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