Category: Jeremiah

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Listening to the Waves

Yesterday I received an email from a dear friend. She was asking me about the trip, “is it even more than you expected?”.

Yes more, so much more.

She also talked about listening to the sound of the waves. Oh yes, that sound completely engulfs us as we sit on the balcony enjoying the view. We hear it as we walk to the village and stop at the shops. It is an ever-constant reminder of where we are and in reality, it’s also a reminder of the greatness of the Lord.

“The ocean is roaring, Lord! The sea is pounding hard. 4 Its mighty waves are majestic,
but you are even more majestic, and you rule over all. 5 Your decisions are firm, and your temple will always be beautiful and holy.” Psalm 93:3-5 CEV

I know that one of the underlying threads to these morning devotions is finding the hand of God in daily events. It is Almighty God who designed nature to reveal His glory and goodness. It’s the simple things in life that expose His majesty.

“’No longer will they have to teach one another to obey me. I, the Lord, promise that all of them will obey me, ordinary people and rulers alike. I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things they have done.” 35 I am the Lord All-Powerful. I command the sun to give light each day, the moon and stars to shine at night, and ocean waves to roar. 36 I will never forget to give those commands, and I will never let Israel stop being a nation. I, the Lord, have spoken.'” Jeremiah 31:34-36 CEV

When we see God in the everyday course of life, it heightens our awareness of His presence. All this beauty and grandeur was created for us. The sunrise and sunset, the changing of the seasons, the tides ebb and flow, the vastness of the galaxies are all for us. Our heavenly Father wants us to know that He is always near.

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. 2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next.3 They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. 4 Yet their message reaches all the earth,
and it travels around the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 CEV

(Please take time today to read the whole chapter of Psalm 19. It will bless you.)

Before there was an internet the heavens were in place; before the smart phone the waves spoke of God’s glory; before Starlink the sunrise communicated the unchangeableness of God’s greatness.

Before I close, I would like to remind you of the words of an old hymn:

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

[Refrain]
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

As my friend said, “I bet the waves are so relaxing to just sit & watch. Close your eyes and hear them.” Take time to listen for God’s voice – His words of love are on every breeze, in every sunset and they roll in on every wave.

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Living the Dream/Plan

Those of you who know me know that Dave and I have been living with a particular dream for about five years now.

We’ve never been on an exotic vacation, in fact, we’ve only been on a handful of actual vacations. But one warm summer day, we came across a series of travel videos on the islands of Greece. I had never seen such beautiful turquoise water, it was breathtaking, literally. The quaint towns, the local residents and those iconic, white-washed buildings with blue doors drew me in.

Greece has over 200 hundred inhabited islands, rich in history. They also have a Biblical connection. The Apostle Paul, Titus, Barnabus and Luke traveled there bringing the message of Jesus to the uttermost parts of their world. John, the apostle, was exiled to the island of Patmos and it was there he received and wrote the Book of Revelation.

And we will be leaving for Greece on Friday.

“You are now children of God because you have put your trust in Christ Jesus. 27 All of you who have been baptized to show you belong to Christ have become like Christ. 28 God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you have become the true children of Abraham. What God promised to him is now yours.” Galatians 3:26-29 NLV

One in Christ!

Wherever we are, whatever we do, God wants us to be focused on who we are in Christ and to experience unity with like-minded followers of Christ. One of our plans is to attend a Greek Orthodox service and join in their worship of the Lord.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-2 NLV

We will be gone most of September. I plan on sharing the adventure with you, but I don’t know if that will be every day. We ask for your prayers as we travel, this will be our first international flight.

We know we will enjoy the people, the food, the beauty and we are thankful to be going on such a wonderful journey. Ten years ago, I would have never thought we would experience anything like this but here we are ready to pack our suitcases and be on our way.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 NLV

One thing I’ve come to know is that each day is an adventure with the Father just waiting to unfold!

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Walk & Talk

Yesterday I told you about my morning walking. Sometimes Dave walks with me and some days I walk alone. This image is from yesterday morning’s walk.

On the days Dave and I walk together we talk, we plan, we readjust plans and make set new goals, we thank God for where we are and where He is leading us. On the mornings when I walk by myself, I do the same with the Father.

That desire to walk and talk must be an inherited trait.

“ Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening. ” Genesis 3:8 NLV

God created man and woman so He would have someone to fellowship with. Even after they had sinned and left the garden God still came to talk with them.

Enoch went on a walk and talk with the Lord and instead of going back to his tent for the night it appears he walked right back to heaven with God.

“So Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was seen no more, for God took him.” Genesis 5:23-24 NLV

Noah talked with God and God gave him the blueprints for building the ark.

“ Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to make an end to all the people on the earth…14 Make a large boat of gopher wood for yourself. Build rooms in the boat. And cover it inside and out with tar. 15 This is how you are to make it…” Genesis 6:13-15 NLV

There are so many throughout the Bible who had walk and talks with the Lord and it still happens today.

We met a man while we were living in Idaho who had an idea for building a wood-burning stove. He built the proto-type and submitted it for a patent. He didn’t have a lot of money to spend on the patent process, and it failed the first round of testing. He told us he sat up all night praying about what had failed and how he could correct it with the funds he had left. He spread out the plans on the table and began asking the Lord about each step of the process. By morning, he had his answer on what needed to be adjusted, made the correction, submitted the stove again and was granted the patent. He has been producing his wood burning stoves now for years and has a very successful product and gives God the glory.

God’s desire is for us to have wisdom and His leading in every circumstance. He’s not hiding His will or His plans. On of my favorite walk n talk verses are these:

“ While Jeremiah was still shut up in the open space of the prison, the Word of the Lord came to him a second time, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says Who made the earth. The Lord made it to last. The Lord is His name. 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:1-3 NLV

Call to Me and I will answer and show you great and wonderful things!

If you need motivation while on those morning or evening walks, let those verses be it. A walk and talk with the Lord will reveal great and wonderful things!

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Positive Affirmation

Lately we have ordered quite a bit of stuff on line and each day after I receive my delivery confirmation I receive an email asking for my feedback. It seems the whole country needs positive affirmation.

We read the warnings on how hard social media can be for our young people. Not enough friends, not enough likes, too many bad comments and their worlds fall apart. But we adults fall prey to that thinking as well.

We wondered why we didn’t have more people like a picture or comment on something we’ve posted. When the numbers aren’t what we think they should be we wonder if anyone is even interested in us anymore.

Each morning when I open the app for writing my blog the first page it opens too is the stat page. This page tells me how many people read or clicked through on my blog from the day before. Let me tell you, some days the numbers aren’t great. In fact, there has been an occasion or two when I’ve wondered if I should keep writing each day.

Now before you think I’m seeking positive affirmation, let me stop you. The moment that thought comes into my mind I replace it with this:

“ Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:17 NLV

His is the only positive affirmation I need!

I know the Lord called me to do this blog and I will keep doing it until He tells me to stop. Readership doesn’t matter, presenting you with the life-changing, positive, confidence building, encouraging, correcting, love of God is my soul goal and purpose.

“The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NLV

When we put our faith and trust in Christ, receiving Him as our Savior, we have all the positive affirmation we need. He will not leave us, He gives us strength, He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death fearlessly.

There is no one, no number of likes, no amount of hearts to our comments that can ever outweigh the love of the One who gave His life for us!

Now this comes from a reformed people pleaser. I used to need all the affirmation and kind words and acceptance I could get. It was a death sentence to my soul. Then I found that in Christ I had been accepted and that’s all I needed.

“God already planned to have us as His own children. This was done by Jesus Christ. In His plan God wanted this done. 6 We thank God for His loving-favor to us. He gave this loving-favor to us through His much-loved Son. 7 Because of the blood of Christ, we are bought and made free from the punishment of sin. And because of His blood, our sins are forgiven. His loving-favor to us is so rich.” Ephesians 1:507 NLV

You have been affirmed! God loves you and has chosen you as His own. That’s more than enough!

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There’s More!

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. The dove are cooing and the sparrows are chirping. The clouds in the sky are catching the early morning rays of the sun. It’s a beautiful day.

But, there’s more!

I think every age group deals with identity. When we’re young we wonder what our grown-up lives will look like. Our careers, our family, our homes, our cars. All those desires and dreams are waiting to be discovered.

That’s not all there is to it.

Once we begin our careers and lives in the adult world, we find ourselves on a journey to fit. What company or career path am I best suited for? What mate and life partner is my “one and only”? Starter houses are left behind in the search for a forever home.

Is that all there is?

Our thoughts reflect the lyrics from a Peggy Lee song Is That All There Is. “If that’s all there is, my friends, then let’s keep dancing Let’s break out the booze and have a ball If that’s all there is.”

And then, we come to those of my age group, the retirees. Career and achievements are mostly in the past. We’re often told we’re the lucky ones – “you have all this free time and no responsibilities”. However, we still have hopes and dreams, purpose and possibilities. We haven’t come to the end, just a new beginning.

God has designed us with a purpose, a plan, a destiny that is so much greater than anything we can imagine! He sees in us a Christ-like quality and gives us His power to accomplish great things.

If we’re living a life that is comfortable and one in which “we” can accomplish what we set out to do with no extra help, we’re settling for less than what God wants to do through us.

“With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.” Ephesians 3:20

Let’s dream bigger and trust God to direct us to impact our world with what He’s calling us to do – God will use us where we are if we trust Him. I keep thinking of a man named Caleb who was still going strong at 80, conquering armies and taking new territory in Israel.

“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 29:11-13 CEV

Wherever we are on life’s timeline that’s not all there is – there’s more!

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Are You Weary?

It seems I have been writing about weariness or the need to rest quite frequently lately. It must mean we have some weary readers out there.

Fatigue is real. Weariness is real. That’s why God so wisely instructed us to rest.

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” Exodus 20:8-11 NLT

Resting on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day, was given for our benefit. God rested and so should we. If asked, many people could come up with a number of the Ten Commandments – don’t lie, steal, murder, don’t have an affair, don’t swear, honor your parents – but one that is often overlooked is resting.

We get up early and stay up late. We fill our days with multiple activities, we pride ourselves by being the “masters of multitasking”. We can be fixing breakfast, answering emails, making lunches for the kids and doing our on-line banking all at the same time and we wonder why we feel overstimulated before 8 am. Then we lay down at night still answering emails or texts and doing one final internet search.

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” Psalm 127:2 NLT

Setting aside time, dedicated strictly to the Lord, reminds us that He is worthy of worship. It is a weekly reminder that our blessings and strength come from the Lord. He is the one who supplies what we need. He gives us wisdom and insight. He provides us with health and goods. He is our source of joy, peace, kindness and understanding.

“ Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:15 NLT

We haven’t been in physical bondage like the Israelites were in Egypt but oftentimes we are enslaved to appointments, deadlines, obligations and responsibilities that God never intended for us to take on.

When we stop for that “day of rest”, we can focus on the One who causes us to rest in green pastures, beside still waters and restores our soul.

“For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.” Jeremiah 31:25 NLT

Make time to rest – remember, that’s an order from God, Himself.

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Building Hope

I am happy to report that I am back this morning, coffee cup in hand, and ready to share what the Lord has put on my heart.

Hope.

As situations and circumstances seem to get more intense, the hopes of good people seem to be waning. For some, discouragement and complacency have replaced optimism and high expectations.

Hope will fade if it isn’t placed in the right source. There’s an old hymn that I used to sing in Sunday night service and it goes like this: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

Building Hope.

This song was written in 1834 by a man who was born into a life of poverty in London. His situation seemed hopeless. No expectations for a future any greater than that of his parents but then someone introduced him to Jesus and things changed.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Misplaced hope crumbles but as the words of the song say, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand”. Those were Jesus’ very words to his disciples. He was teaching them where to place their hope.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

Hope is built on the Rock!

Building hope is like constructing a home, one brick upon another. Let me share just a few verses, building blocks, from Psalms.

“May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:21 NLT

“So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” Psalm 31:24 NLT

“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 NLT

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 NLT

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT

The author of the hymn, The Solid Rock, Edward Mote was confident of the hope found in Christ alone. King David, who wrote most of the book of Psalms, knew to hope in God. The Apostle Paul, who delivered God’s message of grace and unconditional love, built his hope on the foundation of God’s promises.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT

That’s my prayer for you. In building hope, we find joy and peace!

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Thirsty

I know I have shared this a couple times with some of you. We found ourselves sharing the story again just days ago.

A number of years ago, we lived in the panhandle of Idaho. We had one particular summer that was very dry. The catch ponds were drying up and the springs were only a trickle.

One afternoon our dogs put us on alert that something was in the yard; this is what we saw.

A cow moose had wandered into our yard with her twins in search of water. Our sprinklers were running, and provided the much-needed water that she was seeking. After they drank their fill, the moose rested in the shade of the tall pines. At first, she was very cautious, looking about after every sip and then as her calves rested quietly, she found rest herself.

Have you been thirsty? Have you been really thirsty for God? Thirsty enough to search outside your comfort zone? Willing to leave the familiar way of doing things and find the answers you need in God’s word?

God asked Abraham to leave his family and his homeland. Ruth left all to follow Naomi to a new land where God blessed her with a husband and a child, making her a descendant of Christ. Peter left his fishing nets to follow Christ. Paul gave up his prestige as a Pharisee to seek Jesus and His word.

“As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?” Psalm 42:1-2 CEV

When we seek God, we will find Him and we will find that He gives us so much more than we ever dreamed possible.

“‘Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.’ This message is from the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ERV

God is loving, kind and gracious and when we seek Him, we find that to be true. He put all of our punishment and judgement on Jesus so that we could have a wonderful relationship with Him.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 ERV

Someone needs to know that God isn’t mad at you! He loves you and if you seek Him, you will find Him waiting with arms of love open wide.

“Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people. 9 He satisfies those who are thirsty. He fills those who are hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9 ERV

Be thirsty for God, like that momma moose who sought out the life-giving water, you will find all you need in Him.

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Hope, Joy, Peace

I was looking for an image to use for this morning’s blog. When I did a search for hope, joy, and peace most of the results were images of Christmas cards. I thought that was interesting.

Is that the only time the world stops to think about these words which are so interconnected in Scripture?

We live in a society that is hurting. Without hope there is no joy or peace. This isn’t a seasonal message, it’s a message we should be living on a daily basis. But once again we can only give what we possess – if our hearts are filled with anxiety, fear, self-preservation and desperation we have nothing to give.

“ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

When we embrace the promises of God and place our trust in His unconditional love His joy and peace will fill us and we will overflow with His hope.

“Remember that in the past you were without Christ… you did not know about the agreements with the promises that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God. 13 Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ. 14 Christ is the reason we are now at peace.” Ephesians 2:12-14 ERV

Years ago, there was an evangelist by the name of Oral Roberts. Many, in Christian circles, were skeptical of his message. You see, he preached hope and the goodness of God. He preached the Gospel, the good news.

He would say to those who came to the stadiums and those who watched him on television “something good is going to happen to you today”. He believed it wholeheartedly and he brought this message of hope to everyone he could.

“‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.'” Jeremiah 29:11-12 ERV

Something good. Something to hope for. Something to fill us with joy and peace.

These are the words Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah about Himself.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor. He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly 19 and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.” Luke 4:18-19 ERV

My prayer for each of us is that we are filled with hope, joy and peace and that we carry that to those in our sphere of influence, not just at Christmas but all year through.

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Raising Davids

Can you imagine how hard it must have been to raise godly children in the days of Jesse?

Jesse was David’s father and he had six other sons as well. The Israelites were living in constant conflict. Nations came against them on every side. They were only a few generations removed from the exodus of Egypt and already they were forgetting some of the miracles that God had done to bring them to this place.

In all of this the Lord saw David, a young shepherd, and selected him to be the next king of Israel. What He saw wasn’t someone of great stature or strength, it wasn’t wealth and prestige. No, it was a humble and believing heart.

David was a young man who spent time tending his father’s sheep while his brothers went off to fight the battles under the leadership of King Saul, but it was David whom the Lord chose.

“ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’…And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.” I Samuel 16:7, 13 NLT

The Bible tells us that David was a man whose heart was for God. David had to learn his faith filled beginnings at home. He learned to listen to the voice of God and obey.

As parents and grandparents, we have a responsibility to raise our children to hear and know the voice of God. Each person has a divine plan for their life. God has a purpose for each of us to fulfill. Some will be inventors, teachers, leaders of industry, preachers, mothers, doctors, pilots, farmers, fishermen, giant slayers but all have a calling.

“ For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

We have the responsibility to pray for our children and ask the Lord to show us how to help them grow into young people who will honor and serve Him. We need to encourage them in the areas where they show natural talent and passion. Each day reminding them that the Lord has a unique plan for them, and He will strengthen them to fulfill it.

When everyone else stood back, shaking in their sandals, David moved forward toward the enemy.

“…Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. 24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.” I Samuel 17:23-24 NLT

“I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” I Samuel 17:34-37 NLT

That giant was no match for young David who moved forward in obedience to God. David knew the Lord had made a promise to Israel to protect them, so he trusted God to keep His word.

Who are the Davids’ in your life? Help raise them to honor and obey the Lord.

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