Hope

Revolutionizing and Restoring Relationships

3 Comments / July 29, 2026

I’ve been thinking about something for a while now. Something about which the Lord has been both convicting me and teaching me. I am not sure I’ll be able to write it all out very well, but I’m going to give it a try.

Once upon a time, there was a person I knew (going to be vague purposely) who left many different people with some pretty bad memories when they left this earth. Things were never made right and the harmony and love that was hoped for was never realized.

I spent quite a few years very upset about this. Not necessarily for my sake but for others that I love very much. My opinion about that person was extremely negative for many years.

And then one day, not that long ago, I had a good memory come to mind of that person. A really good memory of a time shared together. And when I remembered that, other good memories started to surface. They had been deeply buried underneath all the hurt and angst that surrounded their last years.

And these memories taught me something: People just aren’t a “cut and dried” good or bad, like we’d like them to be. We tend to assign labels (even if it’s in our own minds) as to what we believe them to be. But it’s just not that simple.

Some are worse than others. We cannot deny that. Some are more challenging than others to love, for sure. But we can’t control them, can we? We can only control our own thoughts and actions. And that’s what today’s post is about.

We want people to be a certain way. And when they aren’t, we tend to write them off. Or we fight with them. Or we are discontent and we complain. There are many ways we show that we are not happy with the way someone is.

But I am beginning to understand the importance of accepting people where they are.

This doesn’t mean we don’t pray for them. It doesn’t mean we stop trying to make our relationships better. It doesn’t mean we do not confront sin or worldliness because of our love for someone.

What it does mean is that we love them despite their faults. We stop nitpicking and fussing. We lower our expectations and we stop basing our love for someone on those expectations (which are often impossible for someone to fully meet).

It means we stop trying to change them. Rather, we pray for them and, instead of harsh criticism, our conversations of confrontation are filled with our love for them.

And…we stop allowing our peace to be destroyed by them. Because our peace is to come from Jesus, not from people.

And I have had to think…if God would have only offered His love and salvation to me when I was perfect, I would not be saved today. Instead, God reached out to me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8). We love Him because He first loved us (I John 4:19).

Perhaps it is time that we start following God’s example in His love towards us. It’s time to eliminate the conditions. It’s time to stop getting so offended. It’s time to stop trying to fix people.

Instead we need to love them right where they are at, as God has demonstrated for us.

After all, am I that easy to love? Are you? If we are honest, we all will admit that we aren’t.

People just aren’t cut and dried. None of us are.

So instead of focusing on the things that drive us crazy, why not focus on the positive things we appreciate? The good memories rather than the bad memories?

Most people in our lives have some qualities for which we can be thankful. Why do we so easily focus on the negative??

Over the course of the past years, I have learned so much about having grace for others. And I have grown in this area. But God has been showing me lately that it’s not just having outward grace, while inwardly being annoyed or frustrated. It’s about both outward and inward grace towards those whom I don’t understand; Towards those that act in ways that frustrate or confuse me.

Everyone is shaped by so many things. My life experience is not your life experience. We often do things for reasons even we don’t understand. And so does everyone else.

People just aren’t always going to be how you want them to be. For example…I will always talk too much. I don’t want to and I try to work on it. But, so often, I go home from church or some event and I think…now why can’t I just be quiet?

But the people that are annoyed by my “over-talking” have no idea that I am actually annoyed with myself, too!

I need so much grace… I’d rather guess you do, too. So why not offer that same grace we need to the people around us?

People are struggling with sin issues and going through hard things, just as we are. They, too are responding or reacting in a certain way because it’s simply a personality trait they struggle with; or perhaps it’s due to a sin (which they may or may not be aware of yet) and God will show them eventually, just as He faithfully reveals our sin to us; It may be that they have had an experience in life that is causing their response; or any number of other things that affect how someone talks and acts. Just like us.

We all have different struggles and challenges. We all have blind spots. We all, if we are sincere believers, desire to be more like Christ. Unfortunately, we do it so pathetically imperfectly. That flesh is a real foe for most of us.

So perhaps it is time that we stop being annoyed and frustrated and just accept people where they are. Perhaps it is past time to offer genuine grace to others—the same grace that God offers to us and that we desire from others towards ourself.

The person I spoke about above chose not to reconcile with those that loved them so dearly. The situation felt utterly impossible. And there will always be great sorrow surrounding the whole thing. But in the midst of this, God brought to mind something that was good.

I want to be a person that can understand that life just can’t be broken down into “good” or “bad”. It’s so much more complex than that.

And that people aren’t all good or all bad. We are all a mumble jumble of both. (FYI: Yes, I do believe we are all depraved sinners in need of a Savior. I am referring here to the average person, both saved and unsaved to which God, through His amazing “common grace”, grants positive personality traits that are beneficial to humankind.)

I used strong words in the title of this post. Revolutionize and Restore are both words that bring to mind big change. I used those words because I believe if we begin to approach our relationships with an attitude of acceptance, rather than an attitude of dissatisfaction, it will revolutionize and restore our relationships.

I believe if we begin to love someone without condition, instead of waiting for them to love us according to our expectations, it will revolutionize and restore that relationship.

According to scripture, we are to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-2). It really is this that sets us apart from the unsaved in this day-to-day world. And one of the ways we can live according to the Spirit is by becoming more like God in how we approach our relationships.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

The Greatness of His Power

1 Comment / June 23, 2026

Imagine you are a tiny, insignificant ant. One of thousands in a specific colony of ants. Just a few yards from you on all sides are other colonies, totaling millions of ants.

As you look up one day, you see a large shadow. It is the shadow of a human being, gigantic and awesome in its size. Capable of squishing you and dozens of your friends in a single footstep.

Now imagine the audacity (and silliness) of you stamping your six feet in indignation at this human being when he doesn’t do what you want him to do. Imagine the audacity (and silliness) of demanding something specific from this human being as one single ant in the midst of millions of ants.

It’s a silly, ridiculous scene, impossible to fathom.

And yet…

Aren’t we doing the same thing, when we shake our fists at God and demand our own ways?

As we contemplate the analogy, we can recognize that our situation is quite different in two very critical ways…

—we have an AWESOME God who actually cares about us personally. This is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!

—the difference between ants and people would be as nothing when compared to the infinite difference between people and God.

One of the things I love in the *Prayer Journal I created recently is the last section, where there are Bible passages to pray for my family. This morning, I reached the passage from Ephesians 1, which reads—

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23)

As I was praying through this passage this morning, I had to think about “the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe”.

If God chooses not to work in the way we want, it’s not because He can’t.

Rather, it’s because He can see what we can’t see.

We are like that ant, on the ground, with a very small, short-sighted view of the world around us.

Our perspectives are skewed by our sin, our environments, our pasts, our fleshly desires, and, yes, our human limitations.

We cannot begin to understand the fullness of God’s love or the intricacies of God’s plans. It’s impossible because He is so great and we are so small.

There are some amazing things to consider as we reflect on our likeness to the ant.

First, as mentioned above, the fact that we have a God that cares for His own redeemed children to such a personal extent is simply amazing. I never cease to be in awe over this.

Second, when I consider the arrogance I must have when I get angry or sulky at God for not giving me my way, I am ashamed.

Third, when I consider the worry and anxiety that can sometimes overwhelm me and then remember that I am personally cared for by this wonderful and loving Heavenly Father, I am stymied. Why would I be worried or anxious, when Almighty God is looking out for me?

This passage from Ephesians, chapter 1, not only gives us wonderful things to pray for our families and others that we love, but it serves as a powerful reminder that our loving God has all power to do anything for us.

If He chooses not to, it is because He knows what we don’t know. It is because He sees the pasts, presents, and futures of ALL people in the minutest detail. He sees that what might seem beneficial to us will hurt someone else. Or that the future will be changed irreversibly and terribly should we get our heart’s desire at this very moment.

Just as a person can see so much more than an ant, God can see infinitely more than a person.

I think that sometimes, in our efforts to define Jesus as our friend, we forget how great He really is. In the normalcy of our culture’s self-absorption, we forget that God doesn’t exist to serve me and my wants but I exist to serve Him.

Just some things I was thinking about this morning…

*I published a prayer journal earlier this year. If you are interesting in checking it out, you can find it at this link.

A Merry Heart

2 Comments / June 15, 2026

Finding joy in the midst of life’s trials or even in the midst of all that is happening in this darkening world can be challenging. We are constantly barraged with negative news stories. We are daily facing things we never thought we’d have to face. We wish things were different in so many ways. It can be so much to process…

And yet, in scripture we read that a merry heart is good for us—like medicine.

The depression/anxiety connection to bad health is so interesting, but yet makes so much sense when one considers this verse in Proverbs—

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

A merry heart will be like medicine to us in this dark, troublesome world. A broken, hopeless spirit will make things so much worse.

As I was struggling to find joy this morning, this verse reminded me that joy is a choice. We don’t just automatically have a “merry heart”. Well, perhaps some people do.

But for those of you, who like me, tend to over-analyze and think a lot about a lot of things, it’s easy to fall into the broken spirit category. Whether it’s about this world, about our own sin, about things going on in our own little worlds—a broken spirit comes more naturally to some of us than others.

But choosing to have a merry heart will not only be like medicine to our souls, it will also be like medicine to our relationships. It will always be the best choice.

We may not be able to choose our circumstances. We may not be able to go back to the “way things were”. We can’t change this world’s direction. But we can change our own hearts and minds. We can choose to have a merry heart.

Not a naive “merry” that is unaware of the seriousness of trials and happenings. But a “merry” that is based on the truth of scripture, despite the trials and happenings. We understand that we serve a sovereign God who knows exactly what is happening in all areas of this world—down to the tiniest corners of our hearts. We not only serve Him but He has saved us from eternal death.

Our choice to have a merry heart is not based on fairy tales and lies, but on this truth: My God loves me and has saved me for all eternity. And nothing can take that away.

Do you, like me, so easily lose sight of this truth in the midst of all that is happening in life? Do you, like me, sometimes struggle to have a merry heart as you live day-to-day?

I hope this verse encourages someone today as it encouraged me.

The Rich and Divine Mosaic

Leave a Comment / February 5, 2026

God has really been working on me over the past several months. Or shall I say convicting me?

I had gotten a bit lazy in the outworking of my faith in my day-to-day life. Don’t get me wrong, nothing really bad. Just little things.

Things like not redeeming my time; or not paying close attention to how I care for my body. Little indulgences that were showing me my priorities. Little remarks to my husband that revealed an unloving heart.

I find that this stage of my life yields a higher temptation to get lazy and not examine my life as carefully as I did when I had kids at home watching my every move. After all, no one really knows if I am lazy, or watching too much TV, or yelling at my dogs. No one knows if I am encouraging others in unseen ways, if I am denying self, or choosing to forgive instead of holding a grudge.

At this stage of my life, with my husband still busy working, I have little accountability to anyone but God. And it’s easy to grow lazier and less “self-examining”.

But God has been calling me to examine myself. And to live a different life in the little things. A more holy life. An intentional daily life for Him.

The other night I saw a movie and there was some dialogue regarding the gap between who the girl was and who she wanted to be. And her dad said this: “Why don’t you become the girl you wish to be?”

It was a secular movie and the dialogue was from a worldly perspective, but it made me stop and think.

We, God’s dear, redeemed children, are not STUCK being the person we are. We, of all people, have hope for change. Why do we act like we are hopeless? Why do we believe we can’t change?

There is a lot in God’s Word about this particular topic and gives us much hope in this area of becoming more like Christ. However, I have been especially meditating on Galatians 2:20, which tells us what the redeemed life should look like.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

You see, we rarely hear about crucifying self. About crucifying our own wants, needs, desires (little ones and big ones) to live for Christ.

If we do hear about it, it’s in some grand big celebrity style of giving up everything. Sell all your stuff and go live for Jesus in a different country. But Jesus never said this.

Instead, dying to self is in the little things. The little things we do and don’t do each day in our daily lives.

This is what God has been reminding me of in His Word and through many other ways.

As if to confirm what He wants me to learn, I read just last night the following in a book I am reading about holiness by Horatius Bonar. It can’t be an accident right? I thought I’d share it with you as I close this post today. I hope it’s a good reminder for us all that our holiness and sanctification shows itself in the littlest things. It’s so tempting to grow lazy, but let’s not ever be satisfied with status quo Christianity.

Bonar reminds us: A holy life is composed of the rich and divine mosaic made up of the little things.

Here’s what Horatius Bonar says about a holy life (emphasis mine)—-

But a holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour, and not the great things of the age, that fill up a life like that of Paul and John, like that of Rutherford (1600-1661), or Brainerd (1718-1747), or Martyn (1781-1812).

Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons, little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. The little constant sunbeam, not the lightning, the waters of Siloah “that go softly” (Isa 8:6) in their meek mission of refreshment, not “the waters of the river, strong and many” (vs. 8), rushing down in torrent noise and force, are the true symbols of a holy life.

The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudences, little foibles, little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness and meanness, little bits of covetousness and penuriousness [stinginess], little exhibitions of worldliness and gaiety, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, or crossness, or selfishness, or vanity—the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least the negative beauty of a holy life.

And then attention to the little duties of the day and hour, in public transactions, or private dealings, or family arrangements; to little words, and looks, and tones; little benevolences, or forbearances, or tendernesses; little self-denials, and self-restraints, and self-forgetfulnesses, little plans of quiet kindness and thoughtful consideration for others; to punctuality, and method, and true aim in the ordering of each day—these are the active developments of a holy life, the rich and divine mosaics of which it is composed.

What makes yon green hill so beautiful? Not the outstanding peak or stately elm, but the bright sward [expanse of grass] which clothes its slopes, composed of innumerable blades of slender grass. It is of small things that a great life is made up; and he who will acknowledge no life as great save that which is built up of great things, will find little in Bible characters to admire or copy.

~Horatius Bonar (God’s Way of Holiness)

Lift Your Glad Voices!

3 Comments / April 17, 2025

There is nothing like death to remind us that this life is fragile and fleeting. Whether it comes with a shock or it comes gradually, it is a deeply painful process.

A few years ago, I memorized I Corinthians 15:55-57–

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This passage takes on such deeper meaning when death hits a fellow believer for it teaches us that we have victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How can this be?

Because when Christ rose from the grave, He rose victorious over death! And so we do not weep as those who have no hope.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (I Thess. 4:13-14).

Over the course of the past year, I have attended what feels like far too many funerals. And I have noticed something: There is a generally striking difference in the funerals of the saved and the unsaved.

It is because when a redeemed child of God says good-bye to this old world, it is not final. For all of us who are redeemed, death is not the final answer. We will see them again in glory, just as the Bible says.

As we approach the morning we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, I have been reminded of all that Christ accomplished on the cross. Christ’s death and resurrection is the most blessed, most important, most loving, and most incredible thing that has ever happened in this world.

Faith in Jesus Christ alone leads to LIFE. It leads to victory over DEATH. So that even when a believer dies, they are not saying a final good-bye but, rather, “see you later”.

From our human, earthly perspective, death does really sting, doesn’t it? It’s painful and full of grief. It’s an event like no other in the lives of those who loved the departed one.

But it is not final if the one we loved is a redeemed child of God. We will see them again. And that sting we feel is only temporary, as we look forward to that day we will meet Jesus face to face and have that glorious reunion with all those who went on to heaven before us!

Death is not final and it’s all because of Jesus. May we lift our glad voices in triumph on high, for Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die! 

LIFT YOUR GLAD VOICES

Lift your glad voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die.
Vain were the terrors that gathered around Him,
And short the dominion of death and the grave;
He burst from the fetters of darkness that bound Him,
Resplendent in glory to live and to save!
Loud was the chorus of angels on high,
“The Savior hath risen, and man shall not die.”

Glory to God, in full anthems of joy;
The being He gave us death cannot destroy.
Sad were the life we must part with tomorrow,
If tears were our birthright, and death were our end;
But Jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow,
And bade us, immortal, to Heaven ascend.
Lift then your voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die.

(Hymn by Henry Ware, 1817)

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.

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.

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!

My Hope Is Found in Nothing Less

4 Comments / September 6, 2022

Think back ten years or so. What was your life like? For most of us, it was pretty pleasant overall. We all had our challenges and trials and some walked through very deep waters, but, overall, no matter what trial we went through our outer world remained stable. Our way of life was not threatened.

Most of us didn’t realize what a treasure that was.

We went about our days with nary an interest in what was going on in the world or on the screens in our homes or in our kids’ schools or at work. We didn’t get too upset about much of anything and, in fact, joined much of what was going on if it wasn’t “too bad.” We didn’t get up in arms about sin or sinful living (and even brought it into our homes via the TV), as long as it didn’t affect us personally.

But, eventually, it would affect us. The world around us with its fascination with sin and sorcery would eventually affect all of us.

And so here we are. The time has finally come. We are watching the fabric of our country being eroded away. And many are angry.

But why weren’t we angry before?

I heard someone say something that gave me some insight into this. I found it rather profound and insightful as to what is going on in our Christian culture right now. And perhaps even in our own hearts.

Here is a paraphrase: If you are only angry at Disney now, then what is the reason for your anger? Because Disney has always been evil. Always full of magic and sorcery and evil. Why are you angry now?

Do you know why we are all so angry?

It is because their evil is not cute anymore. It’s not expressed by cute little fairies and pretend villains. Instead, it is overt and threatens the very core of our country. And this means a change in our own lives. It means we are or will be affected personally.

So are we upset because it is an offense against God? Or are we upset because we are losing something we love? They are two very different things. One is righteous anger. The other, self-centered.

Emotion steals our judgement. When we grow angry or frustrated we don’t make wise decisions. This emotion of sinful anger is what propels crowds in riots or moves someone to do something they regret for the rest of their life. It is a powerful tool in the hands of Satan.

As believers, we need to really think about this. Everywhere we turn we are told by many on the “white” side (conservative, mainstream evangelical side) to be angry. Get angry and fight for your country! Fight the tyranny! The cries for this are everywhere.

Now, I am strongly against tyranny. And I am deeply grieved over what I see happening to our country. But why? Why am I angry or grieved?

If I am honest, it is because it is affecting me.

If more of us would have been angry or grieved at the sin in this culture twenty, thirty, fifty years ago, it probably wouldn’t be in the state it is in. Surely, we realize that the sin that was pervading the American culture would eventually lead to this day? Did we honestly expect to ignore what was going on around us and never experience the devastating ramifications?

So is anger the correct response to what is happening in the world around us? Perhaps at some level, righteous anger is to be expected. But this is not what will change the world. And, in fact, we are not going to change the world. Scripture makes this abundantly clear. Our hope is not in this world. We are to think on things above and not on things on this earth (Colossians 3:2).

But there is another piece of this that we need to explore. What you will hear from this “white” side is that we must fight together to make the world a better place.

And, in fact, if you claim to believe in God’s timetable for the future of the coming rapture and Tribulation, the Christian “intellectuals” and mainstream evangelicals of our current Christian culture ridicule you and accuse you of being a person without hope who simply wants to escape.

So about that. Do I want to escape? You bet I do. I am so very thankful that God set it up to take His bride out of this world before the Tribulation unfolds. That is not an untrue statement but I fail to see why it is viewed as such a negative thing.

As for being hopeless…we, of all people, have hope! In fact, Titus 2:13 tells us to be looking for this hope!–

looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

You see, our hope is in Jesus! Not in this world. Never in this world.

This world is fading away (Isaiah 24:4) but God and His Word never fade away (Isaiah 40:8)!

I Peter 1:3-5 tells us where our hope should lie as believers–

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance [b]incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Without hope? That is just an empty accusation. Nothing could be further from the truth for the true Christian.

My hope is found in nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness! (I will put the rest of the lyrics of this great hymn of the faith at the end of this post. It really does concisely express what we Christians should be thinking and feeling right now in this place in this time.)

It is so important that, in our desperation and anger with the world around us, we don’t lose sight of what the Bible teaches regarding the world and its inevitable future.

The Bible is our anchor. It is our only hope in discerning what is true and not true. It shows us what God hates so that we also know what to hate–whether it is affecting us personally or not. It is our only hope in piecing a puzzle together that sometimes doesn’t make any sense at all.

And it reminds us of what is to come and that we Christians will escape it. Praise God for this promise! There is no shame in being glad that God has promised to deliver us from the the specific time He has set in place to pour His wrath down upon this earth.

It is a strange time to live. But, in reflecting upon Revelation and the things we know are to come, we are now realizing that these things could never have happened in a vacuum. And so what we are seeing is the great setup for what is to come. These things are no surprise to God and they should come as no surprise to us.

So bear up under the ridicule and antagonism that will surely grow against believers who cling to the literal interpretation of scripture. And be encouraged! It is all making more sense than we could have ever dreamed. We are watching piece after piece of the end times puzzle come together in a way that would have seemed impossible even three years ago.

So let’s continue to study the Word and be watchful. And may our hope be found in nothing less than Jesus!

Someday soon now, those of us that have placed our faith in Christ alone, will meet Him in the air, leaving this wicked world behind us forever! Oh, what a day that will be!

 

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

 

 

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