The Bible

The Representative

1 Comment / April 8, 2025

In the past week, I ended up at the same restaurant two different times. Interestingly enough, I had two very different experiences.

During the first visit, my group was served by a waitress that was fantastic. She was there before you knew you had a need. With a smile and a pleasant word, she checked in with us often. She boxed our leftovers and gave us extra bread to take home with us. She just made the whole experience very pleasant.

The second visit was not as pleasant. The waitress wasn’t terrible but she wasn’t great either. I found myself searching the room for her several times, wondering if she had forgotten about us. She completely forgot one request and we didn’t ask again. She was pleasant enough but she seemed a bit scatterbrained and generally uninterested in the people at her assigned tables. I wondered if she is perhaps just not really cut out for waitressing.

Waitresses are the representatives of their restaurants. Like it or not, restaurant owners are putting their reputation in the hands of these people. We do the same with our landscape company. Employees represent their companies.

Sometimes, as in our first waitress, that is a wonderful thing. They represent well with stellar service and a smile. Sometimes, as in our second waitress, they are just okay. They don’t necessarily damage the business owner’s reputation, but they also don’t do anything to help it. And, sometimes, employees do irreparable damage to the reputation of a business. Lacking wisdom and only caring about self, they bring a carelessness of deed and tongue to their job that gives the company a bad name.

In all three cases it’s the same business. The same owners desire to have employees that treat their customers well. Unfortunately, they cannot always control how their employees treat customers and sometimes do not even know until it’s too late that there was a problem.

It’s just the way it is. It’s the way it has always been. It just is.

Do you see a similarity here to Christianity? Believers are representatives (lights) and we should represent our King well. What people think about God is often based on what they think about us.

Some represent Him very well—they speak the truth in love; they love and obey His Word; they love others well; and they strive to live holy, pure lives unspotted from the world.

And then there are others who don’t necessarily hurt Christ’s reputation but they certainly don’t help it, either. They struggle with worldliness and sin; lacking courage, they know they should speak the truth of God’s Word but they are are afraid ; they aren’t necessarily selfish but they aren’t really unselfish either, as they tend to things in their own little world.

And then there are those who profess Christ (only God knows the truth if they are saved or not) who claim to love Him and yet continue in sin and worldliness with not even one niggling conviction; they are self-focused instead of God-focused; they aren’t even thinking about speaking truth because they are too worried about what others will think. This last group does irreparable damage to the name of Christ.

(Parenthetically, I’d rather guess that many genuine believers vacillate between the first two types of representatives. Sometimes we do so well and we have courage and love well and then other times we get so distracted and fearful or caught up in some besetting sin that we need to battle. Probably none of us are 100% in one of the first two categories all the time. I know I am not. Praise God for His marvelous grace…!)

But, in the end, Jesus is Jesus. His weak (or even false) representatives do not change who He is.

I’ve heard of so many people who walk away from the faith because of the “hypocrites in the church”. Or use it as an excuse not to go to church or “get involved with religion.”

And I just want to say: Of course, there are going to be hypocrites in the church! Just as there will always be lousy employees.

People are people are people. Some things never change.

We should not judge a business based on one bad experience. And we certainly should never judge God based on His human representatives, genuine or otherwise.

We have to keep our eyes on Jesus. We can’t get mired in the broken, sinful world around us, wondering if what we read in the Bible is true and basing that belief on those who claim to represent Him here on earth.

The Bible IS true and if someone isn’t representing Jesus and what is written in the Bible with integrity and righteousness, we must turn from them, rather than turning from the One they claim to be representing.

𝘠𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. (Matthew 5:14a)

Right in His Own Eyes

Leave a Comment / March 28, 2025

As I finished the book of Judges today, I was filled with… I am unsure. Sadness? Bewilderment? Confusion? The stories in this book are just so out of the ordinary. In fact, the story about the concubine of the Levite is, for me, the worst story in the entire Bible. I cannot understand why God put all of these…interesting (for want of a better word) stories in the Bible. There ARE reasons. Good reasons. His reasons.

I’d rather guess that two of the reasons are 1) to show the utter depravity of men and 2) to show the great mercy of God, despite our wickedness.

The people of Israel—people who had the One True God rescue them over and over again—kept falling back into rebellion and sin. And, yet, when they would seek Him, God would continue to rescue them.

What an incredible reminder for us of God’s love. He will not forsake us when we get misguided or deceived if we are truly one of His own. His grace and mercy will be there when we cry out in genuine repentance and with a whole heart that seeks Him, despite the sinfulness and foolishness of our past. And, in fact, that grace and mercy is available to all who genuinely seek Him and come to Him on His terms (read the book of John in the Bible to understand what they are).

All through history, God would shed His great mercy on those who seek Him and, in fact, this is throughout scripture—even into the New Testament (Matthew 6:33-34)

Also of interest to me regarding Judges is its final verse. This verse seems to be in exact parallel to what is happening in our own “Christian” culture (albeit not to the same extreme).

Commands and doctrines that have been clearly understood for two thousand years are all up for grabs. Believe what is right in your own eyes. Make up your own god and don’t worry about the Bible.

People are changing, negating, and despising doctrines of old, despite their historical understanding of thousands of years. This is all because they want to do what is right in their own eyes and they desire desperately that the Bible sanction it.

But the Bible is the same yesterday, today, and always. It will never change. And what it says is the same as it what it has always said. We cannot upend biblical Christianity just because we don’t like some of the commands and doctrines.

The book of Judges clearly shows us what happens when people decide to do things their own way. It’s a sad, tragic, and horrific picture.

We can’t control the world (or church) around us. But we can be sure, in our own lives, that we are reading and studying the Bible, dividing it rightly and comparing any teaching or doctrine to it so as not to be deceived.

May we do what is right in God’s eyes and not our own. May we continue to seek God with our whole hearts. May we be testimonies of His grace and lights in this dark world as we seek to live for Him, remembering that His Word promises that His marvelous grace and abundant mercies will be ever present in our lives as we do so.

A Different Perspective on Trials

3 Comments / March 11, 2025

In a few days, one of my grandbabies will be having minor surgery. His mama called me yesterday and shared that, as she has been reading through Deuteronomy, she was struck by the comparison that is made between earthly parents with their children and God’s relationship with His children. (Hebrews 12 also expresses this idea very clearly.)

As she contemplates this surgery, she realized that she can’t make her son understand that this is both necessary and in his best interest. He is a baby and there is no possible way he can understand that the pain he must endure is for his own good. It is hurting her, for she hates to see one she loves so much suffer in any way. She wishes she could spare him but she cannot. She knows she needs to choose what is best for him in the long-term, despite her own feelings.

She will walk with him through the upcoming days, loving him and meeting his needs but he must go through the surgery. She loves him too much not to do what is best for him.

What a wonderful comparison as we consider our own trials. God will do what is best for us and we must walk through whatever is our lot in life. But He will not forsake us. He will walk with us and He will meet our needs as we walk through the trial.

So easy to write but so hard to live, right?

We can be like spoiled children, petulantly demanding relief from the pain. And, yet, just as my grandson cannot understand why he must go through his upcoming surgery because his mama is older and wiser than he, so we, too, cannot understand God’s purposes and reasons for our own sufferings.

God, in His infinite wisdom, knows what is best. He is infinitely higher and greater than we are. I think there is a fundamental lack of understanding of the great gulf that lies between God and man.

God is Creator. Man is created.

God knows all and has unlimited knowledge. Man knows so little and is so very limited.

God is unchanging. Man changes his mind all the time.

God is omnipotent over all. Man has power over just about nothing.

When we demand to know and shake our fist at God because of what we are going through, we are demonstrating a fundamental lack of understanding about who God is and who we are.

Now, let me add here that I do think it’s our natural response. It is so hard to think outside our own pain and hurt. It takes time to journey through a trial and end up with right and biblical thinking. And it takes some longer than others.

(Parenthetically, we must consider this same understanding about who God is and who we are in light of the doctrines we don’t understand or simply do not like. Sometimes, things we read in scripture do not seem loving or fair to our finite minds; we don’t like them; and so many simply reject them. And, yet if these things are clearly in scripture we cannot—we must not—reject God’s clear Word. Here again, we must surrender our pride and bow our knee to God and accept what He says without the need to understand.)

The key is to take the journey we are given and not land in a mire of pride and bitterness because we feel like we got a “raw deal”.

Life is hard. But, for God’s redeemed children, one day it will not be hard. Instead, it will be glorious.

Someone reminded me yesterday that God didn’t say “if” the Israelites reached the Promised Land, He said “when”. They then went on to remind me that it is the same for us. As we walk through this life, Heaven isn’t an “if”, it is a “when”.

Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us that we must keep our minds on things above and not on things below as we journey through this life. Having this perspective will strengthen us with God’s truth as we suffer through the mundane, daily troubles as well as the life-altering, overwhelming trials…and every trial in between.

As we travel the path that God has us on today, I hope this will be an encouragement to you. I can’t understand what you are going through today. But scripture teaches us that God not only knows exactly how you feel but it also teaches that He loves you and He has allowed what is in your life for your good and His purposes (Romans 8:28). He will not forsake you but has promised to be with you every step of the way.

This is what His Word says and this is what has been experienced by thousands—millions—of believers before us. May we all keep trusting that our Heavenly Father knows best as we experience His tender mercies and loving care through it all as we journey in this life.

Which Eagles?

2 Comments / February 18, 2025

If I were to write you a letter and include the sentence “I went to town with Jack to watch the Eagles,” you’d have to have the context to understand that sentence. What town? Which Jack?Which Eagles?

There’s a lot that could be construed to be something totally different than what I mean. I could call Philadelphia “town” and have gone with my friend, Jack, to watch an Eagles football game. I could have gone to a town across the way to see local Golden Eagles with my grandson, Jack.

But knowledge about me along with sentences above and below the original sentence—as well as the entire letter and even previous letters from me—will give you the knowledge and the context you need so that you will rightly comprehend that I went to my hometown with my bird-watcher nephew, Jack, to see the Bald Eagles that have been hanging around in the park.

This is what I meant when I wrote the sentence and this is what you will be able to understand if you take to the time to know me and to read all the letters that I send to you.

I know it’s a silly example, but we wouldn’t ever dream of interpreting anyone’s letter without considering the intent of what they mean. We would never just come up with something we “think it means” and call it a day.

I, as the author of the letter, intended a specific thing with the sentence that I wrote. No reader has the right to make an assumption about what they believe I meant. Instead, the right and very natural thing to do is to keep reading to understand my intent.

This is called authorial intent and it’s a really big deal when it comes to interpreting scripture.

You see, so many these days want to tell you that scripture can mean anything you want it to. Verses can be ripped out of context and turned into false doctrines (and we’ve talked about this before) but I think there is something far more dangerous to those of us who want to sincerely follow Christ.

While we wouldn’t think of falling for some errant doctrine that is clearly not biblical, many are starting to wonder if there is just one interpretation for any given Bible passage.

I remember a conversation I had with someone a while back and it surrounded a small group of friends who were talking about whether or not the Bible has just one interpretation. Most of the group believed that it does not; instead, they believed that there are various interpretations and that we can choose to interpret it as we would want. The group was made up of conservative, Bible-believing Christians. This wrong thinking is weaving its way into the church like a cancer.

Just as any letter or sentence that you write will have specific intent, so does the letter written to us by God.

Our job is not to just interpret it willy-nilly but to take time to understand the context; to grasp the meaning of the Author in its historical-grammatical-literal sense.

There are many attacks on scripture these days. Authority, inerrancy, and inspiration have been denied and ignored by many. But, for those of us who would still wholly claim to believe in these things, I believe the most dangerous attack is this idea that there is more than one interpretation and we can choose which one we want to believe.

I have been giving a great deal of thought to why this is happening and, more specifically, why this way to approach scripture appeals to people. I’ll probably write about that next week.

But, in the meantime, I hope this will help us all to remember that we have no right to decide what the Divine Author meant when He wrote the Bible through His Holy Spirit moving in men (2 Peter 1:21). I hope this will remind us of our life-long duty to go about reading the entire letter (Book of the Bible) and the rest of the letters (the Bible) to discern what the Author intended about any passage we may come across.

God gave us His Word as a gift. And that gift is inerrant and inspired and serves as our authority. But so much of understanding the Truth and having our lives changed by that Truth hinges on interpreting God’s letter correctly. May we be dedicated to understanding and dividing it rightly (2 Timothy 2:15).

The Light

2 Comments / February 5, 2025

The other day, as I was walking through my house, a burst of sunlight revealed what would not ordinarily be revealed on the hallway floor, which was mostly dog hair. In normal light, unless I choose not to vacuum for several days, you cannot see the bits of dog hair along the wall. But when a burst of sunlight hits it, every bit of hair and every speck of dust reveals itself to anyone who has eyes to see.

It’s kind of disturbing because I want my house to be clean. I am not a neat freak (I wish I was more of one) but I don’t want to have a dirty house. But the sunlight reveals dirt I don’t even know is there.

Light is an interesting thing because it has several different functions.

Light reveals. It reveals the truth about any situation. It exposes the darkness and shows the reality of things as they are.

Light awakes. When the sun comes up, we naturally awake. When it’s dark we sleep. It is how God designed our bodies to work.

Light guides. If we are on a dark path in the woods at night, a flashlight or lantern guides our steps.

It is interesting to me how many references there are to light in scripture. As we keep these functions above in mind, let’s take a look at some of them.

For thou wilt light my candle:
the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. (Psalm 18:28)

I form the light, and create darkness:
I make peace, and create evil:
I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7)

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. (Daniel 2:22)

—The Lord is the source of ALL light; He is the source of ANY light. He is what fills the darkness of our world with light. He is the only source of true light.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

The entrance of thy words giveth light;
it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (Proverbs 4:18)

—God’s Word gives us the light we need in order to take our next step and to discern truth from lies.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

–JESUS is the light of the world.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:16-20)

–In our flesh, we hate the light. It exposes our sin and our love for the world. It shows the depravity of our hearts and it shows our pride. The TRUE JESUS of the Bible reveals who we really are (as opposed to the fake “nice guy” Jesus who doesn’t care a wit about sin and worldliness in your life and is there to just help you along and fix your problems.)

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

–We can be deceived in regards to the light. Satan masquerades as light, when he is really darkness. And great groups of people can call something light that is NOT light. I am not sure there is any more important point in this post than this. We can be deceived. Satan will use the name of Jesus and he will use biblical terms to give the appearance of “light”. Popular opinion may call something “light” that is NOT light. We must refer back to the verses that remind us that our only litmus test for determining what is actually light is the Word of God.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (Matthew 5:13-15)

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (Romans 13:12)

–We are the light of the world through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We put a bushel over our light by living sinful, worldly lives that look just like everyone else around us. Our light will shine so brightly when we cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We can find out more about our armor of light in Ephesians 6:10-20.

Okay, so that’s just a bit about LIGHT in scripture. I feel like this is a bit disconnected because there’s so much more that could be written about the light from scripture. But, for the sake of length, I will stop here.

Now, let me tell you why this particular subject has been on my heart…

I am noticing a disinterest in the LIGHT. It’s as if the light only matters if it goes with what is wanted or desired. So if a current narrative or popular philosophy suits a professing Christian’s fancy, they will turn from the light of the Word without nary a blink. If the psychological gobbledygook or the therapist’s worldly explanation makes them feel less guilty and more validated, the true Light is rejected. If a certain political candidate or a certain lifestyle or a favorite preacher or author shows itself to be filthy (false, wrong) when looked at through the Light of the Word, the Light is conveniently and simply IGNORED.

The Jesus of the Bible (our Savior!) is the LIGHT and God’s Word is the LIGHT. And our attitude about this wonderful LIGHT, given to us as a precious gift, is very telling. While we can grow defensive or be naive or waiver for a while, we cannot stay there and still call ourselves a Christian. The Word is what God has given us as a light to navigate this world of darkness. If we don’t care a bit about the Word of God, we must ask ourselves if we are really saved?

At this point in time, I know I am “preaching to the choir”. If you are here, you most likely know all this. And if you don’t agree, you will simply unsubscribe and that will be the end of that.

But, at the end of the day, it is so unimportant what I write or say or what my opinion is. It just doesn’t matter. The ONLY thing that matters is our opinion regarding the LIGHT of this world, as revealed in scripture.

May we wear the armor of light, so that we can be lights in this world for Christ. May we recognize that there is false light and that just because someone says it is “light” does not mean it IS light. And may we recognize that the only way to live in the light is through God’s Word, which has been given to us specifically for this purpose.

May we long to live in the LIGHT, no matter the cost.

The Crunchy Grass (with a personal note at the end)

2 Comments / September 23, 2024

I walked across my yard the other day and heard the grass crunch beneath my feet. At the time, there was no rain in sight and we had missed what they were calling for the week before. The grass was brown and dry and, yes, crunchy. It desperately needed water.

Unlike thick green grass, which is plush and inviting, this grass looked ugly and felt very unpleasant to walk on or sit on.

As I took another step and heard another crunch, I had the thought that our spiritual walk is just like this when we are not consuming the water of the Word.

You see, the grass just needs some water. And, in fact, on Saturday night we had 3/4” of rain and it is amazing how quickly it is turning green and soft again.

We believers are no different. Have you noticed how quickly you are to be selfish, indulgent, angry, proud, or give in to the flesh in any other way when you aren’t in the Bible and meditating upon it?

I certainly have. It feels like fighting the flesh is so hard. And, in fact, if I am not in scripture, I may even forget to care! I become dry and dull and unpleasant. Oh, we may give the appearance of being lush and green, for that’s what hypocrites do. But, inside, we feel spiritually barren.

Grass needs the rain to thrive and Christians need the Word.

There is no other way. Going to church may be helpful, as may listening to sermons or reading a good book that points you to the truth. Spiritual discussions with friends can help as you practice “iron sharpening iron” as the book of Psalms says. But there is no replacement for reading and studying the Word on your own, in context.

I know I have mentioned this so often, but I learned this way too late in my life. The first forty plus years of my life were spent listening to “Christian” radio shows, reading devotionals (one verse and commentary about the verse), and trying to stay away from the “worst” in the world, while indulging in the things that weren’t “so bad”. This method of Christian living left me dry and dusty and I didn’t even realize it.

But when I began to very intentionally study the Bible and then, later on, began to memorize verses and passages, it all changed. God has provided a very simple way for us to be vibrant and growing believers and it took me far too long to find it.

And while I’d like to say I have achieved perfection in this area it’s obvious to those who know me that I certainly have not. Even green grass has its issues, doesn’t it? There can be insects or disease in even the most beautiful grass. Just as this green grass can struggle, so, too, can a vibrant growing Christian. Our problems and temptations do not disappear when we start reading the Word.

But I will testify that our ability to wage war against sin and to recognize lies changes. The length of time it takes to surrender to the Lord and His will shortens. Studying God’s Word and filling our mind with His promises and desires for us as believers sanctifies and grows us.

But we have to actually pick up the Word and read and study it. If you can read this, you can do this. I am nothing special. God, in His awesome grace and lovingkindness, led me to study His Word and to understand its importance. This has become my main focus here at Growing4Life…to encourage other believers to do the same. God has given me this platform and I believe this is why.

Of course, it is probably good to remind you here that I still have my “crunchy” days (and even weeks). Recognizing this truth doesn’t automatically mean you are eternally green, unfortunately. But recognizing this truth does help you know where to intentionally turn when you find yourself in that state again. Just as the water so quickly revives the grass, so, we, too, are quickly revived when we start watering our soul with the Word once again.

I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know if you are dry and crunchy both inside and out. I don’t know if you are pretending to be lush and green, all the while knowing, deep down inside, that you are faking it. What I do know, however, is how to fix the barren, discouraging state of your heart.

And that is to get in the Word and really spend time there. God has graciously provided His Word to exhort and encourage us. It is only through His Word that we can grow and thrive in our Christian walk. Oh, may we believers recognize the wonderful and never-ending treasure within the pages of scripture!

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

A Personal Note: Over the course of studying Revelation and through various other means, I have been vividly reminded of the truth of what lies ahead, both temporally and eternally, for those who do not trust in Christ for their salvation. One day, perhaps very soon, we will not be here to tell our unsaved family and friends about the Gospel or help them understand what is coming on this world. They will be bewildered at our disappearance and will be susceptible to many lies at that point.

It is with this in mind, that I have created a “To Those Who Are Left Behind” page here at the blog. You can find it here and I have also included it in the menu above. I have no idea if it will be of use to anyone now or in the future, but, for some reason, I felt compelled to do this. The world waxes worse and worse in every way and I just don’t know how long we are going to be here. Jesus could come tomorrow or perhaps not for ten years but, whenever it is, I wanted to have something up on the blog for those who are left behind when it happens.

When Our Status Quo Is Shattered

3 Comments / August 30, 2024

You will notice that the tagline right below the title of this blog (above) is “never satisfied with status quo”.

My thought in adding that many years ago was to remind us all that we should never just be satisfied to be a “good enough” Christian but to always be striving to please Christ more, to be more holy, to grow in grace.

But the bottom line is we all struggle with status quo living. Including myself. It’s just so much easier, isn’t it?

Status quo: The state of things; the way things are, as opposed to the way they could be; the existing state of affairs. 

When we live to the status quo it eliminates work. And thinking. And effort. And so we often naturally fall into it.

For example, when we get together with family or friends, it’s status quo to talk about current events, weather, and other trivial things. In most families and friend circles, it takes effort and thinking (and not a little courage!) to bring up the things of God and His Word.

(Aren’t you so grateful for the relationships you have where talking about the Lord doesn’t take effort and courage but is rather a natural outpouring of your mutual love for God?? What a blessing and joy!)

Or how about when we know something is wrong according to scripture but we are unwilling to speak up? It’s just so much easier to stick with the status quo than to make waves, isn’t it?

Or another example: We have a personal habit that we know we should change. We think, yes, I need to change that but when push comes to shove, it’s just so much easier to continue on as we always have whether it’s in our lack of personal Bible Study, our bad spending or health habits, the unkind way we treat a spouse or our kids, or any number of other unhelpful life habits we find ourselves doing over and over again.

Status quo living is always easier but it’s never better.

I believe this is one of the reasons trials come. They shake us out of our status quo life. We are forced to come face to face with ourselves. Is what we say we believe actually what we believe?

One example that would seem to affect us all no matter where we live in this world (I say this because I’ve talked personally with or have heard testimonies of this in so many counties and not just the United States)… The political system of an entire nation has been upended and is in utter chaos. Our status quo has changed without our consent and it’s beyond our control. How do we respond?

It’s been interesting and faith-building (although also sometimes very disappointing) to watch the responses of people when they are shaken out of their status quo lives.

Some rise to the challenge and cling to God and His Word and provide us a vivid reminder and encouragement that His promises are true. Oh, this doesn’t mean they never struggle. Not in the least. But their overall attitude is one of submission to the Lord’s will as they traverse the rocky path of trial and they trust that God loves them with an everlasting love and that He is good.

Others do not. They cling to things of this life and find themselves disillusioned and disappointed as their expectations go unmet or are even obliterated. They grow bitter or angry or depressed. God has not fulfilled their desires or expectations and they can’t get past that disappointment. Some who profess Christ never do get past this and their lives become a bitter, sorry mess. Or sometimes these kind of people end up living a life of escape from the pain through travel or hobbies or pets or any number of other things.

And probably most of us who honestly love the Lord and desire to please Him with our lives start off clinging to this world and eventually recognize the need for surrender. Generally, the journey to surrender eventually begins to take less and less time as we recognize with each preceding trial that God’s grace truly is sufficient and His mercies truly are new every morning.

Of course, trials come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it is one great trial and other times it’s just a bunch of little things all in a row. Sometimes they are absolutely life-altering and other times they are simply inconvenient or uncomfortable. Sometimes they are faced by an entire town or even a nation and other times they are intensely personal. No matter what they are, trials of any shape or size tend to shatter our status quo life and make us stop and think.

But whenever and in whatever way our status quo is broken, we each are forced to make a choice:

Will our faith and hope in God grow stronger as we surrender to His sovereign will?

OR

Will we turn to the things of this world to fulfill our hopes and to the wisdom of this world to find our answers?

I will leave you with this wonderful hymn that reminds us of where our hope truly lies if we have been saved by Christ alone. Our hope is “born of God’s own Word and nourished by His grace”. Oh, may we keep our hearts and minds stayed on God when our status quo is shattered (Isaiah 26:3). 

I HAVE A HOPE
(Charles Naylor, 1907)

I have a hope, serene and sure,
That anchors past the veil;
In all the storms it holds secure,
Nor will it ever fail.

Refrain:
My hope is born of God’s own word,
And nourished by His grace;
His promise true my soul hath heard,
And hope beholds His face.

I have a hope that looks away
From present woes and tears
To heaven’s bright eternal day,
Till sorrow disappears.

I have a hope that doth not fear
The silent grave to view,
Nay, doth not shrink though death appear,
For I shall live anew.

What Does My Heart Treasure?

1 Comment / August 13, 2024

The events of the current day are bringing out interesting responses in all of us who would call ourselves “Christians”. We say we believe and trust God’s Word, but do we, really? What are our hearts really treasuring?

Some of us get caught up in the “news”. We see the inconsistencies, the lies, the web of deceit and we move our whole attention to what is going on in the world. Even if we are doing this in light of what scripture prophesies about the future, it is not a good or spiritually healthy idea at all to spend all of our time focused on this world.

Some of us are getting caught up in fixing and changing what is wrong. Whether it be to “make America great again” or some other temporal problem of this world; we are caught up in fixing this world. Also not good and very detrimental to our spiritual health.

In some, the current events reveal fear and anxiety that was hidden in the heart. In others, it reveals selfishness or self-centeredness. In some it brings on an obsession with the things of this life. And yet in others, it brings out the desire to escape and distract oneself from reality through all sorts of means.

No matter what is happening in our own hearts, I think it’s fair to say that we have all had our responses to the Current Events of the last few years. And, if you are like me, you have had to work through the things you see in your own heart that you didn’t even know were there.

And it really all comes down to this: What does my heart treasure? What really matters to me?

We can say we love God and that we are focused on the eternal. But until uncertainty and unsettledness hits us personally, we don’t really know if that’s true.

Honestly, while I don’t love all of the changes and uncertainty, I am thankful that the events of these past few years have revealed the state of my own heart and have caused me to really evaluate myself. And, while I certainly haven’t gotten to a place where I can say to you as Paul said to his readers “follow me as I follow Christ”, I have seen Christ work in me.

May God give us the desire to do what’s right.

May He help us in our unbelief.

May He give us the strength and fortitude to follow Christ and do what’s right, no matter the cost.

May He help us to discern what is TRUE.

And may He help us to set our affections on our treasure above, rather than on the things of the earth.

We just can’t fix what is wrong with our hearts, discern what is right and true, or remember where our treasure really lies without Him.

We just can’t do this alone.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Light Unto My Path

1 Comment / August 6, 2024

I groaned. My Roku had stopped working again and so I was standing by my tv trying to reset it by unplugging it and then plugging it in again. Seems so simple, doesn’t it? I figured I could do such a small thing without light, right?

Wrong.

I couldn’t see a thing. The tv was in a dark-ish room and set in a cavity painted black that sits above our fireplace. And so I thought I’d let my fingers “do the walking” and tried to just “feel” where to put the plug in. Have you been there? Trying to put any plug in without being able to see often leads to frustration.

After a few frustrating moments I decided life is just too short for this and went to get my phone and turned on the flashlight. That little bit of light made short work of putting that roku back where it belonged.

What a wonderful picture of what the Bible does for us. Whether we are growing frustrated and anxious in the dark path we are traveling personally or the overall darkness of this world that is descending like a thick blanket on all our paths. No matter where we live there is no shortage of darkness. Illness and death, financial woes with the growing inflation, compromised churches and Christian organizations, corrupt governments, the growing wickedness and occultism in the culture; sometimes these things make it too dark to see.

Unless…

We have the Bible. God has told us that this is the light He has given us for the dark path we must travel through life—

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

The Bible fills us with confidence in our Great God as we get to know Him through His Word. It tells us of His love for us and gives the way for eternal salvation through His Son, Jesus.

We find within its pages many wonderful promises of the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness that will be shed on us, as a believer, as we travel any path in this life. Some paths we choose but many we do not. God’s mercy will follow us wherever we go.

The Bible gives us the light of truth. Only by knowing what it says, can we protect ourselves from the deception and lies that are snowballing out of control.

It gives us His plan for the future, which, if we take it literally, sheds so much light on both historical events, as well as the events happening right now in our world.

And the Bible gives us eternal perspective. It reminds us that we are but pilgrims and strangers passing through a foreign land. This world is not our home.

It’s important to note that the verse above does not declare that God’s Word is a giant spotlight on the whole world, filling it with light. It is just a small lamp, shedding light one step at a time on the path of the believer.

While the Bible could conceivably light up anyone’s path, most of those in this world will never repent of their sins and turn to Christ alone for salvation. Unless we do this, we can read the Bible all we want but it will be like holding a flashlight but never turning it on. We cannot understand God’s Holy Word without the Holy Spirit. And we cannot have the help of the Holy Spirit without salvation.

If a small flashlight can make such a huge difference when trying to plug something in in the dark, how much more of a difference will the Bible make in our lives? If we’d but just treasure and use this lamp that God has given us specifically to light our paths.

If we have trusted Christ alone for our salvation, may we keep the light God has given us ever near as the darkness descends around us. For it is the only light we have as we travel in this dreary land.

That Day Is Coming

2 Comments / July 23, 2024

There have been so many reminders for me this year that life is but a vapor. Anything can happen to snuff out life at any time. Sometimes people are spared and other times they aren’t. Our days are numbered and God alone knows how many there will be (Job 14:5-7). Indeed, His sovereignty rules over all.

We were given a vivid reminder of God’s sovereignty yet again last week. We had gone camping with family and I had taken the five oldest grandchildren to the playground. A few minutes after we got there, I saw my mom walking towards me. “Did you hear what happened?” she asked. She proceeded to tell me that the electric pole (that fed one whole half of our campground) had fallen on our camper when there was a gust of wind. We were told to remove ourselves from our camper and our campsite immediately.

As I stood back a ways staring at that pole, I couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened or stop thanking the Lord. Most of the family had been sitting quite near to that pole when it had gone down. My husband had been inside the camper. Had it fallen in a different direction… Other scenes played out in my mind as I considered the “what-ifs”. Why had God spared us such terrible heartache on vacation when other families are not spared? Just recently, I read of the little girl of a Christian family who was killed by a splintering badminton racket while they were on vacation. We can’t know His reasons or His purposes. Sometimes, we don’t understand His timing. But we can be thankful for each day we are given. Each one is like a precious jewel; a gift that will eventually no longer be given.

It is such a vivid reminder that we are ALL going face Him at some point. We may get a terminal diagnosis and have a bit of time to contemplate where we are going to spend eternity. But we may not.

A few weeks ago, I was at the funeral of someone whose eternal state was undetermined. We had the opportunity to share the Gospel with this man whom my husband had been friends with for many years. At one point, we thought he understood. But our last visit with him in the hospital left us both discouraged. He seemed to be basing his salvation on his own goodness rather than on Christ’s righteousness. We were disheartened.

His was an extremely difficult funeral to sit through. The pastor didn’t know the deceased and he read scripture passages and readings from a book he held in his hand (not a Bible but some kind of book specifically for funerals, I assume).

As this pastor spoke, he claimed the promises from scripture for the man whose life had been snuffed out by cancer. As I thought about this, I thought of how many profess Christ and claim the promises of the Bible but never live for Him or follow His commands.

Are the promises of scripture for those who lived their entire lives living in sin and loving the world? Are they for the person whose entire focus for their entire life was on their own dreams, desires, and delights? Are they for the person who never repented of sin? Who never felt convicted of anything? Who lived just like the rest of the world? Who never even thought about following Christ’s commands?

They are not. The Bible’s promises are for the genuinely saved person who recognizes their sinfulness, turns from it and relies on Christ alone for salvation; who takes up their cross, denies self, and follows after Christ.

We can live for Christ for our entire lives or it may be for just the few minutes we have before we die. We know from the thief on the cross and from the parable of the field that salvation is available to all who are still breathing. But it does yield a true change of heart whenever it occurs.

The Bible gives us a clear description of those who can claim the promises of God. It shows us how their desires and priorities change after salvation. Some passages to study are Matthew 5, John 15, Colossians 3, Galatians 5, I John 2. There are so many more. But this can get you started. These passages describe the evidence found in a life that has truly been redeemed by Christ.

One day we will all come face to face with God.

We will either face God as a repentant sinner saved by grace through Christ alone; as one who has been given a heart of flesh along with changed desires. If we are God’s own redeemed child, then we will be welcomed by our loving Savior to the place He has prepared a place for us (John 14:1-4). The Bible says that the Lord views the death of His saints as precious (Psalm 116:15).

OR we will face God as an unrepentant sinner with a heart of stone, still clinging to sin and this world; trying, in vain, to claim that that our “good deeds” were enough to render us right with God and give us admittance into heaven on our own merit. Those who never turned to Christ will find out too late that they have no merit to offer and that salvation and eternal life are found in Christ alone.

I can’t make you or anyone else believe the Bible is true. I can’t convince you that God’s Word teaches that the evidence of a true believer, according to God’s Word, is a life lived for Christ that distances itself more and more from sin and from the things of this world (never perfectly, of course, but always growing and changing, be it ever so slowly or quickly…) It’s a life that submits to and obeys God’s Word.

God isn’t interested in our “decision for Christ”. Anyone can make a decision. What matters is how we have lived after we have made that decision. Do our lives give evidence that we really believe what we said we believed when we made that “decision”? Did we really repent of our sin or did we just simply “accept Christ”?

Many times, people aren’t even told the true Gospel. If you aren’t sure you understand or want to know more about what the Bible teaches about how you can be saved and made into a new creature, you can find out more information here.

I hope I never have to go to such a hopeless funeral ever again. But I am sure I will. Many are those who aren’t prepared to see Jesus.

When we were visiting with my husband’s friend in the hospital, he shared how he couldn’t believe that in just a few short months he was facing death. He had felt so good not that long ago. But life had changed…and it had changed quickly.

That day is coming for each one of us and there is simply nothing more important than being ready to face God when we are on the cusp of eternity.

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