“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22).

You probably heard about the recent rock slides in Yosemite National Park. Twice in two days part of El Capitan fell to the valley below. Apparently, there are many rock slides or rock falls, as they call them. Once source stated there have been more than 1,000 falls in the last 150 years in Yosemite. That’s a lot of falling rock!

I was reminded of a trip Wayne and I made to New Hampshire a few years ago. It was our last vacation trip together.  One of our stops was the mountain where the “Old Man of the Mountain” used to be. This particular mountain had a rock overhang that resembled the profile of a man’s head. It fell in 2003. There is a small park where you can stand in a certain spot, depending on your height, and look at the mountain through a cut-out in the shape of the “Old Man of the Mountain.” The idea is to let you see how it looked before it fell.

One might think that God’s creation is falling apart. It is. All of creation, including, people, suffer because of sin. Our bodies get old, wear out, and die. Some say we have more natural disasters now than in the past. I don’t know if that’s true but I do know that Jesus said “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:7-8). The earth, as we know it, is wearing out.  The Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3 that the present heavens and earth will be destroyed, but look at the good news! “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

Praise God, we don’t have to worry about the earth or our bodies wearing out. New ones are coming! “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).

 

 

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear”  (Matthew 13:16).

The Boy came to visit this week.  His mom and dad came, too.  The Boy (aka. Youngest grandson) is full of energy, imagination, and love. We helped him celebrate his 7^th birthday with a huge decorated cookie, gifts, and lunch at Cracker Barrel.  He likes chicken and dumplings and ate them all.  He spent a good chunk of time playing with his new Lego set Sunday afternoon. Mostly, he doesn’t spend a good chunk of time doing anything.  He’s usually going from one thing to another. So Mom was happy with the Lego choice.

Molly likes The Boy, too, to a point.  Even Molly has her limitations!  She runs and jumps after The Boy around the yard and in the house. She lets him know when she’s had enough. It isn’t long until Molly’s curiosity gets the better of her and she’s back nipping at The Boy’s heels or looking for him when he hides. We’ve had a lot of tail wagging, giggling, and yelling and some barking around here this week.  It’s definitely a change of pace for Molly and me and a welcome change, too!

^{Molly sharing her blanket with The Boy under Grandma’s desk while Grandma was at the computer.}

 

As The Boy, Molly, and I were walking to the mailbox one evening the temptation to climb the bank on the side of the driveway was too much for The Boy. He started to climb the steep, dirt bank. I reminded him he’d just had his bath. Of course, that meant little to this rambunctious boy.  I was reminded of the Bible verse I’d read that morning. “Blessed are your ears because they hear.”  So I asked if he would like to have blessed ears. If so, he needed to learn to listen to Mom, Dad, and Grandma.

It’s a struggle to listen and to obey as children and I think as adults, too. Jesus said, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” when He was teaching with parables. The people often missed the message. I wonder if I miss the message.  I wonder if my eyes are always open, watching to see what God is doing. Or, if my ears are really listening to what God may be telling me. I suspect I have missed some blessings because I was too busy to  see God at work or to hear his voice.

Dear God, you have given us your creation, our families and friends, the Church, and most of all your  Son, Jesus.  Thank you for your mercy and love. May we allow the Holy Spirit to show us how you are working in our lives and in the Church.  Help us to listen for how you want to include us in that work.  Amen

 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

The summer of 1988 was the last year our oldest daughter, Marianne, would be free to be home all summer.  She would leave for college in August and college students often find other things to do in the summer besides spend time with family—like jobs or summer classes. We decided to take a trip which we hoped to be a memorable one for all of us. I was having a hard time with the prospect of my firstborn leaving home and so was Wayne, though, he didn’t admit it. We wanted this trip to be special.

We decided to visit Niagara Falls. We planned it for the week before Marianne was to leave for college.  We couldn’t leave the day we’d planned and at this point in time I don’t remember why.  Two days later we headed to Niagara Falls, arrived safely and began to explore the beautiful sights.  That part was great! We had a motel room for one of our two nights there, but for whatever reason that I don’t remember we didn’t have a room for the other night.  We looked on the Canadian and U.S. sides and found one room with one king-size bed.  There were four of us!

I considered using the van – only briefly. Not a good option.  We unloaded our luggage and decided one daughter would join Wayne and me in the bed and the other daughter would sleep on the floor on the extra blankets in the room. But to make matters worse the sheets on the bed had not been changed so we had to wait for them to clean the room. The bathroom needed some attention as well. We finally got some sleep that night though not as comfortable as we’d hoped. The trip we wanted to be memorable was—but in the wrong way.  We can laugh about it now, but not then.

I tell this story because it illustrates disappointment. We have a lot of those in life, don’t we? Some disappointments are rather minor, such as our delayed trip, but other disappointments are traumatic. I’m thinking of those who suffer through floods, shootings, death of loved ones, ill-health, miscarriages, and broken families. In the past three years my disappointments included the death of my mom and my husband. My mom didn’t get to celebrate hers and Daddy’s 70^th wedding anniversary and Wayne and I didn’t get to celebrate our 50^th. We had talked about and planned for those milestones.

I think about those in Bible times who were disappointed such as Naomi and Ruth who lost husbands to death. Joseph, who was sold as a slave and unjustly put in prison. The early Christians were persecuted for their faith just as many are today. The thing is, in spite of our suffering and disappointments God is still God. The sun still rises and sets. The beauty of Niagara Falls didn’t change. God doesn’t change!

We who are Christ followers have hope. We hurt and weep through our suffering. We pray. We still hurt and weep, but we know this isn’t all there is. Peter says it this way:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Thank you, Lord, for shielding us by your power as we endure sufferings and disappointments on this earth. Thank you for giving us living hope through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

 

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10)

This year I’ve been reading Philip Yancey’s book, Grace Notes. It’s a book of daily meditations  I usually read at night. It gives me something to think about as I fall asleep. I recently read what he had to say about Psalm 46:10. He said, “The Latin imperative for “be still” is vacate. I never thought of it that way before. Yancey quotes Simon Tugwell: “God invites us to take a holiday (vacation), to stop being God for a while, and let him be God.”  Wow! That hit home for me.

This Psalm begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (verse 1). The next verses speak of the earth giving way, mountains falling and quaking. Even though nations may fall or the earth may end, God is God and He will be exalted.  God’s dwelling place will not fall!  In other words, God is powerful and eternal and He can be trusted.

I try to take matters into my own hands sometimes and think I can figure it out, which usually doesn’t work anyway.  It seems God is saying, “I will be exalted among the nations and in the earth no matter what you do.” God is God and I can never be God. Why do I try? Since the Garden of Eden people have tried to become like God.

Could it be when I pray I’m not allowing God to be God? Prayer is more than asking God for help.  It is recognizing who He is and knowing that without Him I am nothing. (In typing that last sentence I mistakenly typed “mothering” for the word “nothing”. Ouch!)  It is allowing Him to be God and to work things out in His time.  Prayer is humbly allowing God to be in control. I must vacate that place of control, take a break from trying to do it all myself. Take a vacation.

Dear God, I am so thankful You are my refuge and strength. I can do nothing without You. Your ways are not my ways and your thoughts are not my thoughts.  I want You to take control.  Amen

“They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea” (Psalm 106:20-22).

I read these verses recently and that first sentence sort of jumped off the page. I have read many times about the Israelites and their wayward ways in turning to idol worship, but the word “exchanged” got my attention. The people had exchanged their glorious God for a golden calf! I thought how absurd! That doesn’t come close to an even exchange.  Even after experiencing the many miracles they’d witnessed in their escape from Egypt they chose a statue of a bull! How ridiculous!

I have to ask myself if I have done the same. Oh, no, I don’t have any statues I’ve chosen in place of my glorious God, but I do make exchanges sometimes.  I exchange prayer time for social media or Bible reading for the newspaper.  I exchange the promises of God for worry. I choose myself over God. Sometimes I’m just downright selfish.

It’s a constant battle, isn’t it? The idol of self wants to rule. Selfishness leads to sin. The Apostle Paul fought this battle. He says in Romans 7:21 “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” He goes on to exclaim “what a wretched man I am!” We would all be wretched if we didn’t have Jesus. Paul writes extensively about our struggle with sin and our spiritual life in the Spirit. I need to read it often and heed the warnings. The Apostle also reminds us that these Old Testament events were written as warning for us as well.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

So, when I read about God’s people bowing down to a golden calf I must look inward and ask , “Is self more important than God?”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

“As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22)

Foggy mornings seem to be the norm this time of year.  The nights here in West Virginia are becoming quite cool, but so far most days are pleasant.  I like these 60s and 70s temps. (I’m not too fond of the hot and humid. I am grateful for the invention of air conditioning!)  I can see the leaves dulling in color and already some yellows. I enjoy autumn and the beauty of the foliage, but it’s also the ending of other beauties. The roses and other flowers will soon succumb to the frost. The vegetable garden is already winding down. Some green beans, tomatoes and a few beets yet to harvest. The sunflowers are busy making seeds in their blossoms. Saying good-bye to my garden is always a sad little ritual for me.

In the meantime, however, I’m enjoying the September roses. They seem to be more plentiful and beautiful than the June blooms!  I can still have a fresh tomato sandwich and fresh green beans.  And after the fog lifts I can enjoy watching the mountains change their colors.  God has given me these things to enjoy.

Then I remember those who have suffered catastrophic losses due to the hurricanes. I cannot imagine how it must feel to see your house and belongings ruined in a flood or blown away by the wind. Some have even lost loved ones. Such loss must seem unbearable.  I pray for those who have lost so much and for those who have moved in to help.

Isaiah says in chapter 61 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”  My prayer is that those affected by the hurricanes, after the mud and muck is cleared away and rebuilding is done, will find beauty instead of ashes (or mud as in this case).  Instead of mourning there will be gladness and they’ll be clothed with praise instead of despair.

Yes, I will enjoy the changing seasons, but I do not want to forget to pray for those who won’t be enjoying it so much. As long as the earth endures there will be seasons and storms.

Dear God, my heart grieves for those who have been hurt by these recent storms. You, who spoke to Job out of the storm, speak to the hearts of the hurting.  Give comfort, peace, and assurance that You are in control. Bring hope, healing, and help to those in need. In the Name of Jesus I pray. Amen

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:20).

 This verse fascinates me. It is such a vivid word picture. I think of crushing a bug under my feet or crushing a soda can.  Crushing something makes it dead or unusable. Satan is certainly alive and working in the world today, but I’m grateful that God is also at work.

This verse says that God is a God of peace and yet He is the One who will crush Satan.  I think about that mosquito or fly that gets in your car or house and gives no peace until you get rid of it.  Satan gives no peace. Only God gives lasting peace. We cannot crush Satan or get rid of him, only resist him with the Holy Spirit’s help. God will do the crushing in His time. This promise was first made in Genesis and it still stands. God said to Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Reading through Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome it becomes apparent that those early Christians were dealing with the same kind of sins we have going on today. The Apostle reminds them that no one is righteous. It is only through our faith in Jesus, who died for us and rose again, that God credits righteousness to us (Romans 4).   Paul assures them and us that God can give peace and joy through our struggle with sin. It is a matter of living under the control of the Spirit and not our sinful nature. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

We will one day be free from our struggle with sin when Satan is crushed under our feet. So until then we walk in the Spirit and proclaim the message of salvation to all. Paul’s closing to his letter is filled with hope that through the proclamation of the Word all nations may believe and obey God.

“Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:25-27).

 

“My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long,

Where is your God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul:

How I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 42:3-5

I’m feeling a little grouchy. I guess everybody gets into this place sometimes. The writer or writers of Psalm 42 and 43 may have felt a little grouchy, too. At least, it says their soul was downcast. According to the Encarta Dictionary (on my computer) “downcast” means sad and pessimistic. So, yeah, a reason to be grouchy. Yet, the Psalmist mentions many things for which to praise God!

Here’s my personalized version of those thoughts:

These are sad days for me, so I find myself crying sometimes.

I remember happier times and find myself in a pity party.

I used to travel with my beloved and enjoy the company of friends.

Now I’m alone and many friends are far away and busy with their lives.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

God gives comfort and strength as I hope in Him.

He turns my tears to smiles and helps me find usefulness in His service.

I will praise Him, my Savior and my God!

God blesses me with a bounty of vegetables to can and flowers to enjoy.

He has put me in a place to enjoy much of Nature’s beauty.

So as I snap the green beans and prepare the tomatoes for salsa I am thankful.

God keeps me busy as my soul is restored.  I must praise Him, my Savior and my God!

Dear God, help all of us on our grouchy days to remember You are the Rock on which we depend and it is in You we put our trust. Amen

 

 

 

“Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, ‘where is their God?’” (Psalm 79:9-10a).

I am saddened and disturbed by the increased demands for rights and protests and counter protests (for whatever reason) taking place in our nation. Some want to remove or destroy our historical monuments and are getting their way, but that doesn’t change our history nor will it solve the real problem.  Others want the right to live an immoral lifestyle to the exclusion of another person’s rights. Our police officers are wounded and killed because of disrespect for law and order. When I think about the things that are dividing our nation I see selfishness and pride.  When one person’s or one group’s “opinion” becomes a “demand” that’s selfishness.  Without God in one’s life self can become god. Many do not recognize that God’s truth is the answer to our personal problems and our nation’s problems.

Truth #1: God is Creator and Sustainer of all.  God created male and female.  God established the first marriage-one man, one woman.

Truth #2: God gave Ten Commands to live by and Jesus summed them into two.  “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Truth #3: Jesus died and rose again. The empty cross and the empty grave give us hope. Jesus is alive and desires all people to come to Him. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Truth #4: The Church will triumph. (Matthew 16:15-18 and Revelation 21 and 22.) The Church must stand for truth-not to be divisive but to seek to share the truth with others. The Church must demonstrate the love of Christ through caring for others unselfishly. The Church must not back down when confronted by those who deny God’s truth. John 3:20-21 says, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Truth #5: God’s Word is truth and will stand forever. “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal” (Psalm 119:160).  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Many are not living by the truth of the Word. Just because one denies the truth does not make the truth less true. God’s Word is truth and it always will be.

Let’s live unselfishly in the light of truth!

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

I attended a wedding last week.  I had to drive several hours to get there and had almost decided against going.  But I’m glad I did.  The wedding ceremony was Christ-centered, and the wedding attire and decorations simple, but attractive.  The reception was a simple meal and no alcoholic drinks in sight.  It was simply a celebration of two Christ followers joining in marriage.  I was blessed to witness it.

Attending a wedding always causes me to remember my own wedding. (That was 50 years ago this week.) Wayne and I were married for almost 48 years until his death.  I think of those words, “till death do we part” and wonder if the bride and groom think about what that means.    They are looking forward to the start of their life together and most likely not about death.  That is natural.  Neither Wayne nor I were thinking much about that until late in our marriage.  I can remember some rough times early in our marriage when I wondered if we would last.  God, in His loving mercy, and I’m sure many prayers of our parents saw us through the rough times until we both matured and our marriage became strong and solid.

In Ephesians, chapter 5 the Apostle Paul speaks of the marriage relationship as that of Christ and the church.  Christ is the head of the church, which is His body.  The husband is the head of the wife. The church submits to Christ.  The wife submits to her husband and both “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.  Christ’s love for the church was so great He gave up His life for her in order to make her holy and to “present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing and culture-changing if marriages were showing that kind of relationship between husbands and wives!  We’d see more 50, 60, or 70 year anniversaries. What would it look like if families were showing the love, respect, and submission that Christ desires for His church?  Yes, I know every family isn’t a Christian family, but even if just the Christians took Paul’s teaching more seriously, marriages would be stronger, not perfect but strong. The church would be stronger, too.

There is another wedding coming in the future.  Christ is going to marry the church.  The culmination of human history will be the wedding of the Lamb and His bride, the church.  What a celebration that will be!  John writes in Revelation 19:9, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  Are you on the invitation list?  If so, we’ll be celebrating forever!