Sorrow to Joy...

To My Beloved Daughters...

I think I really got to know the Father a little better this morning! Isn't that one of the main purpose of Bible Study...to KNOW Him. Understanding truth is important but getting to know Him in the process...priceless.  Here are the verses that really hit me in the heart today.

John 16:19-22 

Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? ²⁰²¹ A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 

Having been through childbirth four times I really looked at this one in hopes that I would understand the essence of what Jesus was saying to His disciples here.  These are some of His last words to them before the cross and you could hear and feel His love for them. When I first was told that I would not remember the pain of childbirth I did not believe the teller...I was right not to believe...I do remember the pain of childbirth and I thank God that I do.  After the first delivery, I embraced the pain more willingly...why? Because I saw how the sorrow and suffering I experienced was transformed into the greatest joy my heart has ever known.  My four daughters! God does not substitute something to replace our sorrow with joy...He takes the very instrument that is causing the sorrow and uses it to transform it miraculously into great joy.  

Now the next example is not my own but as a parent and grandparent I could really relate to it.  When our children are crying over a broken toy or over a playmate that has gone home, we do not always immediately go out and buy them another toy or call another playmate over to play.  That would produce an immature, spoiled child that would expect all his problems to be solved either by things or by a person...a child definitely not equipped to handle the real world.  Instead as a parent you transform the situation by teaching them how to cope with loss and disappointment. This is the way of maturity. 

The way of transformation is the way of spiritual maturity...it is the way of faith and patience. It is not an easy road...but the other is a road where satisfaction is never found and peace is never obtained.  Jesus tells us He has overcome the world at the end of Chapter 16...in that same verse He reminds us that we will have tribulation and sorrow here..but in Him (where we live, move and have our being) we will have peace...so be of good cheer.  So in your time of tribulation, look ahead...be mature...do not be short-sighted.  Remember Romans 8:28. Remember Joseph's hopeless situation...they meant it for evil but God meant it for good and brought victory.  The cross is the greatest example.  The darkest hour of history...the hour where Jesus suffered pain and agony unimaginable...became the brightest hour...the cross which previously had been accursed..became a symbol for hope, glory and victory.

Jesus uses our deepest pain and sorrow to bring us our greatest joys.  Trials into triumphs! Our job is to be patient and to wait on Him and allow Him to do the work...What a picture of the heart of our Father.  He even uses the inevitable and unavoidable sin and suffering of this fallen world for His glory and our good. How kind of Him...How good of Him...How merciful and compassionate of Him!  We fight as those who have already won...Jon Courson tells us we begin at the finish line.  So be of good cheer!

Love
Mom

FACING REJECTION...

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah --Psalm 32:7

 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. --Psalm 42:8

Mikayla faced rejection this week and much disappointment.  She did not face it alone, however.  She faced it in Him and as a Mom looking on it was a beautiful thing to behold.  Sadly, through no fault of her own, she has faced much grief, sadness and rejection in her short life from people who, by all rights, should love her. Truly, she has learned to run with the horses. 

 "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"--Jeremiah 12:5

On Tuesday morning I saw the results of a child who has taken her trials and hurts to Jesus for most of her life.  As disappointments go, this was pretty big for Mikayla.  It was something that she looked forward to  all year.  Sadly, she was turned away at the door. She kept her tears in check until we got home.  I held her for a while and attempted to comfort her. She looked up at me through tears and asked me something she hasn't asked me since she was small.  "Mom, can I go upstairs to my room and cry all I want."  Holding back my own tears, I said that she could.  She picked her bible up off the steps as she climbed them and for a while I heard wails from her room.  About 10 minutes into it, however, I heard something different.  I heard her voice singing a made up song to Jesus.  She was pouring out her heart to Him in song...turning it upside down before Him.  A short while later, she came down smiling...ready for the day.

Mikayla had walked through a dry and thirsty land that morning that had forgotten spiritual things...her rejection had come from people who had claimed to know Jesus. Her faith, however, was not shattered by all of this...it was strengthened. In her sorrow and grief, she went to the right place knowing that only God could satisfy the thirst she had...her heart was weary...she wanted to be in His presence.  Mikayla looked up and found all she needed!  By His Spirit she was able to understand that this rejection was not aimed at her personally and that sometimes hearts are crushed by those who even have the best intentions.  She did not blame God either.  She understood that He was sovereign and that this was part of His perfect plan for her.  He had allowed it and she would accept it. 

What a blessing we are to God and to others when we worship Him in the night seasons of our lives.  When we sing praises to Him in times of grief and trouble.  I had trouble letting go of my anger at her rejection until I heard her sing and  was reminded of this verse:

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God AND THE PRISONERS WERE LISTENING TO THEM. (emphasis mine)

I was imprisoned before I heard Mikayla singing...imprisoned by my own anger and unforgiveness.   Her singing reminded me that our God is sovereign and that He does all things well.  Worship always changes our attitudes and perspectives.  Problems diminish...the mood is lightened and our focus is back where it should be...on our God.  Singing in this fallen world of ours is an act of faith.  Mikayla sang by faith...Her childlike faith penetrated my heart and by God's grace, I was able to forgive those who had unintentionally caused her such misery.

Our God is always faithful to give us a song.  Psalm 149:5 says this:

Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. 

I end with Psalm 42... 


      

So pants my soul for You, O God.
 ² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
         When shall I come and appear before God?^[b]
 3 My tears have been my food day and night,
         While they continually say to me,  
         “Where is your God?”  
       
 ⁴ When I remember these things,
         I pour out my soul within me.  
         For I used to go with the multitude;  
         I went with them to the house of God,  
         With the voice of joy and praise,  
         With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.  
       
 ⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?  
         Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him  
         For the help of His countenance.^{[c]
       
 6} O my God,^[d] my soul is cast down within me;
         Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,  
         And from the heights of Hermon, 
         From the Hill Mizar.
 ⁷ Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
         All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
 ⁸ The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
         And in the night His song shall be with me—  
         A prayer to the God of my life.  
       
 ⁹ I will say to God my Rock,
         “Why have You forgotten me?  
         Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
 ¹⁰ As with a breaking of my bones,
         My enemies reproach me,  
         While they say to me all day long,  
         “Where is your God?”  
       
 ¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?  
         Hope in God;  
         For I shall yet praise Him,  
         The help of my countenance and my God

Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!--Psalm 46:10

God's sovereignty over the affairs of men…Be still or in Hebrew "raphaph" is such a good reminder for me when I am in the midst of the seemingly endless fleshly battle that I fight entitled:  "What I Want That I Am Not Getting"  

The word "STILL" OR "RAPHAH"  means TO SINK, RELAX, LET DROP, BE DISHEARTENED, DESIST FROM YOUR WAR….

I really love that description.  It exactly describes what I need to do in the midst of that fleshly battle I mentioned earlier.  I questioned "disheartened" till I thought about it a little more…Biblically the heart is the seat of the will…so take the "heart" or your passionate desire to get what you want…disarm yourself of self...and remember that He is God…He is sovereign…cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for You….Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Waiting on the Lord

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you not known?
      Have you not heard?
      The everlasting God, the LORD,
      The Creator of the ends of the earth,
      Neither faints nor is weary.
      His understanding is unsearchable.
        He gives power to the weak,
      And to those who have no might He increases strength.
       Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
      And the young men shall utterly fall,
       But those who wait on the LORD
      Shall renew their strength;
      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
      They shall run and not be weary,
      They shall walk and not faint.

To My Precious Daughters...

I so needed to read these verses tonight.  Sometimes I forget who dwells inside me.  Have you not known, Isaiah begins....Have you not heard??? The everlasting God, the LORD,  The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.  God has got me and my problems covered...He doesn't get tired and His understanding is unsearchable.  He knows what I am going through and He knows the state of my heart.  Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Isaiah goes on to remind us (me) that He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases their strength.  I am without strength and weak....BUT that is a good thing because His strength is made perfect in weakness.  He will uphold me. He will hedge me behind and before.  Colossians 1:11 says, "He will strengthen me with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." At my weakest I can cry out to Him with gladness knowing He has enough for both of us.  And as I cry out, my eyes fill with His goodness and mercy and love toward me.  I am poor and needy and yet the Lord thinks on me!

My strength will be renewed as I wait on the Lord.  I like to see the phrase  "wait on the Lord" as Jon Courson explains it.  I am the Lord's waiter.  I am serving Him here on earth and doing those things that He has prepared beforehand for me to do.  My job is to please Him and honor Him here as I journey through this vale of tears.   I am to spend time with Him in worship, in thanksgiving, in prayer and in the study and meditation of His word.  I am to look for ways to love those He has placed in my path with the love that He Himself has shed abroad in my heart.  I am here for Him...my life is about Him...not me.  Whatever He sends me is good and is for my good and His glory.  And as I go through this life there will be times like tonight when my strength is spent and my heart is weak.  Here is what I know: He will be gracious to me...He will incline His ear to me and hear my cry...He will strengthen my heart...He will be good to me...He will renew my strength...He will not leave me nor forsake me and in Him I have everything I need.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.--Psalm 84:5-7

Love

Mom

Valley of Baca...

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.... For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.--Jeremiah 29:4-7,11


To My Beloved Daughters...

This one is so important!  What do you do when you find yourself in a very unpleasant and distressful situation.  A situation that brings on feelings of fear, uncertainty, discontentment, grief, or a longing for the past and how things used to be?  A situation that may or may not be permanent.  What do you do? How do you react?  

Now I hate not to have things go the way I want them to or the way I think that they should.  I just hate it!  I complain and kick against the goad...sometimes for a very long time.  I even think I might be surrendering to the situation, but..you know...really I am not.  Focusing on what you are not getting and  what you don't have will ALWAYS make you miserable.  You will be miserable to be around and you yourself will be miserable because you will be thinking of yourself rather than the Lord and those around you. Complaining is sin...you are telling the Lord that the situation He has lovingly prepared for your good is not good.


Do you see what God told His people to do in the very distressing situation they found themselves in...He tells them to accept it and move ahead.  He tells them to adjust, pray and keep moving.  Wait Lord...accept it...but I haven't finished complaining about it yet. Give me some time.  I just want to sit here and be miserable.

Don't allow your life to grind to a halt because you find yourself in a situation in which you never expected and never wanted. Life, more often than not, brings terrible tragedy.  Job loss, betrayals, family problems, marriage issues, sickness, chronic illness, debilitating pain, and death. We do grieve...but we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  If you are a believer whatever situation you find yourself in is from Him.  He will use it for good in your life. This is what we want...we want His plan for our lives.  His plan for us is from His heart of love.  It is always for His glory and our good.  Don't miss out on any of the blessings by complaining about what He has decided was not in your best interest.  Surrender to Him.  Do those works that He has put in front of you today.  Adjust and keep moving.  Plant seeds...follow His leading. Stay close to Him and above all immerse yourself in His word.  Let sitting at His feet and worshiping Him be your highest priority...give Him all the pre-eminence.

The Lord allows us to be in very hard places sometimes because He wants to accomplish His will in us and through us.  Our Lord is faithful, girls. He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  He is always there....if you don't think so it is because you have drawn back and moved away from Him.  Abide and surrender.  The Lord will be your rear guard...The Lord will hedge you behind and before and will keep His hand on you.  He will provide you a way of escape...seek Him...He IS your way of escape, your strong tower and your refuge.  Revel in His goodness.  Don't look back...press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Be blessed and comforted in His love, grace and kindness toward you in His Son. 

Psalm 84:6-7 says this: As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. 

Girls...this is what I want as I go through my Valley of Tears here on my earthly pilgrimage.  I want to make it a spring...I want to surrender to His Spirit inside and trust the All Sufficient One in my time of trouble. I want my journey to encourage others in their own walk with the Lord. We all need times of barrenness and trouble to grow strong in Him. Strengthen your inner man by spending time with God and you will begin to see your adversity as an opportunity from Him to experience His faithfulness even more.  Sing in your time of sorrow.  Triumph in tragedy. Look for the rainbows.   Our Lord will bear you up on wings like eagles.   Immerse yourself in the water of His word, girls, and go from strength to strength on your own journey to Zion.

Be Ye Kind...

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.--Ephesians 4:32

Some of my favorite words in the NT:  AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER...

There is so much personal grief, sadness and heartache in the lives of the people that we meet and interact with each and every day...most of which we will never know this side of eternity.  All the more BE YE KIND...merciful, mild, gentle, compassionate, pleasant, good, benevolent.  Be imitators of God as dear children for His compassion fails not and extends to ALL:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.--John 3:16

AND it is the goodness of our God that leads us to repentance. 

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.--Romans 12:21

Be Strong and of Good Courage....

Beloved...

Be strong and of good courage....I usually so dislike when someone says this to me, but that is because I forget that our God is not like the world.  In Him, I do not have to pull myself up by my bootstraps and, as the King James says, "quit like a man."   Beloved believer...Our God does not ask us to be strong in ourselves and in our own power...He asks us to be strong in Him!  He is the one who does it all.

We walk by faith and not by sight.  It is so easy to think we know better than God....especially when our circumstances look impossible and we have not been washing ourselves daily with His truth.  Faith does not look at what is seen.  Faith obeys no matter how things look from a human perspective.  Faith puts its trust in God.  It surrenders all!  Psalm 27:14 tells us to wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He shall strengthen our heart.  What a place of rest we come to when we can truly place all the issues of life in His hands.  No fretting...no matter what happens we are trusting God.  We are standing fast in Him!  Immersed in His word and aware of His presence we cannot be thrown off balance by anything the enemy might throw at us!  We fight from victory and it is not our battle...it is the Lord's. 

Read the following verses from Joshua, Chapter 1, verses 6,7,8,and 9. 

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

The key is in the last few words...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  The presence of the Lord eradicates fear and faint-heartedness.  It is His courage and strength that we walk in.  He is there.  He is with us.  He upholds us and bears us up.   

Our God prepares us for whatever we will face as we diligently study His word daily.  He arms us with His strength, His knowledge and His presence.  It is only in Christ and His strength  that we can "quit like a man"! 

Read with me some verses from the book of Daniel, Chapter 10...

Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength.  For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”

Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.  And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 

How beautiful is that?  The awareness of God...His voice, His touch, His presence with us and His love for us strengthens us and brings us peace.

Be of good courage...be strong, stay in the word and stand fast for the people God has placed in our lives.  We are in a battle...eternity is at stake.  Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.  And may the Lord do what is good in His sight!

This Christmas...

2nd Timothy chapters 3 and 4 truly speak my heart as a mom...Study the word, moms...preach and teach it...in season and out of season.   Speak the truth to your little ones and not so little ones in LOVE....Do not let them leave your home and go into the world as children who will be driven and tossed about like a wave is by the wind.

All Scripture is given to us by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.  

Jesus Christ is the Great I AM...the Becoming One.  He becomes for us and for our children when we believe, whatever we need.  Give them Jesus.  Give them a mom who abides in the vine.  Give them a mom who draws her life and her strength from Him.  Give them a mom whose love for her Savior deepens daily and whose joy and strength come from Him.  Spend time with your God,  moms...depend on Him moment by moment and then watch your precious children do the same.

Having obeyed the word of your God, you will look back on this time in your life with joy and will see that faith TRULY is the substance of things hoped for... the evidence of things not seen and by it the elders obtained a good testimony as will you.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.---3 John 1:4

How to Handle Heartache and Sorrow...

We all will face sorrows here on this earth...the difference is we either face them with Him or without Him. As a believer God works all things together for your good.  As a believer you know that He uses our trials to make us more like Him.  With that said the following verse might seem like a strange verse to begin a devotional on handling sorrow but read on...

"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ"...Galatians 6:2

Bearing one another's burdens is so beautiful to think on...the only way we can actually do it is in living a life surrendered to the Spirit of God.  There are so many verses in the Bible that speak to this but the bottom line for all of them is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ...put on Jesus...His nature and His character and then walk in His love. 

The more I live this life the more I see that the only solution is to fix our eyes on Christ and pour our lives out for others...just as He did.  Anything I am not sure how to handle in this life...all I need do is look to Him who lived the perfect life and yet was tempted in every way to see what to do.  What an example He gave us!! Jesus had no other agenda but His Father's in heaven.

I am struggling and have been struggling with deep abiding heartache and sorrow...the only answer is Christ.  How did He handle sorrow? He was a Man of Sorrow and acquainted with grief.  He bore my grief and sorrow on the cross. He poured out His life for me and for you. He was despised and rejected...and yet He was not overwhelmed in His sorrow as I often become.  In fact, in His greatest sorrow He poured Himself out for us in the greatest display of love mankind has ever seen! He suffered for us and died so that each one of us would have the opportunity to live forever with Him! So what is the difference between how I handle sorrow and how Jesus handled sorrow...I think it is pretty obvious...even in His sorrow Jesus' concern was for others. On the cross burdened with the sin and grief of all the world, His focus was for the thief beside Him, for His mom's well being, and for forgiving those who were crucifying Him. Seeing His example and KNOWING His love for me how can I wallow in my own sorrow.  In fact, He tells me to cast my burdens on Him because He cares for me...His word tells me that He has borne my sorrow and grief and that He is my strong tower and refuge.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” --Matthew 11:28-30

Lord, give me Your strength even today to live for You despite my circumstances.  Help me to look to You and as I look to you change me and conform me into the image of Your Son.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.--2nd Corinthians 3:18

Broken Cisterns

Often, I go through my day looking and hoping in wrong things.  My heart looks for fulfillment and joy where it will never be found.  As it says in Jeremiah, I hewn for myself cisterns...broken cisterns that can hold no water and I forget the fountain of living waters!   I wonder as David did in Psalm 42:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?

In my self-sufficiency, Father,  I am in distress...every hand of misery comes against me.  But, You, my God, because I am Your beloved...You bow down toward me and speak to my heart  You draw me to Yourself with gentle cords of love. You remind me to come...to cast all my care upon You because it is only in You that my soul finds its rest. 

So I bring you my heart and lay it bare before you.   Ahhh...then I remember where my help, my hope and my expectation are found....they are found only in You.  As I seek you, my heart is filled with what it has searched and longed for in the wrong places.  My soul is filled with your lovingkindness and your songs of deliverance surround me.  You, Father, care for my heart...You want my heart...You want all of me and desire only my good both temporally and eternally.  You, are my Savior, my Lord and my God...You are my all in all.  My eyes lift to You in earnest expectation.  In You, O God,  I will not be ashamed...Be magnified in my life.    

My expectation is from Him...

My soul waits silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.--Psalm 62:5

You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.--Psalm 119:114

My God will withhold from me no good thing...

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.--Psalm 34:10

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.--Psalm 84:11

My God is sufficient...

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.--1 Corinthians 1:25

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,--2nd Corinthians 3:5

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.--2 Corinthians 9:8

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.--2 Corinthians 12:9

Crushing the Critics by Doing Good...

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—--1 Peter 2:15

To My Beloved Daughters in Him:

THIS. IS. A VERY INSTRUCTIVE VERSE.  This one has kept me from sin and wrong speaking more times than I can count.  Girls, our single greatest evangelistic tool is how we live our lives.  So often people will speak ignorantly and foolishly...they will judge wrongly.  A foolish man in the bible is one who is disobedient to the word of God...He is a non believer. He is willfully ignorant of God's truth, but attacks it anyway.  We are to silence them not by what we say  but by doing what is good and what is right.  We are to do as it says in verse 12 of this same chapter...We are to have our conduct honorable among the Gentiles so that when they speak against us as evil doers, they may, by our good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Wow...crush the critics not by words but by doing right. Give your enemies no foothold...walk blamelessly before your God in uprightness of heart. It secures you in His will and stops the mouths of the lying and the foolish.  Don't fret..it only gives them power and causes you harm.  Keep your upright course.  Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify for your Father in Heaven.  

Here is something you probably already know...this is not easy.  It is not easy to have your good called evil...to have your words twisted and your deeds maligned.  No one likes to be hated without a cause but therein is the encouragement.  Our Jesus was despised and rejected...His words were twisted and His deeds maligned.  Look to Jesus then for your example.  See how he reacted...

For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Christ suffered that we might live.  Shine your light so others might live.  There are no true offenses against you...they are against God.  Your life is not about you..it is about glorifying Him in and through it all so that you can lead others to Christ.  The key verse for me from this section of 1 Peter 2 especially when going through this kind of trial is this one:

 "but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" 

I am never to look to and desire the praises of men...I am to desire the praises of my God.  I am not to get entangled in foolish disputes in an attempt to clear my name. They take the focus off of God and place it on me...so instead of seeing Christ in me others just see me.  They keep the focus on earthly things rather than heavenly things and distract from the task at hand.  I am to commit myself then...all of me...to Him.  I am to surrender to what He has for me.  It is not my job to worry about my critics. It is His.  My job is to do good and keep my conduct honorable.  

These verses above from 1 Peter 2 and the ones below from Psalm 37 are gold to be treasured and obeyed.  As you follow your Lord's example, He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day and you will delight yourself in an abundance of peace.  

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in abundance of peace

"Raphaph"

Be Still...

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!--Psalm 46:10

God's sovereignty over the affairs of men…Be still or in Hebrew "raphaph" is such a good reminder for me when I am in the midst of the seemingly endless fleshly battle that I fight entitled  "What I 
Want That I Am Not Getting"  The word "STILL" OR "RAPHAH"  means TO SINK, RELAX, LET DROP, BE DISHEARTENED, DESIST FROM YOUR WAR….

I questioned disheartened till I thought about it a little more…Biblically the heart is the seat of the will…so take the "heart" or your passionate desire to get what you want…disarm yourself of self...and remember that He is God…He is sovereign…cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for You….Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

My Jesus...

My Jesus gentle, humble, meek and full of compassion…
My Jesus, who condescended to come in to this world as one of His creatures.  
My Jesus who willingly gave His life so that I could live forever in Heaven with Him.  
My Jesus, my strong Deliverer. 
My Jesus, my Rock, my Stay and my Support….
My Jesus, the One whose way is perfect and who makes perfect all that concerns me…
My Jesus, the One who performs all things for me.  

My Jesus is FULL OF COMPASSION…

My Jesus condescends…He bends low…He stoops…He heals the brokenhearted…He makes the crooked places straight and He makes a way in the desert.  

A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;--Isaiah 42:3

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.--Isaiah 40:11

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”--Matthew 11:28-30

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.--Isaiah 53:4

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
And the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.--Isaiah 63:7-9

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.--Matthew 9:36

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.--Matthew 14:14

And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.--Luke 7:12-15

When Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. ( John 11:32-35)

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.--Matthew 18:11-13

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!--Matthew 23:37

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”--Luke 7:13

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,  saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. --Luke 19:41-42

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.--2 Corinthians 8:9

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.--Hebrews 4:15-16

Blessed Are You Who Mourn....

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.--Psalm 126:6

Blessed are you who mourn over your sin, for you shall be comforted!  You who sow to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life!   Draw water then from His fountain with joy.   Praise His name and declare His doings among the people.  He will cause you to walk by the rivers of water in a straight way and not stumble.  He will make your soul like a well watered garden with no sorrow added.

The Lord's anger is but for a moment; His favor for life...weeping may endure for a night by joy comes in the morning.  He has brought our souls up out of the grave.  He keeps us alive and makes us stand strong.  We are His forever.  Cry out to Him and to Him make your supplication.  Seek Him....He will hear and be your Helper.  He will turn your mourning into dancing and put off your sackcloth....He will gird you once again with gladness.

Your God will give to you that mourn beauty for ashes,  the oil of joy for mourning,  and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...you will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.   Look to Him and be radiant...your face unashamed. He will lift your burdens and have compassion on You.  Take your rest in safety and do not be afraid.  Your hope is secure in Him.  The Lord will be in your midst and shall lead you unto living fountains of water and wipe away every tear from your eyes.  He will fill  your mouth with laughter and your tongue with singing!  Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever...


I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always on my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side--Chris Tomlin - Whom Shall I Fear