Category Archives: Thoughts From Scripture

Encouragement for mothers of young children

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My heart goes out to mothers of young children in many ways, but today I’m thinking of the area of trying to have any kind of time in the Bible. The time of life when my children were small was one of the hardest in which to have devotions.I hit one of my worst spiritual slumps after I had my second child. When my first child was asleep, I would try to decide between catching up on housework, reading my Bible, or sleeping. Often sleep won out. 🙂 With my second baby, I also had a little preschooler, so “quiet time” was at a premium. I would get to the end of the day and tearfully say, “Lord, I just don’t know when I would have had time to have devotions!” I felt I began to “dry up” spiritually. I don’t think anyone noticed anything from the outside — at least, no one said anything. But I knew on the inside that I was just going through the motions.

The following is an excerpt from Climbing by Rosalind Goforth. This book shares a very human view of a woman after God’s own heart who also was “of like passions” as we are.

A devoted Christian missionary, Mrs. S, was holding a series of special meetings for our Christian women at Changte. On one occasion, this dear woman, who had no children, told me that I could never have the peace and joy I longed for unless I rose early and spent from one to two hours with the Lord in prayer and Bible study.

I longed intensely for God’s best — for all He could give me, not only to help me live the true Christian life but also for peace and rest of soul. So I determined to do what Mrs. S. had advised.

The following morning, about half-past five o’clock, I slipped as noiselessly as possible out of bed. (My husband had already gone to his study.) I had taken only a step or two when first one and then another little head bobbed up; then came calls of, “Mother is it time to get up?”

“Hush, hush, no, no,” I whispered as I went back, but too late; the baby had wakened! So, of course, the morning circus began an hour too soon.

But I did not give up easily. Morning after morning I tried rising early for the morning watch, but always with the same result. So I went back to the old way of just praying quietly — too often just sleeping! Oh, how I envied my husband, who could have an hour or more of uninterrupted Bible study while I could not. This led me to form the habit of memorizing Scripture, which became an untold blessing to me. I took advantage of odd opportunities on cart, train, or when dressing, always to have a Bible or Testament at hand so that in the early mornings I could recall precious promises and passages of Scripture.

Somehow the Lord helped me to change from that mindset of depression because there was no time to what Dr. Walter Fremont calls a “positive faith attitude.” I realized that if this was something I needed and that God wanted me to do, then there would be time somewhere in the day. I began to pray at the beginning of the day for the time and for the ability to recognize it.

Normally I need for things to be relatively quiet when I read my Bible, but He enabled me to be able to get something vital from the Word with children playing at my feet. I thrive best on some kind of regularity of schedule, but He enabled me to catch the odd moment here and there.

When there was a minute free and I wanted to relax with the newspaper or a book or the TV, and the Lord reminded me I hadn’t had time with Him yet…I am ashamed to admit my reaction was not often a spiritual one. A former pastor once said that one of his best times of prayer occurred when he had to begin by confessing he didn’t feel like praying. So sometimes I would have to put aside the book or magazine or remote control and confess that lack to the Lord. And so often He would give me something precious in those few minutes.

A friend with three little ones used to keep her Bible open in her kitchen and read a little off and on throughout the day. Some nursing moms have found that they could prop a Bible up on a nearby end table and read a little while feeding the baby Some listen to the Bible on CD while they dress or drive.

As my children got older, I could again get up for that early morning time (my preferred time – some people prefer later in the day), I would get discouraged if one of them woke up early and toddled out. But a friend told me an experience she had of accidentally walking in on her mom while she was praying and of the impact that had on her. So I thought then perhaps this might be of the Lord — maybe the sight of of mom in prayer and in the Word would be a blessing to my children. Often in that half-asleep state, they were content just to cuddle up beside me or on my lap, and I could continue quietly reading or praying. Sometimes when they were with me I would read and pray aloud. Even though I still preferred to have devotions alone with no distractions, God enabled me to put that aside and to concentrate and have some precious times with Him.

I just want to encourage you that somehow the Lord will meet you in your need. I had to realize that the regular schedule I thrived on just wasn’t going to be possible, and I had to trust the Lord to open up those little opportunities throughout the day and that He would meet with me then and give me what I needed. Even though I still prefer my “quiet” quiet time and my routine, those early-baby experiences stayed with me in later days when the usual schedule was overturned for some reason. He wants to meet with you as much — actually more — than you want to meet with Him, and He’s willing to do so at odd hours. And, as Elisabeth Elliot has written, He doesn’t mind of you bring your children along.

Works For Me Wednesday: Devotional Tips

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I’ve been pondering what to write for this week’s “Works For Me Wednesday” since last week (is that a sign of addiction? 🙂 ), and this topic keeps coming to mind. I hope it’s not inappropriate for WFMW: I know many of the participants are Christians, and for me, if there is something out of kilter in this part of my life, it affects all the rest.

For those who might be unfamiliar with the term, “devotions” or “having devotions” is the time spent in the Bible and prayer. Others call it their quiet time or their “God and I” time or other terms.

Hopefully if you are considering devotions, you already feel it is important to read the Bible, but if you need to be encouraged along those lines, some reason to read the Bible are here.

When I first became a Christian as a teen-ager, the church I was in then had a strong emphasis on reading the Bible through in a year. I am so glad, because I think that, more than anything else, got me grounded spiritually. There are many advantages to reading the Bible through in a year: it kept me focused; I knew where to read next instead of wandering around aimlessly; I discovered choice nuggets in places like II Chronicles and Zephaniah that I probably would never have discovered otherwise; it kept me balanced; it helped me understand passages in their context; and each time through I would understand the passage more. There are, however, a few disadvantages: I felt like I couldn’t stop and ponder anything because I had to keep going in order to finish the day’s reading in the time frame I had, and if I fell behind it would get awfully discouraging trying to catch up. So after some time I continued to read the Bible through, but not necessarily in a year. I feel free to stop and meditate on a particular truth I found or to study it out further. I usually read a couple of chapters a day, but I sometimes stop after a few verses or sometimes go on and read more. Then sometimes between books, I take a break and work through a Bible study book or do a word study or topical study.

Most “reading the Bible through” plans encourage reading from both the Old Testament and the New, or reading a passage from Psalms or Proverbs along with the day’s scheduled reading. I think that is probably to help you through some of those “drier” books like Leviticus. 🙂

I think this is one of those areas where anything is better than nothing, though, so if someone says, “I’m sorry, I just can’t get into Leviticus,” I would say that’s fine. Maybe some day you’ll get back to that, but reading somewhere in the Bible is better than reading nothing.

Probably for most people the first big battle is getting regular about it. It does help to make a regular time and place for it. I like to have devotions in the mornings because my mind isn’t as cluttered as it is later on. I get up a little earlier than everyone else so it is quiet, and I have my shower first so I am awake. There were some years during the getting-kids-off-to-school morning rush when the best time was after everyone left for the day. The best time for some people is in the evenings.

There are some seasons of life, like when there is a new baby in the house, or vacation times, or when company is there, when it’s hard to maintain that regular time. It’s easier to let that time slip then, but if we go back to the “anything is better than nothing” principle, we can grab a few quiet moments here and there.

Once some semblance of regularity is maintained, the next big battleground is keeping our minds on what we’re doing. There is a quote from John Donne which expresses it well: “I throw myself down in my chamber, and I call in and invite God and His Angels thither; and when they are there, I neglect God and His Angels for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door.”

I think the biggest help in avoiding distractions is to be actively looking for something rather than passively reading (more on that later). Another help is to keep a notepad nearby so that when something else comes to mind, as it so often does, like an item I need to get at the store or someone I need to call today, I can jot it down so I don’t forget it later and so my mind can acknowledge that it will be taken care of and not keeping going back to that thought.

It helps to “get in gear” as we begin. I often pray, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18), or asking the Lord to make my heart “good ground” that the seed of His Word can fall upon. It can help, also, to ask Him for something from His Word to carry with you through the day. Some people like to begin listening to, singing, or reading through a hymn. I like to start off with the reading from Daily Light for the Daily Path for the day.

Ps. 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” We need to ask Him to search us, show us anything wrong, and enable us to get it right so we don’t block the channels of communication.

On to some general tips:

  • I was advised early on to look for a command to follow, a warning to heed, a promise to rely on, and even to underline (this was before highlighters were invented :)) those things with different colors (red for warnings, blue for promises, black for commandments, yellow for verses about salvation. etc.) or marking beside the verse with different symbols for each category. The point isn’t “coding” your Bible, but to use that as a method to think through what the passage is saying and how to apply it.
  • Ask the old journalism questions: who, what, why, when, and how. What is being said to whom by whom? Is the promise there to all people or only to a specific person or group?
  • Notice recurring words or phrases, like the phrase “let us” which occurs three times in Hebrews 10:22-24, or the recurrence of the words “know” or “knowledge” in II Peter 1:2-8.
  • Underline verbs in passages like I Cor. 13 (the love chapter) or Proverbs 2:1-5 (about the search for wisdom).
  • In some of those long sentences of Paul’s, going back to basic English can help us understand them better: find the subject and verb to learn what the sentence is actually about, and then see how the phrases fit around it.
  • When reading the epistles, it can be helpful to write them out as they were originally written: as a letter without the chapter and verse markings.
  • Use a basic dictionary. One exercise in Changed Into His Image by Dr. Jim Berg instructed the reader to go through I Corinthians 13: 4-8 and write the definitions of the major words on a separate piece of paper, then write the verses out using those definitions. That was one of the most rewarding studies I have ever done. Even though that passage isn’t hard to understand, going through that exercise opened it up in a fuller way.
  • Some passages lend themselves to charts and diagrams, like the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 or the different sacrifices in Leviticus. That kind of thing really appeals to some people, and it’s easy to compare the similarities and differences that way.
  • Sometimes it is edifying to have some type of Bible project to study out. For instance, you might look up all the references to “the fear of the Lord” to see exactly what it is and how it manifests itself, or the references to “the fool” in Proverbs so you know what kind of behavior to avoid. Matthew 4 tells us Jesus countered Satan’s temptations with the Word of God, and it’s strengthening to look up verses on the specific temptations we face. Once when I had a fleeting thought doubting God’s goodness in a certain situation, instead of just telling myself, “Don’t be silly; you know God is good,” I began to search out verses that spoke of God’s goodness. Not only did that result in knowing my God better, but it fortified my soul against that doubt. Using a concordance or computer Bible program or even Bible Gateway helps with those kinds of studies, and we can supplement those studies later as we come across verses in other reading. Once I heard someone say that Jesus never claimed to be God, and I knew that Jesus did in fact proclaim His deity. So as I read through the Gospels, I put a “C” (for “claims”) beside each verse where Jesus said something about Himself that indicated His Deity. He may have never climbed on a mountaintop and said the phrase, “I am God,” but His deity is all throughout the gospels. When I do a study like that, I usually write all the verses out in one place (I used to do it on index cards, but now I keep it on the computer) so I can refer back to it or add to it later on.
  • Sometimes we divide our devotional time into separate prayer and Bible reading times, but we can combine the two. When we read a verse that convicts about a particular sin, we can confess it immediately. When we read something that tells us about God, we can thank and praise Him immediately. When we read a character trait that we need to incorporate in our lives, we can acknowledge that need and ask for help and grace.
  • On very familiar passages, try to imagine you are reading it for the very first time, that you are there watching the events occur, or that you are reading and trying to convey it’s truth to someone who has never heard it before.
  • Something that Jim Berg advocates in his book it to look for the Person, the Lord, in our reading, not just the principles.
  • Remember that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16) – even the genealogies and Leviticus. We can ask the Lord for help in some of those drier passages to see His purpose for them. For instance, from the genealogies we learn that: God keeps records; God keeps detailed records; God knew all of those people whose names we can’t pronounce and cared about them; He knows and cares for us the same way.
  • Much has been written in recent years about journaling. I stopped doing so some time ago because, for me, it was too easy to spend most of the time and thought during devotions on “what I thought” rather than what God had to say to me. But journaling can be a good way to process what you’ve read and help make it more permanent in your own mind.

There are many good books on this subject. One is Tim LaHaye’s How To Study the Bible For Yourself. One I just read recently was Jason Janz’s Alone With God: A Practical Plan for Dynamic Devotions. His plan might seem a little regimented to some, but he invites the reader to adapt it. The basic idea is that if you don’t have some type of plan for your devotional time, you’ll drift and not benefit from it: having a basic format helps keep you on track just like writing things down on a prayer list helps keep you focused and helps you remember what to pray for. He has a lot of good tips and practical advice as well. Another good book is What Do I Know About My God? by Mardi Collier. I’m in the middle of the book, but I have heard her speak on this topic of how she wanted to get to know God better, and, at her husband’s suggestion, read through the Psalms, making notes of everything that was said about God. That led to a study of several years throughout the Bible. She tells about that study and how it has impacted her life in her book.

There is much more that could be said (and if I don’t stop soon, I’ll almost have a book, myself! J ). There are days and seasons of life when we might only have one verse to carry us through the day – and it is better to read one verse and truly get something from it than to read 10 chapters inattentively. But there will be some times we’ll be able to read and study a little more intensively than others. However we “do devotions,” we can ask God to show us Himself, that we may know Him, love Him, and serve Him better.

And that works for me. 🙂

For more tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer‘s place.

“In My Weakness”

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This song had been ministering to my heart for the past couple of days — well, for the past several months since I first heard it sung by a young man in our church. It is on the Quiet Heart CD by the Soundforth Singers that I’ve mentioned before as well as on the Let Christ be Lifted Up CD by Christy Galkin.

I searched for the lyrics online and couldn’t find them. It was written, or released in 2000, so it’s not new. It was written by Mike Harland and Cary Schmidt. I am not sure whether it is violating a copyright to put them here — I hope not (if so, someone let me know and I’ll take it down). It’s based on II Corinthians 12:9-10: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

When living life for Jesus Christ become too hard a task,
When obedience means sacrifice that seems too much to ask;
That’s when I learn that my own strength isn’t really strength at all,
And I find rest in humbleness when I surrender all.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins —
In my weakness.

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride,
And ruined hopes in fallen dreams have crumbled me inside;
It’s then by grace I fin’lly see the strength of Jesus Christ,
His victory is real in me when weakness fills my life.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins —
In my weakness.

Update: I am going to close comments on this post because most of them now are asking about the sheet music, which I don’t have and don’t know where to find.

Carnival of Beauty: A Life-long Love of Learning

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Sallie at A Gracious Home began a Carnival of Beauty several months ago which I just recently discovered. There is a different topic every week hostessed by various bloggers. This week’s topic is “The Beauty of Learning,” hostessed by Blair at Scribblings By Blair: you can find links to other thoughtful posts on this topic there. This is my first time to participate.

As far as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed learning. Most of the time I loved school. I didn’t love every subject, but I loved learning in general.

I particularly loved anything to do with words. I loved reading and still do. I love looking up what I thought were synonyms and discovering nuances of differences in the words. When I am looking up a word in the dictionary, I can get distracted by the other interesting words that catch my eye.

I’ve read that continuing to learn new things will help to stave off senility to some degree, or at least keep our minds a little sharper as we get older. I guess the maxim “If you don’t use it you’ll lose it” could apply to our thinking skills (not to imply, of course, that senility is due to not employing thinking skills. There are other medical considerations involved). I probably should make myself learn sudoku or something like it to work on math skills: that part of my brain is very unstimulated!

When we were homeschooling , I read about the different types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinetic. I was able to identify the primary learning style in my children, and that helped greatly in trying to teach them. But I’ve never quite identified my own learning style. It seems different styles were prominent in different seasons of life and with different subjects or tasks.

Besides academic learning, I’ve enjoyed learning various skills throughout the years: cross stitch, quilting, stenciling, stamping, sewing, cooking, how to use a computer, format a newsletter, use a digital camera, begin a blog…I’ve told someone that I have so many things I’d like to do and so many other things I’d like to learn that I’ll be busy til I’m 100, at least. 🙂 Even classes that I took that didn’t result in development of a skill or talent (calligraphy and cake decorating, to name a couple: both required more practice time than I had at the time) were beneficial and mentally stimulating to some degree.

The best kind of learning, however, involves learning about other people, establishing friendships, discovering the personalities, likes, and dislikes of others. It takes time and attention to learn of each other, but it is well worth it.

And best of that type of learning is learning about God. In John 17:3 Jesus says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” He said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

I’ve known some who seem to have the attitude that, since “knowledge puffeth up” (I Cor. 8:1), they should avoid it. But if you take what the Bible says all together rather than just looking at that one phrase, it actually advocates learning about God. We do have to guard against letting knowledge make us “puffed up,” and we have to be careful about not just learning facts and forgetting the Person those facts point to. But, just as learning the particulars of another person enhances our relationship with that person, so learning more about God can enhance our relationship with Him. And the primary way we do that is through the Bible. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39) and “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). His Word ministers to us and affects us in ways that no other words can.

Paul says that the things written in the Old Testament were “written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverbs 1:5

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (II Timothy 3:14-17).

 

There is an inexhaustible wealth of things to learn from the Bible itself, from creation, from books, from people. May we continue growing and enjoying a life-long love of learning.

 

When I need to be taken down a peg or two….

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I get a daily e-mail devotional from the writings of Elisabeth Elliot. I have read probably most of her books, and they often minister to my heart. One devotional I received earlier in the week hit me right between the eyes, not only because of what it said, but also because of its timeliness:

Jesus gave responsibility and power to those who were willing to take the path He took. They were to represent the kingdom wherever they went–their peace to rest on those who received them. Those who rejected them were actually rejecting Christ. His followers would have power over snakes and scorpions.

There are principles here for us today, I believe. Surely every believer represents Christ and his kingdom. We are promised power from the Holy Spirit. But as soon as his power is manifest, another spirit is there instantly to tempt us to take credit to ourselves. If we are thanked for something we were merely the instrument for, it can become a heady business. Wow! we say, imagining that we deserve the credit.

Jesus warned the disciples not to be impressed when spirits submitted to them. It was not by their might or power that the enemy was subdued. They were nothing more than bearers of the kingdom. He told them to rejoice, not that they had performed a miraculous feat, but that their names were written in heaven.

Open my eyes, Lord, to recognize that the power is always yours. What is mine is the privilege, given from above, for your glory.

It was timely because just the very night before receiving it, I had been sorely tempted to get all “puffed up” because of some tiny, silly, insignificant thing. The flesh’s constant craving for attention, approval, praise, and glory is one of my most discouraging continual battles. Reading these words from Elisabeth Elliot encouraged me not only because it it helped me get my focus and perspective back in the right place, but also because it reminded me I am not alone in this struggle, that it’s a common one.

In one of my all-time favorite books, Climbing by Rosalind Goforth, she tells of struggling with this also:

[After receiving word that she was asked to take a meeting that afternoon], What could I do? There was the baby to nurse, and some message must be thought out. Hastily taking up the baby, I opened the Bible and placed it on a chair near enough to see, but at a safe distance from little, grasping hands. (Every mother knows a baby fights against divided attention!) Just then my husband opened the door. He exclaimed, “Well, Rose! It puzzles me how you can address a meeting with so little preparation.”

I replied, “Jonathan, if I had time like you, I could not expect to get a message in so short a time, but the fact is the Lord suits His help to me as a mother!” And oh, so often He did. (That afternoon the Lord gave a blessed message.)

I remember how when home in 1910 I addressed, during that furlough, over two hundred and fifty meetings. I had five children to care for then, and many times it was not till I was dressing to go to the meeting that, as I cast myself down on my knees for a moment, there came to me a clear-cut outline of the message I was to give. It was wonderful! It was D. L. Moody who once said, “The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on tiptoe.”

Sadly and humbly, I must confess that many, many times when I had cried to the Lord for power in speaking and evident power was given, I had not left the platform before the thought would come, “I” have done well today. Then would come the cry for forgiveness.

That’s all too often been my experience — crying out to the Lord for help in some area, then feeling so proud of myself when someone shares with me how the Lord has used me in some way.

My dear mother-in-law once said that she had such a struggle with spiritual pride that she eventually began to stop doing any kind of ministry that could be seen by others. I understand that sentiment….yet, I don’t think that’s quite how the Lord would have us deal with this temptation.

It helps to remind myself that I’m just a conduit through which He can work. The glory doesn’t go to the pipe that brings water into the house!

It also helps to remind myself that since the glory for anything accomplished for the Lord is His, then I am stealing what isn’t rightfully mine when I want glory for myself. I also remind myself that that was Satan’s initial downfall.

I’ve been meaning for some time to put together a list of verses that will help keep the right perspective in this area, so I am going to do that here:

And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not. Jeremiah 45:5b.

And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? I Samuel 15:17.

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? I Corinthians 4:7.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Psalm 115:1.

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30.

God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4: 6b, 10.

…Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. I Peter 5:5b-9.

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 4:10-11.

Everyday beauty

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“…For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

Everyday Mommy has a weekly feature called “Everyday Things,” “designed to encourage all of us to embrace contentment and to appreciate the everyday things which we often take for granted.” I’ve read a few of these in the past weeks, but this is my first time to participate. It’s a good exercise — as the verse says, we learn to be content — unfortunately, it doesn’t come naturally.

So, as I considered what everyday things I could appreciate and be content with, the first thing that came to mind was the beauty God put all around us. I don’t often see sunsets or sunrises because I’m usually indoors when they occur, but sometimes when I pass a window at the right time, I stop and gaze for a few minutes, and think, “Wow!” To think that goes on in my sky every day and I forget about it!

Once I happened to look out a window and caught sight of ivory dogwood blossoms against a blue, blue sky. I was caught in that same moment of awe and wonder.

I’m not a gardener, but I love to look at the roses that have survived my negligence or the hydrangea bush planted by previous owners as I pass by on my way to the car or the mailbox. I love the juxtaposition of colors, the intricacy of the petals. Even a little tiny flower on a weed has such fine detail and grace.

I love to drive through the neighborhood when everything starts blooming in the spring (even though allergies do come with the blooms) or when the leaves start turning in the fall. There are some areas, especially near hillsides covered with trees in various shades of autumn, where I nearly have to pull over or remind myself to keep my eyes on the road and not get lost in the beautiful range of colors.

God not only puts beauty in nature; He has given to some the gift of creating beauty, in music, art, literature, or even the simple arrangement of food on a platter or the placement of a handful of flowers in a vase on table. Even beauty in a secular setting turns my gaze toward the God who created beauty.

He could have made everything matter-of-fact and utilitarian. But He took the time to create beauty in everyday things. Part of the reason must be because of His character. But I think another part of the reason might be to remind us of Him, to turn our thoughts to Him throughout the day.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies…
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of thankful praise.

Sundays

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I know that the New Testament doesn’t specify how to spend Sundays, though we’re told that believers met together then. As NT Gentile Christians we’re not under the OT stipulations about the Sabbath. But some years ago I came across the last few verses of Isaiah 58, and they profoundly affected my thinking about the Lord’s Day:

13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

I began to realize that the “rules” concerning the OT Sabbath weren’t just about a day of rest from physical labor, though that was a part of it: but it was primarily a day for the Lord. There is a lot of emphasis in those verses on not doing “thine own pleasure,” but rather delighting in the Lord and in a day set aside for Him.

I had already been in the habit of not doing any work on Sundays other than what was necessary for meal preparation and clean-up (unless an emergency came up, like the time we came home church to find a leak had sprung in the pipe in the bathroom wall, or the Sunday morning before church when an upstairs bathroom overflowed and “rained” downstairs. We figured those were ox-in-the-ditch kinds of things. :))

But after discovering these verses, I began to take it a step further and tried to think of it as truly the Lord’s Day, and tried think of ways to truly make the day revolve around Him. As a wife and mom, I don’t think that passage means to close myself off in a room alone and spend great amounts of time in Bible reading and prayer. There may be seasons of life when that might be the case, but for now I don’t feel that’s the right application.

Of course, most of the day is taken up with church-related activities and meals. And for years Sunday afternoons have included a nap. I don’t function very well without a nap on Sunday afternoons, even though I don’t take an afternoon nap most other days. When our kids got old enough that they didn’t need a nap, they still had to do something quiet during that time. But Sunday evenings after the evening service I began to use for various restful and spiritual activities. Sometimes I would write letters (how is that spiritual activity done as unto the Lord, you might ask? Well, a lot of the day is given to “assembling yourselves together” with other believers, and writing is one way to communicate and minister. Even writing to lost loved ones is a ministry to them by letting them know you’re thinking about them). Sometimes I would play games with the kids. Sometimes I would read Christian books. As my kids have gotten older, sometimes we’ll all be in one room doing separate things (the older boys using laptops, the youngest playing, and I would be reading), and it’s cozy — we’ll comment to each other in-between what we’re doing. Sometimes now I’ll be on-line but restrict my reading to Christian sites.

Sunday evenings have become one of my favorite parts of the week. I love coming home from church knowing that I don’t “have” to toss laundry in (of course, that takes planning to get it done on other days) or “get things done.” I can just relax and enjoy it.

“He Who Would Valiant Be”

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I was thinking of this hymn by John Newton this morning. I first heard it when we attended Mt. Calvary Baptist…and I’ve never heard it anywhere else, even on the radio or on CDs. It’s a shame! It’s a great hymn.

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

When afraid to surrender

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Sometimes we wrestle with the thought, “If I really surrender all to God, what will He do to me?” Even if we have made that surrender before, that thought can come at odd moments. After all, Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed as a teen-ager and has been in a wheelchair for, I think, 30-some years. Elisabeth Elliot lost not one, but two husbands. A dear professor had Lou Gehrig’s disease for over 20 years…our minds can go on and on with other examples we know.

There have been whole books written about reasons for suffering, and we hear testimonies of God’s grace through those times. Yet that lurking fear or reluctance can still snake into our thoughts.

As I was pondering these things this morning, the thought came, “What’s the alternative, really?” Suffering will come to most of us in some form or another. We live in a fallen world and deal with its effects; we’re not in heaven yet, where there are no tears, sorrow, pain. We’re not going to stop these things from coming into our lives if we don’t surrender to God. We can’t somehow insulate ourselves or protect ourselves from any pain or trial.

But if we are the Lord’s, we can trust that He has a purpose in what He has allowed. We can trust Him for His presence, peace, grace, and help. If we’re surrendered to Him, we can face these things in a way that we can’t otherwise.

One comment that stayed with me from a forgotten article about a trial a lady faced was this: “I was glad, when this happened, that He was not a stranger to me.” It’s certainly better to face a trial with Him rather than apart from Him. Sometimes He does work through the trials of life to bring people to Himself from their position as a stranger to Him, or to bring His children back from a backslidden position, or draw His children closer. But after that, we can “glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

We need not hold back our wills from the Lord for fear of what might happen. It’s futile to do so, really. But even aside from that, we can face whatever He sees fit to allow into our lives knowing that He will work all things together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28) and by relying on His promises:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 12:8-10).

Daily Light for Aug. 9

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I first heard Daily Light referred to in missionary biographies, often the missionary testifying that the Scripture verses listed for the day perfectly met a need. I was thrilled to find a 1906 version of Daily Light for $2 at a used book table once! That copy is falling apart, but, thaskfully, the book has been reprinted since then, so I have a new copy. The man who compiled this devotional book was truly filled and led by the Spirit of God: I don’t know how many times the verses for the day have spoken to my heart — I mentioned a few in my posts about dealing with TM. I like to use it to get myself in gear for time in the Word, but on some days this may be the only time I have in the Word.

The verses listed for today are a good reminder — of what we were before we were saved, of God’s grace to cleanse and forgive, of how much He loves us:
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot

in thee.

T HE whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.–We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.–I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.

Ye are washed, . . . ye are sanctified, . . . ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.–The king’s daughter is all glorious within.–Perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us.

These are they which . . . have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.–A glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but . . . holy and without blemish.–Ye are complete in him.

CANT. 4. 7. Is. 1. 5, 6.–Is. 64. 6.–Ro. 7. 18.
1 Co. 6. 11.–Ps. 45. 13.–Eze. 16. 14.
Ps. 90. 17. Re. 7. 14.–Ep. 5. 27.–Col. 2. 10.