This week God has continually reminded me of the blessings of Christian encouragement. On Tuesday I read an encouraging post at stepontoliquid that discussed how to apply Hebrews 10:24--and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
On Wednesday we had our last summer Bible study, on the faithfulness of God. What an encouragement to reflect upon how God is true to His Word and His character time after time after time. One verse that stood out to me was Isaiah 25:1. The end of the verse says, "For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." God's faithfulness is absolutely perfect. 1 Kings 8:56 states that, "not one word has failed of all His good promise." Wow! How encouraging is that! I can trust in every single word that God has said.
Wednesday evening we had a Titus Two Fellowship for the women of our church, in which we talked about encouraging with cards, and then had an opportunity to make cards. As I reflect upon cards I've received over the years, I was reminded about how great a minstry tool that can be. I have been encouraged many times by the kind words and by the challenging words of others, and others have mentioned being encouraged by the cards I have sent.
Thursday morning I met with a couple of women with whom I read the Bible. Each month we read the same section of Scripture and then at the end of the month we get together to talk about what God has taught us and to pray for one another. What a blessing to have friends that are learning and growing, that God can use in my life, and that He can use me in ministering to them. I am always encouraged after our times together. Prov 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I am so glad that God has made His children part of a family of believers, that He uses us to encourage and build up one another, to sharpen each other, to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
This morning I read an encouraging essay at godsongmusic based on Psalm 23. What a blessing to have the Lord as our shepherd, who perfectly leads us and guides us, who restores our souls. I also thought about the blessing of good Christian music, how God uses it to encourage us, stimulate our thinking, and tune our hearts toward Him.
Truly God is good, and that is the best encouragement of all.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Another Reason to Smile
I have been keeping a secret for almost a month that has had me figuratively biting my tongue more than a few times. But now the word is out, so I can speak freely. I am going to be a grandma! My son Bobby and his lovely wife Christa are having a baby. We are excited. My friends that are grandmothers assure me that it is wonderful. We are thankful that we will be back in California when the baby comes and closer to them.
Babies are definitely worth smiling about, but the smile grows when you know God. I can entrust this developing child to Him, knowing He is good and He is in control. I can be thankful for how He has worked in the lives of my son and daughter-in-law. Their love for each other and for their Lord is so evident and encouraging. I am confident they will be good and godly parents, and that God will continue to work in their growing family. I am indeed smiling at the future!
Babies are definitely worth smiling about, but the smile grows when you know God. I can entrust this developing child to Him, knowing He is good and He is in control. I can be thankful for how He has worked in the lives of my son and daughter-in-law. Their love for each other and for their Lord is so evident and encouraging. I am confident they will be good and godly parents, and that God will continue to work in their growing family. I am indeed smiling at the future!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Still True
This summer the ladies in our church have been studying The Attributes of God. It has been extremely encouraging to reflect upon the character of God. He is awesome in so many ways. We had completed lessons on God's Holiness, God's Greatness, the Sovereignty of God, and God's Omniscience and Omnipresence. We were in the midst of the lesson on God's Goodness when our friends were killed in an automobile accident. How gracious God is in His timing. This week our lesson was on the Love of God. As I look back on truths we learned when everything was going well, what a comfort to know that God has not changed. All we have learned about Him is still true.
Exodus 15:11--Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?
Our dear friends are now in the presence of this awesome, majestic God.
Isaiah 26:4--Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.
We have been challenged to trust in the Lord when we are hurting, when we don't understand why things happen, and we have found Him to be an everlasting Rock.
Isaiah 45:6-7--That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.
We know that God was not looking the other way or on vacation when this 'accident' occured. It was part of His sovereign will, and we know He will use it for His glory and the good of His people. We have already seen this displayed in many different ways. Many were encouraged and challenged by the wonderful memorial service. The evening after the service we had about 30 Master's College students here for dinner and fellowship. Toward the end of the evening one of them played the guitar and led songs of worship. It was such a blessing to me to see the Lord lifted high from hearts that were hurting, but not overwhelmed.
Psalm 139:16--Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
We discussed this verse two days before the homegoing of our friends. From our viewpoint it might seem like these four lives were cut short, but not in God's perfect timing.
Psalm 27:13--I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
The lesson said, "It is the certain and absolute goodness of God which allows us to trust Him in times of adversity--times when the circumstances of our lives don't appear 'good'." In my lesson I listed some of the many ways we have seen God demonstrate His goodness in the midst of this adversity.
Romans 8:38-39--For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's love for us remains constant, and our friends are experiencing that love in all its fulness.
One of the songs we sang the night of the memorial service includes these words:
Blessed be your name, in the land that is plentiful,
Exodus 15:11--Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?
Our dear friends are now in the presence of this awesome, majestic God.
Isaiah 26:4--Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.
We have been challenged to trust in the Lord when we are hurting, when we don't understand why things happen, and we have found Him to be an everlasting Rock.
Isaiah 45:6-7--That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.
We know that God was not looking the other way or on vacation when this 'accident' occured. It was part of His sovereign will, and we know He will use it for His glory and the good of His people. We have already seen this displayed in many different ways. Many were encouraged and challenged by the wonderful memorial service. The evening after the service we had about 30 Master's College students here for dinner and fellowship. Toward the end of the evening one of them played the guitar and led songs of worship. It was such a blessing to me to see the Lord lifted high from hearts that were hurting, but not overwhelmed.
Psalm 139:16--Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
We discussed this verse two days before the homegoing of our friends. From our viewpoint it might seem like these four lives were cut short, but not in God's perfect timing.
Psalm 27:13--I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
The lesson said, "It is the certain and absolute goodness of God which allows us to trust Him in times of adversity--times when the circumstances of our lives don't appear 'good'." In my lesson I listed some of the many ways we have seen God demonstrate His goodness in the midst of this adversity.
Romans 8:38-39--For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's love for us remains constant, and our friends are experiencing that love in all its fulness.
One of the songs we sang the night of the memorial service includes these words:
Blessed be your name, in the land that is plentiful,
where your streams of abundance flow, blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name, when I'm found in the desert place,
though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name.
You give and take away, you give and take away,
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name.
In the midst of heartache we can praise the Lord because the character of God remains sure--He is holy, great, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresence, good, and love. Whether our circumstances bring smiles or tears, the reality of God and His Word is still true.
In the midst of heartache we can praise the Lord because the character of God remains sure--He is holy, great, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresence, good, and love. Whether our circumstances bring smiles or tears, the reality of God and His Word is still true.
Praise the Lord!
Sunday, July 10, 2005
A Very Present Help in Trouble
Late Friday night we were awakened with the shocking news that some dear friends of ours, a mother and father and their two college age daughters, were killed in a car accident. My son and husband were able to talk on the phone to their son, who they had been driving to visit. So many thoughts race through your mind at a time like this, but you have to focus on what you know to be true. My family prayed for the son and his wife at that time, but it was later as I was praying alone, that I kept thinking about Psalm 46:1--God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I began praying this verse for this young man and his wife.
Yesterday my family drove to Houston to minister to this couple and we quickly began to see God at work, indeed being a very present help in trouble. That very day was scheduled to be moving day for them, and an army of helpers showed up from their church, some of whom they had never met before. When we arrived in town we were already directed to their new apartment, and it wasn't long before boxes in the new place were unpacked and put away, and others went back and cleaned up the old place. God was using His people to be a very present help in trouble.
One thing I had been concerned about was all the decisions that would face this young man in the near future, and all of the legal questions that would arise, which I didn't know the answers to. My husband and I have experienced the death of three parents within the last two years, so we knew some things, but others we didn't. The first person I met at the apartment was a lawyer, an elder from their church. What an answer to prayer! What a blessing! What a demonstration of God being a very present help in trouble.
We spent the afternoon with this grieving couple and there were tears, but there was also rejoicing as we had confidence that the four family members were now in the presence of the Lord. There was even laughter amidst the tears as we reflected on precious memories that we had shared together. It was a blessing to see how this young man and his wife were responding to this devastating experience, to see how God was being a very present help in trouble in their own hearts.
While we were in Houston, the word was being spread in our own church, and an impromptu prayer meeting developed. Over 100 people showed up at the church to pray. They knew that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
I could share other ways we've seen God as a very present help in this trouble, and I am confident there will be many more in the days and weeks to come. While many of the troubles we face are small, some are huge, and God is present in each and every one. He indeed is our refuge and strength, we must continually abide in Him, find our refuge and strength in Him, and we will experience this reality in our own lives.
Yesterday my family drove to Houston to minister to this couple and we quickly began to see God at work, indeed being a very present help in trouble. That very day was scheduled to be moving day for them, and an army of helpers showed up from their church, some of whom they had never met before. When we arrived in town we were already directed to their new apartment, and it wasn't long before boxes in the new place were unpacked and put away, and others went back and cleaned up the old place. God was using His people to be a very present help in trouble.
One thing I had been concerned about was all the decisions that would face this young man in the near future, and all of the legal questions that would arise, which I didn't know the answers to. My husband and I have experienced the death of three parents within the last two years, so we knew some things, but others we didn't. The first person I met at the apartment was a lawyer, an elder from their church. What an answer to prayer! What a blessing! What a demonstration of God being a very present help in trouble.
We spent the afternoon with this grieving couple and there were tears, but there was also rejoicing as we had confidence that the four family members were now in the presence of the Lord. There was even laughter amidst the tears as we reflected on precious memories that we had shared together. It was a blessing to see how this young man and his wife were responding to this devastating experience, to see how God was being a very present help in trouble in their own hearts.
While we were in Houston, the word was being spread in our own church, and an impromptu prayer meeting developed. Over 100 people showed up at the church to pray. They knew that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
I could share other ways we've seen God as a very present help in this trouble, and I am confident there will be many more in the days and weeks to come. While many of the troubles we face are small, some are huge, and God is present in each and every one. He indeed is our refuge and strength, we must continually abide in Him, find our refuge and strength in Him, and we will experience this reality in our own lives.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Respect is Still Respectable
I met yesterday with a woman with whom I am studying the book, The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. Yesterday's chapter was on respect. The verse we looked at in depth was Ephesians 5:33b, "and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband." Respect seems to be a lost art in our society. We are encouraged to question authority, not respect it. Probably in no area is this more evident than in the relationship between husband and wife. Wives today do not generally respect their husbands. Just look at any sitcom in a family setting. It is almost always the husband that is the butt of the jokes, the inept member of the family. The days of Father Knows Best are long gone.
The current climate gives the Christian wife an excellent opportunity to stand out by actually obeying this biblical mandate to respect her husband. The verse clearly indicates that this is her responsibility. She is to see to it. It doesn't comment on whether or not the husband has earned her respect, or is treating her in a respectable way. She is to see to it that she respect her husband. The present tense used here demands that this be her continual pursuit.
So how do I talk to my husband? How do I talk about my husband to others? How do I think of him in my own heart when no one else is around? Do I respond to him with kind words, a loving tone of voice, and a pleasant countenance? If I need to reprove or correct him, do I do it with graciousness and humility? Does he know that I am completely and unreservedly behind him, his biggest fan, his closest confidante? My husband and I recently celebrated our 28th anniversary, but I still need to ask myself these questions. I need to be continually devoted to loving and respecting my husband.
Even though respect may seem a lost art in our society, it is still respectable to God. It is His desire for us in many areas of life, including that of a wife for her husband. So I challenge myself, I challenged the woman I met with yesterday, I challenge every Christian wife to make it her aim to respect her husband in thought, word, and deed. Why do I want to do this? Because my husband is perfect, and never does anything unrespectable? No. (although he is pretty wonderful!) Because the world around me encourages me to? Definitely not. Respecting my husband is one aspect of my commitment to live my life to please the Lord. "Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." (2 Cor. 5:9) It is because of God that I am committed to respect my husband, and it is only through God that I am able to respect my husband. I am so thankful that when God gives us a command to obey, He also enables us to obey. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil 4:13)
So, Roberta, so wives, take a stand. Be a rebel in our anti-authority, do your own thing world. Respect your husband! Respect is still respectable to God, and it should be to us as well.
The current climate gives the Christian wife an excellent opportunity to stand out by actually obeying this biblical mandate to respect her husband. The verse clearly indicates that this is her responsibility. She is to see to it. It doesn't comment on whether or not the husband has earned her respect, or is treating her in a respectable way. She is to see to it that she respect her husband. The present tense used here demands that this be her continual pursuit.
So how do I talk to my husband? How do I talk about my husband to others? How do I think of him in my own heart when no one else is around? Do I respond to him with kind words, a loving tone of voice, and a pleasant countenance? If I need to reprove or correct him, do I do it with graciousness and humility? Does he know that I am completely and unreservedly behind him, his biggest fan, his closest confidante? My husband and I recently celebrated our 28th anniversary, but I still need to ask myself these questions. I need to be continually devoted to loving and respecting my husband.
Even though respect may seem a lost art in our society, it is still respectable to God. It is His desire for us in many areas of life, including that of a wife for her husband. So I challenge myself, I challenged the woman I met with yesterday, I challenge every Christian wife to make it her aim to respect her husband in thought, word, and deed. Why do I want to do this? Because my husband is perfect, and never does anything unrespectable? No. (although he is pretty wonderful!) Because the world around me encourages me to? Definitely not. Respecting my husband is one aspect of my commitment to live my life to please the Lord. "Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." (2 Cor. 5:9) It is because of God that I am committed to respect my husband, and it is only through God that I am able to respect my husband. I am so thankful that when God gives us a command to obey, He also enables us to obey. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil 4:13)
So, Roberta, so wives, take a stand. Be a rebel in our anti-authority, do your own thing world. Respect your husband! Respect is still respectable to God, and it should be to us as well.
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