REFORMED - RESTORED

Reformation: [ref-er-mey-shuhn] improvement, betterment, correction, the state of being reformed.

Our church body celebrates the Reformation of the church with great fanfare. Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, simply wanted a theological discussion of certain teachings and practices in the Catholic Church. As a result, there was the reformation of the church and the Protestant Churches were born. It was never Martin Luther's intention to form a whole new branch of Christianity, but even the Catholic church now believes some of those changes were good.

What about our lives? We often struggle with doing what is God-pleasing. We may have addictions with which we struggle. Lying may be much easier than telling the truth, even a "little white lie" now and then. Helping our neighbor may be foreign to us if we never even see them. We don't put God first in everything we do. While we may not outright murder someone, we probably all have cut someone down at some point, or passed on a rumor, etc. When things are going well we forget to thank God first, or when things go wrong it takes us a while to turn to him. Perhaps we need a "reformation" of ourselves - correction, improvement, betterment of our thoughts, words and actions.

But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, he tells them what they have done— that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. Job 36:8-11 NIV

Obey and serve him - that's what we are required to do. We obey by having faith in Christ Jesus as our savior and then following him, and we serve out of thankfulness for his grace and mercy. We pray that we may be able to remain forever faithful.

written by Jan Andersen, (reformed for His glory, restored by His grace!)

It’s Not you…It’s Me

Devotional for 10/29/11

Have you ever taken offense for someone else? What I mean is taking on an unnecessary offense. Of course we should rise up and defend the defenseless, and no doubt that's a characteristic that God programmed into us, but that innate quality seems to pop up even when the victim is perfectly capable of processing and dealing with the offense on their own.

I suppose along with everything else, this needs to be brought under control. It's appropriate to become offended and take action when our young child is being bullied at school, but not OK when it's our adult child being taken advantage of at work. I know others have taken on my offenses, and likewise, I've done the same thing with others. Recently I found myself taking on an offense that rightly belonged to God, and I'm still struggling to know how to process it.

I was completely taken off guard. I thought I knew exactly how to handle these things. After all, I've led Bible Studies in the past that dwindled down to practically nobody. I knew better than to let it get me down. I knew they were allowing things to get in the way of where God wanted them to be, and the best thing to do was to pray. It was a perfectly right and healthy way of looking at it. So, why is it that this time when it happened, I allowed myself to become hurt?

It's true that over the years, my mindset on the matter could have been negatively colored by experience. I suppose that's what contributed to certain phrases that were running through my mind like, "If I have God's blessing, it will be a success," and, "I must have not truly sought the Lord when I chose this study," and then finally my spirit was beaten down and I succumbed to, "This has happened so many times, it must be me." And that's when God brought Samuel to my mind.

Samuel and his sons were the last judges of Israel. He loved God and devoted his life to serving God and God's people. In his day, there were no kings because God was their king. A judge was a leader of the people. He did not control the people. God spoke through him. He worked and lived right alongside the people. He was a prophet, not a king. It was during Samuel's lifetime that the people began to demand a new kind of government. They wanted a king like the other nations had, and Samuel became offended. Samuel took his offense to God, and God's response was, "It's not you, it's Me." When I read this, it occurred to me that that's exactly what God said to me when He brought Samuel to my mind. In fact, I think I might have more in common with Samuel than I thought.

Like Samuel, I have a heart for God and His Word. Like Samuel, I'm a facilitator, working right alongside the ladies in my group doing my study. And like Samuel, I had taken on God's offense. Now although, I realize that God was rejected, not me, the truth is I was affected by it just like Samuel was. OK, so there was pain involved, but it's the cost of putting myself in a position of serving God and others. Samuel was told plain and clear that he was experiencing the pain that God experiences.

There's nothing wrong, or should I say, inappropriate about feeling the pain of someone else's offense. It causes us to examine ourselves to see if we are causing pain to others. That's definitely something I should be checking in myself on a regular basis...specifically whether or not I am causing God any pain. By the way, experiencing God's pain is something we're told will occur. Usually we see it in the form of persecution from unbelievers. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if sometimes the pain comes from our own brothers and sisters in Christ. I should still consider all joy, right?

We do cross the line, however, when we respond to that pain sinfully. What's important to me is that Samuel did not give up serving God. He did not run away from his calling because of the pain he felt. Even after Israel's government took on a whole new look, Samuel continued to serve and obey God. He was the same person that he always was to Israel. His role as spiritual leader never changed. He was respected by the people, because he was never rejected by them...God was.

God wants me to realize this. He wants it to sink down deep, and for me to not respond sinfully. He allowed me to experience His pain for a purpose...maybe to examine myself...maybe to bring me closer to Him...maybe both. What I do know is that it has led me to pray more for the ladies of my study, which is far from a sinful response. I also know that regardless of the experience, I will not give up my passion to serve God and others.

Amie Spruiell 10/28/2011

Woke Up Late

Rushing around this morning I was late getting out the door. Halfway through the day I stopped to ask myself and the Lord why I was so out of sorts. Immediately the thought came to me, “You didn’t take time with Me.”

I can’t even say I sit down with a hot cup and my bible. But I usually keep up a conversation with the Lord as I brush my teeth and prepare for the day. I pray over my loved ones and my work. I bring up any issue that is unsettled and ask Him for wisdom. For the last few weeks I have been busy and distracted. As I look back I can recognize the Holy Spirit’s nudging. As I sat down to check email and read the news I had the thought I should step away and talk to the Lord first. But I did not follow His leading and now I was reaping the effect.

Do you know someone who must eat every so often or they can’t function? Well, I was feeling like that spiritually. I had gone so long without drinking from His fountain that I wasn’t just thirsty and parched but also dizzy and confused. The good news about this is I didn’t have to stay that way.

Psalm 37:5-9 The Message (MSG)

5-6 Open up before GOD, keep nothing back;

he'll do whatever needs to be done:

He'll validate your life in the clear light of day

and stamp you with approval at high noon.

7 Quiet down before GOD,

be prayerful before him.

Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,

who elbow their way to the top.

8-9 Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,

cool your pipes—it only makes things worse.

Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;

GOD-investors will soon own the store.

Thank You, Lord, for graciously and gently leading me back to You. I realize that no matter what my good intentions are, I cannot do the important things on my own. I choose to believe that I can trust You to take care of everything in Your time and Your way. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

"Fresh Hope In God"

Today I posted on facebook; The dawning of a new day, with new challenges, new opportunities, great expectations and fresh hope in God.

Everyone of us is given a brand new day, and we each have a choice how we will face that day. We can wake up and choose to give life our best shot, or we can wake up in the morning and just get by, doing the minimum, in a survival mode.

I choose to give it my best shot, for I know this day will never come again. I choose to trust God even when my day may appear to be "doom and gloom." I will look for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

You see, we have a God that is clearly in control of our lifes, and He has our best interest in mind. He holds us in the palm of His hand, and He will clearly direct and help us every step of the way, if we will allow Him to.

Even in the bleakest of days, we can confidently be assured that there is always hope through our God.

So I encourage each and everyone of you

at the dawning of a new day to remember,

"This is the day that the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Psalm 118:24

Blessings,
Sandy Billingham

Bread

Devotional for Tuesday, 10/25/11

Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:11

In His sample prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask, "Give us this day our daily bread." Though Jesus was no doubt including physical bread and physical needs, more often than not He was thinking spiritually. We also need to pray that God provide us our daily spiritual bread, the kind that leads to life, not the kind that perishes.

 "Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"

Matthew 4:4

submitted by : Annie

Failure Can't Keep Us From Him

Isn't it incredible how one day we can be so on fire, so in love with the Lord, that we can almost see ourselves soaring in His Spirit, and we have the faith to see far into eternity? However, the next day we go splat? When this happened to me, I would get so depressed. I would look around at the world; I'd look around my home; I would try to search my heart. Everywhere I looked I would only find loneliness, darkness and an emptiness I could not explain. There were times I spent days, even months in this pit. I even mastered putting on the "happy face." There was no way I wanted others to see me as I saw myself. They just could not see the failure I saw! I would ask myself, what is wrong with me? I just knew that this only happened to me! This is what I knew.

In Mark 9:2, Jesus reveals Himself to Peter, James and John. At first they see His awesome glory when He shows Himself to them as they have never seen. He is transfigured into something different than they had ever seen Him. It had to be beautiful and completely amazing to them. I can picture them falling to their knees, their mouths wide open with sort of a dumb struck look of astonishment. What a wonder that had to be for them! They were totally on fire for Christ!

A short time later, Jesus reveals himself in yet another way to the disciples. He showed them how deeply distressed and troubled He was. After this, the disciples all hit rock bottom. Their spiritual flames had sizzled out; their spiritual get-up-and-go had got up and left!

What I know now...

We often rise to some new level of spirituality and commit ourselves to a fresh allegiance with our Savior. Then we are bewildered at the depths to which we fall almost the next day. We cannot allow satan to lead us into darkness. We must do whatever it takes to keep our spiritual flame burning! But we also must know, we are not the only ones who fall into these pits. When we do, we just have to look for His hand stretched out, waiting to pull us out of it!!

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away,yet inwardly we are

 being renewed day by day. 
  For our light and momentary troubles                            

are achieving for us
an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes

not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,
               but what is unseen is eternal.

                                                                    
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Written by Terri Baker

LOST!

There was a couple in the news recently who went into a corn maze in the evening with their 3 week old infant and they got lost. Nightfall came and they began to panic. They tried on their own to find their way out, to no avail. After awhile they finally decided to call 9-1-1 and were rescued with the aide of a search and rescue dog... 25 feet from the end of the maze!

Before you scoff at them or question their wisdom... or lack thereof... for going there late in the evening with a 3 week old, or come up with other solutions to their predicament that you surely would have thought to do yourself, remember your own troublesome times in life. Perhaps you have felt lost in a sea of troubles. Have you struggled, trying on your own to find a way out? For some, it gets so overwhelming they feel as if they might die. This has been true of humans for a very long time. Even the Israelites felt this way.

... “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!" Numbers 17:12 NIV

The best thing we can do when we feel "lost" is to call our spiritual "9-1-1": pray to God. There is never a dropped call when we pray to him! When we let go of the worry and anxiety and trying to do it ourselves, it becomes so much easier. The worry and anxiety do not help the situation, but rather complicate it. God has it all handled, if we just stop trying to take it back out of his hands!

Imagine what it is like for those who don't have faith. They not only are lost in this world, they are spiritually lost, with no place to turn in their time of need. When we see someone struggling with life's issues, remember how important it is that we offer to pray for and with them, pointing them to God and his help. It is especially important to share with them the Gospel and to pray that the Spirit moves them to faith.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10 NIV

May you always call on God to lead you through the tough times and to help you guide others to him!

written by Jan Andersen (then lost, now found)

Advice to Myself

Devotional for October 22, 2011

I heard on the radio the other day women calling in with their answer to the question, “What piece of advice would you give your 16 year old self?” It was inspired by a book a woman wrote where she is doing just that. I thought a lot to myself about the kind of advice I would give, and there isn’t as much as I thought there would be, and for good reason. Still I thought it would be interesting to jot down just one piece of advice I would give to myself at each age of adolescence that I feel I would have listened to at that age.

I began with age 7 because prior to that I don’t think I would have listened to any wisdom. I would have just replied, “I don’t understand what you’re saying, but can I have a cookie?” So, here it is beginning with age 7 and ending at age 19.

To my 7 year old self, I would have said, “Yes, it’s true. You have no sisters, and Mom’s not having any more babies. But this brother of yours and your two bratty boy cousins you spend so much time with who tease you for being a girl, smell gross, put pollywogs down your pants, and race motorcycles with you…they’re preparing you for three other very important boys that will someday be a part of your life, so appreciate what you learn from them.”

To my 8 year old self, I would have said, “I know your cousin, Stephanie, is a big bully, but she really loves you, and someday will be one of your best friends, so forgive her now.”

To my 9 year old self, I would have said, “God wants you to be a leader, not a controller, so stop bossing your friends around.”

To my 10 year old self, I would have said, “These curves that you’re developing faster than all the other girls…it’s just a short moment of glory, so don’t let it go to your head.”

To my 11 year old self, I would have said, “Those sexy movie scenes you keep sneaking peeks of on the cable channels…get ‘em out of your head! There’s no real love there. It’s all a trick so that you’ll never know the truth of God’s plan for you and your husband.”

To my 12 year old self, I would have said, “All these boys who are horribly mean to you…most of them will someday be old and pathetic, so don’t let them get to you.”

To my 13 year old self, I would have said, “Now that you’re gaining weight and everybody else has a better figure than you…relax…it’s only their moment of glory.”

To my 14 year old self, I would have said, “That guy, that charming guy at the amusement park, flirting with you, trying to lure you away from your girlfriends…RUN!!”

To my 15 year old self, I would have said, “The principal of that private school who wants to kick you out because he thinks you cheated in math…he’s going be fired real soon, and someday you’ll earn a college degree in accounting, home school three future engineers, and make extra cash tutoring algebra.”

To my 16 year old self, I would have said, “The principal of that public school who’s trying to talk you into staying…she really only wants you there because you scored so high on the test and you make her school look good.” Then I would say, “That decision to go on independent study was a good decision. You’re not a drop out. You’re not a loser. God’s preparing you to home school your own kids.”

To my 17 year old self, I would have said, “Forget about your thoughts of Hollywood. God has much much bigger plans for you.”

To my 18 year old self, I would have said, “This baby that you just gave birth to…you were right to keep her…she’s going to change your life forever…for the better!”

To my 19 year old self, I would have said, “Yes, this is the one you’re going to marry. This is the love of your life. So be patient.”

Well, that’s about it. But really, most of the advice has to do with thoughts and feelings…not so much with choices made. I know that regardless of my choices made, God has used each one to teach me something. He has brought me through exactly what He knew was the best for me. He interceded…no doubt way more often than I realize…but with regards to the times that He did not intercede, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I were to go back and change anything, even the things that were painful. I guess mostly what I regret is a lot of wasted worry, wrong feelings and unnecessary fears.

Amie Spruiell 10/21/2011

Letting Go of My Pie

Devotional for Friday, October 21, 2011

I enjoy eating all kinds of pie except one. When my 6 year old self asked my Mom what we were having for dinner she answered, “Pie.” I was so excited that we were skipping the boring part of dinner which inevitably included rice and going straight to the good stuff! As I happily anticipated my next meal I eventually thought to ask my mother what kind of pie was baking in the oven. Meanwhile visions of apple or blueberry slices with ice cream danced in my head. I’m sure I was just too distracted to hear her. She answered me but the information from her mouth didn’t compute in my head.

"Cheeseburger Pie,” she stated matter-of-factly.I protested, “That’s not pie!” My mouth hung open while dismay covered my face.

Surprised by my outburst she showed me the recipe on the back of the box of Bisquick. The photo of a hamburger, cheese, biscuit and onion pie stared back at me. I hated onions. And I didn’t want cheese. But my mom assured me I liked all of these ingredients when they were mixed together. She even went so far as to claim she had made it before and I had gobbled it up and told her I loved it. I must have been sick, because I KNEW this time I wasn’t even going to like it.

The funny thing about this story is how true to life it still is now. When I am expecting or anticipating one thing and another thing happens I tend to not be happy about it. Even if I actually like the new option, what I’m really struggling with is my disappointed expectation. In bible speak, we might say, my hope delayed makes my heart sick (see Proverbs 13:12) and sometimes my attitude becomes pouty or angry. But our world and our lives are full of delays and changes: some caused by situations and some caused by people. Since these changes are an inevitable part of life, how does God want me to deal with this?

Jeremiah 17:6-8 The Message (MSG)

5-6God's Message:

"Cursed is the strong one

who depends on mere humans,

Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone

and sets God aside as dead weight.

He's like a tumbleweed on the prairie,

out of touch with the good earth.

He lives rootless and aimless

in a land where nothing grows.

7-8"But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,

the woman who sticks with God.

They're like trees replanted in Eden,

putting down roots near the rivers—

Never a worry through the hottest of summers,

never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm through droughts,

bearing fresh fruit every season.

Wow, when I am depending on myself alone or on the strength of people around me I am cursed? That’s what it says. To be cursed is the opposite of to be blessed, it means to have great evil brought upon you. I don’t want to be like a tumbleweed at the mercy of every changing wind. I want to be blessed. Don’t we all?

Dear Lord, I believe Your Word and I ask for Your help and Your strength in all I do. I choose to trust you and stick by you. I believe as I do that I will be growing spiritual roots that will keep me steady, fresh and ready no matter what changes come or what disappointments I may face. You, Lord, will never change (see Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Choose Life

Understanding Gives Us the Freedom to Choose

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you

that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

 and that you may love the Lord your God,

listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
NIV

Truth with understanding is like ointment to a wound. The sting of truth wrapped in the balm of understanding brings healing and soothing comfort.

When a hand has a deep wound, it can perform its functions in a limited way, at best.

When my father was a young teen he broke his arm. It wasn't mending or healing well at all and began wasting away. It became half the size of his healthy arm. His father took him to a doctor and the doctor recommended the arm be amputated. He asked my father what he would like to do. My father's reply was, "I want to keep it!"

When my father realized what was at stake if his arm didn't heal properly and regain strength, he set about working to the goal of restoring his arm. He took a job at a farm for one year. Every day he milked cows, picked cotton, cut wood, and did various other chores around the farm. The first few weeks were very difficult. It was painful to work the weakened arm but he considered the alternative and kept working. Over that year his arm grew stronger and by the end of the year it was just as strong and healthy as the other arm!

I look at my own life. A part of me wasn't developing and getting stronger, but was wasting away. When I realized what the loss could be continuing in that state, I knew I had to take action. I know God ultimately brought healing to my father's arm, but my Dad was also presented a choice in that process. I'm thankful God showed me I had a choice in my healing process. For so long I thought like that doctor; there was nothing I could do. Mine was not a physical need but just as vital.

Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful path of truth that leads to healing. I can now function more fully as you created me to be. Keep leading me, Holy Spirit, to see those hidden places you still want to touch.

Written by Sheryl Jenkins / October 2011

Shared by Beverley A. Napier

The Accomplishment Of God's Word

Devotional for Wednesday, 10/19/11

I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a very heavy, burdened heart. It is during these times that God truly shows Himself faithful. And the Lord knew exactly what I was carrying and exactly how I felt. The most wonderful thing happened at that moment. I felt the Lord impressing upon me and reminding me all the times I had prayed and spoken His Word regarding my burdens and sorrows. He reminded me that His spoken word does not return void. As soon as those words came to mind, my heart became light. I began experiencing great peace and I knew God was taking my burdens and carrying them for me. The heaviness was lifted and I was able to immediately go back to sleep.

 

You see God's word tells us in Isaiah 55:11

"So shall my word be that goes forth from My mouth;

 It shall not return to Me void,

 But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

God's word is never barren or fruitless. The power of His spoken word will always accomplish what He says it will. He always fulfills His promises.

I am forever grateful for the Almighty God I serve who has given us His all powerful word!

Blessings,

Sandy Billingham

We are blessed when we bless others!

For whosoever shall give you

a cup of water  to drink in my name,

 because ye belong to Christ,

verily I say unto you,

he shall not lose his reward.

Mark 9:41

*****************************************

First, we are blessed when we bless God's children, even if the blessing is simple. Second, we can rejoice when others do the simplest things to bless us in Jesus' name, because we receive the kindness and grace of others and because God blesses that kindness with his overwhelming grace, so let's live to be a blessing!

When we do, God is blessed. We are blessed. We bless others. In addition, when others are gracious to us, God has also promised to bless them. God pours his blessings out on all of us. In God's abundance, the more we bless each other, the more blessings there are for everyone!

God bless you all!!

Submitted by: Annie

My Only Worth Is In HIM

Devotional for Monday....October 17

Who have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you.
     My flesh and my heart fail;
          but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!

Bring forgiveness into the shadows;
     nothing hidden, nothing lost, nothing controlling, nothing having ownership;
          letting it wash, flooding over, saturating.

I choose you over the pain of past hurts;
     I choose your love above the self-righteousness that rises up to protect me.
          No more a shield, no more a rampart, to the pain in my life,
              releasing, relinquishing my self’s’ right to hold onto my wounded self.

I choose the power of God’s love over the power of self.
     I relinquish the hold of memories;
          choosing not to fight against the pain, the hurts, and life’s trappings while here;
              being free to feel again.

I choose to forgive myself for not liking me, for running away-from me.
     Not wanting to feel or trust that I have value, that I am a gift, that I have any worth.

It is only the Christ in me;
     choosing an imperfect vessel to reside in,
          one that he finds of value, one that he treasures, one that he embraces always.

I am more than my disgraces; to him I am his perfect Cinderella.
     I don’t have to be seen, I don’t have to one up.
          No need to be noticed, that I may feel love.

You may ignore me; you may not recognize my being,
    but my God sees me, my God values me, HE hears me,
          HE is where I am whole and complete.

Man is fickle and unsure, what does that say?
     My only worth is in HIM and HIS love of me and that requires nothing on my part,
           but openness to his love…

Ah, breathing in the truth that there is no other thing that will satisfy here on earth but our Lord.
     We may strive, we may buy, and we may demand to be heard,
          but all that is but a puff of smoke and false mirrors…

Taking forgiveness into the shadows, choosing to lay down our defenses,
     releasing, and relinquishing my self’s rights,
          then choosing the power of God’s love over the power of self.

May this day we give it all to HIM and let HIM be the all we need…

Psalm 73:25-26

Written by Kathy Bireley 2011

STOP STRUGGLING!

devotional for Sunday, 10/16/11

Have you ever picked up a child who does not want to be held? They may struggle and scream, kick, or even bite. Or they may just cry and go limp. I volunteer at a therapeutic horseback riding center for special needs children. Yesterday, we had one student who the past 2 weeks got onto a horse with no problem whatsoever. His brother also rides in the program at the same time. But something was amiss yesterday. This young boy would not get on the pony that was patiently waiting for him that day. He threw himself to the ground and would not get up. Even his father came over and tried to get him up and make him walk, but he just went as limp as a wet cloth, dragging his feet through the dry dusty earth, turning the tears on his cheeks into streaks of mud. Three of us tried everything we could think of to encourage and entice him to get up and join his brother in the arena. Even his brother tried to show him how much fun he was having on his horse and begged his younger brother to join in the fun on the pony, to no avail. We never did figure out why this child was so upset and would not get up, because he could not express himself clearly.

We often do this to God. We may have huge problems here on earth. God wants to help us and carry us in his arms through the difficulties. But sometimes we are so busy trying to fight our way through, to solve our own problems, that we struggle right out of God's arms, rejecting his help. Luckily, our God is strong and persistent! He is always right there, picking us up again. And even when we cannot express to him what we want, he already knows what we really need, and his Spirit prays for us.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NIV

We are all probably familiar with the story of the footprints in the sand. There is a variation on that called butt prints in the sand, where God gets fed up and drops us on our butt in the sand. But that is not how God works; he never gives up on us. However, sometimes God has to drag us on our butts kicking and screaming through to the other side. If only we could just stop struggling and put it all back in God's hands!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble... “Be still, [STOP STRUGGLING!] and know that I am God...” Psalm 46:1, 10 NIV

May your struggles be against Satan and not with God!

written by Jan Andersen (with sand in her shorts!)

Mount Up

Isaiah  40:31

 

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up  with wings
as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Recently I’ve had this scripture in Isaiah 40:31 on my heart and when I read it thoroughly… two words were illuminated to me.  The words “Mount Up”.   For some reason I got a visual of an eagle mounting up to fly, as I thought about the intensity of strength an eagle has in it’s legs to mount up.   There are several synonyms for the verb “Mount”

Ø     Accelerate,  Build Up,  Climb,  Enlarge,  Escalate,  Expand,

Ø     Multiply,  Rise,  Spread,  Swell,  Surge,  Heighten,  Intensify, Crest

What powerful wording God has given us to look to this scripture for strength in our everyday trials of life.   If we wait upon the Lord as the word tells us to do….we too shall renew our strength and “Mount Up” with wings as eagles.

 I believe before we can have this action/verb in our life, it must start in our mind, we can as the eagle ….gird our minds and “Mount Up”… Rise, Swell, Surge and Crest to heights >> which in turn gives us strength (as legs of an eagle) to sore, to fly, to run and not be weary and walk and not faint.  Teach me Lord to wait upon you!

Glenna Williamson

The River

I am sitting on a hard pew in a simple chapel in the green hills of Virginia. It is hot and muggy; the open doors carry a cross breeze and mosquitoes.  As the 1^st grade girl’s counselor I compel my tired body to sit up straight, force my eyes open wide, and tune my ears to hear. The teachers mean well. Sermons filled with valuable lessons pour forth from the rustic pulpit and splash the children and their dutiful guardians.

Then one night a new voice stands at the front. Bit by bit, he tells a simple story, details that seem unimportant are used like bits of fluff and string are used to weave a nest together and make it strong. Telling his tale effortlessly, we all follow along, every child, young and old. Our rapt attention is not forced, we are willing followers.  My heart swells with powerful emotions throughout. I think to myself, I will never forget this story or the lesson. In my youthful mind, I add, more people would understand if they could hear the gospel and God’s Truth in such a clear and distinct way

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Of course, I had not discovered anything new. Jesus used stories often to make the kingdom of God clear. He didn’t save His storytelling for children either, but shared them with the crowds and especially His own disciples.  He truly desired that they not continue in confusion or misunderstanding.

God’s Word is like a river. If I sit on the bank and watch it flow by, I can appreciate its beauty and its power. Sometimes when I dip a toe in I am surprised at the freezing cold, the temperature startles me awake as I feel a nudge in my heart for God is bringing a sin to my attention. 

Other times I dangle both feet in and the water is amazingly warm and soothing. I forget all the cares I have been worrying about as I take my concerns to Him who loves me, and place all my worries at His feet, for He cares for me. 

When the pressures and circumstances of my life threaten to overwhelm me, I jump right into the river to escape them for a moment. I am amazed at the sense of freedom I experience as I fully relax and allow the power of the river to carry me along. Looking over at the riverbank I see all my issues and responsibilities are keeping up alongside me. But it is as if there is no room left in my heart for fear and I sigh with gratefulness for this profound peace and the comfort surrounding me.

As I get out of the river to continue on with my day, I think longingly of the refreshing moments I have just enjoyed.  Then I smile as I realize I can always go back. I can come running to You when things get out of hand. I desire, Lord, to keep all of my cares and concerns and worries in Your hands. Please help me to not wait for everything to be in extreme circumstances.

Dear Lord, thank You for the power of Your Word to correct me, comfort me and refresh me. Please help me open Your Word every morning, noon and night. Please forgive me for thinking I can handle things on my own. Please help me to remember to read and read and read Your Word. Then I will already be in Your River or I will have just come from Your River when I am faced with challenging circumstances. Then I will be refreshed and ready to trust You to lead me and give me wisdom when I need it. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins