Blog Break

MWB will resume Tuesday 09-02-2025
Stay in The Word!
Miles of Smiles, Beverly  

In the Garden

It has been said, "a friend is someone who knows you well and still likes you."  Well, it's not just my friends but my family.  No one knows my uh-ohs and oh-nos better than my husband and children: they eat my "burnt offerings," they see me without makeup, they don't comment on my morning hair, and they know me before the day's first shot of caffeine.  Have you ever thought about the hard things that happened in gardens?  Man's worst revolt came about in a garden, and Jesus prayed one of His toughest prayers in the garden: "Father, let this cup pass from Me."  Jesus asked if He [really] must face the horrors of death but it was [indeed] the Will of The Father.  For me, Christ surrendered His own will ... for me.  God already knew my faith would be shallow and weak at times; that there would be days when the world [and my family] would look at me and wonder what difference God really made in my life. Yes, He knew all that and more! But, something happened in the garden: obedience reigned!  "For even Christ pleased not Himself." (Romans 15:3); "It pleased The LORD to bruise Him." (Isaiah 53:10a).  Nothing mattered except that "love grew where blood spilled," and a way be made clear for His child to return to the beautiful Garden where The Father is waiting.  Oh, what a Savior!

He Endures!

How many have you purchased in your lifetime ... vacuum cleaners, washers and dryers, bath or hand towels? I'm confident the number exceeds one! Things are not enduring! The psalmist writes, "Praise the LORD all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 117 ESV). There's only two verses in this psalm but what great words of truth about what endures! Our bodies wear out - Our patience grows thin - Our zeal diminishes - Our joy subsides - Our relationships grow cool - Our kindness becomes conditional. BUT the LORD our God endures - He endures forever. His endurance is endless, boundless, eternal; it is subject to nothing. His nature is enduring, and no wonder the psalmist instructs us to praise the LORD - all nations, all peoples. Indeed, great is His steadfast love toward us. He endures!

Serve On!

After a hard day, whether physically or emotionally or spiritually, that moment of getting into comfy clothes and having a sit-down in that favorite chair is a welcomed moment! Rest is both needed and good for bodily recovery but the one in whom God has done a supernatural work through Christ and the Holy Spirit, the call to serve never takes a seat. Oh, I don't mean we don't take-a-pause at times for spiritual refreshment and renewal but here's what Jesus said: "Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two" (Matthew 5:41). It's very sad [even troubling] when Believers conclude they have "done their part" or "served their time" and retire from service to Jesus. In John 15:16, Jesus made it clear "you did not choose Me, but I chose you." For the true disciple of Jesus, the choice has never been nor will it ever be ours! Oswald Chambers writes, "God does not ask us to do the things that are naturally easy for us - He only asks us to do the things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace." Oh, let us do be careful to avoid the temptation to pass-the-baton of serving on to a younger and more energetic generation while we still have breath! Our love for and devotion to Jesus is neither generational nor seasons. Keep the main thing the main thing - living in service to Jesus, the Servant of all servants ... serve on!

Faithful Promiser

It's a foolish and dangerous thing to set our expectations too high! My Mom expected me to make my bed a certain way, and I doubt I ever did it as she expected. I understand because Mister Bill doesn't make ours to suit me either! Here are words to comfort and encourage us all: "If we are faithless, He remains faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13 ESV). You see, people disappoint us - they do not always live-up-to the expectation we have of them ... and, yes, those disappointments often linger too long in our minds and hearts. Knowing with all confidence that God never disappoints because He is faithful always - this is good to hear and to live-upon. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23 ESV). We can always and completely trust the ... Faithful Promiser.

Blog Break

MWB will resume Monday 08-25-2025
Stay in The Word
Miles of Smiles, Beverly 

All I Need

Most of us remember a few years ago that "the" virus robbed people of their taste and smell. The inability to smell may have been a blessing at times but unable to smell fresh-brewing coffee ... well, I heard that one a lot! I've noted that the taste buds of this older-me differ from the younger-me: foods I once did not find tasty, now I find quite pleasing. The foods I avoided in my youth were usually foods I foolishly refused to taste at all! I wonder what spiritual blessings we are currently missing because we refuse to "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8)? Solomon challenges us to "Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days" (Ecclesiastes 11:1 AMP). There are risks and uncertainties in the decisions we make, and those risks also include loss of immense joy and peace and gladness. Unlike a food that we might find repulsive or tasty, there is never risk in trusting God with every moment of our days. Paul writes that "we have our hope set on the living God Who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:10). Get that? No risk when our hope is set on the living God; what we taste of His goodness never disappoints and it satisfies beyond anything we can imagine! Is the evidence of God's goodness evading you - I pray it is not! I'm so thankful this older-me has learned to taste-and-see, and I've found the tasting one of life's greatest joys! Over and over, God has proven Himself ... all I need.

Taste and See!

Personally, I've never been one to "taste" new things; those who know me know this all too well. We are encourage in Scripture "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8 ESV). I suggest there are many - even Believers - who are missing so much of God's goodness simply because they are not "tasting" of it. Solomon writes, "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say,  'I have no pleasure in them'; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets." (Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 ESV). In other words, you best be tasting God's goodness now! There will be a time when our eyes grow dim, our hearing becomes dull, our strength diminishes - yes, old age is the way of life. The writer encourages us while we are young to enjoy what God's goodness brings to our days - joy and peace of heart. God offers unimaginable sweetness to all who who will just ... taste and see!

One Memory

Without much detail, these are days of reflection for me - reflecting on and remembering the the last fifty years. I'm tickled I can still remember! God actually encourages us to remember. He says in Deuteronomy 8:2, "Remember all the way which the LORD your God has led" ... in Numbers 15:40 "Remember and do all My commandments" ... in Joshua 1:13 "Remember the word of the LORD" ... in 1 Chronicles 16:12 "Remember His marvelous works which He has done." I'm fairly confident we all can recall when the budget was tight or you received some bad news or your spirit was low; then, at just the right time you were reminded of God's faithfulness - perhaps it came in the form of a letter, a phone call, a text, a card, a song on the radio, a sunrise or sunset. During these days of personal remembering, those are exactly the kind of memories that have caused me to rejoice: simple, unexpected, powerful moments that fueled my spirit as a new bride, a mother, and now as a grandmother. We read in James 1:17, "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." He Who has been my dwelling place through generations (Psalm 90:1) will continue to be that marvelous dwelling place for generations yet to be. When old age comes and and I remember little, may You O LORD be my ... one memory.

Soul Satisfaction

There are thing I know about that I'd rather not ... know about. For example, the fact that there are creepy-crawly thing [most likely] living inside my house - I'd rather not know or think about that! The psalmist begins Psalm 107, "Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting. The redeemed of the LORD shall say so, those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (V.1 NASB) and he continues "They shall give thanks to the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good." (V.8-9 NASB). Have you ever considered the thirst and hunger of your soul - that insatiable longing within you? Truth is, there are many thirsting and hungering souls that walk this earth - continually among us - that just don't know there is One Who offers full and eternal satisfaction. Perhaps you've heard the phrase "ignorance is bliss" - well, no it is not. Ignorance is never our friend and it is certainly never a friend to the soul of man: "There were those who lived in darkness and in the shadow of death. Prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God and rejected the plan of the Most High" (V.10-11 NASB). Darkness, the shadow of death, the misery of imprisonment and chains, nor rebellion and rejection do not diminish the immeasurably abundant mercy of God Who is "good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you" (Psalm 86:5 ESV). A simple and humbling of the human spirit brings satisfaction to the ever-thirsty and continual hunger for the the soul of man. A personal relationship with Jesus is truly ... soul-satisfaction.

Too High to Count

How high can you count? That's often asked of little children as they learn to count. Truth is, none of probably know how high we can count. I suggest, however, we know how we CAN'T count! My pastor read the following verse this morning, and it wonder-struck me: "Many, LORD, my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; there is no one to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count." (Psalm 40:5 NASB). It's easy to confuse God's greatness with His goodness. Yes, of course, He is great and He is good but our definition of goodness is tainted by our own mortal measure, i.e. things we own or don't own, whether we have the health we desire, etc. God is great and He is good based on His character NOT whether we can count the blessings or not. Too numerous are the wonders of our great and good God. Rejoice in knowing the wonders of our God are simply ... too high to count!

The Right View

Have you ever considered just how many times you use the words "I think" ... it may surprise you. When we say "I think," we are sharing an opinion and not necessarily fact. Oh, I say it too but I try to be conscious of when I say it because does what "I think" really matter. Some of the greatest words we'll ever read or hear is "thus says the Lord" - no opinion, just cold and hard fact ... truth. Thus says the Lord in Genesis 1 "in the beginning God created ..." and there is so much there! Right out of the gate, we are confronted with the concept of God as the self-existent and un-created one. This is a very basic concept to those who are the true children of God! God said to Isaiah, "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, Who does all these things." (Isaiah 45:7 ESV). Is it possible to think too highly of The One Who does such things? I suggest our thinking of Him is often obscured by our own mortal limitations yet He desires us to know Him: "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8 ESV). Imagine it if we can - The Creator of all things invites us to draws near, to be in relationship with Him. The view from where we are may be small but in the nearness of God Himself, we gain ... the right view. 

Your View Matters

Point of view matters in lots of things: watching out for the safety of a child, a look at our hair, pulling into traffic, identifying someone. Yes, in most cases the view is critical to the accuracy of what we see! In his book, Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer makes this statement: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." As Mister Bill and I have begun the reading of Genesis, it's indeed a wonder that something could come into being from nothing yet that's exactly what God said happened. In our world, that's otherwise impossible: we make biscuits from flour, we assemble cars from manufactured parts, we write from established letters and vocabulary ... something from something else. Hear God's words when He spoke of Himself to Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding." (Job 38:4 NASB). Dare we bring into question The One Who brings existence from nothingness! It is nothing except God-given faith when we embrace a high view of God and trust Him even with the barest of creation as described in Genesis 1. Does our view of God matter? Well, yes it does! If our view of Him is so low, why would we trust Him with the important and critical things of our lives! I suggest there's no such thing as partial trust - trust is trust! Throughout Scripture, God is ever revealing who He is and bringing small faith into mighty faith. What's your view of God - small or big. Your view matters!

View of God

Beginnings can bring sweet memories and present celebrations. Mister Bill and I are remembering our beginnings this month as we celebrate fifty years of marriage. It's really hard to believe where we are today from those early "beginning" days. God's word to us begins with "in the beginning" - at the first, in the first place. What follows is simply all we have of God's creation account, "God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1 NASB). It's only natural we wonder at the how, longing for details YET that's all we are given. Dr. J. Vernon McGee says there are only two divisions men fall into at this wonder about the beginning as described in Genesis 1, and those divisions are "creation or speculation." I suggest if we lean more to speculation than faith in a right view of The Creator, we will miss Who God is throughout the rest of His Word. Those first four words - "in the beginning God" - challenges our belief in who God is, and we better get it right or we'll be speculating about many things instead of embracing the faith required to [likewise] embrace God Himself. The Scriptures are "inspired by God ... beneficial for teaching ... for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 NASB). God's words to us in Genesis 1 are not a lesson in the sciences - geology, biology - rather, they challenge us in the matter of faith in The Creator Who is all-wise, all-mighty, all-knowing. This is the God of The Bible, and the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8) dispensed to those who, through His Son Jesus, trust Him in all things. A. W. Tozer speaks of the Believer's "low view of God," which will show-up not only in our faith but in our worship and obedience to Him. Perhaps now is a good time for us to go back to "in the beginning" and carefully consider how we see God as Creator then examine our own ... view of God.

Spiritual Temperature

Do you like your water cold or room temperature? I've learned most people do have a preference. Here's one thing we can all agree on: no one likes to drink lukewarm water! The New Testament city, Laodicea, had a water problem: first of all, their water was full of sediment, which made it distasteful, so they depended on water supplied from south of the city through clay pipes. Although the water left its source cold, by the time it reached the city it was lukewarm - fine for cooking with or bathing but unpleasant for drinking. To the Believers at Laodicea, God said, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB). What an alarming evaluation of a Believer's life,  that his or her life is unpleasant, useless, disgusting to the Lord! How does this happen? Recently, Pastor Eli asked this question: how do you make water lukewarm? The answer should stun us all into action: water becomes lukewarm by doing absolutely ... nothing. Nothing - as in neglecting to spend time with The Father in prayer and in His Word, neglecting to study and worship and fellowship with the Saints, failure to live-out the teachings of Christ. That's how the Believer's life takes on the uselessness referred to in this passage. Lukewarm water may have its uses but a lukewarm love for God has no place in The Kingdom of God. Be attentive to your spiritual life, intentional and disciplined in your holy habits, and always conscious of your ... spiritual temperature.

See Souls

There are sights we take-in that remain vivid and memorable. One such sight for me was the first sight of Jerusalem - described in Scripture as the City of God. The sight of the city must also have been one of great joy for ancient and weary travelers. The sight of the city for Jesus, however, is noted as something very different: "When [Jesus] approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it." (Luke 19:41 NASB). I admit, my eyes were a little teary seeing Jerusalem for the first time but my tears do not compare with The Savior's. Jesus explains his emotion: "you did not [come progressively to] recognize [from observation and personal experience] the time of your visitation [when God was gracious toward you and offered you salvation]" (V.44 AMP). Jesus how people had rejected Him and that great suffering would result. Little has changed: as in Jesus' day, still many reject The Messiah. Jesus saw what others did not comprehend: broken souls, diseased by sin while The One Who gives complete healing and deliverance was among them. It was indeed something to weep over! This begs the question for Believers today: what do we see? Those in need of Christ are all around us - we work with them, shop with them, are entertained by them, we read their publications, we live next door to them, we laugh with them, we are well acquainted with their names. Do we care enough to weep over their deepest need? Oh Lord, enlighten my heart to ... see souls.