Category: May2022

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Don’t Ever Stop Trusting

Did you trust the Lord yesterday? What kinds of things did you trust Him for? Peace and safety, health and strength? The food on your table? A good job?

“With your help I can defeat an army. If my God is with me, I can climb over enemy walls. 30 God’s way is perfect. The Lord’s promise always proves to be true. He protects those who trust in him. 31 There is no God except the Lord. There is no Rock except our God.” Psalms 18:29-31 ERV

Look at that!

“The Lord’s promise always proves to be true”.

We trust Him to forgive our sins and to make us a part of His family. We trust Him when He says that we will have eternal life but sometimes we forget to trust Him with the day-to-day circumstances.

“Did you forget what happened with the Ethiopians and the Libyans who also had a powerful army with many chariots and horse soldiers? That time you depended on the Lord to help you, and he let you defeat them. 9 The eyes of the Lord go around looking in all the earth for people who are faithful to him so that he can make them strong.” II Chronicles 16:8-9 ERV

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” II Chronicles 16:9 NLT

Our Father has always been concerned with the day-to-day.

He provided food for the Israelites in the wilderness; He made sure there were five stones available for David’s slingshot. He provided a ram to sacrifice when Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain. He turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He brought fish to the nets of struggling fisherman. He delivered the Israelites from the armies of their enemies.

Our Father is trustworthy!

“Many people are suffering— crushed by the weight of their troubles. But the Lord is a refuge for them, a safe place they can run to. 10 Lord, those who know your name come to you for protection. And when they come, you do not leave them without help.” Psalm 9:9-10 ERV

Hannah, a young woman who was barren, cried out to the Lord for a child. Her heart was aching from carrying such a heavy burden. She prayed and the Lord answered her prayer. This is her joyful response:

“Hannah said, ‘My heart is happy in the Lord. I feel very strong in my God. I laugh at my enemies. I am very happy in my victory. 2 There is no holy God like the Lord. There is no God but you. There is no Rock like our God.'” I Samuel 2:1-2 ERV

Dear reader and friend, I have no idea what you are facing but I do know that you should never quit trusting the Lord your God. There is no one like Him.

“God is our protection and source of strength.  He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. 2 So we are not afraid when the earth quakes and the mountains fall into the sea.
3 We are not afraid when the seas become rough and dark and the mountains tremble. Selah” Psalm 46:1-3 ERV

Never stop trusting our God!

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I Love My Job

Campers have started arriving and I truly enjoy hearing the voices of small children giggling throughout the campground.

Moms and Dads are bringing their kids to the same place they came as children with their parents. Fisherman are leaving the campground at “0-dark30” to find that special place on the shoreline or to be the first to launch their boats. Each one in pursuit of that record rainbow or cutthroat trout.

Folks are walking their dogs and exploring nature. There are so many sites to see!

Dave and I pray for each of them – we pray for safety and protection, for enjoyment and relaxation. This year we are facing another Summer where Winter snowpack and Spring rains were sparse, so we are praying against fires and for good rains to moisten the ground and add water to the lakes.

This morning I found these verses in my Bible reading. I know I’ve read them before but this morning they stood out and made an impact.

“ We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3  Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, “The people who insulted you also insulted me.” 4  And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. 5 God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. 6 Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:2-6 CEV

Patient, cheerful, doing good – that shall be my motto for the summer. In all I do, I want to follow Christ and give God praise.

The Lord has us all in different places, touching different lives. Let’s look for opportunities to be an example of His love in all we do!

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Orphaned? Not Alone!

In a few days I will commemorate the first anniversary of my mother’s death. I know many of you have already experienced this and understand the feelings of being an adult orphan. I’m hurting but I have also found amazing comfort.

It’s unusual not to have anyone to call mom or dad. I guess that’s one of the reasons my relationship with my heavenly Father is so precious.

“Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Prepare the way for the one who rides on the clouds. His name is Yah. Worship before him with joy.5 God, who lives in his holy palace, is a father to orphans, and he takes care of widows. 6 God provides homes for those who are lonely. He frees people from prison and makes them happy.” Psalm 68:4-6 ERV

He is a father to orphans – there is nothing that Scripture doesn’t cover. There is absolutely nothing that pertains to us that our Father doesn’t care about.

My morning quiet times gives me the opportunity to cuddle in and feel His loving arms around me. It’s my time to tell Him my hurts and my joys. It’s my time for Him to remind me I’m never alone and He causes my fears to dissipate.

“The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. 14 He knows all about us.
He knows we are made from dust. 15 He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass.
He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly,16 but when the hot wind blows, it dies. Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was. 17 But the Lord has always loved his followers, and he will continue to love them forever and ever!” Psalm 103:13-17 ERV

He has always loved me and He will continue to love me forever! He loves you in exactly the same way. All of His kids are recipients of His unconditional love. The comfort we receive from Him is to be shared.

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 CEV

He molds our hearts; He shapes them to be like His. He wants the world to know of His amazing love and we get to be His ambassadors.

“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 5:18-19 CEV

Remember when we were kids and mom, or dad did something really special just for us? We couldn’t wait to tell our friends – we bragged on how amazing they were. That’s the feeling I get from the verses above.

Our heavenly Father has been so amazing to take us in and make us His own, I just have to brag about it.

We may have been orphaned; but with God’s love we will never be alone!

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Come If You’re Thirsty

Yesterday afternoon Dave and I enjoyed some time on the back patio of our RV.

Novel concept this patio. We have a toy hauler and so the back of it acts like a ramp when lowered for ease of loading and unloading motorcycles, dirt bikes and side by sides. When not in use as a ramp, it can be raised to a level position and used as a back patio. So now, you know where we were sitting.

There is an underground spring that surfaces just a few feet from our back patio. As we were sitting there the birds began to come for their afternoon libation. First, the red-breasted robins, then the mountain finches, next came the big black crow and finally the iridescent blue Stellar Jay. All sharing the life-giving water.

These must have been some of the same birds that awakened me yesterday morning with their songs. The Lord has taught me so many lessons through the years by watching these feathered missionaries.

I’m going to use yesterday’s verses again this morning.

“ I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds?” Matthew 6:25-26 CEV

Birds are the ultimate example of faith. They wake up each morning with a song – they know there will be enough worms, seeds, bugs to feed on throughout the day. They sense the danger of a storm and take refuge in the shelter the Lord provides. When they are thirsty, they find pools of refreshing. They live in complete dependence on what the Father provides.

“Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you not to worry about your life! Don’t worry about having something to eat or wear. 23 Life is more than food or clothing. 24 Look at the crows! They don’t plant or harvest, and they don’t have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. 25 Can worry make you live longer? 26 If you don’t have power over small things, why worry about everything else?” Luke 12:22-25 CEV

What has you worried today? Remember the words of Jesus, “you are much more important than any birds”. To us He says:

“All you people who are thirsty, come! Here is water for you to drink. Don’t worry if you have no money. Come, eat and drink until you are full! You don’t need money. The milk and wine are free. 2 Why waste your money on something that is not real food? Why should you work for something that does not really satisfy you? Listen closely to me and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the food that satisfies your soul. 3 Listen closely to what I say. Listen to me so that you will live. I will make an agreement with you that will last forever. It will be an agreement you can trust, like the one I made with David— a promise to love him and be loyal to him forever.” Isaiah 55:1-3 ERV

Are you thirsty? Come. Are you hungry? Come. Have no money? No worries, His supply is free to those He loves. His word is better than any food and more sustaining than the purest water.

Come and find all you need in His promise of love and loyalty!

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Singing Before Dawn

This morning I slept a little longer than normal. How did I know? I was awaken by the birds singing in the pines just before dawn.

Normally I’m up and have had my first cup of coffee before they start their chorus. It’s a glorious way to start the day.

Listen…Stop right now and listen for 10 seconds…If you’re anything like me you’re morning starts with the sound of the coffee pot and the hum of the computer. But it hasn’t always been that way.

I remember what it’s like to wake to the alarm clock. Have kids that need to get up, be fed and taken to school on my way to the office in the busy traffic. Radio’s playing, tv spilling the morning news, emails to read, FB to check in on – so much noise.

When you stopped to listen did you hear the voice of God?

I love that when I wake up each morning I say “I love you Father, I love you Jesus, I love you Holy Spirit” and then I can hear that inner voice say “We love you too”. WOW!!

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Folks spend much of their time looking for the big, the spectacular, the miraculous and miss the simple, still small voice of God trying to lead them and give them insight.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that” or “It just dawned on me” or “I was just thinking about that very thing”? We often don’t realize that God is trying to get through to us.

Elijah was looking for God’s answers during a very serious time in his life. He was seeking God and there came a great wind and then an earthquake and then a fire and finally a still small voice. God spoke in a still small voice!

“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” I Kings 19:11-12

The song of the birds is my morning reminder, the still small voice, as it were that God has the day in order. The birds wake singing praise to God for His provision.

“ I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds?” Matthew 6:25-26 CEV

The most important thing you’ll hear each morning, if you listen, will be the still small voice of the Lord. Sssssh – just listen!

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Too Big To Handle

Do you have responsibility for a big project? Do you feel dwarfed by the responsibility?

Maybe it’s a massive system at work, possibly you have been given the task of raising a child? Do you have an inventor’s mind and need additional creativity? Are you training young men and women? Do you have the responsibility for growing crops and tending livestock? Maybe you are working on the next medical break through?

If the task before you is great I want you to know that our God is greater!

Let’s look at some big jobs in the Bible: naming all the animals and plants, building an ark and packing it with provisions, leading a million plus on a desert journey, building the tabernacle, building the Temple, conquering an entire civilization, bringing the plan of salvation to the world. Some pretty mind-boggling assignments, right?

“David said, ‘All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans.’ 20 David also said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and brave and finish this work. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will help you until all the work is finished. He will not leave you. You will build the Lord’s Temple. 21 The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on God’s Temple. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The officials and all the people will obey every command you give.’”I Chronicles 28:19-21 ERV

God is into details and if you spend time listening, He will give you the direction you need. Come to Him, come with pen in hand so you can write down what He says. Listen, write and obey.

“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 11:6 ERV

Come to Him in faith believing that He has the answers and that He will provide you with the answers you need. You won’t be disappointed!

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Heading South?

This time of year, most people aren’t heading south? We live in an area where the population increases every Oct/Nov and decreases greatly in April or May. They are affectionately called winter visitors or sometimes referred to as snow birds.

They, like their avian friends, have learned to fly South for warmer climates in the winter. Birds, the ones with wings, instinctively head south for warmth and sunshine where they will not only survive but thrive away from the northern artic chill.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were as in tune to following the Lord’s leading as our bird-brained feathered friends?

Years ago when we were young in faith and learning to listen to the Lord’s voice we had a cowboy preacher, a dear friend, tell us this: If God says go South, He will provide; If you go North you’ll think you died!

Now that’s not scripture but it is scriptural.

“Trust the LORD completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the LORD and stay away from evil. 8 If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.” Proverb 3:5-8 ERV

“Turn to the LORD for help in everything you do, and you will be successful.4 The LORD has a plan for everything.” Proverbs 16:3-4a ERV

God has a plan for each day – it doesn’t really matter what the activities are in the day; He has a plan!

Some days His plan is to change our plan. When we listen, He speaks and when we follow His leading we are blessed!

“Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse. 27 You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the LORD your God that I have told you today. 28 But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the LORD your God. So don’t stop living the way I command you today, and don’t follow other gods that you don’t know.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 ERV

We have a choice – it would be silly to lean to our own understanding since following Him is the right way to go and His wisdom is perfect. Trust the Lord today. He loves us and His desire for us is good!

“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

Go South today – He will provide!!!

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Much Fruit

When our oldest children were very little, I received a peach tree for a present. Dave planted it in the backyard. We took very good care of it and the next year it produced 8 large peaches. The following year our harvested crop was much larger in number, but the fruit was smaller, almost half the size of the year before.

The peaches from both years were sweet and flavorful. I wish I could tell you about the harvest from the third year, but we moved from that home and I’m not sure what became of the tree and the fruit.

This was the memory that came back this morning as I was reading these verses.

“Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father.” John 15:7-9 ERV

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. 2 He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. 3 To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NLV

Followers producing much fruit – oaks planted by God and honoring Him.

Some years our lives may be like my peach tree and produce a bountiful harvest, other years we may produce larger fruit but not the quantity.

The word honor that is used in both verses, the one in John and the one in Isaiah, can also be translated glorified. I looked that word up and found this definition: “acknowledge and reveal the majesty and splendor of (God) by one’s actions”.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

The fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit definitely acknowledges the majesty of our Father.

We used to sing a praise chorus that said this, “In my life Lord be glorified, be glorified, be glorified. In my life Lord be glorified today”.

Maybe your life is just starting to produce blossoms, no fruit yet, but beautiful. Perhaps your life is a tree with many smaller fruits, you are making an impact of nourishing many lives. Or your tree may have larger fruit, which less people will be able to enjoy but they will be filled and nourished.

All in all, no matter the stage of fruit production our actions should bring the Father honor.

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You Understand!

This morning I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer. My heart is aching because I have been praying for those who are going through such tremendous seasons of hurting or failure.

I found myself saying, “You understand what it’s like to see Your children go through such trying times. You understand what it is to weep over those You dearly love. You understand…”

Oh my, dear reader, He does understand.

“ We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. This is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

Not only does He understand, He is there to help us with every need and every weakness.

Some of you are experiencing the loss of a loved one while others are plagued by debilitating fear. Financial set back and even bankruptcy looms large on the horizon for some families and businesses. Physical health issues are threatening fatally while some face the darkness of dementia. Perhaps your family is fractured by separation or divorce.

The hurt, the grief, the hopelessness are real. He understands!

He cried over the loss of a loved one, He was misunderstood and publicly ridiculed and maligned. He felt lonely and used.

He understands!

Bring your weariness, your heart ache, your pain – bring them to Jesus. Let Him comfort and console. Let Him bathe you in peace and joy unspeakable. Receive hope, hope that was gone.

“ Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me]to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives
recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 NKJV

“ 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

Dear friend, never forget that He understands and He is always willing to help!

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Deep Roots

For the past week we have been getting things ready for campers. They will begin arriving tomorrow. It has been a labor of love.

We are looking forward to a wonderful summer.

One of the biggest surprises we found when we arrived was the number of trees that had fallen during the winter. One in particular stands out. It is a massive ponderosa pine. I have no idea how old it is or how much it weighs but I can imagine the ground must have shaken when it fell.

Dave drove me over to see it and I was intrigued by the root base that had been up earthed. It just seemed a tree of that size would have had larger roots.

“good people are like trees with deep roots. ” Proverbs 12:12b CEV

Have you ever tried to uproot a tree? I did. We had been doing quite a bit of landscaping in the back yard of our home in southern Arizona. There were little mesquite shoots coming up. They were easy to remove because their trunks were small and their roots were shallow.

We left one, close to the back wall. It was no bigger around than my little finger. It was about the size of a pencil. We decided if it survived it would be a good shade tree. A year later it was flourishing. Five years later there were several strong branches and it reached 20-30 feet high and provided amazing shade. It would have been very difficult to remove it then.

“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 21 But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.” Matthew 13:20-21 CEV

When we are young Christians it’s easy to be unearthed. The Apostle Paul gave us good instruction for continuing to grow strong in the Lord.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEV

Let’s plant our roots in Christ!

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