Let Go and Let God.

My grandson's dog, Echo.

“Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

I’ve read this verse many times, but I found out something I didn’t know before. A person who knows the Hebrew language said that “Be still…” means, “Loosen your grip. Let go.”

He said, “know that I am God,” means, “Experience God.”

Both interpretations are lovely, but I think “loosen your grip,” gives us a lot more to think about. What do we hold onto that we should let go? I think it means let go of your worries, sadness and perhaps your plans. You can do that by experiencing close friendship with God. When we know him better and better each day, we will learn how to trust him. We can then have a mind that is quieted by God.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7

I’ve thought a lot about how peace guards our hearts. When you are full of peace, the daily irritations, and even big disappointments don’t bother you as much.

I’ve been ill lately because my mother, whom I take care of, wasn’t sleeping well. So, for a couple of weeks I didn’t get enough sleep. Then two of my teeth were pulled and I had a headache for a week. Lack of sleep and pain made me feel really sad. Did I have peace of mind? I think so, but I will say sadness was in my heart. I’ve learned to give my sad feelings to God and I asked him to help me care for my mother. He helped me each day.

I tell you this because of course there are things that happen that will make us sad. Sometimes we can feel sad for a very long time. Jesus felt sadness, so it is not a sin to feel that way. But I wanted his comfort, wanted to feel his arms around me. He did comfort me as I prayed, and I’m thankful.

There has been a lot of talk in Christian circles on how to go through grief and yet have joy at the same time. Jesus did that too. He grieved for his people Israel, yet because of the “joy that was ahead, he endured the cross, despising the shame of it.”

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2,3

Feeling very sad and yet having joy about Jesus and one day being with him forever is a paradox, I guess. It is hard to wrap my mind around, but I am going to keep trying. I do know one thing, sadness alone leads to despair and God doesn’t want us to go there.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5

God and the Virus.

Well, it has been an interesting year so far. Of course, the virus is the big thing, but then there are the other trials of life on top of it. My mother has been having more health problems and sleeping problems, my oldest daughter’s marriage is over, my husband is waiting for back surgery and I had two teeth pulled out last Friday and have felt sick ever since. Also, I need new glasses only 6 months after getting new ones. I turned 70 the other day and I still need to lose weight. I started dieting when I was 11. (There have been slim years and other years. Lol)


Jesus said, “Love not the world…” I can honestly say I do not.


The virus and God. I’m sure there are people saying God sent this virus because we are such terrible people and he is punishing us. This theme comes up whenever there is a disaster. 


Does God punish people? The Bible shows us that he does do that sometimes. But unless you are a prophet, you don’t know why anything is happening. I think we should leave all speculation behind. This virus came by eating unclean animals or some germ-warfare escaping from a lab.


I live in Canada and we are getting more virus cases every day. Pretty well everything has shut down. My husband is working from home; thousands upon thousands of people have been laid-off their jobs. Our government is going to make sure those who cannot work from home are taken care of. I’m happy about that. It is always the working poor that suffer the most.


My mom, who is 92, my husband and I are vulnerable to this virus. If we ever get it, we could easily die. We all have serious health issues. But we aren’t afraid and that’s all because of Jesus, his Father and the Holy Spirit. They live in our hearts and the three of us believe if we die, we will be with God in person (a hugely exciting thought); if we live, then God has a good reason for that. 

I don’t think anyone on earth dies without God’s permission. You can read about that in the first chapters of the book of Job. Satan was only allowed to do so much to Job. He was not allowed to kill him.


One thing about this virus is it may make people stop and think about how short life is and perhaps some will start praying and learning about God. People will have time now to meditate on their lives and the meaning of life. Our culture is so full of busyness and distractions, we hardly have time to think. Also, I am sure there will be a baby boom in nine months!


All I can say is that if you want peace during times like this, give your life to God and he will flood you with his peace. He is the one full of love, goodness and peace. We are the ones filled with worry, fear and hatred. He will fill you with himself if you ask him, and keep asking him every day. This exchange is not a one-time thing. It is a daily thing. We need him every moment of every day.

What Do We Hunger For?

Piece from a broken, Roman cistern.

 “A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Wikipedia.


At one time, God said, “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”  Jeremiah 2:13


We cannot live long without water. We can live longer, but not forever, without food. God uses many symbols throughout the Bible to give us a mental picture of life with or without him. Eating and drinking seems to be the most common symbol.


The verse above came to me when I was reading about Jesus speaking to the people he had fed with the bread and fish. Excited about getting free food, the people had at first tried to force Jesus to be King of Israel, but he stopped them and sent them home. The next day the people searched for Jesus and found him. They wanted him to be their ruler and make sure they had miraculous food all the time.


Some of them said, “Sir, give us this bread every day.”


Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Everyone who comes to me will never hunger and everyone who believes in me will never thirst.”             John 6:35,35


When the people heard this, most of them turned away from Jesus and didn’t follow him any longer. They realized he would not be the kind of king they desired. 


I’ve read about this many times, but sometimes when I am reading the Bible, the words seem to jump out at me and shine brightly. As I thought about what Jesus had said about drinking from him, I remembered what he said to the woman at the well.


He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It will become a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”   John 4:14 


Jesus also said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst to be a good person (or, for righteousness), for they will be satisfied.”   Matthew 5:6


So, I asked myself, “What have I hungered and thirsted for in this life?”


In my teens, a boyfriend to love me and babies to hold. In my twenties, a happy marriage and more money. Well, I did get the babies! And that was a fantastic gift from God. I also got a divorce and a second marriage. 


I did want to be a good person too. I wanted to be like God. But in my twenties and thirties, I would say the love of a man was what I most hungered and thirsted for. And when that love, or lack of love, was in bad shape, I was in bad shape too. 


I think in my forties and fifties, it was the love of my children and grandchildren I thirsted for the most. They became my idols. I was with God, yes. He lived in me, helped me and kept me going. But deep down I didn’t really believe he loved me, which kept me at arms length, I think. I liked having God in my life, but loving him was difficult.


In my sixties, I have finally fallen in love with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are my everything, and give me so much joy. I do believe they love me.


I have found the love I hungered for in this world was not good enough when I got it. It never measured up to my expectations; it never filled me up; it never satisfied me. People can never do that for us; they are only human. They cannot be everything we need, but God can be and will be if we eat and drink from him through pouring out our hearts to him in prayer and studying his words in the Bible.

Disunity in the Churches.

Photo by:  Saffron Blaze, via http://www.mackenzie.co

There is a lot of disunity among Christians these days. I have read about this and also heard about it on podcasts. Just the other day, I heard this: “People say Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship.”  The podcasters didn’t like this. They insisted Christianity is a religion. They didn’t understand what these other Christians meant. They thought they were putting down the Christian religion.

When Christians say, “It’s a relationship,” they mean that this is the most important facet of Christianity. Without the relationship with God the father, Son and Holy Spirit, and you say you are a Christian, you are just following the rules. As Jesus said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.”  Luke 11:39

We cannot become truly clean inside without a living relationship with God. It is impossible. He alone is the strength of our life, which even the writers of the Old Testament knew.

We are living in time of the end of the world. Jesus is returning soon and calling his children, “Come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of their sins.” Revelation 18:4

I believe this verse means God’s people who are in churches that are led by evil leaders. This verse is coming true right now. People are leaving the regular Christian churches and starting their own. They could not stay with people who said they were Christians and yet are full of hate.

I left my church because of the way the people there treated non-Christians. I also didn’t like they way they treated each other. I didn’t see love there; I saw harsh judgement and criticism.

Most religions or churches don’t want people in their community if that person disagrees with them on doctrine or life-style. Drinking, drugs and sex are the sins they think are the worst. Pride, greed, selfishness and unkindness aren’t really addressed. But their kind of teaching is the opposite of both the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus doesn’t care what church you go to. As he said to the woman at the well, “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say the place where one must worship is Jerusalem.” 

Jesus answered, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation comes through the Jews. But a time is coming and has now come, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is seeking these kinds of people to worship him. God is Spirit, and his worshiper must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:19-24

 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.” 

 “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”  Luke 9:49,50

Paul wrote, “All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well." 
   Philippians 3:15,16

Whatever church you belong to, whatever your beliefs about God, that is the freedom God has given us. We must give that freedom to others. If there is disunity among the churches, we should accept that with love.

The Knowledge of Evil.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”   Philippians 4:8


I’ve thought about this verse a lot lately. When I have negative thoughts, I usually praise and thank God out loud and the thoughts go away. I don’t let myself dwell on sad or bad thoughts.


Last week, I came across a review on a new book about the Circus and the arenas in ancient Rome. I’m interested in history, so I began reading the review. They quoted the author on some of the different games and contests that were celebrated. The games became so popular that there was pressure on the administrator to show the people something new and more spectacular each time.


As I read about the contests and killings, I thought, “I should stop reading this. It is going to get worse.” But no, I did not stop reading until I came upon something so horrible, so unspeakable, that it took my breath away that men would do such things to each other. And these things took place a hundred years before Jesus was born. The games were corrupt almost immediately.


The humans they used in these games were prisoners, slaves or captives of war. Their lives meant nothing to the ones who put on the games and probably little to the common Roman who went to the games. Their suffering and humiliation was sport. 


The Romans got the idea for having games after a victory from the Greeks. But I’m pretty sure the Greeks did not torture and slaughter people and animals in their games. Reading those few paragraphs made me realize why Rome’s enemies hated her.


But the moral of my story isn’t about the Romans, it is about me. I was curious and so I read on and on. Afterwards, I felt sick and had images in my mind that will always be there. I was like Eve, who wanted to know if the fruit would maker her smarter. The Knowledge of Good and Evil. That was the name of the tree. She had no knowledge of evil, and I guess she felt if God had the knowledge then she should have it too.


But the knowledge of the evil going on in this world is depressing and incredibly heavy. We aren’t meant to carry that heavy load. I do think though, that we should fight against evil, like human trafficking. If we didn’t know it was going on, how could we help those who are caught in slavery?


I have heard about ministries that help the children who are kidnapped into the sex trade. Joyce Meyer Ministries helps those children and there are many other Christians in this work. What a blessing they are!


There are things I have seen in newspapers I wish I had never seen. There are movies and TV shows I wish I had never seen. The depths to which sin goes is as deep as the ocean. These horrors of evil we have to give to God to carry. We haven’t got the strength. 


And there is that Bible verse in Philippians. God wants us to think on that which is good and lovely. It is the best way to live, to have peace and love in our hearts. The more we think on God, read the Bible and pray, the more we will see the beauty of goodness. As we see that, we will admire God, who is goodness himself. When we contrast what he is like with evil deeds, we will worship him even more.


I used to like to read about politics and world events, but I noticed it made me feel angry and sad. I rarely read anything on those subjects now. There is nothing I can do about corrupt politicians, except vote for someone I think is good. I just want enough information to do that.


David wrote, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”   Psalm 101:3      Good advice.

Sometimes We Feel Overwhelmed. Like Every Day.

Photo by: Jukka from HELSINKI, Finland

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”   Psalm 61:2


I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, and yes, I cried out to God and he lifted me to stand on the rock, Jesus. I often wonder how people manage life without Jesus.


My mother is 92, and has been living with us for around 4 years. There have been many ups and downs in her health. We have called for an ambulance at least 5 times. She broke her hip, had an operation, got an infection, was diagnosed with colon cancer and had heart attacks. She sleeps a lot, but still eats (not very much) and enjoys watching TV, playing Yahtzee and reading magazines. Her short-term memory is gone, so she has had to stop reading books.


Two or three weeks ago, she started coughing a lot. It wasn’t a cold, so I took her to the doctor. It turned out she has acid reflux so bad that she had burned her throat. She had had no symptoms of acid reflux, so I was surprised. But the doctor was right, after giving her the new medicine she got better. She started sleeping through the night again.


As soon as she was a bit better, her sciatic nerve went wonky and she was in terrible pain one morning. She would scream at the slightest move. It was so hard for her to get out of bed, go to the bathroom – just everything. 


But I thank God for the internet. I looked up sciatic pain and one of the things an article said was it can be caused by slumping in your chair. Well, Mom was slumping lately. She said she was comfy when she was doing it, but I told her it might be causing her sciatica to give her pain. I started watching and having her sit up straight when she was up.


It worked. I gave her pills for the pain too, of course, but she has needed less and less medication. She can move around easily now.


All this time I have called out to God for help because I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Night after night being woken by my poor mom was making me feel exhausted. (Like new parents with a baby – very difficult, I know.) But believe me, God came through, like he always does and I was able to take care of my mom. I’m so grateful to Him.


This morning, I was thinking about my grandson, who has had an off and on addiction to heroin. Actually, I think about him every day and pray for him. His life has been so sad it just brings me to tears to think of him. We all love him so much and it has been so painful for everyone in the family to see how he has suffered.


Thinking about him makes my heart sink and I knew I was thinking too much because I was getting depressed. Maybe because I’ve been so tired too. I was feeling overwhelmed. So, I prayed and went to do my Bible study. I’ve been writing out the Bible in my own words, hoping to put the words deep in my heart.


What I read really encouraged me and I want to share it with you. It is from Philippians 3. The whole chapter is beautiful, and I will share that some other time, but these are the words that helped me the most this morning:

Paul writes, “I want to know Jesus, yes, I want to know the power of his resurrection and also participate in his sufferings.”


This stopped me cold. Do I want to participate in his sufferings? No, I don’t. I am weak and a whiny baby. I want everything to be great and to not have any problems and I want to see everyone in my family to be well and happy with no problems.


Jesus suffered, but not only on the cross. He suffered when Lucifer and a whack of angels turned their backs on him. They were his children. He suffered when he saw the grief around him as he walked this earth. He suffered when his brothers made fun of him. He suffered when his earthly father, Joseph, died. He suffered when Judas betrayed him. He suffered when the church of his day rejected him and called him demon-possessed.


He suffers now. When I think someone in my family will not be saved, my heart melts from pain. He has to see those on earth, through the thousands of years we have been here, who reject his offer of eternal life. He loves them. He died for them. They are his children too. He says he was there the day they were born, hoping for them that they would have faith.


Do I want to participate in his sufferings? No, but I will pray that I will. I will pray God will give me the strength, because I have none. I will pray for the mind and heart of Jesus. I will pray he will fill me with himself, and I know he will do that for me, simply because I asked.

What's in A Name?

Jesus

Philippians Chapter 2: 5-11: In my own words.

“In your relationships with others, have the same mind that was in Jesus. Even though he was equal with the Father, he did not consider grabbing hold or keeping that equality. But he made himself into nothing by taking the form of a servant and becoming a human being. When he was born here, he humbled himself by being obedient to his Father, which included his death on a cross.

Because of this, God lifted him up to the highest place and gave him the name above all names. So that at the name of Jesus, everyone will eventually bow down, those in heaven, on earth and in the entire universe. Every mouth will say Jesus the Messiah is I Am, to the glory of the Father.”

I once read, I wish I remembered where, that when Lucifer and other angels rebelled against God, they at first only had God’s word that he was all wise and all good. They knew no other life than the one they were living in heaven. Isaiah chapter 14 explains to us what was in Lucifer’s heart. He wanted to have the power and authority of God. I am sure God warned him what would happen if he went off on his own, but God, believing in complete freedom, let him go.

Without God’s Spirit in his life, Lucifer became evil. His thoughts were bent on revenge towards God. If he couldn’t be master in heaven, he hoped to become master of this world. Adam and Eve also doubted God’s love, and when they sinned they handed their rulership of the world over to Lucifer. They wanted knowledge God had not given to them. They chose this new king who would give them the knowledge of evil.

But the plan of God was to send Jesus to save this world. He couldn’t save Lucifer, or he would have, but he could save some of humankind if they would change their allegiance from evil to good. And so, the plan of salvation was begun. When on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished,” he meant the plan was concluded. He had done all he could to show man and the universe that God was a God of love, sacrifice and compassion.

Now all of us can look upon good and evil and make a clear choice. The Holy Spirit brings light to every man, the Bible says. Even if someone has never heard the gospel, if they follow the light within them, they can be saved from the power of evil in this world. The plan of salvation is for everyone in every corner of the earth. One day, those who follow the Spirit of God will be together in heaven praising the name of Jesus. The name above all names.

Death as A Shepherd.

Castle Howard

Photo by:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mdbeckwith

“Death will be their shepherd.”


I came upon this line in Psalm 49. It jumped out at me because of the many times I have read about Jesus being the good shepherd. It is a terrible thought that Death is leading people around like sheep, but it makes sense because God is the author of life and light. Life is to be found in him alone.


Psalm 49, In my own words:


Listen to this all people who live on earth! Listen, rich and poor, high and low alike! I will speak wisdom to you and help you understand.


Why should I fear when evil days come? Even if evil men surround me, those who trust in their wealth and boast about it, why should I fear?


No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them. The ransom for a life is too costly. No payment would ever be enough to secure eternal life for a friend.


Everyone can see that wise men die and also the foolish. They leave their riches to others. Their tombs will be their home forever, even though they name their lands after themselves.


People do not endure. They are like the beasts that perish. That is the fate of those who trust in themselves and also of their followers, who approve of them.


These people are like sheep destined to die. Death will be their shepherd. Their bodies will decay in the grave, far from their expensive houses.


But God will redeem me from the house of the dead. It is sure he will take me to himself.


So, do not be in awe when some people grow to be super-rich. Don’t be amazed by their splendid houses for they will take nothing with them. Although, while they are alive, they think of themselves as fortunate; though many people praise them, they will join those who have gone before. They will never again see the light of life.


Remember this: People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.

Jesus, the Bridegroom.

Psalm 45 is a song about the Messiah. On the surface, it speaks of a king. But this king is too glorious to be just any king; it is about King Jesus. So, I thought I’d write it out that way.


Psalm 45

My heart is overflowing with admiration when I think about Jesus! I pray my pen will do him justice.


You are the most excellent of all humans! Your mouth is anointed with grace; God has blessed you forever.


Strap your sword to your side, Mighty Warrior! Clothe yourself with splendor and majesty! Ride forth in victory! Defend the cause of truth, humility and justice. May your hand achieve awesome deeds.


May your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of your enemies. May the nations fall beneath your feet.


Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever. Your scepter is one of justice.

Jesus, you love what is good and hate what is evil. That is why your Father has lifted you above all angels and human beings. He then anointed you with the oil of gladness.


All your clothing, Jesus, is fragrant with the best perfume. You came, and then returned to the ivory palaces where the music of strings makes you glad. Your women are daughters of the King. At your right hand is your royal bride (those who follow Jesus) decked in gold. 


Listen, royal bride, forget your people and father’s house. May the King be in rapture by your beauty. Honor him, for he is your Lord. His bride is all glorious; her gown is interwoven with gold. She is led to the King and her friends follow her into the palace. Everyone is filled with joy. Her sons will be princes in the land.


I will remember you Lord and praise you forever and ever!

Hope in Sorrow.

In writing out Psalm 42, I recognized myself. I used to get depressed and full of sorrow, then I would reach out to God and had hope again. I thought the sadness was over, but then my heart would grow heavy again. I learned I had to fight sadness and discontent with prayer and speaking God’s words out loud.


I think the first negative thought we have is a temptation to go down the path to depression. If we stop and dwell on the negative thought, more will come until our minds are full of sadness. We need to stop at the first thought and give it to God. Then start thanking God for all the good things in our lives. 

We can go through each day in sorrow or peaceful joy. It is up to us.



Psalm 42.

Like a deer pants for water, my soul pants for you, O my God. I thirst for the living God. I long to meet him face to face.


Yet I have been crying day and night, and people ask me, “Where is your God.”


As I pour out my soul to God, then I remember how I used to go to church with shouts of joy among other believers.


Why is my soul in sorrow? Why do I feel so disturbed? I must put my hope in God; if I can do that, I will then praise him, my Savior and my God.


My soul is in sorrow; therefore, I will think on you. My life is filled with turmoil, like waves of the sea going over my head.


Yet, in the daytime, the Lord sends his love to me. In the evening, he puts a song in my heart and a prayer to the God of my life.


Yet later I say, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go around in sadness because my enemies oppress me? They ask me, “Where is your God?”


I ask myself again, “Why is my soul filled with sorrow? Why do I feel torn in my heart? I must put my hope in God. If I do that, I will again praise him, my Savior and my God.

What About the Wicked?

Slave traders.

The following is Psalm 37 in my own words. This Psalm compares the wicked with the followers of God. I rarely ever write about the evil people of the world, but after copying out this Psalm, I felt I should share it. There is so much written about what the wicked do that is wrong, all through the Bible. It is to warn us not to be like them.


Notice the Psalm says nothing about burning in hell forever. No, it says the wicked will become like smoke. They will vanish and you won’t see them. Some people want to believe all will be saved. I understand that because I feel sorry for those who will be lost. But sometimes, when I read the news about sex traffickers, or watch a movie and there is a really awful, bad person in it, I want them to be dead. I want them to be dead because all they do is hurt people. Have you ever known someone like that? I have known a few, and when they died, I thought, “Well, they can’t hurt anyone any longer.”


Notice also the verse that says God will give you the desires of your heart. I believe this is true, if our desires are good. I asked myself what my greatest desire is and it is to see my children believe in God and be saved. I can see that now and am content. I thought back on what my greatest desire was as a child. It was to have children. Yes, God has given me my greatest desires.


Here is the Psalm:


“Do not worry and fret about evil people in this world. Do not be envious of those who do wrong and profit from their deeds. Like the grass and plants, they will soon die away. 


Trust in the Lord and do good. Live your life, and take pleasure in knowing the Lord; he will give you the desires of your heart. Give your life to the Lord and trust him. Your reward from him will shine like the rising sun.


Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret about the wicked who succeed in their plans and carry out their evil schemes.


Bridle your anger; do not fret, for it only leads to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit heaven.

In a little while, evil men will be no more; you may look for them, but they will  not be found. But the meek will inherit heaven and enjoy peace.


The wicked plot against good men. But the Lord knows their day is coming. They kill the poor and needy, but in the end, they will die by their own weapons.


It is better to have little in this world than have the wealth earned by wickedness. For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord holds up the righteous.

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care; their inheritance will last forever. In times of disaster and famine, they will prosper.


But the wicked will perish; they borrow but do not repay; they will be consumed and will go up like smoke.


The great I Am, makes his children’s steps firm. They may stumble, but will not fall, for the Lord holds their hands in his.


I have been young and now I am old, but I have never seen God’s people forsaken by him. They are generous and freely give what they have; their children will also be a blessing to the world.


Oh, turn from evil and do good! Then you will live forever. For our good Father, I Am, loves those who are just and will never leave them.”

Thank You God, for My Suffering.

Joyce Meyer

I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning, and she spoke about going through trials, pain and suffering and how these things equip us for the future. They equip us with experience that we can then use to help other people. She said we usually don’t realize this until we are older and can look back on our lives.

Joyce used the example of Joseph’s life, which if you read it in Genesis Chapters 37-50, will explain why “But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”


Just the other day, my sister said to me, “When you used to come to Nevada to visit me, it surprised me how my bad temper didn’t upset you. When I raged about something, most people didn’t like it and would get upset, but you would just sit there working on your crossword puzzle.”


I said to her, “I realized a few years ago, that the years of having my husband lose his temper had taught me not to take anger personally. I read a book that explained bad-tempered people are not actually mad at you; they are angry about something else, usually their childhood.”


Living with my husband and praying about my own temper, has been good for me. I didn’t think so at the time, in fact, I hated it, but God used that so I could learn to let people go and not be upset about what they say and do. I haven’t learned this perfectly, but most of the time when someone is mad at me or at something else, I feel at peace about it.


My husband rarely loses his temper now. We have both learned how useless it is to be angry at people. When he does slip and flip-out, we pause and then start laughing. This is what can happen when you follow Jesus through your life. We are both in our late sixties and both of us have learned through suffering and praying. It is God alone who changes us as we ask him.


My sister and I are very close, even though we live miles apart. Through email, Messenger and phone calls, we share our happiness, sorrows and how God is working in our lives. She has helped me so much in so many ways. She says I have helped her. This deep, Christian friendship is what I have needed. I can tell her anything and know I will be understood; she can do the same with me. I pray all you who read this will have a friend like that.


The other thing I have learned through suffering is compassion. I believe if a person goes through life with everything going their way, they will probably be proud and selfish. How can we understand the suffering of others if we never go through it ourselves?


I read a millionaire say, “Anyone can do what I have done and be rich.” I suppose he can say that because he has never had a family member who is not as smart as him. He doesn’t realize that intelligence makes a huge difference in how successful we will be in this world. His parents probably sent him to a wonderful university where he learned what he needed to learn.


There are those who suffer mental illness. People like me, who have no confidence and are terrified to work with other people. People like me who freeze and are speechless and so afraid to make a mistake on a job they can’t function. People like me, who were horribly abused as a child.


I can now say to God, “Thank you for all my suffering.” I never thought I would ever, ever say that, but I can see the beauty that can come from it. I would rather be who I am, with all my weakness, than proud in my own strength. I can say with David, “The Lord is my strength,” because I know how true that is.

Don't be Like a Mule.

Wall of Forgiveness: Aftermath of the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot.

Photo by : Guilhem Vallut

https://www.flickr.com/photos/o_0/5850662652/

Psalm 32 (In my own words.)


How blessed we are to know God has forgiven, and will always forgive, our sins and mistakes! They are covered by the blood of Jesus. He puts truth in our minds.


When I didn’t confess my sin, your hand was heavy upon my mind. I felt weak and sorrowful. But when I told you my sin, you forgave me and my guilty feelings were gone!


Because of this, may all pray to you while there is still time! You will become their hiding place. You will protect them and surround them with songs of freedom!


The Lord God says, “I will teach you the way you should go. I will counsel you with my loving eyes on you. Don’t be like a mule or a horse, which have no understanding. They must be controlled by bit and bridle, or they will not come to you."


The evil man has a lot of trouble in his life. But God’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. So, rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you children of the Great I Am. Sing, all you who have God in their hearts!

We Must Drink Our Cup.

Photo by:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Pegasusleaders&action=edit&redlink=1

“The LORD is my inheritance and my cup; you support my lot.”   Psalm 16:5

When I read this, I wondered what inheritance and cup might mean in a spiritual sense. After looking up some Bible commentaries on Bible Hub, I could see how significant and wonderful these words are. 

An inheritance is of course, what you receive from your father or mother when they die. The Bible tells us God himself is our inheritance. Through the death of Jesus, we can become one with the trinity. As Jesus said, “I in you and you in me.” 
   

"The LORD is my portion (inheritance)," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."   Lamentations 3:24

As for the cup, it is an important image strewn throughout the Bible. Jesus used it when talking about his coming death.

Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”   John 18:11

This expresses both the feelings which struggled in the Lord's breast during the Agony in the garden—aversion to the cup viewed in itself, but, in the light of the Father's will, perfect preparedness to drink it.   Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

A cup is also a symbol of the lives of the wicked.

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.   Psalm 75:8

The reader will observe, that this expression, the portion of their cup, is a proverbial phrase in Scripture: God’s gifts and dispensations, whether pleasing or painful, consolatory or afflictive, especially the latter, being ordinarily expressed by a cup, poured out and given men to drink.   Benson 
Commentary

Jesus used the cup to represent the lives of the cruel priests of his time.

"Now then," said the Lord, "you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.   Matthew 23:26

The cup is, “…a synonym for “condition in life.”   Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

“The condition in life.” In other words, what happens when we are alive on earth; what illnesses we will contract, what family we are born in, how we look, our genetics, our strengths and weaknesses. Our “lot in life” so to speak. 

How many of us hate our “cup?” How many hate what happened to us in our childhood when we were weak and vulnerable? How many hate their jobs, their spouses or their struggles? How many resent the “cup?”

I started hating my life when I was in my mid-forties. I felt cursed, foolish, a joke, embarrassed by my mental illness and unloved by everyone. I was angry at God for my life; angry he let terrible things happen to me and others; angry at what I saw as his injustice. I was terrified what the future held for me.

I have written before how God, “drew me out of the mire and muck;” how he has filled my life with happiness, so I won’t repeat that here. What I want to tell you is how fast I can descend back into my old way of thinking and not trusting God about my “cup.”

I got up one morning this week, and as I stood in front of the microwave to heat my coffee, I couldn’t remember how to work it. I stared at the buttons and drew a blank. It finally came back to me and I heated the coffee, but now I was frightened. I’m 69, so I know it is possible for me to have dementia or alzhiemer’s disease. 

To me, I would rather die than have those two things happen to me. My sister and I have talked about this subject and we agreed how horrible it would be and how we don’t want people taking care of us, even family members. My sister said she would kill herself. Stupidly, I said the same thing, knowing God wouldn’t like it.

I talked with God that morning, pleading with him not to let me get that way. (My old style of praying.) Instead of leaving it with him, I began to think of ways to handle this, none of them good. I knew what I should do. Accept whatever came into my life. It took awhile. Then I told God I would accept anything that happened in the future. If it happened, then fine. Maybe he could use me even in that mental condition. Trust is the real issue. Do I trust God? I want to, and I pray I will for the rest of my life on this crazy planet. There is a good reason Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow.

Here are some more verses on the “cup” we are to drink. We have Jesus as our example on accepting the cup of our life.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.   Psalm 23:5

I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.  Psalm 116:13