Grace

Disappointed Again

2026-04-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

The struggle and the encouragement

This morning I read a blog post that so encouraged me because of the honesty of the writer concerning her walk with the Lord. She shared her struggle regarding being consistent in her Bible reading plan (read post here). As I read "Hiding from God" (the title of the post), I had to admit that I also struggle to faithfully get into God's word on a daily basis.

With so many distractions - both good and bad - I often cave and end up neglecting my time with the Lord, yet assure myself that I will get back to reading later. But, disappointed, at the end of the day I realize that I failed completely to do that. Guilt ensues and I think about how I might succeed - perhaps if I read a different plan or a devotional book or this or that - how I might be more consistent to sit at Jesus feet.

But old habits die hard. It's not like I never get into God's word. But missing even one day a week (or more) impresses on me again that I've missed out on communing with Him that day. And what a loss that is!

But there's hope and help - God's grace

However, there's hope! But that hope doesn't come at all from me. I flows from Yahweh's gracious heart. When I fail, I'm learning to rest in the fact that the Lord, by His gracious love, keeps me and continues to love me. This short life isn't about how I will triumph, but about how Christ has triumphed over my failures, over death and sin. It is knowing that He is not surprised or caught off guard when I don't get this Christian life right. His grace has already covered my failings. His grace is sufficient for me.

My failings just emphasize the Lord's unending and amazing grace all the more. At 76 years of age, I never cease to be stunned that He has forgiven me yet again! What a Saviors! He continues to save us from ourselves and our failures daily.

Avery helpful resource

One of the best remedies to the crippling guilt that can derail us over our failures, is to get a really good picture in the truth of God's word concerning our gracious Lord. This help came to me in the form of a great book written for such struggles. Jerry Bridges has so adequately written about God's grace to sinners in his book, "The Discipline of Grace". Though I haven't intended this post to be a book review, I do have to testify to how it has helped me understand what is so foreign to our human nature and experience on this globe - the unimaginable grace of God.

Psalm 27:4

In the near future, I also intend to write a post about Psalm 27:4-6 that has been the go-to Scripture passage for what I desire in this life. Though I adopted this text long ago, the Lord recently impressed on me a greater application than I have held over the years. This too has been so very helpful regarding the subject matter of this post - failing to be consistent daily in God's word.

In the meantime, look at Psalm 27:4-6 and let David's prayer for his "one thing" yield the same desire in you. Continue to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). run the race and keep your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2) and know that your failings can never separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).

The Simplicity of Prayer - Nine Things I've Learned

2026-04-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

This article was originally posted on October 13 of 2010. After making a few adjustments, I decided to repost it anew. I pray that you are ministered to and helped in simplifying your times of communion with the Triune God:

It seems to me that we can make prayer way too hard. But Jesus tells us that we should come to our Heavenly Father as little children.

Is it difficult for a little child to need and want his mother or father? No. It's built into children to ask for whatever they need. It's natural and easy for them to do so. In fact, they know of no other way to have their needs met other than relying on their mother and father.

So why do we "older kids" make asking and trusting so difficult? That's a question I've been considering lately.

For years, after my kids were all out of the house and my husband was off to work by 4:30 AM, I was before the throne of grace for "three hours in the wee hours" every day. I got up with Robert to get him ready for work and didn't go back to bed. By 7:30, after three hours of praying and reading, I was ready to face the demands of the day.

But things changed. We moved. Robert stopped going to work (came home on disability). I started sleeping till 7AM. And there was no privacy in our new, but small house. Praying became almost impossible, as I was faced with all these new challenges.

It really was quite disconcerting for me. Try as I might, I just couldn't get back that 3-hour block of time I'd been accustomed to. Guilt set in because I couldn't, try as I might, get back the intimacy I'd had with my heavenly Father. The devil must have rejoiced.

But my gracious Father took me through that dessert and into the green pastures once again. I had made praying so difficult, but the Lord is now showing me how simple prayer should be. I'd like to share with you what I'm learning:

1. Express your prayer in a breath or two. God doesn't need your ideas. Don't think that you will be heard for your many words. God knows what you need before you ask Him and He sees your heart and the intensity of desire there. (Matthew 6:7-8.)

2. Be real like a child. Children say what's on their minds without pretense. They don't try to appear to be something they are not. God sees how needy and imperfect we are and invites us into His presence to see how gracious, sufficient, compassionate and forgiving He is. (Matthew 18:3-4)

3. Be flexible about where you meet with the Lord. Don't get stuck thinking that you have to pray in a certain part of the house if there are hindrances to that. Besides, sometimes a change of pace is refreshing. Go outside if the weather is nice. (Matthew 14:23)

4. Come as you are with all your sin and disturbing thoughts. Lay them out before the throne of grace and confess your weaknesses and sins to the God of all grace. He is ready to forgive and kindly counsel you in His wisdom. (Isaiah 28:29; James 1:5; 1 John 1:9)

5. Come with all of your distractions. Don't try to ignore or overcome your side-tracked thoughts. Admit to the Lord that you are unable to keep your mind on Him. This is simply one of our weaknesses. Confess it to Him and He will give your mind the rest it needs. (Luke 10:40)

6. Start without expecting anything of yourself. Expect wonderful things from Jesus, but don't be surprised when you disappoint yourself. Just sit down at Jesus' feet like Mary did. That was easy. She didn't come to Him thinking, "Okay, I must spend at least an hour or two here communing with Jesus, otherwise I'm really not a spiritual person." No, she just sat down and the rest is history. (Isaiah 25:1; Luke 10:39)

7. Though number six is important, be flexible about spending more time with Jesus. Perhaps Mary thought, "I have a few moments to spend sitting with Jesus, then I'll need to get up and help Martha." But once Mary was at her Savior's feet, what she heard was so wonderful that she obviously stayed at least longer than Martha thought she should. And Jesus commended her for doing so. (Isaiah 25:1; Luke 10:41-42)

8. That brings us to the next suggestion. Don't worry that things won't get done. The demands of the day will find you, just like Martha found Mary. Of course, I'm not saying to neglect things that are important, but remember what Jesus said to Martha, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Try to remember the one needful thing when you sit down at Jesus' feet. You'll not be sorry. (Psalm 27:4; Luke 10:39-41)

9. And that brings us to the last idea. Simplify what is temporal so you can choose what is eternal. Don't just simplify prayer, simplify your life. Take what Jesus said to Martha seriously, "...only one thing is needful...". Make prayer easier by ridding your schedule of the unnecessary things that complicate your life and compete with the one thing that is needful (Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:41-42).

And if simplifying seems way too hard - like it's just one more thing you have to do and don't know where to start - tell the Lord and ask Him to show you where to start and what to do. He will give you guidance. You will get the help you need.

Do you have another idea for simplifying prayer? What things could you eliminate from your schedule to make room for prayer?

An Update and Some Musings on Suffering

2026-03-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow

of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. "

The following post was orginally written on August 7th of 2009, nearly twenty years ago now in 2026. I was struggling physically at that time with a MRSA infection in the incision of the total knee replacement surgery I'd had a few months earlier. I'm reposting it now with a plan to add additional posts regarding suffering. (Find a video here of an encouraging sermon regarding suffering that I posted a few weeks ago.)

The last post I put up was three weeks ago, (go here to read the first post about my knee surgery) so I thought it might be time for an update on my recovery. I apologize for being so lax in getting back into blogging, but I have just not been motivated for various reasons.

Overall, my progress has been good. I did get back my range of motion and then some. (Thank you, Jehova Rophe!) I can now bend my knee 100 degrees which is pretty good from what I understand. That 100 degrees may be the full extent to which I can bend because scar tissue is preventing further progress. I'll find out more about that this Tuesday at therapy.

Also, I was cleared for the MRSA infection (how thankful I am for that!), though there still is one little red spot that concerns me. It hasn't gotten any larger and I am praying that it will soon disappear altogether. The doc gave me the ok to start my physical therapy again, but as soon as I used the CPM machine (continuous passive motion machine), I put my hip out and had to stop exercising for another four days. However, I 'm now back at it again.

Throughout this ordeal, the Lord has seen fit to continue to place many physical trials before me. Total knee replacement surgery, in and of itself, makes for a very challenging recovery, let alone all the extra bumps in the road that I am experiencing. I am still struggling with the thrush and fungal infection in my stomach. That should begin to improve now that I am off of the antibiotic, which by the way was Bactrim, a medication that I am allergic to and was told that I had to take it regardless of my allergy.

But because I am allergic to Bactrim, it has caused a new problem. Namely, I have developed a stomach ulcer as a result of having taken two rounds of it. So I've been prescribed yet another medication to treat the new problem. And because of the intense pain that the ulcer has caused, I am again taking more of the Percocet (pain medication). Eventually, the pain will subside as I heal and, God willing, I will try again to get off of that narcotic.

Sometimes it seems that there will be no end to this. At times I become very disheartened. "Where are you God?", I have asked on many days. I know what it means not to be able to pray as Romans 8:26 describes, "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..." How thankful I am for this sweet promise. The Spirit of God is praying for me.

The other day I picked my Bible and looked at this verse in Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15) In the margin I had written, "Would I be able to say this, Lord, under great trial? Strengthen me in my puny struggles to embrace You, O God, as my refuge and strength." I just cried when I read that, knowing that I had already, by God's sufficient grace, committed myself in such a way in the midst of my little trial.

And as I sat and tried to read on in the book of Job, I realized that I couldn't even get past that one verse. I thought, "Job could not have written this book while he was suffering so greatly because I cannot even read it in my meager sufferings." It gave me a new perspective on those who suffer chronically and on the sufferings of Christ as he drank in the bitter cup of the Cross. As a result, God has laid on me a new burden to pray for those I know of that suffer chronic physical disabilities and pain. And it has also impressed upon me afresh what my salvation cost the Lord Jesus Christ - so great a salvation.

"Lehman Strauss, in his book, Waiting on the Lord, said concerning his most severe trial, "This unexpected trial has changed my well-laid plans, but I know that God's plans are far better than mine." That is what I am learning to say. Though I had not planned for such a lengthy recovery, God planned differently. Though I planned to be up and back into my daily routine by now, God planned differently.

His plan is best and by His grace I will give Him thanks for it. He is producing endurance in me, conforming me to the character of Christ, teaching me to have a heart of thanksgiving, and impressing upon me the importance of not neglecting so a great salvation. I would never have planned for those things, but those are the things that are of the greatest importance to God - eternal things. My plans were only temporal.

With all of this in mind, it has been my greatest yearning from the very beginning to honor and glorify the Lord throughout this trial. I simply do not want to waste this pain. I want to gain the utmost glory for my Sovereign Lord and the highest good for the body of Christ (including myself) through this valley. Following are some verses that have helped me stay focused in and through this trial - to bring me back from the shadows of despair into the light of His glorious presence. May God use this, His word, to cheer you also in the valley that you face:

Psalm 31:19-20 - "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence..." (I love this reality. My Savior has done this for me many times during this trial.)

Isaiah 41:10 - "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Psalm 25:15 - "My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare." (The snare for me isn't the pain and setbacks, but rather, how quickly my heart can resort to despair in the midst of those setbacks.)

Psalm 27:13-14 - "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Isaiah 40:29-31 - "He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

Psalm 73:25, 26, 28 - "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works."

Deuteronomy 31:8 - "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

Psalm 50:14-15 - "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." (God gave me this text the day before my surgery and it has continued to encourage me and remind me that my part in all of this is to have a thankful heart and fulfill my vows to trust Him.)

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Such a precious promise!)

Isaiah 45:2-3 - "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name." (And He has done just that! Go here to read how sweetly God has blessed me in this regard.)

Casting "If" to the Wind

2026-03-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

"King If" must be cast to the wind and banished forever from our praying.

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."

1 John 5:14-15

From R. A. Torrey:

"One of the most frequent usages of 1 John 5:14-15, which was so manifestly given to bring confidence, is to introduce an element of uncertainty into our prayers. Often, when a person is confident in prayer, some cautious brother will come and say: 'Now don't be too confident. If it is God's will, He will do it. You should add, "If it be Thy will."' Doubtless, there are times when we do not know the will of God. And submission to the excellent will of God should be the basis for all prayer. But when we know God's will, there need be no 'ifs'. This passage was not put into the Bible so that we could introduce 'ifs' into our prayers, but so that we could throw our 'ifs' to the wind and have confidence and know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him."

Here's my story

The Lord impressed on me, after years of doubt-filled praying for the salvation of my children (they were living on their own by then), the comforting truth of 1 John 5:14-15.

During those years of doubts and "ifs", instead of having confidence praying for them, I could only wonder if God had chosen to save them. But after a great struggle, I realized that my only business was to pray with confidence for them and leave the "choosing part" to God alone and not wonder about His business.

Two Bible texts that transformed my praying

This came about as I began to depend upon two Scripture verses that gave me the assurance that it was indeed God's will to save my children. Reiterating, the first Bible verse that I rested in is 1 John 5:14-15, which says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

But how could I know if it was God's will to save my children? How could I leave off that little word "if" - "if it's Your will, Lord" from my prayers? This is what made me stumble in praying for them.

This was my dilemma until the Lord, through His word, provided an answer to that question from 2 Peter 3:9 which tells me what His desirous will is. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."

No more "ifs'

And so I began to pray, knowing it was the Lord's highest desire and will for my children to know and love Him. Confident of this, the "ifs" died a swift death.

The Lord honors faith-filled, confident (in Him and His will) praying

After six months of confident praying, in 2014, the first of our four children bowed her knee to the Lord. Within the next nine years, all of our children, one by one came to know, love and worship the Living God. But the Lord even answered our prayers more specifically. During our years of confident praying, we had continually asked Him to save our children while we were still alive so that we could worship alongside of them. And this is exactly what He did.

A moving story...

Unbeknownst to me and my husband, the Lord saved the last of our children in February of 2023. At that time (and for three years prior), we had been attempting to move from our four story home because I had fallen multiple times on the stairs. It was then that our kiddos swiftly came to our rescue by helping us move, though we did not yet know where the Lord would move us to.

That was in March of 2023. and with the help of our kids, we were packed and ready to go and had even sold our house by early June, within just months of the help of our kids.

But it soon became abundantly clear that we had to move to the city where all four of our children lived, which was only half an hour away from our own home. Why would we not, seeing how helpful they had been and also considering that both my husband and I were in our mid-seventies?

From Rebels to Worshippers

By late June, we were moved in and settled into our new home. And we all (Robert and I and our children), once rebels to God, worshipped together in the same Bible-teaching church - for the first time within a week of moving.

This added blessing from the Lord was such a gracious answer to our prayers! And to this date, we all continue sit in one row at church every Sunday, praising the Savior for His grace and mercy in having answered the confident prayers He had us praying. (Many of the saints at our church who have prodigal children tell us that just seeing our family seated together, worshipping, is a great encouragement for them to continue to beseech the gracious Lord for the salvation of their own children.)

It was in the course of all of this activity, we became aware that the Lord had saved the last of our children, a daughter, in March of 2023. And He had us moved and worshipping together with all of our kids by June, within just months of Him having saved her. And within weeks of our move, we witnessed her baptism.

Stunning what the the Lord does!

An "Iffy" Poem

Backing up just a bit, the Lord gave me the following poem about praying confidently when we know what His will is. Interestingly, I wrote it before any of our children came to know the Lord, but after I had cast my "ifs" to the wind!

Casting "If" to the Wind

“If” God is willing,

“If” God is able;

“If” is a word

By which prayer is disabled.

“If” – such a small word

Looms great in our minds,

Obscures all God’s promises

And makes faith go blind.

"If” feeds on ignorance

Of not knowing God;

Not knowing His willingness,

So deep and so broad.

"If” is a small word

That grows to be king.

King “If” then enthrones

“Uncertain” as queen.

“Uncertain" the Queen,

Nurtures twins “Fear” and “Dread”;

“Worry” feeds them their breakfast,

"Anxious” tucks them in bed.

“King If” now dispatches

His henchman named “Doubt”

To hunt down “True Faith”

And force “Confidence” out.

But sincere prayer by faith

Is what God longs to hear,

"Iffy" prayers must be banished,

For Christ to draw near.

So cast “If” and “Uncertain”

Out into the wind,

Uproot and dethrone “Doubt’,

Upon Christ now depend.

For then and then only

Can faith settle down,

And hope with great confidence

Truly abound.

You’ll find God so willing

And certainly able,

His goodness so broad

As you feast at His table.

When faith conquers “If”,

And trust drives away doubt,

When God’s glory and goodness

Are what you’re about.

A glimpse of Your Savior,

You’ll view from your knees,

And find your kind Father

Hears all His child’s pleas.

The Very Best Sermon I've Ever Heard on Suffering

2026-03-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

This is, hands down, the mose encouraging, equipping and comforting sermon I've ever heard concerning suffering. Paul Tripp is completely honest about the thoughts that enter our heads as Christians when we suffer, as well as prescriptive as to how to suffer well in bringing God glory during these difficult times in our lives. No more words needed to describe Paul Tripp's sermon. Please just take a little time to listen.

And I Long to Worship Thee

2026-01-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

The following note that I entered in my Bible...

...as I read Daniel 3:1-30, the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they refused to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, reminded me of an experience that I had regarding worship.

But first a little more information about our story from Daniel. This command from King Nebuchadnezzar, to worship was to be the response for all the peoples in his kingdom whenever they heard “the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipes” or ant other kind of music. But the trio of Israelite men would bow to worship no other god than the true and living God.

How this text really ministered to me

While recovering from an extremely painful surgery, wherein I spent many hours either silent or in tears, my husband began singing to me songs of the Christian faith. When I heard him singing (when I heard the sound of his music), I was reminded of the comforting biblical truths they expressed and that sparked in me a response of quietly singing with him.

At the moment I began to sing with my husband, a flood of pain-relieving tears poured from my eyes. In worship of my God and King - the true God, not a false manmade god - the pain in my body fled. Now I wept with joy for the goodness and compassion of my Lord’s acknowledgement of my love for Him, expressed in my worship at a time when worshipping Him was the last thing on my mind.

And we see this also with the three Israelite men who were cast into the fiery furnace. The difference was that at the sound of the music, rather than fall to worship a false god, they remained standing by faith, committed to worship only Yahweh.

That was a worshipful response and for it they were cast into the fiery furnace. But in that dreadful place, I’m sure like Paul and Silas in the Roman jail, their worship became very vocal. Whether that was prayer or singing or both, their reward was the visitation by a fourth man, the Lord Himself, who prevented the fire from harming them and literally walked in the now-quelled danger with them.

True Worship yields divine intervention

What divine and amazing rewards the Lord pours forth when we worship Him in the most difficult, painful and even dangerous experiences of our lives. At the sound of our praise and worship, which is music to His ears, He sends forth protection, relief, freedom and peace.
We see His protection from death here in Daniel. We see His rescue from physical bondage in the Roman prison when Paul & Silas worshipped in song. And I experienced relief from excruciating pain when my mind, controlled by suffering, turned to worship.

The Martyrs and how they sang in the fire

And now I begin to understand how those who have been martyred - lit on fire and burned at the stake for their faith - have been able to enter God’s presence, joyfully worshipping in song. as the fire consumed them.

They knew the divine power that Yahweh releases to rescue one from physical suffering when that suffering isn’t what is preeminent in their minds. Rather it is how God will use their suffering for His glory and in that they revel as they are empowered to worship Him even in the danger and/or pain. Their suffering is then transcended by His glorious presence as He walks with them in it just like He did in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. How amazing is our God?

But you may ask, what about Paul when he prayed three times for relief?

We read in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 about a suffering that the apostle Paul experienced. He asked the Lord three times to remove what he called "a thorn in the flesh". Though we are not certain of what his physical problem was, we can be certain that the Lord did indeed intervene in his suffering.

Paul's description of what the Lord did for him reads, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

How wonderful. Strength for weakness, sufficient grace for our insufficiencies, joyful praise for our sufferings! I'd say that the Lord ministered to Paul even though his pain remained. But God's marvelous grace was more than enough to motivate Paul to rejoice in his discomforts.

But there's something of even greater significance to all of this

However glorious these truths are, and they are wonderfully marvelous, they are not the most astounding truth as far as human suffering is concerned. As I thought about the grace that God gives His children, I realized that He did not give this same grace to His own Son on the cross.

Jesus experienced the wrath of God, so that I can experience His grace

Jesus went to the cross to bear the wrath of God that I as a sinner deserved. In His suffering there on the tree, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Jesus could not cry out to His Father for help in His great distress for His Father had, in fact, turned away from Him. This is because He became sin, who knew no sin for me. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).

This is stunning, the most glorious exchange ever! Jesus took my sin and graciously gave me His righteousness. He experienced poverty so that I might gain His riches! "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though being rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Our Savior suffered like this for those who wanted nothing to do with Him

What adds further amazement to this unimaginable grace, is that Jesus suffered agony without any help from heaven for me while I still wanted nothing to do with Him. As one who had no use for the Creator, the full weight of the suffering that I should have experienced, without any relief, without help from the throne of grace (which I now experience daily) fell on Jesus. This truly is the most startling truth concerning human suffering. Jesus, God in the flesh, was denied this grace so that I can now experience it.

This is so humbling!

These truths realized create in me a humility, a desire to think less selfishly about my own suffering and recognize therein my Savior’s agonizing physical, emotional and spiritual pain on the cross from which He was denied relief.

How can we respond, other than to truly worship our amazing Creator and Redeemer?

I now long to lift my voice in worshipful gratitude in every opportunity that my suffering provides. And, of course, with every breath that is free of suffering.

“As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You're my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything.

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire.
And I long to worship Thee

How I Experienced Hospitality at its Best

2025-09-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

It was a Sunday morning and after the worship service ended, my husband left church to visit a friend that was in the hospital (out of town).

That meant that I would need a ride home. I thought of asking a friend who lives close to me, but she didn't sit in her usual place (down the isle from us). Instead, another friend sat next to us, who usually sits elsewhere. So after the service ended, I asked Myrian if she could take me home. She was happy to do so.

We left the church and made the short five-minute trip to my house. But, I didn't get out of the car immediately because we had been engaged in conversation which now continued in the parked car in front of my house. In fact, we continued to talk for about an hour in Myrian's car.

All this time, I was being nudged by the Holy Spirit to invite Myrian into my house, which wasn't in perfect condition - it looked lived in. But I just continued on with our conversation until I had to go into the house to feed the dog. Even then, I didn't invite Myrian in (I'm ashamed to say!).

Once in the house and after feeding the dog, I looked around the living room area of my home and it hit me. What was keeping me from welcoming in my friend? The house simply looked a little lived in.

Besides, it was lunchtime and I had an opportunity to feed the hungry - that was both of us. But what could I serve my friend? And then I remembered the homemade soup - delicious at that - in the refrigerator from the day before.

It was time for me to swallow my pride and obey the mandate given in Scripture to be hospitable. So back out to the car I went and finally asked Myrian to come in for lunch. She was delighted.

I put the soup in a saucepan to heat and while it was heating, I set about to make a simple salad to serve alongside the soup. Next on the table - after pushing aside the papers that were occupying the space we needed for our soup bowls - was some wonderful artisan sourdough bread and butter. Finally, the table was ready with a savory and delicious repast - the perfect meal that Myrian and I needed to nourish our bodies and satisfy our hunger.

We ate and continued to enjoy the sweet fellowship we have in Christ. What a precious time we had, encouraging one another, laughing and be nourished by the love of Christ as we ate the leftovers from the day before. I've never had a better meal! And what the Lord taught me through this joyful appointment was priceless.

At that time, I had been reading a book called The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Butterfield. It was the testimony of how the Lord had redeemed Rosaria through a Christian family's ministry of hospitality to her. I had been convicted while reading the book for having had a worldly mentality when it came to opening my home to welcome others. Now the Lord was showing me the joy of welcoming others, prepared or not, into my home, perfect or not.

Through this sweet time with Myrian, I've come to realize that all the busyness and frenzy to get my home perfect for guests had limited me in welcoming others into my home. My home is not a museum nor is it the White House and it especially is not to be shut up to others when it's not perfect.

We live in our home and it looks lived in. When I thought about that, it hit me that life happens in my home. Productivity via life creates a mess sometimes. And sometimes people come to my door before that mess is cleaned up. Do I typically invite them in? No. Instead. I'll step outside and casually visit with them on the front porch.

But the Lord has provided a home that should be His first and foremost. If He truly lives here, He would never hesitate to warmly invite anyone who drops by to come inside, no matter what life has done to my house.

For a welcome mat to be laid at my doorstep and yet nary a welcome extended by me is paramount to hypocrisy. It is anti-Christ! How stingy I've been with what I've always said belongs to Him.

What blessings I've missed because of the mentality that my house must have a "photo-finish" look to it for a welcome to proceed from my mouth. And how enslaved I've made myself to the flurry of cleaning and polishing this place I call home before anyone can enter in. What I've actually done is to pamper and polish a house instead of loving and caring for others in the lived-in home I have been blessed to share with them.

And for the very reason I call it home (not "house"), it should be a home, not just a house. There are phrases that express the meaning of home: "being at home" means for one to have a relaxed sense of well-being, to be able to let all the agitating aspects of life go and simply calm one's self in a peaceful state of mind. Should this benefit of my home be only for me? Would Jesus want me to invite others in to "be at home" here also? Would He want me to use my home as a vehicle to minister to those who are harassed by life?

This, I believe, is what happened when I invited Myrian into my lived-in home. That was true hospitality! It was not me entertaining guests. It was the Lord Jesus ministering to both of us as He used a little piece of earth on which a shelter had been erected in 1941 to calm us, to enjoy one another, to bring laughter and to remind ourselves of the kind "welcome" the Lord Jesus has extended to us. This truly was God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven. In fact, it was "heaven on earth"!

My earthly father used to tell us, his children, about the most welcoming family in the church that he attended growing up (where his own father was the pastor).

This family was not only the most welcoming in the church, but they were also the most financially deprived family in the church. There was hardly anything of value in their home. The couch was old, threadbare and broken down. Yet folks visiting there sat on that couch with no hesitation because of the warm reception they received from this family. Their feeling at home there had nothing to do with the furniture. Rather it was the Christ-like hospitality extended to all who entered.

There was a great deal of laughter and love in that little ramshackle house. As a child, my father loved visiting there. The joy inside the home was contagious. It was the healing and strengthening joy of the Lord shared by all who entered. This family truly used their home to bring glory to God.

I do not know the name of those saints, but you can bet that they are with the Lord now and He's welcomed them into His eternal home with the words we all long to hear from Him, "Well done, my good and faithful servants...enter into the joy of your Master."

And those are the words I long to hear my Savior say me when I meet Him face to face. And it won't be because I entertained others in my sparkling clean museum of a home. It will be because I welcomed others as Christ has welcomed me.

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you to the glory of God. (Romans 15:5-7)

Grace - The Great Exchange

2025-09-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you, through His poverty might become rich."
2nd Corinthians 8:9

For those who know the Savior, this post really needs no introduction. The truth remains that His grace is far greater than my sin. He has given Himself to us and the riches He imparts to our fainting hearts never, ever diminishes. If anything, the longer we know the Lord Jesus, the greater our awe. This is what we experience here on this globe and I cannot imagine what glory awaits us when we have shed these fleshly bodies and at last see Him face to face!

The Gift of Gifts

2022-12-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above, coming down from

the Father of lights with whom there

is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17

Of all of God's gifts, the most highly acclaimed

Came on the first Christmas, by the angels proclaimed

When they sang "Glory to God in the highest of places."

To the shepherds below, as they fell on their faces.

"For to you this day there is given a Savior."

And He is the Gift to those whom God favors.

Yes, He is the Gift that was sent from above

He was wrapped in humanity and destined to love

All those who now come to the manger to see

God in flesh now appearing, and on bended knee

They rejoice that the Gift came to loose captive's chains

To free those who know of sin's terrible pains.

The Gift went to Calvary, the Gift bled & died,

On a cross that was splintered, two thieves at His side.

The Gift went to Calvary, He went there in love,

To pay for our faults and transgressions thereof

That kept us from God, in His sinless perfections.

The Gift died to bring us God's love & redemption.

The Gift was then buried but was raised from the grave,

For us to be sure that our sins God forgave.

Oh, let us rejoice as we think on the reason

This Gift came below to restore us to Eden.

A Well-Rested Soul

2021-10-07T00:00:00.011-07:00

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:38-42

From this passage of Scripture, do you generally identify more with Mary or Martha?

I am both women. I can easily become distracted and frustrated because of my busyness. When this is the case, I always experience a sense of loss - an opportunity to sit and listen to Jesus that's lost and gone forever. I regret this and must confess it as sin.

But as for the times when I sit at Jesus' feet, I never regret those times, nor do I feel like I missed out on anything the best of my busyness holds out to me. It all has to do with the difference between the eternal and the temporal.

As far as sitting at Christ's feet daily in devotion to listen for the purpose of love for the Savior and the rest He gives, others have said it better than I:

"We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today." A. W. Tozer

"This perpetual hurry of busyness and company ruins me in soul if not in body. More solitude and earlier hours!... Surely the experience of all good men confirms that proposition that without a due measure of private devotions the soul will grow lean." William Wilberforce

"A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God's boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it." D. L. Moody

"Nothing can be more healthful to the soul of the
believer than feeding upon the Word, and digesting it by frequent meditation." C. H. Spurgeon

"There is greater rest and solace to be found in the presence of God for one hour, than in an eternity of the presence of man." Robert Murray M'Cheyne

"Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul." Thomas Brooks

"He who lives with little prayer - he who seldom reads the Word - he who seldom looks up to heaven for a fresh influence from on high - he will be the man whose heart will become cold and barren." C. H. Spurgeon

But of course, Jesus said it best in Matthew 11:28-30, and who would want to refuse such an invitation?:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In searching for the encouraging quotes listed above, I also came upon this anonymous hymn that so aptly describes the wonderful exchange that is made while sitting at the feet of our Savior.

At the Feet of Jesus

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

Oh, the words I hear Him say!

Happy place! So near, So precious!

May it find me there each day;

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

I look not upon the past;

For He’s been to me so gracious,

I’m forgiven, cleansed at last.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

Where can mortal be more blest?

There I lay my sins and sorrows,

And, when weary, find sweet rest.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

Where I come to weep and pray;

While I from His fullness gather

Grace and comfort for each day.

Bless me, O my Savior, bless me,

As I sit here at Your feet;

Now look down in love upon me,

Let me see Thy face so sweet.

Lord, give to us the mind of Jesus,

At His feet we long to live;

With Christ's love, now kindly seize us,

So we His welcome freely give.

From the hymnal Select Hymns from 1911 (slightly revised)

Don't miss another opportunity to come to Jesus for the rest your soul so desperately needs!

Lessons from Sophie - Dwelling in Safety

2021-07-13T09:27:00.004-07:00

Note: We said 'goodbye' to our sweet Sophie the day before yesterday (July 11th, 2021). In memorium, I decided to look back on three posts I added to my blog when Sophie was very young, with the tag "Lessons From Sophie".

These posts, inspired by our little dog, were demonstrations that Sophie modeled to me regarding what my relationship to Lord should look like.

After reading these, I've decided to update and repost them. May Sophie encourage you the way she has continued to encourage me.

And now, after having left us, these memories from her are also a sweet comfort to me. This is the first of the three articles, originally posted on May 24th, 2008, when Sophie was a little more than a year old:

Lessons from Sophie - Dwelling in Safety

"Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

One of the first posts I wrote was about my cute little dog, Sophie (click here to go to that post). She provided a great lesson for what it means to wholeheartedly love the one who feeds and cares for her (me).

Now she has again impressed upon me what it means to trust and depend upon her master (again, that's me; though to be accurate, I really am her mistress).

I have noticed an interesting behavior that Sophie displays when she is frightened of something - the vacuum cleaner, for instance. The first time I became aware of this behavior was when Robert and I were in the garden working. Robert was operating the rototiller and, of course, Sophie was afraid of it.

How she handled her fear is how I want to handle myself with the Lord when I am tempted to be afraid of any created thing. Instead of running away from what she feared in the garden that day (the rototiller), she got up as close to Robert and me as she could without getting tangled in the rototiller. As fearful as she was of the threatening raucous monster, she was more sure of my protection of her. She seemed to know where real safety was - right beside me.

Sophie does the same thing in the house when I am vacuuming. She gets up as close to me as she can, sandwiching me between herself and the dangerous suction machine. She doesn't try to tackle the intruder herself, in fact, she doesn't even offer warning barks. Sophie just knows that she will dwell in safety if she is next to me.

For me, this doesn't always come naturally. The enemy's design is to use my fears to separate me from my beloved Savior. But, oh, how I want that trouble to draw me to the Protector of my soul instead. When I am tempted to be anxious about what is in front of me, I desire to instinctively run to Jesus and put Him in between me and the peril. This is what will truly bring great comfort to me and great glory to my heavenly Father.

Besides, knowing this wonderful truth, isn't God good to put the examples before us in such delightful ways? I see my little dog do this thing easily, like it is her only option. May running to my Lord be the only thought in my head also. Only in His presence will I find rest and safety.

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

Why Does He hear Me?

2021-06-30T07:22:00.037-07:00

"...the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and believed that I came from God." John 16:27

Struggling with a self-focus in prayer

In my praying, I am constantly battling the thought that I am earning "merits" so to speak - the thought that because I pray, God is pleased with me and rewards my good behavior by answering my prayer. The negative side of that thinking is also present - that if I could word my prayer just right or pray longer or more often, then I could move God's heart to act.

Nothing could be further from the truth! God's answer does not depend on how good I can make my prayer or how often or long I pray. I am not earning kudos every time I bend my knee. The only reason He hears me in the first place is because of Christ's goodness and grace. Jesus has made me righteous and acceptable in God's sight (Phil. 3:9). I cannot come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6) and His unmerited grace.

So then, why does God hear and answer me?

Then when I come into God's presence with adoration for my Savior, that gets God's attention. And I cannot fake that love. God knows when my heart is fervent with love for Christ. He also sees when I come with self-gratifying motives. Jesus said in John 16:27, "...the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God."

How absurd is it to think that I can impress God?

Furthermore, a completely different thing happens when I come into God's presence. He is not at all impressed by my "devoutness in prayer". The truth is that when I come into God's presence, I am changed. I am impressed. No! I am astonished by Him! "...In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11are pleasures forevermore. there

Being at His throne of grace, praying to a God who should never have loved me (according to my own faulty standards of how to earn favor with others) yes, being at His gracious throne transforms me. He turns my gloom into rejoicing. He turns me from my self-focus to His sovereign and gracious purposes. He forgives my sin, again. I become aware once more of His glorious and eternal grace for my messy heart. I am reminded of God's love for me which fuels my adoration for my Savior.

How absurd is it then to think that I can impress God? To think that I can gain His favor by "behaving" a certain way! How silly to think that I could be in league with the sinless Savior. I am actually, without realizing it, trying to prove to God that I am more transcendent than my Savior.

Impress my Heavenly Father? How could that ever happen when Jesus is beside Him, seated at His right hand - the flawless, glorious, magnificent and incomparable Son of God? In truth, my effort to impress God with my "devotion" is really an effort to marginalize my Savior. What a flagrant sin that is when understood in this way!

God hears me because I love Jesus

God's love for me is real. He loves me - the Bible tells me so! He delights to hear from me when I come to Him with sincere devotion to Christ. Would you not love the one who adores your own child, the one who desires to see your child benefited and spoken well of to others? Would you not love the one who avails himself to see that your aspirations for your child are carried out because he recognizes that they are good, needful and important? Would you not then offer to that friend your resources knowing that your child would be greatly honored ultimately?

Photo by Tim Cooper on Unsplash

This is why God avails His resources to me. I long to see Christ glorified, lifted up, adored through my life, my body and my all. This is why God hears me. He knows when my heart is truly set on loving His Son and that is when I pray according to His glorious will.

Afterall, is it not only through the name of our Savior that we gain access into our Father's presence? We dare not come to God by any other name, certainly not by my name - one who had no use for the Lord Jesus, other than to use His precious name as a byword. It is only by the Savior's worthy name that we can even approach God's glorious throne.

And He answers the prayer that is according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). When I pray this way God sees that my heart's motive is love for Christ. He answers my prayer for His Son's sake - for His glory. He loves to hear and answer the prayer that is carried into His presence on the wings of love for Christ. It is music to His listening ear.

Praise be to God for this precious truth!

Lord, may I love Your Son in this manner. May my every prayer be influenced, permeated and saturated with sincere adoration for the One through whom I come. And this I ask for in the name of Your gracious and compassionate Son.

Six Things I Learned AT THE TABLE as a Child Concerning Respect for Others

2021-04-21T10:30:00.008-07:00

My Dad used to say to us kids (in support of my mom who cooked the meals), “You kids have two choices for dinner this evening: Take it or Leave it."

If we chose to “leave it”, we didn’t eat anything till the next meal was served. No snacking allowed! If we chose to “take it”, that meant that we ate everything on our plates. I don’t remember ever choosing the menu option to “leave it”.

Sitting at the table daily with my dad and mom, older sister and younger brother (yes, I was a middle child), profoundly influenced me for good.

There were important things I learned at the table, such as respect for God, for the various people and their functions in the family, as well as respect for the family unit in general. Looking back, I realize that eating family meals together taught me these six things (at least):

Respect for my mom who prepared three meals every day. Lunches were packed daily for Dad to eat at work and for us kids to eat at school. Breakfast and supper were eaten at the table. Now that I prepare meals for my own family, I realize what hard work it is just to get good food put on the table.

For my mom, there was the added challenge of finances. At times Mom had few food supplies in her cupboard and refrigerator, yet she made due. We weren't wealthy by any means and we often had only beans for dinner. However, Mom always made it seem like a meal fit for a king as she worked her magic in the kitchen turning even that meager meal into a delicious gift to her husband and children.

I stand in awe of my mom who committed to serve her family in this very basic but extremely important way. (Learn here how we can serve our husbands and children by providing nourishing meals as did my mom.)

Respect for my dad who went to work every day to bring home "the bacon" and insisted that we all spend time eating that bacon together around the table. My father had some priorities as the head of the home and seeing that we all came together for meals was one. He knew that it was important that we connect with one another and also that we commune with one another. He understood the value of family "community". He was a wise man and I thank God that he was my earthly father.

Respect for the way things were done in our home for the well-being of all in our family. I learned that a family functions together. My dad, a Christian man, was committed to leading the family, even in this seemingly minor way. He grew up on a farm and knew the importance of real food, ie, eggs for breakfast rather than sugary sweet breakfast cereals, etc. As a Christian husband, he took the lead in this and my mom, being his complimentary counterpart, made the meals happen three times each day, every day. They functioned like a left hand helping the right more dominant hand. The example of how a husband and wife can work together in the home was lived out daily for me.

Respect for the food itself, as it was real, nourishing and was provided by God’s creative and loving hand. I learned that one of the first gifts God gave to Adam and Eve was food - delicious, nutritious food. Food is God's love made edible. He gave plant foods to man in the garden of Eden before man chose to disregard God's one directive (Genesis 1:29-30). Later, after the flood, God also added animal foods to man's diet. This is what real food is and this is what we ate every day at the table.

Respect and gratitude toward God for providing all of our needs. This was the most important truth of all that I learned as we ate together. We kids grew up knowing that trusting God meant that we would never go hungry.

King David expressed this very thing in Psalm 37:25 when he proclaimed, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread."

And it was at the table that we kids heard from Dad and Mom of the stories of God providing, when often there wasn't money to buy what Mom needed for our meals. These stories informed us kids that we ate three good and nourishing meals each day, not because we had the money to buy whatever we needed, but because someone, unbeknownst to us (moved by the Lord), had visited our front porch, leaving there bags of groceries that contained exactly what mom had needed to make the meals she had planned but did not have the resources for when the time came to buy them. We learned at the table that the Lord met all of our needs and that He knew exactly what those needs were.

On one such occasion, Mom testified at the table, as we ate "Cabbage Patch Stew" that she had all she needed for this stew except the cabbage. But she didn't even have enough change in her purse to buy the cabbage for our supper. Dad may have had that little bit of money, but he was at work and not due home till later.

Sometime between Mom's discovery that she either needed cabbage or she needed to "punt" and plan for beans instead (though by then, it would have been too late to soak and cook beans), she discovered a bag of groceries at the front door. To her delight that bag contained a nice big head of cabbage.

This is the testimony of our God's goodness that we heard as we sat and ate Mom's Cabbage Patch Stew. To this day I continue to love and make Cabbage Patch Stew partly because it's delicious but mostly because I remember what the Lord did to make this meal possible (get the recipe here if you'd like to try it).

Respect for the health of my own body and the health of my future children. That may sound a little strange. But again, my dad had his priorities and he was wise. One of the reasons we always had breakfast around the table was Dad wanted us to start out the day by being nourished so that we would have the nutrients needed to excel in body and mind. He would tell us that it was important for our health individually and for the health of the next generation, "What you eat now will have an impact on the health of your children in the future." And he was right.

It stands to reason that if a child eats densely nutritious food and avoids eating sugary cereals, fast food, faux foods that are laden with preservatives, etc., that she will herself be healthier than a child deprived of nutritious foods. So many of the degenerative diseases that much of our society deals with in this day and age point back to a poor diet.

Considering that the health of a child can be impacted by what she eats or doesn't eat as she grows up, when she's of childbearing age, her developing child will be benefitted or harmed by her choice of diet. It really is true that you are what you eat and that includes what the health of future children will look like. If I am malnourished, how would I be able then to nourish the child in my womb? (For more info about how to nourish your future children follow this link to the Weston A. Price Foundation to listen to an interesting podcast.)

Is this something that you desire to implement in your home?

The benefits that I mentioned in this article that came my way as a result of eating meals together with my parents and siblings (and as a result of my parents priorities for doing that), I so desire to see implemented again in young families.

How I’d love to see moms and dads cooperating like this again. But I fear that this simple, slow-paced, thoughtful way of living has been hijacked by the almighty dollar and a general busyness that is ultimately unproductive. It saddens me that we may never recover such wise and skilled parenting.

However, all it takes is a desire, decisiveness and a determination for parents to once again implement these priorities in the home. This requires a knowledge of how to do that and a commitment to remain faithful to it. (If you want to explore what a real nutrient rich diet is, visit the Weston A. Price website at this link.

Thank you, Dad and Mom! I’m so glad that you taught me to respect others at the table. And I’m so thankful that there were only two options on the menu for each meal. Your hard work and dedication will never be forgotten.

Five Truths About Being Thankful All Year Long (by Sandi Kailey)

2020-10-24T07:59:00.034-07:00

First, a note from Sharon: This post was written by Sandi Kailey, a young woman who came to the Lord several years ago. Sandi lives in our home and has been a breath of fresh air for Robert and me. Having been redeemed and transformed by the saving grace of God, Sandi is living in response to that grace. I asked her to write a post concerning giving thanks and I have been blessed by what the Lord put on her heart. It's now time to share it with you:

1. God’s people should be the most thankful people on the planet

As Christians, we should be giving thanks to God every day. The word "thanks" and related words come up 102 times in the Old Testament and 71 times in the New Testament. Seems that the Lord wants us to be thankful.

The beauty and joy of thanksgiving becomes evident when remembering our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our commitment to be under His authority regarding all aspects of our lives.

Giving thanks is good for us, both in our trials and in our comfort (James 1:2-4). When we profess our gratefulness in all circumstances of life, we can be assured that we are living according to our heavenly Father's will. His will is for us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)! Obeying God not only brings joy, a fruit of the Spirit, but also strengthens our relationship with Him. And gratitdue easily allows God to continue transforming us into the image of Christ.

Christians should not only be the most thankful of all people, but will be the most thankful when we pause to remember our Triune God, not only what He's done for us but for who He is. This is why we celebrate with a grateful heart!

2. Gratefulness for God's sovereignty should be our mindset

Giving thanks is a reminder every day that God is in control. No matter how shaky the ground is beneath us, we can remember that God holds all things together and is not flustered by a world gone wrong.

Max Lucado wrote about God’s sovereignty and control; “Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the Whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not, he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it. How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! What controls you does not control God. What troubles you does not trouble God. What fatigues you does not fatigue God.”

God is at work in a suffering world, He is bigger and more powerful than your obstacles. We may ask, "Does this mean then that God isn’t moved by what troubles me? Does it imply that He has no time to be bothered by what shakes me?" Of course not! He is not like other little wanna-be-gods that cannot be sympathetic to our struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16).

So how does God’s unshakable, sovereign character work for our good? An example that speaks volumes to me is the account of Peter walking on the lake to get to Jesus in Matthew 14:25-31. Peter says, “Lord if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come” to Peter.

Peter then got out of the boat with his eyes on Jesus and walked on the water toward Him. But when the wind distracted him, Peter began to sink. In his fear, he cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!". The text tells us that Jesus “immediately” reached out His hand to Peter and caught him.

Jesus didn’t panic when He saw Peter sinking. He did not begin to sink Himself. He remained on the water, unshaken by the storm. And because He was immovable and unshakeable, He was able to save Peter from sinking to his death.

Jesus responds “immediately” to our struggles. Yet being God and sovereign over all powers, forces, circumstances and obstacles, without being at all influenced by them, He is able to rescue us when we cry out to Him as Peter did. Though He was not disturbed by the storm, He was sympathetic to Peter’s human tendency to fear and demonstrated love and care for Him by saving him from a potential disaster. His unshakable sovereignty works in concert with His love and compassion for His children.

"Just imagine if our Lord cowered as we do or panicked as is our tendency. He cannot for He is above and before all things. Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost both body and soul (Hebrews 7:25). Is this not something we can be enthusiastically thankful for?" (A quote from one of my mentors.)

3. To be real, thankfulness must happen when the rubber meets the road.

So, let me ask you, Christian, are you thankful for the control and authority God has over your life? Are you completely trusting His plan for you? I recently had to ask myself these questions.

In June of this year, I lost my job due to Covid19. It was very sudden. I wasn’t expecting it. I had to scramble to figure out what I was going to do until I could find another job. How will I deal with being home all day? Staying home and not working is not what I’m used to.

This was a perfect time for me to put all my trust in God and know that I am exactly where He wants me. I had to thank God, even in my frustrated, confused and discouraged state. God reminded me to “take heart and have peace; Jesus has overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Yes, we will have trials. For me, it has been a job loss. But Jesus wants His people to have peace in loss. Our God is in complete sovereign control so in our distress we can look to Him for help.

God also tells us in Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned and the flame will not consume you.” We have an assurance that the promise of God’s protection and His help is available for all who trust in His name. Can we praise Him and express our gratefulness in worship to Him for providing such comfort and aid?

4. It's helpful to look to those who are an example of giving thanks in all things.

By way of inspiration concerning being thankful, I am including this brief story of a godly man who thanked God for what he had and even for what he didn't have.

In the late 1800s, George Mueller operated an orphanage in England that at one time housed 1,000 orphans. One morning there was no food to eat, but he called all the children and staff together and prayed, thanking God for the provision of food, even though no food was on the table.

A few moments later a baker knocked on the door. He told Mr. Muller that God had led him to bake bread the night before and give it to the orphanage. Before the bread was given to the children, a milkman knocked on the door. He said that his milk truck had broken down and he wanted to give the milk to the orphanage.

George Muller gave thanks, even when it took faith to do so. We too can trust God to keep His promises and provide for our needs (Isaiah 49:13).

5. It's necessary to be intentional in thanking God

God is a God we can always trust and lean on in any trial we face. For many now in 2020, this means trusting and thanking Him during the current Covid19 lockdowns, etc.

For me, this meant that I had to put my entitled pride aside and call out to God. I had to commit to pray with gratitude for this season He has me in. Thankfulness in prayer is an expression of our desire to work with God’s grace to face our problems, confident that He cares about us and will not stop loving us. The cross reminds us that this may involve hard work and hard times, but Jesus' resurrection assures us of ultimate victory.

Unfortunately, giving thanks is too often demoted to a secondary place in the prayers of Christ’s people. We are quick to make our requests and slow to thank God for His answers. Because God so often answers our prayers, we come to expect it. We forget that it is only by His grace that we receive anything from Him.

We should be giving thanks to God for what His Son has done for us on the cross. His sacrifice was the ultimate gift! Let us praise God for loving His children so deeply!

With Thanksgiving around the corner, let us focus on thankfulness to our Savior. No matter how busy or hectic our schedules may be, let us pledge our obedience to start purposefully, daily, giving thanks for how He has blessed us and for who He is. Start right now where you sit!

Let us adopt George Muller's mindset of gratitude

by giving thanks even when there seems to be

nothing before us to be thankful for!

To assist in being intentional in thanksgiving to the Lord, take a look at this post from Revive Our Hearts website: Growing in Gratitude: A 30 Day Challenge (this is a printable download, intended to cultivate a more grateful heart over a period of 30 days).

Partiality - Not an Attribute of God

2020-07-09T08:57:00.002-07:00

This is the second post on the Art and Heart of Hospitality (read the first post here). What you'll read below about partiality is crucial to truly being hospitable. As you read, ask the Lord to renew for you His heart of love and welcome to you when He drew you to Himself.

A sad exhibition of partiality

Most of you, by now, have heard about Susan Boyle and her incredibly beautiful singing voice. She stunned the Britain's Got Talent judges and audience on April 11, 2009. If you haven't seen the video, click here to view it on YouTube.

You may wonder what this video has to do with the topic of this post. To answer that question, I decided to post about Susan Boyle based on a text in James. That text, James 2:1-5, confronts the sin of partiality or favoritism:
"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

After having seen the reaction from the judges and the audience when Susan Boyle appeared on stage for her audition for Britain's Got Talent, it became even more clear to me how fickle the human heart can be. It was only after she began to sing that everyone who had disgracefully judged her just seconds before, changed their opinion of her and instead displayed their approval. It really was a sad exhibition.

Some apologized. But what if she had croaked out her song? The following comment, from a secular blog, pretty well sums up what I am thinking also:

"The unspoken message of this whole episode is that, since Susan Boyle has a wonderful talent, we were wrong to judge her based on her looks and demeanor. Meaning what? That if she couldn't sing so well, we were correct to judge her on that basis? That demeaning someone whose looks don't match our impossible, media-reinforced standards of beauty is perfectly okay unless some mitigating circumstance makes us re-think our opinion?"

As a Christian, would you even speak to this individual, let alone eat with him as did Jesus when He dined with sinners? Or would you and I shun him as one who is not worthy of love? Think about the fact that we were in no better condition when Christ welcomed us. Apart from His compassion, we all would still be in our sins, doomed to a life apart from anything good.

A crucial question: does this happen in our churches?

It is sad to say that we, in our churches, do this very thing. If someone does not come up to our preconceived idea of what a person should look like, talk like, dress like, etc. we have no intention of going any further to discover who that person really is. We remain in our comfort zones, excluding that individual from the grace God would display through us, were we willing. And then we are relieved and think we are vindicated if that person turns out to be what we judged them to be in the first place.

God does not look at the outward appearance

The sin of partiality is wrong no matter what. We become judges with evil motives when this happens. God is no respecter of persons, "for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). He looks upon the heart. Since we cannot look on the heart as does the Lord, we must give way to love, compassion and mercy.

And consider what it means that God looks at the heart. What a very frightening truth! He saw me for who I really was before I knew Him. I was unlovely to Him, as are we all. All of us were guilty in His sight. All of our works were like filthy rags. We were altogether unclean, haters of God, lovers of sin. This is the condition we were all in when He chose to redeem us from our vain manner of life.

Our example, a compassionate Savior

Had God been a partial being, such as we are, He would never have chosen to save any of us. We would all face His wrath. And He would have been justified, judging us rightly. But God saved us in spite of ourselves.

Knowing that, can we as followers of Christ, learn from what we saw in Susan Boyle's appearance? Can we learn to look at others with compassion and kindness as our Heavenly Father looked upon us in our forlorn and ungodly state? Can we then decide to offer mercy and Christ-like love to the ones we find unlovely?

Jesus did this very thing when He "went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36)

The "crowds" Jesus saw represented every human condition. People like ourselves, sick people, demon-possessed people, beggars, wealthy people (like Zacheus), prostitutes, government officials, criminals, various races, men, women, i.e., people from all walks of life. Two things they had in common was that they were all 1) all created in the image of God and thus were to be "image-bearers" of the God that gave them life, and 2) they had all been separated and alienated from God because of their utter disregard for Him (universal and personal sin).

This is why Jesus saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He was/is the Good Shepherd and they were without Him, though they followed Him. And He had compassion on them immediately, by healing them, by feeding them, by preaching the gospel to them and ultimately, by being crucified to pay the price that their disregard for Him cost.

The word I am using here, "disregard", is a very mild term for how we all feel and think about God before we bow our hearts to Him. But our flagrant "disregard" for Him resulted in His condemnation and crucifixion on the cross. This is the greatest indictment of and proof for our inherent sinfulness - we brutally slaughtered the Lord of Glory, God in the flesh, when He visited us*.

So, how can we have the same compassion that the Lord Jesus Christ had upon us?

As for me, I have been very convicted by all of this and am stunned when I think of it in terms of my acceptance before God. He has taken a poor, ragged, sinful wretch, welcomed her into His heaven and given her all the blessings in the heavenly realms. In Him, I have redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on me with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-9)

I pray like Paul for those of us making a claim to know Christ:

"For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Once this kind of knowing is a reality, there is no telling what would come of it in our churches, homes and neighborhoods and who we would welcome, just as our Lord has indeed welcomed us!

*Note: If you do not believe this about yourself - that you took part in Christ's violent death, let me ask you, how do you think about God, in particular, Jesus? Have you ever resisted/disbelieved the truth about Who He is? This unbelief of Who He was in the flesh is what put Him on the cross. He was crucified because He claimed to be the Son of God which meant He was equal with God (John 5:18). Jesus was crucified because He was hated and called a blasphemer - He claimed to be God - and those who killed Him did not believe Him! We are all guilty for we are born alienated from Him and in enmity to Him. We all, because of our unbelief, were guilty of putting Him to death.

The Art and Heart of Hospitality

2020-06-28T16:22:00.001-07:00

We have no idea how wealthy we are just to have a roof over our heads. I take so much for granted. This struck home so profoundly to me today.

And it also struck me that our homes must be shared at all times, even (or maybe especially) when they look lived in. This is how these thoughts came to me:

My neighbor had texted me to ask for ice. When she came to my door, I gladly handed the frozen cubes to her. She then told me that she needed to drive her truck to the store just down the street so she could use the restroom there.

I know you think that you read that last sentence wrong, but you didn’t. You see, this neighbor and her husband, though they live across the street from us, do not live in a house.

Instead, these friends live in their tarped, broken-down truck. It runs, but barely. They have been our neighbors for three years, parked on the curb across the street from our house (though we’ve only gotten to know them better in the past two years or so).

My husband and I love these dear people. They are good friends and good neighbors. They are part of the “homeless” population by today’s standards though they themselves consider their truck to be home. But they do long to have a real roof over their heads as soon as possible.

But back to the story. Knowing that Estelle (not her real name), needed to leave quickly to get to the store to relieve herself, I promptly invited her in to use our restroom. She was so grateful.

As we entered the front door of my house, I apologized that the house was a little messy. And this was Estelle's response, “Please don’t worry about how your house looks. I would give anything to be able to say that.”

Did you get that? Estelle was saying that she would give anything to be able to make such an apology - to have a house that was a little messy to invite guests into, apologizing as I was. I can’t tell you how her response has sobered me!

The Lord has been impressing this message on me heavily for well over a year now. So what Estelle said has been that same message personified by the Holy Spirit through my neighbor. I must not ignore this!

My home (dare I say “our homes” since we are commanded to be hospitable many times in the Bible) must be open to others. We are even commanded to be hospitable to strangers.

Our homes are not museums where a janitor is constantly cleaning to make sure that the antiquities there remain dust-free so they can be admired by the visitors. A museum is a place where non-living things - even dead things - reside and people stare at them, awestruck, in order to connect with the past. Those who visit, walk through the museum till they reach the exit, never having rested all the while because museums are not made for resting.

Instead, my home should be a place where living beings reside, a place that is not constantly being cleaned but rather where people are productive and fruitful and also where they can rest from the living that happens there. Our homes exist for those who are living, not for the dead and/or inanimate.

Our homes should be fruitful and restful, and not just for us. They should be open for others to come in, sit down and find rest from their weariness (even if that means finding rest in the most humble room in our home - our bathroom).

Our homes should also be a place where others can partake of the home-based fruits of our labors. Perhaps this would be lived out by providing a meal. And that does not have to be hard. It could be a meal of leftover soup from the day before (don't we say that the soup is always better the next day anyway?). Or that shared fruit could be a simple cup of coffee and an encouraging truth, ie., a spiritual fruit, that the Lord impressed upon you earlier in the day as you communed with Him through His written word.

But back to the museum analogy, do I mean to imply that it’s wrong to clean my home? Of course not! It would be wrong for me to let my house go. What is wrong, however, is to operate under the misconception that my house must be “museum-clean” in order to have “guests” in. It’s wrong to think that my home must be picture-perfect for those who enter so that they can gaze in awe at the well-dusted, cared for and cherished furnishings (exhibits?) therein.

The account of Zaccheus in the gospel of Luke helps me think deeper about how available my home is and, more to the point how available I am personally to serve others. This short little man, with a name that was bigger than he was, climbed up into a tree so that he could see Jesus above the crowds that obscured Him as He passed by.

We read in Luke 19:5, "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, 'Zaccheus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.'"

Oh my! In reading this, I can't help but wonder what Zaccheus’ house looked like when Jesus invited Himself over to stay there. My knee-jerk reaction would have been to panic, race home and try to get things in order. But what does the little tax collector do? Luke tells us, “So Zaccheus came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly.” (Luke 19:6)

"So Zaccheus CAME DOWN..."! I would have been tempted to climb higher to get out of sight. But Zaccheus came down. In fact, the text continues to tell us, "So Zaccheus came down AT ONCE..."! He hurried down that tree. But that's not all, "So Zaccheus came down at once and WELCOMED JESUS..."! He didn't stress that Jesus was coming to stay at his home. It was quite the opposite. He welcomed Jesus and it wasn't just any halfhearted welcome. Not at all! Read his entire response to Jesus: "So Zaccheus came down at once and welcomed Jesus GLADLY"! Zaccheus was thrilled that Jesus had invited Himself to his house. Knowing that your house was a little messy, would you have responded so enthusiastically? Would I have?

At this point, I am thoroughly in awe of the dramatic, comprehensive and instantaneous heart change that the Spirit of God makes within this one who has been so enamored with and enslaved by money. Neither the Lord nor his fellow man was on Zaccheus’ radar until Jesus transformed him. Now he was all about Jesus instead, with his enthusiastic, joyful welcome to the Savior.

Should not this be my response, your response as well? If we are each a child of God, has He not transformed our hearts also? And when we welcome weary ones into our home, do we not likewise welcome the Lord Jesus in?

At this point, there are so many challenging thoughts swirling through my mind. There is so much to explore and my heart needs a constant transforming tuneup. I want to explore this further so that I do not forget and so that I do practice the art and heart of hospitality in my place of fruitfulness and rest - in my home.

In the next few weeks (God willing), I will be posting more about hospitality as it is practiced and commanded in the Bible. But for now, I have been so blessed to have shared with my neighbor the smallest, most humble room in my home, a room where she found rest in her weariness. Thank You, dear Savior, for this unforgettable opportunity! And thank You that when Estelle came for this short visit, You came with her and spoke to my heart.

Thankfulness - It's a Miracle!

2019-11-26T07:18:00.001-08:00

Some thoughts from my husband, Robert, concerning the account of the ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17:12-19, and encouraged by a book called The Everlasting Word by Hans Bakker (see *note below):

"Then Jesus answered and said, 'Were not ten cleansed? But the nine - where are they?' Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?' " (Luke 17:17-18)

Ten lepers were healed but only one came back to give thanks to the Lord Jesus. Where are the nine?*

Where are the nine? Oh, they are at home with their families, eating turkey and stuffing, having a wonderful time, happy that they were healed.

But none of the nine thanked the Lord Jesus. Only one, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back glorifying God with a loud voice. Only one fell on his face at the feet of Jesus giving Him thanks. (from Luke 17:15-16)

May the lesson of the lepers be for our personal instruction; it is for our warning...It is to show us that by nature we belong to the nine and that it would be a great miracle if we would be the one who returned in thankfulness to the Lord Jesus.*

Let this day of Thanksgiving 2019, be a day spent not just expressing what we are thankful for among our loved ones, but a day in which we return to the Lord Jesus in worship for what He has done for us. And may it be that we, the ones He has healed from sin-sickness, fall at His feet, glorifying God with all our being. May we be His great miracle of thankfulness!

*Note: These portions of this post were taken from the devotional book, The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, from November 24's entry.

The Good Work God has Started in You, He Will Complete - He Promised

2019-08-28T13:06:00.002-07:00

Lately, I've been studying through the book of Philippians. Well, let's just say, I've started that wonderful journey.

Today, I looked at Philippians 1:9-11. These three verses are so full of the wonder of what God will do in us, His children. I have been stunned once more by His goodness and faithfulness. May I share with you what He's shown me?

Of course, we have to start with Scripture: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).

Here we see Paul praying for the Philippian believers. But if we look back at verse six of chapter one - just three verses before our text - we get a little more information regarding this prayer: "For I (Paul), am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (italics my addition).

Paul makes a statement that God is going to complete the good work that He began in these Christians. But in Philippians 1:9-11, Paul, nevertheless, goes on to ask God to accomplish that good work. Interesting, huh? Why would Paul think that he needs to pray for something that he knows God will already do?

The first thing God reminded me of...

...is that in the work He accomplishes, whatever that may be, He does it in concert with His people's prayers. He has ordained that He would use prayer, a human means, to accomplish His glorious purposes. Of course, He still gets the glory for the things that His people pray for (that He will actually accomplish).

He gets the glory because He does the good work in us. But He even gets the glory for His people's prayers. His Spirit prompts us to pray by burdening us for His purposes. And then we pray.

So the praying begins with Him and the work ends with Him accomplishing what has been prayed for. All we do is ask for what He's burdened us with. He does the work as Paul's prayer states: "...He who began a good work", will also perfect (complete) that good work. So, Paul, knowing this promise prays for what he's confident God will do for the Philippians.

The next thing God reminded me of ...

...was how we see this process in everyday life...

The way the Lord works may seem odd, but it really shouldn't. It is, in fact, so simple. We see it in everyday life, especially in the relationship children have with their parents.

When my children were small, they couldn't even get a cup of water for themselves. But all they had to do was ask me for it and it was theirs. So who actually gave them the water? I did, of course. Would they have had that cup of water had they not asked me? Probably, but not immediately, at that very moment that they were thirsty. As a parent though, I would have made sure they were consistently hydrated since I guard their wellbeing.

And here's the key. Like thirst prompts my child to ask, the Spirit prompts the saint to ask. We see the need, then we feel the need via the Spirit, whatever that may be. For Paul, that need was for the saints in Philippi to abound in love still more and more, by being informed from Scripture. This would result in them being able to discern wisely, choosing things that were excellent - eternal things rather than merely temporal things*.

One commentary says, "Paul prays that in view of the return of Christ, the Philippians would abound in the fruit of the gospel (love) in the present...Through prayer, Paul participates in this work so that it will be completed on the final day. Paul wants the Philippians, even now to aspire to be sincere and blameless rather than settle for halfhearted faith."

And finally, as the Lord reminded me of the real lesson here. So, who may I ask, are you praying this same prayer for that Paul prays for the Philippians? Who am I praying for?

And even beyond that, who are we ministering to (via discipleship)? Being thus involved, we would naturally be prompted, as was Paul, to pray for the good work we long to see accomplished in those who we are involved with.

*Regarding the statement about choosing what is excellent - "eternal things rather than temporal things": choosing the eternal over the temporal does not mean that we never do anything temporal. We couldn't live if we never did what is temporal. Rather it means that we do what's temporal with an eternal mindset. If my baby's diaper needs changing, I can either complain and be disgruntled or I can be thankful to God that He has entrusted this little soul into my care. Diaper changing takes on a whole new dimension - an eternal dimension - when my mindset glorifies the Lord in the midst of it. It becomes an eternal work that the mother accomplishes. God can use that! And the baby will be influenced by it!

She Does Him Good

2019-08-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

“She does him good…all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:12

This article was written nine years ago. I don't know why it took so long to post it, but it's still great information for doing your husband good!

A Very Important Education for Women
Studies have found that married men live longer than bachelors. There are many reasons, but diet is a very significant factor. “According to a study presented at a meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, married men eat a healthier diet than bachelors. Analyzing the eating habits of 29,728 male health professionals between the ages of 40 and 75, researchers found that married men eat more vegetables and less fried food…”

Another study showed that: ''Women traditionally take more responsibility for the home than men do, and, as a consequence, women's education might be more important for the family lifestyle - for example, in terms of food habits…(this) could have a substantial influence on the health and mortality of the partner.”

Time to Wise-up!
That “education” for me commenced about 6 years ago, after my husband and I began to experience health problems. No doctor could tell me what my problem was so I began to look into nutrition.

After discovering The Weston A. Price Foundation, which is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism, I realized that I knew very little about nutrition.

These “nutrient-dense” foods have been demonized by today’s diet gurus and also by the medical field – butter, eggs, whole raw milk, cream, saturated fats, red meat, organ meats, etc. These are foods that God created and has sanctioned in Scripture for the human diet, as 1 Timothy 4:3-5 says, “…foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good…”. If God says it’s good, who is to say otherwise? It all made sense.

As these foods were restored to our diet, and all the processed so-called “health foods” (low-fat-this, cholesterol-free-that, etc.) were eliminated, our health began to improve dramatically. Within a few months, we were discarding many prescription drugs because the health issues associated with them no longer existed (high blood pressure for instance).

Helping My Husband
As my husband’s helper, I remain committed to putting densely nourishing foods on the table. It is a very real way I can assist my husband in regard to his physical well-being so that he can continue to advance the kingdom of God, serving as God has called him.

Robert has taught the Bible for many years – in the pulpit (though he is not a pastor), at mid-week Bible study, to seminary students abroad, etc. In June he is traveling with 2 other men from our church to conduct several Pastor’s conferences in Southern Sudan. His health is crucial to these ministries. I want to do what I can to help him continue to minister God’s word for the good of His people for His glory.

As wives, we have the opportunity to help our husbands enjoy good health. Food should do what God intended – build and support a strong immune system, build and repair our bodies, satisfy our taste buds and satiate our hunger. Only real food can do that. Fake foods do just the opposite – damage and tear down our bodies and weaken our immune system. And even though those foods may taste good, they are toxic (containing chemical flavors, preservatives, pesticide residues and more) that cause bodily damage.

Real Food Really Makes a Positive Difference
A few months back Robert saw his doctor for a routine visit. His blood pressure was 123/72. The doctor said, “You are a rarity – the only man your age (63) that I’ve seen recently with such great readings without medication.” Wow! I was there and heard this. I thought to myself, “If I told the doctor that it’s all the wonderful saturated fat and cholesterol (along with all the good veggies and fruit), he’d never believe me!”

However, I must also remember that though real food definitely makes a difference for health, God is still sovereign. He can and does use illness at times for our spiritual growth and benefit. But I am still committed to doing what I can to help my husband’s health (and mine). But if God decides to use cancer for our good and His glory, I know that it would be His sovereign and gracious design for our lives and not because I was serving chemical-laden faux-foods.

Getting Back To The Past
We live in a world where we can have anything in an instant, including food. We no longer have to plan meals. Just a quick trip to the grocery store provides us with a fast-fix for dinner (breakfast or lunch). We think that getting out of the kitchen in a flash improves our lives.

But women in the past knew better. They had a wisdom about food that has long since been lost to the younger generation. Wives were always on board to support their men with hearty, healthful meals from early morning to suppertime.

The Proverbs 31 woman “…rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens.” Notice here that feeding her loved ones was such a priority for this excellent wife that she did not delegate the job to her servants. She did the cooking herself and even served her maids breakfast!

My father was more educated than most modern brides. When Mom continued to make eggs for breakfast, after cold, boxed cereal had made its way onto the grocery shelves, Dad told us (his three discontented kids) that the health of our future children depended on our eating nutritious foods in the present, especially for breakfast which he proclaimed was the most important meal of the day. Now, as I read books like Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck, I marvel at his homespun wisdom. That “wisdom of the ancients” is far superior and accurate to what we are told today by the food industry.

But What if My Husband Objects?
It is not unusual for the man of the house to offer a few objections. The best way for me to deal with this issue has been submission, prayer and a respectful appeal (in order to come to an agreeable solution if need be). Here are some typical and reasonable objections your husband might offer:

“I really don’t care to eat that stuff.”
Personally, I would love to serve seafood once a week, but Robert simply does not care for it. In fact, he loathes it. But I know that the Omega 3’s that fish provide are vital to health. What to do? After putting it before the Lord, the answer came – COD LIVER OIL. Can you believe that? My husband would rather go hungry than let one morsel of mackerel (or salmon, etc.) pass through his lips, yet he will gladly slurp down a spoonful of cod liver oil every morning. That’s because it’s flavored with real lemon and has absolutely no fish taste.

One lady I know tried numerous times in numerous ways to get her husband to eat unrefined coconut oil, but he could detect it no matter how she disguised it in his food. Finally, she relented and put her gallon of coconut oil to rest.

Subsequently, one evening after retiring for bed, her husband leaned over to kiss her goodnight and gagged as he said, “Do you mean to tell me that I cannot even give my wife a kiss goodnight without tasting that stuff?!” Since she no longer had any culinary use for the coconut oil she had begun using it as a skin moisturizer.

But that’s not the end of the story. My Bible study group met at this lady’s house weekly. One evening I provided popcorn – popped in coconut oil and slathered with good butter – as the snack. I stayed a little afterward, just long enough for her husband to waltz in and ask for something to nosh on. Not remembering the coconut oil debacle, I handed him a bag of popcorn. He gobbled it down with relish, commenting about how scrumptious it was. When I realized what he was eating, it was all I could do to keep from laughing.

“We cannot afford organic.”
This is where it really pays to know your stuff. If you have educated yourself, you can respectfully appeal to your husband. Pray first, then approach him with ideas to make whole food work within your budget. Here is a sampling of what you might present:

• Many foods are safe to eat that have been grown conventionally. Thick-skinned produce such as citrus fruits, melons, avocados, bananas and many, many more.
• Growing food organically helps to stretch the food dollar also.
• Serving economy meals is helpful – soups, legumes, etc. that are inexpensive to make. Of course, this requires planning.
• Money will be saved by not buying expensive convenience faux foods or eating out nearly as often. (My husband and I have lived on a very small income since eating this way and we have never had to compromise at the grocery store.)
• Making cleaning and beauty products from common household ingredients will save money that can then be directed toward the food budget.

“What about dessert?”
Your husband may feel like his sweet tooth will be starved out (actually, that’s not a bad thing). Assure him that you will be making his sweets from scratch (perhaps this is yet another way to budget for whole foods). Use healthy alternative sweeteners – palm sugar, raw honey, organic maple syrup, Rapadura, stevia. (Follow this link to understand why agave is one of the most unhealthy sweeteners.)

Personally, I have never been a baker. Instead, our sweet treats include puddings, baked apples, peaches or strawberries and cream with honey, parfaits, homemade ice cream, etc. Most of these sweets offer fewer carbs than baked goods and also some nutrition in the form of eggs, cream and milk. Still, these types of foods should be served occasionally rather than daily since they are not the most nutritious of foods. Also, try serving salty snacks as an alternative treat, such as popcorn, popped as mentioned above, peanut or almond butter on celery or salty nuts prepared for optimum nutrition.

“I don’t at all want to change the way we’re eating.”
If this is your situation and your husband will not be persuaded otherwise, if it concerns your husband’s tastes rather than the budget, there are many things that you can do to make his meals more nutritious. Here are some ideas:
• Switch from toxic fats and oils to those that are nourishing.
• Switch from processed sugar to healthy alternatives.
• Make your own salad dressings (the ones your hubby really likes) and mayonnaise.
• Buy bacon and wieners, etc. that do not contain nitrites and nitrates.
• Make hamburgers from grass-fed beef instead of conventional beef.
• Buy snacks (potato chips for instance) that are made with cold-pressed monounsaturated oils instead of polyunsaturated heat-extracted oils.

God is Honored
When it is your desire to help your husband in this fashion God is glorified and He will provide in ways that you never dreamed of. Hasn’t He commanded us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If it is your desire to help your husband eat well, but you believe that your budget will not be adequate to buy whole foods, don’t give up before you ask your Heavenly Father to make it possible.

Some Practical Ways to Nourish Your Husband
• Make breakfast. After fasting for 10 hours or more and with the full day still ahead, breakfast is vital for energy and general health.
• “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”
• Pack a lunch if your husband eats away from home while working
• Serve the salad as a first course. If your husband leaves most of his salad because he fills up on the main course, give him his salad (alone) first with his favorite (healthy homemade) dressing.
• Provide plenty of good fat with each meal. Good fat satiates hunger better than carbs or protein. Your husband will go longer without needing snacks. Slather cooked veggies in butter (it also assists in the delivery and metabolizing of nutrients to your body).

Now go and do your husband good just like the Proverbs wife did!

Eight Reasons for Memorizing Scripture

2019-08-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

In this short video clip, John Piper presents eight reasons why the Christian should memorize Scripture. Take a few minutes to let the Spirit of God challenge you in this regard.

If you need help memorizing Scripture, I highly recommend an app that is available for both Android and Apple devices called "Remember Me". It is free and though I have tried other apps for Bible memory, Remember Me is head and shoulders above them all (in my opinion.)

Photo by NilsStahl on Upsplash

For more information about Remember Me, follow this link to a comprehensive video explanation of this app. But keep in mind that this video is five years old and there may be changes that have been made since it was recorded. And this link will take you to the Remember Me website where you can find more than enough instruction for using the app and also memory verse collections regarding specific topics. You can find Remember Me at Google's "Play Store" or Apple's "App Store". Just type in the name of the app in the search bar, download and enjoy!

God's Sovereignty and Goodness in Adversity

2019-07-09T05:53:00.002-07:00

"It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." (Psalm 119:71)

Our Good and Sovereign God Sees What We are Blinded to

This Psalmist humbly understood both the sovereignty of God and his own sinful state. He did not rail against the Lord for having ordained difficulty, nor did he think he deserved only what he deemed as "good" from the Lord.

We are so blind to our sinful hearts, even as Christians, that we fail to see that God, our Heavenly Father, is good in ordaining trials for us. Though the trial is not pleasant, we must acknowledge that God sees our every flaw and through trials reveals those flaws and sins to us for the purpose of making us more like Christ.

The Psalmist understood this about God and about himself. He had no problem continuing to trust God, confident that His goodness was still in tact. He had no problem because he did not despise the difficulty, pointing an accusing finger back at God Who allowed that difficulty (yes, and even personally ordained it for him).

He was actually thankful that God had put the trial on him and in not struggling against that trial, the writer of this Psalm came to understand exactly what it was about his life that was not glorifying to the Lord. He saw his sin and God's working to extinguish that sin and reveal more of Himself to His child.

Likewise, Job, understood both God's goodness in ordaining great heartbreak and his need to receive it with a worshipful spirit. He told his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" And we are told in the same verse that in all of his grief, Job did not sin with his lips.

Sin is Master at Hiding Itself
Do we think that we are only deserving of good things from the Lord? I think we most certainly do! We believe we are doing just fine and that we do not need correction from our God. We cannot see that sin still dwells in us and how it manifests itself, though we are no longer slaves to it because sin is no longer so open and blatant and evident to us.

And therein lies the problem with our spiritual eyesight. Our hearts, so deceitful, learn how to refine sin so that we do not see it. Sin becomes more and more adept at masquerading itself and we, all the while, are congratulating ourselves on our spiritual maturity. So when God decides we need correction, we pour out complainings and despise His sovereign care over us. We believe that we should be given some award for having come so far in our faith.

Our Father Knows Best

May we refuse to think this way. God forbid that we remain in our blinded state. We must learn to say, like the Psalmist, that it is for our good that God ordains difficulties and adversity. It is for our good! We will, by understanding that our Heavenly Father is only and always good, and that we are so very, very far from good, that we need His kind corrective hand upon us at all times. Simply put, He sees and knows what we need.

A Humble Example in King David

David, also, received adversity when cursed by an ungodly man, Shimei, knowing that too was from the Lord. In 2 Samuel 16:9-11 we read, "Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, 'Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.' But the king said, 'What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’' And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, 'Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.'"

Man Means it for Evil, but God has Purposed it for Our Good and our Joy

David was pliable before the Lord. He knew what was good for him and he trusted that the Lord would provide that "good". David even says in verse 12, "It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good from his cursing." He, like Joseph, knew that what was done to him by man was done out of a motive of evil and a desire for his demise. But David also knew that God meant it for good and He would, by His absolute sovereign power and grace, accomplish that good. That is what David expected - God's good gifts as His reward - namely God's very presence and David's own fullness of joy.

God, the Perfect Disciplinarian

Where would we be if God only gave us what we deemed as good? We would become more and more intolerably spoiled and like little children who throw temper tantrums when they don't like what mommy or daddy do.

God, as our Father, is a good disciplinarian, in fact, He is the only perfect disciplinarian. He never makes mistakes! His love for His children is flawless and all discipline flows from that gracious heart of love for us. So, may we stop despising His good and sovereign hand in His training of us. Trials, difficulties and adversity are from His loving hand, a hand that is good and kind and the difficulty is for our good, to conform us to the image of His Son.

Don't Waste Your Trial - Rather, Give Thanks

Though we do not have to find pleasure in our trials, we must, if we are not to waste the trial, thank Him for His loving sovereign purpose for us and receive the trial with a prepared mind, asking God to accomplish His good purpose. He will most definitely bring about His goodness in us through any trial He ordains for us.

And He will make Himself so precious to us in that trial, if we will let Him. If we face the trial as David and Job and Joseph did, knowing that we need such disciplines from our God and worship Him in that trial, we will experience the added benefit and blessing of a joyful heart. God's presence will be evident.

If Our Sinless Savior Suffered, shall We be Exempt?

Besides all of that, if God ordained that His own Son would suffer because of sin (not His own, but because of OUR sin), the only man who was not deserving of that suffering, how dare we think that we sinful children will escape any suffering! The thing here is that we do not have to suffer for the sins of others, as Jesus did for us, NOR do we even have to suffer for our own sins. Jesus did that for us on the cross.

God is not punitive with His children because He punished Christ for our sins. But we do have a Heavenly Father who disciplines His children. He uses adversity for our training in righteousness. Let us not despise this grace to us. May we thank Him and say along with the Psalmist, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes."

"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Teach Me, My Lord!

2019-07-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

What an invitation! What an opportunity!
And the book of James tells me, "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2b). There is far too much truth in that. So once again, this morning, I am asking of the Lord, as did the disciples, to teach me to pray (Luke 11:1). Notice that they did not ask Jesus to teach them "how to pray", but simply "to pray". I am asking Him to increase my faith so that in my asking, I know He will answer since He is not only able but also so very willing because of His great goodness, mercy and love.

I am asking Him to burden me with His purposes and call me to pray for those very things that He has determined will be accomplished through prayer (Matthew 6:10). I am asking Him to call me to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) so that I may see Him and His answers also without ceasing and be filled with joy in glorifying Him in those prayers (John 16:24; John 14:13).

Yes, and I am asking Him to teach me to pray so that I may behold His beauty (Psalm 27:4). Sitting at my Savior's feet I am thereby made rich all the day with His presence and His unbounding joy. I am asking Him to teach me to pray so that, by beholding Him, I may become transformed into His likeness and be less like myself (2 Corinthians 3:18). I am asking Him to teach me to pray because, most of all, I want more of Christ, I want more of my kind Father and I want more of the sweet Spirit filling me with their fullness each and every day.

I want more of this incomprehensible Triune God, who, out of His great heart of love, mercy and grace has poured out upon me such a kindness that can never be known apart from Him. It is not possible to describe the love I find in His presence when I commune with Him. He is love! So my heart swells with great waves of affection heaped so generously within me and upon me that I am filled to overflowing with Him and all that He is.

But distractions abound when I ask Him to teach me how to pray!

And yet, with this effusive beneficence found at my Savior's feet, I can actually get so distracted in the wee hours that I miss out on Him. I can listen to the demanding needs of the day and forsake time spent at the throne of grace for the sake of doing some menial task, which is soon undone, only to have to be done again. And can I not do that task after I meet with the Lord? Will it not be there for me then? Of course, it will!

By neglecting time with the Lord, I remain in my poor, forgetful, drowsy state for the remainder of the day. I am not rich with His love or kindness toward others, especially in my thoughts. Since I have not partaken of His wisdom (James 1:5), I will be prone to my own discretion, which is simply moral and so ordinary and most of the time just plain wrong. Any ethical unredeemed man or woman could produce and does produce this lowly wisdom. But I want the wisdom from above that "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). This is not ordinary earthly wisdom, which is all I am capable of without having invited Wisdom Personified into my day.

And what else will I lack having had no time for my Lord? When temptation confronts me, I may not even be aware (sleepy, as were the disciples in the garden with Jesus) for I have not watched and prayed with Him. I will cave in, or at best, I will crave that which is set before me (though I will probably say "no" to it), instead of possessing a passion and love so significant for my Savior that nothing touches my joy in Him. Temptations lose their power when I abide with Christ and He with me.

Of course, joy will be absent, as will peace, contentment, patience, a soft answer, assuming the best of someone, thoughts that honor Christ. But most of all, I give up the sense of His sweet, empowering presence and my overarching love for Him.

So I continue to ask, "Lord, teach me to pray!"

Obviously, I must continue to ask Him and never cease to ask Him to teach me to pray (this is a request that can never end for me). And in my asking of Him, often that sounds like, "Dear Father, keep my heart focused on You. Help me to not be drawn away from You right now."

And herein, I believe, is the key to learning to pray - to never come to a place in which I think I've learned to keep this divine and divinely appointed communion. For, reiterating, every morning, without exception, I am assaulted with the demands of the day, which, if I heed them, will rob me of the one essential thing - meeting with my God.

Father, how good You are! You give Your child Your ear so graciously and freely. You have nothing but good ordained for me. And as You said, Lord Jesus, as a parent, I delight to give my children what they ask for. How much more, then, do You delight in giving me that which I request, for You are completely free of any heart defect. You are perfect and holy and the very definition of LOVE. It is to You that I pray; it is to You that I come; it is in You that I trust; it is You that I want.

Teach me, my Lord, to pray! Yes, teach me to pray!

Only One Life

2015-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Robert and I attended the funeral for a dear brother in Christ - Ray Christopherson. He was 88 when he departed this world. The funeral was such a testament of his love for Christ and the life he lived in response to what His Savior had done for him on the Cross.

The following poem was printed in the program. Perhaps you are familiar, as was I, with the very last line of each stanza of this poem: "Only one life - 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." I've read that one line and heard it spoken from the pulpit many times, but did not realize that it was just one of many lines of an entire poem. It was written by C. T. Studd, a missionary who gave up his life savings (and his will) to further the Kingdom of God.

This poem so typifies Ray's life. He led all nine of his siblings to the Lord and his father and mother also. He was an evangelist and spoke with anyone and everyone (without fear) about Christ and His sacrifice for sinners. He was a constant encouragement to all he came in contact with, showing us by his own life how to never cease serving the Lord and to never give into discouragement.

Ray is sorely missed. He brightened everyone's day with his contagious smile. But he is now having "the time of his life" (a phrase he used often to express his delight with living). He is worshiping His beloved Savior now, face to face, and forevermore. I am sure he is hearing from the Lord of Glory, "Well done, good and faithful servant".

Only One Life

by C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life’s busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart, and from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, and stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, and to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, each with its burdens, hopes and fears;

Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;

Only one life - 'twill soon by past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, when Satan a victory would score;

When self would seek to have its way, then help me, Lord, with joy to say,

Only one life - 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep. In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e'er the strife. Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life - 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn. And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone. Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life - 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one. Now let me say, "Thy will be done"'

And when at last I'll hear the call, I know that I'll say "'Twas worth it all";

Only one life - 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Think On These Wondrous Things!

2014-12-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

"But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

Mary Had a Mindset Beyond Her Difficulties

Regardless of the stigma society placed on Mary for having been pregnant out of wedlock, and the shame that others connected to her as the babe grew within her, regardless of the scorn she received from onlookers, she choose not to think on those things.

Rather Mary treasured in her heart what was true - she had given birth to Messiah and was now seeing God confirm for her, through the shepherds, that it was indeed so. She was thrilled at what God was bringing to pass. She thought on these miraculous and marvelous happenings which were unfolding before her very eyes.

What About Me?
Should it be any different in my own life? Should I not ponder and treasure how God is at work within me to sanctify me, to change me daily into the image of His Beloved Son? Every day, every moment, Christ is abiding in me. The Holy Spirit teaches me the things of God and comforts me in any affliction. Every day, my Triune God speaks truth into my life. Everyday He walks with me and tells me that I am His own. He is actually my Father; Jesus is my friend, brother, Savior and Lord; the Holy Spirit dwells in me and reveals these glorious details to me. Every day He is proving Himself to be more than I ever dreamed or imagined.

A Mindset That Leads to Worship
These are the things that I should be thinking on and when they are, worship just happens. With every thought that Mary treasured, her mind was taken upward to behold her amazing God. This is worship. This is adoration. This is pure delight in the Lord's presence!

A Mindset That Reveres Scripture
And this treasuring of the things of God as they unfold in my life is exactly what I am commanded to think on in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is just, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Certainly, we can say, "God is truth (John 14:6). He is just, Who died for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). He is right and righteous altogether (1 John 3:7). He is pure and holy without any taint of sin (Habakkuk 1:13), (1Peter 1:15-16). He is the loveliest of ten thousand and more (Psalm 135:3). He is of the most glorious repute, having been bestowed with the Name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9). He is excellent in greatness (Psalm 150:2) and in name (Hebrews 1:4). And is there anyone or anything more worthy of praise than our gracious and kind God (Psalm 146:1)? Absolutely not!

A Mindset That Becomes a Way of Life
The command in Philippians tells us to dwell on these things, to let our minds be governed by what is true, etc. So when are we to think in this way? Is it to be just at Christmas time? We see Mary dwelling on these things at her Son and Savior's birth, but did that mindset change once Jesus was walking, growing older, becoming a man?

In Luke 2:51-52 we see Jesus at the age of 12. He had grown and was now considered a man by Jewish culture. He had gone with His parents to Jerusalem for Passover. When they left to go back home to Nazareth, He stayed behind at the temple, unbeknownst to them. Luke 2:46 tells us, "...after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions."

After finding their Son, they left with Him to travel back home. Once more in Luke we read, "And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Twelve years after His birth, we find Mary still pondering on the wonderful workings of her God as they unfolded in her life. This mindset had become her habit.

This mindset would be the very thing that would enable Mary to face the crucifixion of her Son and continue to trust God when her life would otherwise have fallen apart.

A Mindset That Speaks of the Very Heart Of Christmas
And so it should be for me and anyone else who knows the Savior. He is so very personal to His beloved ones, to those who trust and revere Him. How can we fail to let our minds think on those things He shows us? And then how can we not worship this precious One who came, as a lowly babe in human flesh, the Just One, Who died for the unjust so that we might know and love Him and be loved by Him?

Surely this is the true meaning, the very heart and essence of Christmas!

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)

God is Not Only Able, He is Also Willing

2014-05-13T09:30:00.002-07:00

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."

A. W. Pink

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Matthew 15:21-28, is an account of a woman who refused to give up asking Jesus to rescue her daughter, who suffered greatly. We read,

"And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.'

But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, 'Send her away, for she is crying out after us.' He answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'

But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.'

And he answered, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.'

She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.'

Then Jesus answered her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.'

And her daughter was healed instantly."

Who was this woman?

This woman was not a Jew. In fact, she was a Canaanite, a people who, historically in the Old Testament, were bitter enemies with the Jews. These gentile people were idolaters, known, in the Old Testament, for sacrificing their children to their gods. But this woman was pleading for her child to be made whole.

How and what did she know about Jesus?

It is quite amazing then that she would even approach Jesus. In reading the story, Jesus seems to be very reluctant to respond favorably to her and her request. She seems to be a bother to Him, in fact. But this is simply not the case, as we shall see.

Somehow this woman knew some very basic facts about Jesus. She must have seen Him healing others and heard the many accounts about Him that swirled about the region - accounts of those who had not been refused by Him.

She knew He was the "Son of David", a title that acknowledged Him as the Messiah, for she cried out to Him by that name. She also called Him "Lord" indicating that she regarded Him as her master. She implored Him for His mercy, knowing that she needed that for her soul and for her life. She knelt before Him in worship, recognizing Him as One who was sovereign over her.

What made this woman so confident in approaching Jesus?

This woman knew who Jesus was. And in knowing who He was, she also knew His character. She knew He never refused those who came to Him. She knew and believed that He would not refuse her either, even though she was a gentile of the vilest reputation (being a Canaanite) and even though she was a woman (regarded by men at this time as mere chattel with no rights whatsoever). Above all else, she knew and believed that Jesus delighted in giving to those who loved Him the deep longings of their hearts. She knew how very good and willing He was and so she approached Him with great confidence.

This Canaanite woman knew Christ was willing and therefore would not give up asking of Him even when it appeared that He was refusing her. She was not seeking to overcome His perceived reluctance but was undertaking to lay hold of His gracious willingness.

Am I as confident and persistent as the Canaanite woman?

Our understanding of the Lord's willingness is crucial to actually receive what we ask for. In this story, it is a foregone conclusion that if this woman had not persisted in her asking, had she walked away dejected because of what seemed to be a refusal by Jesus, she would not have been commended for her faith, nor would her daughter have been healed.

So, how willing are we to persist in prayer? Are we as determined as this woman? Are we as desperate for Christ as was this tenacious mother? We must not give up asking what we know God is willing to give, which is just another way of thinking about what it means to pray according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). He is able and willing to give when we pray in this way.

Moving Mountains

We don't believe You're able.

We don't believe You would.

We don't think You are willing.

Don't think that You're that good.

"All things are possible", said Christ.

"Through Me, so just believe."

"A mountain moves because you ask

And know that you'll receive."

So why do we not ask of You?

Your promise to fulfill;

We think, "Yes, God is able,

But is this thing His will?"

We might think You are able.

But we don't believe You would.

We don't think You are willing.

Don't think that You're that good.

Today, like every yesterday,

Lord Jesus, You're the same.

You preached Good News, healed all the sick

Who called upon Your name.

Of those who came and asked of You,

Not one was turned away.

Is mountain moving harder now?

Is God not good today?

Yes, we believe You're able.

We think You surely could.

But we don't think You are willing.

Don't know that You're that good.

Our God moves mountains with great ease.

He's done it from the start.

He moves a mountain every time

He tames a rebel heart.

No, mountain moving is not hard;

It causes God no grief.

The thing that's hard is my own heart.

Lord, help my unbelief!

O, I believe You're able.

And I want to know You would.

I want to know You're willing -

To know that You're that good.

O, move this mountain in my heart -

This mount of unbelief.

Through You all things are possible.

Please, Lord, help me believe.

O Savior, may I from this day,

Yes, from this very hour

Trust fully and completely in

Your mountain-moving power.

O, yes, I know You're able.

And I know You surely would.

You are so very willing.

You are so very good.

If I could simply comprehend

The goodness of the Lord.

I'd understand His willingness

And prayer would be out-poured.

He'd answer each petition

For His glory, then I would

See that He is so willing,

That He is so very good!

It's not that You are willing, Lord;

Nor even that You would.

But that You do move mounts each day

For Your glory and my good.

SKK