July 8, 2007

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15

She had a smile that would light up a room....and she was always smiling. She was kind, tenderhearted, loving and gentle to EVERYONE she knew. She made everyone feel important...special. She was a nurse...the kind of nurse everyone longs for. She was an only child....an only grandchild....and she was adored by her parents and her grandparents. She had more friends than you could count. Everyone loved her.

She could play the piano beautifully...taught by her mother. She had the voice of an angel and when she signed, it was almost as if her hands sang. I've never seen anyone who could do sign language as beautifully as she did! The last time I heard her sing was at our daughter's wedding. She sang the song I shared yesterday, HE'S BEEN FAITHFUL TO ME. I'm so thankful I have it on video.

The last time I saw her was a little over a month ago. She was standing beside her Daddy at her mother's casket. Her mother had fought a terrible battle with cancer and lost. Now all her Daddy had left was her....his baby girl.

Today she is gone. She, too, last lost a battle with cancer and has joined her Mother in Heaven, leaving behind a heart-broken Daddy and grandmother and a host of family and friends who loved her. I know where she is for she loved the Lord. II Corinthians 5:8 tells us that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. "

For her there will be no more pain, no more sadness, no more heartache, no more fear, no more loneliness, no more struggles with the sin nature, no more worry, no more tears. But...for her family....especially for her Daddy and her grandmother.....there is GREAT grief, pain and heartache today.

How do you bury your wife of almost 40 years...your high school sweetheart....your best friend one month and 2 months later bury your only child? How do you bury your husband, then a few years later watch your only child suffer like no one should have to suffer, then watch her die and in 2 months, bury your only grandchild? How can one heart hold that much sorrow and pain?

There is only ONE way....GOD. Only God can get you through that kind of pain and bring you out on the other side. Only God can help you go on....or even want to go on. And HE is who they are relying on....believing in...and trusting. The KNOW Him. No, they don't just know about Him....they KNOW Him. Just knowing about Him would not get your through this. They know Him personally. How? They have walked with Him throughout their lives and have a relationship with Him. They have seen Him work time and time again. They have experienced His faithfulness and KNOW that He can be trusted.

These circumstances would make a lot of hearts hard, some would turn against the Lord, saying "How could a loving God do such a thing?" A few years ago, I had the privilege of being on an email list of a young wife and mother who was dying with cancer. As she would send updates she would ask for prayer requests and explain what she was going through, but she would always turn it back to God before the end of the post. Her condition worsened and with each bad report, she would STILL be trusting in the Lord. After one particularly bad report, this is part of what she wrote:


"Finally, I'm praying that those who are in my life who do not know Jesus
Christ as their Saviour, would not be discouraged by this news, but rather,
would come to trust Him as I do.
I know many of you are amazed at that statement. But the fact is,
regardless of the outcome, I trust my God to do what is absolutely best all
around. Whether or not He is capable of healing me is not at all in
question! Of course He can.....so I'm asking that if it be in His will for
me to have many more years on this earth, that He would grant it to me.
If He chooses to take me off this earth, well, I'll be in paradise, so don't
you worry about me. Then my prayer will be that my family will be comforted
and that those of you who are so, so, special to me (as you all are), will
come to trust God as I do.
It occurs to me that some of you may think that God is this big meanie who
won't heal me. That's not it at all. God is a wonderful, loving God who
created us for fellowship with Him. Our time spent on this earth is merely
a speck in the larger scale of time that is eternity. Those who have
trusted Him as their Saviour will spend eternity in fellowship with Him and
with the other believers. When God chooses not to heal one of His children,
it is because He sees the entire Big Picture. We just cannot know
everything that is going on in God's Kingdom to know why some people are
healed and others are not. But rest assured that I know that whatever God
chooses, it will be the best possible outcome, on the grander scale of
things."

Two months later, Wendy was with the Lord. How could she write that? Because she KNEW the Lord, she trusted Him. She trusted Him in life and was not disappointed. She trusted Him in death and I KNOW that when she saw Him as she walked through Heaven's gates, she was not disappointed!

God will get this grieving family through this painful, heartbreaking ordeal. They will see His hand of mercy, they will hear His voice of cheer, and just the time they need Him, He'll be there. Like Job, their testimony will be "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him". One day they will see their loved ones again. Until then God will sustain them. He is the only one who can.

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord THY God is with thee, wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

I was 16 when I discovered this verse. I was preparing for the worst disaster of my young life....BRACES!!! Now I know that you think that is ridiculous, but for me at that point in my life it was REALITY.

I don't do pain. I hate dentists (sorry, Jim) and yet my mother had been talking for years that I was going to have to have braces. Now when I was a kid, very few people had braces. There were no options either, just the beautiful, shiny metal kind that no self respecting teenager wanted. I had said to myself over the years every time she would mention the dreaded word "braces" that if she ever really tried to have them put on me, I would just run away from home.

But, by the time she really got serious about it, I was old enough to know that I had no future if I did. Where would I go? How would I live and support myself? So, the only way to deal with it was to stay and endure. I was terrified to say the least. But at least I had time to prepare. So for several months leading up to "B" day, I sought the Lord every way I could. I guess that was when I first learned how near and real He could really be.

I had a little daily devotional book I read called "Open Windows". It seemed as if God were writing directly to me during those days and I have many things from those devotionals still written in my Bible. They have been an enduring source of comfort to me through the years. This verse, Joshua 1:9, was my lifeline. God was promising He would never leave me. He was encouraging me to be strong, to not be afraid. I clung to that verse more and more as the day neared.

By the time the dreaded day arrived, I had fortified myself with scripture and prayed as hard as I had ever prayed in my life. Though still scared, I knew that God was with me and that He would get me through. It was a life changing lesson for me. I found Him faithful to all that H e had promised. It was one of many times in my life that I would press into Him in times of crisis, yet not once in all these years has He ever failed me. He never will.

I have also been able to share the comfort and assurance of this verse with many others through the years. Although my experience of getting braces was trivial in the great scheme of things, it was a testing ground for me in my life at a crucial point. With each experience of our lives, God teaches us something important about His character, about who He really is. He causes us to press into Him, to try Him and find that He really is always faithful and true. And those experiences are what prepare us for the next crisis in our life. Each one makes us a little stronger and a little stronger, each one teaches us more and more how much He loves us. That is another reason we can praise Him in the storms of life....because we are being drawn closer to Him through each one. My testimony of his faithfulness could be summed up in the words of this song:


HE’S BEEN FAITHFUL TO ME

In my own doubts and fears
Through every pain, every tear
There's a God who's been faithful to me
When my strength was all gone
When my heart had no song
Still in love, He proved faithful to me
Every word He's promised is true
What I thought was impossible,
I've seen MY God do!
He's been faithful, faithful to me
Looking back, his love and mercy I see
Though in my heart I have questioned
Even failed to believe
Yet He's been faithful, faithful to me.

July 6, 2007

"From the rising of the sun til the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised." Psalm 113: 3

Have you ever noticed how many of our praise and worship choruses have their origin in scripture? I first heard this verse as a chorus the youth sang when I was a counselor at camp one summer. I had no idea it was in the Bible and then one day I ran across it as I was reading.

I have often heard that happiness depends on circumstances, but joy is constant. The difference is that our circumstances can change...day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. Therefore we can be happy one minute and devastated the next. But joy comes from the Lord. Our joy is IN the Lord and He is the one true constant in our lives. Whether we are happy or sad, elated or downcast, flying high or grief-stricken...the Lord is still there. He never lets us down and never lets us go. He is in the very midst of our circumstances. So if we are having a wonderful day, the sun is shining and all is right with the world, He wants us to praise Him. Or if the clouds have turned dark, the storm clouds have rolled in and our heart is in turmoil, He still wants us to praise Him, for He is there. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Hallelujah!!

Hebrews tells us that He inhabits the praise of His people. Praising God in the difficult circumstances of our life is not as easy as it sounds. But God promises that HE is there, He is in the midst of our praise! I guess that is why I love the praise music so much. It puts our focus on Him and when our focus is on Him, it is not on our circumstances. So the next time you find yourself in the midst of trying circumstances, find a Psalm that gives praise to the Lord. Write it down, carry it with you throughout the day, read it often, giving praise back to the Lord. Turn on the radio to a Christian station (I like KLOVE.com) and turn your eyes on the only One who can give you true joy.

A song that speaks so well to that is I WILL PRAISE YOU IN THE STORM by Casting Crowns:

I was sure by now God
You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But, once again, I say "Amen"
And it's still raining.

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hand and praise the God
Who gives and takes away.

I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm.

Today, if things are good and going your way, PRAISE HIM. Or if you are in the midst of a storm, big or small, PRAISE HIM. He is ALWAYS there and for THIS you have JESUS!!
"The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10

July 5, 2007

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3 (KJV)


I am not a morning person by choice, but by necessity; age and an aching back have made me one. I have found that the earlier I am up, the longer I am able to be alone with the Lord, and that has become a very important part of my day. I have struggled all my life, as it seems most Christians do, with having a disciplined quiet time every day....same time, same place, etc. Some days I do really well, others not so hot. Yet when I miss that special time, I am the loser.


I read a book a while back by Anne Graham Lotz called "My Heart's Cry...Longing for More of Jesus". Her premise for her book echoed my heart:


"As I have poured over the Scriptures, my heart has cried out for more than just enough....
to escape a fiery hell.
to be saved from God's wrath.
to call myself a Christian.
to manage my guilt.
to get a ticket to Heaven.
to squeak through Heaven's gate.
I long for more than just the bare minimum God has to offer.

I long for more than what the average Christians seems to settle for.

I long for everything God wants to give me.

I long for more than enough....

to bend my will!
to awaken my conscience!
to break my heart!
to transform my mind!
to overcome my prejudices!
to soar in my spirit!
to conform me to His glorious image!
to give me an abundant entrance into Heaven!
I long to be saturated in Jesus! So, please, dear God, just give me MORE".


The only way any of us will ever experience MORE of Jesus is to develop an intimate relationship with Him. And the only way to develop an intimate relationship with Him--- as with any other relationship--- is to spend time with Him. And the way we spend time with Him is to feed on His word, to talk with Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, and then to take the time to LISTEN for His still small voice.


Jesus Himself knew the value of the morning. He regularly sought the Father early in the morning:

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35 The Son had access to the Father at any hour of the day...as do we....but, he chose to seek Him alone and in the quiet stillness of the morning before his day began and the people began to press into Him. I believe He had that recorded in scripture just so we would have His example to follow.

The morning affords us a unique quietness to commune with our Father. Before the day has begun with all its demands pressing in on us....before all the distractions and noise of the day inundates our senses, if we will draw away to a quiet place with Him, our day will be enriched, our paths will be more marked, our senses will be more aware. It is a discipline....some days it is a fight, for the enemy of our souls will do anything to keep us from that meeting. Today won't you join me in making Psalm 143:8 your prayer :"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust; cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul to Thee."

July 4, 2007

I experienced Small Town USA last night. Actually it's not so small anymore. It used to be when it was an agricultural town, but now it is a growing, bustling suburb. But to me, it's still my small town. We attended the fireworks display as we do every year. I LOVE IT! Some say that is such a waste of money, to spend thousands of dollars to go up in smoke. But surely anything that brings so many families together in one place cannot be a bad thing.

Everywhere we looked were families....moms and dads and grandparents with little ones in strollers, riding on Daddy's shoulders, being pulled in wagons. What a sight to behold!! These families are making memories, establishing family traditions, they are creating the glue that holds families together. When these children grow up, they will want to re-create these moments for their children and grandchildren. Mine did and I got the joy of watching our precious granddaughter watch her first fireworks display, totally mesmerized as she sat in her grandfather's lap. What a million dollar moment!!!

To me, that is what America is all about. We are free to enjoy moments just like that! There are no bombs going off, just the sound of fireworks, exploding into brilliant color against the night sky. We were in a public park where families come and play every day, where little leaguers play ball, and joggers run early each morning without fear. Our town is not littered with the debris of war and conflict. People are not huddled in their homes, frightened to venture out. There was plenty to eat and we were surrounded by nice homes. Everywhere you looked there was evidence of the bounty freedom provides.

But that freedom is not free. It costs a lot. Even as we were enjoying such a memorable evening, our men and women in uniform across this world were fighting under horrible conditions to provide us that very freedom. Many have lost their lives doing so. Many have come home wounded, disfigured and disabled for life. No, that freedom has cost many all they have. We must NOT take it for granted.

This holiday affords us the opportunity to laugh and play, to gather with friends and family, to eat barbeque and watch baseball....and I believe our soldiers would want us to do that...that is what they are fighting for, but as we do, let's not forget them nor those who have gone before them. At some point today...maybe even as you are reading this...stop and thank God for America, thank Him for those who have given so much for our freedom, say a prayer for those who are still fighting. And today, if you see someone who is a veteran, someone who has served our country in any capacity....Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, National Guard...take them by the hand, look them in the eye, and tell them THANK YOU and ask God to bless them. We don't say it enough.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!

July 3, 2007

We were driving home the other night and the moon was especially beautiful that night. It was a soft golden color shining against the velvety blackness of the night. Yet it was a cloudy night and occasionally tiny wisps of clouds would slowly make their way across its surface, almost like lacy fingers.....still allowing the light to shine through them. But then a larger cloud would follow, thicker, heavier, blocking out more of the light. Soon no light would shine through at all. The moon was still there, just darkened by the heaviness of the clouds.

God wants to shine through our lives every day. I have always encouraged my children to be a "light in a dark place". He says that we are not to hide our light under a bushel, but to let it shine for Him. Yet there are times in all of our lives when we allow things to cloud our light. Usually it starts out small, little things that get in between us and Him. He IS our light and we must be close to Him in order for the light to shine through. When we allow things to get in between us, His light becomes dimmer and dimmer.

God has been impressing on me the importance of having an intimate relationship with Him...not casual...not a surface relationship, but a deep relationship that comes only from walking and talking daily with Him. It is so easy to allow the things of the world to interfere with that relationship. We get busy with our lives...too much stuff to DO...and we leave God out. Little fingers of darkness begin to cloud over His light. We have less and less time for Him, for His Word, for conversation with Him. Other things press in. Soon we find that we hear His voice less and less. We do not sense His presence like we once did. The clouds get thicker and the Light gets dimmer. We become dull of hearing and hard of heart.

Yet God has not moved. He gently prods us to return to our first love. He longs for us to make the time for Him. He waits, patiently, longingly for us to come back, to allow Him to brush away the darkness and shine through once again.

This morning as I walked, the sun was breaking through the clouds. Light illuminating the sky, as the clouds rolled away. It will be a sunny day today. No more clouds. No more gray skies. No more darkness.

Today may God shine through to you. Do not let the clouds of business, the tyranny of the urgent, sin, or anything else get between you and the Light. Listen for His still small voice. He is calling your name. As the song IN THE GARDEN so beautifully says "And He walks with me and He talks with me, and tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known." He is waiting this morning to walk and talk with you, to be YOUR light and to shine through YOU today. Today may His light illuminate your darkness and may you SHINE, SHINE, SHINE for Him!!

July 2, 2007

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." Lamentations 3:22-23

My mother is an avid daylily gardener. Her favorite verse is Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, they toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these." She shares Christ in her garden as she quotes this verse to those who come to walk among the beauty God has created in her yard. She tells them that her greatest joy is go get up each morning and to see just what He has created THAT day. You see, daylilies are just what the name implies----a DAY lily. Their blooms only last for ONE day, then they are spent. But she delights in the new ones He provides each day, not missing a single detail of each beautiful bloom, from its rich color to the delicate ruffles and beautiful edgings. They are a fresh blessing to her eachmorning.

That is how God wishes us to view each new day....a new beginning with Him. Just as He gave the Israelites fresh manna each day in the desert, He provides us with just what we need for each day. We get so bogged down with the regrets of yesterday....what didn't get done, the mistakes we made, the wrong decisions we made..and with the worries of tomorrow...Yet God says "THIS is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in IT." (Psalm 118:24) He wants us to enjoy THIS day, to focus on TODAY....not tomorrow or yesterday. He will provide everything we need for TODAY. He will be with us TODAY. DAILY, He loads us with benefits and every morning His mercies are new and fresh for the taking. We cannot use them up. The supply is endless. He has everything we need for TODAY.

Today, let go of the past, realize tomorrow is yet to be born, but TODAY is yours and God has everything you need for TODAY if you will just keep your eyes on Him. Helen Steiner Rice put it beautifully:

It's only the memory
Of things that have been
And expecting tomorrow
To bring trouble again
That fills my today
Which God wants to bless
With uncertain fears
And borrowed distress
For all I need live for
Is this one little minute
For life's here and now
And eternity's in it.