"The Lord is near to all who call on him..." - Psalm 145:18

The Hebrew word for call means to "proclaim, name or summon".  There is an action I need to take if I desire the Lord's nearness - and I do!  The second part of that verse is "..to all who call on him in truth".  To call on someone is to believe they are worth calling.   It is a willingness to yield to them and a belief they have something you need.  David, the psalmist, believed this promise!

Joe Stowell compares this yielding to obeyng a "yield" traffic sign.  It is a smart thing to do, right?  Stowell says:
                      "When I lay the baggage of my selfish and sinful choices at the base
                       of my yield sign and merge with His will and way, He knows that my
                       heart belongs to Him."

It is then that He draws near; He knows He is invited in.

This Christmas, when you read Matthew 1:18-25 or sing "Emmanuel" (God with us), be blessed as you celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus.  Because of His life and death, we can have a personal and daily connectedness with our Almighty God.  His nearness will bring you direction, comfort, joy, peace and all that you need.  Will you call on Him today?

Merry Christmas, friends.  May you be blessed by His nearness this holiday.

For further study:  2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 105:1, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 55:6, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 1:18-25, John 15:4-8, Romans 10:12-13, Philippians 4:5, Hebrews 10:22, James 4:8.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

I'm so sorry...

I'm so sorry to Anonymous who is trying to order a JESUS LOVES ME pillow.  Other than "comments", this blog is not equipped to take orders, but if you will email me at pillowholly@aol.com, I would love to take your order.

But since others of you might be reading this, I just have to tell you my "pillow of the day" scripture...it has only been embroidered, so a devotional will come later.  As many of you know, my sweet husband had abdominal/hernia surgery last week and, by God's grace, he's doing wonderfully.  But during the surgery, there was just a little apprehension about whether our precious surgeon would find returning cancer...and many were lifting prayers during that time.  Praise the Lord, he did not find any cancer and we are thankful beyond words.  But I knew whatever he did find, our Father in heaven was going to bless us in the midst of it.  So my scripture for today is Psalm 145:18:

               "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all
               who call on him in truth."

I am convinced that is the bottom line of life:  He will be present in all areas that we allow Him to be...to all the places we invite Him to be Lord.  Make Him the Lord of your life today...can you imagine any greater thing than calling on the name of the Lord and having Him be near?  I am not worthy...He alone is worthy!

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"In everything we give thanks to you, Lord"

I have to once again confess this isn't a scripture (although it's awfully close to 1 Thes. 5:18!) but a song by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir that always inspires me.  This year - more than almost any other year - I have so much to GIVE THANKS for.  On this Thanksgiving week, to whom do you GIVE THANKS?  The clerk in the grocery store?  The one who prepares your turkey?  Yourself for the good work you've done?
Psalm 136 says:

                                            "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
                                            his love endures forever."

When we GIVE THANKS to the Lord, we make Him our focus.  Our thoughts are elevated from ourselves to Him.  That pleases Him.  It puts Him in the right place...and ourselves looking up to Him.  Life is often hard.  The Lord Jesus gave thanks even the night before he knew he was facing death (1 Cor. 11:24).  Giving thanks takes our minds off what we want and puts them on what we do have.  It takes such little effort to GIVE THANKS and gives such great pleasure.  This day and every day, I want my heart to be very aware that "great is the Lord and most worthy of praise".  These are a few of the things I GIVE THANKS for this Thanksgiving:

1.  I GIVE THANKS for a hernia that Don will have surgery on tomorrow because he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer four years ago and we didn't think he would even be alive today.  I also GIVE THANKS for a surgeon who loves the Lord and found the original cancer and knew what to do immediately.

2.  I GIVE THANKS for our boys who are walking with the Lord and for two special young women who are walking with them.  I also GIVE THANKS because they are both getting paychecks!

3.  I GIVE THANKS for our church family that prays and cares for us and each other so beautifully.

4.  I GIVE THANKS for my God who continues to chip away at my weaknesses and imperfections.

5.  I GIVE THANKS for children in our church who are eager to love Jesus and sing about him.

6.  I GIVE THANKS for a President who has a very difficult job but is not afraid to quote references from the Bible.

7.  I GIVE THANKS that Jesus is our "better hope".  I will not despair at the condition of our world or the people in it, because He is sufficient for our every need.

I agree with a prayer read in Bible study this week:  "...my little vessel is as full as it can be"!  I will GIVE THANKS to the One to whom it is rightfully due.

For further study:  1 Chronicles 16:8, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 136, Philippians 4:6,  1 Thess. 5:18,  Hebrews 12:29

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Love,
Holly

"The peace of God...will guard your hearts" - Philippians 4:7

This verse was written by Paul to the church in Philippi.  He was in prison as he wrote it and they had sent him a gift.  They were precious to him - beloved brothers - and he wanted to encourage them in their Christian living.  Unfortunately there were women in this church who seemed to be at odds with each other and it was causing disunity in the church.  That can happen!(#?%)  Paul used the military term of "mounting guard" to encourage these believers toward this peace that only God can produce.  Roy Laurin says:

                                         "...the peace of God is like God's sentry
                                         which mounts guard and patrols the gates
                                          of the mind and the outposts of the heart."

Is there peace in your mind or lots of anxious maneuverings going on?  How about your heart?  Is peace the reigning emotion there?  Anxiety is the opposite of peace.  Can you think of a single positive accomplisment of anxiety?  This verse gives me the assurance that His peace is much more desirable than my worrying about every little thing.

I recently read a devotional by Cathy Jodeit about her 5 year old grandson and his first soccer game.  The coach gave all the little players a chance at being the goalie - the guard who protected his team's net.  She used it as an illustration of how we must be "on guard" in our own lives.  We have to learn what to let in and what to keep out.  We have to learn to block the kicks that come to our heart.  The enemy wants to catch us "off guard" so he can score and get us off game.  When we get distracted or off-balance, he invades and destroys.  Jodeit says:

                                           "...if we let God be our guard, then our game will
                                           be played with integrity and honesty, and warfare
                                           will be in the hands of a mighty warrior."

So how do we get this peace?  Our own efforts to produce peace are futile.  Peace is a fruit (product) of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and His work in us.  Only through a relationship with Jesus Christ can that Holy Spirit indwell us.   It is through that relationship that we can know and love God.  The Captain of our team is the Lord Jesus.  Why would we want to be on any other team?

For further study:  Psalm 91:11, Psalm 141:3, Proverbs 4:13,23, Proverbs 21:23, Isaiah 52:12, John 14:6, 27, John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Timothy 6:20, 2 Timothy 1:14.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"A wise woman builds her home" - Part 4

This is the last message in the series taken from our church's October women's conference with Devi Titus on THE HOME EXPERIENCE.  This last section, "The Table Principle" is probably the most important in terms of value in the family.  Our homes have become such busy places; eating meals at a table has become a very rare thing.  Devi says "mealtime is no longer an opportunity for families to build relationships".

Titus takes an interesting search through the Bible to see the importance of the table.  Beginning in Exodus 25:8, we see the first table: the one prepared for the tabernacle to hold the bread of the Presence (face).  The Lord gave Moses very specific instructions on how to build and use this table.  Oddly enough the dimensions are very similar to many of our tables today.  This table represented the presence of the Lord and His redemptive work.

Here is a listing of some of the benefits of eating at the table:

1.  Restore confidence and personal value - 2 Samuel 9
2.  Honor those you previously judged - 2 Kings 25:29
3.  Share your table; then your faith - Acts 2:46-47
4.  Restore family relationships - Luke 15:23
5.  Invite the outcasts - Matthew 26:7
6.  Negotiate your differences at the table - Psalm 23:5

Other important work:  Love is expressed, character developed, learning sharing and serving, conversational skills practiced (look at each other eye-to-eye), praise for God and his work,  manners and gratitude learned....

Satan has distracted us by redesigning our homes - bars instead of tables, game rooms instead of dining rooms, fast food in front of the TV, etc.  Studies have shown the communication that happens at the table benefits everyone.  Even our international leaders meet at a table!

Now a confession from Holly:  currently my dining room table is filled with holiday/craft show preparation stuff!  I resolve TODAY to prepare it for a special place to be used for meeting and ministry of the Lord.  If this was His plan for His holy place, I want it to be the plan for mine!  Bon appetite!

For further study:  Psalm 128:3, Proverbs 9:2, Luke 22:14-20, Acts 2:42-47, Revelation 3:20

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word!

Next week:  new pillow, new fabric, new verse - "The peace of God...will guard your hearts." Phil.4.7

Love,
Holly

"The Use-What-You-Have Principle - Part 3

The third principle Devi Titus shares in her book, THE HOME EXPERIENCE, comes from the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  This passage is about a master who goes on a journey and entrusts his money to 3 servants - 5 talents went to one, 3 talents to the next and 1 talent to the last.  The one with 5 earned 5 more; the one with 3 earned 2 more and the one with 1 buried his talent because he was afraid to lose it.  When the master returned, he was thrilled with the first 2 becuase they had used their talents to make more - "well done, good and faithful servant" he said to them.  To the one who was afraid, he said "you wicked and lazy servant" because he didn't use what he had.  Even his one was taken from him.

Devi stated three central truths from this passage:

1.  Your quality of life is largely impacted by your attitude.  The first two servants were eager and ready to go forward.  The one who was afraid was ungrateful and defensive.  Choosing to maintain a grateful attitude will motivate you to use what you have to bless others.

2.  We are given "talents" according to our abilities.  Our responsibility is to manage and use His gifts for Kingdom purposes.  Are we multiplying His gifts or hoarding them?

3.  What has been the end result of using your gifts?  Is it fruitfulness?  Devi says "you cannot rule that which you have not faithfully tended".

Devi said "if you use what you have, you'll always have what you need".  The Lord has entrusted us as believers with something to use for His purposes.  The choice is ours - what will you do with yours?  What will I do with mine?  Ask Him to show you and be willing to hear and adjust your ways.

For further study:  Proverbs 15:6-9, Matthew 6:33, Luke 16:1-15,  Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 2 Cor 8:1-7, 2 Cor 9:6-15,  Galatians 6:7-8, Ephesians 6:7

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"A wise woman builds her home" - Part 2

This is Part 2 of my report on our church's recent women's conference with Devi Titus on THE HOME EXPERIENCE (by the way, I recommend your purchasing the book!). I believe it is an important message to share...this is not the message the world will teach, for sure!

This week's report is on Devi's topic "The Also Principle"...you might say, what in the world is that?  Well, it comes from a Genesis passage when Abraham sent his servant out to find a wife for his son (my sons' biggest fear!).  Abraham knew a wife could undermine the inheritance Isaac would receive, and he wanted this woman to come from the old country where they had similar values in life.  He wanted Isaac's wife to be a blessing, not a curse. The servant prayed for guidance and set out to find this babe...he came upon a beautiful woman and asked her for a drink, which she gave him.  Then, in Gen. 24:16, she said "I'll draw water for your camels ALSO".  Do you get the idea?  She didn't just do what was asked, she went above and beyond!  Of course she was the one and they lived happily ever after!

Rebekah was: responsible, serving, industrious, courteous, charitable, willing to share, hospitable, finished what she started and submitted to the authority of her family.  Does that sound like someone you would like your son to end up with?  Does it sound like you?  Oh, I am so not an "Also" person...I try to get by with minimum effort...I am famous for "that's good enough"...from cleaning my house to grocery shopping!  I don't want to be that way any more!

The "Also Principle" is defined by a willing attitude to do more than is asked of you; our character is to "do more" in our work and relationships, not "do less".  Devi said if you apply this principle you will grow your faith, turn provision into prosperity, deepen your obedience and cause you to desire a more intimate relationship with God (all things Abraham wanted to pass on to his son and his family).

Do this in your work habits (stay a little later than is expected), your home (be more creative than efficient), your relationships (speak a kind word rather than a quick one), the marketplace (speak to someone in need), and many other places.  If you want to be blessed - even when it's inconvenient or undeserved - go the extra mile, do a little more, not a little less.

By the way, do you know what the opposite of the "Also Principle" is?  Laziness!  We must confront this major hindrance in our lives, and not let it be what robs us of our inheritance!

Devi suggested you make a list of the areas in your life that are like a "stone wall broken down" (Proverbs 24:31).  In a second column, list the "also" that you can add to begin buildnig up the wall again. 

I know where I'm going to start, how about you?

For further study: Gen. 24:10-26, Psalm 128:2, Proverbs 6:9-11, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 21:25-26, Matthew 5:38-48, Matthew 25:21, Colossians 3:23-24, Colossians 4:5-6.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"A wise woman builds her home" - Proverbs 14:1

Last weekend I was privileged to attend a women's conference at our church with Devi Titus and her seminar of THE HOME EXPERIENCE.  It was a remarkable message and I want to spend the next few weeks sharing these powerful principles.  I believe it is one of the most important set of principles I have heard in a long time.

The first message was on, the "The Dignity and Sanctity of the Home".  Devi reminded us the first institution God established was the family.  "Home should be our most treasured asset", but more and more women are devoting their time and energy outside the home.  Devi said the heart is "hurt, hindered or hardened" in the home and "safe, sensitive or secure" in the home.  We must understand how important what goes on in the home is to society.  "Every human soul cries out for...LOVE and PEACE".  If they are not finding that in the home, guess what happens?  We are seeing it every day.

Titus 2:3-5 reminds us, among other things, that women are to be the "keepers of the home",  single or married. The Greek word is "oikouros" which comes from two words: oikos (dwelling) and ouros (guard).  That means that we are to guard all that comes in and all that goes out;  to keep LOVE and PEACE in the environment.  When we get busy and distracted, guess what happens to LOVE and PEACE?

Devi says "the reason our lives have become so confused and anxiety-filled is that we have lost focus on the worth and value God places on the home".  We have believed a lie that women can "have it all and do it all"!  If our families and homes are to be strengthened, we must return our heart to the home.

Here's an experiment she suggested:  For a week, write down all the daily activities of everyone in the family.  Write a list of columns of core values the family has: i.e., marriage, recreation, study, communication, etc.  At the end of the week, put all the activities in the value columns.  Add them all up.  Is there too much play and not enough communication?   Too much work and not enough marriage?

Even though our boys are out of the home, there is change that we can make toward using our home as a place of LOVE and PEACE.

For further study:  Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 15:27, Proverbs 31:10-31, Romans 12:2, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:1-6.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"The world will pass away...but those who obey God will live forever." - 1 John 2:17

"All I know is I'm not home

...this is not where I belong.

Take this world and give me Jesus.

This is not where I belong."

WHERE I BELONG by Building 429

I just love this song!  I heard it in the car and was blown away by the message.  Why in the world (#!?) would I hold on to things that I can't hold on to and be reluctant to grasp the eternal reward that awaits me?  Jesus says in John 8:29: "The one who sent me is with me...for I always do what pleases him."  He is our model...He did the will of God in all parts of His earthly life.  He did not serve His own purposes...He did not seek His own comfort.  He was always working toward drawing others to His Father.

Our purpose in the world is not to accumulate wealth or fame.  Our purpose is to do God's will and "declare His praises" (1 Peter 2:9).  Not only is that our purpose, but that is what satisfies...not tinny, cheap pleasures.

A.W. Tozer in THE PURSUIT OF GOD says:

"It is not what man does that

determines whether his work is sacred or secular,

it is why he does it.  The motive is everything."

Jesus' motive was to do on earth what the Father gave Him to do.  Our purpose on earth is to do what God has prepared us to do (Eph 2:10).  Do you know what that is?  Have you asked Him to show you?  I get so derailed in my day-to-day living - thinking I am here for my own good pleasure!  Is my work really to make sure my shoes match my purse!  Good heavens, what am I thinking!!

Oswald Chambers (9/25) says we have "...only one purpose - I am here for God to send me where He will."  We get drawn into the world and ITS purposes for us.  We begn to think and act like the world instead of the "set apart" ones that God has chosen His children to be.

Chuck Colson in THE GOOD LIFE says:

"The good life turns out to be

life fulfilled in Christ, for now and

eternity.  It's everything we most want:

purpose, meaning, relationship,

truth and love."

Why do we look other places?  "Take the world and give me Jesus"!

For further study: Deu. 30:15-16, Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 6:19-34, Matt. 16:26, John 15:19, John 17:13-19, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Cor. 10:31, 1 Tim. 6:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9-12

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

FAITH HOPE LOVE - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Our household is a buzz of activity these days because our youngest son, Alex, is getting married in January to his lovely Laura.  I love watching them from the viewpoint of 26 years of experience.  If I were to write them a letter about what I've learned over the years, I think it would go something like this:

Dear Alex & Laura,

Congratulations on finding the one you want to spend the rest of your life with!  What a joy to know that you know the One who created you both and has the best plan for your life together.  Here are my Ten Commandments for a Happy Marriage - most of which your dad and I are still working on!

1.  Make FAITH HOPE LOVE the foundation of your marriage.  Paul was writing this to a group who did not love and it caused divisions within.  I promise you, that is not what you want for your home.  Make knowledge of the Lord and His word the priority of your home.

2.  Be each other's best cheerleader. (Eph. 4:29).   Let the criticism come from outside the home...do not talk negatively about each other to others.

3.  Don't let unresolved anger or resentment fester (Eph 4:26-27).  Don't keep score and don't compete with each other.

4.  Alex, really listen to Laura and work at understanding her needs (Eph. 5:28-29).  Be the spiritual leader of your home and cherish her as a gift.

5.  Laura, you are the only one in the whole world called to be Alex's helpmate.  Resolve to know his needs and meet them as best you can with joy. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

6.  Commit to regular communication of your feelings in a loving manner (James 1:19-20).  Never humiliate each other.  Don't let sarcasm in; it's destructive.  Don't let pride keep you from saying "I'm sorry".

7.  Make your marriage the center of your home, not precious children, should you be so blessed.  Resolve to make each other more important than the homes you are leaving. (Gen. 2:24)

8.  Give generously (Luke 6:38).  Don't expect a return for your giving.  It is said true happiness comes when you give.

9.  Forgive as you want to be forgiven. (Eph. 4:32).  If you don't, you will carry the heavier burden.

10.  Make your home a place of peace if at all possible (Romans 12:18).  No one is perfect...be patient as the Lord finishes His work in each of you.  Be kind and helpful to the other.

Biblical standards still apply today to marriage today, even though that's not what we're hearing.  The world will be hungry to see you apply these principles, even when they take much work.  Dennis & Barbara Rainey in MOMENTS WITH YOU say:  "I believe family is still of utmost importance to our Heavenly Father.  It holds the key to our health, our success as a society and our future...and it is worth whatever effort is required to nurture, encourage and support it."

You have been gifts to us and we pray you will be gifts to each other!

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Mom

"...GOD IS FAITHFUL..." - 1 Cor. 10:13

"No temptation has seized you except what is

common to man. And God is faithful; he will not

let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when

you are tempted, he will also provide a way out

so that you can stand up under it."

This verse is so full of wisdom, but I am choosing today to focus on the faithfulness of God.  Several years after the church was started in Corinth, Paul began to hear disturbing reports of strife and division in the church.  It was his goal to draw these people back into righteous living and relationships with each other.

We often find ourselves in the middle of trouble - sometime at our own making, sometimes not.  But God is ALWAYS able to bring us through it.  In our Hebrews Bible study this week, we learned that because of us, Christ suffered and died so He might help us in our time of need (Heb. 2:14-18).

Joe Stowell in STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY says when that trouble comes:

"It is important to have something solid and true to which we

can attach our faith.  When trouble comes, faith clings to His promises...

faith clings to His ways...faith clings to His character."

He goes on to say: "God is not going to show up at the end of your trouble and say 'I've been really busy...just couldn't quite get to you'.  He is firm, reliable and fully worthy of our confidence."

What trouble are you facing today?  It's not too great for our Father...He is faithful and He knows your need.  Call on Him now!

For further study:  Deuteronomy 7:9, 32:4, Psalm 25:10, 33:4, Isaiah 49:7, Lamentations 3:22-23, Romans 8:28, 1 Thess. 5:24, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 10:23, 1 John 1:9.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word!

Love,

Holly

"It is time to seek the Lord" - Hosea 10:12

The Book of Hosea, the first of the Old Testament Minor Prophets, reads a bit like a contemporary television show - prostitution, unfaithfulness and much sadness.  The opening verse tells us: "the Lord began to speak through Hosea", so we listen!  He spoke words of warning: the Israelites would have to do right if they wanted God's continued blessing.  He had given them much and they had returned little!  I feel that way today about our country.  We have been much blessed in this "One Nation Under God", but we are turning to our own ways and not honoring the One who has blessed us.

Sarah Young in JESUS CALLING writes:

"...the longer people push Me into the

background of their lives, the harder

it is for them to find Me."

Are our calendars packed full?  Are we running fast and furious through every day?  Are we taking time with Him in the morning to study and seek His plan for our days?  Oswald Chambers says: "Beware lest you forget God's purpose for your life."  Oh my, 'disregard' may describe me better!

In the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, Martha was the busy one...she had so much to do!  Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet to absorb all He gave, was commended by Him: "Mary has chosen what is better".  By the way, I highly recommend HAVING A MARY HEART IN A MARTHA WORLD by Joanna Weaver.

Max Lucado in THE GREAT HOUSE OF GOD writes:

"He has no interest in being a weekend getaway or a Sunday

bungalow or a summer cottage.  Don't consider using God as a vacation

cabin or an eventual retirement home.  He wants you under his roof now

and always.  He wants to be your mailing address, your point of

reference: he wants to be your home."

It is time for us to make Him our home!  It is time for us to seek Him!

For further study:  Deuteronomy 4:29, 1 Chronicles 28:9-10, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 55:6, Amos 5:4-15, Psalm 34:8, Matthew 6:33.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word!

Love,

Holly

"SPEAK A KIND WORD TODAY" - Hebrews 3:13

"...encourage one another daily,

as long as it is called Today

so that none of you may be

hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

The verse on the pillow is my "pollyanna" version - the reality of the latter part takes some time to ponder.  It never occurred to me that when I didn't speak a word of encouragement, it might be because of my own hard heart!  The author was warning Christians in the book of Hebrews to not stop following Christ and encouraging others along the way.

Encouraging words are hard to come by these days.  You more likely hear words of criticism from our politicians, trash talk from our sports stars, disappointing sarcasm even among family and Facebook friends and awful verbal assaults on the television.

One of my favorite commercials shows a mom and dad, all dressed up, in an audience looking around for their very young son who had disappeared.  The stage curtain opens and there he is, all dressed up and sitting at the piano playing a very elementary "Chop Sticks".  With a horrified look on their faces, they see an tuxedo-clad elderly gentleman come out from stage left, stand behind the boy and say: "Go ahead", and he began to play an elaborate accompaniment to the same song making a beautiful sound.  The slogan said: "ENCOURAGEMENT: PASS IT ON!"

St. Frances de Sales said: "Our words are a faithful index of the state of our souls".  Nancy Leigh DeMoss says in THE POWER OF WORDS: "critical heart ~critical words... mean heart~mean words... spiritual heart~spiritual words... kind heart~kind words...".

Joe Stowell in THE WEIGHT OF YOUR WORDS" SAYS:

"A raging river can be destructive and demolish

everything in its path...or it can be channeled to turn a mill

or produce electricity.  The 'energy' produced by our

words can be a ...gift to others or it can knock

them off their feet emotionally."

Let's go find someone to speak a kind word to today!

For further study:  Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 18:21, Psalm 141:3, Isaiah 1:17, Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thes. 4:18, 2 Tim 4:2-3, Hebrews 10:23-24, James 3:3-6.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY" - Leviticus 11:44

Seems like an impossible goal, right?  I worked in a church office once and (at least) one week didn't do a very good job proofreading and the Sunday bulletin announced the wonderful hymn as "Holy, Holly, Holy"...which we all knew wasn't the case at all!  Moses was receiving instructions from the Lord - as they were in the desert after the exodus - on clean and unclean foods.  These instructions esstablished the rules of maintaining a holy relationship with God - which was God's plan then and now.  My Quest Bible commentary says: "the law provides the standard...grace cancels our sin and provides the power to measure up to that standard".  Amos 7:7-8 calls His standard a "plumb line".  Henry Blackaby in FRESH ENCOUNTER says "Scripture serves as our plumb line for how His people should live.".

Apart from a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit, we cannot attain holiness.  If we know Him and His word, then we are on the way.  To be "holy" is to be set apart, different from the world.  So what are some of the things in His word that instruct us in what holy living is:

-  Love the Lord with all your heart - Deu. 6:5
-  Forgive - Matt. 6:14
-  Spend time with the Lord and His word - John 15:5
-  Obey His commands - 2 John 4-6
-  Love others  - John 13:35
-  Tell the truth - Lev. 19:11
-  Encourage others - Eph 5:29
-  Serve others - Eph. 6:7-8
-  Give generously - 2 Cor. 9:11
-  Pray - 2 Chronicles 7:14

I recommend Rhonda Kelley's "A Women's Guide to Personal Holiness" (amazon.com).  In it she says:

"Holiness is not a status to be

achieved, but a life goal to be pursued."

Pursuing holiness will make us different/set apart and ready for the Lord's pleasure and service.  Oswald Chambers says:  "Some of us are like the Dead Sea, always taking in but never giving out".  Is there evidence in your life (and mine) of holiness?  If not maybe there are some habits that need to die.  Allow the Holy Spirit to develop some new attitudes more in line with God's holiness.  I'll be praying for you.

For further study:  Isaiah 6:3, John 7:38, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 4:22-24, Ephesians 5:3,  Colossians 3:12, 1 Thess. 4:7, 2 Tim. 1:9, Hebrews 12:10-14, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Rev. 4:8

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word..

Love,

Holly

"The Lord will guide you ALWAYS" - Isaiah 58:11

I just finished "The Interrupted Life: Lessons from Jonah" by Priscilla Shirer.  She details the Biblical story of Jonah and how he initially ran away when God gave him instructions to "Go to Ninevah and preach..." (1:2).  Instead, he jumped on a ship "to flee from the Lord" (1:3) and ran straight into a giant storm (1:6)!  Then he was tossed overboard (1:15) and landed in the belly of a giant fish  (1:17) and had some rather smelly days with time to think about his life.  Suffice it to say he realized he had made a terrible mistake and yielded to the Lord.  In 3:1, God again gives him instructions and an indication that He would go with him and give him words to speak.

Shirer says:

You've been given the opportunity to write a

story beyond your expectations, and He doesn't

expect you to go it alone.  He partners with you.  He's

gone before you and prepared the pathway for

optimum results, and He'll guide you each step of the way.

One of the sweetest songs I've heard is "Blessings" by Laura Story.  Read about her testimony; it's a sweet story.  She sings:

"What if your blessings come through raindrops

What if your healing comes through tears.

What if a thousand sleepless nights are

what it takes to know You're near.

What if trials of this life are Your

mercies in disguise."

Jonah had to face some trials before he could be finished with his fears.  He finally trusted God enough to know that He would ALWAYS guide him.  Oswald Chambers says "Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams He will not stand by us."

Is there something you're running from today?  Trust His word:  "The Lord will guide you ALWAYS."

For further study: Genesis 39:2, Joshua 1:9, Judges 6:16, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 16:13, Romans 5:3-5, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 2:13, James 1:2-8, 1 Peter 2:23.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"Sing to the Lord..." - Psalm 30:4

Singing is an important form of communication.  Think about the places you sing:  worship, birthdays, sporting events, weddings, funerals.  When you sincerely sing, you are communicating certain truths.  I sing in church (songs of worship).  I sing in my car (songs of praise, Neil Diamond, "Mama Mia"...).  I sing because I love to sing...I don't think I ever realized what a spirt-lifter music in general is.  I find I don't sing when I'm sad, although that's probably exactly when I should!

The Hebrew word in this verse is zamar, to make music, to praise in song.  This is what I think happens when we sing to the Lord:

-- The Lord is pleased when we worship Him with our voice
-- Our hearts are humbled and grateful for who he is
-- We are hopeful when love and joy well up within
---His Spirit strengthens us and sets us back on the right path
-- The cares of the world are diminished
-- Satan flees

In my daily quiet time, I begin my time with the Lord by singing in my head.  I find it helps me to disengage the world and engage with Him.  In Deuteronomy 31:19-22, God told Moses to write down a song and teach it to the people to remind them about Him.  We see in Zephaniah 3:17 that God himself  "rejoices...in singing".  Doesn't it make sense that we, who are being transformed into His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18), would worship and honor Him by singing to Him?  Maybe the real question isn't "are you singing?", but "do you have a song to sing?".

For further study: 2 Chronicles 20:20-21, Psalm 63:5, Psalm 68:4, Psalm 96:1-3, Psalm 100:1-2, Acts 16:22-30, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19-20, Hebrews 13:15.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"Be at rest...for the Lord has been good to you." - Psalm 116:7

Rest...not a very easy thing to do these days.  The dictionary definition of rest is "refreshing ease or inactivity, calm, tranquility, freedom from worry".  When was the last time you experienced something like that?  I especially like Psalm 116:7 because it relates rest to gratitude.  Ellen Vaughn in CHOOSING GRATITUDE by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (I know...I use it a lot!) says:

"Gratitude unleashes the freedom

to live content in the moment, rather

than being anxious about the future or

regretting the past."

I think one of the reasons we don't allow ourselves to rest is that we are not "content in the moment".  We, in fact, are discontent!  Things like social networking (and I'm guilty) have caused us to be distracted and anxious about our own lives.  We've become "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim 3:2-4).  Oswald Chambers calls rest "oneness with God".  That means we become so into Him that we remove all other elements of our lives and circumstances.  We let go of those things that cause us anxiety and turmoil and we trust Him completely.  Can you see the need for rest?  Tim Kimmel says "rest is a choice".

One of my very favorite Christian songs is "Word of God Speak" by Mercy Me:

 Word of God speak

Would you pour down like rain;

Washing my eyes to see your majesty.

To be still and know that you're in this place

Please let me stay and rest in your holiness

Word of God speak.

The world will tell you "stay busy all the time" - the Word of God tells you "be at rest...".

For further study:  Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 33:14, Psalm 91:1, Jeremiah 6:16, Matthew 11:28, Mark 6:31, John 14:27, Romans 1:21, Colossians 3:15, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:2-4.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"He will rejoice over you with singing" - Zephaniah 3:17

"The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.  He will take

great delight in you, he will quiet

you with his love, he will rejoice over

you with singing."

The prophet Zephaniah spoke for God with this call to rejoice over what the Lord had done in casting down Jerusalem's enemies...a victory hymn of sorts.  Earlier in the book he had to warn the people of the upcoming devastation coming to Judah.  However, a remnant ("those who trust in the name of the Lord") would be protected (3:12) and those are the ones He will rejoice over.

Does God sing?  We know joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and comes from Him, but have you ever thought about the Lord singing?  The Hebrew word for singing, rinnah, speaks of joyful shouting.  It may refer to a shout of delight or happy laughter.  My Quest Bible commentary says "it may be a way of describing God's feelings in terms we understand".

Our family was watching some home videos the other day and how fun it was to see the happy laughter and joyful shouting when our boys were young ones.  Oh how we delighted in what they did!  Isn't that the picture we have in this verse of God taking delight in us...those who trust in His name?  Our covenant-keeping God delights in us, quiets us and rejoices over us.  Are we gratefully responding to Him in the way He would desire?  He gives us such simple responsibilities (privileges?):  trust in Him, call out to Him, obey Him, serve and glorify Him.  What hope we have!!

For further study: 1 Samuel 15:22, Psalm 20:7, Psalm 32:10, Isaiah 25:9, Isaiah 42:1, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Matthew 12:18, John 14:1, Romans 9:33, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

Love One Another - 1 John 4:7

The apostle John, in writing this letter, describes how God loves and encourages us to follow that example.  How does God love?  The word in this verse is agape - a benevolent, unselfish love.  Oswald Chambers says "if human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love...the springs of love are in God, not in us."  Love is about giving, not about getting.  God doesn't love like the world loves (1John 2:13-15) with cravings and lusts.  That isn't love.  Those are self-serving desires.  My goodness, His love is "lavished upon us" (1 John 3:1) - not a stingy, measured kind of affection.  He doesn't love to control;  He loves because that's His nature.

When our boys were little - and sometimes now - we would say "I love you 60 million" (which we learned from Don's mother), but that doesn't even begin to describe the kind of love our Father has for us.  He evidenced that love in sacrificing His Son that we might have abundant life.  Vines says "love can be known only from the actions it prompts".  What kinds of actions are we showing with our love?

Here are some suggestions from The Message in 1 Corinthians 13:

"Love never gives up

Love cares more for others than for self.

                                                  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first",

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel

Takes pleasure in the flowering of the truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back

but keeps going to the end."

I want others (especially my family) to know that I'm His by the love I offer.  How about you?

For further study:  Exodus 34:6-7, Lev. 19:18, Psalm 32:10, Jer. 31:3, Matt. 5:44, Luke 7:47, John 13:35, Romans 5:8, Romans 12:9-13, Ephesians 4:2, Col. 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH" - Phil. 4:13

"Sometimes I feel so all alone

Sometimes I feel my hope is gone

My situation can't keep me down

Cause there is power in these words I've found"

Nicole C. Mullen "Captivated" CD

Nicole Mullen's song about Phil. 4:13 struck me as I was driving home from Indiana by myself.  Don had driven up with me, but I assured him it was no big deal to drive home without him - or so it seemed!  The reality of it was that there was danger all along the way, and it reminded me as I listened to this song,  of how similar this road trip was to the journey of life.  Some examples:

Circumstances Beyond Our Control - As soon as I left our condo Sunday morning, a huge storm hit right in the middle of Chicago and for 3 hours I was near panic in the pouring rain as cars raced past me.  I felt so shakey and out of control.  There were people who gave up along the way and pulled over, but I was more afraid to do that than to plow along.  I pleaded with the Lord to keep me safe.  "Guide me, oh thou great Jehovah" was uttered out loud several times.  God is in control of our circumstances even when we are not.

Wrong Turns - In almost every large city, I made wrong turns.  I had to decide to face my mistake and to turn around or to make the best of it and go to Plan B.  It was important in each instance to be aware of what I had done wrong, to stop and make the adjustment to get back on the right path.  Sometimes it delayed the trip, but it was always the right thing to do.

Times of Vulnerability - My most dangerous times along the way were when I was distracted and not paying attention  At one point the day before, I had placed my purse on the front seat and then, while talking to a friend, hit the "lock door" button and forgot about it until we closed all the doors and there was my purse with keys on the front seat!  While near panic, I realized I had put the keys in my pants pocket!  Thank you, Lord!  When my mind was somewhere else, or the traffic about me was chaotic, I often missed an exit or a turn.  Quick decisions were often wrong decisions.

People Along the Way to Encourage - I was encouraged along the way to have policemen present to help - happily I didn't need them, but I was grateful they were there.  In one toll booth, I didn't read the signs (another comparison to life!), and it said "coins only" and I arrived at the pot with bills!  The nice lady next door stopped what she was doing and handed me coins and even called me "sugar" so I didn't think I was an idiot!  There were trucks that I followed along the way when I couldn't see anything ahead.  My cell phone had people at the other end and our boys provided hugs along the way.  I listened to Christian music, always being exhorted by the contemporary artists to keep my eyes on the Lord.

One of my favorite Scriptures, and I know I've mentioned it before, is Ezekiel 47:1-12.  It reminds us that health comes from the living waters of the Lord.  I called out to Him many times on the trip, to help me and give me wisdom.  Deadness comes when we think we can do it all without Him.  He had a plan for me on this trip - to hear Him, to follow Him, and to glorify Him - as He does for each of our lives.  The storms of trips and of life make us ever more grateful when the sun comes out and we can see the road ahead.  "Anything which leads us to cry unto God is a blessing to us." Charles Spurgeon.  My trip was blessed!

For further study:  Exodus 15:13, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:1-4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 30:21, Isaiah 55:7, Isaiah 58:11, Galatians 5:16, Philippians 3:12, Hebrews 10:23.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL" - Psalm 103:1

As with so many of David's psalms (songs), these words were written to express what he was feeling.  This was a poem sung by temple workers and written to remember all the good things God has done - He forgives, He heals, He redeems, He crowns you with love and righteousness, and satisfies your desires.  Is that not cause for celebration and praise?  The word "bless" in its original form (barak) means "to bend the knees, to praise or salute".  David's heart and soul were worshipping!

How wise of David - and of us - to remember His great love for us and all He has done.  Unfortunately, too often we remember and mourn our sins, our failures and our disappointments.  Surely David gives plenty of evidence in other psalms of his emotional lows.  Like Jeremiah, he can get pretty heavy with his laments about how hard his life is.  Perhaps that's why we identify with so much of what he's written.

We have a choice every day to celebrate or curse.  The Daily Bread devotional several years ago said "we invite defeat when we remember what we should forget".  David was remembering what he should remember and forgetting what he should forget!  I am doing Nancy Leigh DeMoss's "A 30-day Study in the Psalms" and in it she quotes Martyn Lloyd Jones:

"...defy yourself...and other people...

and the whole world and say...'I shall yet

praise Him for the help of His countenance'".

We have a choice today to live sad, defeated lives or to celebrate God's goodness with David and sing "Bless the Lord, O my soul".  What are your lips saying today?

For further study:  Exodus 15:1-18, Psalm 33:1, Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 104:33-34, Psalm 142:7, Isaiah 42:10, Matthew 5:16, Colossians 3:16, Philippians 4:8-9, James 5:13

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

This is Lake Michigan and has been my daily reminder of God's goodness and power!

Love,

Holly

"God's mercies are new every day" - Lamentations 3:23

"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."

This pillow was a special request for a special friend.  She likes to be reminded every morning as she makes their bed of the blessings God gives her family every day.  Poor Jeremiah was rather like Eeyore in most of the book of Lamentations.  As a wholehearted pollyanna, I can barely read how hard he thinks his life is.  But in the middle of Chapter 3, he finally recognized that God's great love never fails and that He gives new blessings every day!

John Piper says "today's mercies are not designed to carry tomorrow's burdens".  Fenelon says "do not insult today by looking for a better tomorrow".  We lose the blessing of today's gifts by looking to get more tomorrow or by worrying about what we have to face next week.  Our task today is to be grateful for His provision today, to seek to understand His purposes and to not lose the opportunity we have to glorify Him in these gifts.  Do we wake up each morning desiring to be fertile ground for Him or do we wake up fretting over what we can't control?  He has given us TODAY.

The great hymn by Thomas Chisholm "Great is Thy Faithfulness" reminds us we have "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow".  Look around you - can you speak of God's faithfulness in your day?  Like the psalmist in Psalm 71, are you proclaiming God's goodness to the young around you?  Are they seeing you praise God for His "marvelous deeds" (v. 17) or are they seeing you complain about what you don't have?

What will I do with today's "new mercies"?  Will I consume them like a cupcake and look for my next treat?  Or will I be grateful and bear fruit from the experience?  "This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

For further study:  Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 57:9-10, Psalm 71:17-18, Proverbs 27:1, Matthew 6:11, 34, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, 9:8-11, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 13:8, James 4:13-16.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

THY WILL BE DONE - Matthew 6:10

Our church has had an emphasis on The Lord's Prayer for several months now (see http://www.theeverydayprayer.com/) and we are encouraged to say it every day for daily insight.  This prayer was given to the disciples as a model - an example to follow - that would guide them in conversation with God.

It's important to note the positions we take in this prayer before this statement.  We have first aligned ourselves with a holy and personal God ("Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name") in the first two lines.  Next, we agree to make His realm our goal ("Thy kingdom come...").  Just as Israel rejected God and asked for an earthly king, we have in many ways rejected Christ and His teachings - we have lusted after worldly pursuits.  Unless we are yielded to Christ's rule and reign, we aren't submitting to "thy kingdom come".

Only after agreeing to the first two tenets of this prayer, will we be ready to say "Thy will be done...".  For us to submit to doing what pleases Him, we must remember who He is and who we are.  A beautiful picture of that kind of submission is in Matthew 26:36-46.  Jesus, in the garden before His death, in anguish of soul prayed "...not as I will, but as you will".  His submission - when facing overwhelming grief and pain - is an example to us of what our submission should look like.  R.C. Sproul in THE PRAYER OF OUR LORD said:

"We are to come to God and tell Him what we

want, but we must trust Him to give the answer that is

best for us.  That is what Jesus did."

Jesus did yield and showed us the ultimate example of "Thy will be done".

I have a very determined little girl inside of me that says "MY will be done".  It is not in her best interest to win!  Together with Jesus, we must say to "Our Father in heaven...", "Thy will be done".

For further study:  Isaiah 40: 21-26, Matthew 28:20, Luke 22:39-44, John 14:23, Acts 5:29, Romans 6:16, Romans 12:1-2,  Hebrews 13:20-21, 2 John 6

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

CHOOSE JOY

Forgive me...another exception to my "Scripture only" rule!  This is sooo close to Philippians 4:4!  This actually is a quote from Anne Hathaway's mother.  As I remember, when this actress was a young girl and had disappointments, her mother would encourage her to "choose joy" - it sounds like my mother!  We do have a choice in how we respond to the disappointments of life.  Our attitude is ours alone!  I once heard it said: "First you make your choices, then your choices make you!".  Lots of people have disappointments and crumble in body and soul; others rise above their difficult circumstances to peace and joy.  There are lots of examples of both in the Bible.  Let's concentrate on the positive ones:

--Joshua chose to focus on the Lord's promise rather than the giants in the new land (Numbers 13-14)
--Ruth chose to remain with her mother-in-law and make "her God my God" (she later became a part of the genealogy of Jesus) (Matthew 1:5) (Ruth 1)
--Joseph chose to do right rather than take advantage of a miserable woman's advances (Genesis 39)
--Paul and Silas chose to pray and sing in jail rather than blame someone else for their trouble (Acts 16)

Think about the choices you will have today!
Choose kindness!
Choose mercy!
Choose forgiveness!
Choose love!
Choose gratitude!
Choose faith!
Choose joy!

For further study: Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 37, Proverbs 8:10,, 16:16, Habakkuk 3:18, Matthew 5:12, John 7:17, Galatians 5:22-23, Phil. 4:4,  1 Thes. 5:16, James 1:2.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Paul was writing this letter to a church he had helped establish on his second missionary journey.  He seeks to remind them of the eternal perspective in a culture filled with distractions (sound familiar?).  He tells them "let us not be like others" (my mother's favorite line in my childhood).  He told them we don't belong to the dark, we belong to the light of Jesus Christ!  Prayer was as essential in Paul's time as it is today!

I'm going to tell a story on myself - Don's favorite!  When we lived in Miami shortly after we were married there was a major storm and the city told everyone we would have to boil drinking water for 36 hours and I said "how can that be?" - I thought that old pot had to sit on the stove and boil for 36 hours!  He later retold that story at a dinner party (and has told it many times since!) and the man across the table said "I'm so glad my wife didn't say that!".  Don knew he had a "work-in-progress"!

Well, you might ask:  how is praying continually possible?  This is what Oswald Chambers says:

"If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs

and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly.  The blood

flows ceaselessly, and breathing continues ceaselessly;

we are not conscious of it but it is always going on."

Are the lines of communication always open between you and your Father in heaven?  Prayer is not an exercise in the morning, it's a dependence throughout the day that the Lord is with you and that He is listening to your heart.   Do you believe that He hears and will answer?  Trust Him with all that causes you joy and heartache and believe that His perfect will is for you to know Him and depend upon Him only.

For further study:  2 Chronicles 7:14, Job 42:10, Psalm 15:8, Matthew 6:7-13, 11:24, Romans 12:12,

Philippians 4:6, James 5:16, 1 Peter 3:12, Revelation 5:8

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"The Lord bless and keep you" - Numbers 6:24

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace." 

I wanted you to see the full verse.  This is a priestly benediction that the Lord gave Moses to give to the Israelites following a lengthy discourse on the holiness of their community.  They had been wandering in the desert for 40 years following the exodus from Egypt.  Moses was their leader and they were in the process of "numbering" the clan.  I have been in large family gatherings and large church gatherings and there are many times I look for the exit!  But dear Moses continued to hear the Lord and shepherd these grumbling people.  This blessing was specifically for those who had His name upon them (v. 27).

Why do we - those who have His name upon us - look for blessings from other sources?  From things?  From other people?  From status?  From escape?  True blessing comes only from God.  A.W. Tozer says in THE PURSUIT OF GOD:

                                   "Let any man turn to God in earnest, let him begin to

                                   exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop

                                   his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience

                                   and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may

                                   have hoped in his leaner and weaker days."

That's a blessed life!  Let's stop competing with others, and start sharing the blessings God has shared with us!  Remember, peace is at the end of our blessing!

For further study:  Psalm 1:1, Psalm 2:12, Psalm 33:12,  Psalm 112:1, Proverbs 10:6, Matthew 5:1-16, Romans 12:14,  Hebrews 3:13, 1 Peter 2:9

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"WAIT FOR THE LORD" - Psalm 27:14

In Psalm 27, David seemed to have evil men around him and trouble everywhere, yet he was convinced of and quieted by God's faithfulness.  He knew in the "day of trouble", the Lord would keep him safe and "hidden in the shelter of his tabernacle".  You see, he had experience with "waiting on God".  Some of that experience must have come from making his own poor choices.

How sure are you that God will keep you safe and provided for?  Honestly, one of my biggest weaknesses is "waiting".  I have this woman inside of me that says: "do it now", "it will be gone if you don't", "it's a bargain of a lifetime", "later might be too late", "I'm sure He needs my help".  She is a pest and a very vocal one and I must learn to say no to her!

To "wait for the Lord" means that you trust Him completely for your needs.  We must remember He sees the big picture of our lives; His goodness and timing are impeccable!  Ours are not!

I had a powerful spiritual experience many years ago at a retreat in North Carolina.  I was very unsettled and anxious.  I felt fear and oppression all around and within me.  I was reading Andrew Murray's WAITING UPON GOD book about the mother eagle teaching her babies how to fly.  The Lord does the same with us:

"He stirs up your nest.  He disappoints your hopes.  He brings down your confidence...and all the while He is spreading His strong wings for you to rest your weakness on...all He asks is that you should sink down in your weariness and wait on Him...allow Him to carry you as you ride upon the wings of His omnipotence."

Today, I will picture myself sitting on that rock with David waiting and trusting.

For further study:  Psalm 31:24, Psalm 37:7-9, 34, Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 40:31, Micah 7:7, Galatians 5:22-23.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN TO KNOW MY CHILDREN WALK IN THE TRUTH" - 3 John 4

First, Second and Third John were all written by the disciple John in the later stages of his life.  They were written to encourage believers (who might be listening to false teachers) to continue obeying God's commands.  He spoke about TRUTH, refering to the teachings of Jesus, as the means to discerning right and wrong.  These people were not his biological children, but he loved them as if they were and he knew the path that would be best for them...walking in the TRUTH.

Don recently taught a parenting study based on the book: MODERN PARENTS, VINTAGE VALUES by Trevathan and Goff.  In it, they talk about how technology (i.e. cell phones, social networking, internet, games, etc.) has so changed parenting today, making it much more difficult to raise Godly children.  But the TRUTH of God's word has not changed.  In the book, the authors name nine character traits that I believe are worthy of praying for our children:

--kindness (Ephesians 4:32)
--compassion (Luke 10:30-37)
--forgiveness (Luke 6:37)
--gratitude (2 Cor. 9:10-11)
--integrity (Proverbs 11:20)
--responsibility (Col. 3:23-23)
--patience (2 Peter 1:5-7)
--confidence (Psalm 18:29)
--manners (John 13:34-35)

Like John, we must continue to point our children toward TRUTH.  Our boys are 23 and 24.  Our youngest son, Alex, just got engaged to lovely Laura.  Our prayers for them are still that they would walk with the Lord and follow His ways (TRUTH).  By His grace, they are growing in their love and knowledge of Him.  We have made many mistakes, but the Lord has shepherded them when we have failed.

These childen are not given to us for our enjoyment - they are given to us to "train them up" in TRUTH and send them out.  Our joy comes when they make the choice to "walk in truth".  We must not find our life in our children, we must send them out to be life to a dying world.  John Ortberg says "parenting is the one job in which success is measured by making yourself obsolete."  How successful are you?

For further study:  Deuteronomy 6:7-9, Psalm 19:7-11, Proverbs 22:6, Isaiah 45:19, John 1:14, John 8:32, John 14:6, John 16:13, Romans 1:25, 2 Thess. 2:9-12.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"TO GOD BE THE GLORY! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE"

On Maundy Thursday, 1981, I walked into a PCA church in Coral Gables, FL and this was the hymn they were singing.  I was immediately struck by the power of these words.  I had been raised in a church, but had never had words of a hymn sink deep into my soul.  I knew I wanted more.  In that church I learned the chief purpose of man from the Westminster Catechism:  to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  I had gotten it all wrong - I thought enjoying life was what it was all about!  I had done a pretty good job of that up to then, but kept searching for something to matter!  Shortly after that night, I read John Stott's BASIC CHRISTIANITY and yielded my life to Christ.
An American hymnwriter, Fanny Crosby wrote this hymn - and many others - in l875.  Oddly enough, Crosby was blind from 6 years of age, and yet still praised the Creator for all the works of His hand.  The hymn was mostly in British songbooks until it was sung at a Billy Graham Crusade in l954.  It is a beautiful hymn of praise and a reminder of God's grace and that He alone is to be given the glory.

I watched 60 minutes last night and Lady Gaga was interviewed.  She was quite proud to proclaim she was "mastering the art of fame" - hers, I presume.  I can't imagine trying to take credit for any of the blessings of my life, let alone making my reputation "widespread".  It is God who is the Maker of heaven and earth; God who was "in the beginning".  God who calls us into a personal relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.  My goals are so small compared to what He wants to do with my life.

Although I am not a regular watcher of Oprah, I confess to watching her last show several weeks ago and whatever you say about her views, she has been a large influence for good in the world.  Her last words of the show were proclaimed loudly: "TO GOD BE THE GLORY!"  I want those to be my last words.  I want Him to be glorified and honored above all things.  He is the only one worthy!

For further study:  Exodus 15:11, 1 Chronicles 16:7-36; Psalm 19:1, Psalm 29:1-2, Isaiah 6:3, 48:11, Romans 1:21-23, 1 Corinthians 1:31, 10:31, Revelation 4:11.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"THE LORD GOES WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO" - Joshua 1:9

The great prophet Moses faithfully freed and delivered the enslaved Israelites by the power of God.  He led them in the wilderness for 40 years eager to see the Promised Land.  However, due to disobedience (see Numbers 20:1-12), he would not be the one to take them there.

His faithful assistant, Joshua, was sent with a group to explore the Promised Land (Numbers 13) - kind of an advance team!  What they saw there frightened most of the team - exceptionally strong,, tall men and fortified cities.  And they were supposed to "take" this land?  Only Joshua and Caleb were rewarded for their positive attitude that if the Lord directed them it would happen!

As we begin the book of Joshua, it was time for him to take the reins.  Moses had died and the Lord came to Joshua with last minute instructions.  He assured Joshua that they were ready to enter into the Promised Land, that He would go with them and never leave them.  He was their guide, their friend, their commander, their support, their hope.

My dear friend, Dena, introduced me to Mandisa's "He is With You":

     "He is with you when your faith is dead, and you can't even get out of bed,
     Or your husband doesn't kiss you anymore. He is with you when your baby's gone,
     And your house is still, and your heart's a stone cryin' God, what'd you
     do that for?  He is with you."

Oswald Chambers (6/2) says:  "The whole of our life inside and out is to be absolutely haunted by the presence of God...if we are...nothing else can get in, no cares, no tribulations,  no anxieties."

I believe our future is our Promised Land.  If we will take His hand, follow His laws and walk humbly with Him and others, He will be present with us and guide us in all we do.  What a great promise!

For further study:  1 Samuel 12:24, 17:37, Psalm 25:4-5, 12, Psalm 27, Isaiah 41:10, 43:1-3, Jeremiah 31:10, Micah 6:8, Hebrews 13:6, James 4:8

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

'TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART..." - Proverbs 3:5

Solomon wrote much of the book of Proverbs.  He was the son of King David and Bathsheba (yes, the one David sinned with!) and became king after David's death.  In 1 Kings 3:5, the Lord appeared to King Solomon in a dream and said "Ask for whatever you want me to give you...".  In humility, the King did not ask for riches or fame, but in v. 9 asked for a "discerning heart to govern...and to distinguish between right and wrong."  And thus we have words in the Proverbs and other books written by a man with a "wise and discerning heart" who was inspired by God.

My Bible commentary says "our culture is glutted with information, but often starved for wisdom."  We would do well to follow Biblical principles more than we follow worldly principles.  Proverbs 3:5-6 is probably the verse I repeat to myself more than any other.  I have hidden it in my heart to remind to "TRUST in the Lord..." and NOT "lean on" my own understanding.  Trust means reliance on the integrity, strength or ability of a person or thing.  Leaning is the picture of putting your whole weight on something.

I once watched a talk show where a husband (who had been unfaithful) and a wife shared their experience.  The interviewer asked her, "can you trust him?" and the wife said, "no, but I trust God".
Who are you trusting today?

Rick Warren in THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE says "Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life."  I believe the more you know about Him, the more you will trust Him.  He made us with a purpose and a plan...His history proves His wisdom; my history proves my foolishness!  I'm going with Him!

For further study:  Deuteronomy 4:29, 10:12, Job 38:36, Psalm 20:7, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 147:11, Proverbs 28:26,  Matthew 6:19-21, John 14:1, Hebrews 13:6

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD" - Luke 1:37

Imagine being a young girl engaged to be married and receiving a visit from an angel?  One day you're planning a wedding and the next a nursery!  The good news is this angel was a messenger from God - he told her she had "found favor with God" (so far so good!) and that she would give birth to a son - "the Son of the Most High"!  Now this was pretty serious information and she had a choice - kind of.  She could run or she could obey.  She only asked "how?" and when the angel assured her it was the POWER OF GOD, she knew it must be!

"In the beginning God" shows us it was the POWER OF GOD that spoke into being all of creation (Genesis 1); it was the POWER OF GOD that parted the Red Sea (Genesis 3); it was the POWER OF GOD that spewed Jonah from the great fish's belly (Jonah 1);  it was the POWER OF GOD that raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11). It has been the POWER OF GOD that has kept my husband healthy for the past three years!  No power exists than that which belongs to God.   A.W. Pink says in THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD:

     "Nothing is too hard for Him...seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard
     for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue;
     no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve."

Do you need to stop trying to wrestle power from Him?  Is it health?  Is it finances? Is it conflict in a relationship?  Is it trust?  Let Him "whose arm is not too short" (Isaiah 59:1) be your strength and your hope?  He alone can do the IMPOSSIBLE!

For further study  Exodus 15:11, Job 36:22, Psalm 147:5, Isaiah 40:21-26, Habakkuk 3, Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23, Luke 1:26-38, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word!

Love,
Holly

"LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART..." - Deu. 6:5

Bless Moses' heart...he had a real problem on his hands.  This man had been raised in privilege, fled after killing one of his own people and now had risked his life to rescue an enslaved people, only to have them decide worshipping a golden calf was more satisfying than the God who had provided their freedom!  You can just see him looking to the heavens and saying "why me, Lord?"!  But the God who had spoken to him face-to-face and had given him a set of Ten Commandments, wanted Moses to teach these people what real freedom was:  to honor and trust the ONE TRUE GOD only and with all their being.

One of my favorite stories is about a little girl who had been able to buy a cheap dimestore set of pearls.  She loved her pearls; they made her feel dressed up and special.  Every night her daddy came in to read her a story.  When he finished, he would tell her he loved her and asked if she would give him her pearls.  Every night she assured him she loved him, but could she give him something else, not her pearls.  This happened night after night.  Finally, one night he went in and she tearfully handed over her pearls with head bowed down.  Her kind daddy reached into his pocket and brought out a strand of beautiful, genuine pearls.  He had the real thing to give her but she held on to the cheap imitation.  Isn't that what we do...we hold onto to status...possessions...power...money...family?  We have loved the world and its cheap toys, when the Lord offers us the real thing.

Howard Hendricks says: "First I make my decisions, then my decisions make me."  Who/what you love is a decision.  Decide today to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

For further study:  Exodus 20:1-17, Psam 89:6-18, Jeremiah 2:19, Matt. 6:24,  Mark 12:29-31, Romans 1:24-32, 1 Tim 6:10,1 John 2:15-17

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD..." - Psalm 37:4

This is a psalm of David, probably written in his wise later years.  He had seen many evil men come and go, and he was confident that, like the withering grass, they would "soon die away".  He chose instead to trust in the Lord's unfailing love and care.

This verse is a beautiful illustration of "cause and effect".  If you obey the command (delight), a promise awaits (He will "tend to" the desires of your heart).  The word "delight" in the original form, anag, means "delicate or soft" meaning being sensitive or pliable.  It would mean to be dependent upon and to derive one's pleasure from God - basking or reveling, if you will.  What are the things you are dependent upon?  What are the things you derive your pleasure in?  Are you sensitive or pliable to Him? Does that mean if you do, the Lord gives you whatever you ask?  No, it means if you are truly focused on Him, the desires of your heart will be His desires as well.  Unless we "delight" in Him, our desires will be worldly and small.  I don't pretend to understand why there are godly people with desires yet unmet (Hebrews 11:39). There are some things that we must leave to the wisdom of a holy God.

I am a self-professed "pollyanna" - I want all to be well (a Bible study group even nicknamed me Hollyanna!), but there are times I delight in the wrong things.  There are times I find it difficult to delight in anything.  So how can we delight when we're not feeling delightful?  I think the Newsboys sing it well
in "Father, Blessed Father":  "Breathe, oh breath of God; breathe on me 'til my heart is new." Pray for your heart - and mine - to desire what He desires.  In the meantime, "delight yourself in the Lord"!

For further study: Psalm 1:2, Psalm 94:19, Psalm 145:19, Isaiah 58:14, Matthew 5:6, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Philippians 4:4-19.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

"THE LORD LONGS TO BE GRACIOUS TO YOU..." Isaiah 30:18

RECOGNIZING GRACE
What a game-changer this verse is!  To have the Creator of the universe "waiting around" to give us undeserved favor!  The prophet Isaiah recognized the nature of God and urged the people to turn from self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency.  His offer is free to all who will believe.

Grace has been a key word for me since Don and I attended a Henry Blackaby conference in Canada several years ago - I even have a plate in our foyer to remind me of the concept!  Dr. Blackaby spoke on Galatians 2:21: "I do not set aside the grace of God..." and showed me how I can miss His grace...by not paying attention, by focusing on worldly things, by being self-centered, etc. etc.  His grace comes in many shapes and forms, and unless our eyes are on Him, we will miss His abundant grace.

SHARING GRACE
If we recognize the enormity of His grace, then we will gladly give it to others.  Do you know people can tell by our behavior whether we recognize His grace or not?  Here's what Richard Blackaby says in PUTTING A FACE ON GRACE:

Grace builds up; it doesn't tear down.

Grace gives what is undeserved.

Grace is costly

Grace gives without expecting anything in return.

Grace thinks of others, not self.

Grace focuses on the important, not the trivial.

Grace looks at what could be, rather than fixating on what is or is not.

Grace helps people become more like Christ.

Grace doesn't condemn or give up on people.

Grace emphasizes mercy, not justice.

I think I'll wander into the foyer for a reminder!

For further study: Joel 2:13, Nehemiah 9:17, 2 Corinthians 4:15, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Titus 2:11-14, 1 Peter 5:10, Hebrews 4:16

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" - Psalm 46:10

We have a large sign on our mantel - my husband will tell you we have signs all over the house!

This particular verse calms me, reminds me who is in charge and what my responsibility is - to stop and listen!  The psalmist was actually referring to the cessation of wars, but maybe that's really what is going on in our hearts when we need the reminder to "be still...".  Elisabeth Elliott writes: "Our enemy delights in disquieting us.  Our Savior and Helper delights in quieting us.  The choice is ours.  It depends on our willingness to see everything in God, receive from His hand...and accept with gratitude...what He offers." (From KEEP A QUIET HEART)  What causes you to be "disquieted" today?  Stress over a job?  Insufficient finances?  A troubled relationship?  Your health?  The old hymn says:  "Be still my soul; the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below."

You can know that "God is your refuge and strength" (Ps. 46:1) and turn your anxious hearts to quiet ones.

For further study: Psalm 23:2, Isaiah 30:15, Isaiah 32:17, Zephaniah 3:17, 1 Timothy 2:2, 1 Peter 3:4

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

JESUS LOVES ME

I admit this isn't a Scripture and my own business policy is to embroider ONLY Scriptures (which protects me from things like "wine, women and song"!), but there are some exceptions that must be made!  The Bible is full of proof of Jesus' love.

Is there any greater hope than JESUS LOVES ME?  If as adults that calms us, imagine what it would be like to grow up as a child hearing and seeing that message over and over!  "As Christ's love grows in us, His love flows from us." Daily Bread 10/19/10

Maybe the ills of our society stem partially from children who feel unloved by anyone, let alone ONE so special.  I had a sweet conversation with our "bug man" last week about how to know Jesus.  Oddly enough his previous customer had asked him that question and it took him to get to our home for him to begin thinking about it.  I gave him BASIC CHRISTIANITY by John Stott which is what I read in l981 to show me I had never received Christ as my personal Savior.  I could tell this man wanted his children to know that kind of love.  I probably should have given him a pillow instead!

"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."

For further study:  Exodus 20:6, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 57:10, Jeremiah 31:3, Lamentations 3:22, Zephaniah 3:17, John 15:13, Romans 5:5, 2 Corinthians 5:14, 1 John 4:7-18.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly