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 Spies Sent Out by Moses

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

By the time you get to Numbers 13 in your study of the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, you should understand that the hearts of many of the people were still set on selfishness instead of on the Lord. God had saved them from slavery in Egypt, given them food to eat, kept them safe and still they whined and complained. So it is no surprise that when the representatives from each tribe were sent to do reconnaissance and bring back a report of what Canaan was like, most of the spies were negative and reported that there was no way that the Israelites could be victorious. Yes, the land was good and the food there was plentiful, but the enemy were giants. Thus, they were reluctant to go forward. Only Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim encouraged the people to continue forward, as lead by the Lord.

Caleb’s positive attitude did not come because he was confident in his own ability or in the ability of the warriors with Israel. Rather, he was confident in the might of the Lord. His certainty was strongly rooted in his faith in God. I want to be a Caleb in a land of naysayers who all want to stay right where they are, comfortably ensconced in a wilderness while God provides food, shelter, and clothing that never wears out. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? Of course, there is something wrong with that! The Israelites did not wander for forty years in the wilderness just to be content staying there! They were sent to occupy the Promised Land and it was ready for them to march in and take, but because of the unbelief and reluctance of some of the leaders, they had to stay in the wilderness for more years. Of those leaders, only Caleb and Joshua got to go into Canaan.

Sometimes life seems like a wilderness journey, but we get comfortable with those circumstances and although we don’t like them too well, we don’t want change to happen because we don’t know what the outcome of the change will be. Either we trust God to take us out of the wilderness into the new place that He has promised us or we don’t. Either we are a Caleb who sees God taking care of things for us or we stay where we are, moaning over the circumstances but reluctant to try to change them. Again, I want to be a Caleb. I don’t want to be stuck in the wilderness, moaning and whining and refusing to move forward. I don’t want God to leave me there because of my unbelief. Sometimes I have to take the time to pray for help with my unbelief and a new infusion of faith. Keeping records of past answers to prayer helps restore me and get me ready to move on. Do you want to move on with God or stay comfortably where you are, even though that is not God’s best for you? I know what my choice is and I hope that you are aware of the repercussions to making the wrong choice.

May the Lord bless you with the desire to want to be a Caleb in the middle of the wilderness of life and grant you the courage to move forward with Him. Not ahead of Him, not behind Him, but with Him as your guide into His very best for you!

Review of LETHAL INTENTIONS: TARGETED FOR ELIMINATION by Jennifer Chastain

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Product Details:

BN ID:2940166652102

Publisher:Anaiah Press

Publication date:02/06/2023

Sold by:Draft2Digital

Format:eBook. File size:292 KB

My review:

The action is non-stop and high-octane in this Christian romantic suspense. Jack Spencer is an undercover ATF agent with a blown cover who is running for his life. Wounded and barely surviving, he is blessed beyond measure to be under the care of EMT Maggie Coleman, a woman who is dedicated to saving lives and has decided that she will save Jack’s, no matter the cost. Set in Hawaii at first and then moving to the cold mountains of Montana, the settings had me hooked as much as the characters and the plot. Jack and Maggie make an unlikely couple in an impossible scenario and getting to know them was pure pleasure from start to finish. The suspense was breath-stopping, with constant danger for the couple at every turn and in unexpected ways and places. The characterization was so realistic that I found myself giving Jack and Maggie advice and even laughing at their back-and-forth banter as they discovered their attraction for each other. This was a completely engrossing story with an extremely powerful message of faith and redemption and the power of love. Spiritual truths jumped off the page consistently, keeping the focus on the relationship that the characters had with God and their dependence on Him. This is a well-crafted and compelling story that kept me thoroughly engaged and wanting to read late into the night. This story is also a sensitive exploration of PTSD and trauma and coming back from the unthinkable. There are so many layers in this creative and unique tale that I highly recommend you grab a copy and enjoy it yourself. It is romantic suspense at its best, with a fast pace and plenty of misdirection to keep the mystery buffs intrigued.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as part of her review team. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

A clean Christian fiction, I would rate this book PG because of the intense action and emotion throughout the story.
The photo and bio are from the author’s website at http://www.jenniferchastain.com

Available NOW! Purchase Links:

https://amzn.to/3HMuSyZ (Amazon)

http://bit.ly/3xqWUv5 (Barnes and Noble)

Rescue

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture3 Comments

The promise that God will rescue us is one that I have held on to through many years of trials and struggles. I never know what God’s rescue will look like or when it will happen, but since He promises it, I believe it. His rescue is a fact that is settled in my heart. Sometimes, I get impatient and just want God to move quickly on my behalf, but when I look back on the circumstances, I realize that His timing is always perfect, to give me and others the most benefit from His actions. God is never late but always right on time.

The promise that God’s Word does not fail goes along with the verse about His rescuing us because first we need to believe in the infallibility of His Word before we can believe in His promises to us. God said it…I believe it…thus ends the matter in my heart. Sometimes doubts try to creep in, insidiously sneaking into my mind when I least expect them. The answer is to reply with the promises of God’s Word and the steadfast belief that His Word will never fail. Never. Not once.

May you be blessed today with the constant reassurance of God’s unfailing love and His promise to rescue you and protect you.

Troubles

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture1 Comment

Notice that the Scripture does not say that the righteous will not have troubles, but that the Lord will rescue us every time we do have troubles. Every time! That is quite a promise and one of my new favorite verses.

Happy Valentine’s Day

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

My husband and I express our love for each other in the little things that we do daily for each other. On Valentine’s Day, we share candy that we have bought for each other and spend time watching a movie together. I hope that you know how loved you are today by a Father in Heaven who sent His Son as His valentine to you!

May your day be blessed with His love in your heart and may you share it with those who are special to you!

Even There…Everywhere

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

When this was the daily verse yesterday, I was a little disconcerted that it seemed to take out part of the verse, so I went back and read the whole chapter. Yes, there were missing parts, but the verse that God had me focus on is this one, especially the words, “even there.” Where is that place that is called “even there”? It differs for different people depending on your current circumstances. It can be the nursing home that your family has place you into, it can be the infusion center where you are receiving treatment for cancer, it can be in the homes of your grandchildren whom you are visiting. When God is a daily part of your life, “even there” is everywhere you are and many times, God shows up to bless you when you least expect it. God is always present but sometimes our faith takes a walk and we need to catch up to it. This past week when I got the news from my cardiologist about all the testing I have to do, I must confess that I was not in a good place. I was feeling stressed and the pressure to “just be okay” in spite of all of the warning signs that perhaps I need some kind of medical intervention. Through this verse, God spoke to my heart clearly and told me that He will be with me through these tests and even when I get the results. I am not a patient person when it comes to health issues, so waiting over a month to get all of the tests completed and the results seems like a long time to me. However, God is there even in the waiting. I am so thankful for this “even there” verse because it reminds me that there is no place I can go and nothing I can go through in which God is not right there beside me, strengthening me and supporting me, giving me the comfort that I need just when I need it.

Wherever your “even there” is, take time today to thank God that He is everywhere present with you and has promised never to leave you. It’s a promise we can count on!

Have a blessed day wherever you are and in whatever circumstance you find yourself, confident that God is there with you!

Preparing the Soil

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Every year, sometime during the month of March, my dirt-loving husband goes out to the garden to get the ground ready to plant his new vegetables and fruits for the year. A hobby has almost turned into a job for him as he rakes, tills, hoes and tills some more. I watch mesmerized from my window at all of his work and remember when I used to think that gardening should be easy. My idea was that you go outside, throw some seeds out and wait for them to grow. My husband laughed when I told him my simplistic style of gardening and told me that very little would grow if the soil were not prepared first. He even takes soil samples to the local garden shop where they analyze how much nitrate he needs to add to the soil every year. He is serious about his planting and growing and wants his crops to do well. Friday was a beautiful day, almost in the 70’s, so Harry was outside raking away debris from last year’s garden and getting it ready for the other labor to come. And labor it is! Once he starts the garden, he is out in it daily, usually from the time after breakfast until time to make dinner.

Applying my husband’s gardening knowledge to the Word of God, it would make sense that before we can sow the seeds of life into someone’s heart, we must first prepare the “soil” of their hearts to receive it. How do we do that? I think it starts with building a relationship with the person with whom we are sharing. We need to first show how much we care about them physically and mentally before we can show them the spiritual truth that is in God’s Word and expect them to accept these seeds from us. Seeds produce in good soil. Good soil comes from prior preparation, not from aimlessly throwing the seeds out anywhere and hope that somehow they produce something worthwhile. We need to pray before we share the gospel message and we need to labor in the field of preparing that heart to receive. Sometimes someone else has prepared the heart of the other person to listen to us, sometimes we share and think that the person was ready but they walk away from us, only to return to the gospel message later when someone else shares it again and in a new way. We may never see all of the fruits of our labor, but we are still called to prepare the soil and to spread the seeds. God brings the harvest!

May all of your seeds of the Word be sown into prepared soil and may they richly produce a harvest that God will see and lovingly reward you for your labors!

The Bible Project

On By vickleaIn Spotlight2 Comments

One of the devotionals that I am doing this here is based on The Bible Project. With simple illustrations and teaching, this Biblically based presentation gives me a visual to help me understand difficult books or concepts in the Bible, like the Book of Leviticus. Here is an example of what the illustrators say about Leviticus.

The Bible Project-Leviticus

The Bible Project is non-profit and at the end of each short video, there is a clip asking you to join and perhaps contribute. But the videos are all totally free and many are worthwhile. I am learning a lot from watching them as well as having my memory renewed about things that I heard long ago and have forgotten. I encourage you to check out these videos and let me know what you think.

Have a blessed day as you study God’s Word!

Faithfully Serve

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Friday is a good day to remind myself that I am called to faithfully serve. No matter what else is going on in my life, my primary function is to faithfully serve God in whatever way He chooses for me to do so. Life is tough, but it is in the serving that one forgets one’s own problems and challenges and is able to focus on others.

During our faithful service, we should be thanking God for all He has done for us. It is hard not to be thankful for God’s provision when we are helping others who have very little and yet are still thankful. So, serving and being thankful go hand in hand.

May your day be blessed with faithful service and thankfulness as you serve!

Encouraging Each Other

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

Everywhere you go, people will say things like, “Times are hard,” or “I wish things would change” or my favorite, “I can’t wait until God judges all of this wickedness.” From higher prices at the pumps and in the grocery store to absolute evil being promoted over the airwaves, most of us are tired of the direction things are going in our world today. So, what should be our response? Instead of bemoaning all that is wrong and wishing for God’s imminent judgment, I think that we need to be encouraging each other to hold on, be steadfast in our faith and to keep loving the unlovable. I think that is what God wants us to do…to “occupy until He comes.” We cannot do that if we are being like the other people in the world and focusing on the problem. We need to focus on what is good, kind, righteous and uplifting. Be a Tigger in a world filled with Eeyores!

We need to let others know when we see them doing something good and right, encouraging them to keep walking along that path. There are few in the world who hand out sincere compliments, but I believe that Christians should make it a point to do this daily.

My hope is that you are already encouraging each other, but this verse says to just keep on doing it. The times are tough and they promise to get tougher because Satan knows his time is short and he is pulling out all of the stops. Just remember that God is in control, He is greater and you need to encourage others just as they encourage you. Be sincere in your praise, but praise often and smile at those you encounter. You may not make a big difference right away, but the difference you make will be in your heart and in theirs. Feel like whining and complaining about the situation and the current state of the world. Tell God how you are feeling and tell the world how God has taken that burden and you are letting Him handle things in His way and in His time. Again, be a Tigger, not showing a fake happiness, but demonstrating the real joy that only comes from having spent time in God’s presence and laying down your problems before Him. Be joyful with a positive attitude that shows others that you trust that God will come through in the end. I hope that you are not wishing for God’s judgment to come right away. The Book of Revelation with all of the judgments to come is scary and awesome, but I am appreciative that God is delaying His final return in order that as many as possible will seek His forgiveness and repent. I want Jesus to return as much as anyone, but I want it to be in His perfect timing and according to His will, not according to how hard we whine.

Have a blessed day and as you encourage others, may you find encouragement yourself, in His Word and in the difference you are making in the lives of others.