I have said in the past that the articles I write are things that God is trying to encourage me and/or teach me first – then I share it with you.  And of course, I would never write something for you to read that I do not believe or try to put into practice.  However, in all honesty and transparency, the last several weeks, even months have felt like my faith is being evaluated to the core.  It has been a “rubber meet the road” journey.  I have faced questions such as, “Do I really believe the Bible as God’s infallible Word? And do I choose to place my faith and trust in Jesus – no matter the circumstances?”

My husband has been preaching a series of messages from Jude 1. Today, as he was finishing this series, he read verse 24 in its entirety; but I stopped at the first part of that verse which says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling…” Jude 1:24a  I listened to the rest of his sermon but I must admit that at that moment I knew in my heart that this was the passage to share this week.  

Jude closed this chapter with an encouraging word for believers even though it appeared that some were leaving the faith.  Jude wanted to speak hope and life to those that were still professing their salvation in Jesus, to not lose heart but keep trusting and believing.  

In this verse, “stumbling” means falling into sin or error.  Jude was not admonishing the believers that they could avoid falling away in their own power and strength.  But on the contrary, he writes that there is only one that has that kind of power and authority.  There is only one that has redeemed us and made us righteous, reconciling us back to God, and His name is Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

As I read this part of the verse this morning, I couldn’t help but think how comforting and great it is to know that Jesus keeps us!  He is able!  There isn’t any guessing as to if He can or if He will.  He will as we follow Him and trust Him.  

Even though Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel, he wrote to Timothy to encourage him in the faith.  He said, “…for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” II Timothy 1:12

I can write to you today and say without reservation that I know I can entrust myself and my family’s lives each day to the ONLY One that can keep us - the ONLY One that is capable to do it.  How do I know?  Because I have experienced the keeping power of Jesus through this season.  I know we are walking in His strength and power.  Period.

And I submit to you, that yes, you, too, can trust in Jesus. He will guard you and keep you as you walk in a daily relationship with Him until the day of His return. 

One day at a time, sweet Jesus 

That’s all I’m asking of You.  Just give me the strength to do everyday 

What I have to do.  

Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus, 

And tomorrow may never be mine.  

God help me today, Show me the way, One day at a time.

I was too young then to really understand the words to that song, but I sure do get it today.  

In the Message translation, Matthew 6:34 says it like this, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Why is it so hard to do that?  It’s the “may or may not happens” that gets me.  Anxiety and worry begin to build when I can’t see God moving fast enough to either answer, solve, or make the crisis go away.  And that is when the enemy has a field day.

But let’s take it a step further.  You may or may not be a Christian-a believer in Jesus.  However, there are certain principles that are taught in the Bible that are just good to apply to your life.  For example, sowing and reaping.  If you sow (contribute or give, buy into) good seed, then you will reap a good harvest.  Another example is tithing.   There are people-business men/women that are not Christian-faith related but understand the blessing of giving a tenth of their income/profit and the blessing that comes from applying that to their life.  

And, learning to live one day at a time – being present in the moment is also one of those life applications that I (we) would be good to apply.  Why?  Because Jesus said so!  No – not just because He said so but because Jesus showed us how to live that way.  

Recently, in a bible study that I am doing, I read about Jesus in the wilderness and tempted for 40 days.  The writer of the study said that one of the greatest temptations Jesus faced was to take matters into his own hands.  That truly resonated with me.  While Jesus was all God yet all man, and I am certainly not, it provoked me to think of the many times I dare to do just that.  I try to help God out forgetting all the while that he does not need my assistance.  

In I Peter 5:7, it says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

God did not create us to carry tomorrow’s burdens today.  We know that medical science has proven over and over again what worry, fear, and anxiety can do to our mental and physical wellbeing.  It robs us of our peace, and it affects our life in every aspect.  Our mind, emotions, body, and spirit cannot manage that heavy of a load.  We were not designed to carry the weight of tomorrow because it is simply too much to bear.  

But God can.  And He does.  And He will.  We just need to live today and leave the rest to Him. 

When we first moved to St Marys, we met with a financial planner who gave us a plan to prepare us for retirement. I’ll be honest with you; it was a difficult plan. I knew that it would help us get out of debt and get us ready, but I was not thrilled with all that it would require from us to succeed on that financial path.  We would have to discipline ourselves in our spending and savings. She was really good, but I knew that she could only do so much.

In the latter part of II Corinthians 5, Paul tells us that through Jesus, we have been reconciled to God.  We are new creatures in Christ because Jesus took on our sins so we could be made righteous or in right standing with God.  

But in the first verse of chapter six, Paul says, “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”

We have been in a series of sermons on Transformation. In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”  As I was thinking about being transformed, and then reading Paul’s words in II Corinthians 6, I believe the scripture implies that there is something needed from us and Romans 12:1 plays a vital role in the process. Paul says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  

Let me clarify right here and now: we do not work for our salvation. Jesus sacrificed his life so that we could receive the forgiveness of our sins and this marvelous grace – a grace that we absolutely did nothing to deserve but was freely given to us. And yes, we receive God’s grace because of the work of Christ. Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  But for us to grow in our walk with Christ and for transformation to take place in our heart and lives, we must work with God.  

We can’t receive His grace and then live any ‘ole way we want. That is what Paul meant when he wrote “receiving that grace of God in vain.” This grace was not cheap. And you can be sure that God’s grace was of such extravagance, and it is certainly more than enough to equip us and empower us to fulfill the requirement on our part which is to give our lives to Him.

The Message explains it like this, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

Once we have received Jesus in our hearts, and we have been brought into fellowship with God, it is our responsibility to present our life as an offering to God – every hour of every day in all that we do.  And it is then that He in turn will help us and work in us to change us into His likeness.  

You aren’t a hopeless cause. You can live a victorious life growing in Christ. You just got to work with Him.  

The bible teaches us that God has a purpose and a plan for each one; that we are created in His image, and that God is working in us to give us the desire and power to do what pleases him. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Instead of obeying what God told him to do, Jonah ran in the opposite direction to Joppa to flee from the presence of the Lord.  As if Jonah could get away from the God who is everywhere, he got on a ship headed to Tarshish.  

God caused a violent storm to arise, and the crew feared the ship would break apart.  The sailors were so fearful, they shouted to their gods for help and began to throw cargo overboard to lighten the ship.  The captain found Jonah asleep and told him to get up and pray to his god to spare their lives.  Jonah told them he was a Hebrew and feared the Lord.  The crew decided and agreed that Jonah must have disobeyed God to cause a terrible storm, so they threw him overboard into the sea.  If you are familiar with the bible story, then you know what happens. If you don’t, then take a moment and read it. 

I recently decided to listen to the Bible for my daily reading plan.  On this particular day, it was the story of Jonah and the big fish.  Since I was familiar with this story, I decided to listen to it in The Message version.  It was then that I heard something that caught my attention.    

Regardless of the version or translation of your choice, all these words have basically the same meaning.  But for some reason, the word “assigned” resonated with me and began to stir my thoughts and my heart.  

If you believe the bible as God’s infallible word, then you must trust that you are here in this world, created for this time and this place to fulfill the purpose and plan that God has for you.  You were not born by chance; nor are you a mistake or accident.  God says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made with a purpose to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.  And yes, each one of you have been given a purpose – a gifting, a calling or ability to fulfill the plan that God has designed just for you. 

You may have yet to discover exactly what God has destined for you to be – your place in this world.  In fact, you may even feel like you are floundering around trying to figure out exactly what you are supposed to do.  Take heart!  You are not alone!

May I suggest to you that if God designed such a detailed plan for Jonah in so much that He would include a fish, then He certainly has a plan for you.  Trust God, ask Him to lead you and guide you, and show you the way.  

And never, ever forget this: that even a fish had an assignment - and so do you! 

If you watched the news last week, you heard the story of a 4-year-old child that fell overboard off the cruise ship. From what I heard on the news, the father at once jumped into the water to save the child.  It was reported that he stayed afloat while treading water and holding onto the child for a good twenty minutes before the rescue boat got to them.

The fact that the child and the father did not die from falling and jumping in is one huge miracle.  But more so than that, he was able to hold the child and stay floating in the middle of the tossing of the waves of the sea along with the added swells generated by the cruise ship. Maybe it was pure adrenaline from the crisis of the moment – I don’t know.  But whatever it was, the father held on. 

In the Old Testament, there are scriptures that speak of the Father’s strong right hand.  We read in Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I myself am he!  There is no god besides me….and no one can deliver out of my hand.”

Isaiah 49:2 says, “…in the shadow of his hand he hid me; …”  

And in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Recently while riding to work, I was praying and asking God to calm the chaos that seemed to be not only raging around me, but also what I saw and knew about the storms of so many around me and what they were dealing with.  I wasn’t literally in the sea as the father had been, but I felt like I was being tossed and turned and shaken about with my circumstances.  You see, it wasn’t a question of my salvation; it was a question of how to navigate and remain strong and steady through the storms and chaos trying to overwhelm me.  Wondering and hoping that God was going to hold onto me just like that father held onto his child.  It was then that I was reminded of the scriptures above.  

We hear of hurricanes and tornadoes that literally pick people up and move them from one place to another.  We know that people are powerless up against the fierceness of the elements.  But I also know that the God who created this world, the Almighty God has the strongest hands of all! So why should I worry that He might get too tired and let go?  God’s Word assures me that no matter how this life rages around me, I am held in the Father’s hand, and nothing can “snatch” me away.

God’s promises assure you of the same thing.  If you know Jesus as Savior, you are held by Him and there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can take you out of His hand!  You are held by the One that neither slumbers nor sleeps and never wears old.  He is the Lord God – strong and mighty, the One that will never let go!

“But” is a three-letter word that can be used as a conjunction, preposition, adverb, or noun. The definition of this little word is dependent on the use of it.  If “but” is used as a conjunction, it is defined as “a word that is used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned.”  When making the word a phrase - “But then…”, Webster says it is used to introduce a statement that adds another and different thought to a preceding statement.

I know – who really wants a grammar lesson! 

Please bear with me for the thought for today’s article. 

In doing a little research, I read on the internet that Asaph was credited with writing Psalms 77.  He was a Levite – one of King David’s chief musicians.  He was a skilled singer and poet who helped lead the Levitical tabernacle choir in songs of praise and worship to the Lord.  He also served as a prophet who spoke on behalf of God to convey words of judgement and salvation to the people.

No doubt Asaph was up close and personal in seeing King David’s life.  I would dare to say Asaph must have seen the highs and lows, the victories and defeats that David experienced. 

Oh, that God would listen to me!  

When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord.  

…my soul was not comforted. 

…too distressed even to pray!

Is his unfailing love gone forever?

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he slammed the door on his compassion?

You get the idea!  Asaph was struggling.  And by verse 10, he says, “… This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.”  

Have you ever been there?  Just maybe, you are there now.  

Hence, we have the reason for the short grammar lesson.  The NLT says verse 11 begins with those two words, “But then…”  Asaph uses those two words to stop - take a moment, to pause and remind himself of a different thought – a twist to all the preceding verses.  He continued with words like:

Asaph continues the discourse by re-telling the account of how God redeemed Israel by His strong arm.  He told of how the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and the Pharoah’s army by walking on dry land through the Red Sea, with God leading His people like a flock of sheep with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

When faced with crisis or trauma, I process it all by talking/praying out my feelings of frustration, thoughts, questions, rants, cries of anguish and heartaches.  And, eventually, my words and cries slow down, my heart shifts focus, and it’s then that I begin to remember where my faith rests and in who I place my hope and trust in.  

Sometimes, we just need to pause and take a moment to get quiet so that we can remember all the wondrous deeds of God’s strong hand and remind ourselves of exactly who God is.

Givers are those that give freely of their time and resources driven to help those in need, serving for the betterment of others and contributing without expecting anything in return.  They are outward focused.

Takers, on the other hand, are inward-focused, self-seeking with their interests, desires and needs placed above everyone else.  

I only have my story and life experiences to pull from.  I grew up in a home where I watched my parents set the example as givers.  They didn’t have a lot of money and still don’t.  But not one time has that ever stopped them from giving.  They have always given of their finances as biblically outlined; but more than that, they have given of themselves to help others.  They gave (and still do) of their time, their support, their encouragement, their resources – preparing meals, visiting the hospitals and any other way you can think of, serving and giving whether anyone else did or not, never wanting recognition.

With this example before me, I can say that I have seen that the givers are the ones that make up 20% in any arena whether church, community, civic club, organization, etc. that carry the weight to support and get the job done. 

They are the ones that genuinely care about and strive to improve the lives of others expecting nothing in return.

As a Christian, I try to live my life according to the Bible, believing this is my road map and guide.  I see the Bible saying:

We are here, living in this world at this time and season by God’s design to fulfill the God-given purpose and plan for our lives.  We are all given talents, abilities, and special giftings to enable us to walk out this plan.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”   No matter what your profession, your beliefs, your social status, whether wealthy or poor, how we choose to respond, as a giver, a taker or observer, will decide whether we fulfill our destiny and our purpose.  

This challenges me on every level.  I want to be a giver.  And the greatest example that I find of the truest picture of being a giver is written in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

In every aspect of my life, I want to live in such a way that it reflects the heart and mind of God – giving and pouring myself out to please Him. 

“God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.”  And God saw that it was good.”   Genesis 1:10 

I don’t know if this ever happens to you, but once again I found myself hurrying through life and not really being present to see the blessings and goodness of God.  The busyness of life tends to steer my focus on going through the motions of work, church, home and back to work again, taking all the added sweetness of living life for granted.  

I had a reminder of this with what I call a “God-wink” moment the other morning when pulling into my parking spot at work.  I must admit that on that day, it was beautiful, and I wasn’t “counting it all joy” to be going to work.  I would much rather have headed to the beach.  But on that morning, as I backed up into the parking place, I looked across the way at beautiful blue and blueish purple hydrangea bushes full of blooms.  It got my attention, and I sat there for a moment and smiled, thanking God for the reminder of the blessing that He was giving me every day. 

This past week, my sister was visiting from out of town and made a statement that goes right along with these thoughts.  We went to the beach, and it was beautiful and close to a perfect day.  Last night, she shared with us that while she was sitting on the beach, she thought, “look at how God is blessing me with this beautiful day on the beach!  He created all of this just for me to enjoy!”  What a thought!  To stop and think that the God of the Universe who created the world, created the blue sky, the vast ocean and sandy beaches just for me!  And a bonus blessing was that we got to see a submarine filled with our impressive Navy men and women who serve our country going out to sea!  What an added blessing for this Memorial Day weekend!

The Bible says, “He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever.”   Psalms 146:6

“…always giving thanks to God, the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Ephesians 5:20

So yes, today I am thanking God for creating the flowers, the seas, the sandy beaches and cool breezes just for me.  I am thanking God for my husband and children, the laughter and joy of grandchildren.  I am thanking God for the messy house to clean and clothes to wash.  I am thanking God for being tired at night because I have a good job that I enjoy and good people to work with.  

What is the point of all of this?  I am thankful that God got my attention to be present in the moment.  Because the older I get, the more I realize that it is all of this filled with its ups and downs and “God-wink” moments that make this journey called life truly a gift from God. 

Martha and Mary were upset and rightly so.  Their brother, Lazarus, was sick.  They sent word to Jesus of Lazarus’ sickness in hopes that He would come and heal him.  But, to their dismay, Jesus didn’t come.  And so, Lazarus died.

Mary and Martha were devastated.  How could this be?  Why didn’t Jesus come?  They were overwhelmed with grief and with so many questions.  It was no secret of the power of Jesus.  He had opened blinded eyes, healed deaf ears, delivered people from demonic spirits, and fed the thousands.  They had heard the stories of the many miracles that Jesus performed.  Yet for Mary and Martha, their miracle did not happen.

News spread that Jesus was near and Martha could not help herself.  She had to go and meet Him.  Martha, poor Martha!  Like so many of us, she could not contain herself and she just had to say it, “…if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (vs.21) Martha’s heart was heavy.  Her brother was gone.  But in her conversation with Jesus, Martha told him with confidence that Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection of the last day. 

We live in a world with many different religions and/or faiths.  And, in the United States, at least for now, we still have the freedom to believe whatever we choose.  As for me, I count it a privilege to have been raised in a Christian home and to have grown up attending a Christian church.  I didn’t just learn about Jesus at church but was taught about Jesus at home. 

But even though I knew about Jesus, there came a point in my life where I had to decide for myself if I believed in Jesus as my Savior.  I could no longer depend on my parents’ faith and what they believed.  Just as Martha, I had to come face to face with the same question, “Believest thou this?” 

I love Martha’s response to Jesus.  You see, even though Jesus didn’t come immediately and Lazarus died, Martha did not hesitate to answer.  There was no reason to pause.  Martha believed in the Lord Jesus, and she answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” 

If you don’t know the end of this story, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.   Jesus called to Lazarus, “Come out!”  Lazarus responded to the voice of Jesus and walked right out of the grave.  The Application Study Bible says, “Lazarus’s resurrection poses an important question:  When you die, do you fully expect that your next conscious experience will be hearing the voice of Jesus call you by name?”

And thousands of years later, the question still stands, “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe that he came to this world, born of a virgin?  Do you believe that Jesus lived as a man and died on a cross to pay the price for our sins? And then three days later, Jesus was resurrected providing the way for us to have eternal life? 

No one can answer these questions for you.  Only you. 

I grew up attending Sunday School and kids church for as long as I can remember.  One of the bible stories taught through the years was the story of the Rich Young Ruler.  Whether it was taught with a flannelgraph board and figures, or read out of a kid’s bible story book, the focal point stayed the same:  the young ruler loved his money more than following Jesus.  While this idea is true, there are some other things from this story that as of late have given me food for thought.  

There are three accounts of this story in the Bible – Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  But Mark’s account, includes some details that the other Gospels do not.  Mark says the young ruler ran to Jesus which does not seem important to us; however, in that culture, someone of a wealthy status did not lay down their royal grandeur to run to anyone.  Mark also tells us that when the young man got to Jesus, he knelt which symbolized respect and honor. 

I imagine that Jesus was surrounded by people asking questions, people yearning for his attention, and those there to trap him with his teachings.  But during all that was happening, Jesus stops to not only speak to the man, but takes the time to see straight to the heart of this young man.  Jesus saw the issues of his heart - pride, his love of money, and prestigious status. Yet with all of this, Mark makes sure that we do not miss this vital piece of information - Jesus loved him.

The young man told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments since he was a boy.  He followed the law completely; but the young man knew there was more.  We don’t know if he had heard Jesus’ teaching at an earlier time; or, if the man just sensed that there was something missing in his life.  No matter the motivation, the young man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  And Jesus, answered by saying

To me, the heart of the story is this:  Jesus loved the rich young man too much to not tell him the truth.  The young man was a good person.  But being a “good ole boy” was not enough to have eternal life.  So, Jesus cut straight to the heart of the matter and told this young ruler what to do to obtain eternal life.  The choice was given, and then. the choice was made.

There are people that do not know or have never experienced the love of God.  God’s love is pure.  His love does not manipulate someone to do what is right; nor does it sugar coat the truth of the Gospel.  Jesus’ love for you and for me is demonstrated in that while we were still sinners, Christ loved us so much that he died for us. 

Jesus sees you.  Jesus loves you.  And yes, today, Jesus presents the same message of truth to whosever will receive it:  follow me.  

>Religious Leaders - In that moment, those that had been set on destroying this man, Jesus, whose very presence caused people to think for themselves and evaluate their need of a Savior, were relieved. It was done and they would not be bothered by Him anymore. 

>Satan - As for Satan and all his demons, I can only imagine that there was a party going on in the pits of Hell. This man, Jesus, who was a terror for Satan and his evil works, with His message of love and hope was gone. Satan thought he had won. God’s plan was finished, and Jesus was dead. 

>Jesus’ mother, Disciples and Followers - All of those who had chosen to believe in Jesus were devastated. It was over. All hope was gone. They had been with Jesus for three years, following Him closely, listening, believing, and sharing His teachings. And now He was dead. What would they do? Where would they go?

Of course, we know that this is not the end of the story. The Bible tells us that Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb and on the third day, He was resurrected overcoming death, hell and the grave. It was a huge victory and Satan had not won! The work of the cross was completed in the resurrection and victory had been won.

Different passages in the New Testament tells us that Jesus appeared to the women and the disciples. But even with this, the disciples faced the question, “What do we do now?” They had been with Jesus constantly and now He was not walking with them, teaching them as before. They still did not connect all that Jesus told them to what had happened and what was to come. So, what did they do? They did what they knew: they went back to fishing. 

I can’t be too hard on the disciples because I too would have probably written those three years off as a valuable experience and now, it’s time to go back to reality. Back to work and life as usual. 

But Jesus loved them. Jesus had called them to follow Him and make disciples, and Jesus wouldn’t leave them in their despair. He gave the disciples a miraculous catch of fish, had breakfast with them and then asked Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, this question, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  (John 21:15)

Yet, I think that there are those who believe following Jesus is unattainable. So, they just keep doing what they know to do – living in the mundane misery of hopelessness, addiction, just working – not living but merely existing. 

But! Just as Jesus spoke to Peter, He calls to you and ask, “Do you love me?”  A simple question that is directed at all. You may have rejected Him and this salvation message in the past, but the invitation and message of hope still stands. Jesus came to offer hope and everlasting life to all who will believe. Trust in Jesus today – receive Him as Lord and Savior and celebrate the victory He gives us over sin and death! (I Corinthians 15:57)

If you attended church as a child, then more than likely you recognize the above passage as a familiar story in the Bible. The Bible story is about a wise man and a foolish man who each builds a house.  In our kid’s church, we didn’t just see the flannelgraph story, or hear the story read to us, but we learned the song, along with the motions, that told the entire story! 

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he prefaced this story with the emphasis on not just hearing his words but putting them into practice.   Jesus used this example of two men each building a house.  The first man who obeyed Jesus’ words was a wise man that built his house on a firm foundation – a rock.  But the second man, referenced as a foolish man because he didn’t obey the words and teachings of Jesus, built his house on the sand.  

In the illustration, we see that these two scenarios have several points in common:  they both built houses, both men heard Jesus’ teachings, and they both experienced the same set of circumstances in life.   But the one difference between the two was that one chose to obey Jesus’ teachings while the other decided to live his own way.   

In our minds, it doesn’t make sense that a man would build a house on sand.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the outcome would be when you build on such a weak base.  I am not an architect or builder, but even I know that if you want your house to stand you certainly don’t build a house on sand. 

I can’t help but think that don’t we have the tendency to do the same thing?  Just as these men, we to have the opportunity to build our lives on whatever foundation we choose.  And we, too, are guaranteed that we will face storms in this life whether we are a Christian or not.  But most of all, we too are faced with the decision of whether we will build our lives on a firm foundation, which is Jesus Christ, placing our hope and trust in Him; or, living as we please. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like the little boy.  I want to choose the “win-win” set-up which is this:  I would rather build my life on Jesus and face whatever comes my way with Him by my side, rather than battling this life, charting my course on my own.  What about you?

In my daily Bible reading, I just finished the Book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 34, Moses is about to die. He knew he would not enter the promised land, but God allowed Moses to see it off in the distance. Moses and God had a real friendship so much that in Deuteronomy 34:10, it says, “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”  

You see, Moses would go inside the Tent of Meeting and the Lord would come down and speak to him, face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11) No other prophet in Israel ever had this encounter – a friendship with God. This is so powerful to me that this Hebrew boy, raised by Pharaoh's wife, grew into a man that would be picked by God to lead His people out of Egypt’s bondage.  

I would love to think that there was something super spiritual about this man Moses that would cause God to have this type of relationship with him.  But there wasn’t.  He was just a man.  In fact, he was a Hebrew that walked away from all the wealth and power he could have gotten from Pharaoh's house, he murdered an Egyptian and was banished to the desert. So why would God choose Moses?

We don’t really know why God chose Moses. But I imagine that there must have been an honest, sincere hunger and desire in Moses’ heart to know this God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he had heard so much about because it was in the desert that Moses would have an encounter with the Holy God of Israel. It was in the desert where Moses would dare to talk with God Almighty and boldly ask to see Him. Of course, no man could ever see God and live.

As I think about the picture of the mother and child face to face and then read the description of Moses and God relationship, there are a few things to consider.

First, Jesus calls all, whosoever will, to accept Him as Lord and Savior. The invitation is extended for everyone to come close to Him, to abide in Him, and to grow in a relationship with Him.  

Secondly, when face to face, your eyes are fixed in one direction which means distractions are only visible in the peripheral vision.

Third, being face to face shows a level of intimacy and devotion that is limited to one.  

Fourth, being face to face is a choice to stay there and not turn away.

So, I would suggest to you that we are no different than Moses. Jesus desires for us to walk with Him, talk with Him, and dwell with Him. He calls us to live our lives in total surrender and obedience to Him. And as we choose to do so, we too can have a face-to-face friendship with Jesus where nothing else matters but knowing Him.

Have you ever had a random word or phrase come into your mind out of nowhere?  And, you literally stop and think, “Where did that come from?” This happened to me this past week. The phrase that popped into my head was “the road less traveled.” 

Of course, I immediately googled the phrase and realized that there was a best seller book written with this title, a poem that references this idea, a song with this title recorded by Lauren Alaina, and an album by George Straight entitled with this very phrase! This is all well and good, but I still pondered the phrase wondering what these words had to do with me.

I must admit that as much as I have meditated on this phrase and asked God about it, I haven’t received any real divine revelation.  In fact, my mind has been flooded with different ideas and opinions of where this phrase could go.

But as I repeated the phrase trying to get some direction, it was then that the above passage of scripture came to me.  This passage in Matthew 7 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus taught many life lessons to help us live our best life.

In our world today, the culture screams for people to be your own person, do your own thing, be who you want to be, etc.  But ironically, even though this mindset encourages the idea of being unique, independent, and follow the path of self-discovery, the mentality and pressure of society still says to join the crowd and be like everyone else.

But then there is another gate that is a small one which opens to a narrow road.  This is a road that requires us to walk in the same direction, intentionality in our pursuit as we press towards reaching a common prize.  It isn’t a road where “self” is the focus, but it is a path that requires us to surrender our lives to Jesus, trusting in Him which is the only way to have forgiveness and eternal life.

We get to decide which road we want to journey on in this life:  the road less traveled which leads us to Jesus; or the road that leads to eternal destruction.  What road will it be?

Channing Tatum (Cale) is trying to make a last-ditch effort to rescue the president and stop the strike. He tells his daughter, Emily, to run as fast as she can as far away from the house as she can. Emily knows the air-strike is coming but instead of doing what her father instructed her to do, she grabs the presidential flag, runs to the front lawn, and begins to wave it as hard as she can. Her hope was that the pilot would see her and abort the attack. Her rescue solely depended on being seen.   

In Genesis 16, the slave, Hagar, has been mistreated by Abram’s wife, Sarai, all because Hagar did what she was told to do.  And as a result, she is pregnant with Abram’s child.  Hagar did what she thought was her only choice - she ran away to the desert.  But there, in the desert, the Angel of the Lord visited her, and verse 13 says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” …”  (The Hebrew, the translation is “El Roi”.)

Hagar, pregnant and not knowing what was going to happen to her, was hopeless and abandoned.  She was a slave totally at the mercy of her owner.  She must have felt unseen and alone.  And, to anyone else, she was.  But not to God.  El Roi saw her.  

Hagar followed the directions spoken to her by the Lord and she returned to Sarai and Abram.  She had a son and named him Ishmael.  He would not be the promised heir to Abram, but he would be a leader in his own right.  

I would think that Hagar would never forget this encounter with God.  She saw and spoke with the God who saw her.  But in later chapters, we find that Ishmael began to mock Isaac (Abram and Sarah’s son), and Sarah saw it.  It was then that this Mama Bear said enough was enough.  It was time for Hagar and Ishmael to leave.  

Abram gives Hagar food and water and sends them out into the Desert of Beersheba.  When the water was gone, Hagar put Ishmael under one of the bushes (vs 15).  The boy was crying.  Hagar was crying.  She couldn’t bear to watch her son die.  

In John 4, we read about a Samaritan woman who had an encounter with Jesus.  The Jews avoided Samaria and would go out of their way to bypass it. But why would Jesus go there?  Because Jesus saw a woman who needed a Savior. He saw a woman in her shame, in her brokenness and despair. Jesus saw straight through to her heart.

I submit to you today that Jesus sees you. You are not forgotten by the One who knows it all – the One who sees exactly where you are and the state you are in.   So don’t lose hope!  For if Jesus sees the little sparrow and the lilies of the field, then how much more will He watch over you and care for you. 

I am blessed to be surrounded by a family that serves. Besides my husband and I being in ministry, our children and their spouses serve in ministry, in teaching and as assistant fire chief – a public servant in our community. I have watched them give their time, talents, and energy pouring into the lives of people – helping them in any way that they can.

My family is not the only people to serve. We are surrounded by people in our community and in our world that love God and love people.

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  As Christians, Paul instructs us to live in such a way that it brings glory to God and points people to Jesus. No matter your profession, whether a minister, a teacher, a public servant, doctor, a nurse, a homemaker, etc., we should do it all as unto the Lord.

The Bible tells us that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth to encourage them, telling them that “…your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” 

Our grandson, KB, is one of the most empathetic, enthusiastic, outgoing little boys you will ever meet. He gets so excited for his family and friend’s triumphs that you would think he was the one scoring the big win. And if he thinks that you are upset, down, or not feeling well, he will be your biggest encourager and cheerleader.

To the Pastors and wives – don’t give up! Keep loving God and loving people. Your reward is eternal.

To the teachers – keep giving your best. You are impacting the lives of those children.

To our firefighters, police officers, EMTs, doctors and nurses - your wisdom, knowledge, and hands that help to protect, rescue, and heal make all the difference in the world to that one that needs you in their moment of crisis. 

To our Veterans and those that are serving in the military - you have and are making a difference. You and your families sacrifice(d) for our freedoms and for that we are grateful.

To the moms and dads working hard to provide for your family – you are doing a wonderful job! Keep loving God and loving your family. You are setting the course for generations to come.

To all of you - Don’t stop! You keep going! Your labor is not in vain!

〰️

You can do all things through Christ, who is your strength!

〰️ You can do all things through Christ, who is your strength!

Psalm 139:10

A while back, I was on social media, scrolling through to see the various posts of friends and family when I came upon one with the above passage.  It was posted by a long-time friend whose family was facing the deteriorating health of a loved one; and, unless God performs a miracle, the passing of their precious family member. But what struck me wasn’t only the scripture, but his comment that simply said, “Yes, even there…”

This scripture is part of a familiar chapter written by King David. It is a chapter that is used for all sorts of sermons, devotions, studies, etc. The Life Application Study Bible, the New International Version, says the theme of Psalm 139 is this:

I have read the verses in this chapter numerous times. But quite honestly, most of the time, I read right over the first two words in verse ten, going ahead directly to the part about God’s hand leading me and his right hand holding me never noticing those two words, “even there.”

I don’t know about your “even there” times. I only know mine. I could tell you story after story of how in the heart wrenching, devastating, and the most helpless moments of my life when I didn’t know or understand the plan of God that I knew He never left me. In those “even there’s” of my life, I sensed the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit and the love of God leading me through, holding on to me ever so tightly.

But. I also need to tell you that in my humanity, in my weakest moments, there have been times when I asked myself the question, “God, are you here?” In King David’s life, he recorded the moments of triumph and the intervention of God’s hand.

In my friend’s situation, He declared to all of us that yes, God is right here in the middle of my crisis.  He is here in the waiting, the watching, and the dying of his loved one. We are no different.  It is in those “there” situations of our lives that we must pause and remember all of the “even there” times when God’s manifested presence—his love, strength, grace and mercy was undeniably evident to sustain us.

In Romans 8:35-39, Paul writes there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus. Paul gives us a list declaring no trouble, hardship, persecution, or famine, nakedness, danger, or sword; neither death, or life, angels, demons, the present nor the future, no powers, height nor depth – nothing in all creation could carry out the task of separating us from God. 

Make a list of bible verses to remind you of the nearness of God and his promises. Then, write down your “even there” stories in your life. Why?

Write them so that if your faith should become weak or you become overwhelmed with life, you can encourage yourself of his ever-present help and closeness in your times of trouble.

Mowgli sensed someone/something was there. It was Kaa, the huge, powerful python. Using her hypnotizing voice and gazing eyes, Kaa begins to slither closer to Mowgli warning him of the dangers for a little man cub who is alone in the jungle. She offers to keep him close and protect him.

Immediately, my husband and I both commented of how that Satan does the exact same thing. Ever since the beginning of time, Satan has been trying to seduce humanity to sin with his subtle movements and the trickery of his words.

In Genesis, Adam and Eve are in the garden of Eden. It was a beautiful place that God created where they could live and prosper. God designed the garden for them to work it and have everything they would need. But there was one stipulation.

Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more crafty (clever) than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 

And just like Kaa, the serpent with his seducing voice said just enough to cause Eve to begin to second guess what God said. So much so that Eve added to God’s instruction that they could not “touch the tree” or they would surely die (verse 3).

The serpent said in verses 4 and 5, “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And there it was. The temptation was presented, and Adam and Eve succumbed to it, opening the door for sin to enter the world.

It is no different today. Just as in the garden, Satan approaches his prey as someone who knows what is best, offering friendship and guidance; yet all the while, with his twisting words and luring ways, his main purpose is to steal, kill and destroy us. (John 10:10)

The enemy does not approach us with a red suit and pitchfork to entice us to sin. He knows exactly how to draw us in. He examines and listens to us verbalize all our weaknesses, frustrations, and desires. Then he confuses us, twists our words and the words of Jesus, tricking us and luring us into following the things contrary to the life that Jesus offers.

We have been given all that we need to live a victorious life. But it is up to us to decide if we will do so.

See a Victory - Elevation Worship

There is a song by Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake called Honey in the Rock.  I had never heard it until attending a women’s conference several weeks ago.  Singing and worshiping with all those women was amazing; but stopping and really examining the words of the song is when I realized the depth of the message that I was declaring.  It was then that I was reminded of the many promises of God that were mine if I would simply trust Him and obey His Word.   

In the above passage, God spoke to the Children of Israel, re-telling them that He was the one that delivered them from bondage and Pharoah’s army.  You see, Israel had forgotten all the mighty wonders that God did for them such as feeding them with supernatural food called “manna” that appeared every morning – enough for that day while they wandered through the wilderness.  It was God that supplied meat for them to eat because they were sick of eating manna over and over.  It was God that loved them and desired a relationship wanting them to love him with all their hearts and to obey the commandments of God’s Word. In return, God promised that He would supply and be all that they would ever need. 

But there was a problem.  Israel wanted God; but they also wanted to live their own lives making it difficult to trust and believe that God could truly fulfill and satisfy every desire in their heart.  So, Israel would obey God for a while and then their desires would win out and they would disobey God’s commands - again.

Today, God still wants a relationship with us through His Son, Jesus.  He invites us to accept Jesus’ forgiveness for our sins and receive the gift of eternal life.  And, in return, God wants to fulfill every promise throughout the Bible if we would simply ask, believe, pray according to His will and receive.   Jesus came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10 

The Apostle Paul said, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19. 

Oh, you can believe that God can do anything.  There is no limit to his power and authority.  He is a miracle working God, a healer, a provider, a way-maker, and He is all that we need.  But if we simply look to God to provide “honey from a rock” so to speak while we continue to live our own way, then we are no better than the Children of Israel who ran back to God when they were in trouble.  The relationship was based on what God could do for them rather than who God is.

Can God take honey from a rock?  Absolutely!  But more than giving us supernatural substance, God desires to give us Himself – wholly and completely. 

If I were to ask you that question(s), how would you answer? What would you say about your life? I am sure if I asked these questions to a random group of people, there would be a variety of answers. Some people may look at their life and shake their head thinking, “what a mess I have made.” Some may examine their current state, and say nonchalantly, “Eh, could be better – could be worse.” I am certain that there would be those individuals that would humbly say, “I can’t believe how fortunate and blessed I have been, and I am today.”

Our lives are a culmination of our own choices, decisions, and responses that we have made bringing us to where we are. I have heard my husband say and preach many times, “all of life is connected.” And it’s true. Every choice we make today will affect our life tomorrow. Oh, it may not be the very next day, but down the road it will come back to you one way or the other.

There is an old saying that says, “what goes around comes around.” The bible says it like this, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7. How ever you decide to live your life will have an impact on tomorrow.

As a Christian, the Bible teaches that our steps-our life is directed by the Lord. Psalms 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” But what about people that aren’t believers in Jesus? What or who directs your decisions in your life? Is it Karma? Or is it you?

I believe that the question I asked earlier is a good way to begin to look at your life. This past Sunday, I had a moment where I thought about my life. At that moment, two things came to mind. One was how blessed I am. Let me clarify that my life, just like yours, has not been a bed of roses. I have faced good times and very difficult times and seasons. But through all of it, there was one constant which brings me to the second thought: how grateful I am for Jesus’ love, forgiveness and faithfulness. He has always been present and with this reckoning, I know that I can’t live without Him.

Have I always made the right choices? No. But that was not Jesus’ fault. I can say that I have always been presented with the right and wrong choices. It was up to me to decide which path I would choose. 

So. I propose to you that we are only two months into this year with a lot of the calendar left in 2025. And whether a Christian or a non-believer, we all have been given the opportunity to stop and honestly evaluate where our life choices have brought us to. It may be time to ask the hard questions.

*Am I satisfied with my life today?

*Do I need to make some changes?

*Am I headed down a path that I will regret?

*How are my life choices going to affect my family and those around me?

No matter where you are, it is never too late to make a change in the trajectory of your life. Seek wise counsel to help guide you in the right direction. And yes, I will always suggest that a life surrendered to Jesus is a life worth living.