October 25, 2014
Psalms 37:8 (RV) "Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil doing."
Fret not thyself? It is easy not to fret, worry, or become discouraged when all is going
well, isn't it; easy to remain relaxed, hopeful and happy? On a morning, when we're doing
our devotions and read the above verse, the verse doesn't make a ripple in our calm
emotions does it?
But what happens if we read this verse when the life we've created for ourselves,
and perhaps a family, just unexpectedly got turned upside down? Suppose our
spouse wants a divorce or dies? What do we do when we lose our job, find our
child is addicted to drugs or alcohol? What do we do when the partner we've
loved for many years wants a divorce? What do we do when we are diagnosed
with a horrible disease? It is not so easy then, is it, to do what God tells us to
do, to not fret.
I can testify from my own life experiences that God is not asking something too
hard. I know from experience that His (don't fret) works in both days of
perplexity and days of peace. It's just that sometimes we get things backwards;
we start fretting instead of turning the problem over to the Lord when it first
comes up.
Our fretting reveals how childlike we can sometimes be- how little we trust
the Lord. We are fine when all is going smoothly. But when confronted
with change, when something rips a hole in our comfort zone, we go right
into the fretting mode; become miserable, sad, angry, resentful, unhappy,
and fearful.
Our goal is to be like Jesus, who never fretted or worried. Why
didn't He? Because He never started a single moment of his life without first
seeking His Father. He was never seeking or wanting something for himself;
but was always focused on what He could do for others.
We talk a lot about "resting in the Lord." talk a lot about "trusting Him, and
being patient." but how we react to stress shows we do not fully comprehend
what he is asking us to not do: either that, or we simply do not trust Him as we
claim too. Which is it? I'm not saying it is easy, and certainly not claiming it is
something I have mastered. I haven't, but am working on it. And I am finding that
when I remember to run to the LORD the moment I am confronted with something
that troubles me, I don't fret. And when I don't fret? Well, seeing the difference
in how I am able to cope with things motivates me to break this bad habit.
It isn't easy to to not fret. But if it were not possible, the Lord wouldn't be
telling us not to do it. And He tells us not to do it because
there is no need for us too: no need because He is willing and able to
carry all our burdens for us. It saddens our hearts when we tell our children
not to worry about a problem they have, yet they continue to worry any way;
keep asking "Did you do what you promised you'd do for me? Did you really?"
Have you ever thought about how hurt the LORD must be when we do this
to Him?
Part of Psalms 37:8 says ..."it (meaning our fretting) tendeth to evil doing."
Our fretting raises our blood pressure, upsets our stomachs, gives us
headaches and causes sleep to become as elusive as a butterfly. But it does
even more than that. If not nipped in the bud right at the start. Before long,
our fretting becomes a thorn in our flesh; something that causes
us to do that which we don't wish to do. We lose our tempers, say things we
don't really mean, things we wind up regretting. We take our frustration out
on those around us. Our fretting, out of control now, has made what could have
been managed, had we turned to the Lord, seem to us so gigantic, so
impossible, that we are overwhelmed and totally discouraged. We are worse
off than when we first began to fret.
I have people tell me that what I often say doesn't make sense, that certain
things are just too hard for ordinary people. My reply is always,"Yes, but
nothing is impossible to God." The trick is remembering these words-
memorizing them. "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOD."
Our problems, whether the smallest, or largest, matter to the Lord; He
loves us. We are His children. He is constantly telling us in His Word, to
not be afraid, reassures us over and over, that he will never leave or
forsake us, that he will be with us to our last breath.
He is our Rock, our safe place. If we have the LORD, we are rich,
have all we will ever need to make it through this life.
December 6, 2014
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."
Life is not as it used to be when I grew up, or when you did; is no longer as safe or secure. As well, we cannot trust strangers as easily as we could then, have to be extra alert, as to where our children are and who they are with. I can testify, from my own life experiences, how foolish a thing it is to place my trust in people, places or things; all will disappoint, though people not always on purpose.
My life, being quite difficult, found me constantly searching for something to make me feel safe, something that would make me feel better about myself, something that would change the way I woke up every day, which was waking up only to start my day in fear, wondering what is the next horrible thing that will happen to me? How am I going to get my daily needs met? Who can I trust? Who is next to abandon me, to criticize me, make me feel horrible about being me? Who is next to toss me aside like garbage, leaving me feeling dirty, ashamed, unlovable, unwanted - undeserving of anything good?
I am sharing today's post because I have received mail from so many friends throughout the past twenty years, friends whose emails sounded exactly like what I just shared. They asked me questions like: "Barb. Why is life so hard for me when I always do my best? Why, after giving my best, loving my best, sharing all I had, did the love of my life abandon me just like my father did? What can I do in order to feel safer, Barb, to not be so fearful? Why does nothing work out for me, and how can I feel good about the person I am when I get put down so much, when nobody tries to understand? Barb, what can I do to not be so afraid? Am I truly that unlovely friend? "
Life is very hard these days, harder than it has ever been, is far more dangerous and painful. The tsunami's, earthquakes and other national disasters we have been experiencing have been the worst in the history of our world.
Along with these scary things, we're having to deal with the ever rising number of murders, rapes, child abuse cases, school shootings, and domestic violence, and this is the short list. Is it any wonder that fear stalks everybody?
Where are we to find help? The answer is that our help comes, and will always come, from above, from JESUS, OUR GOOD SHEPHERD.
What is good about the fact that Jesus is our Good Shepherd? Have you ever thought about all that a good shepherd does, or maybe you have just forgotten.
1- A good shepherd leads his sheep, sees what they sometimes miss, or are
unaware of. He walks ahead of his sheep, encounters every danger (before) his
sheep do. Jesus, our good shepherd, went before us, so knows all the dangers
we must pass through before the end of our lives. It won't be easy, going the
rest of the way. But if we will just walk in his footsteps we will be safe.
2- A good shepherd pastors his sheep, nurtures them; provides their daily needs.
We can trust our Good Shepherd.
3- A good shepherd names his sheep.
In the Bible, it tells about a night two shepherds were tending their flock, (meaning they had merged their flocks together). When morning came, and it was time to separate the sheep, the shepherds only had to call out to the sheep in order to separate them; the sheep knew their shepherds voice, knew to whom they belonged.
Jesus said "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and are known of mine."
-John 10:14
He knows where we live, who we live with, how old we are, whether we are sick or well. and what our needs are. We don't worship or love an impersonal God, but one who desires our company, who loves nothing better than to spend time with us.
4- A good shepherd protects his sheep.
A shepherd always goes ahead of his sheep, watching for wolves, snakes, or
anything that might harm them. Jesus, having already gone ahead of us to
prepare the way, knows all we will experience in this life. Does he understand
our feelings and frustrations?
He most certainly does. He was persecuted, misunderstood, criticized. He was betrayed, and humiliated. He know how it feels to have friends disappoint you, to let you down. He knows how it feels to be hungry, tired, sick, hurt, and
rejected. He went ahead of us, and still, though we cannot see Him, is beside us
every day, paving our way, making our paths easier.
5- A good shepherd loves his sheep
Jesus, Our Good Shepherd, loves us with all his heart. Unless we make the
choice to leave him, He will hold us fast, keep us at his side. If we fall, and get
lost, he will search for us until he finds us. He will never, not EVER, give up
on us, but will, as he promised to do, finish the work he began in us.
I would like to point out something in the book of John. Jesus says, in
John 10:17
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again."
He laid down His life for my wretched, miserable, unlovely one. There is no love
greater than that. No wonder our Heavenly Father loves Jesus so very much.
Knowing all these things, dear ones. Knowing how greatly he loves me, and you,
I ask you, how then shall we live?
Be happy, Be healthy, Love one another.
Happy holidays,
Love you much,
Barb
November 1, 2014
Every day, I hear people tell me how afraid they are, how worried, sad and discouraged. They say "I can't fix my life; it's too messed up." They ask "Barb, How can I be happy with so much going wrong in not just my life, but in the lives of my family, my neighbors, and the world too?"
I can relate to what they are saying, and feeling, for most of my life I lived in fear. I suffered from depression, worried all the time, and was sad and almost always very discouraged, believing that what my life was, was all it would ever be. Like many people, I found it difficult to be happy. But when I was twenty-six I discovered how wrong I was, that though it is hard to be happy, it is not impossible. What made the difference?
What made the difference was What I was looking at and How I was looking at it. Have you ever thought about the definition of the word look? I ask this because sometimes we live life according to the one definition we are familiar with. And if we go by only one definition of something, we oftentimes miss out on other definitions that if rightly understood, could improve the quality of our lives.
LOOK: To look is to: fix one's eyes upon, to stare, give attention to, to study.
If we want to be happy in this world, to be able to experience peace no matter what is going
on around us, we have to learn to do that which makes it possible. And that which makes it possible is paying attention to HOW we are looking, and WHAT we are looking at.
If our eyes are fixed mostly upon the evil and unrest in the world, upon our trials, sorrows, and other negative things, happiness will never enter our door. Why not? Because while our minds, hearts and energies are focused upon these negative, painful things, the door to our hearts remain closed. And if our hearts are closed off because of fear, discouragement,
sorrows and worried, how can The God of All Comfort even began to comfort and uplift us?
How can He, if we're not looking at Him, not paying attention to Him?
His arms are always reaching out towards us, are wide open. He is forever doing what He can to guide, strengthen, lift up, bless, and encourage us; is always working hard to fill those empty, hurting places within our hearts. But while He is waiting for A LOOK from you, a LOOK from me, so that He can help us, our minds, hearts, thoughts and energies are upon the very things that are making us so miserable. We have to change some things if we want to be happy, to experience that promised peace of Christ. What must we do?
We must LOOK BACK.... .to Calvary.
We must take a backward look, (fix our eyes on the Cross) reminding ourselves that Jesus gave His life for ours. We will stumble sometimes, will fail and feel guilty, but don't have to
worry about it. From the Cross, our Lord and Savior tells us our sins have been forgiven,
we have been pardoned, washed clean. He says "I love you. I will never abandon you but
will be with you forever. Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness and Power all flow from the Cross.
Hebrews 2:9
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
We must LOOK UPWARDS......To the living Jesus.
Looking upwards takes our focus point away from the negative stuff that keeps us miserable and unhappy, and sets it upon Jesus, who is our perfect example. Keeping our eyes fixed upon Him keeps us strong, courageous, hopeful, and at peace. As long as He is our point of focus we won't fall back into depression, or walk through each day being fearful and worried.
We must LOOK FORWARD.....TO THE COMING KING.
Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Savior Jesus Christ."
Looking forward should fill us with excitement, should remind us of all the wonderful things we have to look forward too, especially being able to actually be with, talk with, and interact with the ONE who loved us so much he gave His life.
I love gazing at the stars, always imagine how far away God is. I like to imagine what the throne room looks like, and the mansion Jesus built for us. I love to imagine what the voices of the angels must sound like, am eager to hear them singing.
Mostly, when I take my upward look, I almost always cry a bit. How could I not? Jesus is
coming soon. And when He does, I will never have to experience pain again, no tears, no aches and pains. I will no longer have to lose loved ones or suffer abuse. All that hurts us today will no longer exist. God will wipe away our tears.
All around me I see crime worsening, children being harmed, murders, rapes, domestic violence. People lie, steal, betray their spouses, abandon their children, do all kinds of horrible, cruel, evil things. But seeing it no longer makes me afraid. The worse it gets, the more settled I am within my heart, for I know that the Lord's return is closer than most people think.
If you, the reader, are struggling with some of the same things I am, and most people are, I encourage you to change the way you LOOK at things. I want to encourage you to, from this
moment to:
Look Back daily to the Cross,
Look Upwards...to the living Jesus,
Look Forward...to the Coming King
Gracious Father,
Bless us this day, Lord. Touch our hearts that we may desire better things for ourselves,
not material things, Lord, but those things that will make us better men and women, better parents for our children, better friends to the lost and hurting in the world. Help us be kinder, sweeter, more patient, more tolerant, more merciful, slower to anger and quicker to forgive..
Help us change the way we LOOK at things from now on. Help us keep our eyes steady upon Jesus, for He is the only ONE who can give us the peace we so desperately need.
I ask your blessings especially upon those whose marriages are falling apart, those whose children are in trouble, those whose faith is fading, and those who are seeking You. Please, Lord, let me be one who helps them find you, like somebody helped me.
Thank you for the gift of your precious Son, for the many things you do for me each day.
The days are not easy Father, nor the nights, which sometimes seem without end. Yet, no matter how lost I feel sometimes, I always know I will be okay because you love me, and know where I am.
Be with each of my children, their families, and the many friends I have who are so kind,
loving, and supportive. I ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.
September 27, 2014
After trying to decide what to share with you, the Lord put it upon my heart to
share about the storms of life; those unexpected trials that come our way. No
storm is pleasant. Each one is stressful, difficult, and painful. Each one causes
us to at times become fearful, worried, depressed, and discouraged.
While trying to cope with my latest trial, I heard a story that not only lifted
my spirits, but clarified my vision and got me back on track. I hope it does
the same with you.
The Canary
There was a lady who had a beautiful yellow canary. She loved that little
bird, especially loved hearing it's beautiful song, because hearing it always
seemed to make her hard life easier- her burdens not quite so heavy.
Every morning, rain or shine, the first thing she did before breakfast,
was to vacuum the carpet, because it was always full of bird seeds below
the bird cage. On this particular morning, she'd finished doing the carpet
and switched to the small hand vacuum she owned.
Her intention was to quickly clean the bottom of the bird cage.
She opened the cage door and turned the vacuum on. The canary began
flitting about and making shrieking sounds.
The phone rang! While reaching for it, the hand holding the vacuum
swung up a little. She heard a whooshing sound and then, there was no
sound from the bird. It had been sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.
Horrified, she quickly turned the vacuum off, tore open the vacuum bag,
and was relieved to see movement midst all the dirt, dust, and
seeds she'd vacuumed up.
She rushed to the sink, filled it with dish soap, gently put the bird into
the water and began washing it as best she could.
Once she got the canary rinsed off, she saw that it was shivering.
"Oh, you poor thing." she muttered, and went to get the hair dryer.
She'd mentioned her experience to a neighbor, who told the local
newspaper. A reporter, following up the story, went to ask how her
canary was doing.
"He's not the same really,"she said. " He mostly sits on the perch
and stares. I no longer get to hear his song."
And that, dear hearts, is just how it is with you and me.
We are confronted by an unexpected storm, and before we know it,
like the canary, our song too is silenced. Our trials change us too.
They steal our zest for life. We find we no longer sing, whistle, or
hum like we used too. We become spectators in life instead of participators.
Trials weaken our faith, destroy our confidence, drain what little bit
of strength we have, and too often leave us with little, or no
hope.
How do we make it through a storm? We make it by remembering not
who we are but WHOSE we are. We make it by feeding on God's Word,
memorizing the promises he made to us. It is those promises that
will get us through the rough waters, will see us safely to the shore.
We make it by helping one another; by not allowing ourselves to
fall back into the habit of isolating ourselves. We make it by taking
the Lord at HIS Word, remembering that His promises are never
broken. Unlike the promises we make, HIS are dependable; are
promises we can always depend upon.
"Deuteronomy 31:6 "
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of
them for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee;
he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
One of my favorite Bible verses is "Joshua 1:5
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days
of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee."
How can I possibly be worried, fearful, sad, depressed, or anything
else negative with this promise to hold onto? I depended upon,
and leaned on my mother and father. They died!
I leaned on my sister. She died! I leaned on, and depended upon people
I believed loved me ,and had my best interest at heart.
Some died! Some betrayed me - turned out to be my enemies.
I have friends and family that love me very much.
But I know better than to depend upon them for those things
I hunger for like: inner peace, a strong and mighty faith, a
relationship with Jesus, and one day- eternal life.
Nobody can give me that except He who
created me.
Storms of life will come; many of them. But we do not have to
fear them. If we are the Lord's, we will never...not one time,
have to face a trial alone. No matter where it is, no matter what
the trial is, how painful, how sad, how overwhelming...even
death; Jesus has promised that he will be with us to the very end.
We cannot trust many people. But we CAN trust the LORD. If we
cannot trust the one who created us...who then can we trust?
Stay strong my friends. Hold tight to the Lord's hand when in
trouble and he will not fail you.
Memorize Joshua 1: 5 and this one:
Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of
a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the LORD they God is with thee
withersoever thou goest."
May you every day experience the honor of HIS presence,
the warmth of His love, and the tightness of His embrace.
Love you much.
Barb
September 6, 2014
I do not usually start my Spiritual entries with a story, but am today.
I chose to do it this way because I think sharing the story first will
help us to remember what is important; help us to remember
that which the Lord would not wish us to ever forget.
There was a man whose neighbor was an elderly woman. She'd been a very
good neighbor- he knew her well. This woman was without a husband or
children. Her only companion was a dog, a dog she loved more than anything
else in the world. One day, this man was driving home, was very tired, so not
quite as attentive as he should have been and ran over her dog. He felt terrible!
Shaking, feeling heartsick over what he had done, he dreaded facing the woman.
But, after taking a few deep breaths, and giving himself a few minutes to regain
control of his emotions, he picked up the dog and carried it to the neighbor's
house. Being in poor health, it took a few minutes for the woman to come to
the door. When she finally did, there stood the man, her dead dog cradled in
his arms.
"I am so sorry." he told her, tears filling his eyes, his voice shaky.
"I was very tired, was not as alert as I should have been and hit him. "
"It's alright." the woman said. "I keep telling him not to chase cars, but
he did it anyway. If you hadn't hit him somebody else would have. But I can't
bury him. Would you help me do that?"
"Of course. "the man said, and promptly dug a hole and buried her beloved
dog next to the Oak tree. The woman, seeing how distressed the poor man still
was, patted his shoulder and said," Really. It is alright. "
The man went home, and that night could not sleep; he kept thinking of what
a horrible thing he had done. He was weighed down with guilt over it; kept
thinking of how this dear lady would now be forced to go through life without
her beloved companion.
"She must have been in shock." he said to himself. "I don't think she knows
her dog is really dead." He went to the big Oak tree, where the dog was buried,
dug it up, and carried it back to the house. When the woman came to the door
he held the dog out to her and asked, "Do you realize what I did? I mean really?
Do you understand that your dog will no longer be with you?"
" Yes." she said."
The man buried the dog again, went home, and again started thinking about
the woman, about how lonely she'd be without her dog. "Surely, she doesn't
realize her dog is dead." he told himself. "She is quite old now, and obviously
in denial. I have to make certain she knows he is gone. I have too!
He returned to the Oak tree, dug the dog up and once again showed it to the
woman.
"I am so sorry I killed your dog." he said. " So sorry you will be without
him now."
The woman, old as she was, saw the sadness weighing upon him. Again
she tried to reassure him. "You don't have to keep saying you are sorry
I know you didn't mean to kill him. And I forgive you."
Even after hearing she forgave him, the man dug that dog up for two weeks.
This story is about you- and about me. It is about God's grace, and how
too many of us don't truly understand what it is, and how it works, which
is why so many of us are still carrying around so much shame, worry, fear,
guilt, insecurities. Sometimes we don't even recognize when grace is at
work in our lives. For instance: The times we've made a mess out of our lives,
or something really tragic happened, and we keep praying about it, keep
saying to God "Please Lord, fix this for me. I can't handle this. It's too hard.
Too much!"
We have not understood that God is trying to work out some things
within us. Sometimes God can't answer our prayers because we keep
talking, pleading, getting in His way, telling him just how we need,
or want this problem to be fixed. We seldom heed his WORDS to
"Be still and know I am God."
God is so patient while working with us; has to put up with our fears,
our doubts, our worries, our need to control, our constant "But Lord,
what if's?" Think about some of the trials He has seen you through.
Messed up as you were (as we all were), He brought us through, didn't he?
That is because of God's great love for us...HIS GRACE.
Grace creates masterpieces out of the mess we make of our life.
Grace so changes a man (or woman), that people who have known
them all their lives scarcely recognize them.
Grace forgives, comforts, directs, restores.
Grace holds us steady and at peace midst the chaos in the world.
Grace is love in action, and there is no love as great as the Lord's.
I shared this story with you because I know that many of you are as
this man, still carrying around guilt and shame over past mistakes.
I was this man for many years. It was about three years ago that I realized
what I was doing. I can't tell you how horrible that made me feel.
Jesus gave his life for me, covered my sins by his love- his grace, and yet
I continued to grieve over all I'd done. My constant grieving, constant
pleading for forgiveness was as bad as spitting in his face, acting as if
his sacrifice was worth nothing.
Nobody enjoys reminding us of the horrible things we've done more
than Satan. I determined not to let him do this to me any more.
Not ever! There are times still, when he tries to imprison me again by
reminding me of the, horrible mistakes I made. But each time he
does, I remind myself about the man and his dog.
It is my prayer that this story helps some of you realize what I did,
that the Lord's words are not as ours. When HE says I forgive you
HE means it. And not only does he forgive us, God says once he
forgives us he will not remember our sins; they are forgotten.
Hope this story is as great a blessing to you as it was to me.
I pray you may always experience the warmth of God's love,
the honor of His presence, and the tightness of his embrace.
Love you much,
Barb
Hebrews 12:12-13
"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
The above verse gives me a mental picture of a very sad, fearful, weak and insecure person, somebody who has made the mistake of giving discouragement too big a welcome. If you read through the words carefully, I'm fairly certain you will see yourself there, if not now, then perhaps in the past. I say this because every one of us has been confronted with trials: some huge, very painful and intimidating- almost always causing us to be afraid. Most of us, if we're honest, will admit that when the trial is unexpected, and something that is going to drastically change our lives, we are tempted to avoid it, to find an easier way out.
There are numerous ways of avoiding the crisis, rather than facing it, and too often, when we are up against something that we're fearful of, we say "I am not ready to deal with that just now." We say this because, at the moment, we feel inadequate, not strong enough. And why do we feel this way? Because we gave discouragement too big a welcome, which is not good. Discouragement makes a man physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually weak: it becomes a comfy blanket, one we find difficult to discard.
What God is saying in this verse is "Lift up the hands that hang down." Don't let this latest problem get you down. It's not as if you're facing it alone. I AM WITH YOU.
Get up- Stand tall. Turn around, and without hesitation face that which you fear. As soon as you take that first step I will lead you to victory.
Don't let your feet "be turned out of the way." (cause you to walk in the wrong path),but let your body " be healed," your faith made strong again. Open your hands and let go of yesterday's failures, and all that troubles you today.
I have binders full of my favorite quotations. The two I am sharing below are two that have kept me strong midst my darkest, most painful moments.
"Go right ahead and leave no Jericho behind you unconquered, and no place where Satan can say that he was too much for you."
A.B. Simpson
This quotation has been a huge help to me. Every time I became overwhelmed, fearful, or felt too intimidated to move forward I thought of this quotation. I do not ever wish to give Satan opportunity to say he was too much for me. I wish him to know that no matter how tough my crisis, or how painful, I know that whether I live or die, I am, and will always be, the Lord's, so either way I win.
I pray for each of you every day, asking God to keep you happy, healthy, and close to His heart, which is the most wonderful place to be.
"Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth--rain or shine. To carry your cargo and make your port is the point.
-Maltbie D. Babcock
