Why Jesus?

 

by Roy Lessin
http://roy.dayspring.com/
Why did the Prophets proclaim Jesus?

Why did Mary sing about Jesus?

Why did the Angels point the Shepherds to Jesus?

Why did the Star guide Wise Men to Jesus?

Why did John the Baptist prepare people for Jesus?

Why did the Disciples bring seekers to Jesus?

Why did God say about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Why does the Holy Spirit draw us to Jesus?

Because in Jesus, God will meet our every need, through Jesus we will be given every provision, and from Jesus we will receive every blessing God can give.
Dear Ya-Ya Sister, May you thrive in the life of Jesus Christ and may your heart come to know the full realization of His life in you.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him. Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV



Jesus is the gift...

by Holley Gerth at http://holley.dayspring.com/

 

...that perfectly fits every heart,

and it is with His love that all celebration starts.

We rejoice in Him as we remember His birth

and thank God for sending His only Son to earth.

His life led from a manger to a cross on a hill,

where He faithfully followed His Father's perfect will.

He freely laid down everything so that we could live,

and there is no greater treasure anyone could give.

Like a scarlet ribbon His love wrapped around the cross,

and He offered it to us all at the greatest cost.

So when we give from the heart we remember what He's done

and honor the perfect gift--God's one and only Son.

Jesus is the gift and the Giver of all good things.

Dear Ya Ya Sister, what's one blessing you're thankful for this Christmas?

 

When you want life to the full...

by Holley Gerth

http://www.holleygerth.com/

 

For years I lived full.

Full schedule.

Full plate.

Full speed ahead.

I found myself weary, wondering, "Is this really how it's supposed to be?"

And then it seemed God asked me to learn to live differently.

To focus on love.

To make time to listen to His voice.

To embrace what He's called me to do and let all else drop away.

"Isn't that what I've already been doing?" I asked.

"Don't you want me to be busy, to push myself to the limit?"

It seemed the heart of heaven smiled and these grace-words drifted into my day.

"Daughter, I did not come to give you a full life.

I came to give you life to the full."

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Sisters, lets be intentional about our living...focusing on the important and eternal...you can do it! 

Working for the Good

by Roy Lessin

at Meet Me In The Meadow http://roy.dayspring.com/atom.xml

 

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

 

Are you going through difficult days? Are you being pruned by the Vinedresser? Do you sense the discipline of your loving Heavenly Father’s hand? Have you been persecuted for the sake of righteousness? These and many other things are experienced in our lives as we follow the Lord in a walk of faith and obedience. God is able to use these times for our good and His glory.

There are many things in creation that remind us of this:

Wheat is crushed before it is turned to bread.

Incense is cast upon the fire before its fragrance is released.

Soil knows the blade of the plow before the seed is planted.

Pressure is applied before the diamond can be formed.

Irritants are added before pearls are created.

Gold is refined before it can be become pure.

Wine is poured from vessel to vessel before its taste becomes sweet.

Vines are pruned before they can bear much fruit.

Sisters, you are so precious.  Don't walk through your difficulties alone, your Ya-Ya Sisters are here for you!

 

 

 



Restoring Someone's Broken Dream

by Sharon Jaynes
http://www.sharonjaynes.com

Today's Truth

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Sister to Sister...

I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, 200 miles from the coast. And yet, our local Wal-Mart has a random smattering of seagulls that soar overhead and eat French fries and other debris from neighboring fast food restaurants. The truth - seagulls are lost. They've taken a wrong turn. And instead of discovering where they went wrong, they've settled for the asphalt parking lot rather than the salty sea. They've reconciled themselves to feeding on the refuge and trash of harried shoppers rather than the fresh seafood cuisine of their feathered forefathers.

It's not just the seagulls that are lost... who have forgotten the reason for their very existence, the habitat for which they were created to survive and thrive. It is human beings as well. Many have become lost. They are standing in the parking lot of life subsisting off of the refuse of fast living.

Someone needs to point them to the ocean of opportunity, the sea of success, the shore of satisfaction. And I'm not talking about money or materialism...that IS mere French fries compared to the abundant life that God has for His image bearers. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Do you know someone who is discouraged? Who has taken a wrong turn in life? Who has let the fire go out on their hopes and dreams? A friend? A husband? A child? If so, hang the fire extinguisher back in the corner and become an encourager who fans even the smallest spark of potential into flame. Let's send those "gulls" and "buoys" back to the sea of opportunity where they belong.

Let's Pray...

Dear Father, all around me I see people who have settled for less than Your best. They've given up on their hopes and dreams, but Lord, I don't want to be one of those people. Are there dreams in my own life that I have forgotten? Have I settled for less than Your best? If I have, please reveal it to me and give me the courage to get out of the parking lot of life and soar to places that You had planned all along.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Now It's Your Turn...

Let's think about David in the Bible for just a moment. What happened to him when the prophet Samuel came to his father's house in 1 Samuel chapter 16?

Did things go well for David after he was anointed as the next King of Israel? If you're not sure, just skim through the pages of 1 Samuel.

Did David ever give up on God's dream for him?

Do you think that David ever wanted to give up and just go back to taking care of sheep? I think he probably did. But he kept pressing on.

In your own life, have there been dreams that you have given up on because the way grew too rough? What have you learned from this lesson today?

Sisters, let us help each other on this journey to hope and restored dreams.

 

Slow Down and Pay Attention

By Sharon Jaynes
sharonjaynes.com

Today's Truth

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17 TNIV).

Friend to Friend;

One summer I went to a very famous art museum. I walked up and down the aisles, quickly glancing at first one masterpiece and then another. Finally, I decided to stop and look at one particular painting. I don't even remember which one it was. The more I looked at the painting, the more I began to see. It was dark on one side and grew lighter on the other. I noticed the expressions on the faces, the longing of a child, the pain of a man, the approaching cloud in the sky, the hues of the clothes, a bare foot, a torn robe, a clenched fist. A story began to unfold before my eyes and it was if I were beginning to see into the heart of the artist.

This reminded me of how we sometimes read the Bible - like perusing through an art gallery and never really stopping to see what the artist intended in the great masterpieces lining the majestic walls. Like walking briskly through an art gallery, we grab the Bible and read a few verses before running out the door in the morning or closing our eyes at night.

But God's Word is a masterpiece and He speaks through every stroke of the writer's pen. Oh the treasures stored on each page just waiting to be discovered!

The Hebrew word for Bible is mikra, which means "the calling out of God." He calls out to us from the pages and speaks to us through the words. The Bible is amazingly profound and yet simple enough for a child to understand. The more time we spend in the Scriptures, the more God will reveal the truths within.

The Bible tells us that the Scriptures are alive. John calls Scripture "the word of life" (I John 1:1). Peter calls Scripture the "living and enduring word of God" (I Peter 1:23). "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). No matter how long we live, no matter how many times we read through the Bible, God will continue to speak to us through the pages of His Word. His Words are living and bring us life!

Let's Pray...

Dear Lord, I pray that you will "give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know him better and so that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which he has called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe"(Ephesians 1:17-19). I pray that the eyes of our hearts will be open tosee God through the pages of the Bible and hear His voice in each and every word.

In Jesus' Name,

Now It's Your Turn

Over the next few days, read the book of Esther in one sitting. Then ponder the story just as if you were looking at the story of a painting.

Who are the main characters?

Who are the villain and the hero?

What is the conflict?

What is the lesson learned from the story?

Even though God's name is not mentioned in the story, where do you see Him in the masterpiece?

YaYa sister, we'd love to hear how God has been speaking to you through the Scriptures lately. Let us
know at becky.weiss@usw.salvationarmy.org .  We can't wait to hear from you!

  

The Bethel of Your Soul

by Jennifer Rothschild

www.jenniferrothschild.com/java

In 1851, a group of missionaries to Tierra del Fuego was stranded in bitter cold waiting for their supply ship to arrive. Unfortunately, before the ship arrived, they died of cold and starvation. One of the missionaries, Richard Williams, a surgeon and Methodist lay preacher, recorded his thoughts in his journal. On April 18th he wrote, "Poor and weak though we are, our abode is a very Bethel to our souls, and God we feel and know is here."

The brave and faithful man wrote that the place of his starvation and bleakness was a "Bethel" to him. What an interesting description of a place of physical barrenness. He was a surgeon and knew even more than his companions the horrendous effect of their lack of food and shelter. He knew their demise was imminent. Yet, he called this situation of his soul "Bethel." He knew and felt God was there.

The word Bethel means "house of God." When I imagine a house of God, it is shiny and beautiful, comforting and elegant, vast and warm. Dr. Williams described their setting, their abode, as Bethel...a house of God? There was nothing about that place that was comforting, warm, elegant or beautiful. It was more a desert of suffering--bleak and terrifying. Yet, he called that terrible place Bethel, for he found the comfort of God's presence within his soul, regardless of the conditions that surrounded him.

He likened it to Jacob's encounter with God in a barren place. The story is recounted in Genesis 28:10-19. Though Jacob lied beneath the stars without tent or blanket, he was confident his God made him to dwell in safety. Though the hard ground was his pallet and a cold stone his pillow, he called his place of rest Bethel, for God was with him. He could lie down and sleep upon a stone because he was with God and God was with him. Thus, he rested in Bethel.

Jesus promises to make the address of our soul Bethel, no matter where our body is located. He said, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23) Your soul is the very dwelling place of God if you trust and follow Jesus. God is there.

A few weeks after that stirring April entry in Williams' diary, on May 7th Dr. Williams wrote, "Should anything prevent my ever adding to this, let all my beloved ones at home rest assured that I was happy beyond description when I wrote these lines and would not have changed situations with any man living."

He wouldn't have traded places with anyone living because he was living in Bethel. He made his abode with God and God made His abode with him. Within his suffering, his soul's residence was Bethel.

Is your soul Bethel? Is your very life the house of God? If so, rest there, even if it is cold and dreary at times--even if you lay your head on a stone rather than a pillow. The house of God is beautiful.

~Dear YaYa Sister, welcome home!

S.O.S.

When Life Drives You to the EdgeBy Cindi McMenaminCindi McMenamin - Strengthforthesoul.com
 

Do you ever feel like you’re about to go over the edge?

I remember a season of my life in which I was feeling desperate. My teenager was not giving me the verbal respect I felt I deserved. My husband, in hearing what was going on between us, was not intervening on my behalf. One evening I’d had it with that routine.

I just want to go somewhere far away, I found myself thinking. I am not appreciated. I am not feeling respected or supported. I am not feeling understood or loved. (Now did you notice how many times I used the word “feeling” and how many times I used the pronoun I? We get that way when we’re on the edge.)

Aware of how much my thoughts were focused on me, and yet still feeling I had grounds in the battle I was fighting, I desperately wanted change - not just a change of circumstances, but to change. I desperately wanted wisdom to know how to respond to my daughter - and my husband - in a more mature way. I desperately wanted peace in my home. I desperately wanted to be able to re-do some arguments we’d had.

I realize now why I was succumbing to the meltdown: 1) I was depending on my feelings, not the facts of the situation; 2) I was expecting everyone else around me to change, rather than looking at my own heart and actions; and 3) I was listening to those voices in my head rather than being the one to do the talking!

Today, I have a distress call - an S.O.S. - when I begin to feel like I’m going to go over the edge because of certain situations that feel out of control. It’s all about Sorting the facts from the feelings; Offering my own heart to the Lord for change; and Starting to talk, rather than listen to, myself.

Sort the Facts from the Feelings

In my moment of frustration, I had to ask myself: What am I believing about God that isn’t true? (I could best answer that question by looking at how I was feeling, and lining up the facts next to it):

* I was feeling that God had abandoned me as a mother and left me to figure this out on my own. But the fact is that God has promised that He will never leave me nor forsake me; therefore He had not abandoned me as a mother (Hebrews 13:5).

* I was feeling hopeless in my situation. But the fact is that God promises He will work all things (even that difficult season with my daughter) for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

* I was feeling alone in my situation, like God was unaware and unconcerned with my pain at the moment. But the fact is that God is aware of what I’m feeling at every moment. He has searched me and He knows me (Psalm 139:1-4).

* I was feeling it was impossible for God to give me the kind of wisdom I needed to be a better mom, but the fact is God is able to give me the kind of wisdom I need because James 1:5 says “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” In other words, I had to look at the facts (about God’s character) and not at what I was feeling.

Offer My Heart to the Lord for Change

My prayer as I was feeling so lousy was not “change my daughter’s heart” as it started out. It was not “open my husband’s eyes” as it started out. But “God, grant me the discernment and the grace to treat and respond to my daughter and my husband in a way that draws a loving response out of them.”

I had to look at my own heart and say “God, show me what I need to do to be more like "You” even though I was convinced that they were both the problem that day. My responsibility before God is to say: In what way does my heart need to change so I can be more pleasing to You in this situation?  The prayer: “Change me, God, not all of them” is usually where real change starts.

Start Talking to Myself

Now you may be thinking “if I start talking to myself, then I really have gone over the edge!” But I found I needed to incorporate this principle in my life to keep me from going over the edge!

We are told in Second Corinthians 10:5 to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” and to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The reason we are to take every one of our thoughts captive is because our thoughts will wreak havoc in our lives if they are allowed to run loose. Bind them. Imprison them in the truth. Keep them from running rampant through your head!

In Psalm 42, instead of listening to his downcast soul, David started telling himself what he would do: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him” (verse 5).

As you send out your S.O.S. (Sort the facts from the feelings, Offer your own heart for change, and Start telling yourself what to do) you will be able to cling to the truth and not fall so easily over the edge.

This article is excerpted from Cindi’s book Women on the Edge.

Cindi McMenamin - Strengthforthesoul.com

 

NFY!

by Roy Lessin
Meet Me in the Meadow
http://roy.dayspring.com/
 
We need a new button, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or cap that reads…NFY!

It stands for “Not Finished Yet!”

Regardless of the label people put on you (senior, baby-boomer, retired person), regardless of the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, you are still here. And as long as you are here, you are not there, and as long as you are not there, it means God still has a purpose for you here.

When Jesus was on the cross, the last thing He said was, “It is finished.” After He made that statement He died. When is God’s purpose for you on this earth finished? It is finished when you die…until then, you are “not finished yet!” (NFY!)

The way in which He uses you may change, but He will never consider you useless, no matter what your age.

A few years ago, I remember someone telling me that my writing days were behind me and my creative work was a thing of the past. Those words did not discourage me, because a few weeks before those comments were made, I heard God saying the very opposite to my spirit. The Scripture God used to assure me things were “not finished yet” was from Psalm 92…

I have been anointed with fresh oil…The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:10, 12-15

This passage helped me realize that my ability to flourish in life, to be fruitful in ministry, and to be fresh in creativity, had nothing to do with my age, but with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit upon my life.

Many define “the retirement years” as the time when our work is done and we settle into an easy chair as a reward for our productive years. For the child of God, our best years do not have to be a thing of the past. God called Abraham to leave Haran and go to the Promised Land when he was seventy-five years old; God commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt when he was eighty; God gave Zachariah and Elizabeth a child when they were “well advanced in years;” Paul was still ministering to the body of Christ from prison when he called himself the “aged one;” the 2nd and 3rd books of John are written by the “elder” John; Caleb, at the age of eighty-five was still a mighty warrior and received Hebron as an inheritance; Anna, a prophetess who was well past 80, continued to maintain a powerful prayer ministry, and was one of the earliest believers to see the Lord with her own eyes.

Does the thought of getting older discourage you or make you fearful? Consider these words the Lord spoke to Isaiah…

I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4

NFY!

Sisters, have courage!  Not Finished Yet!  Yes, we are a work in progress.  If you listen closely you can hear us cheering for you!  Don't give up!

 

10 Reasons You Can't Afford Not to Be Hospitable

by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

 

1. Hospitality is one of the most practical ways to express the love of Christ.

2. Hospitality reflects the hospitable heart of God.

3. Hospitality is a great way to build unity and community with other believers.

4. The Bible promises rewards for those who practice hospitality.

5. Hospitality is one of the most effective ways to create a hunger for Christ in the hearts of non-believers.

6. Hospitality will help you deal with loneliness and depression.

7. Hospitality will help us deal with selfishness.

8. Hospitality will help you deal with materialism and help you get values that are eternal.

9. If you have children, hospitality is a great way to cultivate in their hearts a passion for ministry and a heart for serving other people.

10. God commands us to be hospitable.

Dear YaYa Sisters, lets always have open hearts and open homes for each other.  It's good for us and it pleases our Lord.  You are the best!

 

Five Areas of a Woman’s Life That Need God's Touch

by Cindi McMenamin

(2008 WM Spiritual Retreat Speaker)
- Strengthforthesoul.com

The following devotional is from Cindi's new book, "Women on the Edge".  Many of you answered questionaires for Cindi during our 2008 WM Spiritual Retreat that ultimately became her book material.  Your honesty and transparency helped her write a very real and effective book to encourage women in their walk with the Lord.  Way to go YaYa's!

Please read the following devotional/excerpt from "Women on the Edge"

Five Areas of a Woman's Life That Need God's Touch...

1. Our Hearts – So They Can Be “Set On Things Above”
Women often stress over the temporal – bills that must be paid, whether or not a man
will come into our lives, if we’ll be able to have a child, what someone is saying about us, how
our body looks, and so on. At times we are more concerned about what the scales say than what
God says. Our heart is closely attuned to our bank balance, rather than our life’s balance. Yet
God instructs us in Colossians 3:1-2: “set your hearts on things above.” If our priorities were in
heaven, not on this earth, we would not only be happier and healthier, but less financially drained
and emotionally spent. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to “store up treasures here on earth where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven ….For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It takes God’s touch to
clear our hearts of what this world says is important and focus it on the things above.

2. Our Minds – So They Are Transformed and Renewed
It’s amazing how many women profess to know God and follow Him, yet their thinking
patterns are just like those of anyone else in the world. Scripture commands us: “Don’t copy the
behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the
way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and
pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT). Furthermore, God’s Word instructs:
“fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure
and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…and the
God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9, NLT). What mental anguish we would spare
ourselves from if we would let God transform our mind and renew our thoughts to think as He
would.

3. Our Mouths – To Be Wholesome and Pleasing to God
Because women tend to be communicators, we can cause much damage with our mouths
if we do not bring them under God’s control. Whether it is gossip, criticism or unkind remarks,
our mouths can be instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness. In Ephesians 4:29 we are
told to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” God’s touch on
our lives can make us women whose words heal and encourage, rather than distract and destroy.

4. Our Bodies – To Be Pure and Holy for Him
Are you one to worry and stress about what the scale says, how many calories you took
in, and whether or not you can still fit into a certain size? God’s command to us is “Give your
bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think
of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” (Romans 12:1, NLT). It is important that
we keep our bodies healthy and in good shape (as we are His temple), but God says our most
prevalent concern should be that we keep them holy. In fact, God calls keeping our bodies holy
our “spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV). One of the ways we can keep our bodies holy
is how we dress. People can tell much about us, and whom we love, by how we dress. Do we call
attention to ourselves or the God who made us? If the way we dress says “Look at me!” we may
want to rethink how we dress so that others can see Christ through us. Can others see Christ in
you or are you getting in the way?

5. Our Emotions – To Be Calmed with the Peace of God
There are days when, hormonally or just circumstantially, we need God’s touch to
calm our frazzled emotions and level out our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don’t’ worry about
anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and request to
God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can
completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” (CEV) A woman
who is controlled by God’s peace is not on the edge, but in the spacious place of His embrace.
I truly believe if we sought God’s touch in those five areas of our lives we would rarely have
reason to feel we are going over the edge. For instance, when you get frustrated in a relationship,
go back to the principle of letting God transform and renew your mind to only think on whatever
is pure, right, lovely and good and so on. And when you are about to lose it over finances or
something that takes you by surprise, remember to not be anxious about anything, but to pray
about everything…keeping a heart of thanksgiving for what you’ve been given. And when your
heart begins to desire something that you cannot attain, remember to set your heart on things
above.

Excerpted from Cindi McMenamin’s book, Women on the Edge, © 2010 by Harvest House
Publishers. To order the book, visit www. StrengthForTheSoul.com.
Cindi McMenamin - Strengthforthesoul.com

To Know and Be Known

by Sharon Jaynes
visit her website at: www.sharonjaynes.com.

Today's Truth

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life'" (John 4:13 NIV).

Friend to Friend:

Most of us know the story of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus when she came to draw water from the well. He offered her more than water. He offered her living water. He offered her himself. (John 4)

I haven't met a person yet who hasn't experienced some degree of spiritual thirst. The thirst may manifest itself in a pursuit of material possessions, a string of relationships, an attempt to make a name for oneself, an impressive portfolio, high achieving children, over-pack schedules, just to name a few. The woman at the well had been married four times and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. But did she find satisfaction in men? No, she was still thirsty for something more. Jesus knew exactly what she needed, even if she did not.

I love the writings of C.S. Lewis, and in one of his books, The Silver Chair, he paints a beautiful picture of the source to quench our thirst. The book is in a series titled The Chronicles of Narnia. In this particular book, a young girl, Jill, finds herself in this wonderful magical land. Asland is a great Lion and represents the Jesus character throughout the series. Jill had heard about the Lion and was a bit afraid of coming across him. While looking for water to quench her parching thirst, she indeed did see him. Let's join her by the river.

The Lion spoke first..."If you are thirsty, you may drink... Are you thirsty?"

"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.

"Then drink," said the Lion.

"May I-could I-would you mind going away while I do?" asked Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

"Will you promise not to - do anything to me, if I do come?" asked Jill.

"I make no promise," said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now, that without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

"Do you eat girls?" she said.

"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.

"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.

"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."

"There is no other stream," said the Lion. (C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1953) 16-17.

Oh dear sister, there is no other river to quench the thirst in our soul. Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy and as long as we look to anyone or anything other than Him, our thirst will go unmet.

YaYa Sister, come drink from the river today.

You Are Not Alone

by Roy Lessin of DaySpring

 

You are not alone - For God is with you.

You are not defenseless - For God is your protector.

You are not inadequate - For God is your sufficiency.

You are not useless - For God has a purpose for your life.

You are not worthless - For God sent His Son to die for you.

You are not without hope - For God has a place prepared for you.

You are not unloved - For God loves you with an everlasting love.
You are not rejected, or abandoned - For God calls you His own.

"I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT

 

Sisters, what a gift to know we are not alone or forgotten.  The Lord knows us by name and knows our address.  May God richly bless you this week!

Devotional by Roy Lessin, to read more and comment visit his blog Meet Me in the Meadow »

You're More Courageous than You Know...

by Holley Gerth

see her blog at http://holley.dayspring.com/profile.html

"You've got courage.  I know, it sounds like the stuff that happens in battles, on mountains, to someone else. But then Paul says,

"Take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as He said." (Acts 27:25)

I think of you staring at the ceiling in the night whispering a prayer.

I think of you walking down the hospital corridor holding on to hope.

I think of you in the middle of the everyday...raising kids, going to work, pressing on when you want to give up.

The reason you do?  Because somehow you find a way to keep believing God too.  That's courage.  And that is enough.

     So lean in and listen to this...    

     You're more courageous than you know...

     and the One Who Loves You truly does know.

     He sees, understands, and will be with you all the way."

Stand tall and courageous Ya-Ya Sister.  Our God is able!

 

The Journey Back From Collapse

alicia britt chole ~ onewholeworld, inc.
from her book Sitting in God's Sunshine

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." 1 Kings 19.11

Elijah was absolutely exhausted.  He faced and defeated 450 false prophets. He climbed a mountain to earnestly intercede for drought-ending rain. He ran for twenty-five miles faster than the King's chariot. And now, in what should have been a moment of victory, wicked Jezebel sent word that she was planning to kill him.

That was it. He was done. The combination of post-ministry exhaustion and fear of man was just too much. Elijah ran for his life, "and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, Lord,' he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'" (1 Kings 19.4)

Though few of us have faced several hundred prophets of Baal, we do understand extreme weariness. The stresses of work and finances, the strains of relationships and conflicts, and the realities of spiritual opposition leave us feeling fatigued. Add a crisis to that normal load, and we can collapse altogether.

How did Elijah journey from collapse to a place where he had the strength to obey God again? Typically to answer that question we turn to Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb. But even before his incredible mountain experience, Elijah was regaining strength in small and seemingly insignificant ways in the desert. How?

1. Elijah prayed. After running from Jezebel, an isolated Elijah plopped down under a scruffy tree in the desert and prayed. Yes, it was a pretty miserable prayer, but he was still talking to God and every little bit helps!

2. (and 5 and 9) Elijah slept. No instant cures exist for fatigue. Our bodies cannot be plugged into an outlet and revived in an hour. There are no substitutes for time and rest.

3. (and 6) Elijah was touched by an angel. When we are exhausted, God sends His messengers to us in many forms: the hug of a child, a call from a friend, the touch of a loved one. God’s arms are long enough to reach us, even in the desert.

4. (and 7) Elijah ate. Some of us wish we would lose our appetite! But for those of us who actually do, we must remember to eat. In his state of weariness, Elijah enjoyed angelic cuisine.

5. Then Elijah encountered God on the mountain. After a very long walk, Elijah arrived at Mount Horeb. God instructed him to, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." (1 Kings 19.10-11)

There Elijah saw a shattering wind, an earthquake, and a fire, "but the Lord was not in" them. During these three powerful events Elijah heard NOTHING which could have been a bit frustrating. So perhaps we should not be surprised when we hear nothing also. And perhaps we should be encouraged that in the midst of silence; even when it is the last thing we want to hear & see something in the waiting still works to strengthen our souls.

 God was in the gentle whisper. There God and Elijah exchanged the identical dialogue they had in the cave:

The word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 1 Kings 19.13-14

Creativity runs low when we are exhausted. So Elijah repeated his previous response: "I have done my best but nothing seems to make a difference. I am all alone and some people would be happier if I were gone."

Elijah's words have not changed much from his prayer under the tree in the desert but his weariness has obviously subsided because when God gives Elijah directions, the prophet has sufficient strength to obey.

 Certainly the concentration of God's presence on the mountain strengthened Elijah, but God's presence in the desert carried him there. In minute yet meaningful ways, God's presence was refreshing Elijah all along as he slept and ate, walked and prayed, was touched by angels and waiting for God to speak.

As we journey from collapse back to a point where we have strength to obey, let us be careful to not underestimate the desert. The mountain is amazing, but the desert is equally full of God's presence to refresh our lives.

Resting in God’s Truth...

• God can bring us back from collapse. 

• That journey includes weak prayers, much rest, good food, long walks, and the touch of a few angels.

• In the desert as well as on the mountain, God’s exhausted sons and daughters will find restoration in His Presence.

 Explore more of alicia's resources online in the resourceroom at http://www.truthportraits.com/

© alicia britt chole ~ onewholeworld, inc.

  

Relationship and Response

by Roy Lessin of Dayspring
view his blog at Meet Me in the Meadow

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the [reverent] fear due Me? Malachi 1:6 AMP

God's names help us understand His relationship toward us, but they also help us to understand what our responses should be toward Him. In Malachi 1:6 we have examples of this. God gives us two of His names, Father and Master. These names tell us that God wants to be our loving Heavenly Father and the Master of our lives. Our right response to these two names should be honor and fear. We honor God because He is our Father, we fear God because He is our Master.

Here are some other names of God and what our responses should be—

His name: King
Our response: Worship

His name: Lord
Our response: Surrender

His name: Almighty
Our response: Trust

His name: Provider
Our response: Believe

His name: Shepherd
Our response: Rest

His name: Counselor
Our response: Listen

His name: Comforter
Our response: Lean

His name: Keeper
Our response: Abide

His name: Eternal One
Our response: Hope

His name: Victor
Our response: Overcome

His name: Life
Our response: Delight

His name: Guide
Our response: Follow

His name: Healer
Our response: Receive

His name: Creator
Our response: Celebrate 

Resurrection of Hope

  Resurrection of Hope
By Sharon Jaynes
http://www.sharonjaynes.com/

Today's Truth

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Beth is one of my dearest friends. She had been married for 24 years when her husband walked away from their marriage. Beth is a very strong Christian and for five years put on a happy face telling everyone, including herself, "That's OK. Jesus is enough." She has two absolutely incredible children who love the Lord and both serve in some facet of ministry. And yet, I wondered if she had been the first person I had ever known who had skipped the grieving process that follows the devastation of divorce.

She was not.

Five years after the divorce, Beth and I were talking about some struggles she was facing in a new relationship.  "Beth, I don't think you ever allowed yourself to grieve over your loss. I know your first husband betrayed you at the very core of what a marriage is supposed to be, but there is still a loss. There is grieving the loss that your children do not have the father they deserve, the loss of investing twenty-four years with a man who betrayed you, and the loss of the dream of what marriage could and should be like - what God intended from the beginning of time."

Beth is just now beginning to grieve the many losses that accompanied her divorce and she - and her two grown children - are in the process of breaking free. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book, On Death and Dying, notes five stages of grief: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. But for us who have the hope of Jesus Christ, there is a sixth stage: resurrection.

Grief is part of the healing process. I grieved that I did not grow up being the apple of my daddy's eye, that I was not unconditionally loved, and that I did not get to hold my second child in my arms. Grieving the loss helped me to let it go. But after a time, I had to stop lamenting what was not, and rejoice in the blessing of what is. God had new plans for my life!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV).

Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, He can raise our broken dreams. Acceptance is not the end of the grieving process for those of us who know Jesus Christ. Resurrection is the end of grief and the beginning of a dream, a new life, and a glorious future.

Let's Pray...

Dear Lord, thank you that for me, as a Christian, I don't have to stop at mere acceptance when it comes to grief. There is more than acceptance...there is resurrection. You take the broken pieces of our lives and make a beautiful mosaic. Thank You for resurrecting my hopes and dreams and making my life much better than I had ever imagined. I look forward to the day when my earthly body will be resurrected to spend eternity in heaven with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn:

Is there any area of your life where you have settled for acceptance?

How do you think God could resurrect a forgotten dream?

Compare the Moses who lost his dream when he was 40 (Exodus 2) with the Moses whose dream was restored when he was 80 (Exodus 3). What made the difference? Who was in control in chapter 3? Who was in control in chapter 4?

Today's Truth

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

When We Face Change

by Holley Girth (cofounder of (in)courage & writer for DaySpring)

Lord,

Thank you for being a God who goes before us and lives within us.  That means whatever we may face we have nothing to fear and everything to hope for in you.  For those of us facing change, I ask for peace to calm our hearts, wisdom to guide our steps, and your hand holding ours all the way.  We trust what you will do and where you will take us with you. Amen.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Wherever you're going, God is already there.

(You can find more of Holley Girth through her work at DaySpring, on her blog Heart to Heart with Holley or by following her on twitter as @HolleyGerth.)

Come Home!

Come Home

We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! Luke 15.32 (all NIV)

Sometimes it is hard to go back home, especially when "home" is God and we have been away for many years. Uncertain, we wrestle in our minds with reasons why it is too late to return to God...

• If I had more to offer Him, maybe. But I cannot ask God to take me in now.

• I am too ashamed to return home. I have ruined everything He ever gave me.

• No, thank you. God is probably mad and I do not blame Him.

• I have tried, but I just do not have what it takes to serve God.

• I would only disappoint Him again.

• After all this time? It would be wrong to offer God the little that is left of my life.

• You could not understand. I do not deserve forgiveness. I will never forgive myself.

• Does God truly want me anymore?

• I am really not worth saving

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of a man who also struggled with these thoughts as he considered returning to his father. He had left home as a young man full of cash and confidence but ran out of both simultaneously:

The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. Luke 15.13-15

In need is elsewhere translated lack, inferior to, destitute, and fall short. His pockets were empty and he felt like a failure, but he was either too embarrassed or too proud to return home. So he took a local job feeding pigs. The contrast between his father and this employer was drastic. The new boss did not give him anything to eat, while his dad’s servants had food to spare. While the pigs grew fatter, he grew thinner and finally decided it was time to go home:

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son: make me like one of your hired men.” Luke 15.18-19

If his steps were light at first, they probably grew heavier as he drew closer to home and doubt invited him to question his decision: I left with much, I am retuning with nothing. What will dad say? Surely he is upset with me. Is it even fair for me to ask him to take me back? What if I just disappoint him again? After all I have done, I do not deserve his forgiveness. I do not even deserve to be called his child.

But at this point in the story, Jesus offers words of great comfort for all who, like this man, are thinking of returning home:

But while he was still along way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him...the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15.20, 22-24

The truth is that Father God never gave up hope for us. He has never taken His eyes off of us. When we begin to turn back toward Him, compassion floods His heart and He runs toward us. Wrapping us in His arms He shouts, "My daughter has come home! My son has returned! Clothe them and feed them with the best from My house!"

"But I do not deserve such acceptance," we still protest. True. But who among us does? God’s acceptance is not measured out based upon who we are or what we have done. God’s acceptance is measured out based on who He is, and what He has done. That is why we call Him Savior.

That Savior is still calling, "come home, My child, come home!"

Resting in God’s Truth...

• Father God is waiting for us to come home.

• When we turn home toward God, His compassionate arms welcome us sincerely.

• None of us deserve such acceptance, but such is the gift of the God of all Comfort.

© alicia britt chole ~ onewholeworld, inc. ~ No part of this publication can be reproduced in any way without prior written permission of onewholeworld, inc. ~ http://www.truthportraits.com/

Becoming a Woman After God's Own Heart

Becoming a Woman after God's Own Heart
by Charles R. Swindoll

When God scans the earth for potential leaders, He is not on a search for angels in the flesh. He is certainly not looking for perfect people, since there are none. He is searching for men and women like you and me, mere people made up of flesh. But He is also looking for people who share the same qualities He found in David. God is looking for men and women “after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

What does it mean to be a person after God’s own heart? It means your life is in harmony with the Lord. What is important to Him is important to you. What burdens Him burdens you. When He says, “Go to the right,” you go to the right. When He says, “Stop that in your life,” you stop it. When He says, “This is wrong and I want you to change,” you come to terms with it because you have a heart for God. That’s bottom-line, biblical Christianity.

When you are a man or woman after God’s heart, you are deeply sensitive to spiritual things. Second Chronicles 16:9 explains it this way: “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (emphasis added).

What is God looking for? He is looking for men and women whose hearts are His—completely. That means there are no locked closets. Nothing’s been swept under the rugs. That means that when you do wrong, you admit it and come to terms with it. You long to please Him in your actions. You care deeply about the motivations behind your actions. God is not looking for magnificent specimens of humanity. He’s looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants who have integrity.

Listen to some of the synonyms for this Hebrew word thamam, translated “integrity”: “complete, whole, innocent, having the simplicity of life, wholesome, sound, unimpaired.” It’s what you are when nobody’s looking. We live in a world that says, in many ways, “If you just make a good impression, that’s all that matters.” But you will never be a man or woman of God if that’s your philosophy. Never. You can’t fake it with the Almighty. He is not impressed with externals. He always focuses on the inward qualities, like the character of the heart . . . those things that take time and discipline to cultivate.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Becoming a Man or a Woman after God’s Own Heart,” Insights (April 1997): 2. Copyright © 1997 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

My Cup Runs Over

My Cup Runs Over

Have you ever wondered why God gives so much? We could exist on far less. He could have left the world flat and gray; we wouldn't have known the difference. But he didn't.

He splashed orange in the sunrise
and cast the sky in blue.
And if you love to see geese as they gather,
chances are you'll see that too.
Did he have to make the squirrel's tail furry?
Was he obliged to make the birds sings?
And the funny way that chickens scurry
or the majesty of thunder when it rings?
Why give a flower fragrance?
Why give food its taste?
Could it be
he loves to see
that look upon your face?

If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would he? If we - speckled with foibles and greed - love to give gifts, how much more does God, pure and perfect God, enjoy giving gifts to us?

Max Lucado, excerpted from the devotional Safe in the Shepherd's Arms »

 

Becoming a Mighty Prayer Warrior

(Taken from Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids by Sharon Jaynes. Used by permission. To learn more, visit www.sharonjaynes.com)

Becoming a Mighty Prayer Warrior
By Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth:

 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 1:4 NIV).

Friend to Friend,

Proverbs 31 introduces us to the mother whose children rise up and call her blessed. She is a "wife of noble character" (NIV), "an excellent wife" (NAS) and "a capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman." (AMPLIFIED VERSION) The actual Hebrew word for excellent or virtuous is chayil and is sometimes interpreted as "virtuous, boldly courageous, powerful, mighty warrior." The mother whose children rise up and call her blessed is a warrior who battles in prayer for the hearts, minds, and souls of her children.

She prays a hedge of protection around them and stands in the gap when they don't know how to pray for themselves. She meets the enemy head on, dressed in the armor of God with the sword of the spirit (the word of God) drawn and ready for action. We may never know the many times that the enemy's schemes against our children were thwarted by the power of our prayers. She prays a hedge of protection around them and stands in the gap when they don't know how to pray for themselves. She meets the enemy head on, dressed in the armor of God with the sword of the spirit (the word of God) drawn and ready for action. We may never know the many times that the enemy's schemes against our children were thwarted by the power of our prayers.

As a mother, you may feel at times that your burden for your child seems more than you can bear. Peter tells us to "cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). He cares for your children, too. No matter how much you love your children, God loves them more.

In my Bible, I keep a 4 x 6 laminated card with prayers for Steven that is my defense against the enemy's attack. You, too, can pray that your children will:

• Know Christ as Savior early in life. (Psalm 63:1, 2 Timothy 3:15)  
• Have a hatred for sin. (Psalm 97:10)  
• Be caught when guilty. (Psalm 119:71)  
• Be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical. (John 17:15)  
• Have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Daniel 6:3)  
• Respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)  
• Desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-11)  
• Be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) 
• Be kept pure until marriage (as well as the one they marry). (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) 
• Learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all things. (James 4:7) 
• Be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2) 
• Be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6)

A mother wears many hats during the years of raising her children. And while we take off those hats one-by-one as they grow and mature, there is one that will always remain - the hat of a mother who prays.

 Let's Pray...

Dear God, thank You for the privilege of being a mom. I agree with John who wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." That is my prayer today...that my child will walk in Your truth.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now It's Your Turn...

Perhaps you have certain concerns or desires for your child. If so, find a good concordance and look up Scriptural promises to pray.

Consider joining with another mother and becoming prayer partners for your children. You can use the list from this devotion as a springboard for praying Scripture over your children.

If you are a mom in need of a bit of encouragement today, I have a video clip just for you. Just click on the following link: Sharonjaynes.com/videos/Motherhood.swf

The Power of Unity

Scripture reference: Philippians 2:1 – 5


One of the tragedies within the Christian church is when men and women within the body of Christ do not get along with each other. Jesus said that his disciples would be known by their love for one another (John 13:35). It is troubling when instead, they are known by their hatred, splits, quarrels, and judgmental attitudes towards one another.

Churches are torn apart over trifles as small as what color to choose for the new sanctuary carpet. Friendships disintegrate because of an unwise comment or frivolous action. Family members may not speak to each other for years over an unfilled promise. How sad it is when communication breaks down between people and especially women in the body of Christ. After all, we are a “sisterhood”.

Recently I had the privilege of volunteering at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. There were hundreds of workers on ministry teams from all over the world serving under The Salvation Army and “More than Gold”. We had a basic mission: “to offer radical hospitality and serve hot beverages to people in 25 locations throughout the greater Vancouver area.” We were to “share God’s love with strangers while building community with others in the Body as we served side by side”.

We worked hard, fulfilled the mission as best we could and had a rewarding time doing it. Looking back on the experience I began to reflect on what made the whole event meaningful and productive. We served out in the cold, walked long distances, slept on cots in churches, shared one shower amongst fifteen to twenty people, packed loads of hot liquid and goodies to be distributed. We were linked up with people we didn’t know and those who were of different ethnic classes and various religious backgrounds.

It was more than the working and living side by side that kept us together. We were one in purpose and we had a common goal. Everyone worked toward that end while accomplishing even the most menial of tasks such as filling coffee pots, or cleaning up at the end of the shift. We were volunteering for the sake of a larger purpose. Paul says in his epistle to the Philippians 2:2 “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” (NLT)

Again, the Apostle, Paul reminds us of an essential key to getting along as sisters in Christ – that is to please God. 2 Corinthians 5:9  “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (NIV) As Christians, it is not our reputation that is at stake but the very reputation of Jesus Christ. A wise person has once said “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, diversity and in all things, love.”

A prayer: Dear Lord, may we ever be mindful of how you came to serve. We humbly ask that you put your servant’s heart and your willing spirit into us by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we may reflect your love. Amen

Devotional written by Major Susan Jones of the Coos Bay Corps. Major Jones is a popular workshop teacher at our annual Women’s Ministries Spiritual Retreat.

Where is God When Life Seems Unfair?

"My husband is living with some woman in Palm Springs," Patricia told me bitterly. "He doesn't seem to have a care in the world. In the meantime, I'm struggling to make ends meet for me and the kids." My heart went out to her. It wasn't fair that she was struggling under this burden alone, while her husband of 30 years - after leaving his family and living for himself - seemed to be better off. Or was he?

My conversation with Patricia got me thinking about God's ways and how situations are not always as they seem. And it brought to mind a principle from Scripture, written by David, a man who was promised the kingdom of Israel but waited years before God handed it to him. A man who was upright in his ways and yet waited on God's timing to bless him. A man, anointed king, who slept in caves, and was hunted for years like a wild beast because the current king was insanely jealous of him and wanted him dead. That man, in his humility, wrote: "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:10b).

King Saul was dwelling richly...in kingly tents. David was sleeping on the hard, rocky ground, probably in caves. King Saul was eating whatever his heart desired. David was skimping, catching his own food, living off the land. It wasn't fair. It didn't seem like justice. Yet the rightful king said, in so many words, "I would rather live simply, and without much, being close to my God, than have it all out there on my own."

You may feel you are living simply, skimping and barely getting by. While someone else - who seems to have no regard for God - is living high on the hog! But God sees your heart. And if you are truly surrendered to Him, even during tough times when things don't seem fair, He will raise you up at the right time.

James 4:10 tells us: "Be humble in the Lord's presence, and he will honor you" (CEV). And First Peter 5:6 tells us "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Is there anxiety in seeing someone else prosper when it feels like we're being overlooked? Oh, yes. That's probably why God addressed the issue of anxiety right after telling us to humble ourselves. And did you catch when God will lift us up? In due time. There is a timing factor to all that we go through in life. If we are humbling ourselves and God is not exalting us, our time hasn't yet come.

Trust Him. Wait on Him, not your circumstance. And cast all your anxiety on Him. Why? Because He cares for you. Keep holding that door for the Lord. Keep doing the small things in His presence and with a joyful heart. Keep providing for your children the way you do. And keep a pure heart. As you do, delight in the fact that you are living simply. The Bible says it's better than having a big shot position in the world without Him.

I remember a poster on one of the walls of my home as I was growing up. It said: "I'd rather walk with my God at night than go it alone in the day." That became the slogan that my friend adopted during rough nights of feeling lost and forgotten while her ex-husband appeared to be prospering. But she found, in due time, that the joy and peace that came from being obedient to the Lord, and waiting on Him for His provision, surpassed any temporary luxuries that she might have enjoyed without Him.

Can that be your motto as well? I hope you can truly say, as the would-be-king David said: "I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin" (Psalm 84:10b, the Message) If your desire is to please Him, He will pour it on...in due time.

Adapted from Cindi McMenamin's book "When Women Walk Alone: A 31-Day Devotional Companion".

Cindi Shares Three Ways to 'Be Still' This Week: 

1. Look for one "perfect moment" in your day: Go outdoors and listen for a bird song, watch for something in nature that reminds you of your God, sit down in the grass and run your fingers through it, or play a praise song on your ipod and reflect on your Magnificent Creator.

2. Sing one Psalm a day: Make up the tune. Sing it to God as a form of worship. Start with Psalm 5, 8, 15 or portions of Psalm 18.

3. Take a walk one evening this week and reflect upon your day: What did you learn? How did you see God moving? What do you wish you could do differently? What is your prayer for the following day?

These tips taken from Cindi McMenamin's book "When You're Running On Empty".

~Cindi McMenamin (strengthforthesoul.com) spoke at our 2008 Women's Ministries Retreat. Cindi is excited to share that her new book called "Women on the Edge" is at the printers! Many of you responded to Cindi's request to fill out her questionaire at the retreat for this book. You helped shape this book's story. You are the best! The book will hit the bookstores in July.

 

How Firm a Foundation

When sorrows like sea billows roll

On the road marked with suffering

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

When darkness veils His lovely face

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Through many dangers, toils and snares

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

I was asked to share a few devotional thoughts at the Emergency Disaster Services training this past week and to focus these thoughts primarily on the current events of our world that remain (if slightly) focused on the tragedy in Haiti.

The timing is interesting (and of course by “interesting” I mean providential!), as I’ve been reading through the book of Job, as I had been since before the earthquake in Haiti occurred. It’s where I was/am at in my read-the-Bible-in-a-year-reading plan. That righteous man crying out for answers, having to endure listening to supposedly well-meaning, wise friends speak into his hurt and pain.

Also during this time, I struggle as I witness dear friends and family suffer through serious health issues, crumbling marriages and waffling faith. And I can confidently say that each and every one of you has your own list of pains, struggles, frustrations hurt. None of which are any more or less as real or painful than the literal hurts and losses that is roaring through Haiti. Pain is pain regardless of its form. We all stand at our own vantage point, with our own perspectives.

The common theme or question that connects all of this is the age old question – why do bad things happen, or, more theologically, why does GOD allow or cause bad things to happen.

Let me start by saying – no, I don’t have an ultimate, solve-the-eternal-question answer! Sorry… But as I sat and pondered the question, reflected over scripture and conversations I’ve had with Christians and non-Christians alike, words kept popping into my head. Various lines from various hymns, songs and choruses. I am a very musical person, and believe that if ever a movie would be made of my life it would be in the form of a musical…! Often for me, Truth is spoken more loudly to my heart and soul when in the form of a song.

I noted a few lines from various songs at the beginning. Some were from contemporary worship songs, others hymns. I am a Gen-Xer so I find some value and appreciation in the contemporary worship movement. I am also, however, a daughter of the Church, having grown up in it and studied it, and therefore have a deep appreciation for church history – including its Hymns. Too often, in my opinion, contemporary worship fails to master as well the deep theological truths the old hymns capture so beautifully. So I wanted to reflect on one song in particular, because I believe so many answers to the question of what to do when bad things happen can be found in this one hymn alone.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

The very first sermon I ever wrote was on Lamentations chapter 3. After 2 and a half chapters of the author quite literally ranting and raving at GOD, blaming Him as the author of all the horrific and monstrous things that have happened to him and his people, the author writes this: “But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him!” When we can look back at the ways God has been faithful not only to us but to those who have gone before us in the faith, we can have hope –HE’S DONE IT BEFORE, HE’LL DO IT AGAIN!

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed. For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid!

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious omnipotent hand.

Notice this verse does not say: I will still solve all your problems; I will strengthen thee so you can teach everyone else a lesson; help you to overcome to be number one; or even I will pull you up OUT of what you’re going through completely. He says he will strengthen and help us to cause us to stand because – verses three and four:

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of grief shall not thee overflow,

For I will be with thee thy trials to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.

The flames shall not hurt thee, I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

There is PURPOSE in it all. Again, while He does not promise to always deliver us out of any given situation, he does promise to not only be with us through it, but to USE it. At the end of the day, I would much rather believe that there is a God who causes/allows these crazy things to happen and that there is purpose in it all – even if I never find out what in my lifetime - than to not believe in any God at all and therefore none of it have any purpose. There’s a hope in that – purpose.

Do you remember the sort of a-ha! moment you had at some point on your journey to adulthood – when you thought back on your childhood and wondered why in the world your parents were so gung ho about you keeping your room clean (or, choose your example. Something else your parents made you do that you just hated to do and seemed to have absolutely no purpose to whatsoever?). But then, as you reached adulthood and were in your very own first place and you wanted your house to be clean… ooooooooohh, THAT’S why they wanted me to do that. It may be a simple silly example, but think back on any struggle that you made it through. On the other end of the struggle, down the road at the face of the next one, how much more prepared were you to face that new struggle? God is about the purpose of refining us. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways – BUT ALL WITH A PURPOSE.

And finally, the beauty in the final verse:

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I WILL NOT desert to its foes.

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, NO NEVER, NO NEVER forsake.

Three times it’s promised – He will never forsake. Hell is knocking on your door; it’s knocking on your brother’s door; your friend’s door; your co-worker’s door, and it is shaking. Hard.

HE WILL NOT FORSAKE – FOR HE HAS A PURPOSE

CLING TO THAT

THERE IS HOPE THERE

Thoughts by: Elissa Hamon

The “Love” Month

Scripture Focus: I Corinthians 13

Major Betsy Kyle

The more of life I experience as each year goes by within the dynamics of family and community, the more I understand and embrace The Bibles “Love Chapter”, I Corinthians 13. My perspective on everyday life becomes clear in what matters most when all is said and done.

Recently my high school freshman son prepared a “persuasive speech” for his speech class on the subject of “negativity”. I wondered why he chose this subject. I suspect he chose it because he has struggled within himself from its affects, as well as from others, and sadly, perhaps even from me. The aim of this speech was to convince his audience how unproductive and damaging it can be to yourself and to those around you.

Life is full of disappointments, sadness, hurts, and broken dreams, and they can all lead down the road of negativity – you name it, we all have them, and Satan does his best to capitalize on it in our lives. Do you know how we can counteract its affects?? Read I Corinthians 13 and let it soak in like a warm bath!

Not only does our Lord want us to experience the changing power of love, He wants us to impart this same love to others. Love trumps all other virtues. I may be able to: speak it all, have it all, give it all and sacrifice it all (vs.1-3), but if love is not the motivator within me, God tells us that it means nothing. Nothing, to the people around me that matter most in this life.

This Valentine’s Day is just one day out of the year that celebrates the attribute of “Love”, but we need love demonstrated every day! When my teen comes home from school beaten down by comments of his peers, in that moment he needs unconditional love demonstrated through patience, kindness and acceptance (warts and all! vs.4-7). Home is where we let it all hang out, and for this very reason should be where we start to practice the excellence of Love. It’s the testing ground for I Corinthians 13.

May this Valentines Day remind you of the transforming power of love, and the need for us to seek to demonstrate some aspect of it with the ones we love, not just one day a year, but every day.