Month: January 2017

I wrote these paragraphs in my journal August 2015, two months after Wayne’s death. I am reading the same Bible passages this week and wanted to reflect on how far God has brought me since then.

“I’ve been reading in Genesis about Joseph’s disappointing life: being rejected and sold by his brothers, falsely accused of seducing Potipher’s wife and then put in prison, forgotten by the one he asked to remember him.  But God did not forget him.  What a great reminder!  My life has recently brought a great disappointment of not being able to share the rest of my life with Wayne.  He was not able to live in our new house but a short time. Our dreams were dissolved on June 1^st.  But wait! God does not forget. Jesus came to make a way of escape from our sinful condition.  I cannot rely or trust in my dreams but I can rely and trust in God. His promises never fail. They are new every morning.”

“Joseph’s life was restored-he became a powerful ruler in Egypt and was able to save his people, God’s people, the nation of Israel from starvation.  Joseph did not give up on God.  I’m praying I’ll never give up on God even though I can’t see where God is leading me. Some days I feel like I’m in a prison of grief. I can only keep on trusting God to restore me to the place where He can use me for His glory.”

I thank God He has restored me to where I can function much better. I will start teaching a Sunday School class next Sunday at Winifred Road Church of Christ, where I have found a church home.  I know God will never leave me alone even in my worse days.  Sometimes the tears come and trusting is hard.  God is still the solid Rock on which I stand!

“I love you,  O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:1-2).

 

I recently finished reading the book of Job. Job’s troubles certainly seem overwhelming even as I read about them.  Living through those calamities gave Job reason to cry out to God.  I don’t know what it’s like to lose all your children in a day-can’t even imagine it! I don’t know what it’s like to lose good health.  I don’t know what it’s like to lose most of my possessions either. I’ve known of many who’ve lost homes to floods or fires – devastation that must test one’s faith.  But I do know what it’s like to watch my husband suffer with liver disease and eventually die. I live every day with the disappointment of living out my retirement years alone.  I know what it’s like to lose a brother and my mother to cancer.  We all have some kind of trouble and most likely we’ve cried out with laments similar to Job’s.

Something Job says in chapter 9, verses 33-35 makes me glad that I live on this side of the cross. “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.”

I don’t know if Job knew about the coming Messiah or not, but he did have confidence that he would eventually see his Redeemer.  Look at his words in Job 19:25-27.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another.   How my heart yearns within me!”

I thank God often for His presence with me and for the Great High Priest we have in Jesus. Yes, Job, there is Someone to stand between us and God. There is Someone who took the rod of terror for us! Jesus, our Savior!

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 5:14-16).

We don’t have to suffer through our troubles alone. We have Jesus!  And it’s an extra blessing when we have loving friends beside us.  Thank you, God, for your Son, Jesus and for friends who care.

I don’t want to make it a practice to write about political matters, but this coming week is the Inauguration of President-elect Trump. I believe the United States has been given another chance to do it right.  Without discussing details many, including myself, have been very disturbed these past eight years.  Right is labeled as wrong and wrong labeled as right and the rights of some are taken away because some expect more rights.  Will any of this change just because Mr. Trump becomes President?  I doubt it.   I think the church needs to awaken and stand up for what is right, to live Biblically.  We live in the world but we should not live like the world.

We, who claim to be Christ followers, must pray for our government leaders, our church leaders, and ourselves. We must pray for boldness in the midst of unrighteousness and pray for more Kingdom workers.  The church will triumph. Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it as recorded in Matthew 16:18. At the end of Matthew’s gospel we read that Jesus commanded us to make disciples.  Making changes in our culture requires changes in people.  People need the Lord.

The church is responsible for teaching the truth of God’s Word. The foundation of life, family, and morality is found in the truth of God’s Word.  Too long we’ve tried to build on man’s ideas and it isn’t working.  I believe when God’s people stand on God’s truth we can make a difference.

We read in James 5:13-16:

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

The first question James asks, “Is any one of you in trouble?”  Yes, our country is in trouble, but God is still able and our prayers can be powerful and effective.

Dr. James Dobson says in his January Newsletter, “We also need to be in prayer for our President, his Cabinet, and the Congress, as they seek to reorder our Ship of State. It is listing badly, and only divine intervention can put it back on course.”  Dr. Dobson is right. President Trump and his administration cannot put us back on course without God. Pray often for our government leaders.

The Apostle Paul gives an excellent summary for what we need to do.

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

I enjoy watching the birds come to my feeders.  I can watch them as I have breakfast or lunch and Molly has discovered she can also watch them come and go.  Little do those birds know about the beast that would love to chase them if she had the opportunity.  Little do they know about my pulling the seeds from the sunflowers I grew this past summer.  And of course they know nothing about the money spent to buy more birdseed for them to supplement the sunflower seeds.  They just happily come and eat.

I think I’m sometimes like those birds.  I am busy with life, enjoying my blessings, and acting like I’m doing it myself. Or, unlike the birds, I waste time worrying about something I have no control over, forgetting I should take it to God.  I can’t even take my next breath without God. So easy to forget, isn’t it?

Again, like those birds, unsuspecting of Molly’s desire to chase them away, I am not always aware that Satan is prowling around “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  I speak a word of gossip, complain about a little hardship, or let a slice of pride sneak into my attitude and the roaring lion pounces, ready to take down my Christian witness.  The Apostle Peter says we must be self-controlled and alert.

Praise God, we have His Spirit within us to help.  John reminds us “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  We also have other Christians to help. We should be encouraging each other as we walk this life together. I received two encouraging letters this past week.  I count it a blessing to have friends who encourage me!  Who can I encourage?

Enjoy the blessings, but watch out for the beast!