Matthew 4:4
"But he answered and said, "It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Deuteronomy 8:3
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."
Bread of itself does not feed the whole of a man; it keeps him alive only. To live means to be alive, to have movement in our lives; to think, plan, act out. God does not say we need only bread; he says man shall not live by bread alone, which indicates that a man needs something more.
The Scriptures say (every word), so we know that we need God's wisdom if we are to understand how we are to live.
Proverbs 3:1, 2 tells us to keep God's commandments so that he can bless us with long life and peace. We are to hold tightly to mercy and truth; to bind them upon our necks, to write them upon the tables of our hearts.
Proverbs 3:5, 6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart; to trust in Him, not ourselves. It tells us that if, in all our ways we acknowledge Him, he will direct our paths.
Fear is one of Satan's favorite weapons, and for many years he used this weapon against me.
I've always been, before finding the Lord, a fearful, insecure person. When I was that fearful person, I found night time very frightening- sleep an elusive thing because of the nightmares. After Jesus became Lord of my heart and life? Well, everything changed. I discovered the truth about his WORD, that there is LIFE in it..literal life.
As I began to memorize Bible verses, the fear began to fade. One day I realized that fear was no longer running my life. It no longer runs my life but does raise its ugly head once in awhile. Since Johnny's death, seven and a half months ago, I began having trouble sleeping again- the horrible dreams began to return.
I was prepared this time. As soon as I began to feel afraid I'd say Proverbs 3:24 out loud "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and they sleep shall be sweet." My sleep was.
Isn't God wonderful? I love him so very much. He remembers our frame, that we are but dust; has provided an exit door we can use when we feel hemmed in by life's trials.
When we find ourselves afraid, discouraged, lonely, feeling rejected, angry, resentful- any negative thing, we don't have to remain in that state. All we have to do is walk away from what we're feeling, just have to use the exit door (Christ).
Let's remember, when we prepare our meals, that God felt it necessary, to make us know, that bread alone is not enough to sustain us. If we find ourselves unable to cope with the trials of life, perhaps we've forgotten what God wanted us to know.
Hope each of you had a wonderful day today, that you didn't miss the SHINY moments God sent you. I'm appreciating, and praising God, for the freedom that is mine through Christ, and thanking Him too, for those who gave their lives to protect us- and for those, who are at this very moment, at the other side of the world, doing what they have to in order to keep us safe. Please don't forget to include them in your prayers.
Love you much,
Barb
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Thou Remainest
Hebrews 1:11
If we traveled throughout the world, we'd see numberless individuals sitting alone in bed, in a rocking chair, in a mansion, a motel room, on a park bench, or perhaps in a cardboard box shoved against a tall, cold building, and each individual is crying.
You and I cry too when life becomes unusually difficult, when we're dealing with health issues, when we've lost a loved one, when our deepest hopes and dreams disappear like sand between our fingers.
On these darkest of times, I love to go to my Bible. The Lord never fails to speak to my heart, never fails to fill up those empty, hurting places so deep within me. I was reading Hebrews 1:11 and those two words Thou Remainest, in the middle of the verse glittered like stars on the blackest of night. Thou Remainest and doesn't HE? Hasn't he always, just as promised? He has! It's just that we forget he is beside us. Our aches and pains, the crazy weather, the lack of sleep, our blue moods, all these have our attention.
How different things could be, if we'd not forget that just beyond our vision is the One who loves us so dearly, the God Of All Comfort. What a wonderful realization, to know that even as we're needing the Lord, HE, knowing how much we'd need him remained. How different things would be if we'd not forget where the Lord is.
If we would remember, our peace would be true peace, would be a pond without a ripple in it.
May that promised peace of Christ be yours today and every day. May you continue to be honored by His presence, to experience the warmth of His love and the tightness of His embrace.
Love you much,
Barb
If we traveled throughout the world, we'd see numberless individuals sitting alone in bed, in a rocking chair, in a mansion, a motel room, on a park bench, or perhaps in a cardboard box shoved against a tall, cold building, and each individual is crying.
You and I cry too when life becomes unusually difficult, when we're dealing with health issues, when we've lost a loved one, when our deepest hopes and dreams disappear like sand between our fingers.
On these darkest of times, I love to go to my Bible. The Lord never fails to speak to my heart, never fails to fill up those empty, hurting places so deep within me. I was reading Hebrews 1:11 and those two words Thou Remainest, in the middle of the verse glittered like stars on the blackest of night. Thou Remainest and doesn't HE? Hasn't he always, just as promised? He has! It's just that we forget he is beside us. Our aches and pains, the crazy weather, the lack of sleep, our blue moods, all these have our attention.
How different things could be, if we'd not forget that just beyond our vision is the One who loves us so dearly, the God Of All Comfort. What a wonderful realization, to know that even as we're needing the Lord, HE, knowing how much we'd need him remained. How different things would be if we'd not forget where the Lord is.
If we would remember, our peace would be true peace, would be a pond without a ripple in it.
May that promised peace of Christ be yours today and every day. May you continue to be honored by His presence, to experience the warmth of His love and the tightness of His embrace.
Love you much,
Barb
Friday, August 10, 2012
REGARDING PATIENCE
From my Morning Devotion diary
May 8, 1998
Psalm 37:7
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him..."
Have you prayed and prayed - waited and waited, only to have your prayers unanswered? Are you getting discouraged now, finding that flame of hope within your heart flickering? If we are not waiting in the right way, with the right attitude, our faith an active thing, we'll find ourselves in the wrong place, a place where the Lord cannot meet us.
Romans 8:25> "With patience wait."
People who are patient not only worry less, but cry less too. They don't worry, for they know God's promises are sure: if He says "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." he will.
They don't cry, because they know God knows their needs better than they do; they believe that, their faith is active- constantly moving.
Patience is not something we are born with. We can only obtain it through trials- through enormous testing. It is through trials that we come to truly understand what an amazing thing patience is- how beautifully it can change us- how many lessons we learn from it, like how not to wobble. God's foundations are steady; and when His patience is within, we are steady while we wait.
Lord, thank you for the trials in my life. Had I not experienced them I'd never have learned compassion, and empathy, would still be a lost fearful, insecure soul, friendless, lonely -with no self-esteem. I have never seen you but love you with all my heart.
May 8, 1998
Psalm 37:7
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him..."
Have you prayed and prayed - waited and waited, only to have your prayers unanswered? Are you getting discouraged now, finding that flame of hope within your heart flickering? If we are not waiting in the right way, with the right attitude, our faith an active thing, we'll find ourselves in the wrong place, a place where the Lord cannot meet us.
Romans 8:25> "With patience wait."
People who are patient not only worry less, but cry less too. They don't worry, for they know God's promises are sure: if He says "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." he will.
They don't cry, because they know God knows their needs better than they do; they believe that, their faith is active- constantly moving.
Patience is not something we are born with. We can only obtain it through trials- through enormous testing. It is through trials that we come to truly understand what an amazing thing patience is- how beautifully it can change us- how many lessons we learn from it, like how not to wobble. God's foundations are steady; and when His patience is within, we are steady while we wait.
Lord, thank you for the trials in my life. Had I not experienced them I'd never have learned compassion, and empathy, would still be a lost fearful, insecure soul, friendless, lonely -with no self-esteem. I have never seen you but love you with all my heart.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
LUKEWARM OR HOT?
From my morning lessons diary,
one I shared with family & friends.
November 5, 2001
Good morning,
I am not feeling my best today so won't be doing this lesson in the manner you're accustomed too. I thought I'd just share some of my thoughts and feelings, if you don't mind. I've been thinking about the word lukewarm and what it means. We might not give much importance to the word but God does, in Revelation 3:16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."
I recall reading that verse many years ago; the importance of it went right over my head. I missed its importance because at the time, I believed myself to be firmly planted spiritually. I failed to realize just how lukewarm I was. I didn't realize it until many years later, and I didn't discover it myself; Jesus had to point it out to me, had to help me see just how terrible a thing it is to be lukewarm.
For example: Take the husband and wife relationship. What if the man works hard, pays the bills, mows the yard, takes out trash and maintains the house properly but does not give his wife affection, takes no time for his children- pretty much does what he pleases?
Or what if the wife washes her children's clothes, cooks their meals, takes them to and from school, but never attends parent/child appointments and doesn't interact with her children?
Spiritually, to be lukewarm is dangerous. It's a condition that can, if we are not careful, cause us to drift away from the Lord. We may be enjoying a day at the beach, for example, and decide to swim in the ocean. If we are not alert we could be pulled out by the tides and drown. Charles Spurgeon, a famous preacher in the 1800's, described it this way:
"They were not cold, but they were not hot; they were not infidels, yet they were not earnest believers; they did not oppose the gospel, but neither did they defend it; they were not seeing mischief, neither were they doing anything good; they were not disreputable in moral character, but they were not distinguished for holiness; they were not irreligious, but they were not enthusiastic in piety not eminent for zeal: AND > Good things were maintained among them, but they did not make too much of them; they had prayer meetings, but there were few present, for they liked quiet evenings at home."
Too often we fail to speak out for fear of offending, even though we know something should be said. We do the right things, but not always with all our might. Some examples might be: Our prayer time:
How much time do we spend in prayer? When we say to somebody "I will pray for you, do we really pray, and if we do, how earnest is that prayer? Do we pray from the core of our hearts, pleading for that friend or loved one as earnestly as when we prayed for ourselves?
Our family time:
How involved are we really? Do we do the right things with all our might and soul and strength? What a difference it would make if we determined, this very day, this very minute, to love with all our might and soul and strength, and to do the same when we cook, play with our children, or are spending time with our spouse.
In one of his sermons, Spurgeon used a bath to show just how dangerous remaining in our comfort zone is. He wrote:
"Cold makes us shiver, and a great heat causes us pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature."
His statement was profound and right on the mark. We have created a comfort zone, and have invisible limits to keep us safe. We may go to church but just can't give a testimony; we're too shy. We may give to the church but only that tenth, nothing more, because we can't afford it. Where is the trust in God? Compromise seems to be the order of the day.
In the light of the Scriptures.... we cannot profess to love God while holding onto resentfulness and hatred, cannot really think because we call ourselves Christians that we indeed are. Lukewarm is more than distasteful to He who created us. It is vile and nauseates Him to the point He says "I will spew thee out of my mouth."
I ask for your prayers, regarding my spiritual life. I ask that you pray for me, most earnestly and sincerely, that God may enable me to see with clarity of vision the errors in my life, that he may point out to me the areas where I am lukewarm.
When you think of life without Christ in it, it would be no life at all, and when you think of the word lukewarm and then think of CHRIST and how he lived HIS life, you will see what it is to NOT be lukewarm.
I wish to thank all of you for loving me, for your deep understanding and support. Life is hard for us all, but if we will humble ourselves unto God, and repent of our sins daily he can, and will, create in us a new man, one whose life will reflect Christ in the way it should.
one I shared with family & friends.
November 5, 2001
Good morning,
I am not feeling my best today so won't be doing this lesson in the manner you're accustomed too. I thought I'd just share some of my thoughts and feelings, if you don't mind. I've been thinking about the word lukewarm and what it means. We might not give much importance to the word but God does, in Revelation 3:16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."
I recall reading that verse many years ago; the importance of it went right over my head. I missed its importance because at the time, I believed myself to be firmly planted spiritually. I failed to realize just how lukewarm I was. I didn't realize it until many years later, and I didn't discover it myself; Jesus had to point it out to me, had to help me see just how terrible a thing it is to be lukewarm.
For example: Take the husband and wife relationship. What if the man works hard, pays the bills, mows the yard, takes out trash and maintains the house properly but does not give his wife affection, takes no time for his children- pretty much does what he pleases?
Or what if the wife washes her children's clothes, cooks their meals, takes them to and from school, but never attends parent/child appointments and doesn't interact with her children?
Spiritually, to be lukewarm is dangerous. It's a condition that can, if we are not careful, cause us to drift away from the Lord. We may be enjoying a day at the beach, for example, and decide to swim in the ocean. If we are not alert we could be pulled out by the tides and drown. Charles Spurgeon, a famous preacher in the 1800's, described it this way:
"They were not cold, but they were not hot; they were not infidels, yet they were not earnest believers; they did not oppose the gospel, but neither did they defend it; they were not seeing mischief, neither were they doing anything good; they were not disreputable in moral character, but they were not distinguished for holiness; they were not irreligious, but they were not enthusiastic in piety not eminent for zeal: AND > Good things were maintained among them, but they did not make too much of them; they had prayer meetings, but there were few present, for they liked quiet evenings at home."
Too often we fail to speak out for fear of offending, even though we know something should be said. We do the right things, but not always with all our might. Some examples might be: Our prayer time:
How much time do we spend in prayer? When we say to somebody "I will pray for you, do we really pray, and if we do, how earnest is that prayer? Do we pray from the core of our hearts, pleading for that friend or loved one as earnestly as when we prayed for ourselves?
Our family time:
In one of his sermons, Spurgeon used a bath to show just how dangerous remaining in our comfort zone is. He wrote:
"Cold makes us shiver, and a great heat causes us pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature."
His statement was profound and right on the mark. We have created a comfort zone, and have invisible limits to keep us safe. We may go to church but just can't give a testimony; we're too shy. We may give to the church but only that tenth, nothing more, because we can't afford it. Where is the trust in God? Compromise seems to be the order of the day.
In the light of the Scriptures.... we cannot profess to love God while holding onto resentfulness and hatred, cannot really think because we call ourselves Christians that we indeed are. Lukewarm is more than distasteful to He who created us. It is vile and nauseates Him to the point He says "I will spew thee out of my mouth."
I ask for your prayers, regarding my spiritual life. I ask that you pray for me, most earnestly and sincerely, that God may enable me to see with clarity of vision the errors in my life, that he may point out to me the areas where I am lukewarm.
When you think of life without Christ in it, it would be no life at all, and when you think of the word lukewarm and then think of CHRIST and how he lived HIS life, you will see what it is to NOT be lukewarm.
I wish to thank all of you for loving me, for your deep understanding and support. Life is hard for us all, but if we will humble ourselves unto God, and repent of our sins daily he can, and will, create in us a new man, one whose life will reflect Christ in the way it should.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
From my Spiritual Journals
November 25, 2000"The word which God has written on the brow of every man is hope."
- Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo was right about that. When trials come, the first thing that seems to disappear from the discouraged soul is hope. If we, who call ourselves the Lord's are living right, these dear ones will not be left feeling miserable and wretched.
If we're living right, when our paths cross they will see HOPE shining from our eyes, and will soon realize that the hope they see is not a thing, but a very real person- Jesus Christ.
Every one of us has opportunity to bless others, to bring Christ to others by a gentle touch, with encouraging words, a lift up (a helping hand without judgment). The Lord ministered in this way, and still can through us.
"1 Peter 4:10-11"
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
"Hebrews 6:19
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
The world we live in is a very scary place. Millions of people get up each morning and start their day in fear, without friends, are homeless, hungry, in desperate need of a lifeline. Those of us who love the Lord ought to be doing our very best to reflect that hope is Christ.
At our best we will disillusion others, will disappoint them: at our worst we shall surely do this. But if Christ is at the core of our hearts, if we start our mornings asking for him to guide our speech and actions, we can count on Him doing that. He will bless our efforts to bless others.
People coming towards us, I always tell my husband, either know the Lord, or are desperately searching for him. If they know him we'll be blessed with their company; if they don't, we have opportunity to make them rich by allowing them to discover hope through us. Let us not fail the Lord. He is counting on me..on you, on us all.
Barb
Friday, July 27, 2012
From my morning devotion
lesson (shared in April-2001
Matthew 28:20
"Lo, I am with you all the appointed days."
We don't have to fear the changes that enter our lives. Our tomorrows will find the Lord beside us just as he was the day before- and is today. He has walked with us to this present moment and will be with us at our last.
The years of our lives will contain many experiences: marriage, divorce, births, deaths, new jobs, the loss of a job, a new home- the loss of a new home. There will be happy families and dysfunctional families, and God will be there to rejoice with us, or grieve with us, as He has always done.
"Lo, I am with you.." What comfort; what reassurance. God with us doesn't mean what it means when a man says this. When the LORD says it it means we'll not be betrayed, won't be abandoned, will always have somebody trustworthy in our corner. It means we have somebody on our side, somebody who won't bail out on us when things get rough. It means no matter how bright our day- or how dark the nights, we can depend upon him. His WORD is better than gold.
One of my sons, as a small child - about four years old, feared the dark. Even with a night light on he'd have trouble falling asleep. Every night, I'd tuck him in and reassure him that I'd be in the next room, so he didn't have to worry or be afraid. Yet every night, until sleep found him, he'd call our at regular intervals "Mommy, are you there? Are you still there?"
This is how we are with the Lord, when the stress of life has hemmed us in, leaving us discouraged, weary, and afraid. It does not seem quite good enough that God says to us "Lo, I am with you all the appointed days." We still call out to him when we are in trouble, in the dark of night- and yes, sometimes in the bright of noon-day. "God, are you there? Are you still there?
Jesus promised to never forsake us. Let's believe him ; let's praise Him for his faithfulness rather than be a doubting Thomas.
Create some wonderful memories today. Be good to others- good to yourselves too. Be patient with yourselves. Don't become discouraged when considering your imperfections but instead, set about remedying them. Every day= a new way. Every day begin the task anew.
Barb
lesson (shared in April-2001
Matthew 28:20
We don't have to fear the changes that enter our lives. Our tomorrows will find the Lord beside us just as he was the day before- and is today. He has walked with us to this present moment and will be with us at our last.
The years of our lives will contain many experiences: marriage, divorce, births, deaths, new jobs, the loss of a job, a new home- the loss of a new home. There will be happy families and dysfunctional families, and God will be there to rejoice with us, or grieve with us, as He has always done.
"Lo, I am with you.." What comfort; what reassurance. God with us doesn't mean what it means when a man says this. When the LORD says it it means we'll not be betrayed, won't be abandoned, will always have somebody trustworthy in our corner. It means we have somebody on our side, somebody who won't bail out on us when things get rough. It means no matter how bright our day- or how dark the nights, we can depend upon him. His WORD is better than gold.
One of my sons, as a small child - about four years old, feared the dark. Even with a night light on he'd have trouble falling asleep. Every night, I'd tuck him in and reassure him that I'd be in the next room, so he didn't have to worry or be afraid. Yet every night, until sleep found him, he'd call our at regular intervals "Mommy, are you there? Are you still there?"
This is how we are with the Lord, when the stress of life has hemmed us in, leaving us discouraged, weary, and afraid. It does not seem quite good enough that God says to us "Lo, I am with you all the appointed days." We still call out to him when we are in trouble, in the dark of night- and yes, sometimes in the bright of noon-day. "God, are you there? Are you still there?
Jesus promised to never forsake us. Let's believe him ; let's praise Him for his faithfulness rather than be a doubting Thomas.
Create some wonderful memories today. Be good to others- good to yourselves too. Be patient with yourselves. Don't become discouraged when considering your imperfections but instead, set about remedying them. Every day= a new way. Every day begin the task anew.
Barb
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Entry from November 23, 2000
GOD CREATED HOPE
God created our eyes-
and we looked for alternatives.
He formed our ears-
and we listened to the wrong voices.
He gave us feet-
and we walked away from Him unto
loss, loneliness, and despair.
So God created
A Light through the darkness-
and He is the Way.
A Promise amid lies-
and He is the Truth.
A Hope at the graveside-
and He is our Life.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive
with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus...For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
-Ephesians 2:4-7, 10
To study carefully all of the above is to discover how greatly our Creator loves us. It bothered me to realize how negligent I was for awhile with my Bible lessons; how I put of doing them sometimes, took no time to truly search for the hidden wealth within the pages of Scripture. But now that the Lord has enabled me to get back on track, I realize the value of what I'd almost thrown away.
We sometimes look at things without really seeing them. Our vision is often clouded by hostility, anger, resentment, sadness, frustration, confusion, and ignorance. We forget that the choices we make keep us close to the LORD, or cause us to get lost. God is Life. It is HE who provides our daily breath, HE who enables us to walk and talk, love and laugh. To choose to remove ourselves from his presence places us again into the dark valleys of despair, loneliness, fear and loss.
We have the precious gift of Christ to fill us with warmth, joy, peace and HOPE. He, through the Holy Spirit, guides and directs our lives. If we will but trust him with everything, we'll be amazed at all that he will do for us.
To those of you going through hard times I wish to remind you that you're never alone, not even midst your darkest of moments. And if you ever feel as if you're alone, remind yourself that you're alone with God, and there is not a safer, or more wonderful place to be.
If you are having a wonderful day, remember that all good things come from above, from HE who created us-created all that exists.
May the warmth of God's love be with you throughout your days and may your sleep be peaceful
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