Encouragement

He Shall Direct Thy Paths

2 Comments / May 27, 2025

Proverbs 3:5-6 are probably two of the most-loved verses in all of scripture. They remind us to trust the Lord, to lean not on our own understanding, and promise us God’s direction. But as I was reading this chapter this morning, I realized that these two little verses must be taken in context. They are surrounded by some other pretty important nuggets of wisdom that can’t be overlooked if we long to trust the Lord and have Him direct our paths.

Such as…

(Vs. 1-2) we dare not forget God’s law and we must work diligently to keep His commandments. We are even told that, as a rule, doing this will give us a long life and peace. Of course, there are legitimate exceptions to this due to God’s sovereign will, but we can see how living a moral, upright life will keep us from a lot of harm.

(Vs. 3) Do not forsake mercy and truth. Can we overestimate the value of mercy and truth in the life of a believer?

Truth keeps us on the straight and narrow path and keeps us from deception. Our only hope of protection and a victorious Christian life is to love the truth of God’s Word more than we love anything else. This is easy to write but hard to live. We all have areas in which we are tempted to ignore, bypass, or outright reject the truth of scripture because the cost is so much higher than we are willing to pay. It is so important that we ask the Lord to give us courage and steadfastness and the willingness to submit to and obey His Word, no matter the cost.

Mercy is what will keep us humble as we seek to follow the truth. My grandfather used to say that “pride is a handle that fits any tool” and there is no tool that it fits better than trying to do what’s morally right and obeying God’s commands. But mercy will keep us from turning up our noses at others and will fill us with humility as we recognize that all genuine believers have victories and we all struggle—just in different ways. Mercy and grace abound in humility of heart and live in perfect harmony with Truth.

(Vs. 7) And then this most important verse after verse 6. This verse explains how we are practically able to execute verses 5 and 6.

First, we are not to be wise in our own eyes. Here we go back to pride again. Pride will keep us from submission to the Lord, it will keep us leaning on our own understanding instead of the Lord’s, it will cause us to stray from the narrow path, AND it will destroy our relationships.

Second, we are to fear the Lord. What does this mean? That we are “scared” of Him? No, of course not. The fear of the Lord means having the proper, reverential, submissive attitude towards the Lord. It means we live our lives with God at the center, instead of ourselves, holding Him in awe and recognizing His greatness, omnipotence, and glory. Earlier in this book, we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). That’s how important it is that we fear the Lord.

Third, we are to depart from evil. We cannot expect the Lord to direct our paths if we are purposely walking outside His will in sin or worldliness. Evil comes in all shapes and sizes and, through our study of God’s Word, we soon begin to understand that we have far too narrow view of this word. It goes far beyond the “awful stuff” we tend to put in its category and encompasses but is not limited to: Wicked entertainment that goes against God both morally and philosophically; immodest dress and other ways we draw attention to ourselves; an unforgiving and unloving spirit; selfishness; rebellion against God’s laws; and passion for the world’s wealth and status (just to name a few!) If we are honest with ourselves, we all have something that tempts us to do evil. This is why it is so important that we be examining our hearts and our lives on a regular basis.

(Vs. 8) Doing these three things will not only help us to trust the Lord, lean not our understanding, and help us discern God’s direction for our path; but they will also make us healthy spiritually. They will enable us to live a victorious Christian life.

Sometimes we can oversimplify the words of God. And, while loving just two verses we pull out of scripture isn’t necessarily bad, it is so important that we study our favorite passages in the context which they are given. We will get so much more from God’s Word when we take the time to meditate upon our favorite verses in their proper context.

𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘸;
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴:
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦.
𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦:
𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬;
𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵:
𝘚𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯.
𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵;
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴.
𝘉𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴:
𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭.
𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.
* Proverbs 3:1-8 *

Hopelessly Flawed

2 Comments / May 12, 2025

Every now and again, I bear a bit of my soul here on the blog. I am going to do that today.

Getting old is not all that fun. Now, don’t get me wrong—there are some amazing blessings in the process. For me, personally, some of these have been my adult children becoming my friends, my precious grandchildren, and wisdom learned from really hard lessons. But there is a lot of grief (for a variety of reasons) involved in the process of getting older, as well. One of the most shallow reasons for grief is the loss of outward beauty.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I looked in a mirror and liked what I saw. I don’t say this to garner any comments (please do not comment) but I share this for a very specific reason.

Now, if I’m honest, I never did think I was that much to look at. It’s not like I was some great beauty even in my youth. But as I’ve gotten older, unsightly brown spots have made their appearance all over my arms and legs. Worse yet, a few large ones decided to settle on my face. My weight has crept up and the pounds seem to want to take up permanent residence unless I make drastic lifestyle changes—changes that I just can’t find the energy to make with everything going on in my life. My hair has darkened into an unattractive, lackluster shade, complete with some unsymmetrical streaks of gray around my temples. All in all, it has been a discouraging turn of events.

But here’s the thing: This is life.

There are things we can do to rid ourselves of these things. We can have the dermatologist remove brown spots (but they can return). We can work hard to lose weight but, if we are someone who loves food, the battle is real. (I remember talking with an elderly friend years ago who battled her flesh in this area her whole life. I can so relate.) We can color our hair. We can have surgery for unsightly varicose veins. We can get nose jobs and Botox and plump our lips artificially.

But in the end, we will get old. We can’t stop it from happening. And, in fact, unless we are making unhealthy or undisciplined choices, what is happening is natural.

Did older women used to stress about these things? Back before there was a push to stay young forever; back before “youth” was the be-all end-all… did they care about the extra pounds around their middle? Did they get so upset about nature taking its course on their body? How much of this is cultural?

But that’s another conversation for another day. I am writing today because I want to share the lesson I have been learning as I have been working through all of this. You see, what is happening in my heart and mind is so much more important than what is happening to me physically.

When I look in the mirror and am filled with discontentment, I am focused on the wrong thing. I am being ungrateful, I am being self-absorbed, I am being worldly.

Any focus on self—whether it be negative or positive is simply self-absorption at the core. Self-esteem is not a biblical concept—no matter what “Christian” promotes it. We are to live for God and not for self.

Looking in the mirror with discontent is wrong. Looking in the mirror with a boastful heart is wrong. Both are wrong.

Let me share a story. This is fictional.

Once upon a time, there were three sisters. They were very close to one another but one day, a dreadful argument began between the three of them that lasted for days. Their feelings towards each other and their frustration spilled out on to the people around them, sowing discord and contention.

Finally, they sat down to talk it out. Instead of blame, they began to think of things for which they were grateful for regarding the other person. The humility of this act brought about the necessary spirit for forgiveness and healing. At the end, one sister said this statement:

We are all so hopelessly flawed.

Wow. How true is this? We are all so hopelessly flawed. I am just so hopelessly flawed.

I can recognize this when I am dissatisfied with how I look. I should be grateful! God has given me so very much to be thankful for! There are so many things my body is able to do each day. So many ways in which God allows me to enjoy life through the use of my arms and legs. There is always something to be thankful for and it changes our attitudes.

And, yet, I can find myself mourning what used to be. This is a hopelessly flawed response.

Paul tells us in Philippians to press on and not look behind (3:13-14)—

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Growing older isn’t something to be ashamed of. And it’s not something to be proud of. It just is. It’s just one stage in a series of stages we all live through—none is more important than another. They just are.

No matter what age we are, we can find things for which we can be grateful.

Never regret growing older,

It’s a privilege denied to many.

But, since we are talking about flaws, I may as well confess that I am hopelessly flawed in so many areas of my life, not just this one. The older I get the more I realize this. It can be so very discouraging.

When the three sisters from the story admitted that they were all so hopelessly flawed, they realized how much they needed each other. And that’s so true, isn’t it? We all have strengths and weaknesses and we need each other.

We don’t always appreciate the ways in which others are not like us but if we were all alike, it would be a sad world indeed.

I thank God for His Sovereignty in bringing just the right people into my life—whether for a lifetime or for just a small window of time. Nothing is an accident.

Just think how some of the most frustrating and hurtful people in your life taught you some of life’s most important lessons—patience, forgiveness, not holding grudges, and how to love unconditionally.

God truly does use the people we encounter to grow us to look more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29), whether it be to support and encourage us or to teach us really hard lessons.

But the sisters missed the most important thing. It was a secular story so I expected this. But being hopelessly flawed doesn’t only remind us why we need each other but, so much more importantly, this reminds us why we need Jesus. Only Jesus can cover our hopelessly flawed self with His righteousness. This is why He died and rose again—to enable our hopelessly flawed selves to be right with God and to live forever with Him. Only Jesus!

And so, while recognizing our flaws can be very discouraging, they also serve as a reminder of how much we need Jesus. I am nothing without Him. None of us are.

May we turn our focus from self to God. From our feelings to God’s Word. From discontentment to gratitude. From frustration to patience. From irritation to kindness. For this is how we can be sure to keep growing in the Lord and be a blessing to those around us.

Easier said than done, yes. But God…

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)

It is Good to Seek the Lord and to Wait on Him (But it’s Not Always Easy!)

1 Comment / April 1, 2025

A long time ago now, I found myself faced with a dilemma. After some time and a bit of rather flippant prayer, a solution presented itself that looked perfect. I didn’t even hesitate but went right on ahead, assuming this was from the Lord.

And, while I do believe the Lord was in control and knew exactly what He was doing, the decision didn’t turn out to be anything like I planned and life become a bit rocky for awhile there. I believe learning through this careless decision was part of God’s purpose and I did learn some hard lessons through the process.

This situation was brought to mind this morning as I read I Samuel 8. The Israelites think they want a king. And, while Samuel assures them they most certainly should not want this, predicting all the negative changes that will come to their lives—they insist.

Because they thought they knew best.

Just like the Israelites, I was desperate for a solution and thought I knew best. Rather than lean on the Lord and wait on His timing, I went right ahead and did what I thought looked right and would ease my burden.

But when we move ahead without God, our burdens aren’t eased. They are multiplied. As we move further on into Samuel, we will find that Israel moving on without God’s approval was costly. Just as I found out the same thing.

Making decisions and solving problems can be a difficult thing in this life. But I am learning that I need to submit myself to God’s will and wait on Him when I am faced with a dilemma. I am still learning to pray more comprehensively and more deeply about things; to pray with a more eternal perspective rather than a desperate “make my life easier” plea.

Israel wanted a quick fix and they thought that quick fix was a King. I wanted a quick fix and thought I knew what that was.

Both Israel and myself paid when we went that route. It’s a good reminder that we must seek the Lord and wait on Him. What does He desire for us?

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

It’s good to seek the Lord and it’s good to wait on Him but this is NOT always an easy thing to do. Especially for those of us who just want resolution. The waiting is so hard and the temptation to just jump ahead with our own solution is a great one.

Oh, that we may continue to learn to seek the Lord and to wait on His timing. I have a feeling it will be a lifelong challenge to fully learn this important truth!

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.

The Buzzy Bothersome Fly

2 Comments / October 1, 2024

The fly was one of those kinds of flies. You know the kind with the extremely loud buzz that seems extra agitated and can’t sit for more than a second?

This is what greeted me the other morning as I sat down for my quiet time in our sun room. I debated for a second. Should I get a fly swatter? But it was so very agitated that it would be impossible to find it, much less swat it.

I sat down to see what would happen. The buzzing could be heard from across the room. It was so loud and distracting. It would move closer and closer to my head and then off it would go again. At one point, I did grab the fly swatter but it moved way too fast and just wouldn’t land.

So I sat down again. And tried to focus on my Bible.

Eventually, it either landed somewhere or flew to a different room because I noticed that it was finally quiet. I have no idea what happened to it. I never saw it again.

Distractions that come at us on a daily basis are a little like that buzzy bothersome fly, aren’t they?

They buzz around us loudly, demanding our attention. You can almost hear them saying, “chase after me…”

They keep us from prayer, from meditating and studying scripture, and from doing the good works the Lord has planned for us, such as caring for our families as we should or acts of loving service to others. Always insisting that they are more important, these buzzing flies have our full attention for far too long before we even realize what happened.

These flies can come in the shape of emails, social media, and news. They are things like entertainment, hobbies, sports, or overcommitment. Sometimes the “flies” are not bad things but they keep us from the best things.

For me, personally, my greatest buzzy bothersome fly is my phone. This small device demands my attention even when I am with people I love. I see other people who may suffer from this same distraction, as well. They hold the device when they are with family or friends, staring intently at it.

I wonder why do I do this? Why do I care about anything on my phone when I am with someone I love? And why does it call my name when I am spending time with my Lord?

Be rest assured that I am writing this with myself in mind. I am not judging anyone else. You may have a good reason that your phone is demanding your attention that no one else knows. This is a really personal thing because, generally, no one knows why the screen we are staring at is so important to us at that moment. Only we can examine our phone usage (particularly during our Bible study/prayer times or in the presence of others) and determine if it is unnecessary or even rude. But I believe it’s a pretty important question for many of us. One that needs an honest answer.

I think there is a good explanation for this innate drive to stare at this powerful object (and an intentional, very evil purpose) behind it all but that is not the purpose of this post.

No, the purpose of this post is to encourage us all (myself included) to examine what is distracting us from our best, most God-honoring life? And then to intentionally go about changing it, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Consider for a moment, if you will, a stick in a fast-flowing stream. What will keep that stick from flowing downstream? Nothing can or will unless someone intentionally picks it up from the stream and removes it.

We are like that stick in a stream that is quickly flowing away from growing in godliness and moving us towards a status quo, ineffective life. Our lives will not change unless we decide to intentionally change it. Yes, true and lasting change is impossible without the Holy Spirit, Who is there to give us the strength and help we need. But we need to remember that He’s not going to just swoop in and change us without any effort on our part (see verses below).

Effort is hard and some of us just feel…unmotivated. But may we not be so unmotivated that we stop living with intention. Even little changes can reap big benefits. What is one change we can make today that will start us moving in the right direction?

Our intentional efforts, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to be conformed to the image of Christ and to not be conformed to this world will shine the light of the Gospel into this dark, weary world. And it will encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, reminding them that He does have the power to change those who want to be changed.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. (2 Thess. 3:13)

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

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.

Finding Perspective

4 Comments / June 11, 2024

We were at the Outer Banks for a little anniversary getaway last week. Just my husband and me. We had planned to go away last year for our 35th wedding anniversary but life got in the way. As it often does. (Our anniversary is not until August. Last week was just when we could make the time to get away for a few days.)

While we were vacationing last week, we ran into people from all over the United States and from the rest of the world, who come there to work for the summer, some who end up staying there to live.

I will often start a conversation with waiters and store clerks just to be friendly. And so I will ask just basic questions…questions like “how do you enjoy the weather here at the Outer Banks?” I found this particular question to be quite dependent upon where the person had come from. For example, one young lady from Ohio thought it was so warm there as compared to her native state. But the young woman from Jamaica thought it was so cold! Depending upon where they were coming from was what determined their answer to this particular question.

How true is this for each of us? What looks hard or difficult to some, looks like a “cakewalk” to others. For example, a few weeks ago when I flew to Texas by myself to visit my daughter and her family I had all sorts of troubles and trials in getting there and in coming back. To someone who flies regularly, I am sure they would just consider this par for the course. But to myself, unfamiliar with airports and already a bit on edge when I fly, it was quite difficult and I found myself almost in tears a time or two (I will add that I now know that I can fly by myself even if things don’t go as planned, knowing that God will shed His mercy on me even if my plans go all to shreds. As He showed me in amazing ways even on that journey. Such small things…and yet so big…!)

A few weeks ago, we found out that one of our closest friends has stage four cancer. The wife of the couple has been one of my best friends since we were in 5th grade. We are devastated for them and for ourselves. They know the Lord and He is sustaining them, but as many of you already know…the journey they are on is not an easy one. We love them both so much and we are still reeling from shock. But we recognize that we are hurting for our friends. My friend is hurting for her husband. Her husband is hurting for his beloved family. (Please do pray for them. I won’t share their names for privacy’s sake but God knows who they are…)

It has been challenging to process any of our own trials these past few weeks as we recognize the depth of theirs. And we’ve had quite a few. Some minor, others not as minor. But still not-so-big comparatively. What had looked big doesn’t look as big anymore. And, yet, they still need to be gone through. The illnesses, the infections, the aches and pains, the surgeries and the recoveries, the ridicule and antagonism that comes when we wholeheartedly follow the Lord, the loss of those we love, the very real grief that comes with life changes, the challenges that naturally come with marriage, having kids, and growing older.

I’d like to add here that I’ve been so grateful for our friends’ trust in God during their journey. Her kindness in praying for me with some of my own little trials amidst her great one has been a source of great encouragement to me. I know God is sustaining them as they travel this road through the many prayers that are being lifted for them. They are reminding both my husband and me that God’s promises are very real.

But back to the subject at hand…how we face trials can be so much about our perspective. What may look huge to us can morph into not-so-huge, depending on what else is going on in our lives. But, no matter what trials and troubles we are facing, whether big or small, they tell us so much about ourselves, don’t they?

If you subscribe to the blog and read the personal letter I sent out a few weeks ago (not posted publicly), then you will know that I intentionally took a break from writing these past few weeks. I have been so emotionally drained. I didn’t even feel like writing. Plus I didn’t really have time to write, either. Lots has been going on and it was best to just step back for a bit.

I shared on the Growing4Life Facebook page a week or so ago that my brother mentioned in a sermon how a lake can be clear blue on a still sunny day. But when the storm comes, the mud from the bottom comes swirling up and the water becomes a muddy mess. He compared this to what happens to us in trials. We can look like “pretty good” Christians but then the trials come and sins we thought we had victory over come roaring back or perhaps new sins beckon to us.

This is one of the things that has been so difficult for me specifically this past month or two (and maybe the past year) was recognizing how much sin is still in my heart as I have faced certain trials. Particularly the sins of worry and anxiety. Do I trust God or don’t I? Surely, I’ve come further than this? But no, no, I had to face the reality that I haven’t. It has been both discouraging and disappointing.

As I have struggled through this, I found myself feeling utterly unqualified to continue writing here or anywhere. My goodness, if I still struggle so, surely I have no business writing about God and His Word.

But one of the things God has been reminding me of during this time is that it’s not about me. If it was, I would have had to quit writing years ago. Or probably never even started. For I am an undeserving sinner who has been saved by God’s grace alone through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. I will never merit God’s favor. I have nothing good to offer. Jesus Christ is my only righteousness.

And so I don’t write because I’ve reached any kind of perfection or some spiritual “level”. For I am utterly hopeless this side of glory. I write because I want to point you (and myself) to God and to His Word, where we find not only His commands but also His abundant promises, given to those that love Him and want to please Him. I will keep singing my God’s praises and declaring the truth of His Word because I believe with my whole heart that it is our perfect and only anchor for the Christian life.

And so, though life hasn’t been as carefree as usual (and could continue in this way), I do find myself grateful that God has reminded me how much I need Him over these past few weeks. I am so thankful for the many mercies He has poured upon my life, the examples of strong Christian faith that He has given to me in believers around me, and the many encouraging words and prayers on my behalf (which include many from you, my readers. Your kind emails in response to my personal letter meant more to me than you can imagine).

As we all continue on as pilgrims traveling in a foreign land–some facing tremendous trials right now and others small ones (but perhaps numerous)– may we trust the Lord who loves us and cares for us, may we live for His glory, and may we take just one hour at a time, knowing that God’s great grace and mercy will lead us all the way.

Please Note: What I have shared here today is very personal. Perhaps too personal. It makes me feel very vulnerable. If this has encouraged you, I hope you will let me know because it is extremely disconcerting when I put myself “out on a limb” (so to speak) and there is little response.

I also want to be clear that I am not complaining about this season of life. We all walk through different seasons. And I have talked to so many that are going through similar seasons. Or much worse. This is not about me nor is it to draw attention to myself. As always, I just like to share what God is teaching me in different seasons of my life. And to remind us all that God is faithful in all our seasons.

He’s Still Working on Me (Life Lessons from Philippians)

8 Comments / April 5, 2024

Before I begin today’s post, I do want to give a bit of explanation as to what’s ahead on Growing4Life as related to last week’s post. When I gave the introduction for the Religions Study last week, I had no idea the scope of what I had undertaken. As I started to dig into the first part on Catholicism, I found so much information that I began to realize that this will take much time to sort through it all and determine what is most important to include in a single post.

I am considering writing up a longer, more detailed pdf version for each religion featured. Would this be something any of you would appreciate? I could attach the more detailed pdf to the posts, if it would be helpful. My decision to do this will be partially based on your response. I am also considering writing up a “Religion at a Glance” pdf to attach. Would this be helpful? Your responses would be most appreciated as I try to determine the best way to go about this study. I love to hear your thoughts.

As I have begun my study, I have come to understand that this is a HUGE subject and I desire to give it the attention it deserves. I am not sure how quickly I can accomplish this with my other life responsibilities. But I do want to let you know that I am committed to this series, no matter how long it takes. I will add them to this page, as I write them.

I also wanted to apologize that you received two of the same post last week. I was having trouble with the WordPress platform and, in order to fix, it I needed to delete and repost the post. In the process of doing that, I never even thought about the fact that you would receive the same post twice. Please accept my apologies.

Okay, on to Philippians.

This month, the Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge is taking a break from Revelation and heading over to Philippians. It is a welcome break after the heaviness of Revelation (which, by the way, has been an incredible study!). As I’ve been listening to and reading the first chapter of Philippians this week, many, many thoughts come to mind. Thoughts of application to my own life and also thoughts of what God is saying through Paul in this short letter as compared to modern day “Christianity”. I thought I may share a few posts dedicated to these insights and thoughts throughout the upcoming month. I hope they are a blessing, particularly for those who are participating in the 2024 Bible Reading Challenge this year.

Today, I’d like to focus on just a short verse from Philippians, chapter one:

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (verse 6)

There is nothing like a break from “normal” to remind me how inadequate and, yes, sinful, that I still am. My husband had the second surgery on his schedule (you will remember that last summer he had his back surgery and now last week, he had his first knee replacement, with a second still to come) and so I find myself once again in the role of caregiver. I am trying so hard to be the best caregiver I can be, but I realized the other day how woefully short I fall.

For example, I am just not natured to be a caregiver. While I love my family so very much, I would never make a good nurse. The other day, I accidentally handled my husband’s leg more roughly than I should have and someone made a sarcastic remark about my lack of care. I almost started crying. I truly didn’t even think of it (oh, how I wish I was someone who DID think of these things. I hate that I am not more thoughtful and careful). The comment filled me with so much disappointment in myself because I so badly want to be the best caregiver I can be. And yet, while I can improve, this will never be my natural bent and I will always have to work much harder than many of you at doing this well.

And then there is the fleshly response to not sleeping through the night. Isn’t it so much harder to be godly and patient and humble when you aren’t sleeping? These kinds of times are tests and our responses show our true hearts.

We can get a bit proud and then something jerks us out of routine and we realize that, while God has certainly changed us, we have much more changing to do. After I have time to process these humbling moments, I find myself thankful for them because they remind me of why I need a Savior so desperately and also help to release my grip on this world, as I contemplate the perfection that will be mine in the life to come. Oh, I can’t even imagine not struggling with sin. Can you??

This change in routine and the subsequent humiliation/humbling that has come as a result is why I found verse six of Philippians very encouraging as I read it this morning.

Let’s read it again–

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ

Paul is reminding the Philippians that Jesus Christ began a good work in His redeemed children and will continue that good work until He returns.

While caregiving may not be my natural bent, scripture makes it clear that we are to lovingly and thoughtfully care for one another and so Christ will continue to help me grow in this area of my life. And my normal sinful responses will slowly grow less and less–even when I am unable to sleep.

And, thankfully, as I mature in the faith, I do realize that my responses to frustrations and my tendency towards selfishness has improved at some level. Last night, just as we were ready to go to sleep, a cup of water was spilled, which meant a change of clothing (not an easy task at this particular stage of surgery). When it happened, I was frustrated but I was able to be more patient and didn’t say a word. That was definitely not how I would have reacted in the past. Isn’t it nice when we can see the sanctification process taking place? These things encourage us as we grow in the Lord.

If we are a redeemed child of God, then we are not left to our own devices. We are being sanctified day by day, through the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17) and through the work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5) in our lives. God is completing a good work in us and He will continue this work until He returns. And that is something for which we can be truly thankful!

Scroll to Top