Happy birthday, Mom!

This was last Spring, when I was blessed to have both Anne and Mom at a DAR meeting with me.

Today is my mother’s birthday and I’m thanking the Lord for her.

My mother was born in Michigan and I’ve been blessed by the many stories of her life on the family farm.

My grandparents purchased it when she was very young.

It’s still in the family.

My Aunt and her family work hard everyday and have turned it into a nonprofit organization.

They do equine therapy for children and the handicapped.

Besides telling me funny stories about Grandpa swatting flies in the barn to take out his aggression or frustration, she also told me about my father and his family.

But family stories are just a portion of the things my mother has given me since my birth.

She has taught me to work hard, to honor God, to cook and clean, to love my family, to study, and she has encouraged me to pray.

Mom and Dad bought me my first One Year Bible and even went to the trouble of having my name engraved on the cover.

I’m so thankful for that gift, because it was through it I began to really love God’s Word.

Reading the entire Bible regularly, was a turning point in my walk with the Lord

There are so many more things I could write about my mom, but the point I really wanted to make is this:

I’m very thankful to God for His gift of the baby girl, this date many years ago, because she grew up, got married, and became my mom.

Exodus 20:12 NKJV — “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your gift of family. Thank You for my mother. You know that we are not perfect, but You placed us together and for that I am so thankful. Lord, You know how You created each one of us and we are blessed to be able to walk with You in this day. Please continue to walk with each one of us. Lord, please bless my mom today and encourage her. Lord, please continue to teach each one of us through Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Lord, please help us to walk with integrity, honoring You at all times. Lord, for those ladies who are mothers, please help each one of us, to be praying for our families, to lift up those You have placed near us. Lord, please continue to correct us, that we might not harbor sin, but quickly repent of any wrong. Lord, please teach us how to serve with joy, respond with wisdom, and love without expectation. Thank You, Lord! You are incredible and Your truth is life! I love You, Jesus. Amen.

One Rooster

Watching him strut around the run, drink water, and then attempt to crow, made me smile.

It wasn’t because he’s a handsome rooster.

It was because God used this fellow to remind me of God’s blessing.

Where we bought our chicks, we didn’t get to choose.

We called ahead and reserved 19 chicks, 10 Bared Rocks and nine Rhode Island Reds.

As the worker scooped one after another into our box, I prayed, asking the Lord for enough hens to supply our family with eggs.

One of the chicks died about three days after we got them, but that wasn’t too surprising.

They go through a lot of trauma being shipped to the store and then more being brought home.

As they grew, we watched for signs to tell us which were hens and which were roosters.

We had agreed, our small number of hens would benefit from a single rooster and the rest we would butcher.

Thus, as I watched our rooster this morning, my heart was reminded of the unexpected things God does.

Because the chances of getting a single rooster out of 18 chicks picked at random isn’t too good, but that’s what God gave us.

And I had been pausing to watch the chickens from a place of worry.

I’d been praying for something I couldn’t see a solution for, and that’s when God reminded me I don’t need to worry.

If He can supply us with something as unimportant as a single rooster, He can certainly supply me with the answers to the bigger things.

Because life is a journey, a walk with God, through which He works in us and in others.

Jesus said it best:

Matthew 10:29 NKJV — “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

Matthew 10:31 NKJV — “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, please forgive me for allowing worry to creep into my thoughts and settle in my heart. Please help me to be restored to peace in the waiting, for I know You are directing our steps. Lord, I love You and I thank You for Your blessings, especially the reminder of Your goodness and ability. Lord, please help me to be thankful and completely patient. Please help me to be full of mercy and grace. Lord, I trust You with all things and I thank You in advance for how You are working it all for our good. I love You. Amen.

November 23

Today’s prayer:

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13 NKJV

James 1:17 KJV — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for all Your gifts. Lord, thank You for daily miracles and blessings. Lord Jesus, You taught us that good gifts are from You and we should be seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, requesting Your presence in our lives with persistence. Lord, it is easy to become sidetracked by the cares of this world, to be distracted by the demands of living. Lord, I confess my struggles with fear this morning and thank You for overcoming every evil. Lord, thank You that I need not fear anything or anyone, just You and You reassure me of Your love every day. Lord, please help our family to know what Your will is for us daily. Thank You. Lord, I lift up those who are in great need, those who are without hope, please touch each one and supply all that is lacking. Lord, please protect the innocent and the helpless. Please heal the sick. Lord, free the captive and remove the wicked. Let the world see truth clearly and be no longer blinded by the lusts of the flesh nor by the lies of the enemy. Please show people what walking in their own way truly brings. Lord, please return the prodigal and save the lost. Lord, for those who are called by Your name, let them not waste their time in idle pursuits nor walk in their own ideas, but rather let each one be humble, a servant before You looking to Your guidance each day. Lord, help us to bring glory to Your name and not to glory in anything but You and Your salvation. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Not surprised

Yesterday was a lesson in trust.

We had an overly full day and I was praying throughout.

Tuesday had been a long day and I just didn’t want to step outside of God’s plan for me in anything.

I definitely felt His blessings yesterday.

Jase had to go to the dentist so I had told Sis I’d watch the grandbabies while we were in the area.

I completely enjoyed my time with them.

Then God blessed us with the keys to our new home!!

I let Handsome know I’d meet him there.

Our evening didn’t really follow our expectations.

We left the house pretty late to get back to our rental.

Handsome has to get up very early to get to work.

As we drove home we discussed our concerns about the house.

We already knew we wanted to rip out the carpet (wall-to-wall carpet is not a good idea for me).

We had plans to take out the cooktop and put in a range.

But we hadn’t realized that the space for the range was tiny.

We were going to measure it when we looked at the house, but before we got started the seller handed us a copy of the floor plan so we thought, “no need it will be on there”.

Nope.

So, we’ve been waiting to measure the space.

You can imagine our surprise when we realized it’s undersized.

We went to bed thinking we had a pretty good plan.

We chatted briefly about the plan before Handsome went to work.

I got online and started doing some research.

I was even going to contact someone in reference to our plans when I had a check in my heart.

What’s the rush?

Uhm…

Check with your husband first.

My phone bings.

It’s my husband with a text:

“I love you, Hope.”

I text back and he texted almost on top of mine.

He shared a scripture he’d read this morning and told me it had touched his heart.

The same scripture had touched my heart this morning.

So, I texted my husband that we should wait on making the changes we discussed.

We are going to get the floors done and pray about the rest.

My heart has peace.

Then the Lord brought to mind:

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV — Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

God wasn’t surprised by the size of the stovetop.

He’s not caught off guard by details.

This is His house and I know He’s going to guide and direct us through the “life things”.

Our opportunity to wait upon the Lord and be guided by His Word is so much more important than how we cook our meals or where we place our furniture.

It’s in these little things God builds our faith.

It is in these small “surprises” God works on our relationship with Him.

I’m looking forward to seeing what He has us do.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for speaking to both my husband and myself as we transition to this new place. Thank You for the surprise yesterday and how You are using it in our lives. Thank You that we can rest in You and not lean on our own understanding. I praise Your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

8th grade Promotion

I was surprised and blessed to be asked to share something at the ceremony.

The students who were promoting had been in my class years ago and I love them.

When I realized that I would not be able to attend my heart thanked God for being asked.

But God…

Another adult involved in the ceremony asked me if I’d like to write down what I wanted to share and she would stand in for me.

Talk about a blessing!

The following is what I wrote and she shared.

To begin I am deeply blessed to have the honor to send you not only my prayers, but also a word of encouragement as you take part in stepping into the road that leads to adulthood. Not many young people realize that the four years of high school are literally the last years of learning how to hone your skills, thoughts and habits, to introduce you into adulthood.

Many people use the four years of high school to live for themselves, to indoctrinate themselves into habits and activities that are not only harmful for them, but instill abuses and addictions into their future as adults.

It is my prayer for each of you that you do not follow the wide path of the world, but that instead you look to scripture and listen and most importantly apply God’s truth to the next four years of your life and continue that habit into adulthood.

With that being said I asked the Lord what verse would crystallize what His plan for each follower of Christ is, where we could find it simply and directly lined out. He led me to Micah 6:8.

Oftentimes, when a scripture is familiar we begin to disregard it’s important especially when we have grown up from childhood hearing it quoted and not really understanding how to apply it.

I know this was true with my own childhood. I didn’t understand the importance of many scriptures that I had been raised with and memorized, but as an adult the Lord began to open my understanding and to help me learn how to apply these things to my everyday. The truths, the blessings, the direction, and the very gifts of life have been granted to me through that and I’m so thankful to my parents, my teachers, and my Sunday school for having me memorize so much scripture.

With that being said, let’s look at Micah 6:8.

Micah 6:8 NKJV — He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Although these are simple words, the first thing it begins with is to show you what is good. Many things in this world try to tell you they are good, they are right, they are true, but we only find those things in God’s Word. Nowhere else is there true goodness without God. We must understand, that God is good and in Him we find goodness.

The Lord requires of us to do justly. That isn’t a sometimes thing and it’s not a when you want it. Simply and straightforwardly it tells us that we are to do right at all times.

Often people, become confused as to what is correct, right, and just. Scripture again is our guide and should always be the first place we look for answering questions.

To do justly is not an option with the believer. The follower of Christ should always look to do what is right in every circumstance, never compromising, never wavering, never being lukewarm.

Next we see that God wants us to love mercy. To truly understand that, we have to realize that it is because of His mercy that we have salvation. We can see throughout scripture times that God chooses to show His mercy to those who least deserved it. For if we all wanted to be honest, no one deserves God’s mercy. But He gives it and we need to as well. That means loving others the way God loves us, not holding bitterness or resentment. Leaving no room for offense, but choosing to love as God loves. If anyone has the right to be offended, it is our righteous God and He chooses not to. Instead He gives mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Lastly we are to walk humbly with our God. We know through scripture that it is because of pride that Satan fell. We know that it is because of pride that Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit: she wanted to be like God. We know that throughout man’s history pride has caused people to harm others, to live selfishly, to spread abuse, pain, and injustice. And it is still wreaking havoc on the human race today. But the Bible also tells us that God resists the proud. Humility is truly something we have to work at putting on, because pride came with our sinful natures and we can hardly get away from it. Unless we are purposeful in keeping our hearts humble before God, pride will grow, hiding under a myriad of excuses.

We must realize that we are no better than any other human created, and we are far less than God Himself. Yet, He made each and every one of us in His image, in God’s likeness, and Jesus Christ died and rose again to save our souls. Those two things: being made in God’s image and being bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, makes us more valuable than we can ever imagine. Because of these things we can be humble, as well as thankful, to the Lord Almighty for His great gifts and His endless love.

It is through a truly humbled heart that we can actually find the answer to walking justly and loving mercy. It’s the final key to how we are to follow Christ daily. Surrendering our own wants and desires before Him and choosing to live for those He has placed around us every single day.

As you embark on the next 4 years, which begin right now, I pray that you will live for Jesus Christ and not for yourselves. I pray that you live for Jesus Christ and not for academics or achievements, whether it be in sports or intellectual things or even just enjoying the world that God created. Those things are good and He gave them to us, but they should never be what we live for. I pray that each of you today realizes the importance of the place in life that you are at and that you will choose to surrender each day forward into Jesus’s hands and serve Him as the bond servant that Paul spoke of in the scriptures. One who does not worry about his life, but only concern is in being an excellent servant of the Master. I love you and I thank you for this wonderful opportunity to speak into your lives. Again, I’m sorry I was unable to be there in person, but God knows what is best and I trust Him. I’m sending you each my love. God bless you.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Please bless these young people with wisdom and let their hearts be opened to Your Word. Lord, thank You for allowing me to have an opportunity to reach out to them. Thank You for the blessing of my friends. Lord, You have all things in Your hands and Your ways are perfect. I praise and thank You for all Your wonderous works. May You be glorified throughout the whole Earth. Amen.

Accusing God

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ” Matthew 26:59‭-‬61 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.26.59-61.NKJV

Here is the most embarrassing moment in all of history.

From the time of the serpent in the Garden, lies have been spoken about God.

Genesis 3:1 NKJV — Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Genesis 3:2 NKJV — And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
Genesis 3:4 NKJV

And so entered sin into humanity with the taking of the fruit.

Many heinous and deplorable acts of wickedness have occurred since that moment.

Yet, this trial of Jesus is the lowest point of mankind.

The creation was prosecuting their own Creator.

But lies wouldn’t stand, they couldn’t condemn Him on falsehood, no matter how much they tried.

So, instead they accused and convicted Him on the truth.

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus said to him, “ It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:63‭-‬64 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.26.63-64.NKJV

How ironic, God’s own creation, plotted and schemed, to accuse and convict God for being Himself.

Why?

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:5 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.3.5.NKJV

Because our sinful nature wants to be God ourselves.

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.11.4.NKJV

Mankind wants to make a name for themselves, instead of being called by God’s.

People want to live lives unto their own desires.

Thus, when faced with God in flesh, mankind choose to crucify Him.

If one is honest with themselves, and observant of others, we can easily see the accusations and falsehoods have not stopped.

“If God is so loving why all these wars, famine, and death?”

“If there is a God, He must not care about anyone, look at the mess we are in!”

“If God is truly all knowing and all powerful why didn’t He stop that?!“

Since the beginning, we have blamed God for our sin.

Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to  be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:12 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.3.12.NKJV

But the incredible thing about this is what God did through the accusations.

Jesus allowed Himself to be convicted and punished for being Himself.

Then, after dieing for all sin, He rose again and gave us a way to be saved.

Genesis 50:20 NKJV — “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

What a wonderful holy God, Who loves in such a way!

To turn lies aside and use the truth to set us free from sin and death!

2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV — who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Romans 8:28 NKJV — And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Praise the Lord!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being the Son of God. Thank You for Your sacrifice and for using our accusations to show us Who You are. Lord, too often our pride and rebellion towards You causes us pain, confusion, and misunderstanding. Lord, please help us to humble ourselves, confess our sins and be made new. Please help us to relinquish our own ideas, our desires, even our dreams into Your hands, that we might follow Your perfect will as the bond servants we are called to be. Lord, please help us to discern lies from the truth. Help us to walk with You daily in humility and in surrender. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Nehemiah

Painting by R.P.

He was deep in prayer.

Tears of anguish ran down his face, down his beard.

The knot in his stomach was evidence of his lack of food.

He prayed:

Nehemiah 1:5-10 NKJV — And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.”

Nehemiah was a man of prayer.

When he heard of the great distress of the Jews, who had returned to Jerusalem, were under he was deeply troubled.

Nehemiah 1:4 NKJV — So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

When he was afraid he prayed. Nehemiah 2:1-4

When he was ridiculed and mocked, he prayed. Nehemiah 4:4-5

When he and all those who were working on the wall were threatened he prayed. Nehemiah 4:9

When the people came to Nehemiah because of the famine and he found that some were charging their brethren usury and the previous Governors had taxed the people, he lived according to God’s Word, made those who had taken advantage of their brothers restore what was taken, shared what he had and didn’t gain anything personally. Then he prayed. Nehemiah 5:19

When his enemies attacked his integrity he prayed. Nehemiah 6:9

When a snare was set for him, God gave him understanding and he wasn’t tricked. He prayed. Nehemiah. 6:14

Throughout the book of Nehemiah he is constantly going back to God in one way or another.

At times he wrote “Then my God put it into my heart…” Nehemiah 7:5a other times he states: “…they perceived that this work was done by our God.” Nehemiah 6:16b

This man’s devotion to God are evident in all he did.

His fabric of life was prayer.

And his response to God was obedience.

The anguish he felt when he first heard of the trouble of those living in Jerusalem was birthed into being used by God to restore not only the wall of Jerusalem, no small task, but also to restore order and devotion to God in the people living there.

His life is an incredible inspiration for those who are called by the name of the Son.

His passion, discernment, and faithfulness speak volumes about his character and his personal love of the God of heaven.

For such a small amount of information about this man, Nehemiah (it’s a short book, only 13 chapters all focusing on what took place before, during, and after the building of the wall) we can be given a large dose of encouragement.

Nehemiah was secure in his walk with God and no amount of threats, attack, difficulty, squabbling, or just plain hard work deterred him from following what God had put in his heart.

That is the result of a life completely surrendered to God.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this book of the Bible and for the man who shows such an example of prayer and obedience to You. Lord, no matter our past, You can redeem us. Please help us to be individuals who are steeped in prayer. Lord, help us to respond to life through prayer and Your Word. Let the lives of Your servants be our example, that we might inspire others to follow You as well. Lord, start with me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Ruth

Illustration by Frances Hook taken from My book of Bible Stories by Wanda Hayes.

Her back ached.

It had been hours since she began.

She refused to look up, the Sun constantly drove her to wipe her brow and feel the tickle of moister between her shoulder blades.

Her arms were complaining, there was a kink in her neck, but what bothered her most was the fear.

Questions and doubt buzzed her brain, more obnoxious than the flies that buzzed her face.

“What’s going to happen when harvest is over?”

Hunching her shoulders to better carry her burden, she stubbornly ignored this and caught up another shaft of grain.

“You’re not foolish enough to think this pitiful amount you’ve gleaned so far will provide until next harvest!”

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Moses said: When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.”

She reached out and picked up more gleanings, being careful with each.

“Lord, thank You for the food You have provided for Naomi and myself. I trust You to prove for our future.”

Wiping her brow again, she continued on, diligent in the back breaking, monotony of gleaning the field.

Ruth 2:2 NKJV — So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”
Ruth 2:3 NKJV — Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

This is Ruth.

The Bible doesn’t tell us about how she felt.

It doesn’t describe the pain, the fear, or even the life shared with a woman who had lost all. (Ruth 1:21)

It simply tells us what Ruth did.

She diligently took up the only task she could do and she worked at it with a determination and gentleness which speaks volumes about her character.

She had experienced disappointment, no children were added to her though she was married.

Ruth 1:4 NKJV — Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

She had watched tragedy take it’s toll.

Ruth 1:5 NKJV — Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

This young woman had known incredible loss, but she didn’t allow it to rob her of integrity.

Her mind and heart belonged to her family and the God of the Hebrews.

Ruth 1:16 NKJV — But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.

As a woman from Moab, she was risking a great deal. Moab and Israel were not on friendly terms.

Yet, she worked at the task she could do, the task she had to do and she did it well.

Ruth 2:7 NKJV — “And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”

It’s pretty difficult to imagine how exhausting this would be.

Ruth shows incredible faith in simply doing the task at hand.

And her story ends with God’s faithfulness to her.

Ruth 4:13 NKJV — So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

Ruth 4:17 NKJV — Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for the story of Ruth. Thank You for how she trusted in You with all her heart. Lord, please help me to be like her. To do what is difficult. To trust You with my future. To be steadfast in following You with my whole heart. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for what You did in Ruth’s day and what You are doing in mine. Blessed be Your name Jesus! Amen.

Fear

Not unlike a tiny fish darting from danger, each person is open to fear’s attack.

What child hasn’t cowered in the fear of darkness?

Or cried tears of fear when the startling, the unexpected, the painful struck?

For that matter, what adult hassn’t experienced some fear lurking in their minds?

Fear of failure.

Fear of loss.

Fear of need.

Fear of being alone.

Fear of pain, death, hurt, abandonment,…

The list is long.

Fear comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors, because it’s better at hiding inside other emotions than a chameleon is at blending into the background.

Fear is often a motivation.

But it’s a harsh, cruel, relentless master.

Fear will never be quelled by “good thoughts”, kind words, or self love.

There’s only one thing that conquers it completely.

1 John 4:18 NKJV — There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

This isn’t the love of a human which is perfect.

It’s the love of God.

Something we can experience because He loved us first.

1 John 4:19 NKJV — We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:9 NKJV — In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Fear in any form can not stand before the consuming love of God.

And when one places their lives in His hands He becomes the Master, casting out fear.

The scriptures speak so clearly of the peace which comes when trust in God reigns in the heart.

Psalm 56:11 KJV — In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Psalm 118:6 KJV — The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Psalm 56:4 NKJV — In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV — For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 13:6 NKJV — So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

And there are so many more verses speaking to us.

When we put our trust in God, when we realize how perfect His love, fear is defeated.

Jesus spoke about this in a simple and yet profound way.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29‭-‬31 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for this. To help us understand the profound truth of Your care for Your creation. How great and mighty You are. How infinite and above all we can possibly see or know. Thank You for being both loving and righteous. Thank You for being truth and mercy. Lord, thank You for showing us how great is Your care through these words. To number the very hairs of our heads, to never miss a single bird’s fall to the Earth. To know the hearts of all mankind. Truly, You are incredible and I praise Your holy name. Lord Jesus, thank You for all You are doing, have done, and will do. May the whole Earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of You. Amen.

“No king in Israel…”

Judges 17:6 NKJV — In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The book of Judges contains some excellent lessons.

As this verse states there was no king in Israel.

The reason for this was that God was their King.

Later, we see God clearly state this when the children of Israel ask Samuel to anoint a king over them.

1 Samuel 8:7 NKJV — And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”

Obviously, here in the book of Judges they had already rejected the LORD as their leader for : “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The entire book of Deuteronomy is a reminder of all the words God gave Moses and all that the children of Israel were to do as His people.

No where does it say: do what is right in your own eyes.

Why?

Read the book of Judges.

It’s not pretty nor is it nice.

The sins of people quickly lead to suffering.

Only through God’s appointed judges do the people find some relief.

Unfortunately, many of these judges do not cling to God and His Word throughout their entire lives and the consequences of this cause more suffering.

It’s an important reminder for us.

In our society it has been said truth is in the eye of the beholder.

Truth is what is true to you.

Absolute truth has been degraded and disregarded.

The book of Judges makes it clear what happens when a society lives as if there is no absolute truth.

The people suffer.

Therefore, those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ have an opportunity.

The first thing is to live unto the Lord and not unto ourselves.

God’s people daily living for Christ is one way God reaches the world.

Secondly, we have the privilege to pray for others to know God’s truth.

The Bible is the absolute truth and we have the responsibility to know it and to stand in the gap for those who have yet to know.

We can also learn something else from Judges.

God sent judges to help the children of Israel.

He hasn’t changed, God is still in control, even of the authorities. Romans 13:1

We can seek Him and pray for godly leaders, beginning at home (pray for our family as individuals) and outward (pray for your church leaders, your community leaders, for the government leaders).

When we pray and trust the Lord for every facet of our lives we are putting God where He belongs, we make Him King.

And God is faithful.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for the lessons in Your Word. Thank You for truth. In You I put my trust. In You I find security. Lord, I lift up my husband to You and humbly ask that You continue to guide and direct him. Thank You for giving him to me, he is such a blessing. Lord, I lift up my family to You. Please guide and direct them. Please teach them Your ways. Lord Jesus, I lift up our leaders to You. Please let those in authority be people of integrity. Lord, speak truth into their lives and let Your ways be clear. Lord Jesus, please continue to grow Your church, that many would call upon Your name. Thank You Jesus for all You have done and all You are doing. I praise and worship Your holy name! May the whole Earth be filled with the glory of the Lord. Amen.