Only God

Please don't act surprised when I say this but ... words are what I do! It's also something my Dad did - that is, putting thoughts-to-words-to-paper. Oh, if I did it just half as well as he did! God [through Job] could not have been more accurate and aspiring about the greatness of God when He said: "It is He Who spreads out the north over emptiness and hangs the earth on nothing ... He wraps the waters in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once] and the cloud does not burst under them ... He covers the face of the full moon and spreads His cloud over it ... He stirred up the sea by His power ... By His breath the heavens are cleared" (from Job 26, AMP). Now, don't you agree words really do matter! Oh, yes they do! We casually say this-or-that is great but [in complete honesty] the word "great" is appropriately applied to ... only One. I suggest we pause and seriously consider (Selah) the small view we have of Almighty God. "Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." (Psalm 147:5, ESV). Evelyn Underwood said, "If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped." Great is indeed a wonderful word but ... only God is great!

Yay Thee!

Never have I boasted of my culinary skills; however, there are a few times when I've surprise even myself at the tastiness of something I put together - yay, me! I wonder how often I have presumptuously said yay-me instead of The Lord ... yay-Thee. Truly from the depths of himself, the psalmist said, "My soul makes its boast in the Lord" (Psalm 34:2, ESV). Perhaps the word "supremacy" is lost when referring to the ultimate power and authority of God in and through His children. Like Paul said in Romans 7:18, "I know that nothing good dwells in me," and as a former pastor used to remind us: we "bring nothing to the table." Neither for my salvation nor my sanctification (being made holy) have I cause to boast - it's all the work of God through Christ in me! How then do we accomplish that which is none of our own doing? Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, ESV). Abide and remain and find great joy and confidence to boast. It is Christ alone Who gives voice to the soul; yes, He is how we say are able to say ... Yay Thee!

Whatever, Lord

It's very rare that Mister Bill has a preference or even a suggestion of what or where to eat; his answer is almost always "whatever." Oswald Chambers points out how the truth of God reveals to us that which is "not palatable or easy to swallow." Every Believer should feel the sting of these words! Sadly, human pride typically dictates what is palatable - that is, acceptable and agreeable to us. Make no mistake, when pride is in-charge, it always sets us against God! "For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world." (1 John 2:16, ESV). Like a large pill, swallowing the sin of pride and embracing humility is touch albeit absolutely necessary in ordere to draw near to The Father. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). I suggest we'll never know the Kingdom treasures we miss due to being so full of ourselves. Thomas Watson wrote there is great "blessedness in possessing nothing." While I find Mister Bill's "whatever" answer annoying at times, a willing and open spirit unto The Lord is the best we can offer Him ... whatever, Lord.

Talk of Him

The Holy Land - oh, how I love to talk about it ... Mister Bill runs when I get our my picture album! Yes, I had an opportunity to tour it with Dad some twenty-five years ago; it wasn't just a trip, it was a journey. Why do I describe it as a journey? This land of past and ongoing conflict, both settled and unsettled people, a nation so often despised and rejected - why do I describe this land as a journey? Quite simply because it was within this one piece of earth that God chose to bring Light to mankind. Yes, Jesus, the very One Who in John 14:6 said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" walked those shores and traveled the rocky paths to-and-fro teaching and preaching and making plain The Gospel. As I fondly remember that journey where Jesus walked on earth, I'm reminded of similar paths [I walk each day] and an equal call to speak Good News of God's Salvation to those who need a savior. It's crazy how we can talk-and-tell of so much but neglect to speak of Jesus. Let's do better - let's make Him part of our conversations. Don't just walk with Him ... talk of Him!

The Anchor Holds

As most of you know, technology moves fast! Retired from a career of educational technology, it was common to refer to outdated computers as "boat anchors" ... that all they were good for! In Christ Jesus, we have an Anchor - "a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" (Hebrews 6:19, ESV). Back in the day, Mister Bill sat on the dock fishing while I passed the time peacefully floating on the lake. Soon, I would hear a warning voice, "Hey, you're getting too far from the dock." There is grave danger of going adrift when we begin to float ... spiritually - taking a break from God's Word, from time in prayer and communion with The Father, skipping church and worship and fellowship with The Body of Christ. If we aren't careful, we find we've drifted so far we only faintly hear God's voice ... if at all. Jesus is more than the Savior of our souls; He anchors us, keeps us grounded in Truth and Power. He is never outdated and He never loses His usefulness and effectiveness in our lives. The voice you hear is God calling you back. Jesus is sure and steadfast - The Anchor holds.

Always There

Holiday hours don't always suit us! When we have the time to get things done, the places we need to be open ... well, they're closed. David wrote, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" (Psalm 4:1, AMP). Of course, this is not an arrogant demand; rather, it is a humble request for God to graciously hear and respond. We mortals need our rest, times of respite; in contrast, God does not! Isaiah 40:28 says, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable." We know our God neither sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:4, AMP). Respectfully paraphrased: God is always open for business! As David cries out to God, he is confident that God hears and will respond because it is God's nature; also, God has proven repeatedly His power and faithfulness. David knows God has "set apart for Himself [and dealt wonderfully with] the godly man [the one of honorable character and moral courage - the one who does right]. The LORD hears and responds when I call to Him." (V.3). This great Truth should settle our hearts and minds through every season and circumstance of life. God is ... always there.

Boldness and Humility

Do you take supplements - things that "supplement" good health? Mister Bill tells me after he finishes his morning supplements, he doesn't need any breakfast! Following Christ in obedience to God's commands is difficult in these days; this is why I find it so sweet that God gives us fellow-Believers to walk with, hand-in-hand by faith for inspiration, encouragement, support and accountability. God brought a woman named Abigail into David's life at a crucial moment: on his way to avenge himself for Nabal's wickedness, Abigail (Nabal's wife)  intervenes and said to David, "And it will happen when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you ... that this incident will not cause grief or bring a troubled conscience to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by having my lord avenged himself." (1 Samuel 25:30-31, AMP). What a courageous woman! David, God's future king of Israel, listens in humility then says to Abigail: "Blessed be your discretion and discernment, and blessed be you, who has kept me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself by my own hand." (V.33). There on a dusty road in Israel, God ordained the intersection of Abigail's boldness and David's humility! What a beautiful combination and oh how we need more of this in our world today. Followers of Jesus, willing to both speak and receive Godly Truth. At this time of Thanksgiving, let me say how grateful I am for Christian friends with whom I can sit and talk about the things of God, to boldly speak Truth and humbly hear Truth. These friends are precious treasures! May we all seek to be that spiritual supplement to others ... speak boldly and listen humbly!

Up Close and Personal

The older-me relies heavily on reading glasses. I have a prescription for distance but that only muddles things for up-close. It seems these days, there's an accommodating viewpoint for everything. Whatever suits your fancy on any given matter, you won't have to look far to find someone who gives rational thought to substantiate your own viewpoint. God said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8, ESV). Mister Bill and I have been together so long, it's true we can often know what one another is thinking. You know why - we spend time in one another's presence! Unless you and I are students of the Bible, studying and listening intently, it's highly likely we will easily miss God's thoughts and His ways! David is described as a "man after God's own heart," and he wrote this: "How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17). Those are words of a man who loved to know well the many thoughts of God; I suggest that man spent some serious close-up time - in contrast to long-distance - with God. Now, those [up-close] readers of mine are invaluable - so is the up-close hearing of what God wants to say to those who truly love Him. I challenge you to open your Bible; get up-close-and-personal with Him so you can hear what He wants to say to you. He longs to be ... up close and personal.

Shine His Light!

Have you ever had so much to do you dreaded getting out of bed or you wished the day over before it began? My Granny used to warn me, "girl, you're gonna wish your life away." Since each new day comes with new opportunities, what exactly are we ... wishing away? Perhaps an opportunity to ease someone's burden, to make another person smile or laugh, to comfort and encourage, to be kind and patient and gracious. "O children of the Living God, what is your Father's greatest desire for you this day? That we should love our eternal King with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our strength." ("Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1). Although it may be overwhelming to look collectively at the day's tasks, God's Children remember Him their King at all times - they "trust His good providence" to meet the needs of others ... "choosing to serve rather than to be served" ... "to be wounded rather than to wound" ... "extending the same kindness, mercy, and compassion that God in Christ has so graciously offered us." ("Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1). Oh, how improved our days are when we see them filled with opportunities to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, ESV). The Light of Christ never dims - It is only hindered when we refuse to let Him shine in the opportunities of each day. Shine His Light!

Heart Tours

Have you ever been on a Tour of Homes? I’ve been on a few, and all the houses were amazing
showcases but there were things missing: laundry, unswept floors, dust, dirty dishes,
clutter. As Believers, we are called to maintain lives that can be “toured” by others at any
moment – without shame. Oh, my! Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, “Our lives must be such that
observers may peep within doors and may see nothing for which to blame us.” Again I say – oh,
my! The life that can stand such scrutiny includes the most hidden places of the heart. A heart
of holiness – swept clean of sinful debris requires determined discipline and sanctifying
grace. "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23).
This is a wise consideration for every serious follower of Jesus Christ: is my heart open for
tours?

Holder of Days

Oh the busyness of this season! The busyness turns into craziness quite quickly. Our calendars get full faster than we imagine not to mention the unwritten things we must do. One Puritan writer gives this perspective: O LORD God, the heavens declare Thy glory, the earth Thy riches, the universe is Thy temple; Thy presence fills immensity, yet Thou hast of Thy pleasure created life - Thou hast made me what I am, and given me what I have; in Thee I live and move and have my being." In all the busy-gone-crazy, God is still on His throne and sovereign over all. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all." (1 Chronicles 29:11, ESV). The wise among us never writes anything in ink because it is God alone Who orchestrates our lives: "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21, ESV). In these busy-to-crazy times, let's be ever-conscious of God in our lives; in Him we live and breathe and have all our being. He's the ... Holder of our days!

Believe It Or Not

Do you know a story-teller? You know, that person who seems to always have a story to tell - some believable, some ... well, you just wonder. God longs for souls who by faith believe the otherwise unbelievable. Arriving after her brother's death, Jesus said to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NASB). Live and never die - believe and never die ... Jesus isn't talking in riddles; He's speaking of the eternal treasure of believing what the eye cannot see but the heart can! In man's relentless searches for the unbelievable, the indescribable, the incomparable, the incredible, the unlikely, it's crazy how we can be more easily moved by the wiggly and willy-nilly than by the authoritative word of The Creator! I suggest our beliefs are too often rooted in an extremely low view of God Himself. Jesus' words to Martha should resound within our own hearts: do you believe in Me - do you believe what I say and who I am? What we truly believe will always play-out in how we apply the truth ... it's call faith, "the "assurance of things hoped for ... the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). What my lips say, what your lips say matters very little; rather, it's what we do that tells the tale, gives the most accurate story of what we truly believe. Believe it or not - what we really believe matters!

Our Help Up

You may recall a commercial using the phrase, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up." Those same words may come to mind as we recall a time when we felt the weight of being down - emotionally, mentally, spiritually - and unable to set ourselves aright. Those who have given their hearts to Jesus are not immune to such times - periods when we find ourselves in a parched place, a wilderness, overwhelmed and overcome with feelings of helplessness and fear. Quite quickly we learn we are unable to pull ourselves "up by the bootstraps" - it just doesn't work. One of the promises Jesus made to His followers is: "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26, ESV). See, Believers have The Help of all help: The Holy Spirit Who teaches, reminds, strengthens, helps, guides and empowers us in ways like no other. Our Help and our Hope because "hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5, ESV). When we fall - and we do - we do not panic, we do not fear, we do not lose hope: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13, ESV). Oh yeah, falling is part of living here but because of The Helper, we have Hope (confident expectation) in Christ we will indeed be set aright and regain the footing we need to carry-on. He is our ... help up!

Be Not Astounded

The things we see these days! Just when we're certain we've seen it all - BAM! we see that we haven't! Consider this as proposed by Charles Spurgeon: "what can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God's people?" From my own experience, no sooner has God proved Himself faithful and sufficient in a moment of trial than I find myself wondering how I will meet the newest challenge, struggle, looming mountain. How many times does my God have to prove Himself completely trustworthy so that I can be at peace and rest in His care? Surely we aren't nt surprised at the doubts among those who do not believe, but all too quickly [even] God's people say with the prophet: "the LORD has forsaken me,and the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14, NASB). Yet again and again and again, God reminds us "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My Hands" (V.16). For those of us who have surrendered our hearts to Him through faith in Christ Jesus, did we do so frivolously or casually, with insincerity? If indeed our faith is genuine, why then are we surprised at Who God is and what He does! Here's the bottom line: if we truly believe and trust the faithful and all-sufficient Savior ... let's not act surprised when He IS faithful and all-sufficient ... do not be astounded!

Avoid the Crowd

The older us - Mister Bill and I - typically avoid crowds. Our favorite "crowd," of course, is the family crowd of soon-to-be eighteen! Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15). We all know how difficult it is at times to do two things at once. With regard to being a serious follower of Jesus Christ, it is necessary to do one thing consistently: obey God. Jesus made this clearer with His words in Luke 9:23, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." The problem most of us encounter as we try to deny ourselves and follow Jesus is this: so many things and people want our time, our energy, our allegiance. Yes, the way of life can seem very crowded! What comfort Jesus' followers have knowing we have not been left alone: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever" (John 14:16, ESV). In our daily walk with Jesus, Believes have within us The Holy Spirit to help us walk in integrity and truth, keeping Jesus' commandments - doing and keeping this one thing the most important thing. As followers of Jesus, let us not forget we do not walk alone - we walk in The Spirit. Walking with Him is a great way to ... avoid the crowd.

Blog Break

Morning with Beverly
will resume 11-13-2023
Stay in The Word!
Miles of Smiles, Beverly

Our Good

Like me, your childhood may have included riding dirt roads, unpaved with bumps, ridges and potholes. We didn’t bother with seat belts, and dust nor wind-blown hair bothered us. Mom seemed to know exactly where the road’s rough spots were so she would slow-down or go-around them: unfortunately, life’s not always like that. It’s common to see the hindrances, obstacles and discouragements as limitations from our own limited point of view. God doesn’t “see” it that way; He says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV). Life-bumps aren’t meant to bring us down but rather to point us toward great opportunities – divinely orchestrated outcomes according to God’s wisdom and riches. Next time we’re about to complain about “bumps” in the road, remember our All-Knowing – Omniscient God Who never opposes our good. He’s ever-consistent with ... our good.

Yes, I Will

 

Almost every morning, one of my first conscious thoughts of the day is "I'm going to ride my bike today." Sadly, it ends up being ... only a thought. Read the words of David in Psalm 9: "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your Name, O Most High." (Verses 1-2). He writes of giving thanks, remembering God's wonderful deeds, gladly exalting Him and singing praises to His Name. One thing that struck me as I read this is David's declaration of determination as he says ... I will. A serious follower of Jesus Christ must lead a disciplined life! While my recumbent bike may be largely neglected, time in The Word and with The Father must never be neglected. Paul writes, "For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV). Particularly in times of great sadness, there is need and reward in a disciplined focus on God and His Goodness. It's best to set aside the little-engine-that-could mentality and [instead] embrace God's rich and sure promise "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). It is really is amazin' what praisin' can do. By and in God's strength ... yes, I will.