Once again, I heard the sweet whisper through the rain. I was out driving late one night when the familiar words started playing over the radio, “I was sure by now, God you would have reached down, and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen, and it’s still raining….”
My mind took me back to where I stood listening to the same song at the Casting Crowns concert years ago. Tears streamed down my face as I sang along in the dark crowded room. For the first time ever, I felt compelled to raise my hands in worship as the song continued, “As the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain, ‘I’m with you.’ And as your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away….”
Raising my hands in worship was something that I was not used to or had ever been comfortable with, as it was not practiced in my church home. However, as I thought about my current storm that had lasted for many, many years, I could so relate as I sang along, “But once again, I say amen, and it’s still raining.”
I desperately wanted the rain to stop, and I didn’t understand why God didn’t “reach down & save the day.” But I had learned through the storm that God was my only hope. He was the only one who could fix it, and through it all, He was whispering, “I’m with you.”
I couldn’t help but raise my hands as my heart surrendered to the fact that in this storm, God was still God. And though I was tired of fighting, I would continue to look to Him and praise Him…even if the storm never ended.
That particular storm finally did calm down for a while, but it still pops up and rages from time-to-time. The thing that God has taught me though, is that He is always with me no matter what is going on in me or around me. I have learned that He is the only One that I can always count on, and that I should never try to let anyone else take His place as my Rock.
I have endured many other storms besides that one. Some were shorter but more intense. I’m sure there will be worse ones yet to come.
God doesn’t promise to keep us free from trouble. In fact, Jesus says in John 16:33, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Whatever storm you are going through, I hope that you can quiet your heart and hear God’s gentle whisper through the rain; He is with you, and He is working out his very best.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
Here’s a link to Casting Crown’s “Praise You in This Storm.” I hope that you can hear God whispering to your heart and that you can sing along.
It’s Not the Place That is Important…. Family Easter Gathering via Zoom
It’s not the place that is important. What’s important is the event.
This Easter has been very different. Over the years, I have always looked forward to putting on my “Easter dress” and going to church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. After church, I have always gotten together for brunch with my parents, my siblings and our families. That is the way it has been since the year I was born—put on my Easter dress, go to church, get together with my family.
This year was different. I didn’t put on an Easter dress. I didn’t go to a church building. I didn’t gather with my family for brunch.
It was very strange for all the churches to be closed due to the Covid-19 “quarantine.” However, Christians all around the world were able to celebrate together live via online services. My family sang along, listened to the message, visited via online chatting and even had oyster crackers and grape juice for communion.
The quarantine also kept our extended family from gathering under one roof for our annual Easter brunch, but we were all able to see each other and visit through an online session using Zoom. All twenty-two of us plus two dogs and a cat shared the screen talking, singing and laughing.
It’s not the place that is important. What’s important is the event. The first time I heard this phrase was in Israel.
“The Garden Tomb” is one of the places my husband and I visited recently in Israel
One of the places that my husband and I visited on our recent trip to Israel was “The Garden Tomb.” The tomb which was actually found by accident, fits the description the Bible gives of the tomb where Jesus was buried. We know that Jesus was taken to Golgotha for his crucifixion. Mark 15:22-24 says, “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him….” Just beside the site of this garden tomb we visited, is a rock face called Skull Hill (or Golgotha).
Just beside the site of the garden tomb we visited, is a rock face called “Skull Hill” or “Golgotha.” You can see the skull just left of the center of the photo.
We also know that Jesus was buried in a garden tomb near the place of His crucifixion. “At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:41-42). Not only is this tomb near Golgotha, there is a winepress near the tomb indicating a vineyard or garden.
This wine press close to the tomb indicates not only that the tomb was in a vineyard or garden but also that the owner was rich
The fact that there is a wine press nearby would also indicate that the owner was rich. Matthew writes, “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:57-59).
The Garden Tomb
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us that there was a rolling stone that closed the opening of the tomb. The garden tomb that we visited has a shaft in place for a rolling stone. To the left of the opening of the tomb, we find a metal pin embedded into the rock which was used to seal the stone in place and keep it from rolling.
The red circle in the upper left section of the photo marks the remnant of the metal pin still embedded in the outside wall of the tomb
Though the Garden Tomb we visited has many similarities as the tomb described in the Bible, we cannot be certain that this tomb is the actual place where Jesus was laid after he died on the cross. But again, it’s not the place that is important. What’s important is the event and the fact that Jesus body is not there. He is risen! He is alive!
The body of Jesus is no longer in the tomb. He is risen! He is alive!
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” ~John 11:25-26
What about you? Do you believe?
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
I believe! Thank you, Jesus, for dying in my place and rising from the dead so that I can have eternal life through you!
Standing in The Garden Tomb, forever thankful that Jesus died in my place and rose again from the dead so that I can have eternal life in Him
Nothing to Fear! Praising God at the Valley of the Shadow of Death
I decided I had nothing to fear. I was blessed with the opportunity
to visit Israel last month. I admit that I had a few fears that I faced in deciding
whether or not to go. After lots of prayer, I decided to trust God and go.
On day six of the trip, our bus drove down a long and
winding road with hairpin turns through the Judean desert. I could see drop-offs
out the window. After several miles, we backed into a “wide” area on the side
of the road to turn around so that we could exit the bus on the opposite side
of the road. I held my breath, trusting we would not go over the edge as the
back wheels of our bus neared the brink of the cliff.
Double-rainbow over cross at the top of the hill
The first thing I saw as I stepped down from the bus was a double-rainbow brightening the dark sky above a cross at the top of the hill. Pretty little flowers poked out between the rocks beneath my feet. God had painted a beautiful scene to greet us!
Pretty flowers poking out from the rocks
When the rainbow started to fade, I carefully ventured closer
to the edge of the steep drop-off. The valley below was deep and hard to see
into. I could hear the water below before I could see it.
Across the valley, I could see St. George’s Monastery built
into a cliff of the Judean Mountains. Little dots moved about on the mountainside
above and to the left of the monastery. A
closer look through my zoom lens revealed that the dots were a shepherd and his
sheep.
St. George’s Monastery on the right edge of photo; sheep grazing on the center mountain topA shepherd and his sheep (a little pixelated through my zoom lens)
My senses were heightened. Physically, I could feel the wind. Spiritually, I felt the presence of God. Emotionally, I felt a wonderful peace.
I stood in awe, taking in all that I heard, saw and felt. I had prayed before I ever left home that God would open my eyes on this trip to see what He wanted me to see so that I could share those things with others. This was one of those moments that He really went above and beyond what I ever could have imagined. God was allowing me to not just read the words of Psalm 23 (as our group did together), but to also see, hear and feel Psalm 23.
Experiencing the peace of Psalm 23
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Ps.
23:1). I can call the Lord my shepherd because I have a personal relationship
with Him. Jesus says in John 10:14-16, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep
and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay
down my life for the sheep.”
Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have nothing to fear. He
cares about me so much, that He laid down His life for me. He knows what is
best for me and provides everything I need; I lack nothing. I trust Him for my
daily bread, for wisdom, for guidance, for my salvation and peace.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside
quiet waters, he restores my soul.” (Ps. 23:2-3a). “Quiet waters” literally
means “waters of resting places.” I sat down on the side of the mountain
listening to the water while meditating and praying. My soul was at rest in
this peaceful setting, and my heart exploded with joy. I could have stayed for
hours, and I still long to return to that place.
“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”
(Ps. 23:3b). My prayer for the past year had been for absolute surrender to God,
and that He would move any mountain standing in my way of serving Him. I know
that I can trust in His name as He leads me, for His way is perfect.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me” (Ps. 23:4a). Jesus told us, “In
this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
(John 16:33b). I have walked through dark valleys, and I know that I will face
more of them. No matter what darkness lies ahead, no matter how hard the enemy attacks,
I have nothing to fear. The Good Shepherd will walk with me through the darkest
valley, even death.
“Your rod and your staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4b). Just
as a shepherd uses his rod and staff to fight off wolves and to pull his sheep
back when they wander in the wrong direction, so Jesus does the same with me.
He defends me and helps me fight against the enemy. He guides me and helps me get
back on track when I get distracted.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Ps. 23:5). He welcomes me into His presence as an honored guest as my enemies watch but are unable to keep me from this magnificent feast He has prepared. He anoints me and blesses me overflowing in ways far greater than I could ever ask or imagine.
“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Ps. 23:6). The word “follow” literally means “pursue.” That’s what Jesus does; He pursues me with His goodness and love. He died for me and pursues me so that I can dwell in His house forever! I am His, and He is mine for eternity!
Standing at the Valley of the Shadow of Death
I will forever remember when I walked along the edge of “the
Valley of the Shadow of Death” in the Judean Mountains. Those memories will
come alive every time I read the 23rd Psalm. I know the Good Shepherd,
and He knows me. The God of the universe, the King of Kings, is my Shepherd,
and I shall not want. He gives me peaceful rest and restores my soul. He leads
me and guides me in the right path as I trust in His great name. I have nothing
to fear, not even death, for He walks with me through the darkest valley. He
blesses me overflowing in ways far greater than I need or deserve. His goodness
and love pursues me wherever I go; He will never let go of me. In His Father’s house
are many rooms, and He is preparing a place for me where I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever!
If you are part of the Good Shepherd’s flock, let Him lead you
beside the still waters and restore your soul. Let Him guide you in the right
path; you have nothing to fear.
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus but
want Him to be your Shepherd too, talk to one of us who follow Him. Or, simply
talk to Him yourself. He is a good, good shepherd who lays down His life for
His sheep.
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John
3:16).
My family loves the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, and one of our favorite characters is a quirky pirate named Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack is an opportunist who always seems to come out on top despite being called, “the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of” by Admiral James Norrington.
One of Jack’s most prized possessions is his compass that doesn’t point north. Most people consider the compass broken and worthless, but Jack finds it of great value. For instead of pointing north, the compass points the way to whatever its owner wants most in this world. When Jack sets out to find a person, a place or a treasure, he simply pulls out the compass which points him in the right direction.
Navigating with this compass that doesn’t point north works well for Jack until the day that he sets off in search of the key to the “Dead Man’s Chest” which holds the heart of Davy Jones. When he holds up the compass, it spins out of control.
The crew notices Jack’s strange behavior that follows and believes that “something’s got Jack vexed.” The soothsayer, Tia Dalma, suggests that Jack does not know what he really wants or that he knows but is reluctant to claim it for his own.
In another “Pirates of the Caribbean” scene, Jack hands the compass to Elizabeth Swann who wants to find and rescue her love, Will Turner. Jack convinces Elizabeth that in order to find Will, she needs to reach the same destination that he is seeking. When Elizabeth follows her desire with the compass in hand, Jack is set back on course. However, throughout the voyage, when Elizabeth checks the compass, she find the compass pointing back to Jack. This again questions the true desire of the person holding the compass.
This reminds me of how we too can sometimes become confused about our desires and what we truly want or need. There are times when we think we want one thing, but after acquiring it, we find that it wasn’t really what our heart was longing for. We are left as empty as ever.
The human heart can have many desires as there are many things on earth that bring us pleasure. Many of these things were actually given to us by God. However, there is nothing on this earth that can completely satisfy us. Our soul will not find true rest until it rests in God. It is when we delight in Him that we are given the true desires of our hearts. In Him, we find complete contentment, satisfaction and peace.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Desires of Your Heart
This Scripture does not mean that we delight in the Lord in order to get everything we think we want. Rather, when we truly delight ourselves in the Lord, we find peace and fulfillment in Him. As we seek the Lord, His desires become our desires.
God may choose to bless us with many earthly and material treasures which do bring us enjoyment, but those things are only a glimpse of the true satisfaction that is found in eternal treasure. Our hearts’ deepest longings can only be satisfied when we find rest through Jesus. Until we surrender our lives to Him, we will be restless, chasing what we think we desire and always longing for something more.
My mind is more cluttered than usual right now, and I’m tired. I had tried to write my Monday morning blog this week, but I had too many thoughts to untangle to be able to focus on one subject. I came home to an empty house last night and had the perfect opportunity to focus and write, but my mind was overloaded and my body was tired.
I rested on my bed and stared at the ceiling; it was dirty but the least messy place to look at. I thought about and prayed for the people I know who are hurting. I thought about my busy life and prayed again for answers on how to find better balance. The only answer impressed upon my heart was that I needed to let it all go and rest. As I prayed, I let myself go back to a place I found years ago. Once again, I found myself under the shadow of His wings.
It was July 4, 2007. I was very upset that night. The tears flowed, and I earnestly prayed for God to show me something beautiful.
The vision I saw was so real I could feel it. I found myself standing with a wall of clear, glittery water to my left and another on my right. It was as if God was parting a sea for me. There was at my feet and seashells scattered around me. He even laid a starfish down in my little haven. Rose-like flowers in hues ranging from carnation pink to red-violet carpeted the ground both ahead of me and behind me. They seemed to clear a path for me as I moved. The sky directly above me was the most perfect bright blue summer sky dotted with fluffy white clouds, but there were also sparkly stars mixed in. Behind me, was a night sky with thousands of twinkling stars. Ahead me, was a beautiful sunset (or maybe a sunrise) with pinks, purples, orange and a tinge of yellow. Coming up over both walls of water, He sheltered me with His soft, white wings.
I could feel an unexplainable peace, the most wonderful peace I have ever known as I stood sheltered under the shadow of His wings. To this day, I can still remember how that peace felt and can feel it even now as I think about it.
God knows me intimately; the picture He gave me in my mind was the most perfect place for me. That moment in prayer was one of the most precious moments in my entire life. It was just God and me as He hid me under the shadow of His wings.
I wanted so badly to draw or paint that picture, but it wasn’t until June of 2009 that I tried. For the first time ever, I attempted to paint with watercolor pencils. I had no clue what I was doing. But, as I sat on a balcony overlooking the ocean at Daytona Beach, listened to my praise & worship music, I found painting with God to be very therapeutic.
I remember talking with God about the conch shell. I had no idea how to paint one and didn’t have one to look at. So, I asked God to take my hand & help me paint it. I was pleased with the way it turned out and also pleased with the sky. I had no idea how to paint, night, day and dusk or dawn all in the same picture, but it turned out great! My only disappointment was that His wings did not turn out white like I had pictured them; I just didn’t know how to use those pencils.
My first attempt at painting where I stood “Under the Shadow of His Wings” (Watercolor Pencils on Paper)
Over a year later, on November 22, 2010. I decided to paint “Under the Shadow of His Wings” on canvas with acrylics. I need to sort some things out with God. So, I sat in my little sanctuary on my sunporch and prayed, asking Him to cleanse me and purify me and help me surrender all to Him and live a life that glorifies Him.
As I prayed, I was led to first paint words that named all the things that were troubling me. I didn’t realize how much was on my heart until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to it all. I filled the entire canvas. I recorded all of those troubles in my journal while the paint was drying. I wanted to go back later to see all the things that God took care of.
Next, it was time to bury all of those problems under the shadow of His wings. Worship music played in the background as again, I asked God to take my hand and help me paint the beautiful picture He had given me. I found my time with God to be a time of healing as I painted the beautiful picture over my troubles I had listed.
Before I even finished the painting, God started working on some of the areas that I had written down, and today as I read over those 34 struggles I recorded, I am wowed. After giving those things to God, He has been working on every single one of them. In fact, He has totally taken care of most of those problems. For the few areas of trouble that linger, He continues to walk beside me and teach me how to persevere. He is an amazing God!
My 2nd painting of “Under the Shadow of His Wings” (Acrylic on Canvas)
On July 8, 2013 I was walking and praying along the ocean shore again. I was going through a very difficult season of life with new challenges and struggles. It was a beautiful day, and I had never seen the water so clear. It was so clear that in the distance that from the shore, I could see a sand dollar 2 ½- 3 feet down below the surface.
The waves were huge, and as I was marveling about how tall they were, I noticed I could see inside the waves. The way the late afternoon sun shined through the waves was absolutely beautiful! I stood there mesmerized for the longest time.
Then it hit me; the glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier. It was like I had stepped back and could see myself again in that beautiful place. The waves in front of me were not as tall as me, whereas in the picture they tower way above me. But the beautiful, transparent color was so familiar, so peaceful like the place He gave me “Under the Shadow of His Wings.”
The glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier as I stood under the shadow of His wings.
I woke up this morning, and my thoughts are still cluttered. There are still problems to be solved. However, I am at peace after resting in His presence.
I am thankful for a loving God who has all the answers and knows exactly when and how to take care of everything that clutters my mind. I am grateful for His patience, His mercy and His grace. I am overwhelmed by the peace that He gives me when He hides me under the shadow of His wings.
I decided to go for just a “30 minute” walk one morning while I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I was familiar with the path I started out on, but I chose to take a different way home. The trouble is, the roads in their neighborhood and the surrounding area don’t exactly run east to west or north to south. On top of that, rather than running for several blocks across town, many of the streets around their home are just one or two block loops. So, taking just one slight turn (And I mean slight!) off of the path I needed to be on totally separated me from finding my way back home.
By the time I realized my mistake, I had been gone about 45-50 minutes. I had pushed myself too hard trying to run a while, and I was tired. I had been enjoying the sunshine, but I was thirsty. Even worse, when I looked at my surroundings, I realized that I was lost. Tired, thirsty, lost…
I entered my son’s address into an app on my phone. The outline of the route didn’t make sense, but I had no other choice than to follow the directions. My app told me to turn several times where there was no road to turn on. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way back. Though I was tempted to cut through yards where the app told me to turn, I wasn’t sure if that would actually get me back to the house. Plus, I was afraid of encountering a snake or getting in trouble for trespassing.
Finally, I began to recognize the street names again and arrived back 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. My hands were swollen, my mouth was dry, and my clothes were soaked. I treated myself to a tall glass of water, a much-needed shower and a fresh change of clothes. All was well once again.
I later thought about the whole (rather embarrassing) incident and wondered how many other people out there might be tired, thirsty and lost. Taking care of ourselves physically is important but taking care of ourselves emotionally and spiritually is important as well. In fact, our spiritual well-being is our most important need, because when our physical body wears out and dies, our soul will continue on either to heaven or hell.
When we try to get through life in a way contrary to how God created us to operate, we become spiritually tired and worn. We might try to achieve inner peace by doing good deeds and striving to be recognized as a “good person,” but we can never find true rest unless we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to our Creator. Jesus beckons, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). Jesus invites us to be yoked to him, to learn from him and to find rest for our souls. When we repent and surrender our lives to Jesus, he sets things right with us and fills us with the Holy Spirit to help us live the way God intended.
We can also be spiritually thirsty and might not even realize it. God created a beautiful world for us, and this world does have a lot to offer. Yet, we must realize that there is really nothing on earth that will satisfy the deepest longing in our heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) says, that God “has planted eternity in the human heart.” Until we quench the thirst of our soul, we will continue to long and to thirst for something more, something eternal. Again, Jesus invites us, as he did the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Lastly, we can be spiritually lost, which is the worst kind of lost there is. Maybe you are so lost that you feel like you could never be accepted by God. Dear friend, this is not true. In Luke 15, Jesus gives us hope as he shares parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.
Jesus talks about an owner of 100 sheep who leaves behind 99 to find the one who is lost. When the owner finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. Jesus says, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Next Jesus tells about a woman with 10 coins who searches diligently when she loses one of them. She is so excited when she finds it. Again, Jesus comments, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
And then, Jesus shares one of my favorite stories. He tells about a self-centered son who asks for his inheritance early, leaves his father and wastes all of his money on wild living. When the money is gone, he gets a job feeding pigs and is so hungry that he wants to eat the pods he is feeding them. He finally decides to return to his father, apologize and ask if his dad will hire him as one of his servants. And here my friend, is the BEAUTIFUL part of the story….
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Yet the father welcomes him back and even throws him a big party. The father rejoices saying that his son, “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
We are all on a journey. There will be good times and difficult times. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t wandered away from God. We’ve all taken a wrong turn (or two, or several). But 2 Peter 3:9 assures us that God wants no one to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.
So, if you are finding yourself, tired, thirsty and lost, read Luke 15. Listen for Jesus’ invitation, and know that God’s desire is that you repent and return to him. He will welcome you back into his arms where you belong.
There have been times in my life when I have felt like I was in the center of a tornado. The world was dark, life was out of my control and chaos swirled around me. Yet, as I stood there helpless and sometimes fearful of the outcome, I also had this unexplainable peace deep down inside.
One of the songs we often sang in church when I was growing up was, “It is Well with My Soul.”
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul…”
As a child, I found it to be a beautiful and soothing song, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I really understood. I remember the first time that the words clicked with me.
I was probably in my twenties when my dad had a mild stroke. He was pretty stubborn about going to doctors back then, and he seemed to be doing pretty good except struggling a bit with getting one of his arms and legs to cooperate all the time. Still, we worried about him.
I remember getting teary eyed as I stood next to Dad in church and listened to him sing. I love my dad a lot and admire his unshakable faith. But as I listened to him praising God despite the uncertainty of his health, I couldn’t find my own strength to sing along; I had to go outside. I was worried about my dad and what might be going on with him. I didn’t understand how God could let someone as wonderful as my dad have something wrong with his health. He was so young, he was one of the kindest men in the world and he had a bigger faith than anyone I knew.
Things were out of my control for sure, but Dad’s Godly example taught me that even when things are out of my control, I can trust God. While I worried, I witnessed my Dad experiencing a peace that passes all understanding.
As I continued looking to God through that storm and the future storms that followed, my relationship with Jesus grew. Over the years, God has been showing me that I can trust him and teaching me about the gift promised in Philippians 4:6-7,
We will experience dark, scary, difficult times in our lives. There will be times when our circumstances are out of our control. When we start to get anxious, we must pray instead of worrying. Through prayer, we experience that inner peace.
When we belong to Jesus, we have comfort in knowing that God is with us through each and every storm. We have faith that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). We have peace, knowing that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We have hope that one day he will take us home to a perfect place where there will be no more crying, pain or death (Revelation 21). When we put our trust in Jesus, no matter what our circumstances, we are able to say, “It is well with my soul.” It may be difficult, it may hurt, but deep down inside, his peace prevails.
I am a plant killer. I absolutely love plants, but over the years, I have caused more plants to suffer than I would like to admit. I am able to kill a jasmine, gardenia or begonia rather quickly, but for other unfortunate types such as a hibiscus, palm tree or orchid, their death can be a long, drawn-out process. I have learned that there are certain plants that I can do well with and others that I need to stop bringing home no matter how much I love them.
One of my favorite plants is a bougainvillea, a plant that thrives down in the south. I had an absolutely gorgeous one for quite a few years; I loved that plant and took good care of it. However, a couple of years ago, I got in a funk, and while trying to keep my head above water, I stopped caring for my plants. When the difficult season ended, and I went out to clean my sunporch, I was sad to see that my beautiful plant had died.
The beautiful bougainvillea thrives in the south
This summer while vacationing down in the south, I decided it was time to replace my plant. I was doing much better this year and thought I could handle gardening again. However, less than three weeks after I brought my new bougainvillea home, it had lost almost all of its leaves. I had gotten too busy and forgotten to water it. The poor thing was dying of thirst, and I was crushed.
My bougainvillea less than 3 weeks after I brought it home
I watered the thirsty plant right away and gave it plenty of attention for the next few weeks. Thankfully, less than a month later, the plant that had been on the brink of death has made a wonderful recovery.
Water brought my nearly dead bougainvillea back to life
All living things need water to survive. Plants wilt, lose their leaves and die without water. Animals become dehydrated and die without water as well. When we ourselves haven’t had enough to drink, we get thirsty. God created us that way to keep us from getting dehydrated and dying.
God created us with another type of thirst as well. While our physical bodies thirst for water, our soul thirsts for something more. God created us to long for him, and nothing else can satisfy that longing. Psalm 42:1-2 says,
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
When we aren’t spending enough time with God, our soul starts to thirst for him. We become restless, unsatisfied and discontented. We long to hear him speak through his word in the Bible. We long to commune with him in prayer. We long for his presence, his joy and his perfect peace. We long for rest in him.
Maybe you are thirsting for God and don’t even realize it. Are you unsettled and dissatisfied? Only God can fulfill our deepest needs and desires. It is He who brings us true healing, joy, purpose and peace.
If you are finding yourself in a dry and weary season of life, stop depriving yourself of his living water. Shift your focus back to Jesus and let him quench your thirst and refresh you.
It has been over 5 hours since I heard from my son, Christopher, and my daughter-in-law, Cassie and probably more than 4 hours since the center of Hurricane Irma passed over them. We knew that losing communication was a possibility, but we had of course hoped that it wouldn’t happen.
Sam and I had offered to fly them home from Florida early last week, but they had to teach school. By the time school was canceled, it was too late for them to get out. The roads were already starting to gridlock, there was no gasoline in their community, and all the flights were booked. They were stuck.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t very happy that a 450 foot wide hurricane with winds of 185 miles per hour was heading their way and that they had no way to leave. However, I stayed surprisingly calm at that point and started praying that the hurricane would go out to sea and dissipate. I believed it would.
Then, I found out that their stores were out of water and sandbags. I also found out they were unable to board up their windows. This made me even more unhappy, but I continued to pray and to try to stay calm.
Christopher and Cassie were eventually able to get all the supplies they need. They even found a safer place to stay. One of their friends in their life group has a dad who is a building contractor. They invited Christopher and Cassie to stay in their sturdy home with the windows boarded. The home had already made it through hurricanes Andrew and Charlie. I still didn’t like the idea of them having to stay in Florida, but at least they had supplies, a safer place to stay and good people to help them weather the storm.
I told myself that praying was much better than thinking about it or talking about it. Praying was actually doing something about it. Every time my mind would start to worry, I’d pray, holding onto God’s promise for peace,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7
I continued to do pretty good until Thursday night when one of the hurricane models predicted that the hurricane would go straight up the center of Florida where Christopher and Cassie live. The news report said that their county would get the worst of the wind in their viewing area. However, I misunderstood and thought the weatherman said they would have the worst weather in the state! I’m not going to lie. At that point, fear did start to get me. I shed a few tears and fell asleep praying for God’s continued protection over Christopher and Cassie and also asking God’s forgiveness for my fear.
The next morning, Christopher sent me a message, “I’m confident God is taking care of us and I have peace…. It’s a confidence that we are under his wings” (Proverbs 30:5). The bible verse is one of the first verses that I taught the 5th and 6th grade Sunday School class when Christopher was in it, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” I was even more excited about his confidence that they were under God’s wings because unbeknownst to him, one of the things that I had been praying was for God to hide them under the shadow of his wings.
A couple of hours later, a dear friend of mine texted me to see how Christopher and Cassie were doing, “Prayers that God will protect them and hold them in the shadow of his almighty wings…” Neither of them knew what I had been praying, but after getting a little scared the night before, their words brought me great peace. God was listening to my cries and he would hide them under the shadow of his wings.
So though it is now just past 2:30 in the morning, though I still haven’t heard from them and though I watched in horror as the center of the storm passed over them, I am doing okay. I am fighting by praying and holding on to the hope God gave me in his word. “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
When things are out of your control, remember Psalm 46:10,
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ~Psalm 46:10
Maybe you are scared today and don’t understand why things are happening the way they are. If you are struggling, turn to the One who can replace your anxieties with peace. As soon as you start to worry, nip it in the bud & turn your worry into prayer. Do this whether it’s one time or a hundred times today. The more you practice the promise found in Philippians 4:6-7, the less you’ll worry.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7
We have 2 weapons that God has given us to fight with–“the sword of the Spirit,” which is the Word of God, and “prayer.” So use them to fight and stay strong in the Lord, knowing that this life on earth is much shorter than the next life which will be spent either in heaven or in hell, depending on whether or not we have chosen to believe in Jesus and to surrender our lives to him. We can have peace through the difficult times and peace through eternity if we turn to the Lord and trust in him.
So today, pray, pray, pray and trust, trust trust! When you start to get distracted by whatever storm you are encountering, shift your focus to Jesus. Cry out to him. He’s ready to reach his hand out to you. Peace!
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~Jesus, John 16:33
