Author: dianafmurphy@gmail.com

 

“Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, you are our God, do not let man prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11).

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  I hope you have spent time praying for our national and state government leaders. There are forces trying to take away our freedoms we’ve enjoyed for decades in the United States. There are those who wish to take away any mention of God in public or political speech. Our Nation was founded on faith in God. That is evident through reading the founding documents and viewing engravings on government buildings in Washington, DC.  2 Chronicles 13:18b says, “. . . the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.” Are we as Americans relying on the God of our fathers?

I’m thankful for the Christians who rely on God and serve in government positions. They need our prayers and support. I’m thankful for all who try to govern in the right way—who, at least, have a moral compass to guide them. They also need our prayers. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “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” (1 Timothy 2:1).

Jesus said we should also pray for our enemies. So, let’s pray for those who try to destroy the foundations of our country—for those who do not acknowledge or honor God. They need our prayers and they need God. Only God can change their hearts.

We know those in the Lord will be victorious no matter what happens in our government and nation. As much as I want the United States to succeed as a strong nation, even more, I want the church to be strong. Let’s pray and rely on the Lord for His strength.

“. . .for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

I am finishing an online class that I needed to take in order to renew my substitute teacher certificate. I’ve been busier than I want to be lately and feeling a bit resentful. I have no plans to teach full time-not that anyone would hire a 70 something lady to teach. I do want to substitute, though, thus, the online class. Do you ever feel resentful?  I resent the time I’ve had to give to this class which caused me to neglect my blog and a few other things. I suppose I should be looking at the positives.  I am gleaning some good things from the course, but some of it is best used if one is the regular teacher and not just the substitute.

I recently began thinking about that word “renew.” Much better sounding than “resentful”! The Bible speaks of renewal. Actually the Christian life is a renewal. We have been contaminated by the things of the world and Christ cleans us and renews us. Colossians 3:10 reminds us “we have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

I am grateful for the Creator’s renewing work. We see it all around us in nature this time of year. We’re finally beginning to see the flowers and trees budding and blooming and the grass is growing!  As happy as I am about nature’s renewal in the spring, I am more so with God’s renewal in my life. I look forward to Sunday worship, the preaching of the Word, and remembering Jesus’ sacrifice at the Lord’s Supper. My spirit is renewed and refreshed as I commune with Jesus and His people. I need this time with other Christians. My week doesn’t feel right without it.

So, yes, I am experiencing some resentment, but I’m trying to focus on the renewal-not just for the certificate to substitute, but for life. Without the renewing work of God in my life, living isn’t very purposeful.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

 

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5::16).

Do you ever feel like you’re in a cold spot? I don’t mean the weather, though it is cold here. I mean spiritually. There are times in my life when I feel like I’m stuck in a glacier—cold and barely moving.  I’m longing for the quiet meadows filled with sunshine and soft grass beneath my feet. I want my soul to feel like singing as the fluffy clouds float in the breezes. Instead, my soul is trying to get my prayers higher than my head and the songs are silent.

This is a picture of a praying mantis egg case. Since winter doesn’t seem to want to allow spring to come, it was recently covered with snow. It was in a cold place—it was icy! It doesn’t look like anything with life in it.  But when the time comes there will be tiny praying mantises crawling out of it. I think my life is a little like that icy egg case.  I feel like I’m in a cold place spiritually, but when I open the Bible I am assured that God still cares. He has not left me alone. I can continue to depend on Him to keep His promises. Spring will come! My soul will warm and once again feel alive! I know this because God keeps His promises. He never changes. I’ve been in cold places before and when I stay connected to God through His Word, and when I continue to pray, I eventually leave the cold behind. The warmth of His presence will once again bring life and rejoicing back into my soul!  Thank you, God.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

 

“Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died. What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died. The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NCV)

I am encouraged by those words from 1 Thessalonians. The resurrection takes on special meaning for me since I have loved ones who died before me; a brother, a granddaughter, my mom, and Wayne. What if Jesus had not conquered death? How miserable I would be! I am grateful we have a future life after life on this earth. Jesus promised a new heaven and a new earth.  Celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus every week, not just on Easter, reminds us that we, too, will rise from the dead!

Happy Resurrection Day!

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen”         (Jude 24-25).

I read this morning about the people of Israel asking Samuel for a king. Samuel talked to God about the situation and God said to go ahead and anoint a king, but tell the people what will happen when they have a king. If you are not familiar with that event it is recorded in 1 Samuel 8. Verses 10 to 18 list all the things that will happen when they have a king; he will take your sons and daughters to work for him, he will take the best of your fields and a tenth of your crops, etc.

But the people wanted a king anyway. So after warning the people not to turn away from God, Samuel said, “For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.” I had underlined those words in my Bible sometime in the past.  This morning, however, I thought about the King of kings.

The Apostle Peter reminds us we are “a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). The Apostle Paul charged Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11) until Jesus comes again; “which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15).

King Jesus is above all kings but He does not take as much as He gives.  He gave His life for our salvation. He made a way for us to be His people. He gives us His Spirit to guide us, and He has made peace between us and our heavenly Father. “The Lord was pleased to make you his own.” With such a loving, forgiving, and giving King, how can I do less than to give Him my all? Am I allowing Him to be the King of my life?

“I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).

I am continuing to read Bob Martin’s book, God, Our Father. Again he forces me to think deeper and sometimes differently about spiritual things.  I’m reading the chapter about the Lord’s Supper or Communion, as we sometimes call it.  I think both terms describe some part of what we do.  It is the Lord’s Supper because he is the Host.  It is also communion because of our close relationship with the Host. It is a remembrance of Jesus’ death for our sins and his resurrection which promises resurrection for us, as well. But it is more. Look at what Mr. Martin says in this quote.

“Anticipating His resurrection, Jesus could assure His disciples of His ongoing presence at ‘the breaking of bread.’ For this reason He spoke of eating and drinking with them ‘in my Father’s Kingdom’ (Mk. 14:25). Here, as elsewhere, ‘the Kingdom of God’ and ‘the Church’ are to be understood synonymously. That Jesus will be there to eat and drink with His disciples in my Father’s Kingdom’ is His promise to be present as both Host and Food whenever and wherever the Church gathers together ‘to break bread.’ Consequently, to ‘break bread’ with Him is not only to remember His death, it is also to celebrate His resurrection and His presence” (p. 163).

It’s easy to remember His sacrificial death when we think about “the body and the blood” but I sometimes fail to remember He is hosting the meal and is the meal.  As Mr. Martin points out later in the chapter, Jesus’ body and blood were separated at His death.  They are reunited when we partake of His body and blood (i.e., the bread and the fruit of the vine).

His Body (The Church) must have the blood to be alive. It’s a transfusion, Mr. Martin says. It is renewing Jesus’ life and presence into our life. It is what sustains our relationship with Jesus. His “blood type” is exactly what is needed to renew and sustain the Church.  What an amazing event to look forward to every week!

If God’s people experienced communion in this way, would it not bring unity to the Body?

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1Corinthians 10:15-17).

 

 

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:18-20).

We had two days without electrical power and the second day I started my generator (with a neighbor’s help) in order to keep the fridge and freezer at appropriate temps. My sister-in-law provided a hot meal each day with her wood stove cooking. I have a gas fireplace-no cooking there. The power came back on Saturday evening as my dad and I were leaving my sister-in-law’s house.  He was overjoyed, to say the least!  When I drove up to my house it was still dark! I was disappointed but knew that sometimes my power isn’t on at the same time as theirs. So Molly and I settled in for another chilly night. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. I suddenly realized that when I shut down the generator the evening before I’d forgotten to go back to the basement and turn the main breaker back on. How stupid and forgetful can one person be?!  I could have had a warm house all night if I’d remembered to turn on the breaker! The power was available but I wasn’t making use of it. How foolish!

I know, without a doubt, my spiritual life is a bit like that.  I don’t utilize the power available to me. The Apostle Paul calls it God’s “incomparable great power for us who believe.”  He says  that power is like the power that raised Jesus from the dead. That’s powerful power! My faith is often weak and I don’t trust God to work in my life. I push ahead trying to solve it all on my own.  I think I’m getting better at allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, but still have a long way to go.

Jesus has promised victory over sin and death. He has the power to forgive sins and raise the dead.  I can trust him to work in my life.  “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b).  So when the world looks hopeless and dark and I wonder what’s next?  I can have the assurance that God reigns and his power will overcome all the evil powers of the world—one day! Power is available. Am I using it?

“Fix theses words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that  your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

We may blame the problems in our country on many things: politics, the NRA, the NEA, congress, the President, the church, etc.  We may have reason to do so. But, I wonder, if the families in our Nation, who profess to be Christian families, would follow the directions given to the Israelites long ago, would things change?

• If children were taught the 10 Commandments would we see more reverence for God? Would we see children respecting each other and their parents?
• If  the commandments and other Bible verses were posted in our homes and families talked about them as they lived daily life, would it make a difference in how people treated each other?
• If children saw their parents loving God with all their hearts, soul, mind, and strength, would they also follow in their parents’ footsteps?
• If children learned at an early age that God created them and loved them even before they were born, would they grow up respecting life and understanding how valuable God thinks each person is?
• If children saw their parents praying through the difficulties of life and praising God through all of life, would children learn to trust and depend on God?
• If children were taught responsibility for their actions and learned by consequences from their mistakes, would they grow up to be logical thinkers and dependable workers?
• If children saw their parents loving God and giving priority to the marriage would they grow up knowing that marriage is a life-long bond between a man and a woman?
• If children were taught that sin leads to death, but Jesus died and rose again to save them from death, wouldn’t they want this salvation?
• If children were taught that the Bible, not society, defines sin and that God is the source of all truth, would they grow up less confused about themselves and the world in which they live?

Just wondering. . .

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)

 

 

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).

I was standing in my yard the other day enjoying the outdoors with warmer temperatures.  I’d had a depressing day the day before and was glad for warmer weather that encouraged my being outdoors.  I looked up and was surprised to see an eagle flying–no higher than the roof of my house! What a sight!  Those broad, beautiful wings spread wide as it glided on the wind. I could clearly see its golden beak and gleaming white head and tail. I stood spellbound and all I could do was say, “thank you, Lord.”

I live near a river and mountains where eagles live, but most of the time they fly so high I can barely discern what kind of bird is flying. I’m not sure why this eagle was flying low enough for me to see it, but I accepted it as a gift from God.  I needed that lift. Sometimes life is hard for all of us. God never promised an easy life, but He does renew our strength when we hope in Him. I truly experienced a renewal in my spirit and in strength when I saw the eagle.

You may not see an eagle today, but it is my hope that you see or experience something that will bring a smile and a “thank you, Lord” to your lips.  May you be encouraged by these verses that Isaiah wrote just before those that say “they will soar on wings like eagles.”

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:28-29)

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”  (Philippians 4:6).

I did not get many subbing days in January. So I asked God to provide a few more days for me.  I subbed 5 days this past week! I already have a call for tomorrow and a half day Tues.  I’m thinking I retired so I wouldn’t have to get up early five days a week.  My ideal for sub work is two or three days a week. I asked and God answered so why am I complaining?  I’m tired.

I have been reading the book of Numbers this week. God’s people sure did a lot of complaining. One of their complaints was they were tired of eating nothing but manna. They wanted meat to eat.  God said He would give them meat for a whole month “until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it.”  Wow! He gave them quail to eat—lots of quail—and then sent a plague among the people.  Complaining does not please God.  God has provided by giving me these days of subbing so I won’t complain. I’ll just take a nap after school or go to bed earlier.  Oh, yes, and thank Him for His provision.

God also answered my prayer for safety today.  I drive about 45 minutes to church each Sunday and today it started snowing as soon as I arrived and kept snowing until I got home.   The roads were not good especially the last five miles. I live on a back road with many curves and hills and it’s the last to receive treatment after a snow storm.   I slid and prayed and praised my way home. I had to leave my car at the bottom of my driveway (it’s a steep hill), walk to the house, change clothes and get the snow shovel.  As I walked back to my car I cleared a path on each side for the tires to get traction.  My plan worked and I got the car into the garage.  So thankful!

Here it is Monday and would you believe it?  There was no school today. I went to bed last night knowing they had called for a two-hour delay only to receive a call this morning that schools were closed.  So I got to sleep in after all.

Trusting God to do what’s best is always best.  It turns out I had the usual number of subbing days in January after all. Most of them were all in one week but I’m thankful I could manage it. God answered my prayers in both cases.  I got home safely on the slick roads and I got the subbing days.  Why do I doubt or complain?

“. . . for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life . . .” (Philippians 2:13-16a).