Author: dianafmurphy@gmail.com

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

 they will stay fresh and green,

                                                         proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;

                                                          He is my Rock, and there is no

wickedness in  him.’”           

   Psalm 92:12-15

According to notes in my Study Bible, palm trees are known for their long life and cedars of Lebanon grow very tall and large in circumference. The psalmist seems to be saying the righteous will be solid, strong, and immovable!

The psalmist’s use of the word flourish caught my attention. It’s a word I don’t use often, but it has a positive, uplifting sound when spoken, does it not?  Flourish! The dictionary defines the word – “to grow luxuriantly, thrive, to achieve success, prosper, etc.” Who doesn’t want that kind of life? During this past year and half, I have not felt I was flourishing. I should have posted those verses on my fridge and read them frequently. Those words may have helped me to flourish rather than flounder.

I like the next part of the psalm about old age. Even in old age the righteous will still bear fruit and stay fresh and green. Now that I’m in the upper half of 70s those words make my heart smile. I work a couple hours in my garden pulling weeds and my body is anything but fresh and green! But my spirit continues to be. God is helping me find ways to flourish more often than flounder. His Word encourages my spirit and, when I listen, it motivates me to keep going even when the going is hard.

The large rock (in the picture above) was dug out of the ground during the excavation for building our house. It isn’t going anywhere and it’s too heavy for me to move. God isn’t going away and He is definitely immoveable. We asked the excavators to place it near the house and it’s a constant reminder that God is my Rock. Surrendering to the Master Gardner, He plants us where we can flourish. It is only through the strength of the Rock the righteous can grow and bear fruit.

“It is good to praise the Lord

and make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp” (Psalm 92:1-3).

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

This Psalm is just what I need to live by, especially considering the current world situation. God knows my need. He also knows how weak I am when I try to follow His commands. Telling me not to fret is almost like telling a duck not to swim. I worry, wondering if our country will survive the current administration, wondering if the next terrorist attack will be on our soil, and is there anyone in the healthcare system we can trust or if we’ll have any healthcare? The list could go on and on. Maybe you have a worry list, too.

David wrote this Psalm and he certainly had his worries. His king wanted him dead, his enemies were searching for him, and his own family turned against him! Yet, he trusted God. I know many things I worry about will eventually disappear or go away. David did eventually become the king as God intended.  His reign was marked by wars with Israel’s enemies and God gave him victories. He wasn’t perfect but the Bible calls him “a man after God’s own heart”.

David goes on to write, “trust in the Lord and do good.” Trusting is hard, isn’t it? God wants us to keep doing the good we know we should do while trusting Him to do His part. God wants us to “delight” in Him. He delights in us. He created us, loves us, sustains us, and provides a way out of our mess. He wants to make us shine for him. When we commit our lives to Him, He takes our weak and meager efforts for the sake of His kingdom and enlarges and brightens them to glow as the “noonday sun.”

Some days I don’t feel very “glowing” and that’s when I have to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” I’m sure you’ve noticed God’s timetable doesn’t match our own. We live in an instant society and forget God does not.  We often cannot see what God is doing. He is weaving the tapestry of life and we may not be able to see or understand just how our lives are woven into that tapestry. We see the evil around us and the mess we’re in, but God sees His finished work. We must trust, commit, and be still and wait. God is still weaving. Some day He will reveal His beautiful tapestry and we will know it was worth the wait!

“The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39).

As I sit at my computer I’m listening to the rain fall gently on the roof of my house. It’s a wonderful sound, especially after weeks of very little rain!  The grass was turning brown, some local farmers were starting to feed hay to their cows, some trees had yellow or brown leaves, and little streams had dried up as river water levels dropped. It was dry, dry, dry! And then a few days ago we had a brief shower of rain, another the next day, and then a quick torrential downpour. I thanked God for every drop even as I prayed for more. Then we had an overnight rain and the grass was beginning to revive. What refreshment for the earth! The dry season may be ending.

I also have dry seasons in my spiritual life. I get discouraged, depressed, or downright lazy sometimes. I don’t always feel the refreshment of sparkling mountain streams of spiritual living water. I am reading the writings of the Old Testament prophets and if that isn’t discouraging enough, I can see so much of today’s culture looking a lot like those Israelites who ignored the prophets and continued in their sin. God warned His people over and over through the words of the prophets and still they did not repent. The people died or were taken into exile by their enemies.  What will God allow our enemies to do to us, the USA?

I am in a dry season spiritually. It is discouraging to see many today ignoring the truth of God’s Word and know God will not always withhold His judgment. I long to see people turning to the truth of God instead of inventing their own truth. I pray for revival in our churches, for Christians to really be the hands and feet of Christ. How do we do that in this politically divided environment? What is it God wants me to do? It is difficult to know what important steps I should be taking, but I am certain that I must never forsake the truth of God’s Word. I must maintain a strong prayer life along with continued study of the Word.  God is showing me the way one step at a time.

Reading the prophets’ writings is not all “gloom and doom.”  God gave them words of hope! Isaiah 32:1-2 says, “See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” Jesus is King of kings! He has made living water available to all who wish to receive it.  My dry season will pass. I will again rest beside the still waters and feel the refreshing showers of blessings. God is still in control!

“When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance” (Psalm 68:7-9).

I better prepare to gas up my lawn mower after the predicted showers for this week! Thank you, God!

I reconnected with cousins this week. Another cousin and I traveled an hour and a half to visit these cousins we had not seen in decades. We often visited each other as children, but life happens, we grow up, have families of our own and, in my case, move away for 50 years!

They were happy to see us and we, them. I discovered we immediately began talking about the past and asking and sharing about each other’s families. We had to start with the past in order to move to the present.  What memories we had! I learned that one cousin was afraid of the cows whenever they came to visit my family on the farm. Another cousin was afraid of the chickens! I had not remembered those fears. I did remember playing house with the cousin who had a very nice cupboard in which to keep her very nice play dishes.  Her dolls were fed from fancy dishes, mine endured metal plates. The dolls are long since gone. I doubt they cared anyway. She told me the cupboard had been destroyed.

We remembered family members who have gone on to their reward and shared pictures, both old and recent. We had lunch together and decided we must do this again. I hope we can.

I sometimes chide myself for living too much in the past. It’s easy to do that when you’re missing loved ones no longer with you. But then, I remember that even Jesus told us to remember the past. When He celebrated the Passover with His disciples for the last time, He instituted a new remembrance celebration.  Passover was for the Jewish people to remember their miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt. The new celebration is what we call the Lord’s Supper or Communion.  Partaking of communion helps us remember the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation. It is also a time to look forward to the culmination of our salvation when Jesus comes again to take His people, the Church, to be with Him forever. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Do you have a friend or a relative with whom you need to renew a relationship?  More important than that, do you need to renew your relationship with the Lord Jesus? Jesus wants to be a part of every aspect of your life.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

 

The month of June has come and gone. I’m sure you’ve noticed how fast the summer is passing.  I was blessed to have my older daughter and 10-year-old grandson spend much of the month with me. With their help (mostly, my daughter’s) I was able to get the garden boxes ready for planting and I now have green beans growing, along with the tomatoes and peppers I’d already planted. It will take awhile for the harvest of most vegetables since I was late getting started.

My grandson spent a week with me without his mom. He is a busy boy! He is all about toads, slugs, and basketball with a few newly hatched preying mantises thrown in for good measure. The highlight of his day was when Farmer Kirk made hay and allowed him to ride the tractor, the one with the enclosed cab. He, also, read more books than usual since Grandma demanded equal time between educational activities and screen time activities.  Grandma also had to give time tossing a baseball and trying to hit a badminton shuttlecock. I managed to throw well enough for him to get a few hits of the baseball but hitting the shuttlecock was a different story. Neither of us were very successful at that! It was a good week with one tired grandma and a boy who loves the farm.

After one particularly busy and a bit difficult day for listening I was trying to be patient while waiting for him to finish getting ready for bed so I could read to him. He is easily distracted! I finally said, “You have just about used up all my nerves today.”

To which he replied, “How many do you have left?”

“I think I have half of one left,” I said.

Later, as I reflected on that moment I wondered if I ever use up God’s nerves. I’m not a good listener sometimes. I read the Word, but I don’t let it change me. Does God ever get upset with me?  Is God disappointed with His people today? It seems our Nation has forgotten God. I wonder, will God’s people remain faithful?

The prophet, Hosea, proclaimed, “My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations” (Hosea 9:17). Israel had turned from God to worship and offer sacrifices to false gods. They even sacrificed their children! God’s judgment was coming.

The Apostle Peter reminds us judgment is coming. God judged the world once with water, but the next time it will be fire.

 “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation . . .” (2 Peter 3:14-15a).

Enjoy celebrating Independence Day!

I was away this weekend for the Murphy Family Reunion.  We were happy to be together again after skipping the event last year. The weather wasn’t very cooperative-it was cold in the park! We knew from weather forecasts that it would not be 80s or 90s as we’d already experienced this spring.  But even with our sweaters, jackets, and blankets it was a very uncomfortable day!

On reflection of our discomfort I cannot compare it to those brave men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Other than my late father-in-law and a few others,  there are not many veterans in the family. That doesn’t lesson my gratitude and honor for those who have served and those who still serve. I am well aware our country was built and sustained by the the blood and service of our military.

Here is a link to a video, well worth your watch: Go to www.myfaithvotes.org to see a video message from Lt. Col. Allen West.  I encourage you to watch it. Lt. Col. West tells exactly what Memorial Day is all about and it isn’t picnics and family reunions. It is about remembering. May God help the United States of America.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

“We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

even as we put our hope in you (Psalm 33:20-22).

 

I know my thoughts haven’t been going on paper or computer for awhile and there’s a reason. I don’t want my negativity to discourage my readers.  I am troubled, even dismayed, by the lack of leadership in the White House. Our country is rapidly dissolving into communistic control. I’m sad and sometimes, mad. I’ve made more phone calls, written more emails, and responded to more political surveys than I ever remember doing in the past.  My Congressman, Senators, and governor are hearing from me and my prayers continue for them all. God isn’t surprised or alarmed. He is Sovereign!

So, I’m going down memory lane today. This is my therapy and if you are encouraged that is an extra blessing. This time of year has always been one of anticipation: new life, greening of the landscape, warmer temperatures, flowers, birds, fresh garden vegetables, etc. Past spring seasons have been a time of great loss. My brother died in April 1988, my mom died in May of 2014, and Wayne in 2015.  My dad died in Dec. 2019 (not springtime, but still a loss).  My enjoyment of the season is sprinkled with tears and memories.

At Easter and on Mother’s Day Wayne would get me a plant. I still have a beautiful pink lily, I’ve moved a few times, as one of those gifts. He would choose a special Mother’s Day card and we almost always went out for dinner. Restaurants were usually crowded, but our wait would be minimal because it was  two of us. Our girls lived a distance away and weren’t usually home for that day. I miss Wayne, the plants, the cards and the dinners, but treasure the memories.

Every spring Wayne and I enjoyed getting a garden ready for planting. He did the soil prep and I helped get in the seeds or plants.  He trimmed bushes and always had our yard looking good with his expert mowing. Now I have the biggest yard we ever had and I’m doing it alone. I’m thankful I was able to get a riding mower. I am managing the trimming also, but it’s getting harder. A little at a time these days!  I treasure the memories of days when my job was to deliver glasses of ice water to Wayne, my gardener.

When Mother’s Day and Father’s Day roll around I find myself thinking, “I need to remember to buy a card.” Then, quickly, remembering I can’t mail cards to heaven.  It seems I’m seeing a lot of my mom in myself these days. She treasured the spring days and went for walks looking for wildflowers. Molly and I did that the other day. We found wildflowers. I took pictures and she sniffed around every rock and tree trunk. I thank God for this farm where, as a child, I followed my dad to do barn chores. Yes, I’ve mucked a few cow stalls.  But, I’ve also bottled fed some baby lambs.

I hope you’ll take time to love on your mom today and do something especially nice for her! If your mom is no longer with you, treasure the memories. Linger over your thoughts of days past a little longer and thank God for your Mother and her influence in your life. Even if your childhood was less than desired, your mom gave you life.

Today I am with my oldest daughter and four grandchildren. A blessing indeed! I came to TN to see my middle granddaughter graduate from college and it’s Mother’s Day! 

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring here praise at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:28-31).

Happy Mother’s Day

 

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put in on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Motel 6 is where they leave the light on for you. I’ve been thinking about that idea lately. Isn’t it comforting to hear someone say they’ll leave the light on for us? I can remember coming to my parent’s house after dark and seeing the porch light on, waiting for my arrival. I knew I was loved, and they were looking for me.

Our world needs more light—the Light of the world! God’s people are responsible for letting their light shine. To do that, we must remain connected to our source of power for that light. Jesus told His disciples, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).  Light reveals what we cannot see in darkness. Jesus came to show us the way out of the darkness of sin and into His “marvelous light” (1 Peter2:9). People need Jesus!

We must leave the light on for those in darkness. Many folks are discouraged. Leave the light on for them. Speak words of encouragement and hope.  Some are searching for meaning or purpose for their lives. Leave the light on for them. Share the good news of Jesus and how He brings purpose to our lives. Let others see Jesus in you.

In the parable Jesus told of the woman who lost a valuable coin, it says she lit a lamp before searching her house. She needed light to see in the dark corners or under the table. She prepared for her search. Are we prepared to seek lost people? Is our light on? Motel 6 has the right idea—light is needed to find our way. Leave the light on!

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Have you seen Jesus? He is risen, He is alive, and He is working in  His people.

Happy Resurrection Day!