Category: christian parenting

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Perfect Patience for Imperfect People

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“The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression;”  Numbers 14:18

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

When my youngest daughter, now 28, was a toddler I found myself praying the same prayer every day throughout the day.  “Lord, give me patience!”  At times I prayed in exasperation but often I prayed through tears.  She is a lovely young woman, now with toddlers of her own; a woman full of love for the Lord.  

As a child, however, she was relentlessly busy—emptying cupboards, climbing counters to reach what I had forbidden, and leaving toys in my path. Rarely idle and endlessly creative, she moved with a confidence that suggested my “no” simply meant I hadn’t yet understood her reasoning.

A friend who was never going to have children once told me to not break her spirit.  Teachers loved her wit and creativity even in Kindergarten.  I responded to them, “You don’t have to live with her.”  She always wanted more – more things, more activities, more of me, more, more, more.  I loved and love her dearly but I was at my own wit’s end most days when she was little.  

More Than Just Patience

One Sunday our pastor at the time spoke the words I so desperately needed.  “If you keep asking for the same thing from God over and over and you aren’t seeing any fruit, then maybe it’s time to ask for something different.”  In that moment I realized I wasn’t praying wrong – I was praying too narrowly.  I had been fixated on patience as if it were something God handed out in isolation, rather than part of a much richer work He was doing in me.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

You find “patience” nestled right in the middle of the fruits of the Spirit.  But surrounding it are so many other good gifts He provides.  I started asking for God to help me release those other aspects of the Holy Spirit.  I needed to slow down, be kind, have joy in what He had blessed me.  Instead of demanding, I started co-working with my daughter.  I sat calmly with her talking about trust and my desire for her safety.  Patience came to me through other gifts.

His Patience Is His Mercy

This struggle with patience didn’t just shape my parenting—it reshaped how I see justice, mercy, and grace.  We should all seek to be patient and merciful to others as God has so graciously done for us throughout our years.  It’s why Christians must push back against the concept of “karma.”  You notice most people who invoke the idea do so in glee of someone else’s suffering?  And yet we all deserve some sort of punishment, probably every day.  For things we said, thought or did or for those things we didn’t.

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18

The LORD has been patient with this world for millennium.  He promised never to flood the earth again with His wrath against sin and evil.  Instead, He sent prophets armed with His Word to warn people and to plead with people to trust in Him and Him only.  He even sent His son to take our punishment we so rightly deserve.  

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.“ 1 Timothy 1:16

Friend, His patience is a perfect gift for us imperfect people.  We should never say we can’t come to Him because of our failures.  He is waiting for us to seek Him so He can lavish us with forgiveness.  He doesn’t grow weary in His waiting.  However, we are promised that one day the waiting period will be over.  We will all face His eternal justice.  

When non-believers question, “Where is your God?”  We can faithfully answer that He is in the midst of us, patiently waiting for them to repent.  For now, we thank Him for the patience He shows us and the unbelievers we love.  We can thank Him too for the patience He has gifted us through the Holy Spirit. 

As for me and my daughter I can be so thankful for how patient He has been to both of us. Thankful for how much He has loved us. He has blessed us with a beautiful relationship filled with joy. 

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15

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The Lord in the Midst of You

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“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” 1 Kings 8:27

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

A quick look up on Wikipedia will inform you that the Egyptians at one point had 17 gods of war.  When one Egyptian city went out to battle another, they brought their gods to fight alongside them.  When the Assyrians and Babylonians came up against Israel, they too carried their idols on the backs of slaves.  Assured that with their gods in their physical midst the battle would be theirs.  Yet when Moses and Joshua faced the fierce Amalekites all they had was Moses’ arms. But was that all they truly had?  

“And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17:7

This verse sits just prior to the story of the great battle against the Amalekites.  The Israelites once again, believed God had left them without food or water.  The LORD told Moses to strike the rock so that water would flow freely from it. Afterwards, we find Moses naming the place as he so often did, when God performed a miracle.  I would imagine their question, “Is the Lord among us or not?” caused God to further show His omnipresent state with the ensuing battle.  The Israelites didn’t need an idol carried into battle, they only needed hands lifted to Him.

All throughout the ancient world idol worshippers felt compelled to have an object on their person or in their household in order to be in the presence of the gods.  But I love this (long) piece of scripture from Isaiah mocking this concept:

“He (the carpenter) cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
It is used as fuel for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
    he makes an idol and bows down to it.
Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
    “Save me! You are my god!” Isaiah 44:14-17

And yet, modern “spiritual” people still do the same with beads, rocks, and stones.  If you wear a special bead bracelet then you are protected by some sort of god or spiritual being.  A bracelet probably made in China by child labor.  I prefer the God who is omnipresent like the one Paul describes here:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.   And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

This God is everywhere with us at all times, throughout all time.  We don’t need to conjure up some spirit out of our craftsmen’s hands.  We, through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, have the Holy Spirit living in each believer.  We are His temple, His dwelling place.  Wherever we go, He goes.

There are so many other beautiful truths about God’s omnipresence in the Bible but this Psalm is a standout to bring the point home.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10

I want to be held fast while in my car, in my bed, on a plane, in the presence of believers and non-believers.  And knowing that He sees me everywhere should also hold my feet to the fire to remember to whom I belong.    

“Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 23:24

For the believer in the western world, we can easily forget that we need this God to be with us throughout our days.  But think about the believers in hostile lands such as Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria, North Korea, and unfortunately too many other places.  Even without a Bible in their hands, they can know the truth, that God is with them.  God the Father was with the more than 20 Nigerian Christians slaughtered by Islamic terrorists over Easter.  Now they are with Him in His arms for all eternity.

Friends, may we never face the terror some of our brothers and sisters face in defense of our Savior.  What we more likely face each day is the clash of cultures.  We face decisions to stand up for our faith or be ridiculed.  I pray each time you do, you remember the LORD is in the midst of you.  He is with you always.

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The Consistent Mercy of God

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“But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!” Nehemiah 9:31

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  Titus 3:5

A few years ago, I was asked to disciple a young woman who was new to our church.  I realized early on that as a result of her not knowing the Bible she also didn’t really know or trust God.  Wanting to give her what she needed, I asked which parts of the Bible interested her most. She answered, “I want to know more about the God of the Old Testament.”  Her reasoning?  She couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that the merciful God she gravitated towards in the New Testament was the same as the wrathful one in the Old.

Now, some of you may think the same.  That olde God who destroyed whole cities and their entire populations certainly isn’t the same as the new God of mercy and love, correct?  

If you’re thinking that way, I encourage you to read the book of Isaiah.  Yes, you’ll find God’s anger and wrath in those scriptures.  You’ll also find his long suffering and mercy towards His people.

“Turn to the Lord and pray to him,
    now that he is near.
Let the wicked leave their way of life
    and change their way of thinking.
Let them turn to the Lord, our God;
    he is merciful and quick to forgive.
“My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours,
    and my ways are different from yours.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.” Isaiah 55: 6-9

After years of turning their backs to God, He still holds out his hand to His people imploring them to come.  To receive His mercy and love and rest.  In fact, the Old Testament is rife with God warning His people and then giving them another chance.  Of being disrespected and still promising green pastures for those who believe and trust in Him.  Throughout the Psalms we read of God’s unexplainable mercy to those who aren’t deserving of it.

“The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”  Psalm 145:9

I mentioned in the last post about God’s love that the Old Testament is a love story.  A story between a God and His people.  He woos them, protects them, and shows endless amounts of mercy.  And when He’s finally had enough, He allows their actions to have serious consequences, mostly by the hands of pagan nations.  Yet in the Old Testament we also see God’s promise of the final mercy.  Isaiah chapters 7, 9 and especially 53 all prophesy of this hope and mercy to come—the Messiah.

Mercy Fulfilled in Christ

But the God of the New Testament shows no wrath, correct?  In this case might I suggest you watch the Passion of the Christ?  To whom does God show no mercy and why?  Jesus.  Our sins need to be taken to account in order to stand in front of a perfect God come Judgment Day. In the Old Testament he required frequent deaths of animals to partially cleanse the people of their sins.  In the New, He puts His Son through a terrible death so that we may obtain His ultimate mercy.

Understanding this truth became deeply personal when I was out walking one day. I began visualizing what Jesus went through before and during the Cross.  I wanted to feel as though I was there in person watching and agonizing with the disciples.  They didn’t know at the time why God required this to happen.  They were constantly confused when Jesus spoke of His impending death.  But we know why.

So I imagined the excruciating pain He experienced for me and broke down in tears.  Not just in the fact He was in pain. No, more so that He was in pain FOR ME to receive less than I deserve from God.

Got Questions has an interesting take on the concept of God’s mercy:

“Mercy is such an exceptionally complex concept that several Hebrew and Greek words are used to express the dimensions of its meaning. Synonyms like compassion, lovingkindness, favor, and steadfast love often appear in Bible translations to illustrate the idea of mercy. A brief biblical definition of mercy is “the gift of God’s undeserved kindness and compassion.”

You find all these synonyms in Jesus’ sacrifice.  They are spread throughout the Old Testament as well.  The Israelites were rescued out of Egypt and immediately started complaining.  And God gave them food and water.  They complained they didn’t have a king like other nations and He gave them King David.  They complained, we complain, they sinned, we sin.  And God gave us Jesus.  The most merciful act anyone could hardly imagine; To save us from eternal hell.

There’s a very poignant song performed by Steve McWirther called Come Jesus Come.  The chorus goes like this:

Come Jesus Come we’ve been waiting so long
For the day You return to heal every hurt and right every wrong
We need you right now come and turn this around
Deep down I know this world isn’t home
Come Jesus come

It’s a beautiful plea to God.  I recognized one day that although I was personally ready for the day of Jesus’ return a few of my loved ones are not.  It made me think of God’s mercy.  He is right now allowing His Word, in both the New and Old Testament to be shared; for the truth of His mercy to be received before He comes in judgment of all humanity.  Our merciful God is gathering all His people before the final days.  His mercy is not a past story or a future hope alone—it is an open invitation right now.

“Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

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The Shepherd’s Pursuing Love

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-2

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

In the last week of my BSG’s study on the Book of Ruth, Pastor Alistair Begg asked, “When have you, like Ruth, wondered, ‘Why?’ about God’s providence and generosity?” It was interesting that most of our group answered with the negative in mind—“Why did this terrible thing happen?” But Pastor Begg was actually pointing to Ruth’s honest confusion in response to unexpected kindness. In Ruth 2,

“I (Boaz the farmer) have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

At this, she (Ruth) bowed down with her face to the ground.  She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

She wasn’t questioning punishment; she was marveling at kindness in light of her position.

Chosen With Love

My own “why” answer to the study question was along the same lines—a question I often thank God for in my life: “Why did You choose me when I didn’t even know You? Why have You blessed me so richly and changed me for the better?”

In past posts, we’ve talked about the importance of remembering. For me, it has been essential to my sanctification. When I look back on my life “before Christ,” I remember the ways I sought comfort apart from God, especially in sexual immorality. To that I added anger, unforgiveness, pride, and selfishness. And I still at times, now that I am “in Christ,” ask: why?

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:10-11

And this is His answer: He loved me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8). Just as He loved you, dear friend—not after you cleaned up your act, but before. Before you were even born. It’s hard to grasp that kind of love, isn’t it? Maybe that’s why so much of the world rejects it. It can’t possibly be true—and yet it is.

Our Loving Shepherd

As I considered today’s post, I thought about simply including all of Psalm 23—the familiar “The Lord is my Shepherd” psalm. I’ve always found it interesting that it’s so often associated with death, when it speaks so richly about life and love; the good life held in the arms of our loving Shepherd.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever." Psalm 23:6

What a comfort to know this love. A God who loved us before we were born and who follows us all the days of our lives!  A Shepherd who protects and provides for His sheep—and His sheep know His voice. This God is Jehovah-Raah: the Lord is my Shepherd.

No matter how long we’ve walked with Christ, we can look back and see moments we’re grateful He loved us—even then. Some are blessed to have known that love early; others, like me, recognized it later. Either way, His timing is perfect. As I’ve slowly grasped what His love means, chains have broken, wounds have healed, and my love for Him has grown year by year.

In a post from a while back, we talked about God the Creator. On the sixth day, He crowned His creation by making humanity in His image and declared it not only good, but very good. And with that began a love story—a love that never leaves us or forsakes us. When we turn our backs, He still calls, “Come back to Me, your Shepherd.”

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:26-33

How beautiful is this picture of God’s love for us—to be held secure for all eternity. Today, let us rest in the love of God: the One who defines love, who is Love; the God who loved you then, loves you now, and will love you forevermore.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come before You with a humble heart, recognizing that Your love is the foundation of all existence. Your love is beyond measure, beyond comprehension, and it surpasses all human understanding. I am in awe of Your boundless love that extends to every corner of creation.

Lord, I pray that Your love may envelop me completely. Fill every fiber of my being with Your unconditional and transformative love. Let it penetrate every thought, every word, and every action. Help me to experience the depth of Your love in every aspect of my life.

I surrender myself to Your love, knowing that it is the greatest force in the universe. Thank You, dear Lord, for the immeasurable gift of Your love. May it be my constant source of strength, joy, and peace. I offer this prayer in the name of Jesus, who embodied Your love fully. Amen.

Author Unknown, Bibleversesnow.com

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God Is Just—So We Can Forgive

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“Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.” – Proverbs 29:26

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19

Back in 2009, 14-year old Amber Dubois disappeared walking to school one morning in a town to the north of me.  There were few clues as to her whereabouts.  She was even considered by some in law enforcement to have been a runaway.  But in less than a year, another teenager, Chelsea King, a 17-year old from an even closer town, disappeared while on a training run.  Many of us joined search parties that seemed to last for days.  Chelsea’s brutal killer was finally captured when, while evading police, he sat down for a meal at a local Mexican restaurant.  The waitress recognized him from news reports as a person of interest.  

Thankfully for Amber’s mother, Chelsea’s murderer confessed to both killings and revealed Amber’s location.  A story that all too often happens across the world today.  Young women brutalized and left for dead by evil people.

I share this story because when the killer was brought before the courts both sets of parents shared something which shocked many.  Something that without knowing a just God would be difficult to accept.

“I got the answers about her last moments that I wanted … I forgave him because I had another daughter to raise, and if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to live,” said Amber’s mother, Carrie Cave.  But it wasn’t only her who forgave the man, Chelsea’s parents did as well.

Limits To Forgiveness?

About a year later while I was in a church home group, we discussed the Christian idea of forgiveness.  These terrible murders became the topic.  One member stated emphatically, “I think they’re lying (the parents).  There is absolutely no way they can or I could forgive that man.  Ever.”  Yet Jesus, while bleeding and beaten, in agonizing pain on the cross looked down at His tormentors and murders and pleaded with God.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:34

So how is it that as believers we can forgive the slights, the maliciousness, the cruel or even the evil done to us or those we love?  How can we forgive when we have been wronged by a friend, a spouse or family member?  We forgive because we should know in our hearts that God is just.  He has forgiven us all our slights and taunts and disrespect we have done to Him because a sacrifice was made in our place.  We aren’t forgiven without a penalty being wrought.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” – Galatians 6:7

When we forgive, we say two things to God: 1) thank you for forgiving me my sins and 2) I trust that justice will be done.  That what a man sows, he will reap.  Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s justice in the sacrifices and penance of the Jews.  We do wrong, and someone must pay.  Our bull escapes and injures someone so He created the penance needed for restoration. 

He never asks us to seek vengeance.  He reminds us that vengeance is God’s and His alone.  Even the death penalty for committing murder was to first be proven by three witnesses beyond reproach.  And the subsequent death for the offender was not to be seen as our justice, but God’s.  A purposeful death of one of His own requires the ultimate payment.  And forgiveness towards that person on our part never meant excusing evil or removing legal consequences.

All Will Be Judged

One day everyone will stand before God and our lives taken into account.  It’s not “kharma” or some tit for tat.  If we accept the blood shed for us by Jesus as our covering for sins, our names are written into the Book of Life.  If we don’t there’s only one other path – hell.  We can argue as to what that might look like for different people, but I can guarantee that it’s not any place we want to be.

Friends, the world’s sense of justice and forgiveness, especially that which we’ve seen emerge in the last 15 years or so, doesn’t really look much like God’s justice.  That’s because we are all first children of the evil one, led astray to do works against God’s plan.  Black, white, brown, male, female, rich or poor – all of us were dead in our trespasses against Him.  All of us were lined up for wrath.

I once slogged my way through Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s, “The Cost of Discipleship.”  For much of it you find yourself in a deep study of Jesus’ words on the Sermon on the Mount.  With each chapter I would become a bit despondent.  Because to truly follow Jesus’ words would be impossible.  Just like following the 10 Commandments convicted the Israelites.  Bonhoeffer says in his book:

“When we come before God with hearts full of contempt and unreconciled with our neighbors, we are individually and as a congregation worshipping an idol.”

You see without a full and complete submission to our Lord Jesus Christ our lives are filled with unjust, evil thoughts and works.  New “social justice” says only the rich or the white man, the straight person or the Christian, commits atrocities and therefore must be punished.  But God says we all deserve death.  His standard of righteousness and justice is higher than any of ours.  Completely unattainable on our own.  His mercy towards us in our failures isn’t pretending sin didn’t happen; justice is dealt with by God at the cross or at His judgement seat.

So, when as Christians we say, as the one home group member stated so proudly, we can never forgive someone, how should God then view us if He is a God of justice?  When we say the Lord’s prayer do we really believe it?  That God will mete out justice to those who not only haven’t sought forgiveness from our Righteous God but also refuse to pass on the forgiveness we have been gifted?  

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.”  — Matthew 6:9-15

A Full Life or A Life Full of Bitterness?

The murder of someone I cherish is something I hope to never experience.  Because I know if I do, I’ll be faced with this difficult question.  Will I accept that God’s justice is all I need to forgive?  As Amber’s mom so rightly pointed out, we need to forgive or else we cannot fully live.  And Bonhoeffer says we then worship something other than God. 

The unbeliever blinks at us in confusion, thinking we aren’t in pain over what someone has done to us because we forgive.  We, however, know God has already forgiven us much and the justice we so crave, if needed one day, will find it at the foot of God’s throne.

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” – Revelation 21:4

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalms 89:14

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The Incomprehensible God: Living Faithfully with Unanswered “Why”

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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” – Romans 11:33

Humanity’s oldest question may be only one word long: why. We have answered many “whys” about the universe—about stars, seasons, and gravity—yet each discovery seems to open the door to even deeper questions. When suffering touches our lives, the question becomes painfully personal. Why death? Why tragedy, broken relationships? And still, the answers often remain just beyond our grasp. 

Scientific atheism pretends it can answer all our questions, from astronomy to psychology and biology to zoology.  Yet, like an annoying two-year old, we can still ask “yes, but why?”  Of course, a big question is why does God’s incomprehensibility matter for how we live and suffer?

Great Mysteries in Job

In the Bible, the book of Job seems to lead us into so many of these “whys” with a few “hows?”  Why did God let satan torment Job?  Why did God have to punish a man who seemed so loyal to Him?   The scripture has God telling Job something we humans just don’t like to hear:

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” – Job 11:7

My father struggled with this very problem of “why?”  He couldn’t allow himself to acknowledge that if God is God, then there is no ability on our part to fathom Him in entirety.  I’m not even fully assured we will understand Him completely when we find ourselves in the new heavens and new earth.  

God is God and we are not.  Oh, we may try really hard to fill our minds with solutions to the mysteries of the world.  But let’s be honest, there are just some things we are not meant to know, at least not yet.  As modern people we get caught up in thinking we know so much more than the ancient peoples.  We set ourselves up thinking we don’t need God to explain anything of this world.  But the more we “discover” the more questions we find ourselves asking.

Knowledge Revealed

“He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables so that, though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” – Luke 8:10

“It is the glory of God to conceal things” Proverbs 25: 2

I love how these two scriptures tell us something so amazing about God.  It is His right and authority to conceal things.  And because we are told throughout scripture how much God loves us, I would imagine He conceals things we can’t understand or accept at this time.  Scripture also tells us that He has been revealing secrets to us for a long time.

When Jesus came about 2,000 years ago, He came revealing the Kingdom of God.  In parable after parable, He showed us what God’s kingdom is like for believers.  And for those who hate God, they struggle to see His truths.  I’m always surprised at how atheists view God and specifically the Christian faith.  They call it a “cult” or “hateful.”  Yet all Christians know that we come freely to Christ to repair our broken lives.  We are told to forgive, release all greed and malice, avoid immorality, love others especially our enemies.  While not every Christian is a perfect example of this, we all should be working towards these goals.

Mystery In The Ordinary

Living our ordinary lives in light of God’s mystery was the topic of my BSGs’ study on the book of Ruth by Alistair Begg called “God of the Ordinary.”  Naomi was a perfect example of a person who struggled with the “whys” of life.  She became bitter and angry with God.  Then through others she began to see Him at work in ordinary people in ordinary situations.  God revealing Himself a bit at a time to her and her daughter in law, Ruth.  As believers we have to opportunity to see God’s providence in retrospect.  It’s a gift to look over generations and see Him at work in the most ordinary of ways. 

Friends, we all ask “why” throughout our days.  We should be comforted, however, knowing that God has us safely positioned in His great plan.   When tragedy strikes, illnesses are revealed, or relationships fail let us look to God the incomphrensible in faith knowing we are in good hands.

I Am Not Skilled To Understand (1st stanza) Dora Greenwell (1873)

“I am not skilled to understand
what God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know that at his right hand
is One who is my Savior!”

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High Fives

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With one more day left in this year of 2025 I noticed this past post had a few looks today. I went back and read it myself. It made me realize that my only resolution for the coming year is to live a life where an unbeliever would have cause to ask me how or why…and my answer would be Jesus.

We should all live our lives as believers in every situation; sharing the Gospel to all we encounter. Let’s help bring a few more home this coming year.

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6

The other night, just before we were about to go to bed, I looked over our Christmas shopping list to see who my husband still needed to check off. It caused me to ask him where a gift certificate was that had come in the mail the day before. It is an “old school” paper certificate for $100 to a local attraction. Thus began an all out search for this thin piece of paper.

At the same time, I know it sounds odd, I was also searching for a brand new bra that disappeared about a week ago. Since I don’t go around tossing my bra off outside my house I just knew it had to be inside somewhere! So, here we were at 9:00pm going through trash cans, drawers, paperwork, sheets, towels, etc searching for a piece of paper and a bra. 

At one point my husband was ready to give up. He was going to call the shop the next day and ask for a duplicate gift certificate. He told me to just buy a new bra. But I’m not a quitter so we kept searching. At last, I looked in one last place for the gift certificate — the office recycling bin. And there it was stuck to an empty Christmas card envelope! Moments later my husband was digging around in the clothes hamper and he pulled out my bra displaying it like the Lion King Mufasa holding up the baby lion Simba. How I didn’t see it the other 10 times I looked in there I have no idea.

As we fell into bed laughing about our search I said, “We are practically like a Bible story — you know, the ones about the lost coins and the lost sheep! We didn’t give up and we finally found our precious things.”

As so often happens when I’m in the midst of writing, my everyday experiences lead me to ponder on the glory of God. In this instance, how He also never gives up. He goes into our trash heap of sins and pulls us from the depths. He seeks us out under the dust and brushes us off. He cleans us up and makes us righteous before Him through our faith in Jesus.

"And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:9-10

Christ not only welcomes us home but He runs to meet us like the father to the prodigal son. Through His bountiful mercy (not dishing out the punishment we deserve) and grace (giving us the love and justification we don’t deserve) He celebrates our entrance to His Holy Kingdom. 

Think on the last time you lost something and finally found it. You may have performed a little, silly dance or shouted out in glee. Now imagine when you accepted Christ as your Savior how God must have danced in joy because He is a God of great celebration. While we can’t change someone’s mind about God, He can. He asks us to join with Him in the search effort. Imagine each time you share the message of your salvation with an unbeliever how God must be saying, “YES! LET’S DO THIS! Let’s bring another home!” 

Give all honor, praise, and glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

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Loving Enough

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Hello Friends!  I haven’t written for the blog in over a year and have missed hearing from you with your comments and insights!  Many of you know that this year has been one of many highs and lows.  In April, I commenced being a full time caregiver to my father, diagnosed the July previous with advanced bladder cancer.  It was a blessing filled with trials, sadness and laughter.  In September, my eldest daughter and I sat by his bedside watching him take his last breath.

As many of you have experienced yourself, being a caregiver not only takes up your physical time but also your mental and emotional time.  The thought of researching and writing was a dim, distant light this year.  Recently, that light has burned brighter with each passing day.  My prayers have included this burning desire.  I just today began gathering materials for a possible study in Romans.  I don’t know where it will lead but I know being in His Word is always fruitful.

Holy Spirit Nudges

As always happens when I start pondering writing with more fervor, the Holy Spirit nudges me and reveals truths to me.  Today, in fact just a few moments ago, was no different.

In my Truth for Life devotional (Alistair Begg), I was challenged like King David, to repent and humble myself.  To stop covering lies and let God cover them for me.  I wrote that I don’t love God as I should, nearly enough.  It was a hard truth to write but one that has weighed on my mind for some time.

And because God loves a great illustration to bring His point home, as I was sitting indisposed in my bathroom, both my dogs came up to check on my progress.  I say “both” because my dad’s dog now lives with us.  A dog whose fur is the exact color of my now deceased mother’s hair.  A dog who has lived most of his life in an unhappy home, full of strife and anger.  

As both came to nuzzle against my knees, I begrudgingly petted Ben – my dad’s dog.  Yet when my dog Tucker put his cold, wet nose on my skin I leaned in to snuggle with the big lump.  Tucker wandered off and little Ben laid close to my feet.  And I felt that Holy Spirit nudge on my heart.

You see, my allergies have gotten terrible with a second dog.  And after just one day of my new carpet Ben peed on it in two places.  He’s kind of neurotic and yelps at the slightest movement.  He follows me around breathing heavily and anxiously wherever I go.  He wanders off when we are at the beach as though he’s forgotten what I look and sound like.  His bark is sharp and annoying.  He’s underfoot and over needy.  

And I don’t love him like I should.  Like he needs.

Loving At Arms-Length

Ben is cute as a button.  But I don’t want to love him.  I don’t want to give myself fully over to him.  He represents a terrible past that I just want left behind.

In that moment in the bathroom, I realized what it means that I don’t love God the way I should.  I stand at arms-length from Him.  Because if I were to truly love Him, I would have to give all of myself to Him.  I would have to accept the good things and the bad things that come my way through His hands.  I would have to give up my fears, my prejudices, my preferences.  I would have to go “all in.”

While God may not sneak over to a corner and pee on my new carpet, He might bring people (or dogs) into my life that will.  People who need mercy, forgiveness and love.  I know this because He put me, a broken, sinful person, into other believers’ lives.  And I pray for their mercy, love and forgiveness towards me.

More Jesus

Ben, sweet goofy Ben, needs a lot of love and patience.  I need a lot more Zyrtec.  More than that, I need a lot more Jesus.  I need to love Jesus a lot more than I do.  So, I prayed for forgiveness today that I don’t love enough the God who sacrificed His Son for me.  Who has forgiven my yelping and my anxiety.  For making a mess on beautiful things.  

While I know the coming year will be full of unbelievers doing terrible things, I also know that God will be at work.  He will be in the tears and the laughter.  His glory will be available for anyone to see.  And I want to be sure to see and love Him at all times, in all places and in all circumstances.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ben and Tucker

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Our Wise and Sanctified Souls

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"But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 1:20-21

You began your journey on the road of the sanctified life by professing your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior.  You may not even have realized what that meant but, you took the step.  You began reading your Bible, going to church, seeking others of faith.  Your Knowledge Basket filled little by little.  Your soul became refreshed and watered at rest stops along the road by the Word.

The inevitable pothole leaps out at you suddenly.  You may even veer off the road a bit.  Your soul takes a beating with heartache and loss.  Your sins become a glaring, flashing red light.  But you look in your Trials Basket and remember God will never leave you or forsake you.  (Deut 31:68) You recall Him telling us to ask in His will and you shall receive.  (Matt 7:7-9)

The verses you so carefully plucked and memorized tell you the Holy Spirit is your strength and He has a plan for good.  We learn such jewels from Proverbs as, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Prov 26:11)

You pick up and dust off your bruised soul and get back on the path, gathering experience after experience. Confirming over and over the truth of God’s Word.  The truth that He sees you and knows every hair on your head. (Luke 12:7) You remember each time a new pothole jumps at you to pray for His hand on your life.  You affirm to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, and He will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5) 

You come to a fork in the road.  To the left you see what appears to be an open, empty road.  It’s just you and the path.  It looks so easy to take.  To the right you see broken down souls trudging outside the path.  Ones who are weary and thirsty; ones who are lost.  Ones who are being deceived.  Souls who are in need.  But you also see the Holy Spirit ahead, like a busy traffic cop beckoning you forward.  

You must ask yourself, “Do I turn left, lock my doors and enjoy the blessing of salvation by myself?” Or, do I choose to submit myself to the entirety of God’s teaching?  Will you choose to fill your Stewardship Basket? To love your neighbor, to share the Gospel with your family and friends, to give your time, talents and treasure to those in need for the glory of God? (Matt 22:39)

God’s path calls for us to submit ourselves wholly to Him – not just part.  The “easy path” so often doesn’t turn out all that easy.  It’s a mirage, set up by the devil to deceive.  James tells us a partial faith is “double mindedness.” (James 1:8) And that person shouldn’t expect anything from God.  1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  It means we take all God has gifted us and we turn it back into glorifying Him to others in need.

As our soul matures along this road, we choose.  Yes, we choose which fork to take.  We choose to submit every sin, every action, every word, every need and every gift for His Kingdom.  When we do, God continues filling our Submission Basket with new experiences and new revelations.  We trust in Him and He gifts us the best road trip snacks – peace and the security of our eternal future.

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

My friends, humans are the only created beings to which God has blessed this amazing opportunity of sanctification.  The animal kingdom obeys God’s plan instantly upon birth.  They do what they are made to do.  Yet, those actions are limited in scope.  We have so much more opportunity to glorify God with what He has given us!

God has placed us on this road to travel and gather.  Each mile marker brings us new insight into Him, the world, and the adversary.  Wisdom is not a far off mirage.  No, the jewels of wisdom sit firmly in our baskets which have been gathered along the way.

“Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.  

I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.  

I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.  

I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  Psalm 119:98-106

One day I will be an “old soul.”  Right now, however, I’m working my way down the road of life.  Making mistakes and re-submitting my life to Christ each day.  Forgetting to pray and rely on God’s sovereignty then having a friend ask me, “Have you prayed about that?”

I can feel my soul growing wiser, growing more at peace.  I want my roots to run deep in His Word so I bear good fruit for others to enjoy along the path. (Matt 7:17-18) But most of all I want to be ever thankful that Jesus took it upon Himself to build this path toward the heavenlies.  

A Path Freely Given

He didn’t have to.  We need to remember that fact when others abuse what Jesus did for us.  When they complain when we re-affirm Jesus is the only Way.  God didn’t have to make a way at all.  Not only did He build it, He gave us the full recipe, He gave us a guide.  All so we can make it safely home.

As I write this my 86 year old, cancer riddled, atheist dad has come to live with us before he travels his final path.  I’ve had many friends concerned for how hard this will be.  It is hard at times. Especially at 2:00 am when bed clothes and sheets need changing. Or when I must choose to forgo activities dear to me. But I am at peace.  

I realized this the other day.  It’s a peace I’ve prayed for a lot in my life.  I never expected during a trial such as this that peace would be what God gifted me on this road.  

The other day, I took my dad for his first ever mani/pedi experience to fix his old crusty toenails.  He loved it.  When I sent my Bible study sisters a photo of him in the salon, one commented: “I love that you are loving on your dad this way!  A foot washing like Jesus would do today!” 

It struck me that I have been sanctified for a time such as this. (Esther 4:14) Blessed with the opportunity to take the fork to the right and share the love, mercy and salvation message of Jesus Christ with my father.

My friends, I pray that you too will have many opportunities to do the same.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Our final question: What’s the best lesson you have learned so far on your sanctification journey?

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The Well-Travelled Soul

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“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”  Ephesians 1: 17-19

Have you ever heard someone young described as having an “old soul?”  It usually describes a young person who seems to think and act much older than their actual years.  Or someone who enjoys music, art, crafting, etc. from years past.  I’ll be honest, I cringe when I hear this phrase.  Because usually the person they describe just seems naturally more introverted.  Not shy, just one who enjoys quiet.  Quiet time and quiet activities.

In reality, all Christians must travel the highway of sanctification to attain true and deep wisdom.  We gather it along the road in our baskets little by little with each trial and tribulation and heartbreak.  Each time we act in God’s will, not the way of the world, we find another fruit in that basket.  When we get to the end of our sanctification road, our dents, scratches, repairs and maybe even a little duct tape, will be our trophies of gathered wisdom. 

I bring the “old soul” view up because it flies in the face of what the sanctification road means for a Christian.  Worldly wisdom can only get us so far on this journey.  We, however, seek the wisdom gifted by Christ Jesus.  The wisdom that comes from the different steps we have discussed thus far: knowledge of our LORD, submission to the LORD, the experiences of trials, and the stewardship of all He has given us.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3-4, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.“

In other words, we learn a lot more about life, ourselves, others, and God when we face sadness and hardship.  So that supposed 10 year old “old soul,” if raised in a modern society, has yet to gather much in their basket of life.  

Worldly Wisdom vs. Godly Wisdom

What’s the difference between worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom?  If you study Proverbs, you’ll see the best worldly wisdom has to offer actually comes directly from that book!  The worst is highlighted throughout the Bible with names such as greed, lust, selfishness, pride, and vengeance.  Worldly wisdom so often focuses on the “me” and not the “thee.”

The world tells us it is wise to go along with our loved ones’ sins.  “Go along to get along.”  “Don’t judge.”  God’s Word flies in the face of this when He tells us: “My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.” (James 5:19-20 the Message)

We are likewise reminded when we share the freedom message of Christ Jesus it may separate us from those same friends and family—a worldly unwise move.  In light of this, we hold on to the truth that this is yet another act of submitting; which brings us closer to God’s wise plan for our lives.

The world tells you it’s wise to have sex outside marriage.  Why?  Apparently so you know more about sex and can pick a good sex partner in marriage.  And besides they say, it’s your “right” to have a little fun.  The Bible tells us “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us lonelier than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” (1 Cor 16:19-20 the Message)  The promoters of sexually immoral behavior call abstinence before marriage unwise.  Yet God’s wisdom tells us to value this gift as precious.

My friends, besides standing with Jesus at the end of my life, my end-goal on this journey is wisdom.  When to keep my mouth shut and when to speak.  When to help others and when to be wary of fools.  Recognizing good character and keeping far afield of pigs who want to steal my pearls.  Remaining calm when the world says to panic.  A knowing that forgiving those the world says I should hate actually heals my own soul.

This week’s question: What’s something you have become wiser about in your journey of life?

Next week we’ll take one last look at our sanctification journey as we wisely travel the road home.

For more study on wisdom check out these series: “31 Days of God’s Wisdom” and “Enjoy Life: From Meaningless to Meaningful (a study of Ecclesiastes)