As I read what the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3, I could easily think he is talking about today. We have so much division in the church (and our society). Difficult times often reveal underlying issues. I wonder if we live as though Christ is our foundation. Or do we try to add to the foundation Christ has laid with our own wood, hay, and stubble?
Friends, we would weather storms better if we remembered that Christ lays a perfect foundation. If we tune ourselves to Christ, we will find His foundation to be much more stable than ours. I hope this is what you want to do. Times are tough. We are all struggling with many different hardships. We need to remind each other to cling to Christ. He is the only way to walk through good times and bad.
My hope with this blog is to encourage others as I walk (sometimes tripping) down the path God has set me on. I need much of the encouragement that I share. Sometimes I write about things my friends are going through. We all need the help the Bible and prayer give. I hope you will come along for the ride and share what God is teaching you as well.
Dear Heavenly Father, there is so much hurt, fear and anger in our world right now. We have division every where we look. Please help us to cling to Christ and show one another how much You love us. Thank You that You have a plan and You are trustworthy.
I am thankful to see a little bit better news these days, although sadly much negativity is still circulating. The reality is that bad things will happen. We live in a sin cursed earth (read the book of Genesis to see the origins of that). However, even though we see ugly, hard things around us there are many blessings.
I have heard a saying, “Blessings come to those who notice.” There is Biblical truth in those words. We can get too focused on the negative and miss the positive. I’m not saying that we pretend the bad things never happen, but I think we need help to keep a proper perspective.
I love to tell stories – positive stories – stories of blessing. I have told several in my blog. God sent me some more this week. The picture behind Psalm 34:8 was sent to me by a friend who was thinking of me. #heartwarming! Another day I saw a friend at the grocery store. I had a big grin on my face as I waved through the window to get her attention. We talked for a few minutes. I was smiling for a while after our conversation (especially when she waved at me at the next store). That evening God painted the sky yellow, orange and pink as the sun was going down. I love the beauty of sunset. All of these happenings were hugs from God – blessings God sent my way.
I am still processing the negative things that God allowed in my life this week. He is using those to perfect me (James 1:2-4). However, I want to notice and claim God’s goodness to get me through each day. Blessings hold great power when we allow God to work.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessing you send my way: friends who know and love You, all the beauty in Your creation. Please help me to keep a proper focus on the blessings in my life and encourage others to do the same. Please give me the strength to view the challenges correctly and not let them weigh me down.
Another week has come and gone with the usual bruises that go with the challenges of life. As I process the circumstances in my little piece of the world, I found myself drawn to a couple of statements posted on Facebook. One reminded me that God’s timing is always trustworthy. The other reminds me of God’s control over and through difficult circumstances. As I looked for a verse to use in today’s blog, the YouVersion Bible app had Psalm 27:14 as today’s verse of the day.
I’m not a big fan of waiting. I would rather keep moving. Maybe not as fast as the waterfall in the picture my friend sent to me, but at least moving. However, sometimes God asks us to wait. His timing is perfect. He has a plan and will bring it about His way, in His time. God IS in control, even when life seems out of control. When I don’t see how things are going to work out…when I start to worry about the big and little things in my life, I need to stop and go to God. Talking to Him in prayer will help me to be strong and allow me to take courage as I wait on God.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always being available. Thank You for providing the way to have courage. I claim Your promise to promise to provide courage. Please help me to wait on You and Your timing for all the details of my life.
This week has been a doozy. We continue to struggle with the “side effects” of the stay at home orders. As I navigate my piece of this, I have tried to be careful what I read, watch, and share. However, I have been watching and reading about two doctors from Bakersfield, CA who spoke up with their opinion of our current situation. They have been under attack. They weren’t trying to make waves. Their goal was to take care of their patients and be examples in their community. That has stuck with me. I want to make a difference. I’m not likely to change the world, but I hope to be an appropriate example where I live. Hopefully, direct someone to the truth.
As I thought about what I wanted to write this week, the news flooded with the story of George Floyd, a black man who died when a police officer knelt on his neck. Then the city of Minneapolis (and many others) became the site of rioting and looting. People, who are no doubt hurting for multiple reasons, are lashing out at this injustice.
With all that has been going on and the addition of this horrible situation in my home state, words truthfully seem futile. I knew that I still wanted to pursue my original thoughts. Be an example – lead by example – lead towards truth.
I can’t change people’s hearts and minds. The evidence that George Floyd died wrongfully is overwhelming. I don’t know the heart of the police officer, but I pray that he acknowledges his wrong and accepts lawful punishment. I pray that those rioting and looting wake up to their own ugliness and learn of God’s love. I pray that those who manipulated through the pandemic situation are held accountable. I pray that we learn and move forward appropriately.
What I can do is to speak the truth of Who God is. That is my goal with this blog. He does not force us to choose the right path. He has the power to change wrong and ugliness, but He has allowed us to choose. The truth is that we all choose sin at some time. All sin is ugly and deserves to be punished. The truth is that Jesus died to save us from sin (Romans 6:23). If we confess our sin and trust in Jesus, we will be saved from the eternal effects of sin (Romans 10:9-10). We ALL need this.
There are many Bible verses that tell what God does for those who follow Him. I am sharing 3 with this post. We are facing hard times. We need to turn to the truth of the Bible to make a difference that will matter for all eternity.
Dear Heavenly Father, it feels as though multiple powder kegs were lit and blew up. We have so much hurt and pain – all based in sin. Please convict us and forgive us for the wrong each of us has done. We are in desperate need of Your help. Please help me as I seek to show truth – Your truth – the only truth. Please break through the barriers that keep people from knowing You and how much You love them. Please help me to be an instrument of Your peace.
Hello, friends. How has your week been? I think some places feel a little more normal, some are still facing various limitations. Based on the advice of a friend, I am trying to get back to normal as much as I can. Restrictions are being lifted and let’s face it – I still need groceries (and now home improvement stores are becoming a need).
We are still facing heightened emotions based on all the things we hear and read as well as what we are living through. Friends who claim to know and serve Christ – we have a job to do no matter what. We need to make wise use of our time and be gracious in our speech. Right now, it is hard. We are being hit in areas of our lives that we are not used to. This scares us. Fear can push us towards ungracious words and behavior. We need to keep praying for wisdom and grace to navigate our circumstances in a way that honors the One Who has given us eternal life.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me to navigate my current circumstances with wisdom and grace. I want others to see Who You truly are. We need the truth to prevail. Please help me to encourage truth and not get in the way with foolish, ungracious speech.
Last Saturday afternoon, I was privileged to be a part of a “drive by encouragement” activity. Some members of my church family made signs and decorated their cars. We then drove around town to “visit” several member’s homes. The caravan of vehicles honked their horns and shouted hellos as we drove by. While we did this to encourage folks who get out less than most of us these days, I found myself very encouraged. It was fun to see people – even from a distance. We received word from several who enjoyed the interaction. Some were able to tell their neighbors.
While we were driving around, I counted 4 cars who had the right of way but stopped to allow us to stay together. Many people along the way waved at us and gave their own greetings. I had a “God is good” sign on my car – one person shared her agreement.
We are living through hard times right now – hard for different reasons for different people. This activity was a breath of fresh air as we all navigate stay at home orders.
As a church we are to show the love of God to one another. Some days we are better at that than others. I pray that this time of separation helps us to rethink how we are expressing the love of God. We have needed to be creative since normal avenues of reaching out have been closed. This hasn’t been all bad. I hope you are in the position to give and receive the love of God. You will find nothing better in life.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity you gave me to encourage and be encouraged. Please help me to be sensitive to the needs of others. Please guide me in showing Your love to others.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
The Prayer of St. Francis
I love the concepts in this prayer. It sure sounds like something directly from the Bible – but it isn’t. The words, however, are loaded with Biblical principle. During times like these we need people who are willing to follow this prayer. Acts 20 tells what the Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian elders to do and the reward that goes with it. Verse 35 talks about helping the weak. Right now, we are hearing about protecting those who are most vulnerable physically. While caring for the physically weak is a good principle, this verse is talking about protecting the spiritually weak. We have so much focus on physical health right now that we are at risk of forgetting about spiritual health.
There are countless needs right now. All kinds of needs. Will you pray with me to meet whatever needs you can? No one can meet every need – each of us has limited resources of our own. However, through a relationship with Jesus Christ we have unlimited resources available to us. God will bring us through, His way – and we will be blessed.
Dear Heavenly Father, there are so many hurts and needs right now. Thank you for the many people who have already sought to reach out. Please help us to set aside our own wishes and seek to help others as You want us to. I want to be an Instrument of Peace. Please guide me and give me strength.
I have made a tradition of posting 5
days of being thankful the week of Thanksgiving. I want to continue that tradition, but in a
little bit different way. This year, I
am going to write about times when I struggle being thankful. Don’t worry.
This won’t be a negative week. I
will also share what God has taught me about being thankful when it is hard.
Today I want to start with James 1:2 “My brothers and sisters, consider it
nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials”.
I
definitely struggle counting trials joy.
They hurt; they are uncomfortable; they are not easy to navigate. I prefer what I know and understand. Trials are territory that I do not know. However, God tells us to “consider it nothing
but joy”. How do I go from the struggle
to joy? By looking at what James 1 tells
us next. Verses 3-4 say, “because you
know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so
that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” We can’t always see the benefit of the trial
while we are going through it. However,
God has promised that our trials will help to perfect us. God always keeps His promises. Read His word and talk to Him (pray). You will see God’s faithfulness.
When I
struggle with difficulties, I remember what God has said in His word and look
back at how He has fulfilled that in my life.
That thinking draws me closer Christ and helps me think about how I can
be thankful.
After a week filled with challenges that hit the core of who I am, I know how easy it is to question if God cares. I have been blessed by reading the devotionals like In Touch written by Dr. Charles Stanley. The devotional for Monday, April 29, reminds us of God’s love in difficulties. “This (Colossians 3:3) speaks of our eternal security and also gives us a sense of safety since nothing comes our way without passing through God’s hands.”
Wow! I still struggle counting trials joy, but God is hard at work lovingly choosing what I need to grow and mature. I don’t pretend to understand how the pain of difficulty specifically works in my life, but God does.
My Abba loves me. He wants me to come to Him in prayer and see how much He cares.
I wonder how many clicks I will get on this blog post link. I have been surprised at the extent of people’s interest in articles about marital status. I suppose I shouldn’t be, but my thoughts on this topic don’t seem to fit what I hear from many…both single and married.
While I can experience desire for the joys of marriage, I crave acceptance for my singleness more. God has chosen singleness for me and I do not want to change His choice. God has blessed me through friendships, children’s ministry, etc. and I know I have not missed out.
I have seen numerous articles on singleness – I was hoping to write my own. However, the blog in the link below is so well written – a Biblically balanced view – and I decided to share this article.
My word for this year is prayer. How does that apply to marital status? We need to pray for a proper view of marital status. You cannot have a Biblical view of marriage without a Biblical view of singleness. I pray God’s name is honored in my singleness.
Pleading in Prayer 