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Finding Hope: God’s Protection Amidst Turmoil

Jan28

With all the disruption taking place in our country these days, we need something to cling to that will inspire hope. Something that will strengthen our grasp on the assurance that evil will not prevail. So where are we to turn? Many turn to the wisdom of man, the power of worldly weapons, the strength of government, or financial wealth. Only to find these fall short to offer the protection we need. We may try religions that promote a variety of methods but fails to direct our focus towards the Triune God of Christianity.

In such trying times, we must be alert to the deception and manipulation of the enemy, aka Satan. Lies are his foremost fiery darts. The weapons he exploits to manipulate and deceive. Especially, those who without a relationship with God through Christ, become his pawns. And if we as Christians fail to search the Scriptures for answers, we will face the temptation of despair, confusion, and doubt.

Nevertheless, if we open our Bibles, that is where we will find the hope and assurance we need in these threatening days. In particular Psalm 91. Psalm 91 is primarily a Messianic Psalm but presents a clear message to individual believers found in verses 1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

And it is by having this mindset that we access peace and assurance, no matter the assault from the enemy. The enemy just can’t compete with this Divine protection of Psalm 91. For this psalm reassures us of God’s faithful presence during our storms. We know that because of God’s protection the weapons formed against us will not prevail. We will ride out the storm. We will persevere. We will rise above and become the stronger for it.

The Freedom of Truth…

Jan13

It burdens my heart to see Christians ignoring their Bibles. It’s pretty obvious who’s behind that. Yep, the enemy is working overtime. I’ve written this before but it bears to be written again. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Everywhere, here in the US and all across the globe is evidence of his deception and manipulation. So how does this happen? I believe the answer is simple. And it is revealed in John 10:10. If he can steal, kill, or destroy God’s word from an individual, that individual’s faith will be compromised. For if we don’t feed ourselves on the Truth of God’s salvation, we become malnourished in our faith.

God’s word is where Truth resides. Without Truth, evil has no restraints. And when evil is not restrained, lies become truth and Truth becomes lies. For the enemy knows that when we know the Truth, his plans are thwarted.

I want to break this down to the individual level. Consider the problems we face. For example, when we have discord in our family relationships and need insight as to how to handle it, where do we go? Friends? Books? Social Media? The internet? Television? Movies? Music? The enemy makes sure we have a smorgasbord of options to choose from. And he will deliberately steer us in the opposite direction of Truth.

So here we are, people who call themselves Christian but are ignorant of God’s Truth. Yes, we too often turn to the patterns of this world. A world that is blind to God’s Truth. When we turn to the world for the solutions we need, it’s like the blind leading the blind. For instance, the world will tell us that we are the author of our own lives. That we should reject any advice from those who contradict what we want. Shut them out. Put up boundaries. Don’t let them in. The very people who love us the most are the ones we are influenced to turn from. Know why?

Because the Bible is going to refute the idea of self autonomy. How? By instructing us to forgive those who have hurt us. And by being willing to ask for forgiveness! By counseling us on how to treat each other and avoid conflict.The Bible might even point out the sin we are guilty of that has contributed to our family problem. God knows we need His wisdom to grapple with the pitfalls we encountered.  

Therefore, Satan’s goal is to separate us from what is True by making sure we are ignorant of it. Keeping us from spending time in the Bible is his default tactic. His goal is to imprison us with lies.

However, the only way to be set free of such bondage is to know the Truth. When we know the Truth, we will be set free.   

This is the day the LORD has made…

Jan6
morning sun

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Whenever I hear this verse my mind flashes back to my Vacation Bible School days. That’s when I first remember memorizing Ps. 118:24. Even as a child my mind could grasp the idea that every day was a gift from God. The notion that a day was a divine gift, fostered gratitude and joy in my child sized heart.

And now, at 77 years of age, this verse resurfaces. However, it’s framed by a life that has traveled many miles. Lots of valleys but lots of mountain tops too. So it impacts me oh so differently now.

There are moments when the weight of present family trials pulls at my heart. Heaviness of heart sets in. The fiery darts of doubt, fear, self-pity, and judgement appear on the threshold of my mind like a stalking lion. Just waiting for the moment to pounce.

However, there is a sentinel at the threshold standing guard. In His possession are all the weapons I need to counter the enemy’s attacks. By reminding me God has made my day then I find I can rejoice. Knowing God has designed my day gives me every reason to face down the stalking lion. My perspective transforms the stalking lion into a powerful Sentinel.

With that awareness, courage and wisdom fashions my thinking. And I know that the weapons formed against me will not prevail. All I have to do is to cooperate with God as He shows me the right path and points out the road for me to follow. The very trials the enemy intended to weaponize against me, God transforms into a strengthening exercise. That’s the ingredients He uses for the day He makes for me.

Isn’t that worth rejoicing over?!

The Light of Christmas always overcomes…

Dec23

We are living in dark times. But at Christmas time we have the golden opportunity to share and reflect the Light of Christmas. Satan’s plan is to steal, kill, and destroy. But remember his evil is done in the dark. Thankfully, it is the Light of Christmas that overcomes such darkness.

That is why God gave us His word, the Bible. God’s word shines the Light on the darkness of our sins. The more we embrace the truths of Scripture, the brighter Christ light in us will shine.

As we go about our Christmas celebrations remember this. The enemy will do whatever it takes to gain a foothold in your Celebrations. So personal examination is in order. What does the spotlight of our Christmas celebration reveal? Let’s take an inventory and see what we come up with. Does our understanding of God’s word expose fiery darts lurking in the darkness?

May we never be afraid to shine the Light upon our own darkness. Because it is that Light that will expose the darkness in our lives. Our lives will become fuller when the darkness is exposed and the Light is allowed to shine.

Remember, the purveyor of darkness is still attempting to steal, kill, and destroy the Light in our day. Just like he did when Christ first came into this world. But there is Hope for the Light will always overcome the darkness

My Discovery? …Choosing My Weapons

Dec16
Ephesians 6:16

I mentioned in my previous post that I discovered in mid-life something transformational regarding prayer. This discovery involves connecting the point of our petition with something concerning that prayer from God’s word, the Bible.

Please allow me to give you a personal example. I’m 77 years of age. My husband and I have been empty nesters for some years. Our children now live in distance places. And as life progresses and the grans get older, coming home for Christmas isn’t as doable as it once was. Honestly readers, as a result, Christmas has lost some of its glitter for me. Not in the message, of course, but in accumulation of family memories.

As the scenes have changed, I have learned to draw upon God’s comforting words to dispel the fiery dart of loneliness. There’s a verse I learned as a child, This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NKJV. This verse came to my mind as a weapon in combating the enemy’s attacks. I pondered this verse and it shaped my prayer. “Dear LORD, This day, this time, although not what I would choose for myself, is the day you have made for me. And since You have made it, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Framing my Christmas with this truth helped me maintain a more positive perspective. Therefore, EVERY TIME the sadness approaches I head it off with this verse. And the fiery dart is extinguished. The enemy’s weapon does not prevail. Instead, I defeat the temptation to think self-centered thoughts and began a nose dive into depression. I am at peace with what God planned for me. I am open to enjoying the Christmas God has prepared for me.

And the benefits or blessings by praying this prayer, is that my heart is open to the blessings available to me. Time not crowded with preparations for a big family gathering opens up new possibilities. Thus I am reading an Advent devotional which is powerful in fixing my focus on the true meaning of Christmas. As I focus more on the Christ child and less on myself, the sadness that stands in the wings is depleted.

So by lifting my shield of faith, God supplies me with just the right weapon to defeat the enemy’s attacks. Just when I need them, I’m reminded of Truths such as Psalm 118:24 & Ephesians 6:16. These words are the weapons that will undo and thwart the enemy’s plans. By spending time with God daily and His word, I am informed as to the particular weapon I need to choose.

Is giving God a portion of each day, by spending it with Him in prayer and His word, lacking? If so, imagine a warrior going into the battle without their weapons! Defeat is certain isn’t it! Which will be the outcome for anyone entering the battle fray without the proper weapons.

More about prayer…

Dec9

There have been volumes written about prayer. So, I really don’t have anything new to add to the subject. What I have to share will be a reminder to many. Yet for some it might just be a new discovery! I write that because it wasn’t until the middle half of my life that I made such a discovery regarding prayer.

I’l preface this by sharing that my prayer life has undergone various transformations over the years. As I grew spiritually that growth inspired alterations in how I prayed. For instance, as a young Christian, my prayers focused mostly on what I wanted from God. But as the years passed, and I learned more about God, my prayers focused more on what He wanted for me. Yet, it was an up and down journey which was directly impacted by my growth or lack thereof.

However, there was something missing. A failed connection. I use to remind my children and my students that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. That reason was that He wanted us to listen twice as much as we spoke. It took awhile for that to sink in and apply it to my spiritual life. For you see, I had failed to realize that while prayer was my talking to God, reading and meditating on His words was how God talked to me. What I discovered, well into my adult life, was that I was over focused on making sure God knew what I wanted. Yet, I wasn’t giving Him the opportunity to tell me what He wanted!

There’s a verse that showed me it was in recognizing God’s mighty weapons (His Word, His Truth) that resulted in my hearing God’s voice. It was what God said to me in Ephesians 6:16, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one,” that I began to make the connection between lies and fiery darts. From that verse God referred other verses which led me to be able to recognize the fiery darts, reject them, and to replace them with His Truth. Truth thoughts that countered the lies from the enemy.

The key to communicating with God is to become familiar with His word. Leave the Bible reading out and we will only be talking to God. We won’t know what He has to say about our petitions, if we do all the talking.

Pray with an Attitude of Thanksgiving…

Nov25

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

Now in keeping with the subject of prayer and the season of Thanksgiving, let’s examine the above verse.

In today’s climate of problems, an attitude of thankfulness seems impossible. For many don’t even have a chance to enjoy the abundance of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. And with homes dealing with all varieties of trauma, celebrating Thanksgiving just isn’t desirable for many people.

So why would God tell us that in spite of all these problems we are not to worry? Then follows that up with the directive to take on an attitude of thankfulness. Whatever the situation! And we ask, “What?” Is this even possible? There is an answer to this question, and it is to be found in the Bible. For within the pages of Scripture, God reveals how to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

In approaching God with our prayers and petitions, we need to focus on who it is we are presenting our prayers and petitions to. God, our Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, who knows everything about us and what is best for us. Who will never abandon us. Who is trustworthy. Meaning in light of all this, we can be thankful for who God is and thankful that He will work all this out for our good.

When we focus on all that we have to be thankful for, the things we are tempted to worry about begin to fade. Scripture also teaches us gratitude redirects our thoughts. The negatives are clouded out. The Light shines down upon us, highlighting endless possibilities of thankfulness. We will move from anxiety to thankfulness. And as the resulting peace permeates our thoughts we experience something beyond our understanding.

Therefore, when we are tempted to worry about the problems we are facing, personalize the verse in Philippines and turn it into a prayer:

Dear God, help me not to be anxious about my situation. In an attitude of thankfulness, I offer my petitions and requests to You. I come to You with thanksgiving, because You have always provided for my needs, You have always worked things out for my good and Your glory, You have never abandoned me. Knowing how much I have to be thankful for, I know a peace that is beyond my understanding. A peace that will put my heart and mind at ease.

Casual Christianity?

Nov5

Ever since World War II, there has been a steady decline in Christianity. In the 1960’s there was social upheaval, the sexual revolution, and a questioning of institutions. That fueled a greater withdrawal. And the steady decline continued.

In the meantime, our claim of being a Christian nation slowly faded. Sadly, it was accepted that we just weren’t what we use to be. We settled for a casual attitude in displaying our faith. It became much more acceptable to lower our aim. Living a committed Christian life wasn’t necessary anymore. Gradually, attending church or reading our Bibles grew less important. Life just got in the way and left little room to include a sincere faith walk with God. But have we stopped to consider the repercussions of such a choice?

A whole list of Pandora’s box lifestyles have emerged: same sex marriage, abortion, transgenderism, hyper individualism, rebellious and disrespectful behavior towards parents or any authority figure, cohabitation as opposed to marriage, and so much more.(btw, Ever read 2 Timothy 3:2-4?)

So I would ask, is the price we paid to have the freedom (or should I say license) to do what we wanted to do without the inconvenience of having someone speak against it given us the happiness we were seeking? Apparently not! For Psychology Today reports that Americans are not a very happy group of people.

But someone was happy about all of this. The enemy’s gloating laughter echoes throughout the country, in homes, in churches, in our schools, our places of business, the halls of government. Yet take heart my dear readers, for his seemingly incessant attacks can be thwarted. His glee can be diminished. How? By the power of God within us! Read on!

When we return to the realization that we need God. That we need to spend time with Him in prayer and His word. That’s the core weapon that we have access to. The mighty weapon that can tear down the strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false assumptions of the enemy’s fiery darts. And leaning into the Truth that God within us is greater than the enemy in the world. By remembering that God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a strong mind. And by fearlessly planting our feet of faith into whatever situation we find ourselves. By unashamedly proclaiming who we are in Christ. (Like I’m thrilled to be witnessing in the public arena these recent days.) By focusing on the mighty works of God in creation and in history, proving He can do anything. Starting by bringing individuals back to their senses.

Now is the time to draw upon the power of His might as is referred to in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.” Only God’s strength can successfully stand against the spiritual forces that entice and manipulate us to be casual about our faith.

Follow His Lead…

Oct29

What is God’s will for my life?

That is a key question for Christian young adults. And a question that is often struggled over. As a young adult Christian, many moons ago, I needed to know the answer to that very question. So, I’m going to share my story of how God answered it.

After high school graduation, honestly I wasn’t asking God what He wanted to do with my life. There was a family member who had attended business college and it was suggested I look into that. Sounded plausible. I enjoyed my business classes in high school,, so why not. I enrolled and eventually secured a secretarial position.

The secretarial job gave me some independence but I still lived at home. I continued living at home and traveled to the city for my job. I figured I would eventually find some guy to marry and become a mom. When children came along, I would not work outside the home. That was my idea of what my future might look like. Now at this time, I still wasn’t consulting God about what His plan for my life might be. I continued moving forward into what I thought adulting entailed.

Then in my 21st year, due to the influence of a godly woman, my course changed. This lady had invited a college student, a former MK-missionary kid, to come speak at my church. After she spoke, she and I struck up a conversation. And as a result, she invited me to come visit her at her university, about one and a half hours drive from my home. So we made our plans.

At that time, my life was taking some ill advised detours. And slowly but surely, I began to feel the weight of guilt about some of the choices I had been making. Fortunately, by God’s grace my community of church friends began putting on the pressure to hold me accountable for those choices. Eventually, I began to listen.

From that point on, I began paying more attention to the people God brought into my life. I began to pay more attention to the situations that presented themselves. Eventually, I enrolled in the Christian college where my friend attended. I began reading my Bible more faithfully and spending time with God in prayer. And as I grew spiritually, God’s voice became louder. He asked me to do some hard things. And by doing those hard things, I proved, to myself anyway, that I was all in. Following God’s lead became my modus operandi.

Follow His Light!

So, you want to know what God’s will is? Start by just following His lead!

Charlie Kirk is now in heaven! Why is that?

Oct15

Yesterday, President Trump awarded posthumously the Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk. I turned to You Tube so I could listen to Erika and President Trump make their speeches. I remember thinking: I wish Erika and her children still had the physical presence of Charlie to hug them. I wish Turning Point still had Charlie’s physical presence to lead them. I wish America’s youth still had Charlie to lead them in finding truth or should I say TRUTH. I wish our country still had the presence of Charlie Kirk to help us in identifying evil. I wish we all still had the presence of Charlie Kirk to guide us toward faith and family and purpose.

But though he was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, his influence and leadership remains. Satan and whoever was in cahoots with his plans, knowingly or unknowingly, have unleashed a force more powerful than they could have imagined. Satan never learns. He has tried the same tactic over and over to destroy God’s work. And turns out, he only upends his own evil plans.

Case in point: before Charlie’s death, there were about 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters of the Turning Point organization. Since Charlie’s death, requests for new chapters has increased to 62,000. And that number continues to rise.

Additionally, at Charlie’s memorial service the seeds of revival that he had been sowing throughout his career, burst forth. As a result, many of our political leaders, newscasters, and people of influence are now boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ. As I heard Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, say in an interview the other day, “We aren’t the bad guys anymore!” speaking of the new found freedom to speak of Jesus Christ within the halls of our government.

May this momentum continue to build. And to answer the question in the title of this post. It wasn’t Charlie’s good works that took him to heaven when he died! As abundant as they were! No! It was his acceptance of Jesus Christ when Charlie was in the 5th grade that assured his place in heaven. And that is true of anyone and everyone who realizes who Jesus Christ is. God’s Son who came to earth and satisfied God’s wrath against sin by dying in our place. Thereby, assuring Believers of a permanent, everlasting, home in heaven!