Wait With Hope

A precious childhood memories is when Pop and Granny (Mom's parents) came to visit. They usually came during the school week, and it was a thrilling sight to see their pale green Plymouth parked in the yard when my sisters and I got off the bus. Part of the excitement was that they always brought each one of us candy! Psalm 130 is a song about the hope found in The Lord: "Out of the depths [of distress] I have cried to You, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If You, LORD, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand?" (Verses 1-3 AMP). I often make a list of things to do or to remember but I'm ever more grateful God doesn't keep a "Beverly List." The list would be long and frightful to me; truly, I could not stand before The Lord in innocence! This psalm does not end on that alarming note, however: "But there is forgiveness with You ... With the LORD there is lovingkindness ... With Him is abundant redemption" (from Verses 4 and 7). It's really good news that "with God" there is certainty of forgiveness, love, kindness and deliverance from sin. When Pop and Granny visited, we knew "with them" came treats, which made their visit all the sweeter! In the same way, when in relationship "with Jesus," we experience hope and joy. Hence, the psalmist says, "I wait [patiently] for the LORD, my soul [expectantly] waits, and in His Word do I hope. My soul waits for the LORD." (Verses 5-6 AMP). God's children do not wait in vain nor do they wait hopelessly - let us take great joy as we ... wait with Hope.

Blog Break

 MWB Bloggin' Will Resume
Monday 02-23
Stay in The Word!
Miles of Smiles, Beverly

Read What Is Written

Have you ever been mis-quoted or had your words twisted into something you did not say n or mean? I suppose it's true that "silence is seldom misquoted." Although we deserved His silence, I'm so glad God wasn't silent after man sinned. God not only spoke to man after the fall, He carefully chose men to write down His words. "It is written" appears 311 times in Scripture. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35). How wonderful God's words are written down ... written down and intended that we should read them! It's most unfortunate, however, many Believers don't read God's words; further troubling is the fact that God's words have been twisted into something God never said. Did you know those who handle money spend time training to recognize both real and counterfeit money? Interestingly, they don't study the counterfeit, the fake bills; no, they carefully study the real, the authentic tender. In the same way, if we do not know The Truth as God delivered it to His chosen writers, we will never identify what is counterfeit, what is untrue. Do you faithfully read God's Word? If not, I suggest you're a prime target for Satan's lies, deceit and the twisted truth. Only you can change that: ask God for the grace you need to love Him so intensely you want to read what He has written. Wanna know truth? Read what is written!

Treasure The Treasure

As graduating high school seniors, it was customary to write a "last will and testament." As I recall, most were quite humorous especially since the opening line was "I, being of sound mind." It was usually downhill from there! Let me propose most of the bad behavior we witness today is the result of bad doctrine ... poor teachings and weak principles for life. Several places in Scripture, Paul refers to "sound doctrine," and that word "sound" simply "healthy." Truth is, many guiding principles today just are not healthy nor do they encourage right living. One Bible commentator writes, "Right thinking is the raw material for right actions." How have we missed the soundness of mind that leads to righteous actions? One clear answer we find in Psalm 119:11 - "Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11 NASB). We have failed to identify the key treasure - that is, the treasure of God's Word! We've substituted other voices - the otherwise sound minds of our day - and the results are disastrous. "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word" (Psalm 119:9 NASB). God's unchanging Word remains firm in all seasons and every circumstances of life; It is unwavering in Its guidance for good spiritual health. Yes, it is sound in the purest sense. We have lost our way but there is hope; the way back is ... treasure the Treasure.

Focus and Hold Fast

While life-drama happens, most of us can do without the drama! While we love to read David's psalms of peacefully quiet times, he had a lot of less-than-peaceful days during his lifetime. Psalm 2 speaks of periods of time when kings and rulers raged and plotted against the Godly. By the way, that could be today's headlines! This psalm proclaims The Messiah, God's only Son (Jesus) installed in Zion, the holy mountain, Who has been given [by God] the nations and the very ends of the earth (V.6-8). "You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware." (V.9). In these days when fear and despair threaten to upend us, let us do as is commanded: "Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to The Son that He not become angry, and you perish in the way ... How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (V.11-12). Really, spiritual peace and rest is a matter of focus and discipline; setting aside those things which draw us away from The Father and diminish Christ [in us]; it is embracing and holding fast to The Rock, The Refuge, The Strong Tower, The Deliverer. Focus and hold fast.

First Call

Perhaps you remember the 1984 comedy "Ghostbusters," and their byline: "who ya gonna call?" Those who called them had no idea what to expect, and in some cases regretted the call! God said in Psalm 50:15, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” It's not uncommon that we have a list of emergency contacts who get the first call when we're in need. Sometimes those we call, however, are unavailable or unable to deliver us from whatever trouble we are facing. God isn't telling us we shouldn't an emergency contact list, however, He is making Himself known He is the One His children should call, and deliverance is certain. God is of unlimited power ... omnipotent. Furthermore, unlike a 911 operator who will ask "what is the nature of your emergency," God is also all-knowing (omniscient); there is no knowledge outside of Himself. It is imperative we comprehend the full scope of these truths: God is unaware of nothing (He knows everything), and He possess the full power to deliver. I must confess my emergency contact list is in a particular order, as I suppose it should be. Because God is all-knowing and all-powerful - He also never sleeps nor slumbers - and He has promised to uphold His children by His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10), there really is none other so equipped to rescue us from our troubles. Where is God in your list of emergency contacts? He should be our ... first call.

All-Knowing and Trustworthy

Have you ever met a "know it all" - at least, that's what Mom called a person who seemed to "think" he or she knew everything and didn't mind sharing it! I've heard that it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt! Psalm 139 is one of the greatest chapters in Scripture as it speaks to the only One Who has all knowledge - that is, God Himself. David writes, "You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all." (Psalm 139:2-4 NASB). God is omniscient - He is All-Knowing; there is nothing about me or you or anything else that God does not know! He knows each one of us better than we know ourselves! Furthermore, God is completely trustworthy with all that information; what do I mean by that? Well, Verse 5 says, "You have enclosed (encircled) me behind and before, and [You have] placed Your hand upon me." God's intimate knowledge of His children is safe with Him; He uses it to protect and help us, caring for us in ways we cannot fully imagine.  I'm fairly confident none of us could trust such intimate and complete knowledge with one another - not even our closest friends - because we are sinful and have a tendency to deal harshly and judgmentally with each other at times. That is never God's purpose: "I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB). We can take comfort and joy in our All-Knowing God - Who knows us altogether - to use His knowledge always for our good and His glory. Praise be to The Father ... All-Knowing and Trustworthy.

Christ at Home

Common [Southern] words of hospitality are “help yourself” or “make yourself at home.”   Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean get up and do it yourself or to kick your shoes off nor is it an invitation to take a seat in Mister Bill’s recliner! It’s no secret how deeply the Apostle Paul loved and was devoted to Jesus Christ.  Why, then, would he write these words: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ  for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” (Romans 9:3, ESV).  This tells us he was willing to relinquish all Christ was to him for the sake of his friends – those who didn’t know Jesus his Savior.  I suspect few of us fully comprehend the seriousness of Paul’s statement.  Oswald Chambers puts it like this: “Paul said he knew how to be a ‘doormat’ without resenting it, because the mainspring of his life was devotion to Jesus.”  Here, God [through Paul] is describing the depth of commitment He longs for.  Paul’s relinquishing of himself to God is also heard in these words, “I will most gladly spend and be spent …” (2 Corinthians 12:15).  You see, not easily but quite simply, God wants to hear us say, “Father, come on in – make Yourself at home in my heart." It's the home He desires most.

Hear Him Speak

Most vehicles today come with many things ... automatic: for example, windows, door locks, mirror adjustments, etc. Driving Mister Bill's truck recently, I was re-introduced to hand-crank windows and manual door locks; I gave up on adjusting the side mirrors! In times of Bible apps, podcasts, and online church, it seems lots of Believers have abandoned good, old-fashioned, personal Bible study. Don't get me wrong, I listen to podcasts as I drive and use a Bible app as I am waiting, but those wonderful tools cannot (and should not) replace a personal time of opening God's Word and digging Its precious treasures in The Presence of Its Author. Read just a few things written about the days in which we now live: 1 Timothy 4:1 - "in later times some will depart from the faith" ... Matthew 24:11 - "false prophets will arise and lead many astray" ... Matthew 24:12 - "the love of many will grow cold." I wonder how much of the falling away, the departing from faith, the being led astray can be attributed to God's children's failure to devote personal time to God's Word - the lamp to our feet and the light to our path (Psalm 119:105). We've become content and satisfied listening to what God has said to someone else, what someone else has dug from the riches of God's Word, and we do not see the need to do the diggin' ourselves. Be sure, hand-cranking that window wasn't all that fun - I'd much prefer my own car with its electric windows; God has called each of us to know Him, and it will never be enough for a true disciple to hear about Jesus. Let me encourage you to blow the dust off that Bible, open it, and let God speak to you personally through His timeless words of truth. Yes ... hear Him speak.

Life of Faithfulness

Why we do what-we-do is usually an interesting consideration. For example, why I buy a particular brand of corn meal can be traced back to the brand my Mom bought. Whether it is the best brand or not is irrelevant; since it was good enough for Mom, it's good enough for me! Mister Bill and I have been reading through the Book of Genesis, and right now we're studying the life of Joseph, one of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel. The way God wove His divine purpose through the many difficult circumstances of Joseph's life is amazing. If there was ever one in Scripture to become discouraged and give-up, I suggest it was Joseph. What we see, however, is a young man whose faith was about as steadfast as anyone mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. We read, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man" (Genesis 39:2) ... "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love" (Genesis 39:21). Through all of Joseph's struggles, he remained faithful, and why? In the words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, "his faith made him faithful." Yes, Joseph had a right view of his God: "The Lord is faithful ... He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV). Joseph had heard of the promises of God and seen evidence of their sureness in the generations of his family. He knew "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV). We may not always answer sufficiently why we do-what-we-do but never let us hesitate to know that it is a right and sound faith in the eternally Faithful One that leads us to a ... life of faithfulness.

Best Shape

In recent years, there have been movies that feature "shape-shifters" - fictional characters with the ability to transform their bodies into different forms, which they use for good or evil. While such a being is purely fictional, I suggest that spiritual shape-shifting actually exists! My pastor asked this question recently: "what is shaping your life?" He was, of course, speaking of one's spiritual shape, and it's a very good question! Every person's belief system is formed by something, literally many things. That on which we feed our minds and hearts build the truths that determine our ideas and responses toward God and others. When we readily accept the world's trendy and fluid truths, we end up with a non-Biblical worldview that easily conformed to change rendered us spiritual ... shape-shifters. Oh, how critical and essential it is remain firm - to retain our shape - by seeing God's Word as the eternal truth It is: Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35 ESV). There is nothing more comforting, more re-assuring, more steadying than holding to The One Who changeless and Whose Word is likewise unchangeable! Are you guilty of spiritual shape-shifting? If God's Truth is your one and only truth, rest assured you are in the ... best shape.

Continue

Perhaps you remember the day of television antennas and antenna rotors. On command, the rotor would turn the antenna to a position where there was little interference, and a clear television picture resulted. I can hear the unique sound of that rotor now!  Daniel was a man of discipline: regularly, he bowed in reverent prayer to God. When the king gave an order prohibiting petitioning (praying) to any god besides the king, read what Daniel did: "Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he went into his house (now in his roof chamber his windows were open toward Jerusalem); he continued to get down on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously." (Daniel 6:10 AMP). I like that word "continue," a word practiced very sparingly by God's today. The habit of unceasing and holding steadily is interrupted by so  many alternating passions - yes, interfering with God's call for His children to be faithful. For Daniel to keep-on-doing-what-he-was-doing (continue) meant being thrown into a den of lions (V.7). Yet we read that Daniel continued to honor God in his life. The psalmist David wrote, "But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and tender mercy; at Your holy temple I will bow [obediently] in reverence for You." (Psalm 5:7 AMP). There is an overwhelming sense of continuance in David's words, a resolve to stand firm - allow no interruptions nor interferences. Given the terrible persecutions of Christ-followers in other countries, it is most shameful how we [in this country] refuse to continue in our faithfulness - we allow family, friends, work, ball games, health, etc. to come before the most important things - prayer, worship, study, service, fellowship. To be quite blunt - we are all too guilty of allowing other things to "interfere" with what should be a priority for those who love Jesus. Once that rotor got the antenna to the right position, [on a good day] the picture was clear and all was good. Let Daniel be a model for us to continue in our honor and reverence for God, allowing nothing to interfere - to become an excuse for failing to ... continue.

Trust First

Clear and simple instructions are best, don't you agree? Wordiness often just gets in the way of following the instructions. David wrote in Psalm 37:3, "Trust in the LORD and do good." Can it be more simple? I suggest it cannot be more simple yet oh how complicated doing good when we do not ... trust the LORD. We know the right (righteous) thing to do but then we begin to consider what "doing the right thing" will mean for us personally. That kind of thinking leads to compromise or neglect or disobedience. The simple command to trust God and do what's right becomes ... complicated. The rest of Verse 3 is this: "Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness" ... by trusting in the LORD, we feed our souls on His perfect faithfulness. What are you feeding your soul, your spirit, your mind? If it is not God's indisputable goodness and faithfulness, your soul is most likely starving spiritually. Notice there is a right order to building a life of faithfully doing good - first, trust the Lord ... trust first.

Extraordinary Light

It's really not an uncommon word yet one not often used to describe a person - that word is "extraordinary." We may not use the word so much but we certainly know "extraordinary" when we see it. The two words combined - extra + ordinary - describes one who is ... extra ordinary. This word is used to describe Daniel: "Then this Daniel, because of the extraordinary spirit within him, began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and the satraps, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire realm." (Daniel 6:3 AMP). In its context, this verse tells us there was something about Daniel that surpassed others, and the king took notice! From this, it is safe to conclude Daniel was extremely capable to do his job well; in the context of Daniel's life, however, we can also conclude there was something extraordinarily pleasing to God in Daniel's spirit. How often do we look toward what we've been equipped and called to do but we lack the proper attitude? God says to us, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Lest we forget, Daniel had been taken unwillingly from his home and subjected to pagan customs and kings yet he had an extraordinary spirit - his good attitude set him apart from others. As children of God we are commanded to "do all things without grumbling ... that we may be blameless ... children of God ... without blemish in the midst of a crooked world" - yes, we are to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15 ESV). The corruption around us, however, tends to corrupt our attitudes and diminish our ability to "shine as light" as commanded. Daniel is a model for each of us: even in the worst of circumstances, he remained positive, faithful and one of an excellent spirit. Paul wrote, "have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5 ESV). I like the two-word word ... extraordinary, and that's the kind of light I want to be ... an extraordinary light.

Sweetest Gift

If you haven't discovered the benefits of e-clubs, you must check 'em out! Aside from interesting news and discounts from the vendor, occasionally there's a freebie - a free appetizer or dessert or product. Perhaps like me, you've been a Believer - a born-again child of God - a long time, and you need reminding (like me) about the free gift we have received from our Heavenly Father. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." and Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." By its very definition, a gift is something presented, transferred by one person to another without compensation (Noah Webster, 1828). Some of the sweetest gifts I've received have been those "just because" gifts - no special occasion like birthday, Christmas or Valentine's Day. Gifts given just because the giver found delight in me and showed me with a gift. This is The Gift we have been given by The Father through His only Son, Jesus. We were unlovable, unworthy and undeserving of anything yet God showed His love for us (Romans 5:8) - God loved the world so much He gave His only Son (John 3:16) - God set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) - God saved us by His grace as a gift (Romans 3:24). We should always be grateful for gifts but for God's Gift, the gratitude should run deepest: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3 ESV). Thank you, LORD, for Your ... sweetest gift.

Shout Joyfully

SHOUT JOYFULLY. Of the many things I learned from my Mom, one is this: first impressions matter greatly! There will only be one "first impression" of something - yes, only one. As a general rule, our ideas and opinions of something are formed from that very first impression, and those ideas and opinions are often difficult to overcome. Psalm 100:1 (AMP) says, "Shout joyfully to the LORD all the earth." This is a command and an invitation to God's people to make some noise about the God Whom they say they love and adore! I'm sure we all can agree there is lots of shoutin' going on in this world today - not the kind of joyful shouting of this verse. From all corners of this earth, we hear see and hear mankind shouting (sudden and loud outbursts) about many things. The one thing, however, that seems to be missing is the voices of those who love The Lord and Creator of all things. Sadly, I fear we more-than-not lead the way in silence; that is, neglecting to speak-of and to testify to the rest of the world the greatness of our God. The psalmist continues, "Serve the LORD with gladness and delight; come before His Presence with joyful singing. Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the LORD Himself is God; it is He Who has made us ... We are His people." (V.2-3, AMP). The world's shouting will not end until Christ returns - expect it to continue. Those who love The LORD, however, can and should and must give voice to the evidence of His Greatness. We don't have to be loud or obnoxious but we can joyfully speak of Him in how we live our lives to the cashier at the store where we shop, the co-worker that sits at the desk nearby, the guy who changes the oil in our car, the voice at the other end of the drive-through, the representative who answers our call to customer service ... absolutely anyone and all with whom we engage each day. Our "shouts" of joy should be evident in every area of our lives, and those shouts should be joyful and delightful ... very different than the world's. God has invited us to let our lives speak of The Lord to Whom we belong ... shout joyfully. Miles of Smiles, Beverly