The Little Foxes

3 Comments / July 1, 2023

This past week, I was blessed to spend a few days at the beach with two of my best friends. As we walked into the unfamiliar Air Bnb, we took a look around. It was a cute little condo right on the beach, albeit with a view of the dunes rather than the ocean, given its first floor location. But that didn’t bother us. We could still hear that lovely lull of the waves. Such wonderful medicine for the soul.

As we explored the small condo, we naturally looked outside to check out our view. Suddenly, one of my friends said, “and we have a fox…”

Quite honestly, that didn’t compute for a second. A fox? In Ocean City, Maryland? Foxes live in meadows and woods and forests. Not at the ocean. But, lo and behold, there stood a very sickly-looking fox staring at us. And not moving. It made us all a bit nervous. What was it doing here? And why wasn’t it running away when we opened the door to take its picture?

On the way to lunch that day, I called and left a message for wildlife control. Could they take care of the sick fox sitting right outside our patio?

But it was still there when we returned later on. So my friend called the police to see if they would do anything. They said no. Lo and behold, and totally unbeknownst to us, OC, MD has a fox problem. They wouldn’t be out to do anything unless he got aggressive or caused a problem.

He wasn’t causing any problems. He just sat there looking at us like he was waiting for something. Over the course of the next few days, two more foxes with totally different markings would show up in the morning and the evening. They would lay comfortably out in the sun or under the shrubby tree nearby as the sun set, their heads perking up hopefully when we’d open the sliding door. They seemed to be waiting for something…

At some point, it dawned on us that there must be someone on the lower floor of this building that was feeding them. They were coming around because they would sometimes get fed.

I had never seen a fox that close up before. Aside from that poor sickly one (which looked like it had mange and was on its way to a slow, torturous death), they were rather cute (see photos above). In fact, they reminded me very much of my dogs. Which, of course, makes sense since, in the purest sense of the word, they are dogs.

As I thought about these foxes, I realized that they are a little bit like the temptations we feed.

Just as those foxes thrive on those bits and pieces thrown out to them, so, too, do our temptations thrive on us caving to them. Just as those foxes come around with expectations, so, too, do our temptations to sin. If they would stop getting fed–the foxes and the temptations–they’d stop coming around so often.

It reminds me of when my kids were little and they’d pest each other. The glee of the “pester” came from the response of the “pestee”. When the “pestee” stopped responding, pesting lost all its fun.

I think temptation is a little like that. The more we cave to the temptation, the more often that temptation comes. When we can, with the Lord’s help, say no to that temptation, we experience a small victory. The more we can say no, the more power we have over that temptation. As we grow stronger, the temptation grows weaker.

So often, when we talk about temptation and sin, we think of these “giant” sins that we arrogantly declare we would never commit. But let’s consider some of those respectable sins that beleaguer those who consider themselves “above” those gross sins. Sins such as self-absorbtion, anxiety and worry, pride, envy, holding grudges, gluttony, immodesty, ungodly entertainment, angry outbursts… so many little foxes everywhere we turn.

I don’t know what particular sin you struggle with today. I do, however, know the struggles I have. I am greatly encouraged by this verse from I Corinthians 10:13–

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We have the power through the Holy Spirit to keep those little foxes from coming around all the time. God is faithful and He has made a way of escape. Our duty is to choose that way of escape.

As always, this is easier said than done. But God’s Word tells us it is not impossible.

So let’s keep fighting the battle to keep those “little foxes” far, far away from our hearts and minds. We may not be able to eliminate them completely, but we can lessen them greatly!

A Brief Note to my Regular Readers

26 Comments / June 20, 2023

In case I haven’t said it recently, thank you for reading this blog. If it wasn’t for you, there would be no reason to write. God has blessed me through you over and over again. Some of you have become dear friends that I cannot wait to meet “in person” in heaven some day. Through this blog, I have realized that there are other like-minded believers across the world who desire to trust and obey God and His Word, even if it costs. And that has been a big blessing! (Find Growing4Life on Facebook to experience some of that like-minded Christian fellowship for yourself.)

I wanted to mention a couple of important things as we head into summer–

First, a month or two ago, I began to notice that gmail was not letting me reply to your emails. I would always get the “Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender” error message. I have never had this issue in all of the years that I have been writing. I waited a few weeks to see if the problem would disappear but it has not. So I need to try to figure out what’s going on. But I want you to know that I try to respond to all of your emails. They are important to me. If I don’t respond it is because they have landed in Spam (that has happened throughout the years and sometimes I catch them and sometimes I don’t) OR, currently, it is because I can’t figure out how to. Even if I email you with your email address in a separate email (not replying to yours), it comes back to me undeliverable. It’s frustrating beyond measure. So I will be working on that but I didn’t want you to think I don’t care.

(And a personal note: for the person who wrote to me about the surgery they are having tomorrow, I want you to know that am praying! I cannot figure out how to get that response to you but please know that I am praying for you!)

Second, I wanted to just mention that my posts may be a bit more sporadic during these summer months. I will be writing some new material but I am not sure it will be weekly or always on Tuesday. I have a busy (and fun) next few weeks planned and it may make it difficult to write regularly here. It seems like a good time of year to take a small break.

Third, I’d like to ask you for prayer. My husband is facing a pretty serious back surgery at the end of July. At the beginning of 2022, he started having back pain. In the past, he could do a few things that would relieve the pain and it would go away in a few weeks. But this time it never went away and, in fact, grew worse and worse until now he is unable to be on his feet for any length of time. My husband (some of you already know this) does not like to sit still. This has been quite the challenge for him. To say the least. We are thankful to the Lord that he can sit and lay down without pain. I know many of you who have back pain are unable to do that. At any rate, if you could pray for comfort and strength for my best friend as he faces this major surgery, I’d greatly appreciate it. And for the doctor, that he would be able to do what is necessary to give relief (there is some fusing involved). Also, perhaps pray for us both as we face a long recovery together. I imagine it will be rather challenging for us both! haha

Thank you in advance! :)

Fourth, I want to thank those of you that reach out to me once in awhile to let me know you are reading. Blogging is a rather one-sided thing to do and, if it wasn’t for hearing from some of you occasionally, I really wouldn’t know if anyone is reading at all. So I just want you to know that I appreciate you taking the time to encourage me. It means more than you know.

Well, I guess that’s it. Not a normal post but I did want to update you on a few things. I hope you all have a great summer! Keep praying and studying the Word! We never want to take a break from that :) Have a great day!

The Place of God’s Appointment is the Place of God’s Provision

1 Comment / June 13, 2023

Have you ever talked to someone who insists that God’s Will is something that goes completely against His Word? Perhaps they are walking away from a loyal and loving spouse because they are infatuated with someone else. Or they are taking an outrageous and irresponsible financial or physical risk, insisting that God has sanctioned this decision. Perhaps it is a mom that is making her career a priority rather than her family or it is the pursuit of a dream at the cost of far too much. Whatever it may be, Christians often expect God’s provision and blessing upon them in these choices they insist are God’s will.

But is this how God works? Does God bless and provide when we are in a place where we were never to be in the first place? I guess occasionally He may–simply because of to His tremendous grace and undeserved mercy– but that should not be our expectation.

In I Kings 17, God told Elijah to go to the brook Cherith, assuring him that He would send the ravens there to feed him. Elijah obeyed the Lord immediately. Verse 5 puts it this simply: So he did what the Lord had told him.

That’s all the information we have so we do not know if this cost Elijah anything. Although, we can imagine it must have been rather strange for him to expect food from a bird, much less one that was considered unclean by His people. That alone would have been a challenge that we can’t really comprehend very well. But Elijah’s provision came because of His obedience. He was fed by the ravens at a specific place. Had he chosen to ignore God or go to a different brook, he would not have had God’s provision or His blessing.

I am currently reading a book by Will Varner called The Chariot of Israel and it is in there that I was reminded of this important truth yesterday. I have been thinking on this ever since and considering the truth of this in my life and the lives of other believers I’ve met.

The author puts it like this–

The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. In other words, you’ve got to be in the place God wants you to be if you expect to claim the promise that God will meet your needs. This is the Old Testament counterpart of a New Testament truth that’s stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If I am seeking first the Kingdom of God, I can be assured that God will meet my needs. The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. Are you where God wants you to be? Then you can claim God’s promise that He will meet your need.” *

I think about this on my own life. I can think of one time, in particular, that my husband and I made an extremely difficult choice in order to please the Lord. We knew He wanted us to do a certain thing, although it was sure to cost our family so much. But we went ahead and did what we knew we had to do in order to follow God. And did it cost us? You bet it did. It cost us a LOT. It is one of the most painful times we have been through. BUT… looking back now, we can see God’s incredible grace and mercy carrying us through that time. And there were some amazing blessings that came because we chose to obey the Lord rather than rebel against His will.

So now when we look back at that time, it is with awe in our hearts at God’s faithfulness to us despite the difficulty of the path. We experienced His provision in a wonderful way because we were willing to travel the path He had made clear we were to go.

Of course, sometimes I stick my feet in the ground and just say NO, God, that’s too much. I just don’t want to. An example of that is the music I so loved. I’ve written about that often before. I told God, in no uncertain terms, that I would not give it up. I said this to Him for years and years. But as the battle grew more fierce in my soul, so did the conviction. It finally prompted me to ask God for help as I struggled with my unwillingness to do what I knew God desired me to do. And guess what? When I finally was willing to step out in faith and obey, again came tremendous blessing: God totally removed my taste for the music I had so loved. I still look upon that as a small miracle. I am in awe even yet when I think about it.

And, yet, I still struggle giving up certain things or walking the way I know God wants me to walk sometimes. Even after all of that. Isn’t that just ridiculous? Even as I write this, I can hardly believe my own stupidity sometimes.

The one thing I do know, though, is that the more we are willing to follow hard after God, denying self and turning from the world, the more blessing we receive. So that we don’t really miss what we thought we would miss. It really defies logic. God is so amazing! His grace is amazing and so is His provision! The same God that fed Elijah with the ravens is the same God still at work today in our lives!

Can you look back, as I do, and trace God’s amazing provision and abundant grace in your own life? If you have walked with God for any length of time, I am sure you can. His promises are not just empty words. They are proven true over and over again by those who are God’s own dear children. His provision is a very real thing to those of us that seek to love Him with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30).

And so I want to encourage you this morning to step out in faith and do what God has called you to do. It may be something as simple as sharing the Gospel with a co-worker or reaching out in kindness to an elderly neighbor. It may be giving up an ungodly TV series or leaving a church that is headed a wrong direction. Whatever it may be, know that your choice to follow God will not go unnoticed by Him but will lead to His provision and blessing as you seek to serve Him. He is so kind and so very faithful. He will keep you and He will change you.

Psalm 1 echoes this thought and so I wanted to share a few verses here this morning of this precious Psalm. I hope you will carry these words with you as you seek to follow God and do His will today–

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

*The Chariot of Israel by Will Varner, p. 23

Who is the Real Troubler?

3 Comments / June 8, 2023

I have been reading I Kings 18 and I just had to send out a second post to you all this week because it is just so interesting. And so very relevant to our own culture today.

In case you are unfamiliar with this book of the Bible, this particular passage in I Kings is about Elijah. In chapter 17, Elijah had pronounced to Ahab (wicked King of Israel) that God would judge Israel by allowing a three year drought—“there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (I Kings 17:1).

We are especially dry here where I live right now and so thinking through this took on new meaning. I can’t even imagine three whole years without rain!

In chapter 18, Elijah returns to Ahab three years later to pronounce that it would now rain. But this was not just a simple pronouncement. If you will remember, this is where Elijah calls all of the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel to a showdown. Whose God would answer by fire? (I Kings 18:24).

But let’s take a look at a few things of note in this chapter. There are quite a few lessons for all of us who seek to follow God whole-heartedly.

First, let’s take a look at a man by the name of Obadiah. He was over the King’s household but he “feared the Lord greatly” (I Kings 18:3) In fact, so much so that, when Jezebel sought to destroy all of the prophets of the Lord, he hid a hundred of them in a cave and took care of them.

So here was a man who was in a high place of influence and he used it for the good of God’s people. Not all are called to be teachers or preachers or influencers. Some are called to protect and to help and to support. Wherever we are, we must determine what our role is in God’s Kingdom. But we all do have one. God may have put you in a place of great influence, where you can really help and encourage those who are on the front lines. We should never neglect nor downplay this very important role in God’s family.

Second, we have this interesting exchange between Ahab and Elijah at the end of that three years—

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. (I Kings 18:17-18)

Ahab accuses Elijah of being the “troubler of Israel” but who is the real troubler here? Elijah says it to him straight: Ahab is! He has followed Baal and forsaken God and has brought judgment to Israel.

Oh, how often this happens still today! Particularly in churches. A person stands up for the truth of God’s Word against false teaching and they are demonized and ridiculed. They are called divisive and a “troublemaker”. Normally, they end up pushed out of the church. This has happened over and over again. I’d rather guess it has happened to some of you reading this right now.

It can be discouraging, can’t it? But we must remember that just because someone calls us the “troubler” does not necessarily make it true. Now…we can do things all wrong when we stand for truth and we certainly must be on guard to constantly and intentionally be checking our heart attitudes and our demeanor when we speak up in defense of God and His Word. But speaking up—even if we do it with the right attitude and in the kindest of ways—will often bring censure and anger. The truth of God’s Word is not something that most people love. Often, sadly, this includes even believers.

So don’t be discouraged if you’ve been called a “troubler” in your church or family or workplace. We need to check our attitudes, pray for grace and love, and then speak up against false doctrine and worldliness, when given opportunity. Just as we know God has commanded us to do.

Third, in I Kings 18, verse 21, Elijah accused the people of “limping between two opinions”. However, you can’t waffle between God and pagan worship. You can’t serve God and Satan at the same time. That’s what most in Israel were trying to do.

And I think that often happens in this culture, as well. Only we have more sophisticated, modern names for the things we worship than “Baal”. But, when it all comes down to it, it is the same thing.

When we choose to allow our child to play sports on a Sunday morning instead of go to church, we are dividing our allegiance. When we choose to watch a show or movie filled with wickedness, it’s probably time we just call it what it is: An act of allegiance to the devil. When we live and breathe work or education or even our families, they have become an idol that is in just as much competition with God as Baal ever was.

These idols in our lives sneak in. We don’t set out to worship anything else besides God. But, before we know it, our entire lives are wrapped up in something other than God. We must always be on guard against divided allegiance in our souls.

So those are just a few of the lessons God has for us in I Kings 18. There are more but I do not want to make this too long. I hope this has encouraged you this morning. I know it was very encouraging—and challenging, as well— for me to consider these things.

As we read on in chapter 18, we realize anew that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and that He, and He alone, is the ONE, TRUE GOD. May we keep this in our minds always as we seek to live for Him every single day.

Fake Flowers are a Little Like Fake Religion

3 Comments / June 6, 2023

Something you may not know about me is that I love flowers. Not only do I love flowers but I know a little something about them. My husband and I have owned a landscaping company for 36 years now and one of my responsibilities is ordering and organizing the flowers we plant for our customers. All that to say…

I notice if something isn’t right when it comes to flowers.

For example…

This past weekend our family went to a little amusement park that is nearby. The park was clean and the grandchildren had a fun day as the park was perfect for them and geared toward their ages (7 and under). And, in fact, we adults had a wonderful day just watching them!

However, shortly after we walked into the park, I noticed something strange. There were flowers I had never seen before. I had certainly never planted anything that looked even remotely similar and, upon closer inspection, I noticed they looked rather…odd.

I bent down to investigate further and that is when I realized that they had taken artificial, plastic flowers and stuck them in the ground. One wasn’t even in the ground and the entire thing was lying forlornly in the middle of the bed. I picked it up with disgust and showed it to my husband. What self-respecting amusement park would use fake flowers?!? I was flabbergasted.

We talked about how those fake flowers would be easier to care for, for sure. They would require no watering, no maintenance, no extra hassles.

Yes… but… they weren’t real.

But, looking around, I realized that no one else seemed to care. In fact, most people didn’t even notice those fake flowers at all.

So why did I notice? And why did I care?

I noticed because I love flowers and I know a little something about them. And so when something doesn’t look right, I see it. But most people don’t care all that much about flowers and know even less about them and so, quite naturally, they didn’t care at all about this. And that’s okay. No criticism from me on that point. We all have our different interests.

Oh, but what a perfect analogy…!

We believers are walking through the amusement park of this life. We love God and we love His Word and when something is off we should notice. We should care.

So why do few who call themselves Christians care? Why does very obvious fake religion and false doctrine escape their notice? There are a few reasons that come to mind…

First, we are so easily distracted. We get caught up in life and its responsibilities and we are tired. Too tired to worry about if what the coworker said is true or if that movie our kids want to watch is something we should actually be watching. Just like people walked on by those fake flowers because their kids are complaining or they are purposefully headed to that show before it starts, so we, too, get distracted and miss what’s right in front of us.

Second, we say we love God but often, by our actions, we show that we love self more. We tend to look out for number one. So, although we do truly want to live for God, it is sometimes hard to make obeying Him our first priority. So while we say we love Him with our lips, our hearts are on our own agendas and dreams and certainly not on God’s Word and Will for our lives.

Third, the cost is often higher than we want to pay. For me to stop and point out those fake flowers may have caused an eye roll or two but it didn’t cost me anything that really hurt. However, when you start recognizing the amount of false teaching out there and share with those who are fellow siblings in Christ, we usually pay a high price. It is usually much easier to walk right by that fake religion and pretend it’s not there. Even if we notice it.

Fourth, we can be encumbered by that ugly nemesis of pride. Pride blinds us to what is right in front of us. It keeps us from seeing the truth because we assume we already know the truth. It keeps us from humbly searching for the truth by comparing all things to scripture as we are commanded to do (I Thess. 5:21) because we think we already know it all.

Fifth, there are many false converts. The first four reasons apply to genuine believers who are at various stages in their faith. We must have much grace for our brothers and sisters in Christ because we are all at different places on our journeys. But there are some who claim to be part of our family in Christ who just…aren’t.

Someone may say they love flowers and, yet, by their actions, show a complete and utter lack of interest in flowers. From this we can assume they don’t really love flowers at all but they are just saying that for some reason known only to them. And so it goes with people and God. So many say they love Him but, by their actions, they show they really do not care about Him at all. And so to walk by false doctrine–or even to embrace it– is quite natural for them because they were never regenerated to begin with!

But, of course, we can’t know who these false converts are. And we shouldn’t even try to pick them out. We just need to be aware that this may be the case for that person that shows no interest in God and His Word and is completely lacking in fruit. Don’t judge their salvation because only God knows if they are saved or not. But DO pray for them. And DO pray and ask God to give you opportunity to have conversations with them that point them to Him and His Holy Word.

Just as those fake flowers were easier for me to spot because I love and know flowers, so, too, is false teaching easier to spot when we begin to truly love and know God and His Word. For it is there that we begin to understand what is true and what is false.

So if you want to easily spot fake flowers, learn to love and know flowers. And if you want to spot false teaching (or to even care about it being such an affront to our Holy and Perfect God), then learn to love and know your God and His Word.

The Conditions We Must Consider

2 Comments / May 30, 2023

Have you ever heard someone say “God works all things out for good”? Or “He will give you peace”? We love to say and hear the promises of God. They are encouraging to our souls and they fill us with comfort.

But do we ever stop to consider the conditions that are in place for those promises to be fulfilled? I don’t think we do so intentionally, but perhaps we often just tend to sideline those conditions because they do not offer comfort and they require something of us—two things that aren’t all that attractive. But, of course, we can never just quote the promises without considering the conditions for those promises. God is so kind and faithful and He makes it so clear who His promises are for very specifically.

First and foremost, we must realize that the promises in God’s Word aren’t for everyone in the world but only for His own dear children. We dare not assure an unbeliever that all things will work out for good for them, as we will see the reason later on in this post. But, beyond that, there are some conditions even for us believers. Let’s take a look at some of the favorite verses to quote and see what conditions are attached to the promises, shall we?

Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

This verse promises that God will sustain us and that we will never be moved. But only IF we choose to cast our burden on the Lord and IF we are righteous. Notice God did not use the word “anyone” but very specifically says He won’t permit the “righteous” to be moved.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Here we see that our paths will only be directed by Him when we stop trying to direct our own life. We can’t “have our cake and eat it, too”. We can’t expect His guidance while we continue to hold tightly to the reins of our own lives and demand our own way. His guidance is for those who have given up their own will in order to trust in God’s will for their lives. We can see that this will only be accomplished when we stop leaning on our own finite, short-sighted understanding and acknowledge God in all our ways—whether in small choices or huge decisions—THEN, and only then, can we be assured that He will guide us.

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

Here, in this well-loved verse from Isaiah, we see that we will only be in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on God. Funny thing is…our mind can’t be focused on ourselves and on God at the same time. We have the opportunity to make a choice each time life doesn’t go our way. Will I trust God for all things or will I dwell on and complain about my unhappy circumstances? It’s a choice we Christians make multiple times each day. And, if you are like me, I, too often, make the wrong choice. No wonder peace is missing. I heard this quote the other day: Stress comes when we don’t yield to God. Yes, that’s true. Stress and anxiety come when we don’t yield our will to God’s. Of course, this all sounds great as I write but you and I both know that when the rubber meets the road, it’s downright hard to live. Thank the Lord for His Holy Spirit, Who moves and works in us to grow us to trust God more and more each day as we walk with Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Here is a promise that is perhaps the most quoted one from the Bible. But, here again, we see a condition. Things work together for good to those who love God. And this seems to beg the question—Do I love self more than I love God? If I want to live solely for God and strive to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), then I can rest assured knowing that He will work all things out for His glory and my good. If we think little of God and dwell on our own personal safety, comfort, dreams, and desires as we live this life then we can’t hold on to this promise. It’s not for us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Here again, we have a promise that is so wonderfully appealing. But it, too, comes with a condition. We must let our requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Then, and only then, can we expect that wonderful peace to guard our hearts and minds. You may think— how can I be thankful in the midst of such a heavy trial? But the redeemed child of God always has something to be thankful for…for we are saved from sin through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and now have the sure hope of eternity in heaven. If we can think of nothing else to be thankful for, may we start there.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

This is an interesting promise that assures us that the devil will flee from us. But what must we do to make sure this happens? Two things are given here: Submit to God and resist the devil. Submit to God’s will and give up our will (we saw this same idea in Proverbs, didn’t we? The Bible is SO consistent!). When we insist on our own will—fulfilling our personal desires and dreams—we open ourselves up very much to Satan’s subtle and not-so-subtle temptations… “Oh, just lie about this, compromise on this one tiny thing, …it won’t matter.” And because we want what we want, we will do so. We can do so much to resist the devil simply by submitting to God. For it is our lusts and idols that get us into so much trouble. When we submit to God, we can expect the devil to flee from us for his power over us is limited if he can’t tempt us by using our lusts and idols.

So these are just a few well-known promises of God and the conditions that accompany them. Whenever you hear someone quote a promise of God, look for the condition that goes with it. God’s love is everlasting, His kindness is overwhelming, and His promises are sure, but scripture makes it clear that these are not given indiscriminately but are rather given with very specific conditions.

And let me just reiterate as I conclude this post that, though it is easy to write about these conditions of God’s promises, it is so much harder to live them. Let me assure you that I do not write what is above from a place of “arrival” but from a place of striving, right along with you, at turning my eyes from self to God with each new trial. Every day is a new day that gives me opportunity to submit my will to God’s in both the little things of life and the big things.

But when we make the choice to submit to God and to keep our eyes on Him, we can be sure that, without a doubt, we will experience the fulfillment of God’s promises as we go through each new day. What a wonderful thing to consider! They are no empty promises, but given to God’s dear children as they walk through this troubled world. Great is His faithfulness!

Only Two Places

4 Comments / May 23, 2023

The other night, we were at a ballgame and my husband was sharing with our pastor about his severe back pain and the next step in trying to fix it. The man in front of him turned around and shared that God could heal him. This led to a bit of a theological conversation where it soon was made clear that this man was confused. Finally, our pastor asked: If you were to die tonight what reason would you give for God to let you into heaven?

His answer started with “I”. I did this, I have done that…He was following the rules he believed were going to merit his ticket to heaven.

But rules and good works won’t give you a ticket to heaven.

If you aren’t saved by faith alone in grace alone by Christ alone there are really only two places to land: Legalism or Licentiousness. Living by rules or self-seeking. While there are extremes in both places, all unsaved people land somewhere on the spectrum of one of these. And sometimes –perhaps often– they move from one to another. Because neither gives lasting satisfaction.

Have you ever watched someone leave legalism to living a self-seeking life? We wonder how can this be? How could they look so good and righteous and then turn their back on God so completely to live for self? I believe there are as many answers to that question as there are situations. Each person probably has their own personal reason as to why they gave up on legalism. And it’s probably a pretty good one.

But, honestly, is it that much different than seeing someone living for self turn to legalism in order to please God? We see that, too, don’t we? Someone who has lived a dissolute or worldly life turn to religion to make them happy? It can be any religion. But in that religious worldview, they are given a set of rules to follow in order to please God and reach heaven. This gives them some semblance of peace, although if they are honest, they don’t really know if they are going to heaven and they wonder if their good works will outweigh the bad. This person has simply gone from living in self-denial about eternity to trying really hard now to do something about it.

But both places are lost places. One is full of man-made rules and the other is full of self-seeking but neither leads anyone to peace with the One, True God. That is because God tells us in His Word that there is only one way. John 14:6 puts it this way–

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

If you aren’t saved by faith alone in grace alone by Christ alone then there is no true faith. There is no true Holy Spirit; no eternity in heaven; no steadfast love or mercy; there is no “peace that passeth understanding”; nor is there true joy.

If you don’t believe this is true, then you may as well toss out the Bible. This is what true Christianity is. It is also TRUE for every person in the world. It is why so many have given their lives–sometimes even unto death–to share the Gospel through the years.

More and more, we hear of people who would call themselves Christians living licentious lives. They believe they can do whatever they want whenever they want and that God will approve. They love the world passionately and fully, filling themselves with the entertainment that God hates and by turning to vain and humanistic philosophies (most often fed to them by “Christian” therapists) rather than to the Bible.

Less often now we see the typical legalism based on rules (although it is still alive and well!). We also see a new legalism is rising. The one that says that in order to be close to God you must have visions, or speak in tongues, or hear from Him audibly.

But none of these things are to be found in the Word. Anywhere. It is all delusions and deceptions and man-made methods from the Father of Lies himself. I suggest that you take some time to read and study Romans 6, Colossians 3, James 4, and Jude to understand why both legalism and licentiousness are places of considerable spiritual danger.

These places can be tempting to lean towards, even for those of us who are genuinely saved. It is so much easier to just follow a set of rules than to be worried about my heart and my attitudes. And it’s a lot more fun to follow after my desires and chase my dreams.

I am reminded of two verses I am currently memorizing. They remind us of our need to lay aside those things that would trip us up and to look to Jesus as we run our race. I hope these encourage my fellow believers as they have encouraged me–

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

And, this morning, if you don’t know if you are going to heaven but would like to, then I encourage you to call upon the name of the Lord. Romans 10:13 tells us that all who call upon the Lord will be saved. No one will be turned away. No sin is too great, no past is too ugly. Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. And salvation is a free gift for all. I pray that you will turn to God today. (You can start by turning to the book of John in the Bible to get to know who Jesus really is. If I can help feel free to contact me. I’d love to talk with you about this.)

Life lived with Jesus may be hard but it is always worthwhile. And the message of the Bible may not be popular but it is true. May we be courageous and bold to point people to the truth and to share the hope that is within us in the midst of the great delusions of legalism and licentiousness.

Growing in the Wall

1 Comment / May 17, 2023

The other day we were driving by a rock wall when I noticed various and sundry weeds and vines growing through its cracks and crevices (see photo above). How do they even do that? I wondered.

Plants must have three things in order to flourish: Something in which to grow their roots, water, and light. Amazingly, these plants are able to get enough of these three necessities through a tiny crack in a rock wall.

Sometimes, the things life throws at us makes us feel like we are a tiny seed sitting on a wall with nowhere to go. We are stuck on a hot surface without hope.

But those vines growing from that wall remind us that there is always hope. It just may not be quite like we had dreamed. Instead of waiting to be transported by a lovely wind to fertile soil, we need to just dig down into our current surroundings and sprout wherever it is we find ourselves this very day.

So often we want to wait until the conditions are perfect–

“I’ll start studying my Bible when….”

“We will go back to church if…”

“I’d like to attend that Bible study but I can’t until…”

“I’ll serve and help others when…”

WHEN…UNTIL…IF

things slow down a little

soccer season is over

I feel better

I retire

this terrible trial ends

We have a million reasons for why we are choosing to sit on that rock wall instead of putting our roots down right where we are. But that rock wall reminds us not to wait. It reminds us that we need to grow now. That we don’t have to wait. A form of rock wall will always be there because there will always be excuses that will keep us from walking with God. When one ends, we will think of another one.

But we can bloom right now–right where we are at. But how?

A few things that have helped me to do this through the years are–

• Make prayer and Bible Reading our first priority of the morning. I know people say you can do this anytime and that is true. There is no biblical command for morning Bible reading. But, in my personal experience, I find that if I wait until the end of the day, I will be too tired or too distracted. It seems I always find a reason to put it off until the next day.

• Evaluate our priorities. I don’t know about you, but when I am crazy busy I often find that there are things I can eliminate. They are things that I have set up as important in my mind but, when I am honest, they can wait. It is important that I don’t make these priorities more important than my time with God.

• Be willing to deny self in order to do what’s right. This one can be hard. Back in 2020, when our church shut down, we realized we thoroughly enjoyed staying home on Sunday mornings and having a leisurely morning with an hour dedicated to listening to a sermon. This was far more comfortable and convenient than giving up a whole morning to go to Sunday School and Church. But to stay in that place would have been unhealthy and not what God would have wanted and so we knew we had to go back to church, although our flesh would have said to stay home. This is just one example of denying self to do what’s right. There are so many others, aren’t there? TV shows and novels draw us and we choose them over Bible reading. OCD tendencies can make some choose a pristine kitchen over Bible reading. There are so many ways we can and should deny self. But they are so very HARD to do. But with intention and the Holy Spirit, we can choose to do what is right over what we want when the two are not the same.

These are just three simple things that have helped me (and continue to help me) in those times when I feel stuck and like I am not growing. Perhaps they may be helpful to some of you? If you have other suggestions, please comment below. I’d love to hear how you “grow in the wall”!

May we bloom right where we are planted on this day. Regardless of how busy our schedules, how frustrating our circumstances, or how deep our trials. For God will always provide one small crack in which we can dig our roots.

Some Reflections on the Past Thirteen Years

7 Comments / May 10, 2023

Next month will begin my fourteenth year of writing at Growing4Life. This blog has changed a bit over those years but the tag line of the blog is still the goal of the blog — to encourage believers to never be satisfied with “status quo” Christianity.

What is status quo Christianity? It’s the Christianity that doesn’t care a whole lot about what the Bible says about much of anything. It’s the Christianity that looks like the world, thinks like the world, and acts like the world. It’s the Christianity that finds its validity in church attendance or small group or mission trips. It’s the Christianity that is nice to people but rarely truthful; that focuses on self-fulfillment and dreams coming true rather than on pleasing God. It’s one or two of these things in some and all of these things in others.

As I started to study the Bible– really study it– God showed me that this isn’t what Christianity is about at all. And, in fact, that most religion that goes by the label “Christianity” today isn’t really Christianity at all. No, instead, I realized that biblical Christianity is actually quite the opposite of status quo in almost every way–

True, genuine Christianity cares about what the Bible says in every area of life (Psalm 19). Biblical Christianity seeks to “unfriend” the world and live separately from its philosophies, entertainment, and lifestyles (James 4:4). It finds its validity in a relationship and not in a list of good works (Romans 8). True Christianity is both kind and truthful (Ephesians 4:15). And it calls us to focus on God and His will, denying self in order to please Him (Luke 9:23).

And so this blog began to focus on this difference as I learned more and more (and continue to learn still today!) through my study of the Word. Through the years, the biblical and the status quo have begun to be more obvious in their differences. For a long, long time they walked side by side and they were intertwined in such a way that it was hard to distinguish between the two. But not so much anymore.

Interestingly enough, with this parting of ways, I’ve noticed a trend that saddens me deeply. People who I would have expected to stick with biblical Christianity have gone down the status quo road. They have followed after the latest and greatest and man’s philosophies rather than wholeheartedly searching the scripture.

If you have been around here for awhile, I am guessing that you are noticing this trend as well. Some of you have even mentioned it to me. It is a hard thing to watch people you trusted and friends or family you love take the path away from the Bible and towards the coming one-world religion.

Of course, this is not a statement on anyone’s salvation. Let’s be clear on that, shall we? I, myself, was caught up in worldliness but that didn’t make me unsaved. I imbibed books and movies with anti-god, unbiblical themes. That made me rebellious and disobedient and deceived but it didn’t take away my salvation. God, through His Word, is ever so faithfully leading me and growing me. All praise and glory go to Him for any good in my life. He is doing the same for all who are redeemed through Christ’s blood. It would be nice to be automatically spiritually mature from the moment of salvation but it just doesn’t work like that! So we must have so much grace for one another!

So this is never–and has never been–about judging someone’s salvation but it has always been about calling genuine believers to walk with God as we are called to in His Word. And to never give up on this, even amidst the failures and the stumbling and the discouragement (and I’ve shared many of my own experiences with these through the years. Writing here doesn’t make me immune to these things!)

Writing in this way and about this topic of genuine Christianity as opposed to status quo Christianity has grown increasingly unpopular. More and more, I feel isolated in my calling. I know there are others of us (you are probably one if you have read this far in this post!) out there but we are so few, are we not? And the hatred for “our type” is growing. To stand up for the truth of God’s Word is to basically open yourself up to ridicule, irritation, antagonism, and sometimes even persecution.

And then there is the confusion and chaos we need to constantly be wading through. It seems like if a speaker or ministry is biblical in one area they have another completely wrong. It’s so confusing and so discouraging and it is growing worse by the day. Just as we knew it would. I know that this theological chaos lead some to stop following me.

So I just want to reiterate here once again: I am following scripture to the best of my knowledge. If I ever find out that scripture teaches something different than I have posted here, I will admit it, apologize, and share the truth. That is my commitment to you, my reader.

Because the only thing that matters is what the Bible says! Only there can we find out what God thinks. And that’s all that matters. Don’t follow people. I hope I can encourage you towards the Word and in the Word but I am so imperfect. I struggle daily, just like you do. I am nothing without Christ. In Christ alone do I boast.

The other day, as has been my experience in the past, I heard of certain people who don’t like me. This kind of thing always knocks me for a loop. Even though it has happened so often. This very public platform that speaks regarding a very unpopular topic leads many to not “like” me. And perhaps some of it is deserved. As I’ve said above and before, I don’t do this perfectly. I am sure sometimes I am too harsh or say things that don’t need to be said. I wish I could do this perfectly but I know full well I do not.

Of course, most who dislike me don’t say it to my face. They just distance themselves through a variety of ways. Readers often just disappear, never telling me why. Even those who had reached out in friendship for many years. Because of this, I can honestly say that some days I find myself discouraged to be traveling this path.

But God clearly created this path for me to follow (you can read more about how He showed me this here) and so, for thirteen years, I have followed it. I plan to follow it until He clearly directs me off of this path. I just want to do what He wants me to do.

I am studying Jonah right now in the Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge and I have been convicted by Jonah’s attitude. He was more concerned for his shade than he was for the lost. He cared more about himself than he did about others. When I grow discouraged here I know it is because I am caring more about myself than I am about others.

If God has shown us the truth from His Word, we must boldly proclaim it for it is only this truth that sets us free! We know that it is not only our only hope but the only hope for everyone else, too! It is the only hope for the lost to be found and for the saved to be sanctified. And so, no matter the cost and no matter our feelings, we must keep encouraging others in the truth of God’s Word. Remembering that it is God we seek to please and not self. As Paul reminds us–

 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.(Galatians 1:10)

So, instead of staying focused on our desires and dreams and disappointments, may we instead obtain an eternal perspective, keeping our eyes fully focused on God with hearts filled with compassion for others.

A Window Into a Life

2 Comments / May 3, 2023

I have spent the last couple months helping my mom go through my aunt Sarah’s things. My aunt, who was killed in a car accident on March 3 by a drunk driver, had no one left but my mom. Her husband, her only child, her parents, and her two brothers had all gone on before her. That left her only sister, my mom, to help her as she grew older, although many of her other relatives did support and encourage her–particularly my cousin Mark, who took the time to call her every day and whom she loved dearly. Because she had no family of her own, she joined our family gatherings and celebrations as an adopted and much beloved member of our family. She was kind and generous and made us laugh. Needless to say, our family feels incomplete without her.

Going through her things fell to my mom and, of course, I wanted to help her. It is quite the job going through someone’s things, as I know so many of you fully understand.

I knew it would be time-consuming, but what I didn’t realize is how emotionally difficult and draining it would be. What we keep through the years really says something about us. It gives a window into the soul of a person in ways that conversations never can.

I already knew my aunt Sarah LOVED knick-knacks but came to understand this in a much more meaningful way as we gathered item after item from every conceivable surface. Many were the $1.99 or .97 cent Goodwill tags we found on the bottom of porcelain or glass figurines. She had some things she especially loved and we found lots of bears, eagles, dogs, cats, and apples. She loved animals, which was evidenced by the many figurines and doodads found in her home. They loved her, too (as you can see in the top right photo) and she was often found with a little dog curled up on her lap.

We also found several of those Avon glass aftershave bottles that used to be in the shapes of things. Deer, bear, birds, trains… anyone remember those? And my aunt loved Christmas and she loved gaudy things and so we also found lots of tacky Christmas decorations. We even found a big bucket of dehydrated food in case of an emergency– 200 homemade, gourmet meals are claimed to be in that bucket! Haha!

We discovered that if she liked a specific shirt, she’d go back and get it in every color. There were four or five shirts that were in multiples of different colors. One specific one seemed to have endless color options and I am sure we packed away ten or twelve of that same shirt in every color possible. Like most of us, she mostly wore only a handful of the plentiful options in her closet and there were some things that were never worn at all. And it was definitely confirmed that purple was her favorite color, which we already knew.

We also discovered that she had kept lots and lots of things from my grandma’s house and memories flooded my mind as I saw things on shelves and in cabinets that I hadn’t seen in years. But none brought more memories flooding back than when I opened her bathroom cabinet to start clearing it out and found the plastic frog that used to sit on my grandmother’s tub and hold the Dove soap. Immediately, I was back in my grandmother’s tiny bathroom, playing with that frog, spritzing the side of the tub with the squirty hole at the top of his white hat while I was taking a bath in her tub. Why my aunt kept this plastic frog all these years I have no idea. But isn’t it amazing how something can take you back to your childhood in a second? Of course, I’ll probably keep it for my kids to find one day. But it won’t mean a thing to them. To them, it will be junk to discard. Such is the nature of “stuff”. What to one has great sentimental value, to another has no value at all.

And, while we had some good laughs over the many odd and sundry things that she kept through the years, we also found some things that made us feel sad. Guest books and programs from the funerals of those she loved so dearly; expired driver’s licenses of her husband and son; lots and lots of old photos of her beloved family; and a diary of daily activity of sorts (but no date).

Another thing we found in her kitchen cabinets were gifts that we had given to her that had been tucked away and never used. Cute mugs were put in a cabinet far from the sink, because, clearly, she had preferred her tiny, {very} stained Corelle coffee cups.

This window into her life has been sad but it’s also been interesting. I wish I could talk with her about some of the things I found and find out why they were special to her. I wish we could talk more about the music she so obviously loved and her memories of Christmases long ago.

But we just always think we have tomorrow, don’t we?

The most precious thing we found were a stack of notebooks that were filled with Bible verses. She had very specifically chosen these verses and had handwritten each one. Her Bible was well-used and her devotional book held a bookmark that was located at the very date of her death. She had had her devotions that very morning before she left, unaware that she was going to meet Jesus in just a few short hours.

My aunt had been rather reticent about her walk with God and so, while we had always assumed and hoped that she knew the Lord as her personal Savior, there was always a teeny bit of doubt and uncertainty. But finding her Bible and these notebooks were such a comfort to us. Sometimes people just struggle to talk about the things of the Lord. It may be just a personality thing or it may be the vestiges of hurts and experiences from long ago. But, whatever the reason, in this case it took her death to get a better idea just where she stood with the Lord. Those notebooks, especially, felt like a gift from the Lord.

As we finished up packing most of her things today, I thought about my own home and what my family would find if they packed up my things. What about your family? What would they find? Would it be clear that we loved God with our whole hearts? Would there be well-worn Bibles, prayer journals, or notebooks filled with handwritten Bible verses? Would they find any wicked or demonic entertainment or books? What if they went on to our computers and read our emails or looked at our web history?

This was a great reminder that what is hidden will be revealed in the end. Eventually, we will all leave this earth and who we were will be made clear to those we love. What a great reminder to live pure and holy lives, both publicly and privately.

This exercise of going through my aunt’s things confirmed how important it is to be intentional about purifying my life and walking with God. Because one day our loved ones will learn to know us in a whole new way. May there be no surprises but, rather, may it simply be a confirmation of who they already knew us to be!

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