Our God is near when we pray - Deu. 4:7

Some things just go together...we're not sure why, they just do.  My favorite new place in San Antonio is the Bird Bakery on Broadway.  Most of the time my focus is on the Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Cupcake, but one day a few weeks ago I noticed a sign they have painted over the bathroom door:

Our Scripture today tells us God is near when we pray...that, my friends, is an amazing gift to us that the Creator of the universe would listen when we call out to him and be near to us.  It's a guaranteed combination.  It's as if He is sitting with us wherever we are...for in fact, He is...Immanuel, "God with us".  Listen to a verse of Fanny Crosby's "I am Thine, O Lord":

O the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend;

when I kneel in prayer and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend to friend.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou has died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious bleeding side.

 

A.W. Tozer in THE PURSUIT OF GOD says when we sing that hymn:

 

                                     ...we are not thinking of the nearness of place,

                                     but of the nearness of relationship.  It is for increasing

                                     degrees of awareness that we pray, for a more perfect

                                     consciousness of the divine Presence.  We need never

                                     shout across the spaces to an absent God.  he is nearer

                                     than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.

 

I waste too many hours trying to make things fit in my life which were never meant to fit.  God's nearness is what I was made to seek...that gift is available to us by means of prayer, study and worship.  He longs for us to spend less time with worldly pursuits and more time with Him.  If you knew He was there with you, would you spend more time in prayer?  If you knew He listened to hear you call His name, would you spend less time doing other things?

 

This will be my last post for 2013...the Wolfson House Craft Show is this next week....I am flooded with pillows...my husband would like to sit in one room of the house where there isn't a pile of pillows!  But after that, I plan to "give thanks to the Lord for He is good" and then to celebrate the marvelous birth of Jesus...Immanuel.  Blessings upon you and your loved ones as you celebrate! Thank you for spending a little time with me this year.

 

For further study:  Deu. 30:14, 2 Chron. 15:2,  Psalm 34:18, Psalm 73:28,  Psalm 91:1, Psalm 119:151,  Jer. 30:21, 1 Cor. 3:16, Col. 3:14-19, James 4:8

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 







 



 



"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good..." - Ps. 136:1

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given

rather than resentful over what is withheld - one attitude or

the other becomes a way of life."

Elisabeth Eliot

 

That is one of my most-often used quotes, but it bears repeating.  It reminds me of a sign seen by a driver in Canada as winter arrives in a cold and barren land:  CHOOSE YOUR RUT CAREFULLY BECAUSE YOU WILL BE IN IT FOR A LONG TIME.  This is the time of year to choose attitudes very wisely...the holidays present many opportunities for stress, overspending, anxiety and a complaining spirit.  I know you have already seen the Christmas aisles in Hobby Lobby and the countdown to Christmas.  I would like to be an inspiration to people at this time of year, not part of the problem.  Do not let anyone rob you of the joy of this most special time of year.

 

Listen to what Nancy DeMoss in CHOOSING GRATITUDE says a grateful person is:

 

1.  A grateful person is a humble person, while ingratitude reveals a proud heart.

2.  A grateful heart is God-centered and others-conscious, while an ungrateful person is self-centered and self-conscious.

3.  A grateful heart is a full heart, while an unthankful heart is an empty one.

4.  People with grateful hearts are easily contented, while ungrateful people are subject to bitterness and discontent.

5.  A grateful heart will be revealed and expressed by thankful words, while an unthankful heart will manifest itself in murmuring and complaining.

6.  Thankful people are refreshing, life-giving springs, while unthankful people pull others down with them into the stagnant pools of their selfish, demanding, unhappy ways.

 

Just saying...which of the above people do you want to be around?  A harder question:  which of the above people most describes you?  We think our grumbling hearts are hidden, but I'm afraid they are not.  Matthew 12:34 says: "...the mouth speaks what the heart is full of".  Is gratitude in my heart?  Then my mouth will speak it.  Gratitude and joy are kissing cousins...do people see that in you?

 

May your Happy Thanksgiving be one where you are truly grateful for the blessings - every blessing - your Father in Heaven has given you...and me.

 

For further study:  Psalm 100:4, 107:8, Isaiah 63:7, Habakkuk 3:16, 2 Cor. 9:15, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 2:6 3:16, 1 Thes. 5:18, 1 Timothy 4:4, Hebrews 12:28.

 

May you be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

God's plans for you are good and full of hope - Jer. 29:11

The Prophet Jeremiah was writing this letter to those who had been exiled to Babylon.  They had been captured, their city and temple destroyed and they were trying to figure out how life would ever be normal again.  He was sending them (the "you" is plural) hope as a community that God had not left them, they were still His and His plans for them were still good, even in captivity.

What are we being held captive to and have we lost hope that life will ever be good again?  We might be held captive to unforgiveness...anything that binds us up and prevents us from resting in God's promises is a danger.  We take judgment upon ourselves when judgment is God's alone.

We might be held captive to ambition or greed...we can't see beyond the next addition to our money pile.

We might be held captive to our identity in our families...if they succeed that means we have value.

We might be held captive to our cell phones...are you texting more than you are reading God's word?

We might be held captive by material possessions...we must have one more purchase.

2 Cor. 3:17 says: "Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  These words said by Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon are true to us today if we are free in the person of Jesus Christ.  Whether in trial or feast, His plans for you for just that good.  Listen to the verse following vs. 11:

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me,

and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find

me when you seek me with all your heart."

 

His plans for us are good and full of hope, but we must seek Him and strive to not be bound up by worldly things. Our society would seek to hold us captive to their ways and their values...it may be easier to be held captive today than it ever has been.  We must be intentional about the things we allow to permeate our thoughts and our minds.  "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt. 6:33)

 

For further study:  Deu. 6:5, Ps. 30:5, Ps. 33:11, Psalm 112:7,  Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 46:11,Romans 6:18, 2 Cor. 12:9,  Hebrew 11:39-40, Hebrews 12:1-3

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

"I lift up my eyes...my help comes from the Lord" - Ps. 121:1-2

The LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY says this about this verse:

In the time of crisis, if we look around us we feel threatened.

If we look within our own hearts, we are afraid.  It is only

when we look up to the hills and the One who made them

that we feel secure.

 

Peter in Matthew 14:22-36 is a great example of what not to do in a crisis.  The disciples were in a boat in the midst of a storm and Jesus came to them on the water and beckoned Peter to step out of the boat and walk to him.  Peter obeyed...and was in good shape...until he "saw the wind" (or his problem) and then he began to sink.  He took his eyes off of the only one who could help him and down he went.  Fortunately, as He does today,  Jesus reached out and caught him.

 

Helen Lemmel wrote "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", a hymn that has directed countless people to find their help in the Lord Jesus: 

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of

His glory and grace.

 

She died nearly destitute and blind, but she would always say: "I'm doing well in the things that count".  She knew what was important and where to find her help.

 

We have some precious friends who are fighting for their lives with their first child.  They have mobilized our church and many prayer warriors across the country to pray for their little one who has not awakened since his birth about 10 days ago.  Listen to what this new mom put on her Facebook page last week:

 

"I am no longer anxious about anything as I realize the Lord is

able to carry out His will and His will is mine.  It makes no matter

where He places me or how.  That is rather for Him to consider than for me;

in the easiest positions He must give me His grace and in the most

difficult His grace is sufficient."   Hudson Taylor

 

I hope you will join me in praying for their little boy, Hudson Taylor Wells.  This brand new mom has chosen to not trust in her own heart or even in their doctors.  She knows her real help comes from above.  If our faith is real, in the darkest days we will trust only Him.  Who are you looking to for help today?

 

For further study: 1 Samuel 7:12,  Psalm 34:5, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 141:8, Isaiah 41:10, Zechariah 12:10, Romans 8:26, 2 Cor. 4:18, Philippians 4:8, Hebrews 12:1-3 and 13:6

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth - 3 John 4

The apostle John wrote these 3 epistles in the latter part of his life.  He very likely was in exile on the island of Patmos.  I suppose he was becoming desperate for one last warning to those he considered his "spiritual" children that they not follow false teaching.  I find myself continuing to be the mother around our 25 and 27 year old sons who have very lovely, very smart wives to carry them the rest of the way!  Why do I continue to warn and teach?  Because I love them and I am desperate for them to be following the truth and to avoid the evil the world tells them is just fine.

Stormie Omartian in THE POWER OF PRAYNG FOR YOUR ADULT CHILDREN says why didn't anyone warn her about the challenges of having adult children....we all know the challenges of having young ones, but she says about adult children: "...everyone is silent.  They only smile knowingly and say nothing about what is ahead".  These are the 7 things she wished she had known:

1.  You need to know it never ends.
2.  You need to know you can't fix them.
3.  You need to know God can change everything.
4.  You need to know you must stop blaming yourself.
5.  You need to know you have to forgive.
6.  You need to know there is only one Perfect Parent (and it's not you!).
7.  You need to know you can wholeheartedly say: "for this child I prayed" (1 Sam 1:10)

She says:

"We no longer have control over our adult children.

We can't make them do what we want.  But by praying,

we can help them to hear from God so He can lead them

to do what He wants...we can help them stay on the right

path so they can rise up to become all they were created to be."

 

Truly there is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing our children are walking with the Lord.  His grace has carried us and them to a place of peace.  There will be continuing challenges ahead, but God's grace is sufficient for every one.  That is truth...not what the world tells us, but what the Bible tells us.  What are you praying for your children today? 

 

For further study:  Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 1 Samuel 1:26-28, Psalm 103:17-18, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 20:7, Isaiah 54:13, Romans 12:12, Eph. 6:1-3, Phil. 4:4-9, Col. 3:21, 2 Tim. 2:15, Titus 2:3-5.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 



JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me! This I know

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so.

 

There are very few truths you need beyond this profound, lifechanging promise.  Sisters Anna and Susan Warner wrote a book in the early 1800s that told a story of a dying boy's Sunday School teacher singing to him these words in his last days.  Hymnwriter William Bradbury read this book and penned the words to the song we sing today.  The sweet sisters, who struggled with trials all their lives, stayed faithful to God's word, teaching Bible classes for cadets at West Point, because they knew God's love would carry them through and was sufficient for their every need.

 

We are in a perplexing time...even today as the Goverment leaders are so divided as to who is really in charge.  But we can know - through God's word - that His love is sufficient for our every need.  He is still on the throne, still holding the universe in place, still holding out His word for us to be instructed by, and still empowering those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit.  We must pray for our leaders to do the right thing.

 

God loves us because that is His character.  He says in John 13:34: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another".  Are we loving our brothers and sisters...is our character looking more like His...does His love for us compel us to do the right thing?  Maybe we need to go back to the songs we learned a long time ago to give us the confidence to live for Him today.

 

For further study:  Deu. 7:7-9, Psalm 32:10, Jeremiah 31:3, Lamentations 3:22, John 3:16, John 15:13, Romans 5:5, 8; Romans 8:37-39,  2 Cor. 5:14, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, 3:17-19, 2 Thes. 2:16-17, 1 John 4:7-21.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Act justly, love mercy, walk with God - Micah 6:8

During a dinner with friends last week, this question came up:

Can you really know and do God's will?

 

Don and I were able to share times when we didn't understand why, but we knew God was directing us.  Sometimes we were directed by wise counselors, sometimes by His word, sometimes in prayer, but always with faith resulting in obedience to what we believed He was directing us to do.  In our Precept study this week on Covenant, we understand that when we believe, our responsibility is to act in faith which results in obedience.  By the way, it also results in blessing!  And peace!  And rest!  And His pleasure!

 

Micah, the prophet, was trying to answer a question with a question about what true religion was.  The questioner wanted to believe if they sacrificed enough that would be their ticket.  Micah reminded the people God had already shown the Israelites through history what was required...they didn't need a new revelation as much as they needed to obey what He had already told them.

 

Don has preached many times that 90% of God's will for us - those in covenant relationship with Him - is known to us in His word.  We just want something else - more current, more fun, who knows why we want something else!  Listen to Oswald Chambers (6/3):

 

If we are saved and sanctified God guides us by our ordinary choices,

and if we are going to choose what He does not want, He will check, and

we must heed.  Whenever there is doubt, stop at once.  Never reason it out

and say --'I wonder why I shouldn't?'  God instructs us in what we choose,

that is, He guides our common sense, and we no longer hinder His

Spirit by continuallly saying-- 'Now, Lord, what is Thy will?'.

 

Micah reminds us to simply --

--Act justly -- be honest and fair in all things

--Love mercy -- do more than is required; be kind even when it's not easy

--Walk humbly with God - keep in step with Him; know Him and His word and act on it;

    keep Him as your focus and do not allow the world to tell you you are the boss!

 

Yes you can know and do God's will.  He has given you His Spirit to show you how.  Who are you walking with today?

 

For further study:  Psalm 40:6-8; Psalm 143:8-10, Matthew 6:9-13 and 26:39, Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:17, Philippians 2:12-13, James 4:13-17, 1 John 5:13-15

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly





Blessed are all who wait for the Lord - Isaiah 30:18

Of all the promises in the Bible, I find this one of the most comforting.  Waiting is not easy, but it is something you have to believe in...implicit in this promise is the faith of the one waiting...faith that the Lord will do the blessing...however that blessing looks.  I had a computer glitch this week...all my Word documents changed so that I could only open them by purchasing a new program...3 years of Word documents!  I got on a virtual chat with someone at Microsoft and she said it had happened within Microsoft and she could fix it, but she would have to "enter" my computer.  With some fear and trepidation, I allowed her "in" and the cursor began moving around as she did her work. I sat back and watched it happen! Well, lo and behold, it worked!  I had to be patient and trusting that she was who she said she was and that she would "bless" me with success!  If we will wait, the Lord who created us will "move our cursor around" and bless us!!  What a promise...in my own words, of course. 

There is a wonderful hymn "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing" written by Daniel Whittle.  Not "There Might be Showers..." but the promise that there "shall be"!  In THEN SINGS MY SOUL by Robert Morgan, he tells a story of a pilot whose plane was shot down in Vietnam and he was taken to a concentration camp.  In that camp, of course, he was deprived of all spiritual books or resources, so he reached deep into his soul for months bringing up the hymns he learned from childhood.  One night it started pouring rain and with the darkness all around him, he sang:

Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need!

Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.

 

He wrote: "All this talk of Scripture and hymns may seem boring to some, but it was the way we conquered our enemy and overcame the power of death around us."  He lived to write a book of his experiences and we can live to tell of the blessings in our lives.  I love to tell people in the midst of trials: "watch for the blessings".  I have been there and the promises of God are true...He will bless if we will wait for him.

 

For further study:  Numbers 6:24, 2 Sam. 3:18, Psalm 1:1, 2:12, 84:5, Ezekiel 34:26, Luke 12:35-48, 2 Cor. 12:9, 2 Tim. 4:16, Titus 2:13, James 1:12

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

It is good to praise the Lord - Psalm 92:1

STREAMS IN THE DESERT has a story attributed to Henry W. Frost of his being in a very dark place after receiving some bad news from home while away in China.  He prayed and tried to force himself into a better place but the "shadows only deepened".  He then tells of entering a missionary's home and seeing these words on the wall: "Try giving thanks".  He says, "so I did and in a moment every shadow was gone, never to return."  I realize this doesn't always happen, but it is a very good attitude to try.

You could substitute the word "bless" or "thank" for the word "praise"...they all come from the same root.  The psalmist was reminding us that it  is a good thing to say thanks to the Lord...good, because the Lord longs to hear that from us; good, because we will be the ones blessed when we do; good, because others will be helped when we do; good, because it will have a beneficial effect not only in our own lives, but in others' as well, and most especially good, because He is worthy of praise!

My favorite new Christian song is "This is Amazing Grace" by Phil Wickham.  Listen...

This is amazing grace; this is unfailing love

That you would take my place, that You would bear my cross

You laid down your life that I would be set free

Jesus I sing for all that you've done for me.

 

Between last week and this I week I'm doing a lot of singing...you should try it...it might work for you!

 

For further study:  Deu. 32:3, 1 Chron. 29:10-13, Psalm 1:1, 147:1, 150:6, 1 Thes. 5:18, Hebrews 13:15, James 5:13

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Sing from your heart...GIVE THANKS to God in all things - Eph. 5:19-20

I don't know about you...but when my circumstances are not good, neither is my song or my thanksgiving!  But our sweet friend, Paul, who was likely in prison in Rome when he wrote this, as usual, astounds us at his ability to praise his God in all circumstances!  He was writing to the believers in Ephesus and they were likely in better conditions than he was.

However, Paul was very clear in this chapter that he wanted them to live well...and to walk worthy of their relationship with the Lord.  In this particular passage, he was specifically talking about not being drunk on wine, but rather being "filled with the Spirit".  Singing and saying thanks, therefore, according to Paul, comes from being filled with the Spirit...it is not contrived or forced, but comes from a heart where joy dwells...that which is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).  Did you know
Proverbs 27:21 says: "...people are tested by their praise"?  If you took that test today, what would your grade be?  Is there a song and a word of thanksgiving coming out of my heart today, or is there some filling that needs to take place?  Am I grumbling about what is not going right in my life or praise because God knows the way that I take?  Am I spending more time thinking about the world or about the Lord?

Listen to Chris Tomlin:

How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough, how amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King and it makes

my heart want to sing.

 

What song are you singing today?  We are given a priceless opportunity to be loved by the King...let's have our praise and thanksgiving be loud toward heaven.  He hears, you know.

 

For further study:  Deu. 32:1-4, 1 Sam. 16:7, 1 Chron. 16:25, Ps. 19:14, 30:4, 89:1, 101:1, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 12:34, Acts 16:25, Col. 3:16-17.

 

Be blesssed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Stand firm in the Lord - Phil. 4:1

It's easier to be the crowd

to just fit in and not stand out at all,

to make a case for apathy

and never risk a thing in case you fall.

This is life and we all decide

the stand we take and this is mine:

that I am not ashamed, won't walk away

not trying to disguise or ever hide

the reason that I choose to be a fool

for the one who saved my life.

I won't apologize.

 

"All In" by Stellar Kart

 

In today's paper is a picture of former President George H.W. Bush with a shaved head...he was "standing" with a young 2 year old cancer patient, one of his Secret Service agent's child.  A dear picture of standing in support of someone or something.  The word in today's verse for stand is steko, meaning to be stationary or to persevere...as Stellar Kart says in the above lyrics "to be all in".

 

We all live by certain standards...we have rules or principles that are used for our basis of judgment.  Some standards are higher than others, some are just different than others.  As a follower of Christ, I choose to abide by the standards He set forth in His word...I love the freedom that comes from knowing what I believe, from seeing it, being guided in it and understanding it.  Eugene Peterson in his book TRAVELING LIGHT says:

 

Taking a stand fights driftng with the tide.

Taking a stand contrasts with being carried and coddled by

the culture.  Taking a stand means standing on our own two feet.

 

Our culture wants us to be "forward thinking"...as if that is better.  I'm sad to say our beloved city of

San Antonio is considering an ordinance that would prevent anyone being appointed to a city position if they have "...engaged in any discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age or disability."  My goodness...that's quite a statement!

My "bias" is toward Biblical truth...that is where I stand and that is where my Savior has told me to stand.   Some days are easier than others, but my Lord tells me He will always go where He sends me. 

 

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  In our verse for today, he pleads again for his brothers and sisters to stand together to be of the same mind in the Lord.  The world would have us go wherever the shift in moral and values chooses to take us.  I will not go with them...I will fight with every fiber of my being to "stand firm in the Lord" and His principles.

 

If we have to stand for something, let us do what Jeremiah said in 6:16:  "Stand by the road, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."

"Forward thinking" isn't necessarily the best thinking. I choose to be "a fool for the one who saved my life." If you are a follower of Christ, be prepared to share with others what "the good way is"...let us not leave behind the "ancient paths" or the faith of our fathers.

 

For further study:  Exodus 14:13-14,  2 Chron. 20:17, Psalm 18:33,  Psalm 40:2, Psalm 119:120,

Ezekiel 22:30, Matthew 12:25, 1 Cor. 15:58, Eph 6:14, 2 Thes. 2:15, James 5:8, 1 Peter 5:8-12.

 

This is my 100th blog and how grateful I am to the Lord for this privilege!  Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly



The Lord will never leave you - Deu. 31:6

"Never alone, never alone

I'll be in every beat of your heart when you face the unknown.

Wherever you fly,  this isn't goodbye

My love will follow you, stay with you, baby,

you're never alone"

Jim Brinkman with Lady Antebellum

 

One of the sweetest moments of my whole life was dancing with our oldest son this past March at his wedding to our sweet Caroline Bailey.  He chose the above song and happily I wept when I first heard it so I could just delight in the dance when the time came (see below picture with him singing to me!).

 

 

The real truth is that God is the one who will never leave us alone...His love goes with us wherever we go.  Our verse today is said by Moses as he spoke to the people of Israel, as he was about to give over the leadership to Joshua.  Later, in Joshua 1, the Lord spoke similar words to Joshua, giving him courage to lead the people into the Promised Land.

 

When we are followers of Christ, His Spirit indwells us giving us power to think and do all that is right and good.  In the storms, in the struggles, in the conflict,  in the discouragement...all of these places He goes with us.  Max Lucado in TRAVELING LIGHT talks about being lonely and the things we do to satisfy our lonliness...often dangerous and destructive things.  This is what he says:

 

Why do we do it?  Because we fear facing life alone.  For fear of

not fitting in, we take the drugs.  For fear of standing out, we wear

the clothes.  For fear of appearing small, we go into debt and

buy the house.  For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone.  For fear

of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.  But

all that changes when we discover God's perfect love.  You are not alone!

 

How about you...will you call upon the One who goes with you wherever you go?  See if He isn't just the perfect companion for your day!

 

For further study:  Psalm 23:4, 48:14, 121:5-8, 139:1-10, 145:18, Isaiah 52:12, Isaiah 58:11, Jeremiah 31:3,  John 14:16, John 15:4, 1 Thes. 4:17, Hebrews 13:5.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly



Be STRONG and take HEART, WAIT for the Lord - Ps. 27:14

Do you know there are different kinds of "waiting"?  I remember waiting for the birth of our children - painful at times.  I remember waiting for the surgeon to come out after suspecting cancer in my husband - pure dread.  I remember waiting for the marriage of our boys - pure joy.  The waiting our psalmist, David, often talks about in his writings is a different kind of waiting.  The Hebrew word is qavah meaning to "wait expectantly and hopefully".  A clue for us is in Ps. 27:13 where he says:  "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living".  His waiting had no fear, anxiety or dread.  His was confidence in his Lord which inspired his hope.

Andrew Murray in WAITING ON GOD says:

"...when we set ourselves to wait on God

we ought beforehand to resolve that it shall

be with the most confident expectation of

God's meeting and blessing us.  We ought to make

 up our our minds to this, that nothing was ever so

sure, as that waiting on God will bring us untold

and unexpected blessing."

 

When we resolve to do that, our faith is strengthened and that's when the power of the Holy Spirit begins its work.  I was at the gym this week, and even when my body was tired, Toby Mac began singing in my Ipod which caused me to not even think about my tired body.  All of a sudden, an unknown force began to cause me to soar and to revel in my work knowing what I was doing was a good thing...and in fact it was pretty easy and fun when that force took over!

 

That's what the Spirit does in us...gives us power to think and to do all that He plans (2 Tim. 1:7).  Think about what you are waiting for today..."Be strong and take heart and WAIT for the Lord".  How can you have that confidence and hope?  Know God and know His word.  Delve in today...no time like the present to start!  I can remember as a new pastor's wife learning to do Bible study and being absolutely amazed at how the Holy Spirit led me to truth (John 16:13)...my brain had never done very well in learning until the Spirit began to teach me.   Oh, friend, let Him be your strength! 

 

For further study:  Ex. 15:2, Psalm 40:1, Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 8:17, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 40:30-31, Lamentations 3:24-26, Romans 8:23-25, 2 Cor. 3:4-5, Titus 2:11-14

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

WISDOM... - James 3:17

If you asked ten different people "what is wisdom?", you would get ten different answers.  Today, wisdom is a lot of different things.  Like most of the issues of the day, we must all use some form of standard for what we think and do.  The Bible is full of references to wisdom...in fact, just for starters read the book of Ecclesiastes...12 short chapters full of guidance of what wisdom is and what it is not. I love especially 2:26...one of my alltime favorite verses:

To the person who pleases him,

God gives wisdom, knowledge

and happiness...

 

Who could ask for more? So, if one chooses to make the Bible your standard (and I do!), let's look at James 3:17 to see what it says about wisdom .  Even then there seems to have been some controversy over what wisdom was and he is quick to tell us what it is not.  Listen to what The Message says about "earthly" wisdom (14-16):

 

Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom.

Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom.

Twisting the truth to make yourselves

sound wise isn't wisdom. 

 

No, here is what James, the brother of Jesus, said wisdom is:

 

...heavenly - the world says we have the ability to discern or judge - oh heavens...thank you, Lord,

that wisdom comes from you!

...pure - unpolluted by worldly ambitions or selfishness

...peaceloving - if at all possible, we work at getting along with others

...kind - we are considerate of others and work at being positive in others' lives

...merciful - we recognize the mercies we have been given and therefore, we are merciful

...fruitful - Jesus tells us to bear fruit that lasts (John 15:16) - that means we allow the Holy Spirit to develop His attributes in us (Gal. 5:22-23)

...sincere - we genuinely care about others and are genuine in our relationships

 

How wise are you?

 

For further study:  Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 3:7,  Proverbs 31:26, Daniel 12:3, Matt. 11:19,  Romans 11:33-36, 1 Cor. 1:25, Ephesians 1:7-10,  Colossians 2:3, 2 Tim. 3:14-15, James 1:5

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's will.

 

Love,

Holly

 

 

 

God's mercies are new every morning - Lam. 3:23

"Say Yes to VBS" is one of the songs we will sing this week at Vacation Bible School.  I love the "freight train" that hit our church today - I love the energy and enthusiasm of the children and I will do my best to keep up!  Watching them do the  motions to "Change My Heart" was inspiring to me.
Our theme this year is "Facing Fear, Trusting God" and we will have the privilege of guiding these children to:
                 *  Dare to Change
                 *  Dare to Speak Up
                 *  Dare to Believe
                 *  Dare to Stand Strong
                 *  Dare to Trust

We want to offer them life through Jesus Christ in a world that is increasingly threatening.  Jeremiah, in the book of Lamentations, felt the same way.  In Chapter 2, he was weeping for the wounded children whose "...lives ebb away" (v. 12).  We could easily get discouraged, but like Jeremiah, we need not lose hope.  In his verses in Chapter 3:22-23, he says:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.  They are new

every morning; great is your faithfulness.

 

Every morning the VBS workers will wake up and cling to the promise that His mercies are new every morning...we are trusting that as we offer them hope through God's word, little seeds will be planted that will grow into mighty trees of faith that will equip them for all they have to do in their lives.  Pray with us for their salvation.  He greets us every day with His "great love"...what a wonderful gift we have!

 

For further study:  Exodus 33:19, Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 25:4-10, Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 9:14-18, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 Thess. 5:23-24, 1 John 5:12

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Have faith in the Lord - 2 Chron. 20:20

Our pillow today represents the words of a wonderful king from the Old Testament - Jehoshaphat.  He was one of the "good guys" and served faithfully.  He was a man of personal godliness and I believe we can learn much from him on facing our enemies.

He was warned that an army was coming against him and, to be honest, he was alarmed.  It's not that he didn't have some fear or concern.  However, he resolved right away to "inquire of the Lord"...good choice!  These are some things we can learn from him as he prayed publicly in the temple:

1.  He knew God's abilities were endless to help him.  (v. 6)
2.  He reminded himself of God's past help and covenant with his people. (v. 7-10)
3.  He acknowledged his weakness and yielded himself to God's great power. (v. 12)

They then worshipped and praised the Lord for what He was about to do.  It was early the next morning that they set out and Jehoshaphat said these words to encourage the people:

                       "Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld...."

Now the best part: as they went out he assigned men to "sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness" and to give Him thanks.  They sang as they went!  I love that...they didn't go forward fearfully for they were confident in the Lord's goodness and power.  Listen to Streams in the Desert:

Don't let the song go out of your life;

Though the voice may have lost its trill,

Though the quivering note may die in your throat,

Let it sing in your spirit still!

 

God gave Jehoshaphat such a miraculous victory, all the nations around them lived in fear and they lived in peace (v. 29-30).

 

How about you?  Will you resolve to seek the Lord today, to pray to Him and to sing as if your life depended on it?  How can we not!!

 

For further study:  Psalm 30:4, 63:5, 77:6, 89:1, Habakkuk 2:4, Luke 18:8,  Romans 3:22-24, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:19, Hebrews 11:6.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 



Proverbs 31:10-31

Hello, friends.  Let me begin by saying my heart and prayers are with all those in Oklahoma devastated by this awful storm.  We can do something by praying and giving and I hope you will join  many around the world who are doing that.

Our items today are encouraging us to look at this very notable woman in Proverbs 31.  Whether she was a real person or whether she was a composite, we can use her as a role model today and we need not be intimated by her or compare ourselves to her.  We are all in different seasons of life and we don't know at what season she was when this was written about her.  What is most notable about this passage - for me - is not what she did but what she was.

Women today are overwhelmed with choices for themselves and for their families.  Kathi Macias in MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE SPEAK TO MOTHERS OF TODAY says: "...a successful life is more about timely priorities and wise choices".  God has designed each of us differently to accomplish different things.  The Proverbs 31 women was designed to do different things than us, but we were all designed  to "...love the Lord your God with all your heart..." (Deu. 6:5) and that is what made this woman such an accomplished woman.  Her work was accomplished because her heart caused her to make wise choices.  God has given us - you and me - everything we need to have hearts that want to please Him.  This woman was trustworthy, strong, honorable, fearless, joyful, kind, wise, praiseworthy and feared the Lord.  Guess what?  These are all ways we can be successful through an indwelling Spirit.  Ask Him for help in any of these areas.  It might be a good start to your day for the next week to ask for help in each of these items.

Whatever season of life you are in, whatever the tasks of your day are, and whatever difficult circumstances you face, He will give you the strength and dignity to do them.  May your beauty come from an inner heart that is in awe of Him. Several years ago The Daily Bread said: "righteousness in the heart produces beauty in the character".  Praying for you as you become beautiful!

For further study:  Deuteronomy 6:13, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 139:23, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 10:8, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:26,  Matthew 5:6,  Mark 12:30, 1 Corinthians 14:25, Colossians 3:23

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

My help comes from the Lord - Psalm 121:2

Do you ever ask yourself a question?  To go even further, do you ever answer your own questions?  Usually when I ask myself a question - and, yes, occasionally I do - it is because I don't have an answer.  Sometimes, just verbalizing it - to myself or to someone else - helps me to understand what my dilemma is.  However, being in my mid-60s I often forget what the question ever was before I can even consider an answer.  One of my signs in our home says "SIMPLIFY"...questions often complicate things.

Our psalmist today looked to the hills  to wonder where his help was coming from - we're not sure why.  One of the possible answers is there were places of  worship in the mountains and particularly those Israelites who were seeking God knew no other place to look. They also knew He created the "heavens and the earth" so they looked up to find Him.  The important thing to note is the psalmist knew where his help came from.  Six times in this psalm he talks about the Lord as his "guard".  Maybe he asked himself the question in verse 1 just so he could remind himself of the many ways our God helps and guards.

Who are you looking to for help today?  Did they create the heavens and the earth?  Did they hang the sun, moon and stars keeping them there for thousands of years?  Do they have everlasting love for you?  Did they know you when you were made in the secret place?  I think you get the idea...we look for help from the most unlikely sources.  Oswald Chambers says:

There is only One Being who can satisfy the

last aching abyss of the human heart, and that

is the Lord Jesus Christ."

 

We must stop thinking our help will come from any other source.  If we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.  We need no other lover of our soul.

 

For further study:  Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 139:10, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 58:11, Ephesians 3:20, Hebrews 13:6, James 4:8

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

"...let the one who has my word speak it faithfully" - Jeremiah 23:28

The prophet Jeremiah was called to speak messages for God at an early age.  His task was not easy as much of what he had to say was about the destruction of Judah.  But he was faithful and he grieved terribly over pride and disobedience.  God spoke to him over and over again, encouraging him to speak only what He gives him  This was one of His messages for Jeremiah...stating and restating the power of His word:  "...like a hammer that breaks a rock to pieces".  Listen to the Layman's Commentary on this verse:

"The divine word is able to cope with all that thwarts its

way, to consume and pulverize the obstructions of evil,

the false strongholds of entrenched evil, the

pseudogospel of the false prophets."

 

There is much evil in the world today...but we have hope...His divine word has been given to us for direction and strength - much as it had been given to Jeremiah in his day.  We must know it and speak it!  The time has come when we can no longer sit back and hope someone else will speak for righteousness...that task has been given to us who believe!  The issues that are facing us in the church today demand that we "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).  We can do that and hold high the standards that His word give us by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

Dudley Tyng was a pastor in Philadelphia in the 1800s and had a tremendous burden for husbands and fathers to know Christ and follow him.  Thousands of men were converted under his teaching.  At his funeral, a young pastor was deeply moved by this pastor's commitment to preaching the gospel.  He read a poem - which was later written as a hymn and we still sing it today:

 

Stand up stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross

Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.

 

You are I must lift His banner high...I believe it is why we are here today.  My question to myself is:  are you standing up for Jesus wherever you are?  I was proud of Amanda Thatcher last week...at her grandmother's funeral in England, she read Ephesians 6:10-18 on putting on the armor of God.  May we all be public proclaimers of His precious word.

 

For further study:  Psalm 40:9-11, Psalm 119:9,160, Isaiah 45:19, Isaiah 59:21, Matthew 10;27, Romans 1:25, John 17:17, John 18:38, Eph. 4:15, Col. 4:5-6, 2 Tim 2:15

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Do not worry about tomorrow - Matthew 6:34

My pillow for today might better read "Do not worry about yesterday"...the Boston tragedy has us all alarmed and praying to our God, who is not surprised by the tragedy...He grieves over the sin and wickedness.  He wants us to turn to Him in the good days and the not so good.  He is still a sovereign and omnipotent God who remains on the throne.  He still holds the stars in place and knows the plans He has for us...and they are good.

We have concerns about our world...but His word still tells us not to worry.  I heard something on KLove last week:  "Worry never makes the future easier; it only makes the present harder."  Jesus, speaking in the Sermon on the Mount, exhorts us not to worry and then proceeds to give us promises of why we shouldn't waste our time worrying. In reading David Powlison's booklet on Worry, he listed those promises in a slightly different way as told in Luke 12:22-34.  Simply put, they are:

1.  Your life is so much more than food or clothing. (v. 22)
2.  Jesus tells people to look around at the world and what he provides. (v. 24)
3.  Which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (v. 25)
4.  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. (v. 27-28)
5.  Your Father will give you what you need. (v. 30)
6.  God promises you Himself. (v. 31-32)
7.  Your Father calls you to the radical freedom of giving your life away. (v. 33)

Sanctus Real sings in PROMISES:

 

"Sometimes it's hard to keep believing in what you can't see

That everything happens for a reason...even the worst life brings.

If you're reaching for an answer and you don't know what to pray

Just open up the pages; let His word be your strength

Hold on to the promises

Jesus is alive, so hold on to the promises"

 

For further study: Joshua 21:45,  Psalm 33:11, Jer. 29:11, Acts 2:39, Romans 4:20-21, Galatians 3:14, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 1,4; 2 Peter 3:9

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly



How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us - 1 John 3:1

Matthew West has a song out "Hello, My name is..." and it begins by describing how we can be identified by the regrets in our lives, or the defeats, or the lies.  We allow hard times and mistakes to define us, but we don't have to let the "wreckage behind" stay with us when His word calls us "children of God".  Listen to what he says:

 

Hello, my name is child of the one true King

I've been saved, I've been changed,and I have been set free.

"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing.

Hello, my name is child of the one true King.

What love the Father has lavished upon us

That we should be called His children.

I am a child of the one true King.

 

Have you ever lavished whipped cream on an ice cream sundae?  The love the Father has lavished upon us is better than a million helpings of whipped cream.  This isn't the kind of love you can make up...this is agape love.  Vine's concordance says "...this is an exercise of the Divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself."  We are loved not because of anything we are or do...we are loved because "God is love" (1 John 4:16).

 

Mark Driscoll tells a story in WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? about the German theologican, Karl Barth.  He was visiting the United States on a lecture tour and at one point was asked what was the single most important theological discovery he had made.  Driscoll says: "after stopping to consider his answer carefully, Barth said "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so".  So profound and so simple...a child's song speaking this transforming truth.

 

You are loved by the Creator of the world...the next time you are tempted to define yourself in a negative sense, remember this:  "You are a child of the one true King"!

 

For further study:  Exodus 20:4-6, Psalm 32:10, Psalm 36:5, Psalm 103:11, Psalm 107, Jeremiah 31:3, John 1:12, John 15:9-17, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 John 4:16-21

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly 

RESURRECTION GREETING!

Hello, friends.  No new pillows today...this week is all about Jesus and the tremendous gift He has given us.  Until I die I don't think I'll understand why so many around the world will not receive this free gift of salvation.  He offers it freely...if we will simply believe in Him, we will be rescued, cleansed and put to work doing things He gives us the power to do!

On the Thursday of the last week of His life, He had a final meal with his beloved (most of them) disciples and went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  He took some of those friends with him...sometimes we just want precious friends around us when we face difficult moments.  The most incredible lesson from this moment was that we see Resurrection Power about to unfold in the submission of our Savior.  In Matthew 26:36-46 we see this account.  We see He was "troubled and sorrowful"...He said to His Father:  "if it's possible, may this cup be taken from me" (v. 39).  He knew what was coming and knew it would not be easy.  But then a short while later in v. 42, we see His submission: "if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away...may your will be done."  I was wondering...if He had not willingly gone to the cross...would that glorious resurrection have happened on the third day?  Would all the power of the universe not have raised Him from the dead so that He lives even today and speaks for us?

Listen to what Vernon Grounds says about that kind of submission:

 

"Baffled by the mystery of such love, we take our stand

on Calvary and believe that any cup we drink is held to our lips

by the Father of fathomless love and wisdom.  Our prayer

is that of trustful submission because we believe that

even life's most bitter cup is held in the Father's hand."

 

I wonder what the Father's power would do in my life if I were as submitted to His plan as Jesus was.

This Easter, let us be grateful to the One who created the universe and made a place for us to live and walk with Him.  I don't know what cup you have been asked to drink, but I know that whatever one comes to my lips will come through the hands of the Father.  That's good enough for me.

 

For further study: 2 Chron. 7:14, Psalm 25:9, Psalm 51:10-17, Proverbs 3:34,  Mark 14:32-41, Luke 22:39-46, John 18:11,  2 Cor. 12:9, Hebrew 12:1-3,  James 4:4-10, 1 Peter 5:5

 

Happy Resurrection Day, everyone!

 

Love,

Holly



Peace comes to him who trusts the Lord - Isaiah 26:3

"You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 26:3

I'm holding on to this promise this week because I am about to start a thrilling week and when I get around "thrilling" my emotions are all over the chart.  I can hardly contain my excitement, my heart spills over with gratitude, I don't want to miss a single moment of it...and I'm a mess!  The promise of "perfect peace" is my only hope.

Do you know there are over 3000 promises in the Bible...promises made to those who believe He is faithful in all He says and does?  This verse in Isaiah is a promise...to whom?   To the one "who trusts" in the only One who has ever kept every single promise He has ever made.  Promises are a sure thing.  Do you often not know what to pray?  You can pray with confidence toward these promises and know that it pleases the Lord when you do.  Listen to what F.B. Meyer says:

Hardly any stance could be more completely beautiful, strong or safe

than that of putting your finger on a promise of God...and then claiming it. 

Doing so requires no anguish, struggle, or wrestling, but simply presenting the

check and asking for cash  It is as simple as producing the promise

and claiming its fulfillment.  Nor will there be any doubt or cloudiness about the request.

If all requests were this definitive, there would be much more interest in prayer.  It is

much better to claim a few specific things than to make twenty vague requests.

 

There will be days when you feel you cannot adjust to the changes you are facing.  His promises assure you you can.  When your heart is unsure, His is not.  Here's an idea:  find 365 promises in the Bible, and every day start your devotional with a promise of His.  Let your requests flow from that promise and see if you're not blessed abundantly!

 

I'm praying for peace this week and I'm claiming His promise that if I will keep my mind steadfastly on Him, He will provide "perfect peace" and that means His Holy Spirit - who develops peace in us (Gal. 5:22) will go with me and guide me into His truth.  That's a pretty perfect promise!

 

For further study:  1 Chron. 17:23-24, Psalm 33:4, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 145:13, Acts 2:38-39, Romans 4:20-21, Romans 8:38-39, 2 Cor. 12:7-10,  1 Thes. 5:24, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 1:4, 2 Peter 3:9

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

 

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Let the earth hear His voice.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Let the people rejoice.

O come to the Father thro Jesus the Son

And give Him the glory, great things He has done!

 

TO GOD BE THE GLORY by Fanny Crosby

 

This was one of the first hymns I fell in love with as a newly saved believer.  He rescued me from the pit...how could He not get all the glory?  Composers like Bach and Handel signed many of their works "S.D.G." (Soli Deo Gloria) to give "Glory to God alone" for their works.  Maybe I should start adding that to my pillows!  It is one of the basic beliefs of the Protestant Reformation that God alone is worthy of  honor...not we ourselves.

 

We so often turn this around.  You don't have to look very far (I don't have to look any further than myself!) to know people want fame, recognition, appreciation, gratitude and praise for things that God alone has done for us.  He has made us for Himself, given us gifts and opportunities and directed us in ways we could never have made up.

 

Timothy Keller in  THE REASON FOR GOD  talks about each person of the Trinity "dancing around each other" (perichoresis) in their delight of each other (John 16:14, 17:4-5).  Since we were made in Their image (Gen. 1:26) we were made to delight in Them.  That is our purpose...the reason we were created!  Keller says:

 

God made us to ever increasingly share in his own joy and

delight in the same way he has joy and delight within himself...

We glorify and enjoy him only as we worship him, serve the

human community and care for the created environment.

 

I had a conversation with a dear friend last week who is preparing to go into a heart-wrenching legal situation not of her choice.  She said: "I don't know what the purpose of this is, but all I can say is 'To God be the Glory'".  That is faith and that gives her the peace to go foward even though it's the last thing in the world she wants to do.  This friend is in a dance with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  She was joyful and content even in the midst of a terrible trial.  May it be said of all of us!  Who are you delighting in today?

 

For further study:  Exodus 15:11, Psalm 10:1, 65:12-13, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 24:15, 48:11, John 16:14, 17:1-5, 20-24, Romans 1:21-25, 16:27, 1 Cor. 10;31 and 2 Tim. 4:18.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 



Hear my prayer, O Lord - Psalm 86:6

This psalm is an example of believing prayer.  David gave many indications of his complete faith in God in these verses: "I am devoted to you, You are my God", "I call to you all day long", "you will answer me", "there is none like you"...and yet he was crying out to God for help in his circumstances. We have further evidence of David's utter and complete faith in Psalm 27:13:

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord in the

land of the living.

 

 

He had not seen his answers, but he knew that his God would be good to him. In 1 Samuel 17:37 David stated his confidence: "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." So often I think we don't really believe God will hear us and answer us.  David had had many answers to prayer in his life...I have had many answers to prayer in my life...and yet, we still get discouraged and doubt that our problems are real to our Father in heaven or that they are important enough to warrant His attention.  I'm afraid many times our lack of confidence shows in our wimpy fruit.

 

L.B. Cowman says: "True faith relies on God and believes before seeing...Faith that believes it will see, will keep us from becoming discouraged."

 

Are you believing today that what you sought from Him earnestly this morning, will be granted?  Do you believe He will answer according to His will and His best for you today?  His word tells us He hears and answers.  His character and His word promises goodness to those who walk in His ways.

Mark 11:24 says: "...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

 

For further study: 1 Chronicles 5:20,  Psalm 40:1, Psalm 66:16-20, Psalm 91:14-15, Matthew 21:22, John 20:29, 2 Cor. 5:7, Hebrews 11:1, 6, James 5:13-16.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 

 

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart... - Psalm 19:14

Nancy Leigh DeMoss in THE POWER OF WORDS tells this story:

On September 11, l995, a squirrel climbed onto the Metro-North Railroad power

lines near New York City.  This set off an electrical surge, which weakened

an overhead bracket, which let a wire dangle toward the tracks, which

tangled in a train, which tore down all the lines.  As a result, 47,000

commuters were stuck in Manhattan for hours that evening.

 

Oh my goodness...one little squirrel can cause all that damage!  I know about squirrels...we have had a dead one in our roof space (over our bathroom!!!) for several weeks.  We were trying to be brave and just wait it through...the stench has been overwhelming at times and has at times filled the whole house.  Now I hear the scratching of a relative and have finally called Critter Control.  The smell of death has gotten out of control.  2 Cor. 2:14 says we are either the "aroma of Christ" or "the smell of death".  It further says we are to speak with "...sincerity, like men sent from God".

 

St. Frances de Sales says: "Our words are a faithful index of the state of our souls".

 

Our pillow today reminds us to seek the Lord for pleasing words and thoughts.  Our words have such power to encourage or tear down.  Oh, Lord, I so want my words to build up.   I love pleasant aromas: the baking of bread... the smell of a lovely perfume...a gardenia...a baby after a bath. The smell of death is disgusting...why would I ever choose words that don't encourage.  Think of some words that have encouraged you.  Think of some words that have hurt you.  What words will you speak today? 

 

For further study:  Psalm 39:1, Psalm 141:3, Proverbs 15:26-28, 16:24, 17:27, 18:21, 2 Corinthia 2:14-17, Ephesians 4:29, Philippians 4:8, James 3:3-6

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

Be strong and courageous...the Lord will be with you always - Joshua 1:9

As we begin the book of Joshua, we know that Joshua's great leader and mentor, Moses, had just died.  The Lord  - as he spoke to Joshua - referred to Moses as "my servant".  Moses had faithfully been obedient to what God had asked him to do.  My Layman's Commentary said: "the idea of servant indicated faithful obedience to the covenant relationship and faithful leadership of the covenant people".  If you haven't done a Bible study of the word covenant, I strongly encourage you to do so. When you are in a covenant relationship with someone, it is like a contract between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.  This covenant relationship began with Abraham and all his descendants...which included Moses and Joshua.   God's part of the bargain included His protection of his people as He brought them into the land He had promised them.   Joshua's was to be the servant and be obedient to all that God asked him to do.  Galatians 3:29 says if we belong to Christ,  we are "heirs according to the promise".

We are God's covenant people when we receive His Son as our Saviour and begin a life of service to Him.  As He said to Joshua, so He says to us:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your

God will be with you wherever you go."

 

He is our covenant protector and we need not fear what we see in the world today.  We are His...He calls us by name...He redeems us...comforts us...loves us...is at work within us...we are precious to Him. In one of my favorite books we used to read to Andrew and Alex, THE RUNAWAY BUNNY, the momma bunny continually says to the rebellious little bunny, "If you run away, I will run after you.  For you are my little bunny."  She protected her own little bunny...this bunny was hers and she would fight for its safety.  They were in relationship with each other.  We are like the little bunny! 

 

If we are His, He will fight for us.  The question we need to ask is:  do we live by FEAR or do we live by FAITH?  If we will "be strong and courageous" in His strength, He will go with us wherever we go. That is living by faith.  No one is more dependable that our Lord...Joshua knew that and marched forward.  That's what I want to do...march forward.  How about you?

 

For further study:  Gen. 15, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 91, Isaiah 7:9, Isaiah 43:1-13, Isaiah 58:11, John 14:15-17, John 17:15, Galatians 3:29,  Ephesians 6:10-18, Hebrews 11:1, 6.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

 





Fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23

My heart is sad today, but I know I have a God who "longs to be gracious to me" (Isaiah 30:18) and who is "my refuge and strength" (Psalm 46:1) and I can quickly find JOY in His provision.  In Bible study this morning, we sang "I Know Whom I Have Believed":

I know not how this saving faith To me He did impart,

Nor how believing in His Word wrought peace within my heart.

 

This is no LOVE apart from that which we receive from the Spirit.  There is no JOY apart from that which we receive from the Spirit.   There is no PEACE apart from that which we receive from the Spirit.  You get the idea!  Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that we have a choice to live by the sinful nature or to live by the Spirit.  When we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to bear fruit as we live in the Spirit...the deeds we do in the flesh are puny and rotten apart from abiding in Him (John 15). 

 

When sorrow comes, we have to find some way to have hope for tomorrow.  This indwelling Spirit gives us that hope.  Sorrow doesn't have to be the last word.  My Streams in the Desert says "Sorrow come to stretch out places in the heart for JOY".  I prefer joy, so I'm willing to let my heart be stretched!

 

It's a mystery how this fruit develops.  I only know the opposite - the acts of the sinful nature - will keep me from inheriting the kingdom of God.  It is my deepest desire to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled.   I pray the same for you.

 

For further study:  Psalm 139:7, Isaiah 63:10, Ezekiel 36:26, Zechariah 4:6, John 14:26 and 16:13, Romans 8:5-8, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Colossians 1:9-14, 2 Tim. 1:7, Hebrews 6:19, 1 John 5:11-12.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly

"Trust in the Lord" - Psalm 112-7:8

Psalm 112 is a wonderful commentary on good fears and bad fears...do you know the difference?  I just finished SO LONG INSECURITY by Beth Moore and I discovered many of my troubles stem from my fears...fears of things that haven't even happened.  I really don't think of myself as "insecure" in most ways...I do believe in a Sovereign God, I believe He has a plan for my life and that it will be a really good plan if I will know Him and follow His ways.  But then I wake up!  Verses 5-7 say:

 

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright...surely he will never be

shaken...he will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast,

trusting in the LORD.

 

Beth gives us a few answers to the question: "how can I trust in the Lord" when everything seems to be falling apart around me?  She says: "I, the Maker of heaven and earth,will:

--perfect everything that concerns you (Psalm 138:8)
--work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)
--contend with those who contend with you (Isaiah 49:25)
--fight this battle for you (2 Chronicles 20:15)
--equip you with divine power (2 Corinthians 10:4)
--delight to show you mercy (Micah 7:18)
--meet all your needs according to My glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19)
--give you grace that is perfectly sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9)
--be your power in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9)
--do immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine according to the power
   that is at work within you (Eph. 3:20)

F.B. Meyer says "Believe that He is between you and your difficulty and what troubles you will flee before Him, as clouds in the wind."  The psalmist said we will be blessed if our fear (awe) is about the Lord...not about something that may or may not happen to us.  Take today, this moment, and believe of God's love for you...now why would the future hold anything different?

For further study:  2 Chron. 14:11, Psalm 20:7, 37:3, 131, Proverbs 3:5-6,  Isaiah 30:15, John 14:1, Romans 8:28-39, 2 Cor. 4:16-18, 2 Peter 1:3-4.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly


Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

My fabric shelves have recently been purged and cleaned and what a satisfying experience that was!  I had gotten to where I didn't know what I had or how anything fit together.  It took much of the joy away to have so much chaos staring me in the face!

I believe our minds are that way.  We have so much noise going on that we don't make wise choices.  We're always connected to something or someone and we need to quiet our souls.

Psalm 46:10 has always been a favorite of mine - in fact you may remember I wrote on it last year and even included a sign over our mantle.  You can tell it is a recurring issue with me.  Psalm 131 has a similar message and it gives us a clue as to how we get to a place of not being still - pride, haughtiness ,ambition, going after impossibilities, etc.  David, in this psalm, resolved to not be any of these things because he was a man after God's own heart.

David Powlison in Stress: Peace Amid Pressure, says this kind of composure is learned or mastered.  He says:

Such purposeful quiet is achieved, not spontaneous.

It is conscious, alert and chosen.  It is a form of

self-mastery by the grace of God...""

 

Just as Jesus calmed the storm in Mark 4, He can calm the storm in our hearts.  We must make Him more a part of our lives (inner and outer) than that noise we are connected to.  Have you seen the bumper sticker: "Know God, Know Peace"?

 

Join me in cleaning out to start this new year.  Get rid of the clutter and know Him as Lord!

 

For further study: Psalm 37:7,  Psalm 62:1, Psalm 119:163, John 14:27, Colossians 3:15, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:7,9, 2 Tim 2:22, Hebrews 4:3, James 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:4.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly



"Forget what is past; press toward the prize...in Jesus" - Phil. 3:13-14

HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear friends!  I love turning the page on a new calendar month...even better...a new calendar year!  Don preached on Sunday about the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 and how out of control he was.  Sometimes I feel that way...December felt that way for me.  But today as I turn the page, I am going to listen to the word of Henry Ward Beecher who said:

We have passed through one more year.  One more long stage in the

journey of life, with its ascents and descents and dust and mud

and rocks and thorns and burdens that wear the shoulders, is done.

The old year is dead.  Roll it away.  Let it go.  God, in His

providence, has brought us out of it.  It is gone...And now

we stand at the beginning of the next, the new.

 

I encourage you to read Deuteronomy 11:13-21 today.  Moses, in encouraging obedience for the Israelites, urged them toward the new land and reminded them "...the eyes of the Lord are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."  So, I am going to forget what happened in 2012 - the things I didn't do right, the things that disappointed me, the opportunities I missed - and I am going to "press toward the prize" in 2013!  Like those entering the unknown land, we cannot know the circumstances that will happen in the unknown year.  But we can know that God is faithful, merciful, forgiving, sovereign, holy and loving.  He is our power source...unless you know His Son as Savior and Lord, that power cannot help you.  Today, if you do not know Him as Savior, in a simple prayer, tell Him you're ready:  you admit you are a sinner, you believe Jesus is His Son and commit to follow Him the rest of your life.  Then, and only then, will the Holy Spirit indwell you and enable you to do His plan and gain His blessings.

 

Today, I commit to listen more, criticize less, share better, give more generously, be patient longer, hug tighter and to love and encourage all!  Starting today, know Him better, read and study His word, pray and trust Him with all things.  May the Lord bless and keep you in the New Year!

 

For further study:  Joshua 1:6-9, Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Cor. 9:24-25, Colossians 1:10-12, Hebrews 12:1-2,  1 Peter 2:9-12, 5:6-7, 2 Peter 1:3-4, 3:1-13, Rev. 21:6-7

 

May you be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly