Author: admin

As with most all of us in the west, and many in the world, Tony and I have cells phones.  We have a cell phone plan, you know, the kind.  You pay a lot of money each month for a certain number of phone lines and you get superb service, always.  Well…nearly.

We’ve used the same carrier for the past 15 or so years.  About two years ago, the strangest thing happened.  Out of the blue our phone calls started merging on our cell phones.  My calls would be listed in his Recent and Voice Mail, and vice-versa.  They wouldn’t actually ring phone-to-phone, but they would show up.  And…all of our Passwords merged.  His on mine, mine on his.  So much for security measures, right?  Anyway, because Tony uses his phone for work and because we were told if we separated our phone IDs we may lose all contacts, we’ve just been living with it, because his phone is our paycheck.

Eventually we adjusted to this new norm, it wasn’t too too bad, until Saturday.   I had to update my phone to the latest iOS.  That’s where things got sticky.  Not only were we receiving each other’s call notifications, we now were receiving each other’s text messages!  Every text was a group text.  Aaaah!  Texts and responses were showing up on both our phones at all times.  Well, we just couldn’t have that.  Again, Tony’s phone pays our bills.

So, we began the process of separating our IDs, knowing the risk that our contacts, our passwords, our photos/videos, everything could be lost.  We decided I would be the one to get the new ID so that his information could be preserved.  I could recreate all my things, if needed.  Or at least that’s what I thought.  We got on the horn with the phone company and began the process.  The phone representative, Jamelle, was talking us through this process.  We were at the reset stage.  Just as I had hit reset, he asked me if I had backed up my photos because all would be lost.  When we checked the backup location, my photos weren’t there.  I looked at Tony and started crying.    There are some priceless photos on there, some I have in other locations, some I can retrieve, some that can be sent to me again, but some I can’t possibly replace.  Jamelle heard me and immediately said to hit cancel.

You see there were photos that had not backed up and they were pictures of my mom.  I just couldn’t get those back.  So we immediately stopped the reset process and began the backup process.  I explained to Jamelle that my mom was no longer living here on earth and that I needed those photos.  He assured me we would do nothing until we could secure those photos.  The backup process took much longer than expected (several hours) and at the end, I still didn’t have all my photos backed up.  Now to be fair, I do have about 6,000.  If you’d ever seen the amazing skies the Lord provides on a daily basis and if you’ve ever seen my Grandson Beau, you would be surprised I only had 6,000!  Anyway, after a couple of more calls and consults with the phone company (way into the evening – this was like a whole day thing!), multiple attempts at backups, all unsuccessful, needless to say, I was slightly wrapped around the axel.  I felt like I had wasted my whole day on this stupid phone.  The thing that was “supposed” to make my life easier and more efficient only proved to be difficult and a time-sucker.  But, as God would later reveal, not a time-waster.

Going to bed that night I kept kicking myself because I had spent almost a whole day trying to get my phone worked out.  I hate to waste time – you can never get it back – especially on something as frustrating as a stupid phone.  So I went to bed disheartened and slightly obsessed about my stupid phone. 

The next day was Sunday…

Each morning I walk the sun up with my dog.  You know I love, love, love that time of day.  It’s completely dark and as I walk and pray, the early morning light starts dawning.  As I’m walking along, the Lord revealed to me that I was a nut the day before about my stupid phone.  I confessed to the Lord that I had not thought of Him after the phone process started and that I was so frustrated the day before that I was a scowling, sneering, short-tempered jerk.  I’m ashamed to say that.  I know better.  But you see, I had, for one instance taken my eyes off Jesus, and instantly became this self-absorbed stupid phone lunatic.  I let the world (my stupid phone) take over my thoughts.  I let the world (my stupid phone) control my mind.  Wrong!  Wong! Wrong!  What I couldn’t see Saturday became so clear Sunday.  So I had to confess my sins and ask forgiveness from Jesus and from Tony.  Both were gracious.

I will carry that lesson with me for some time.  Keep perspective, do not let the world intervene and control my thoughts.  The funny thing about it…On that Saturday morning, before all of this happened, this was my study verse:

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Colossians 3:12

I definitely didn’t carry that message throughout Saturday.  I definitely was not dressed for success as they say, I had on the wrong clothes.  What’s wrong with me?  Why couldn’t I carry those verses even for a few hours?  The process of sanctification is painful sometimes.

Another lesson I learned in all of this is even more precious and I pray I will never forget.  After confessing my sin of losing perspective and being a jerk, God spoke a truth right into my heart that literally stopped me in my tracks:  This place and this stuff are only temporary.

For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.  Hebrews 13:14

I was living as if this world was my destination, and it’s not.  You see, I wanted those pictures of my mom to keep forever.  Well, this place is not forever.  As much as those photos of my mom matter now, one day they will not because as the saying goes, “you can’t take them with you.”  There’s nothing wrong with me wanting those pictures of my mom, but it came to me that I don’t need to worry about keeping the pictures because I’m afraid I won’t ever see my mom again.  My mom is in Heaven.  How do I know that?  Because she accepted Jesus, confessed her sin, and claimed Him as her One True Savior.  She was a child of God.  That confirmation means that since I too have accepted Jesus, confessed my sin (so many), and claimed Him as my One True Savior, and I am a child of God, I will see her again.  In fact, I will spend all of eternity with her.  I don’t have to have her photo. 

The fact is that I was obsessing over a photo of someone I will see again when actually I should be obsessing over the photos of people — friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers, who don’t know Jesus, because I won’t see them ever again after they leave this earth.  Those are the pictures in life I should be concerned about saving, backing up and downloading.  Those are the ones that I should print and frame and hang on the walls of my mind, so that every time I see them I can seek God’s grace and mercy for them. 

Through confession of my sin for being a jerk and getting caught up in the worldly, the Lord was so gracious to forgive me, but then He also spoke Truth into my heart.  When we confess our sin to Him, He is quick to forgive and quick to comfort.

I will make a reasonable attempt to save my mom’s pictures, but if I can’t, it’s really okay.  He has granted me peace.  He reminded me that this world is not my home – all of this world and every person and photo will fade away.  He has also reminded me of what is really important and that there are photos I really do need to save, to gaze on, to pray on.

Those are the most important lessons I learned this weekend, but there were others I don’t have time to go into here. Eventually, after three days (yes), my phone backed up. Eventually, by resetting our current ID, our phones are fixed. The fix was a simple reboot, a reconnect. Hmmm…wasn’t that the solution all along?

We read last week where the Lord had called Joshua to succeed Moses. Remember, Moses wasn’t allowed to enter Canaan because he had been disobedient to God. God still loved Moses, cared for him, provided for him, had relationship with him, and was always with him and Moses was still devoted (if not more so) to God, trusted God, communicated with God, and followed God; however, there were consequences for his disobedience to God.

The Lord calls Joshua forth and gives him very explicit instructions:

Be strong and courageous…Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in all you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged… Joshua 1:6-9

Sometimes the Bible is just so exceedingly clear. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws. Study the Book continually. Meditate on it. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.

There are no less than seven directives from God in these few short verses. One of which is repeated three times. Be strong and courageous. The Hebrew word for strong is chazaq and it means to be or grow firm or strong, to strengthen. And courageous in Hebrew is amet and it means to be stout, strong, strengthen, obstinate, mighty.

Joshua was about to be the leader of more than two million people. He was about to move them into a strange new land where they would be challenged at every turn. The move to the land of milk and honey was not going to be a cake walk. Joshua was leading a group of people more than the size of the entire State of West Virginia. In fact, there are other thirteen States that have fewer people than what Joshua was mobilizing to move. He was moving an entire State of people into hostile territory, into their God-given land. He needed reminders. Be strong and courageous.

And so do I. And so do you. We are all on a journey, sometimes we feel like we’re on a road to nowhere, right? But every one of our lives is a journey. A journey set in motion before time began. A journey specific to each one of us and yet supernaturally intertwined with each other. A journey sometimes into the honey spot. A journey many times into hostile territory.

Just like the Lord knew exactly what Joshua would need to make the journey, He knows exactly what we need on our journey. The route is distinct for each of us, our crossings are mapped out on different roadways, different experiences, different life events to conquer, different rivers that need to be crossed. But the “how to,” the guidance, the manner is the same.

Just like Joshua, the Lord has given us very explicit instructions: Be strong and very courageous. Read your Bible. Actually, God doesn’t just say to read your Bible, He says to study it “continually.” Make it a habit, without ceasing, always. He doubles down and says to “meditate on it day and night.” Think about it, contemplate, roll it around, chew on it, all the time. It’s interesting that another definition for “meditate” is “plan.” His Word is clear on this. When we study The Word, when we meditate on it, when we think on it and allow it to soak into our hearts and our minds, our plans will be in accord with God’s plans for our lives. The only way we will succeed is to follow The Word of God.

Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:7-8

Joshua had learned the ropes of leadership from Moses and he was in his own right a brilliant military strategist, a warrior leader. But, Joshua was not those things on his own. Joshua wasn’t a success because he was a great leader and a great fighter. He was a success because of who he followed. He had been trained by Moses for this moment in time, but because He was obedient to God he was powered by God to see it through.

God has given us the tools to move along on our journeys. His Presence, His Promises, His Word. So be strong and very courageous!

…the Lord spoke to Joshua…

Joshua 1:1

So, after Moses died, the Lord appointed another leader of His people.  The Lord spoke to Joshua.  We don’t know exactly how the Lord spoke.  Burning bush, dream, vision. Or, it could have been “face to face” or literally mouth to mouth, “directly,” without a go between, as He had spoken to Moses.  The Hebrew word used for speak in Joshua 1:1 is amar which means to utter, speak, say.  We assume, but we always need to be careful, based on the translation, that the Lord literally said words to Joshua. We can’t be certain and it doesn’t really matter, it’s not a salvation issue, so the point isn’t how He spoke, it’s that He spoke.

Why did the Lord speak to Joshua?  Because Moses had requested that God appoint the next leader.  The time had come to move into the Promised Land, to cross the Jordan and enter that land they had heard about for so long, the milk and honey spot, and Moses knew he wouldn’t be the one to lead the charge, God had told him that.

The Israelite organizational chart, or family tree would rightly reflect that Aaron or another immediate descendent of Moses would be next in line to lead the Israelites.  But, because of disobedience, neither Moses nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land.  Remember that?

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!  Numbers 20:12

Ouch! Seems harsh, but Moses blatantly disobeyed the Lord’s direct command.  He dishonored God in the presence of his people.  God could not let this go unpunished, Moses and Aaron were their leaders, their shepherds, they were in charge of the flock.  Shepherds lead by example.  What a shepherd does, a flock will do.  Sheep mirror their shepherd.  Oh my…

These verses bring so many thoughts to mind:  Do I trust God enough?  What blessing am I missing out on because of my lack of obedience?  What disobedience do I need to confess and get into check?  Do I lead well (we’re all leaders of someone in some way), be it a flock, a tribe, a family, a church?  Who am I mirroring?  What do I mirror?

But we follow the Great Shepherd.  Despite Moses’ lack of obedience, his sin, God still loved him, God still blessed him and was merciful to him.  Even though confessed sin is forgiven, sin sets into motion events and actions that are far reaching.  Forgiveness of sin does not mean we are absolved from the consequences of that sin.  Although Moses did not enter the Promised Land, the Lord blessed him by allowing him to see Canaan, the fruit of his life’s labor.

…Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own possession.  Then you must die there on the mountain…So you will see the land from a distance, but you must not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.  Deuteronomy 32:48-52

There are consequences for our disobedience, but there is also grace.  Moses was not perfect, but He loved God.  He made mistakes when he ran headlong and buckled under the pressures of the world.  He  took his eyes off God and put them on the people.  Moses’ successor would not be his son but his servant, Joshua.  Then God spoke:

…you must lead my people…

Joshua 1:2

The key to Joshua’s success, leading this mess of a people, directing 12 tribes, removing enemies, and moving into an unknown land, was his obedience to God.  Yes, we’ll see that he was a strong leader, a successful military strategist, a strong spiritual influencer (he’d set TikTok ablaze), but all of who he was was because of his submission to, his obedience to, his faith in God.  God spoke, Joshua believed and followed.

We all submit to someone or something.  Who or what is that?  Do we listen to the world?  Do we submit to the world’s demands to think this way or that.  To do this thing or that because it will make us happy?  Do this or that and we will get ahead in life?  Do what you feel like doing, it’s your life? It’s worth thinking about for a minute.  Who is your leader?  Who are you following?

I promise you what I promised Moses:  “Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you…No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live.  For I will be with you as I was with Moses.  I will not fail you or abandon you.  Joshua 1:2-5

What a promise!  The God of the universe, the God of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of every living thing will defend you, be present with, never let you down and never abandon you.  Who in this world wouldn’t want that?  A Creator, a Sustainer, a Defender, a Preserver, an Upholder?   Well, we have that, and so much more.  This was a perpetual promise.  A promise for all time.  It was a promise for the Israelites then, and it is for God’s children now and for God’s children to come.  Jesus said:

And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:20

Do you love that, or what!?!  Jesus promises to be with us for all time, forever, eternally!  But, check this out, Jesus says “And be sure of this:”  Jesus says, I promise!  He doesn’t say yeah, I’ll be with you, or hey, I’ll be around.  He says you can bank on it, you can count on me – be sure!

And guess what?  All God’s promises always come true.  Maybe not in the way or the time we expect, but you can bet your life that His promises always come true.  Check this out:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-17

Booyah!  Promise kept from thousands of years before!  God promised King David that he would have an earthly dynasty.  But God said, that that house, that dynasty, would be an eternal dynasty.  David’s reign would come to an end here on earth, but a direct descendant of David would fulfill God’s promise to David and reign for all eternity.

“‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!  For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.  He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever…Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

2 Samuel 7:11-16

Booyah!  Promise kept!  God promised His people a leader, a shepherd.  For a time He called Joshua to lead His people.  Then for all time, Jesus came to lead God’s people, His own people.  As promised, Jesus came to save, redeem, and deliver God’s people, His people.  All of God’s promises are found and fulfilled through Christ Jesus His Son who will never leave us or forsake us.  He always keeps His promises! Who is your Leader? Don’t hurry over this. Make sure you know who you are following.

Next week, we will conclude our study of Joshua 1:1-9. Again, I don’t usually have successive parts, but I don’t want to rush through, I don’t want to miss anything God might have to say because I just want to move to the next thing. So, I’ll carry on next week. In the meantime, do read around some of the scripture references quoted above and check out Numbers 27:12-23, 20:1-12, Deuteronomy 32:48-52, and Colossians 1.

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9

Working my way through a rabbit hole the other day, I came across these verses. I was so struck when I read them again. Maybe because we hear daily about how Israel is in great turmoil. She is surrounded by her enemies on all sides constantly fighting for her people and fighting for her God-given land, Canaan, the Promised Land, that land flowing with milk and honey. The land whose boundaries were prescribed and laid out by the God of all creation. A land whose dimensions were surveyed, marked off, and precisely recorded in the Word of God.

When I look at it on paper: “the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.” it seems so simple. Carve out the portion of land designated by the Lord for His people, you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine. Rarely in life are things that simple though, maybe because life in this world involves humans, and we tend to make things a bit sticky, but also because, as Paul told the folks at Ephesus: “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Satan is constantly battling all who are on the Lord’s side. Now we know the victor of the battle, the Lord God prevails, nevertheless, the battle still rages.

The specific patches of land God designates for His people are recorded in Genesis 15:18-21, Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Joshua 1:4. Folks much smarter than I have shown it in modern day to be what Israel currently possesses, “plus all of the territory occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq” (Ref. GotQuestions). It really is fascinating. As you can see, Israel does not yet possess the entire territory God promised to them, but you can bet your bottom dollar that one day they will. God always keeps his promises.

So, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the next generation of Israelites are ready to enter their Promised Land, the land permanently promised to them by God in what’s called the Abrahamic Covenant. It is a magnificently beautiful promise recorded in Genesis 12:

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

The same promise that God made to the Abram (Abraham) is the same promise He makes to us today through Christ. Jesus said come follow me, leave your parents, love me more than them, love me more than your own life, submit to me, give up everything you own. And in return, I will bless you abundantly, I will give you everything — eternal life, you will never perish, no one will ever snatch you away from Me, I am with you always. Wow!

Ok, back to Joshua. We see in this text that Joshua is Moses’ successor. He is appointed by God to lead the nation of Israel through the Jordan River. The last of the prior generation has died and the new generation is ready to stake its claim to the land God had promised them. You may remember that Joshua along with Caleb had previously been selected, along with 10 other men to check out the land of Canaan in advance. You may also recall that in the scouting report, the other 10 drama kings said that they felt like grasshoppers next to the giants of the land and that it couldn’t be conquered, and thus the folks freaked out and rebelled against the Lord. The Lord became angry, Moses interceded for the people, and the long and the short of it is that out of the folks freed from slavery in Egypt by the Lord (about 600,000), only Joshua and Caleb made it all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Again, the Apostle Paul came to mind. He was a masterful cheerleader. When he wrote his persuasive texts about finishing the race well I wonder if he thought about the Israelites getting ready to cross the Jordan? He was a Jew, he would known these events inside and out. When Paul wrote to encourage Timothy he was nearing the end of his race, but the Israelites were just getting started. Joshua’s charge to the Israelites further in Chapter 1 sounds similar to Paul’s charge to Timothy and to all he encountered, get ready, be prepared, don’t fight naked, put on the whole armor of God, keep going, get across the line, cross the Jordan River. God is with you. Be strong and courageous.

Now, I don’t usually have successive parts, but I don’t want to rush through this part of Joshua. It is rich. So, I’ll carry on next week. In the meantime, do read around some of the scripture references quoted above. Check out Numbers 13 and 14, Luke 15:25-35, 2 Timothy 4.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was first inaugurated President of the United States in March of 1933, during the height of the Great Depression, when unemployment was an unprecedented 25%, thousands upon thousands of banks had failed wiping out millions of Americans’ whole life savings and leaving many literally, penniless. It was a time of great instability for our country, folks were scared. It was in his acceptance speech that one of his infamous quotes emerged and is frankly, quite relevant today.

I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

Although not a theologian, Roosevelt had some major wisdom going on. In his speech he didn’t tick off the list of severe overwhelming challenges our country was facing at the time. He didn’t fearmonger. He didn’t mention how he was going to address all the failures and problems of the country. He just stated what was at the heart of the Country’s turmoil and angst — fear. He then went on to define what fear is and the consequences thereof.

We fear so many things in life today, we’re not unlike those folks of the 30s. Our country is a mess — politically and morally, and evil lurks around every corner. Our lives are a mess — politics, violence, health, jobs, sin situations, frenzied schedules and many days it really does seem like evil will prevail. Many fears we are unable to place a name on (unlike MRI machines and snakes), it’s more of a current, a movement, an unseen wave that seems ever present and when we add that to all of our life’s happenings, fear does cause unjustified terror, fear does absolutely paralyze us, fear does encourage us to run away from our problems in panic instead of running to the solution to our problems. It really does look like we have good grounds for the fear we experience in our lives.

Now, I’m sure many of you out there, just like me are saying you have no fears. I feel pretty fearless most of the time, even rebellious towards fear, but sometimes fear settles in and engulfs me. I’m like a child running scared, eyes closed, hands over my ears. When those moments hit and I’m simply beyond myself, physically and mentally exhausted from the churning fears that eat away, I run screaming to the only place I know to go, my only hope, my only refuge, The Word of the Lord.

Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” Genesis 15:1

Bam! This is what my Bible reads: “Do not be afraid, Beth, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” Wow! That’s exactly what He says to you too! It’s in your Bible, look and see! Does it get any better than that? A hard no, it doesn’t. The God of the Universe, the Creator of All Things, tells me by name, not to be afraid. Now this might be the first time in the Bible he says it, but definitely not the last. God tells us in His Word over 365 times not to be afraid, one for each day of the year, and more than any other command in the Bible. One would think God would mention love, service, repentance, salvation, all majorly important, and actually the character of God, but the most oft repeated directive in the Word is do not be afraid — something that is the exact opposite of who God is.

Do not fear what you are about to suffer… Revelation 2:10

From beginning to end, do not fear. Why so much about fear in the Bible? Because the Lord knew there would be so much to fear here on earth. He knew what the fall would bring about. He knew we would be faced with awful circumstances, with calamity, with horrific things that just go hand-in-hand with living in a fallen world, a godforsook land. He knew the trials, the perils, the fires each of us would walk through , even before time began. And right off the bat, He gave instruction — do not fear.

But how in the world are we to look at our lives, the lives of others, our Country, our World, and not be fearful? ONLY, let me repeat that ONLY, by knowing the God who is able to take away all our fears. Do you know God? Do you believe that Jesus came to save us from our sins by dying on a cross so we wouldn’t have to? Do you believe that He rose three days later to perfect that? Have you repented of those sins that He died for so you wouldn’t have to? Have you accepted the free gift of salvation in Christ? Have you been reborn? Are you a new man?

If you cannot answer all of these questions affirmatively, you will ALWAYS, let me repeat that ALWAYS, live in abject fear, maybe even terror. What kind of life is that? That’s not living. Living only comes when we fear not.

So, that’s nice, you say. I agree, you say. How do you get there, you say. Well, trust me, I’m no expert on it. But here are a couple of things I have learned:

First, we need to realize that when we live in fear, we will have much less of God in our life. Fear overtakes all the space in our minds and our hearts that could be inhabited by Jesus. Do I think more about the things that may or may not happen or are happening around me or do I think more in my day about God? Ouch! That’s the litmus test. Fear will dictate our every move, our every word, our every thought, our every action. It becomes this animal inside of us we choose not to control that imposes its will on every aspect of our life. Fear becomes our God (yes, it does) and truly we allow it to be more powerful in our lives than the God who gave us life (yes, we do).

Second, I cannot force myself not to fear. I cannot be determined enough, willful enough, get it out of my head enough, not to be fearful, I mean look at our world, it’s a scary place. But, I do know the Only One who is powerful enough to take my fears away and I can choose to follow Him rather than feed my fear.

Third, the Only One has given us His Holy Word and in it it speaks to every single thing we go through in life, every single thing we fear in life. We have to use it. Remember, at least 365 verses on fearing not. Dig them out Write them over and over. Pray His promises back to Him.

And fourth, we need to get on our knees, confess our sin of fear and our fear of sin, and cry out to the Only One who can instill in us the desire to be fearless, the comfort, the peace, the balm in Gilead.

And fifth, we need to confess our fears to other believers. It’s freeing to not have to hide our fears from others. Other believers can help us put our fears in perspective, talk us off the ledge, and hold us accountable to choose faith over fear and not feed the monster. Even more important, friends will pray for your courage, your boldness, guide you to scripture, and encourage you to go to the Only One who can handle all your fears and all you fear, Our Precious Lord and Savior, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ! To Him be all glory and power forevermore. Amen.

…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

Do not be afraid, only believe. Mark 5:36

Are you a distracted pray-er?  I am.  I marvel and envy all at once those who can spend uninterrupted, completely focused time in prayer.  Should I be able to?  Maybe. Can/Do I?  No.  I’m not sure if it’s a can’t or a plain ole don’t. I have found I’m pretty good at the desperation prayers, the dagger prayers.  You too?

So I’m sitting at my desk the other morning doing what I do.  I pull out my prayer list, it’s pretty substantial, there’s a lot to pray about.  I also have these prayer pages that help guide me with specific prayers – salvation, Church prayers, school prayers.  Then I have this little book 31 Days of Praise, that I use the prayers in each day.  Sometimes I want to skip right past the prayer to the study.   Anyway, I’m sitting at my desk with my mind a whirl about the day.  I can’t concentrate.  I feel bad.  As a child of God, shouldn’t I easily be able to lift up prayers to my Jesus? 

Anyway again, I turn off my desk light, maybe that will help, it’s dark outside.  I can see the faded barn light and the moon.  It’s really beautiful today, a sliver on the bottom and a shadow on the top.  So I start praying.  I suddenly remember something I don’t want to forget to do and want to make a quick note so I can really focus on my prayers… Ugh!  Thirty seconds later, I’ve made my note and return to my prayers.  I know what you’re thinking…what’s wrong with her? Me too?  Anyway.  When I look up the moon is gone.  Just gone.  Now, there’s not a cloud in the sky that I can see, it has just disappeared.  Where’d it go?  For just a second I’m thinking what in the world, did it fall from the sky?  One moment of distraction (probably 30 seconds), I take my eyes off the moon for one moment, and it’s gone.  Hmmm. I took my eyes off and it was gone…

I take a breath and it reappears.  Back at it again.  As I was thinking about my complete lack of discipline, I wondered what God thought about my complete lack of discipline.  Does He get the way my mind works?  Does He want more from me?  Does He want me to be more disciplined? Does He want me to put aside the world and spend some focused time with Him?  Does He understand?  Does He want me to spend time with Him even though I don’t quite seem to get it right?  To all, it’s a resounding, YES!!!  Look.

…and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven…

2 Chronicles 7:14

He wants us to pray.  It clearly says if we pray, He will hear.  He wants to spend time with us.  He knows the world’s pull on us.  He knows we will be distracted.  He knows it all.  He’s God! But, what He asks is that we humble ourselves.  That we discipline ourselves to speak with Him.  We don’t need prayer rules, or to get hung up on prayer lists.  If we listed all the prayer concerns we have, we would never get through them.  And what happens when we don’t get through the list?  We feel guilty.  We feel less.  Do you think Moses kept a tablet of prayer concerns?  Do you think Paul went through and listed every single need he knew and ticked it off the papyrus?  What God really wants from us is constant communion.  Constant dialog.  The practice of speaking with Him about everything, all the time.  No special list, no special words, just a humble and willing heart and He gives us the help we need to do that. Look.

In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will.

Romans 8:26-27

Isn’t that a great comfort?  Here’s the interesting thing about these verses.  For years I think I got them all wrong.  I used them as an out.  You know, the Spirit’s got me covered when I’m too undisciplined to humble my heart in prayer.  Or, maybe that I was too weary, too stressed, too broken to pray and that the Holy Spirit would pray in my stead and I got a pass.  When I’m too weary, too stressed, too broken, isn’t that the time I must pray? It’s hard though, isn’t it?  Sometimes we can only offer up His name – Jesus!  That’s prayer.  Sometimes we can only offer up – Help!  That’s prayer.   Where does my help come from?  Sometimes we can’t even form the words in our hearts – Groan!  That’s prayer.  Sometimes we can only raise our face to the sky and Look Up!  That’s prayer.  You see, prayer is the attitude of our hearts, it’s not the words, the process or procedure.

In our Jesus! Help! Groan! Look Up! we are not alone.  As I pray, the Holy Spirit knows the perfect will of God and He speaks to the Father on my behalf.  In my every cry to Jesus, my call for Help, my Groan of brokenness, my Look Up to the hills.  Isn’t that a beautiful picture?  We offer our prayers.  They don’t have to be perfect prayers.  The Holy Spirit is intervening on our behalf.  Not praying in our place, but praying with us.  Not doing it for us so we don’t have to, but doing it with us.  We pray to the Father, and the Holy Spirit petitions the Father. How amazing is that? 

Weak as we are.  Distracted as we are.  Unfocused as we are.  We offer our hearts unto God.  He sent the Holy Spirit to help us, not to replace our prayers, but to help make those distracted, sometimes wordless, sometimes mechanical, dutiful prayers acceptable to God.  Holy Spirit you are welcome here…

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Do you ever feel like sometimes all you can do is praise?  That it just bubbles up and overflows, cascading and seeping into every life nook and cranny.  Like, it’s sunny and 75!  You know, that giddy all is right with the world. 

The sun is shining…Praise!  Yes.  The bills are paid…Praise!  Yes.  The car is running…Praise!  Yes.  The kids are safe…Praise!  Yes.  The animals are good…Praise!  Yes.  The job’s good…Praise!  Yes.  The health restored…Praise! Yes.  Life’s good… Praise! Yes.  …Praise ! Yes.  …Praise!  Yes.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee!  How Great Thou Art!

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Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Praise Him all creatures here below!

Praise Him above ye heavenly host!

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

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Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart I will praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, I tell myself; and never forget the good things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies.

He fills my life with good things.

My youth is renewed like the eagles!

Psalm 103

It’s easy to break out in song and cut the happy rug when all is well, isn’t it?  In those times, it’s hard to believe life has ever been anything but good.  But, what about the Praise…when all is not so well?  Yes?

In the mourning…Praise?  Yes.  In the illness…Praise?  Yes.  In the fear…Praise?  Yes.  In the uncertainty…Praise.  Yes.  In the trials…Praise?  Yes.  In the temptations…Praise?  Yes.  In the death…Praise?  Yes.  In the storm…Praise?  Yes.  In the brokenness…Praise?  Yes. …Praise?  Yes.  …Praise?  Yes.  …Praise? Yes.

When sorrows like sea billows roll.

†††††

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord;

Let all who are discouraged take heart.

Come, let u tell of the Lord’s greatness;

Let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 34:-13

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“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…Do not be afraid, for I am with you.  I will gather you and your children from east and west and from north and south.  I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth.  All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory.  It was I who created them.”

Isaiah 43:2-7

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.

Romans 8:18

I can’t think of Praise without thinking of miracles.  Praise always precedes the miracle.  Let’s make today a day of praise, for the miracles of the day!  The miracles of yesterday.  The miracles of today.  The miracles of tomorrow.  His leading.  His carrying.  He is always, in everything, worthy of our Praise!

Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children.  God is love, God is love.  Thank Him, Thank Him all ye little children.  God is love, God is love. Love him, Love Him, all ye little children. God is love, God is love.

In your quiet time remember that as surely as every snowflake that falls has a perfect design, and no two designs are the same, so within the folds of your being lies a design.  Ask the Father that this divine inner plan of your life may stand forth revealed to you as it should be, unfolding in perfect sequence and perfect order in such a way as to bring the greatest good to the greatest number.

I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Glenn Clark

I’ve talked about this book before.  It just happens to be one of those books that every page turned contains such great wisdom that you want to share that wisdom with those you care so deeply about.

We all learned in science class a little about snowflakes.  Remember, no two flakes are exactly alike?  Each single snowflake is uniquely designed for its journey to the earth’s floor.  Just like us.  The most interesting thing about the snowflake is that it is intricately woven around a tiny speck of dirt, dust or pollen that’s super high in the atmosphere.  Ice crystals wrap around and form around this tiny bit of dirt and it is transformed into this beautifully woven snowflake as it makes its way to earth.  Just like us.

I’ve been chewing on that word “design.”  Design is defined as “a plan or drawing produced to show the look or functions of a building or, garment, or other object before it is ever built or made.”  Design, a plan envisioned before it is made.  Just like us.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:16

He saw our unformed substance.  This sounds so scientific, doesn’t it – an unformed substance?  We’re told daily to follow the science, right?  So, let’s do just that.  The Hebrew word for “unformed substance” is golem meaning just that, an unformed substance.  However, it specifically means an embryo.  If we keep following the science, we learn that an embryo is the early stage of development of an animal (us) within the uterus of a mother.  In humans, the term embryo is an unborn child until the end of the seventh week of conception.  It is then called a fetus.  That’s the science.  Even in our unformed state, each day was formed for us.  We weren’t formed and then a plan was made.  We were designed for the plan by God!

For You formed my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are Your works,

and I know this very well.

My frame was not hidden from You

when I was made in secret,

when I was woven together

in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 139:14-15

God had a plan for each of our lives before we were ever made.  Before we were born every day was recorded in His book.  Read that sentence again, and again, and again.  Just think of the magnitude of that.  That’s how special you are to God, that’s how precious every single embryo is to God.  The God of the Universe designed us, our minds, our bodies, our spirits before the world began, and then He memorialized it by a missive, a letter of instruction, a written order straight from The King. 

Ask the Father that this divine inner plan of your life may stand forth revealed to you as it should be, unfolding in perfect sequence and perfect order in such a way as to bring the greatest good to the greatest number.

As children of the Master Designer, we then must do as Mr. Clark suggested.  We know that the Father designed us with a divine inner plan.  We then must seek the revelation of the Designer’s plan.  The one written down in His book.  The one that will unfold in perfect sequence.  The one that will bring the greatest good to the greatest number.  And what is the greatest good?  To spend eternity with the Divine Designer.  And that’s something we need to get out to the greatest number.

ENDNOTE:  My goals in writing today’s blog were to encourage everyone who reads it to remember that in this willy nilly, crazy world we live in, God designed us with a plan in mind.  We were not haphazardly created, we were not a theory that came into existence, that we were loved so much that the Creator created us before creation.  We were designed with a purpose and a plan, to share God’s wisdom with the world.

But as I studied, another point emerged front and center that I could not dodge. Abortion.  It is not a political issue, it is a God issue.  For believers, the Bible only gives us one way to believe.  It’s deeper than terminating a life, as if we needed more.  When we look at it in the context of the Creator, the Divine Designer and look at the characteristics of who He is, it becomes obvious.  He has a plan for every single unformed substance or He would not have designed, planned and created — He wrote it down in His Book.

We must pray for the revelation of the Designer’s plan that’s written down in the book, for each of our lives. To follow any other plan is man’s way and a willful disregard for our Creator, sin. If we have willfully followed a different path, His grace is sufficient to forgive, to heal, to make us whole again. He loves us and nothing can separate us from His love — nothing.

As I walking the other morning, I noticed how absolutely clear the sky was.  You could see every single star visible by man.  It was that clear. Big dipper and little dipper.  I’m a star gazer, not a star knower.  Not sure of who or what Pleaides or Orion is and to me the Milky Way is a very good candy bar.  As I was looking up in the darkness though I wondered where the North Star was.  I wasn’t even sure where north was, I’m directionally challenged.  Then I thought about the Star of Bethlehem.  You know, the one that went ahead of the wise men and led them to Jesus?

I started thinking that as much as things change, they really do stay the same.  When I looked up at those stars in the sky it dawned on me, those are the same stars that Adam looked at, that Abraham looked at, that King David looked at, that the Disciples looked at.  Those were the thoughts in my mind when I returned to the house and pulled out my devotional to start my day.

…before the daystar knew its place or the planets ran their course,

the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus.

Charles Spurgeon

And that’s what it said.  Wow, that’s odd!  No, it’s not odd, it’s God!  He ties things together for us and every once in a while our faith is strong enough to recognize it.

The One who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth– Yahweh is His name. Amos 5:8

Isn’t that a beautiful verse?  Yahweh is His name.  The One who placed the stars in the sky – Yahweh.  A name too sacred to speak.  Yhwh.  Lord.  God.  As much as things change, they stay the same, He has promised.

“I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Malachi 3:6-7

Amos and Malachi were both speaking to the Israelites regarding repentance, 340 years apart.  The message was the same.  Repent.  You see, people did not change from Adam to Malachi.  People were the same.  Rebellious.  Disobedient.  Sinful.  Savior needing.

Fast forward about 4,000 years (give or take a year or two) from the creation of Adam to the birth of our Savior Jesus, things really hadn’t changed.  Remember what Dr. Luke said?

Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins to God. Luke 1:8

People were the same.  Rebellious.  Disobedient.  Sinful.  Savior needing.

Now fast forward another 2,000 years or so between the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to today.  People are the same.  But, just as people are the same, God is the same.  The same God that pursued the people of Israel is the same God that pursued the woman at the well, and the same God that pursues us today.  He has not changed.  He is the Word.

In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:1-5

His message is the same as it was in the very beginning.  Even before He put the daystar in place, it was all buttoned up.  The Word, Jesus Christ, is the Light that shines in our darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.  The Word is the same from beginning to end!

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Before creation, the interests of the saints (that includes you and me), our eternal lives were made secure in Christ Jesus.  His Message is relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Why?  Because people are the same as they were yesterday, as they are today, and as they will be tomorrow.  Rebellious.  Disobedient.  Sinful.  Savior needing.  The truth is that God is unchanging – Amen!  His plan before time began was to rescue people who needed rescuing, from Adam to Beth, to you, and beyond.

Our garden has just about run its course for the year. The tomatoes are dwindling, the peppers are coming along slower, and the cucumbers are all but done. We reaped a bounty this year. We’ve preserved multiple turns of pickles, and a turn or two of tomatoes. Peaches will be next. I was reminded of this blog from several years ago in which I explored the preservation process:

It’s that time of year, again.  I feel like I say that often.  Maybe because the years roll round, faster and faster, and it’s always – that time of year, again.  Well, this time of year I’m talking about is preserving time.  You know, plant it, grow it, pluck it, preserve it, all in preparation for the winter months to come.  Preserving is not such a thing anymore.  We usually rely on Del Monte, Green Giant, or more and more the store brands of those to plant it, grow it, pluck it and preserve it for us.  Then, they happily sell it and we buy it at a high price.

In the past we have preserved things by freezing them, but this year we tried canning.  Tomatoes first, and recently peaches.  The peaches are fantastic this year and we thought wouldn’t it be great to have that yummy, fresh, goodness to remind us in winter that spring will come?  The canning process is a little time consuming, and a good bit messy, but so worth it.

We first prepared the fruit by dropping the peach in a pot of boiling water for one minute. It’s called blanching.  Pull it out and place it in an ice water bath.  This is done so that you can easily remove the skin.  You need to get past the tough outer peal and the messy fuzz to get to the goodness.  After blanching the skin slides right off and you can see the yellow beautiful flesh of the peach.  After removing the skin, we removed the pit that old timers called the stone. Interestingly enough we found an almond in the pit of our peach. Well, not actually an almond, but a nut that looks exactly like an almond, skin and all.  I was amazed.  After a little research I found that edible almonds really do come from almond trees and that this little nut was not really an almond, it just looked like one.  In fact, this little nut contains a low dose of cyanide.  Yep, the stuff that kills.

Getting rid of the fuzz, the skin, the pit, and the nut of a peach leaves you with the super juicy, yummy fruit of the peach.  Much like us, right?

You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (Amplified Bible)

Well nobody’s perfect except Jesus.  But, isn’t Matthew telling us here that’s what we’re working toward?  We are to be like our Heavenly Father, right?  We know that none of us are perfect, no not one, but that does not mean we’re not to be moving in that direction, the sanctification direction.  Sanctification is just a big word for becoming more holy, more like Jesus.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.  Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.

Philippians 3:12-16

Sanctification is a process, just like preserving.  We must blanche, defuzz, toss the pit, and be wary of the poison.  How do we do that?

Make it your practice, each of you, to review your character – take it in relation to life, to your dear ones, your household, friends, acquaintances, your country, your work.

See where I, in the same relation or circumstances or situation, should act differently.  Plan how best such and such a fault can be eradicated, or such and such sin, mistake, or omission, be avoided.

A weekly review at least you must have.

God Calling, by Two Listeners

You see, it’s always that time of year for preserving.  It’s time consuming and messy, but working toward perfection is our preservation.  After honestly examining our lives, thoughts, motives, actions, it sometimes feels like we’ve been blanched and quartered, doesn’t it?  But, if we are not taking stock of our lives regularly, and we’re just drifting through, Sunday-to-Sunday, we’re not striving for perfection.  If we are not spending daily time with the Lord, seeking his ways and acknowledging Him, our paths will not be clear.  If we’re relying on others to do the preserving for us, we’re going to pay a high price.