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Gratitude In ALL Things
I recently had the privilege of writing an article for LifeWay Women’s The Reference Desk department. The topic was “gratitude.” The timing of the request was designed by God, as it was during a really tough few weeks. Gratitude was not overflowing, but I desperately needed it! I was forced to look at my heart as I studied in preparation for writing this article, and as I prepared to teach my life group using the study Grateful. Banner photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
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The Changing Landscape
Each morning while at the beach, my hero husband goes down early to claim our spot on the beach. Each day, where he puts our chairs changes a little. We’ve watched the changes as the surf has gone from calm to strong. When we first got here, the beach was level at the shore. Easy to roll our beach buggy onto. But as the waves got choppier, we began to see a “cliff” form at the shoreline. We talked about how it will be harder to be beachfront with that drop off. I love watching thees shoreline changes each day. One morning the attribute of God I was focusing on was…
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Just Below the Surface
As I write this my husband and I are on an extended time away from home. We don’t live here, but the beach is our home away from home every chance we get. Our time here began a bit sad as I wondered what God was doing. The first couple of days we were here, I saw only a handful of dolphins. It was in the morning as I sat on the balcony spending time with Jesus. The dolphin sometimes jump and spin and are very obvious. Today, they were only showing their fins once in a while. It was a quiet and slow movement and I had to watch…
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When God Says No
I am typically upbeat and optimistic, but after this past hard season of loss, I have found myself struggling to find my normal happy self. I even felt some depression which is rare for me. And, this isn’t the first hard season I’ve faced! But this time, when I prayed for God to work a certain way, He said no. That hurt, a lot. So, would I still trust Him? Would I still walk in the truth of Romans 8:28-30? Would I say, His love and goodness are still true? Where would I focus my eyes and look for what sustains in the “even ifs” of life? For a couple…
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I’m Not That Bad! Part 2
The best part of experiencing conviction from the Lord, is the result when we repent…restoration. So let’s conclude this line of thought from last week with that beautiful gift He gives us. If you missed last week’s post, please read back to Part 1 . In Isaiah 38, we see what happens when Hezekiah, who was stricken with a deadly illness, prayed for God’s healing. As God extended his life, he wrote a poem. “Indeed, it was for my own welfare that I had such great bitterness; but Your love has delivered me from the Pit of destruction, for You have thrown all my sins behind Your back (Isaiah 38:27).…
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I’m Not That Bad! Part 1
I’ve noticed as I have aged and grown spiritually, the Lord is quicker to get my attention to sin in my life. My toes stay sore most of the time as He steps on them in conviction. Repentance is a daily ongoing activity! The more I learn about Christ and understand the depth of His holiness, the more I am aware of how far I am from it. I desire it but continue to miss the mark. What triggers awareness of sin in your life? What do you do to stop at the trigger before allowing the temptation to become sin? If we do not know the Word, our awareness…
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It’s The Truth, All Of It!
I’ve been guilty, and I bet you have too, of using a verse of scripture to prove a point. Sometimes, it doesn’t even mean what I’m trying to prove.. Jen Wilkin has said, and I’ve quoted often, “A text without a context is a pretext for a prooftext.” This means that unless you understand the context, you don’t fully know the meaning. You may be using it to prove something it doesn’t. To understand meaning of scriptural truth we must know the context in many ways. This includes knowing the placement of your verse regarding: chapter, book of the Bible, where it sits in the whole of the redemption story,…
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Timing is Everything
I often write about waiting, and God’s timing not usually matching mine. But throughout scripture we see evidence that God always has a plan, and His plan is always perfectly timed. In Genesis 21, after waiting basically a life time desiring to become a mother, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him (Genesis 21:2). The year was perfect for Isaac to be born. The next Israelite patriarch was born and it fit completely into God’s big redemption timeline. The timing for Isaiah’s vision of God seated on His throne was specific as well. God was calling…
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The Timeliness of God’s Word
Sometimes it seems the Lord is silent, but other times He just floods you with common thoughts as you are facing challenges. He did that (again) recently. I was finishing up the the two connected studies. Seven Realities for Experiencing God by Richard and Henry Blackaby and Experiencing God, upon which Seven Realities is based, also by the Blackabys and Claude King. I’ve spent weeks being reminded of how God speaks and calls us to work with Him, as well as making adjustments it takes to obey! In facing a tough relationship circumstance, I’ve been asking God to show me how to obey in the situation. I’ve also been walking…
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Knowing God’s Will Part 14: Lessons From Experiencing God
Ever feel like you just need a second chance? So did Moses, David and Peter! God often gives second chances. Moses made mistakes but delivered Israel to the edge of Canaan. Abraham lied about who Sarah was. Jonah ran from God’s assignment. David committed adultery. Peter denied Christ. Saul persecuted Christians. God used each one for His purpose anyway. But, consequences of our sin can be very costly. Moses got to see the Promised Land, but did not get to enter it because he dishonored God in front of all Israel. God still uses us even if we mess up but He desires our quick obedience. Blackaby said, When God…
