Category Archives: Hope

Like A Flood

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flood

 

Where have I been for the last few months, you might ask? Truthfully, I have been battling a rather serious health issue; one that has knocked me down more than once, but rest assured, I’m not down for the count. In fact, I plan to resume blogging now, despite my weakened condition. But first, I want to share a post from my archives because it seemed very appropriate amid the physical and emotional storms that so many are facing. I will share this post both here, and on my Rays of Light page, but check back soon because no matter what, God’s mercies are too great to keep silent and I will, Lord willing, be adding new posts to both sites very soon.

Today, as I gazed upon the brightest, most beautiful sky that I have seen in weeks, I couldn’t help but think of those living in flood-ravaged areas; and right now, there are plenty of those. I also wept for a few dear friends who are going through some very devastating storms in their personal lives. It seems that so many of us are going through heavy storms of one type or another. Don’t give up, friends, even when those storms seem to come against you………..

LIKE A FLOOD

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

This past weekend, the weather here was horrendous. We were hit with the whole gamut of storm threats, including tornadoes, hail and flooding. In fact the hail stone pictured –or should I say hail boulder- was one of many that pounded this region. There was quite a bit of property loss in our area, but praise the LORD, there were no serious injuries.

hail

I thought of the second half of Isaiah 59:19: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. However, the ancient Hebrew texts did not have commas, or paragraphs for that matter, so instead of reading:

When the enemy shall come in like a flood —the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him

the verse could just as easily read

When the enemy shall come in —like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

What’s the difference? The difference is where you place the emphasis. Dear reader, when you are bombarded with the storms of life, do you focus more on the storm, or on the one who can calm it?

It is only natural to feel completely overwhelmed at times. Undoubtedly, many of the folks here that lost their homes in the tornadoes felt that way. I’m sure they could relate to the words of King David did when he penned the following:

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.
Psalm 55:4-8 NIV

But David didn’t stop there, allowing his situation to flood him with despair. Instead, he confidently proclaimed, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me” (verse 16).

Dear reader, I leave you with these encouraging words from the same Psalm; may they flood you with peace during your roughest storms.

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (verse 22).

(Like a Flood originally posted April 2012)

Walking Upon Possibilities

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soldier

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Historian.

Sitting in a crowded waiting room this past week, I watched a very young girl make her way slowly across the room. Tears pooled in my eyes at the thought that this crippled child would have to use crutches for the rest of her life. But she wasn’t the least bit sad. From the sweet, careless smile which lit her innocent face, it was quite obvious that she didn’t give her legs a second thought.

I was reminded of William Pitt the Elder, a British Politician, who was an extremely influential figure during the French Revolution. What Pitt lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for in determination. The concept of limitation was a foreign one to him.

Though he rarely delegated duty, he had at some point during the war given a direct command to one of his officials. When the man balked at the impossibility of the task, Pitt reprimanded him by pointing to his crutches and confidently declared: “Sir, I walk upon impossibilities!”

There is no question that all of humanity is currently facing difficulty and hardship. The future holds many uncertainties and without God, I believe, little hope. With God, however, there is much hope because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever you are going through right now, dear reader, remember that we may all lose a few battles, but we will most assuredly win the war. Now is not the time to give in to discouragement; there is too much work to do. It may be difficult, but let us all rise to the challenge.

Marie Currie, French physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner summarized this well. She said “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that…. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

It is far too easy to allow circumstances to cripple us. And when they do, we can choose to accept them as insurmountable, henceforth hobbling on emotional crutches. Or we can look them squarely in the face and declare, as Mr. Pitt did, “I walk upon impossibilities!” Let me remind you again, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

Too Heavenly Minded?

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stairway

Through the years I have heard a few preachers say that we can be “too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” Modern translation: Radicals need not apply. When I read my bible, however, I find numerous accounts of “radical” servants of the Most High who turned their worlds upside down with their passion for God and His kingdom.

The first sermons of Jesus recorded in scripture were about the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, everything He taught, every miracle He performed, every body He healed, even His death on the cross, were all about the kingdom of Heaven. Who amongst us would ever think Him to be so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly good? And we are supposed to be imitators of Jesus Christ aren’t we?

No, I don’t think it possible to be too heavenly minded. In regard to God’s instructions, scripture commands that you impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)
In other words, all the time!

Furthermore, blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. (Psalms 1:2)

Why is he blessed? When a man meditates on God’s word, he acts on God’s word. It is the heavenly minded who does this world the most good –that which lasts for eternity. The more “radical” believers are, the more likely they are to turn this world upside down for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

So then, can a believer be too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? Again, I don’t think so. I doubt that is what we should be asking anyway. Perhaps we should be asking the opposite:

Can a person be too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good?

–just a little food for thought.

Home is Number 5

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cell phone

We were sitting around the dinner table when the subject of numbers came up. Addressing my husband I joyfully said, I know what number I am -number 2. To understand the very special meaning of that statement, please read one of my most popular blogs, “Second Place Love.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling. “You are even number 2 on my speed dial.”

That surprised me. “I thought home would be number 2 and my cell would be number 3,” I replied.

He pulled his phone from its case and turned the keypad toward me. The number 5 is in the center of my phone, he explained, so home is number 5 because everything revolves around home.

I already knew that my husband’s life revolved around his family, but to hear this little tidbit just blessed my socks off because I love the imagery of it.

Dear reader, no matter how strong our prayer lives are, there will always be those times when we need to ‘speed dial’ the LORD. After all, urgent matters can arise very quickly. When they do, (and even when they don’t) it is good to know that our Heavenly Father is already right in the center of our lives, where He belongs.

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

Second Place Love

Backside of Nowhere

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reaching hand

Just as I stopped at the traffic light, the Cathedral Quartet sang the following words: “On the back side of a place called nowhere, forgotten by humanity…” How appropriate, I thought with a chuckle, because that’s pretty much how it feels to be stopped at a red light in this city.

As I waited and waited ……..and waited, for the light to turn green, I joyfully sang along with the guys. I’m just glad they were on tape and couldn’t hear me. Truth is, I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I do love to sing right along with any southern gospel music.

The words to the song were meaningful to me. “When they talked about potential, they did not refer to me…” Yes that was the story of my life before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Messiah. But everything changed “When He reached His hand to where I was….”

Can anyone relate? Have you, dear reader, despite your faith, ever felt that you were on the back side of nowhere, forgotten by humanity? I know you already know this, but today I just want to remind you that Jesus promised He would never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).  He will reach his hands down to where you are, whether you are stuck at a red light – or stuck in one of life’s ruts.

That should make you want to sing with the Cathedrals and me, “So now you know the reason I lift my hands so willingly…..”

And we would all be in good company, for King David, when he was stuck in the wilderness, did just that, while singing the following Psalm:

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands  thy name. (63:4)

When I Sit in Darkness

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sun

Have you ever been driving beneath a blackened sky, then suddenly came to a place where the sun pierced through the clouds so brightly that you could see little else? When I experienced this a few days ago, I was utterly filled with sheer delight. True, driving in that circumstance was a bit more challenging, but my thoughts were immediately turned to Jesus Christ, my soon-coming King!

I know that some of you can relate, and have also felt the exhilaration of watching an incredible brightness obliterate the darkness. Like me, you probably remembered, and  rejoiced at the very sure promise that soon, “… as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:27). Indeed, His coming will be much brighter than anything we could ever imagine. The most glaring sunshine piercing the darkest sky could only pale in comparison.

This is all the more comforting, considering how very dark the world has become –dark with violent crime, terrorism and war, and every manner of evil. We are daily bombarded with reminders of how the darkness is quickly engulfing our world; yet we can patiently endure all if we faithfully hold fast to the words of the prophet, Micah:

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. (7:7-8)

Amen.

Happy, Twirly-Dance

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dance praise

King David danced before the Lord with all his might. Though I wasn’t alive to witness such a joyous sight, I am blessed to see my sweet little Maltese do pretty much the same thing every time I return home, even if I have only been gone for a very short time.

Everyone should be so loved!

A few days ago, I returned home thoroughly exhausted from running errands in the August heat. As usual, my sweet little fur baby, standing erect, paws upraised, welcomed me with her happy, “Mama’s home,” twirly-dance. My heart melted!

My fatigue melted-away also. There is something so very energizing about being showered with love and kisses from a beloved pet; and that doesn’t even compare to being cherished by another person.

Likewise, cherishing others, and showering them with love, is just as invigorating. Perhaps this is why worship melts all of our cares away. Whether we worship the Lord with a happy, twirly-dance or quietly on our knees, we always reap a blessing even though our worship was truly all about Him.

Dear reader, we are living in perilous times. Perhaps you are hurting and find it difficult to worship, let alone dance for joy. That’s okay. Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us that there is “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” Thus, if the joy of your heart is ceased and your dance is turned into mourning (La 5:15), just know that the Lord will see you through this difficult time and there will come deliverance from sorrow; a time when you can proclaim, as did the Psalmist:

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness (Psalms 30:11).

When that happens, dear reader, I hope your dance is a happy, twirly one. Like King David, may you dance before the Lord with all your might!

 

Psalms 150:4-6  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

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The Write Stuff

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pencil

Someone must have torn a few pages out of my calendar, or so it seems, because spring just wrapped-up a few weeks ago and now summer is almost over. Consequently, I’ve been reevaluating all the ‘stuff’ that fills my days. What needs to stay, I’ve asked myself, and what needs to go; what needs to improve?

Writing has been on my mind a lot lately. I      haven’t done much of that all summer and truthfully, I’ve wondered why. After four years of devotional blogging, I figured I just needed a break, but that still, small voice inside my heart kept urging me to keep writing –to share the awesome love of God in a world gone crazy.

My intentions were good, but my discipline was lacking. Time kept flying with breakneck speed, and the pages stayed blank. Then it happened; the desire to write began to burn inside me again. Everywhere I turned there was another sign, another reminder, that writing was part of the ‘stuff’ that I am supposed to fill my days with.

Where do I start? I inquired of the LORD. “What do you want me to write about first?  His answer: to remind you, dear reader, that “Blessed are….” Jesus begins his ‘sermon on the mount’ by encouraging and instructing his listeners:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12).

Amen! I cannot think of a better message for today. May you, dear reader, be blessed, and may you ever be a blessing.

See you next week.

A Lesson from the Dollar Store

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solar flower

My dear friend, Barbara, often blesses me with some small gift just to let me know she is thinking of me. Some time ago, she gave me a small, solar-powered flower; this little gal waves her two arm-like leaves, as though she were praising the Lord, every time the sun is shining brightly.

Yesterday, we were both waiving our arms. After all, life has been pretty good lately; my family has  a great deal to be thankful for. As I was meditating on God’s goodness and His faithfulness, the following song lyrics came to mind:

I’ve been on the mountain when the sun was shining bright, and I’ve been in the valley when the clouds were black as night…

In that moment, I heard that still small voice (see I Kings 19:11-13) gently convicting, “What about the dark times, do you praise me then?” To which I had to confess that lately I hadn’t –at least not as much, or as often, as I should.

I find it so easy to lift my hands, and heart, in praise when life is good, and all is well. To praise Him in the darkest hours is never quite as easy. But we can learn a lesson from King David. Though he was often distraught over many issues, and struggled with them, he always came back to praise. Unlike that little Dollar Store flower that only lifts its arms when the sun is shining brightly, David proclaimed:

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:1-4

Then I recalled another part of the aforementioned song and remembered how many times these very words were true in my own life:

You know I’ve heard the battle raging, then I prayed till victory came. There have been times I really thought, Lord, you don’t even know my name. But I’ve been blessed and I’ve been down to where I didn’t know what to do, But in the times of joy or sorrow, Lord, I’ve learned to lean on you…..When I don’t know what to do, I have the faith you’re gonna see me through, to supply my every need; I lean on you!

What about you dear reader, are you currently walking through a dark valley? Your Heavenly Father, is right there beside you, waiting for you to lean on Him and find rest from all your burdens. Moreover, while you are waiting for the sun to shine brightly again, why not raise your hands and praise Him, with full assurance that He is going to see you through!