Author: K. Wilson

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Can You See It?

Our sight is one of our strongest senses. We depend on it for so much of what we do. In fact, we go to great links to make sure we are able to see things clearly. We expend time and money on eye exams and getting our vision corrected. Lasix, contacts, glasses – all big business.

However, from God’s perspective, our physical vision isn’t nearly so important as our faith vision.

“Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” II Corinthians 4:18 CEV

Over the years I have learned to walk by faith, trusting God’s word more than I trust the things I can see with my physical eyes. To some that is foolish but we need to realize that we all trust things we cannot see each and every day. We trust that there is enough oxygen in the atmosphere for us to keep breathing properly but we’ve never seen the oxygen. We trust that there are sound and picture waves being transmitted but we can’t see them until we have the right receiver.

We experience gravity and thrust all without site. And electricity exists even in places where they have no power plants or knowledge of how to conduct it. You see there is so much in our lives that we “take for granted”. Why then, does it seem so far fetched to put our faith in God’s word and believe it even when we can’t see it?

“Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.” II Corinthians 5:7 NLV

Learning to live a life of faith in God is like learning to walk. No child ever just stood and moved across a room confidently, without wobbling, the first time they were upright. No, there’s the pushing up, standing for seconds then sitting down. This is followed up pushing up and holding on to something; then learning balance and after great encouragement from Mommy and Daddy, letting go and taking those first treasured steps.

Scripture tells us that faith is a continuous growth process. Faith comes from hearing God’s word.

“As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.” Colossians 2:6-8 NLV

God operates in faith. Did you ever stop to think about that? He had faith that what he said would happen. Let there be light and there was light! Our faith pleases God and He rewards us for our faith.

“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen…6 Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Hebrews 11:1-6 CEV

I’m going to tell you one story about a man who put his faith in God and it changed the world. This man’s name was Noah. God told him that he needed to build a boat. A huge boat. This was a foreign concept to Noah; he wasn’t an experienced seaman. And then the instruction continued; build the boat, gather the animals, it’s going to rain. The earth had never experienced rain at that time. This wasn’t just going to be a rain, it was going to be a world wide flood.

By faith, Noah built the ark. He and his family and the animals were saved.

“Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.” Hebrews 11:7 ERV

I’m sure Noah was ridiculed by his neighbors for being stupid or senseless, an old fool, but he believed God’s word and was obedient.

When you believe God and have faith in His word there will be people that think the same of you but believe God anyway! You can trust Him just like Noah did.

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What’s Better Than a Mama Grizzly

I’m sure by now most of you have heard the term Mama Grizzly. It’s been used around quite a bit in the last few years. Of course the meaning can be construed to fit a number of situations and refers to taking a strong defensive stand.

I want you to look at it this morning in light of our relationship with the Father. When Jesus was on this earth he faced constant criticism from the religious leaders and rulers of his day. His own family didn’t understand Him. People followed him out of selfish motives; they wanted to see the next miracle and have a free meal.

No one other than Jesus has ever lived a perfect life. He was pure, even when angry he was righteous. He looked at people and was moved with great love. He championed the weak, healed the sick, brought comfort to those with broken hearts and restored relationship to those who had been outcast. He even forgave the ones responsible for his death. He came with a single purpose – defeat the power of sin, providing a perfect sacrifice for our forgiveness and restoration to God.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

When things looked the darkest and hope was almost gone, God stepped in with the ultimate victory.

“We have seen and heard everything He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And yet they killed Him by nailing Him to a cross. 40 God raised Him to life on the third day and made Him to be seen.” Acts 10:39-40 NLV

When we accept what Jesus has done for us personally is when we truly become God’s child and can call him Father.

“He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.” John 1:12 NLV

Once we are in God’s family he defends us, we can be confident of that.

“If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right.” Romans 8:31-33 CEV

God, our Father, makes it his personal business to provide for our well being and our defense. He will not, WILL NOT, leave us to struggle through things on our own. It’s his promise!

“’The mountains may disappear, and the hills may become dust, but my faithful love will never leave you. I will make peace with you, and it will never end.’ The Lord who loves you said this.” Isaiah 54:10 ERV

Our loving Father is the one who kept Noah safe in the ark; gave David victory over Goliath; delivered Daniel safely out of the lion’s den; and sent an angel to release Paul from prison. He protects and provides for “his kids”. He’s much better than a “Mama Grizzly”.

One last verse.

“You can go to God Most High to hide. You can go to God All-Powerful for protection. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.” 3 God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. 4 You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.” Psalm 91:1-4 ERV

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It’s About Relationship, My BFF

I want you to take a minute and think about your best friend.

They could be your mate or someone you have known for years, even since childhood. You can see them in your mind’s eye. You know what colors they will be wearing because you know the colors they don’t like. You know their hobbies and where to find them in their leisure hours. You know what types of things they like to watch on television and what kind of books they read. You certainly know the names of their children and probably their birth dates.

I make it my goal to know my friends favorite desserts because I like to make it for them on their birthdays or when they come to visit. I also like to know how they take their coffee. I want to have it ready for them when they get up and I like to make them feel at home. (Except my dear friend makes her own coffee because she does too much with it and says she doesn’t want to bother me with the details.)

Now stop and think about your friend again. How did this relationship begin? Were they someone you worked with, someone from school or maybe someone from a social gathering you attended, possibly from church? Wherever you met, the relationship only continued to develop because of your investment of time and effort.

The same holds true in our relationship with the Lord.

I was thinking this morning about the different names I use when telling you about God. Let’s see there’s God, Lord, Father, Friend. Each name has meaning and is tied to relationship. Some folks talk about God and you can just hear in their voice that they think He’s aloof, far off and unconcerned about them personally. You hear others and you can tell that they feel God is harsh, judgmental, condemning and cruel.

But then there are those who speak His name and their tone softens, a smile comes to their lips and you know they are talking about their “Dad”, their closest friend, their deepest love! Oh yes – that’s relationship!

That’s the kind of relationship that comes from spending time talking to Him and listening in return. That’s the kind of relationship that comes from knowing His promises and believing that every word He speaks is true. It’s impossible to have a deep and lasting friendship with someone if you don’t think you can trust their words or believe what they say. That’s why my favorite verse in the Bible is

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

Jesus knew how important relationship was. He trusted his Father with his life. Jesus had God’s word that when he died his Father would raise him to life again in three days. Jesus had God’s word that when he prayed for the sick they would be healed; when he spoke to the storm it would be calmed; when he prayed over the loaves and fishes it would be enough to feed the crowd. We, too, have God’s word.

Look at the prayer Jesus prayed for us. He was in the Garden and knew his death was eminent. One verse tells us that Jesus was in such anguish that he sweat drops of blood. But in that hour he wasn’t praying for himself alone. He talked to His father about their relationship and then Jesus talked to our Father about us. Yes, he was praying for the disciples that were with him and had been following him but then he added you and me to that prayer too.

“Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

13 I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. 14 I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.

15 Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. 17 Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. 18 I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. 19 I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

20 I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. 21 I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

22 I have honored my followers in the same way that you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. 23 I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.” John 17:11-23 CEV

Now this is the relationship that my Father wants with me and with you, “they will know that you love my followers as much as you love me”. WOW!!

Let me ask you this. Is this a relationship you feel you can invest your time and effort into? It has certainly been worth my time, that I know.

So tomorrow when you get up and have your coffee or tea why not ask the Father how he takes his? I’ve found He likes his the same as I do mine.

May your day be blessed beyond measure today as you realize how much God really loves you!

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If You’ve Ever Been in Need – This is a Must Read!

Years back when I began writing verses on index cards and really began to trust God to keep His promises, I needed to know that God loved me. I knew that He loved the whole world; I knew that Jesus died for me but I needed to know that God loved me enough to think about me each day, to be concerned with what was going on in my family and I needed to know that He truly wanted my life to be good.

Maybe you’re not there but I was. I was desperate to experience God’s love every day!

We were in a real hard place financially. Not sure how many of you have ever been there but it’s not good. We were working hard, trying to make ends meet but we were falling short, way short, every month. We had two pre-teen kids and a new baby. We lived in AZ where our monthly summertime utility bill was more than our house payment. And we knew that the Bible said God would supply all our needs but we definitely weren’t experiencing it.

One day, in the midst of all this, our son came, looked in the refrigerator and it was empty. Not much more than the condiments in the refrigerator door. He looked at me and say very matter of fact-ly, “Mom, you need to go grocery shopping. We’re about out of everything.” He closed the fridge and headed back outside to play.

With that, I walked into the other room where I wouldn’t be seen, sat down on the floor and began to weep! I was devastated. My son was right, we needed groceries but I knew that we had no money and no way to buy any. I cried out to the Lord. “Lord, you HAVE to do SOMETHING. I need to have food for my kids.” Dave and I had learned to fast but the kids needed food.

And then I heard in my heart, “Kristi, come to me with the same confidence that Koy came to you. You don’t need to complain or cry or be worried about any of it. I’m your Dad, just ask confidently, like your son did, and watch me provide.” I was stunned! I had been going to God like some undeserving beggar and He wanted me to ask like a child, making a request to my Father.

“Because you are the sons of God, He has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The Spirit cries, “Father!” 7 So now you are no longer a servant who is owned by someone. You are a son. If you are a son, then you will receive what God has promised through Christ.” Galatians 4:6-7 NLV

It was then those verses I used a few days ago came flooding back into my memory.

“Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32 The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things. 33 First of all, look for the holy nation of God. Be right with Him. All these other things will be given to you also.” Matthew 6:31-33 NLV

And these:

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” (spoken by Jesus) John 10:10 CEV

“Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 NLV

Yes, I know I used these verses in the last few days but you see, if you’re going to live victoriously in God’s word the verses have to be the first thing that come to mind. You need to be confident that God won’t lie and that He will keep his promises! If not, worry will overwhelm and fear will prevail.

I’ve heard it said that you won’t truly learn a foreign language until you are no longer translating your conversation in your head. It has to roll out without thinking about it. That’s the way it is with learning God’s language, His word, it has to be so ingrained that it’s the first thing we think of in any given situation. And if not the first, then it needs to take precedence over that first thought. The Apostle Paul calls it a renewed mind.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

Now back to that conversation in my kitchen. My son didn’t tell me all that he had done to “deserve” me going to the grocery store and buying him some food. He didn’t say, “Mom, I’ve cleaned my room, been nice to my sisters, I helped Dad in the yard so would you please, pretty please, go to the store and buy some groceries”. No he was just confident that if he told me we needed to fill the fridge I would do something about it.

So as I sat there I gave the Lord my grocery list. I told Him everything we needed. We could use some bread, eggs, milk, meat, veggies, butter, coffee, cereal. And then I said, “Lord, I don’t know how you’re going to get this but I know you’ll come by it honestly. Thank you for providing.” And I got up, went back to the kitchen and finished the dishes.

The next day shortly after breakfast there was a knock on our door. Friends who lived over 30 miles away had come for a visit. “We’re just in the neighborhood” is what they said. Then our friend told Dave he had something in the car he needed help with. His wife and I sat in the kitchen and began to visit. The next thing I knew, they were coming through the door with bags of groceries. Everything that was on my list and more! Even now as I’m telling you this my eyes are filling with tears!

God is good – God is faithful – God can be trusted!

I would love to tell you that was the end of our financial struggles but it wasn’t. It has been a lifetime of trusting God to provide. Sometimes worry has gotten the upper hand, sometimes we have tried to “fix” it ourselves and only made matters worse. But every time we have returned to confidently trusting in the Lord and His promises He has provided.

Is it important to get God’s word in your heart? Absolutely! Is God’s word true? Unequivocally!

Now you have a little more insight into who I am and why I trust God – He loves me and He has provided for my family!

You can trust Him too!

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No GPS or Voicemail

Have you ever gotten stuck in one of those phone trees – you know the ones, press 1 for billing, press 2 to change your address, press 3 for something else, press 5 for none of the above. They never give you the number to press to get a live person to talk too and then when you’ve been holding for 20-30 minutes you errantly get disconnected and have to call back and start the process over. Has to be one of the most frustrating things ever!

Or what about the GPS that you are depending on to help you navigate an unknown city. Turn here, turn there, recalculating, recalculating, recalculating!

The two verses that we are looking at this morning come from the book of Jeremiah. This book is a history of the Israelites being carried off as prisoners of the king of Babylon, their repentance while in captivity and their return to their Promised Land of Israel.

So what’s that got to with us? All Scripture is truly a letter to us from God. We can learn from what others did wrong to avoid the same pitfalls and failures that they experienced. As we look at these two verses this morning we will see that no matter how far the people of Israel went in their rebellion to God he was always reaching out to them in love.

“0 After Babylonia has been the strongest nation for seventy years, I will be kind and bring you back to Jerusalem, just as I have promised. 11 I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13 You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:10-13 CEV

We can learn from the Israelites. God always had a plan for them to be a great nation, His people. He had promised to protect, provide and give them victory but they became distracted and disobedient when they began to worship the false gods of the nations around them. They forgot and then ignored the plan that God had set for them.

Do you remember the very first of the 10 commandments?

“Do not worship any god except me. 4 Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. 5 Don’t bow down and worship idols. I am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I will punish your families for three or four generations. 6 But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.” Exodus 20:3-4 CEV

God’s command to worship only Him was a command for their own good and protection. He knew that if they followed other gods if would be detrimental and He didn’t want to see His people destroyed or depraved as other nations were. But God didn’t want puppets serving Him; He wanted them to serve Him out of love and not because they had no choice. God gave them a free will – the right to choose. Theirs was a bad choice and it led to their captivity.

We have a choice too. It’s important that we make the right ones, when we do we live this life that Lord reminded the people about. It is a life with a future filled with hope and blessing, a future of success and not suffering. God was reminding the Israelites and us that His plan for us is good and if we ask for help He is there to answer.

We don’t need a GPS to follow the plan God has for us we just need to call out to Him and he will direct our path.

“‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:3 NLV

When we call out to God we don’t have to go through press 1 for this, press 5 for that and we never get stuck on hold or go to voicemail. We are instantly connected to our loving, heavenly Father. He is always there and will provide the help we need. (Remember yesterday’s verse)

Rest assured God is always there and waiting for us to call.

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An Extra-Ordinary Morning Routine

Dave and I were talking yesterday about our morning routine. Some would see it as too structured, no room for spontaneity, but I see it as foundational for what will come. Sitting in the morning quiet is one of my favorite places. It doesn’t matter the location – what matters is that God chooses to meet with me. I love this time before life demands my attention.

When the kids were little it was imperative that I have these quiet moments to talk with my Father. I would draw my strength from Him and pray over my little ones and those things that would try to harm and distract in their lives. I prayed for Dave, that he would be a man of wisdom and that his integrity would shine through in all he did. As the children grew and the years past my prayers were the same. And as life’s challenges seemed to grow bigger it was even more important for me to have these mornings to sit with the Lord and read His word.

Now that I’m retired and life has slowed down some but my routine has not changed. I still pray for my children, grandchildren, husband and friends. I don’t know what faces them each day but my heavenly Father does. I don’t know what phone calls I’ll receive or emails will come from a friend who’s hurting but I want to be ready to share a word of encouragement and a prayer for strength.

It’s what I do every morning but it’s far from routine. Each day there is something new; a new insight into a Scripture verse, a new circumstance to pray over, a new thought or direction that the Lord is leading. Yes my morning routine is far from being a normal, mundane, regular routine!

“Lord, your rules are wonderful. That is why I follow them. 130 As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. 131 My desire to hear your commands is so strong that I wait with open mouth, gasping for breath. 132 Look at me, and be kind to me, just as you always are to those who love your name. 133 Guide me, as you promised. Don’t let evil rule over me. 134 Save me from those who want to hurt me, and I will obey your instructions. 135 Accept your servant, and teach me your laws. 136 I have cried a river of tears because people don’t obey your teachings.” Psalm 119:129-136

How many times has David said in this Psalm that the word makes us wise or gives us understanding? I haven’t counted but it seems to be the reoccurring theme in each segment. The Word was such a strong influence in David’s life that it also made an impact on his son Solomon. When the Lord asked him what he desired most, Solomon asked for wisdom.

“One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”

6 Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 Lord God, I’m your servant, and you’ve made me king in my father’s place. But I’m very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.

9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.

10-11 God said: Solomon, I’m pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12 So I’ll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. 13 I’ll also give you what you didn’t ask for. You’ll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you’ll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I’ll let you live a long time.” I Kings 3:5-14

Solomon saw that his father’s ability to lead and to rule successfully came from his dependence on the Lord and it was his desire to be like his father. The Lord answered Solomon’s request and more. This segment in Psalms tells us that the Word will bring light to our situation and that it makes the simple wise.

The Apostle Paul had lots to say about the Word too. He told us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” If we are to grow in faith then we need to be committed to hearing (and applying) God’s word to our lives.

Hebrews 11:6 told us that it is impossible to please God without faith. So if we don’t hear the Word we have no faith and if we have no faith then it is impossible for us to please God. If we want to please God we must make His word the foundation of our lives.

Make it your goal today to love the Word of God and to give it the priority that David and Solomon did. It will give you wisdom and as you follow it you will find that God is pleased.

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The Victory

Some people have the misconception that if we love God and are serving Him then we won’t have any problems. That is so far from the truth. What we do have though is God’s promise to bring us through those problems with victory. This morning I want to put two different Scriptures side by side and let you see how God answered David’s prayer from verses 121-128.

“121 I have done what is right and good. Don’t let me fall into the hands of those who want to hurt me. 122 Promise to be good to me, your servant. Don’t let those proud people do harm to me. 123 I have worn out my eyes looking for your help, waiting for you to save me, as you promised. 124 Show your faithful love to me, your servant. Teach me your laws. 125 I am your servant. Give me wisdom to understand your rules. 126 Lord, it is time for you to do something. The people do what is against your teachings. 127 I love your commands more than gold, more than the purest gold. 128 I carefully obey all your commands. So I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.” Psalm 119: 121-128

David was accustomed to battle but he was also accustom to winning. Before he became king he was pursued by Saul for approximately 13 years, I think I have that right. Then after he became king he had the enemy nations to defeat and even had to fight his own son, Absalom. But most of the time, he was encouraged and confident in battle. David knew the Lord had promised the Israelites this land and had told them to go in and confidently take the land and that they would be victorious.

However, David had to encourage himself with God’s promises when his wife, children and the wives and children of the entire town were captured while he and his men were away at battle. That’s where we are going to read this morning. (This takes place before David became king.)

“David was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the Lord God giving him strength, 7 and he said to the priest, “Abiathar, let’s ask God what to do.”

Abiathar brought everything he needed to get answers from God, and he went over to David. 8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?” “Go after them,” the Lord answered. “You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families.”

9-10 David led his six hundred men to Besor Gorge, but two hundred of them were too tired to go across. So they stayed behind, while David and the other four hundred men crossed the gorge. 11 Some of David’s men found an Egyptian out in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some bread, and he ate it. Then they gave him a drink of water, 12 some dried figs, and two handfuls of raisins. This was the first time in three days he had tasted food or water. Now he felt much better.

13 “Who is your master?” David asked. “And where do you come from?”

“I’m from Egypt,” the young man answered. “I’m the servant of an Amalekite, but he left me here three days ago because I was sick. 14 We had attacked some towns in the desert where the Cherethites live, in the area that belongs to Judah, and in the desert where the Caleb clan lives. And we burned down Ziklag.”

15 “Will you take me to those Amalekites?” David asked.

“Yes, I will, if you promise with God as a witness that you won’t kill me or hand me over to my master.”

16 He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. 17 David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.

18 David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag. 19 No one was missing—young or old, sons or daughters. David brought back everything that had been stolen, 20 including their livestock.” I Samuel 30: 6-20

You can hear David’s discouragement in Psalm 119 and then you can see the result of the discouragement in I Samuel 30. David says in Psalms “Lord it’s time for you to do something.” And in I Samuel, he seeks God to see what it is that God is going to do. The Lord tells him to go out and recover ALL.

Are you facing a situation that you are saying “Lord, you have to do something”? Then seek Him…spend time asking God what you should do and then get into His Word and find your answer.

“31 What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34 Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say,

“For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.”

37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:21-39

God loves you – He’s on your side – Now go out and take the victory!

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Stability in the Storm

Recently Dave & I were watching television and it really jumped out at us how the commercials are depicting parents as out of touch, uninformed and down-right stupid. I know this will sound old fashioned and it is but I had a great respect for my parents and whether I agreed with them or not, I was obedient because they were my authority. TV shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Bonanza, and then later, when my kids were growing up, The Walton’s, Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, etc. taught kids responsibility, right from wrong and showed parents who loved their children.

Let’s look to see how this is reflected in today’s verses.

“I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your instruction. You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evil ones, so that I may obey my God’s commands. Sustain me as You promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Sustain me so that I can be safe and always be concerned about Your statutes. You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is a lie. You remove all the wicked on earth as if they were dross; therefore, I love Your decrees. I tremble in awe of You; I fear Your judgments.” Psalm 119:113-120

This first verse is the one I was referring too in my opening comments. In another version it says “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” Vain thoughts have no real value : idle, worthless – according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. King David was drawing a line of distinction between man’s thoughts and God’s. Man’s are idle and worthless and have no eternal value if they aren’t established on God’s word. So much of what we see on television and read in the paper falls into this classification.

In the book of James, we are instructed not to be double-minded, or vain in our thinking because a double-minded man is unstable. Jesus said that a man who stands on the word is like a man who builds his house on a solid rock. In a storm when the rain and the winds come, that man will be stable, firm and his house won’t be destroyed but the man who doesn’t build on the word will have a foundation of sand and in times of storm he will come crashing down. We can’t afford to fill our thinking with vain or worthless thoughts. We need to stand firm.

“ Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind. People like that are thinking two different things at the same time. They can never decide what to do. So they should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:5-8 ERV

Verse 114 was the theme verse of a woman named Corrie ten Boom. She survived the German concentration camps of World War II, this is the verse that she based her survival on. In the King James version it says, “thou art my hiding place and my shield”. Her testimony is one to draw from; she lived through the hell of the German concentration camp and came out with a love for her abusers and a solid, unshakable faith in the Lord.

In a sense we need to be “brain washed” – no, I’m not talking about the kind of mind control that manipulates but I am talking about being single-minded, our thoughts washed free of anything that would go contrary to God’s word. The Apostle Paul says we are to have our minds renewed or we are to be single-minded. When we’re singled minded we are grounded and unshakable.

“We tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 3:5 ERV

The Apostle Paul said that we were to “cast down” every vain imagination and take captive every thought that sets itself above the knowledge of God. These vain thoughts will destroy godly thinking if they are allowed to go unchecked. In turn, they will rob our hope. King David knew that his hope could only be in God and His word. Relying in anything or anyone else could bring you to shame.

There are so many in life who are hopeless. They are without God and without hope and it leaves them grasping at straws. We need to be a light and a show them that they can put their hope in God and He will not fail them! Wrong thinking is as deadly as a physical enemy with swords and arrows.

God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. David had walked with God and had seen God’s heart – he trembled or was in awe of just how amazing God was and is. This type of relationship with the Lord isn’t just available to King David, it is available to us as well. The Apostle Paul instructs us to renew our minds so we can know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. That’s available to us as we focus and apply God’s word in our lives.

“Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 ERV

I desire to “tremble in awe” of the Lord as I focus on His thoughts today!

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A Well Lit Path

We live in a rural area and there are only a couple of street lights up on our mesa. It makes walking at night interesting. Something we don’t do much of because there’s always an opportunity to run into javelina out foraging or a pack of coyotes on the hunt. We don’t often walk at night but when we do we carry the proper equipment to light our path so we won’t stumble or be surprised by what may be in the shadows.

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take. 106 Your laws are good and fair. I have promised to obey them, and I will keep my promise. 107 Lord, I have suffered for a long time. Say the word, and I will live again! 108 Lord, accept the praise I want to give you, and teach me your laws. 109 My life is always in danger, but I have not forgotten your teachings. 110 The wicked try to trap me, but I have not disobeyed your instructions. 111 The rules you have given me to follow will be mine forever. They give me great joy. 112 More than anything I want to obey your laws always, until the end of my life.” Psalm 119:105-112

At times, this road called life can be a dark path. One where the next step may seem uncertain but when we seek and follow the counsel of God’s word it becomes like a flashlight shining brightly on our path, illuminating the way we should go. We also have God’s promise that He will be our guide.

“But now you will again see the Lord, your teacher, and he will guide you. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, “This is the road! Now follow it.” Isaiah 30:20-21

David was a man of his word; he had promised to obey God’s commands and he vowed that he would continue to keep that promise. People depended on him the way he depended on God. As the king of Israel, David’s actions affected the entire nation. He would lead the country to battle their enemies and he would lead them in peace. He needed to know that he was hearing God’s voice and being faithful to follow His word.

We might not rule countries and lead nations but we do have a sphere of influence and we need to be following God’s word. It is essential for us and for those who follow us; our families, co-workers, associates. David refers again to the dangers and enemies he faced. If you read about David’s life in the Old Testament you will see that each time before he faced an enemy he sought the Lord’s direction; each time he waited for the Lord’s answer before he went out and each time he returned victorious.

God’s word will provide the same direction for us. We need to determine that we will follow God’s word at all costs. Live committed to what He says – make it our primary purpose and goal. We can say with David, “The rules you have given me to follow will be mine forever. They give me great joy. 112 More than anything I want to obey your laws always, until the end of my life.”

The greatest gift we can give our children is a godly heritage, standing strong for God even when our children think we are fanatical and/or old-fashioned. God has entrusted us with our children’s lives; we are responsible to teach them to love and respect God and His word. If your children are small or grown, live within your home or are separated by miles, depend upon God’s word to guide you and them and God will be faithful to you both.

Let the Word light your path and encourage them to follow.

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Oh How I Love Your Word

We had a wonderful evening yesterday talking with friends about the Lord and His word. Sharing what God has done in our lives is a tremendous way to encourage and strengthen our walk with the Lord. It reminds us of what the Lord has done in the past and encourages those around us to trust and believe God in their present circumstances.

Then this morning here they are, some of my favorite verses in Psalm 119. I am so excited with today’s verses. These verses have been a part of my regular Bible reading for about the past 30 plus years. Well enough – let’s just read…read them out loud!

“Oh, how I love your teachings! I talk about them all the time. 98 Your commands are always with me, and they make me wiser than my enemies. 99 I am wiser than all my teachers, because I study your rules. 100 I understand more than those who are older, because I obey your instructions. 101 I have avoided every path that leads to evil so that I could obey your word. 102 You are my teacher, so I will always do whatever you decide. 103 Your words are so sweet to me, like the taste of honey! 104 I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.” Psalm 119:97-104

Years ago the Lord put a desire in my heart to share His word. It is my greatest delight. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl; I was raised in a Christian home but my relationship with the Lord really didn’t begin to develop until after I graduated high school. In college, I had a true experience that let me know if there was no one else in the world in my corner, Jesus was there. And that was enough! But for the next 10 years I still didn’t grow that much – I was just confident in knowing that God the Father was always there and that Jesus loved me no matter what but I struggled a lot with stress, worry, fear, etc.

Then I started hearing some preachers talk about victorious living as a Christian – really? Victory?? Absolutely! Once I began to study, really study God’s word, I found that His purpose for my life was victory. If I am victorious, being no one special, then my victories can be a testimony to others that God will do the same for them. Dave and I became frustrated with our nominal Christian lives and began to seek God, seeking Him in every area of our lives. We became “whole” Christians – Christians who dare to believe the whole word and applying it to our whole life.

And then, after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the verses in the Bible began to jump off the page and into my heart, not just my head, but my heart. Since it’s the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers of the Bible, who knows better what it means. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come and teach us all things…Teach me Holy Spirit, teach me! I realized I had been spiritually retarded for so long and now I was hungry and growing. It was then I found today’s verses – and they described what was going on in my heart.

Have I been victorious in everything? No. Do I always feel like studying God’s word? No. Do I always come back to it? Yes!!! Where else can I go to find the words of life – no where. Only here in the pages of God’s word!

Jesus was teaching in John 6. He had just fed the 5000 and word was spreading that following Jesus was a good thing. The crowds increased, not because of the teaching but because of the miracles. Jesus told those following Him that He was the bread of life and they must eat of him. They thought he was talking about cannibalism and so they left because this was really offensive. Jesus asked his disciples if they were going to leave too. I love Peter’s answer.

“After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left and stopped following him.67 Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?”68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.” John 6:66-69

It’s really the same as what David is saying in today’s verses. “103 Your words are so sweet to me, like the taste of honey! 104 I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.”

I know where God has brought me from and what He has done in my life and I know that He doesn’t play favorites; so if God opens His word to me, He’ll open it to all. It is my heart’s desire to share God’s word in a simple, easy to understand way so that Christians will grow in their walk and won’t have to live for years in a retarded spiritual state.

Yes, David put the words of my heart down perfectly…“Oh, how I love your teachings! I talk about them all the time.”

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