Category: Faithfulness

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Midnight…

Continuing with yesterday’s thoughts. We’ll be able to sing at midnight when we are grounded on a firm foundation. I shared these thoughts several years back but since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever the truth of His word is too.

Even during our midnight hours, our times of crises, there’s light for our path. Just as the stars always shine, God’s love never fails.

“He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God’s love never fails.” Psalm 136:9 CEV

What keeps us grounded when life’s storms have our boat rocking? The storms will come – health, finances, accidents, death, divorce, family issues or physical storms (tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes). Where do we find peace and safety?

Peter was in a physical storm, and he learned that he would sink or walk based on one thing – the Word of God. Jesus said “Come” and on that one-word direction from the mouth of the Son of God, he walked.

If we are going to be grounded, we have to be standing on the word of God. It is the only sure and firm foundation.

“Grass dies and flowers fall, but the word of our God lasts forever.” Isaiah 40:8

” Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

Life’s midnight isn’t a time we see on a clock. Instead, it’s our darkest hours and quite often we find ourselves feeling alone but we never are.

“He decided how many stars there would be in the sky and gave each one a name. 5 Our Lord is great and powerful!  He understands everything.” Psalm 147:4-5 CEV

Before the astronomers named the stars, God already had. Before we were born, He already knew us and had a plan for our lives.

“Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything about me.” Psalm 139:16 CEV

There’s an old hymn that I love to sing, it was written in 1876 by Russell Carter. It’s a good one to remember during those midnight hours.

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,

through eternal ages let his praises ring;

glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,

standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:

Standing, standing,

standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;

standing, standing,

I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

by the living Word of God I shall prevail,

standing on the promises of God.

(Refrain)

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,

bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,

overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,

standing on the promises of God.

(Refrain)

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,

listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,

resting in my Savior as my all in all,

standing on the promises of God.

(Refrain)

Stand on His Word – it will never fail! That’s our reason to sing.

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I Wonder…

if I could sing at midnight?

“We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go.” Proverbs 16:9 CEV

I’d like to tell you the story of a couple of fellows who let the Lord direct their plans.

They had been arrested for casting a devil out of a woman. Made a lot of folks mad and so they were beaten and thrown into the inner prison. They were chained in a dirty prison cell and they were in the dark. They knew they were being treated unfairly. They had plenty of reason to complain and bemoan their situation.

But instead of complaining they sang. Not quietly, they sang loud enough for the other prisoners to hear them. Singing at midnight in a dirty jail cell – what was there to sing about?

“Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love?…37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love…” Romans 8:35-38 ERV

Paul wrote these words. It was Paul and Silas who were in that prison cell. He knew that he had complete victory through Christ and that nothing could separate him from God’s love!

And as they were singing, God brought victory in the form of an earthquake.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off. 27 The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had already escaped, so he got his sword and was ready to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here!’

29 The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Men, what must I do to be saved?’ 31 They said to him, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all who live in your house.’” Acts 16:25-31 ERV

Paul and Silas were free but they didn’t escape. They stayed to share the Good News of God’s love with their jailer. When we trust God’s love and His direction, even a jail cell is an opportunity to tell about His goodness.

It’s possible you are in prison? Have you been badly mistreated and abused? Locked away and forgotten? Has sickness or poor health chained you to a wall? Has fear or financial ruin put you behind bars?

You’re not alone! God is right there with you – nothing will separate you from His love. Let that sink into your heart – it will cause you to sing at midnight and in singing praises to the Lord, your heart will come to a place of peace and the prison doors will open.

Rest well! God is bigger than your prison and He breaks every chain.

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Stand Strong

This morning I’ve been thinking about the course of events that brought Dave and I back to Arizona in 2014. We moved away in 1989. It was a long journey to faraway places like California, Washington, Idaho and Montana but eventually, we ended up back in my home state, Arizona.

Each place we called home, we made friends, and the Lord was faithful to always provide and care for us. However, there was a longing to move on and as the Lord opened the doors, we did just that. In 2014 we moved back to Arizona; we were home!

I have identified with Abraham on more than one occasion. God called him to leave his family and travel to an unknown land. He lived in a tent, not a permanent dwelling. He moved quite a bit. A famine took him to Egypt and a prosperous, growing herd of cattle caused him to relocate and allot part of his land to his nephew.

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.” Hebrews 11:8-9 NLT

All the while, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children. At age 75 God made Abraham a promise that he would be father to many nations. Abraham clung to that promise. You know the story; it wasn’t until Abraham was 100 years old that he was blessed with the birth of his son Isaac.

“It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.” Hebrews 11:11-12 NLT

“He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. 21 Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised.” Romans 4:20-21 ERV

Abraham never doubted God, he never stopped believing and he felt sure that God was able to do what He promised. Sarah had her moments of doubt, but God reassured her that He was faithful.

I too had doubts and wondered what God’s purpose and plan was for me and my family. That’s when I learned to get up every morning and thank the Father for His faithfulness and abiding presence. I haven’t had to wait 25 years, like Abraham, to see a promise of God come to pass but I have waited 8 years.

What promise has God made you? Are you having to wait on it? Don’t give up, don’t give in. Never stop believing.

Stand Strong!

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Good Morning

The sun hasn’t come up yet but when it does this is probably what I’ll see. The desert is beautiful, the cacti are in bloom and the morning air is crisp.

It was a short night. I’ve been sitting here for the last several hours thanking the Lord for filling my life with so many wonderful blessings.

Last night we celebrated Dave’s birthday with new friends. These are folks we have known less than a year and already they seem like family. It amazes me how the Lord can knit our hearts to so many wonderful people.

Wonderful people like all of you.

“May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank God for you whenever I think of you. 4 I always have joy as I pray for all of you.” Philippians 1:2-4 NLV

I am so grateful that you join me each day and I never take your readership for granted. You are a blessing.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to Your name, O Most High. 2 It is good to tell of Your loving-kindness in the morning, and of how faithful You are at night, 3 with harps, and with music of praise. 4 For You have made me glad by what You have done, O Lord. I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:1-4 NLV

To be honest, I haven’t always greeted the day with gratitude. No, there was a time when I grumbled at the start of the day. I didn’t want to get out of bed; I didn’t want to go to work; I focused on the things I didn’t want to do.

However, the quiet time – just me and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is now the richest time of the day. No grumbling or complaining here. I welcome the opportunity to spend time in His presence.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

“But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16 NLV

“ Fill us in the morning with Your loving-kindness. Let us sing for joy and be glad all our days” Psalm 90:14 NLV

There was a song we used to sing at church and it often invades my morning quiet times. I goes something like this:

“In the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
give me Jesus.

Refrain:
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus.
You may have all this world, give me Jesus.”

My prayer is that as you start your day, your heart is filled with gratitude and praise!

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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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Oh My, Look at the Time!

That’s what I said to myself when I woke up this morning! I really slept in.

We are all so conscious of time. Appointments, work, school, dinner with friends all require us to look at the clock. But there are other times too – times you can’t find on a clock. Those are the ones I want to talk about this morning.

Look at the time.

Since we are connected through the internet it may be early morning, midday or perhaps you are reading this in the evening but whatever time it is where you are it is time to praise the Lord!

You could be in a time of trouble, a time of fear, good time, dinner time, party time, time of loneliness, time of sickness or time of concern. No matter, it is time to praise the Lord.

Why?

Because He is Lord of all and Lord over all and all who trust in Him will never be ashamed!

Just so you know, all those times listed above – I’ve been there and the thing that ALWAYS brings me through is praise time. Remembering that my heavenly Father is bigger than anything here and that He has a plan for me to prosper and have good success gives me reason to praise.

“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. 2 I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. 3 Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name.

4 For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears. 5 Others too were radiant at what he did for them. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! 6 This poor man cried to the Lord—and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. 7 For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.

8 Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him. 9 If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

11 Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord.” Psalm 34:1-11 TLB

Oh my, look at the time! Look at the timeline of your life and praise the Lord for bringing you to this place.

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As Long As I Live

Such a definitive phrase – as long as I live. All encompassing. Total commitment.

Those are the words I found this morning in Psalm 146. I am uncertain of the age of the writer of this Psalm, but I do know this, they had encountered first-hand the mercy and goodness of God.

“Shout praises to the Lord!
With all that I am,
    I will shout his praises.
2 I will sing and praise
the Lord God
    as long as I live.

3 You can’t depend on anyone,
    not even a great leader.
4 Once they die and are buried,
that will be the end
    of all their plans.

5 The Lord God of Jacob blesses
everyone who trusts him
    and depends on him.
6 God made heaven and earth;
he created the sea
    and everything else.
God always keeps his word.
7 He gives justice to the poor
    and food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free
8     and heals blind eyes.
He gives a helping hand
    to everyone who falls.
The Lord loves good people
9     and looks after strangers.
He defends the rights
of orphans and widows,
    but destroys the wicked.

10 The Lord God of Zion
will rule forever!
    Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 146 CEV

This is a psalm of blessing, of healing and hope. It’s a psalm of provision and protection. This is a psalm, a song as it were, of the faithfulness of God, not to just one individual but to us all.

It’s for friends and strangers, widows and orphans, the imprisoned and the poor. It’s for everyone.

Everyone!

Join me and the writer of this Psalm and say, “As long as I live I will sing and praise the Lord”.

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Time to Sing

Beautiful morning – the doves are cooing, finches are singing and the quail are talking. Perfect time for sipping my coffee and praising the God of all creation.

I’ve been asked a number of times how much time I spend reading God’s Word each day and my answer is the same. “Each day varies. I read until I hear God speak to me something that I can live by that day.”

Oh, I’ve had times when I’ve sat down and read chapter after chapter because it was on some Bible reading chart somewhere and then closed the book and gone my way completely unaffected because I couldn’t remember what I had read – just words on a page. And then there have been the times when I have read one or two verses and it has changed me completely. In those times, I know that God is speaking directly to me.

That’s why watching the birds and hearing them sing in the morning means so much to me.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!” Matthew 6:25-30 ERV

Reading the Bible is a two-way conversation between the Father and His child. Sometimes when we talk to our kids we know they haven’t heard a word we’ve said. It’s been good council, but they’ve been distracted or focused on other things and they just don’t listen.

Then there are those times when our kids ask our advice and are ready to listen. We can share life experience, memories and impart our knowledge to them. Those times are so sweet!

The same holds true for God and His word. The answer to every question is contained in this book and He’s waiting to share. That’s why these verses in Matthew are so important to me.

There have been times, more than I care to remember, when I worried over what we would eat and where we would have our family live but God in His faithfulness always provided! Sometimes the provision came from the generosity of friends, other times were almost miraculous.

God provides!

The birds singing each morning is a reminder to me of the Father’s faithfulness and love. I hope you have a song in your heart this morning – it’s time to sing!

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Overwhelmed…Again

Last night as I was getting ready to curl up for the night I felt overwhelmed!

Why? I can’t be certain. There were situations, beyond my control, that had been weighing on my heart. I had been in an attitude of prayer most of the day.

I knew I couldn’t go to sleep with the heaviness so I did what I told all of you to do, I took a break – a praise break!

“O God, listen to my cry!  Hear my prayer! 2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help
 when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,3  for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” Psalm 61:1-3 NLT

I began to praise God for always being there – for being my rock, my strength, my shelter, my place of rest. It was a break worth taking!

I remembered, almost twenty years ago, I was listening to a Bill Gaither special on television and they sang this song:

“Why don’t you lead me to that Rock that is higher than I
Oh lead me, yes Lord lead me
Why don’t you lead me to that Rock that is higher than I
Thou hast been a shelter for me”

I needed this reminder that God has always been there for me and He always will be.

Have you ever come face to face with your failures and inadequacies? Have there been times you felt your strength wane? The devil likes to take times like these to flaunt our failures and our sins.

Overwhelmed?

God has the answer:

“Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! 2 Please listen and answer me,
 for I am overwhelmed by my troubles…4 My heart pounds in my chest…16 But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. 17 Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. 18 He ransoms me and keeps me safe…22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Psalm 55 NLT

Take a break – morning, noon or night – a praise break. Our Father has promised never to leave us or abandon us.

“…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5 AMP

“ He carried our sins in His own body when He died on a cross. In doing this, we may be dead to sin and alive to all that is right and good. His wounds have healed you! 25 You were like lost sheep. But now you have come back to Him Who is your Shepherd and the One Who cares for your soul.” I Peter 2:24-25 NLV

Overwhelmed? by sickness or disease, by financial circumstance, by old age and weakness, by lack of qualifications or education

Whatever it is you feel is holding you back, God is greater than the circumstances. You aren’t alone! He promises to be your strength, your high tower. Take a break and give Him those overwhelming cares.

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One of the Blessed

Have you ever had people talk about you? I mean serious, reputation-destroying, heart-breaking, intentional slander. Me too! Several times in the last 40 years and I have to admit that I haven’t always handled it well. In fact, a couple of times I have handled it badly.

This morning I want to share with you one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It tells us how to deal with the above-mentioned people – those who like to slander.

King Balak was afraid of the Israelites and he wanted them destroyed so instead of facing them in battle he wanted to hire a man named Balaam to curse them.

“But God replied, “Don’t go with Balak’s messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don’t curse them.” Numbers 22:12 CEV

But Balaam went. He saddled his donkey and set off with the messengers to see the King. Along the way Balaam’s donkey steps off the path three times. What Balaam doesn’t realize is there was an angel standing on the path with a sword and the donkey is trying to avoid the angel and the sword. Balaam’s donkey ends up talking to Balaam and then the angel talks to Balaam and reminds him to only say what God says about the Israelites. (Really you need to read Numbers 22-23.)

Balaam meets King Balak and is told to curse the Israelites.

“Balaam said: ‘But I can’t go against God! He did not curse or condemn Israel.'” Numbers 23:7-10 CEV

Balak is furious with Balaam and demands that he curse the Israelites. Balaam goes to hear from God again but the message is the same.

Now for my favorite verses in the whole Bible.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises. 20 My command from God was to bless these people, and there’s nothing I can do to change what he has done'” Numbers 23:19-20 CEV

God doesn’t lie and He always keeps his promises!

We sometimes fail to see those promises come to pass in our lives because we try to “help” God along or we think we know better and try to “defend” ourselves. God doesn’t need our help to defend our reputation. He is perfectly capable of doing it on His own.

In fact, Jesus said it this way,

“But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. 45 Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.” Matthew 5:43-44 CEV

I have come to the conclusion that it is much better to let the Lord protect me and to confront those who are speaking against me. He fights a better battle, and I will do what He says and pray for them. This way the Father is glorified.

Thank you, Father, for being my defense and my hiding place. You have blessed me. I can trust you to always keep Your promises and to never lie or change!

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