our senses warns us we are not getting anywhere, we don't have to worry or try to measure our progress against man-made deadlines. All we have to do is make sure we are doing whatever God wants us to do right this minute. He will take care of our direction and keep us on the path to His success, His way, in His timing. We can trust God because His thoughts are greater than our thoughts, and His infinite ways are beyond our finite ways.
Anybody want a quarter?
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Pollyanna 'Preachin'
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 7:29 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4794 Views
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Pollyanna is a great Disney movie from 1960 featuring Hayley Mills as young Pollyanna and a star-studded cast of characters. If you haven't seen it, I hope you'll check it out for your and yourself as well.
Here’s a little background on the movie. After the death of Pollyanna’s parents, she is sent to live with her rich Aunt Polly (played by Jane Wyman). Aunt Polly runs the town, including the way the sermons are written for Sunday service. Pollyanna’s daddy was a minister who always found good things in the Bible to preach about. Therefore, she was quite dismayed to hear the negative preaching style which was encouraged by Aunt Polly ‒ a style that sent the message of control by guilt and fear.
One of my favorite parts in the movie is when the Preacher, played by Karl Malden, gives one of his fire and brimstone sermons.
Let me set the stage for the event that happened while watching the movie. I was on the 3rd floor loft of our friends home with a cozy fire going ‒ just “chillin” as they say and enjoying the afternoon, while my husband, Glenn, was down on the first floor repairing a dishwasher. The preacher was doing one of his wild sermons when he announced in a booming voice, drawing out each word “Death Commmmmes UNEXPECTEDLY!” Just at that precise moment, it was as if lightning and thunder collided in my midst ‒ a blast from downstairs lit up the entire house. I couldn’t imagine what had happened as I raced down the stairs and thought for sure my husband must be a “goner”! Thankfully, he was safe. He must have crossed some wires to cause this explosion.
The whole scene was comical and frightening at the same time ‒ the preacher ‒ his words ‒ the blast! It does make you stop and think of the preacher’s ominous words. If ever death had come at that moment, it certainly would have been unexpectedly.
My first inclination in writing this was to say that God doesn’t need Pollyanna Preachin”. However, I was quite surprised when doing my scripture research that indeed “fire and brimstone” messages are there as clear warnings ‒ but always with an encouraging message of love and hope to reach out and let you know that He has made a way of escape.
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God: But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely. They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper. But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. They are not safe on Judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly. For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom (Psalm 1:1-6).
The Lord thundered in the heavens; the God above all gods has spoken ‒ oh, the hailstones; oh, the fire! He flashed his fearful arrows of lightning and routed all my enemies. See how they run! Then at your command, O Lord, the sea receded from the shore. At the blast of your breath the depths were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and took me and drew me out of my great trials. He rescued me from deep waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me ‒ I who was helpless in their hands. On the day when I was weakest, they attacked. But the Lord held me steady. He led me to a place of safety, for he delights in me (Psalm 18:13-19).
You can’t sugar coat God’s word. The Bible is full of fire and brimstone warnings to get our attention because this is serious business ‒ your eternity, your destiny. The good news is, however, that there needn’t be any fear or guilt any more. Jesus took care of all that.
He made the way. He is the truth. He is the life. Only abundant life and joy are yours for the asking. Isn’t that great that he does delight in each one of us, and did all this so we can have peace. What a great God we serve!
Bible verses from the Life Application Bible
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Peace in the Midst of the Storm
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 7:28 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4879 Views
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We have just finished riding out level 2 hurricane Isabel. The name itself means "pledge of God." The pledge or promise of God that I saw through all of this was that God was certainly with us during the storm. With all the devastation, power outages, fallen trees, loss of water, downed phone lines, etc., there were also many, many stories of God's faithfulness and love.
I was amazed as I heard the various stories. One family needed a new roof and didn't have the finances to pay for it. For them, the majority of their shingles blew away. Now the insurance company will help them pay for the new roof.
One lady went without power for 6 days and yet she felt blessed when she heard of the repairs that some of the people had to make. She was able to handle the heat and lack of power. God's grace was with her from beginning to end.
Others who may have had damage to their homes, but yet had electricity, were thankful they were able to stay cool. It was definitely a wonderful picture of God knowing what each one could handle. He promised to not give us more than we could bear.
There were those that needed the time with their families. It was a definite "pulling together" time. Friends, families, and neighbors all pulled together, helping each other, encouraging and loving each other. One single mom shared how she played games in her living room with her two sons throughout the whole ordeal. It was a great time for them. As with most single moms and teens, relationships can become strained. They were able to talk, laugh, and work together as a team.
This time of year is very challenging for my family and me. We have so many trees around our house. When the winds come with so much force, we are usually hit by at least one tree. So it wasn't a surprise to be scurrying around in the house trying to gather up the needed supplies when the big "thud" came. A large pine tree that stretched from a neighbor's house two houses away fell from their back yard, across the full length of the other neighbor's yard, and gingerly onto the front of our house. My neighbor who heard the tree falling told us of how slowly it fell. As he told the story, I could see angels holding that big old tree and carefully bringing it down so it would not do serious damage to our house. Praise God, we only had to replace a few shingles. Believe me -- that was a miracle. It could have been so much worse.
What has so totally amazed me is that the stories I have heard share the same sentiment. They told of how God gave the peace, strength, and ability to cope no matter the situation. I am thankful for the abundance of peace I personally felt. I had to work hard to clean up the debris in the yard, and was somewhat put out by the water damage to the bedroom carpet, but all in all, I felt very blessed.
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:11).
Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints... (Psalm 85 ,8a).
The wicked say, "Peace, peace, … when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14). But for the people of God, there is peace. Now I didn't say there were peaceful circumstances … because there were more than enough things happening to prove different. What I am saying is that in the midst of all the "stuff," God brings a supernatural peace.
I am thankful for God's promises to us. His Word to you and I today is that there is a "peace in the midst of the storm."
Martha welcomes your responses at dvtd2hm1@aol.com
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Pet Lamb
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Posted:Sep 19, 2005 7:27 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 4681 Views
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Most mornings my granddaughter and I have devotions together. I used to read to her, but as a second grader she likes to do the reading. I love encouraging her to read, especially God's Word. An added bonus is the bond that we have developed over the past year. The discussions we have are usually lively and often I am taught new truths from God's Word as well. I realize God can and does use others to teach us, and the other morning was one of those moments. What a blessing!
We are reading "More Little Visits With God" by Allan Hart Jahsman and Martin P. Simon. The title of the story was, "Your Pets and You". A little boy wanted a puppy in the story and Alexandra easily identified with the . The scripture basis was:
A good man cares for the life of his animals, but the love of the wicked is cruel (Proverbs 12:10).
The father was letting the little boy know that he would need to take care of a puppy. With blessings come responsibilities and the father wanted to make sure the little boy knew God expected him to take care of a new puppy. The story ended with the little boy understanding, memorizing the scripture from God's Word, agreeing to do what it said, and getting his puppy.
At the end of each story are a few questions starting with the basics such as whom, what and when. Alexandra loves to have me answer them when she reads. Mind you, these questions are for , so you would think, piece of cake. I have noticed that sometimes they are much harder than I anticipate, but usually I'm okay. She enjoys letting you know if you're correct.
Well, this morning I was on a roll and thought I was doing pretty well until I heard her say, "No, Grandma, that is not right". Now, let's see how you would answer. The question was hypothetical. "What pet do you think Jesus might have had as a boy?" Now my imagination is not that wild, so I came to what I thought was a very good answer. A dog! After all, the boy in the story wanted a dog, so that seemed like a very logical conclusion. Wrong! She began by telling me, "Think about it Grandma, we sing 'Worthy is the Lamb' in church, so He had a lamb." Was I surprised to hear her answer! It meant she had been listening. I know that Jesus was the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world.
Worthy is the Lamb, who is slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! (Revelation 5:12).
That is what the phrase usually means, but in her reasoning was a wonderful truth. After all, isn't Jesus the Good Shepherd and aren't we often like sheep? I quickly agreed with her and went to work thinking about being Jesus' pet lamb.
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart (Isaiah 40:11).
What a great picture the Bible gives us. Think with me how you, like me, are so special to our Lord that He loves us as little pet lambs. He even carries us in His arms, close to His heart. The twenty-third Psalm comes to mind and tells us we are totally cared for by the Shepherd.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not be in want… (Psalm 23).
Kathy Stultz
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