Joy and Weeping

Psalm 30:5 "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning."

David's life was a constant turn of events. He experienced the valley as well as the mountain tops. He knew what it was to run for your life. He hid in caves, lost many friends. He was anointed to be king, yet not on the throne for many years. He loved the man, King Saul, who was trying to kill him. David shares the depth of his soul throughout the Psalms.

Just when David thought he'd be on the throne and not in the sheep pasture, the road took a sudden turn in the opposite direction. I am sure he had many angry moments, but the final emotion was joy in the morning. He didn't stay in the valley. He didn't stay in the negative, no matter how difficult things were. He always broke forth in praise to His Lord.

Perhaps you think you are finally at a place when everything will be just right. Then it happens...another debt, losing your job, loss of a loved one, or an earthquake. And our life crumbles before us. This isn't the end of the story. Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. God always wants us in a position where we depend on Him and not our own strength.

"We understand the roller-coaster ups and downs of life simply through the lens of experience." David Jeremiah. Don't waste your roller-coaster experience. It is a tough ride, but God will meet you there. He may have even placed you there. Just remember joy will come.

God bless you.

No One to Help

John 5:1-9 gives the story of the disabled man who was laying by the pool waiting for the "angel to come stir the waters. Whoever enters the pool first after the water was stirred would be healed. It says that this man had been disabled for 38 years. I don't know if he had been laying by the pool for all those years. But when Jesus appeared He saw this disabled man there—I picture him being very thin, with gnarled hands, deformed legs and helpless.

Then Jesus asked him a question "Do you want to be healed?" Wouldn't this be a ridiculous question when He saw the condition of this man? I mean wouldn't we all want to be healed if in this condition. After reading this account again, I decided that I am not so disabled after all.

What makes me sad is when the crippled man replied, "I have tried to get to the pool but someone always gets there before me. I have no one to help me." No one to help. That is one lonely person. We have been so blessed with all our many friends and family who have helped in every way possible. But NO ONE to help! Oh that is sad.

But Jesus had it all planned out. "Just get up and walk." Now that would take faith. For those of you who have always had 2 legs to walk on probably just thought, "that is easy, just walk." Well, at least for me, to get up and try to walk after many months of not doing so is very frightening. I always had a feeling of falling, not knowing if my leg and prosthesis would hold me. But I had help. Someone helped me.

The air was electrified around the pool when the man got up and started walking. Jesus was His help and hope. Jesus brought normalcy to his life again. Why did Jesus choose this man? Why does He choose to help you and me? He blesses us, and wants us to reach out and bless others.

I pray we will always reach out to help someone. I pray we will not pass by on the other side and ignore the hurting and lonely.

God bless you.

Job's Burden

There is so much we can learn from the life of Job. Of course, the first thing most of us learn about is patience. We can also see his faithfulness to God. Even when his wife told him to curse God because of his miserable life, Job refused to do so. At the end of the book of Job, we also see Job's confession that he really did not know God and confessed his arrogance.

But there is a tidbit in Job 1:5 that captures my attention.

"So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly."

Job offered burnt offerings for each of his sons, early each morning after the days of feasting/festivities. I don't know if this is the only time he did this, or if the phrase "thus Job did regularly" mean this was a daily practice. But the reason for doing it was just perhaps his sons had sinned and cursed God. (the bold text is mine)

I believe every parent should intercede for their children. We need to bring them before the Throne of God. I remember a number of years of ago when our daughter was a teenager, not walking with the Lord. I was talking to her about her life, and she said "Mom, every time I'm ready to do something I know I shouldn't, I see you in your bedroom on your knees." That was the most encouraging word I needed. I knew that a mother's prayer is honored before God. Did she return to the Lord then? No. But I prayed more diligently.

Never stop praying!! We do not know the results it will bring. Our children, and definitely our grandchildren. I fear for the younger generation in this evil world. We must pray. Be a Job, and make it a daily practice. Just perhaps...they may have sinned, or cursed God. We need to be on a mission on behalf of our children.

God bless you

Treasures

I just am bursting with excitement. Yesterday I was looking for an empty journal, but instead I found 2 that are very precious. I didn't even remember that these were sent back to me from Haiti. I opened them and started reading. I found journal entries that were written right before the quake. It is interesting to see where my thoughts were then.

Let me share:

Jan 7 (5 days prior to the quake)— But the God of all Grace! He will establish, strengthen, and settle me.

Jan 8—2 Peter 1, meditating on the service of a bond servant. A bond servant is attached to his master serving in every way. My master over-pays in blessings. Constantly over and above to what I can ever imagine.

Jan 10—(2 days before the quake) Grace and peace is multiplied in me through the knowledge of God. His power has given me everything I need for life and godliness. (this is overwhelming, it was God preparing me for the coming catastrophe.)

Jan 11—(1 day before the quake) Be diligent in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. I need to be diligent in the call God gave me—to be His servant.

There was no entry for the day of the quake.

I don't journal well or even consistently but this was a treasure, as I often wondered what I was thinking of before the quake.

Sometimes I wish you could all come to my house, so I could hear your stories too.

God bless you

Take No Offense

Matthew 11:2-6 gives an account of John the Baptist while he was in prison. Very interesting.

Quite a number of years ago I read a book "Prisoner in the Third Cell" by Gene Edwards. The prisoner being John. John, being the cousin of Jesus, was in prison because someone hated him and his message. John sent his friends to go ask Jesus if he really is the Messiah. Jesus's answer is very interesting. He tells the men to return to John and tell him what they have seen—the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are healed, the dead are raised and the poor have heard the Good news. But he adds another statement "Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." What does that have to do with the miracles??

Perhaps John was like us, thinking..."what is wrong with this picture? He can heal and raise people from the dead, but he can't get me out of prison? His own cousin? I didn't even do anything wrong. All I did was preach the good news like I was told to do by God." John died never knowing the extent of his ministry. John didn't know that centuries later people would still be reading about him in the Bible. Jesus did not want him to be offended because he was not delivered from prison.

What about us? Do we take offense when we pray and God doesn't answer? Or even more He doesn't give us an explanation of our situation? Do we take offense when God chooses to bless another but not me? I have many questions that I have no answer or explanation. I may never have the answer. Do I take offense because of this?

Let's not take offense because of Jesus. Our prayers may not all be answered the way we want, we may not understand the "why's" in our life, but let's not take offense because of HIM. He knows the beginning from the end. He is the Alpha and Omega.

Be blessed today

Desert University

Have you ever been to a desert? How long did you stay? I've been there many times. From time to time, it is as if God says to me, "Time to draw away in the desert again. You have some lessons to learn." And sometimes, I just land in the desert on this pilgrimage of mine. It is lonely there. Harsh reality. The thorny cacti pierce my skin. I cry. Then I look up and see an oasis. Maybe my tears made the oasis.

In the desert I learned to trust my Lord. I learned forgiveness. I learned love. But why the desert? There are no voices there. I'm alone. Just me and my Lord. Moses went to desert university. He learned the foundations of leadership. Jesus went to the desert right before he started his ministry. Hagar found the God-Who-Sees in the desert.

I run to the water, the Living Water. He is my teacher. While I was in the desert (literally) in Haiti, It prepared me for future ministry. During those days, I learned to trust my God for food, water, finances, and how to treat medical problems even though I wasn't a doctor or nurse. I learned to love people with whom I could barely communicate with. (I did learn the language eventually). But most of all I learned that seasons of being alone were good for me. God's voice rings loud and clear.

Psalm 84:5-7 "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca (tears), they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion."

These verses became a main stay for me. I spent many days in the Valley of Baca, but just when I thought I could take no more I found springs of refreshing, strength to go on and pools of praise for my Maker.

For Moses his first trip to the desert lasted for 40 years. His 2nd time in the desert was also 40 years long. But he also became a great leader. He was God's man for the children of Israel. Don't waste your desert seasons. Springs of refreshing will come. Pools of Praise will ring forth.

God bless you.

Culture or God's Will

Let's think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Just a young girl when the angel first came to her to announce that she would be the mother of God's son. What would have happened if she would have been a bit more outspoken and selfish, and trying to live according to culture?

"Wait a minute. I'm engaged to be married, and if I come up pregnant by the Holy Spirit, I am sure that will go over big time with my mom and my fiance! Oh they will believe me. I don't think so. I mean really, Angel Gabriel, don't you know that I could be stoned for adultery? How am I going to explain this all to my family and friends?"

But it wasn't that way. She submitted to the announcement. She trusted God, and saw it as an honor to be a mother to God's Son. She knew culturally she was not going to be accepted. She was more concerned to do God's will than to please her friends. Joseph even hid her because he was embarrassed.

What about you and I? What is important to us? Culture? What will others think? Or to do God's will?

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ.." Know for sure that the work God has started in me and you He will complete it. Allow Him to do it.

God bless you