Author: vicklea

I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!

The Sin of the World

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

What is the world’s sin? My first thought was selfishness or greed or pride. But God has a different view and His is absolutely correct!

Without belief in God and His Son who offers the free gift of salvation, mankind continues to live in sin, separated from God. The sad thing is that most people, at least here in the U.S., know about God but they don’t choose to have a relationship with Him. They choose to refuse to believe in Him. Have you ever heard the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it”? That’s how some people are about God. They want Him to prove His power and show them nothing but grace and mercy instead of what we all deserve, which is judgment. The fact is that God already proved His power over death, sin and the grave when Jesus rose from the dead. He proved His love when He sent His only Son to die for us. And yet, some refuse to believe for various reasons, none of which make sense. Jesus is the answer to all of life’s problems, mankind is in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean of sin and they refuse to believe in the Lord because they just don’t want to change the way that they’re living. They are too attached to their lifestyle of sin to try to change it. Sad commentary on stubbornness, isn’t it? Satan said, “I will” and proceeded to challenge God’s authority and power. Jesus said “Not my will, but Yours be done.” I choose to believe in the unselfish and truth-telling Lord of Heaven and earth instead of the prince of the air who will one day be condemned into the Lake of Fire. Those who refuse to believe are choosing their own destiny, and the consequences that they will suffer are eternal. As Christians, we need to do all we can, whenever we can, to persuade those deniers to turn and believe and repent. But we also need to accept that the final choice is theirs, no matter how much it hurts to acknowledge that we cannot save people. Only God can do that. One thing we need to be aware of is that we need to pray before we go on the battlefield, gird up with our spiritual armor and get ready for battle. Satan wants their souls to spend eternity with him. God wants them to believe so that they can spend eternity with Him. The ultimate choice is theirs; our responsibility is to share the truth of the choices that they are making.

The Lord

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song1 Comment

Who is the Lord of your life? Is it yourself? Something you have accomplished in your life that you are proud of? A material possession that means more to you than anything? Or perhaps your family whom you love dearly. These things may be important to us, but none of them can be the Lord of your life. There is only one Lord, one God, and as a dear pastor used to say, “It ain’t you!”

Only our God can help us when we are fearful. He is our Lord.

God’s Spirit was sent to abide in each of us and gives us the freedom to choose to make Him Lord in all of our daily decisions.

God is our lighthouse, the one who shows us the way and gives us the power and strength to follow the right path towards eternity with Him.

My Lighthouse-Rend Collective

He is Lord-Elevation Worship

My Encouragement for Today

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Remember when you didn’t worry at all about anything because you knew your parents were taking care of everything for you? Food was prepared and served for you, clothes were purchased, rides were arranged or provided. I never remember getting one single bill during my childhood. My parents just did what parents do, they took care of us. And like most children, we just took their provision and care for granted.

As an adult, we are assaulted on every side by things that could cause us great concern. I say “could” because if we are leaning in to our Heavenly Father, we know that He is caring and providing for us just as our loving parents used to do. The storms of life are many and unexpected, but nothing surprises God and He is a stable rock for us to cling to in a sea of change that threatens to overwhelm us.

Lest you think I must be going through a really tough time right now, I’m not, at least not currently. But life has a tendency to throw curve balls when we least expect them, so I am clinging to this Scripture to help me through whatever comes next. God holds on to me just as I hold on to Him and His promises. The verse clearly says I will help you. It doesn’t get any better than that. He is as close as our hand reaching out and promises His assistance, no matter what we may need. He is our steadfast source of strength and ready to battle with us against the waves of life. He may not take us out of the storm. In fact, in my experience, that rarely happens. However, He is there in the storm with us, calming our hearts so that we can make it through to the calm that awaits us after the storm passes. Storms of life come and go, but our God is always there. Always!

Where Do You Get Your Encouragement?

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

All of us have days in which we just feel like we cannot do one more thing for one more person, not even ourselves. We are plodding along in life and then something happens to force us to take stock of where we have been and where we are going. That pause, that quiet moment, even when I feel as though I am asking God for answers, is the time when I get the greatest encouragement.

Most of us don’t have a team of cheerleaders shouting for us to keep going, that we can make it, But the Bible tells us that we do have a “cloud of witnesses,” the great patriarchs who have gone before us and perhaps loved ones who have already passed away. They are our cheering section. But God is our great encourager.

Sometimes, I feel as though I had plans and then life happens and the plans fall through. But God’s plans never fail. He is faithfully loving and will never abandon me, leaving me to wander alone aimlessly searching for purpose. He has given me a purpose and He has a plan. Even at my advanced age, I am still useful to God’s big blueprint plan for mankind. I was reminded of that when I visited my son and his family and was asked repeatedly to tell stories from the Bible by the children. They are hungry for God’s word and I had the knowledge to share with them. I think that is part of God’s plan, for me and for them.

I must confess that as my body ages, I tire more easily, and some days I just want to stop doing. But God in His mercy gives me the grace and strength to keep going, reminding me that He is still working on me as I work for Him. Because God is my great encourager, He will not sit idly by while I throw a “pity party.” He invites Himself to attend and reminds me of all that He has done for me so that the party meant to take place in the Land of the Mollygrubs ends up being held in the Land of Thankfulness and Gratitude. God will always be there, continuing His work in me, until He calls me home. And I pray that I will be willing and able to continue my work for Him all the way to the blessed end of my life here on earth.

God’s Plans

On By vickleaIn Re-blog2 Comments

Sometimes … when the battle rages … all seems lost and useless. BUT GOD … has plans for us still. We MUST trust His process. He NEVER fails! Rise up …

God’s Plans

Please go to the original post and follow the author. He has little snippets of Godly wisdom that he shares daily.

Purposeful Living

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

In my devotional yesterday, I was encouraged to make sure that I am following God’s plan for my life and not pursuing the things of this world. People who don’t know God are seeking riches, fame, and a lot of material things and pleasure. My purpose is to serve God and His kingdom in whatever way I can for as long as I am able.

Many reach the top of the ladder of success only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall. Purpose in life is far more important than property or possessions. Having more to live with is no substitute for having more to live *for.* ~Nicky Gumbel, One Year Bible Devotional, September 2, 2023

Read that quotation again and really think about it. For years, I pursued the goal of being named “Teacher of the Year.” I worked hard, gave 110% to my students and their parents and wanted all of them to be successful in learning how to study. The end result was that the students were thankful, as were many of the parents, but the only teachers who were ever recognized were the “pets” or those who taught the mainstream classes for which the standardized tests were given. I gave up on that goal after I noticed that the “winners” were always the same people; they just took turns by department: math, science, history, English. God spoke sternly to me then and told me that my prize was not in being recognized but in serving Him and His plan for me. My purpose changed and so did my outlook about the other teachers. They were winners of a title, but they didn’t know the Lord as Savior, so ultimately, they were lost.

God created each of us with a purpose in mind. It is up to us to find out what that purpose is and to pursue it wholeheartedly. I was a good teacher, but that is not because I had any special talents or abilities. I was a good teacher because God’s Spirit gave me insight daily into the needs of my students and He showed me creative ways to reach them. I was good because God gave me that purpose and the ability to go with it.

The most important thing in life to pursue is not a thing, but a person. Jesus Christ…first, last and always…needs to be the center of all that you do, every day. The other things (riches, fame, etc.) may or may not come. But the promise is that you will have all that you need, not necessarily all that you want. What do you need to be happy and feel fulfilled? I need to know that I am doing God’s will and hearing His voice direct me daily, to leave my comfort zone and speak kindly and with encouraging words to strangers. I am not a farmer, but I am determined to sow seeds for the kingdom daily.

What I considered “good” (a title and the recognition that went with it), God didn’t esteem at all, or not that I could tell. God just wants me to treat everyone equally (justice), to be kind to all and to be humble before my Creator who gave me all that I have and made me all that I will ever be. In the end, what matters is leaning that ladder I’m climbing against the firm foundation of God’s Word. It’s the only way the ladder won’t fall and I won’t be disappointed in the end.

What is your purpose? On what are you leaning your ladder? I hope this post today has given you food for thought.