Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Start the New Year with Praise

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Yesterday, the calendar flipped a page and the year became new, a clean slate, ready for you to write on it your plans for each day. But, as you contemplate what those plans will be, I urge you to first spend time with God, praising Him for a new year and a new beginning. Maybe last year was particularly hard for you or perhaps it was a great year for you and you have no idea how you would ever top it. God doesn’t want to change your plans. He wants to change you so that you will know His heart and follow His pathway for you. I think it all begins with praise.

We go to sporting events and wear strange colors and shout for a team that will entertain us for the next couple of hours. Why don’t we spend more time exalting the one who holds us in the palm of His hand and who loves us with an everlasting love?

When we lived in Maine, I was always happy to get behind the snow plow because I knew that he was clearing the road for me to drive on so that I didn’t wander off the road into a ditch or slide off into the surrounding landscape. I think of God as my snow plow, going before me and clearing the way. But it’s not just any path that He is clearing; it is the path that He has prepared for me to take, if I just trust Him to lead. First praise, then trust, then step out into the new year filled with endless possibilities. Mostly, it is filled with God’s promises that we can claim as we get closer to our Maker.

May your New Year be blessed with praise, thanksgiving, and trust.

By the way, I don’t do resolutions. But I do a word for each year. Last year’s word was “trust.” This year’s word is “listen.” I want to be attuned to listen to the voice of the Lord and to actively listen to those around me instead of being absorbed in my own life. Do you have a word for the year. Feel free to share it in the comments.

Teaching and Learning

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

One would think that these two concepts go hand in hand, but as I learned in the classroom, this is not always the case. I could create the best lesson ever, with all kinds of visuals and other bells and whistles and yet there would still be students shaking their heads and telling me that they did not understand.

God is and always has been the best teacher. He promises in His Word to teach us the way we should go. But sometimes, like the stubborn students, we are determined not to learn and want to go our own way. It is to our benefit to go the way God is instructing us to go so that He can help us along that way when we run into tough times. No matter which path we choose, our own willful one or God’s, He always keeps His eye on us. There are some students who learn by looking at the teacher’s eyes and observing what he/she is saying and doing. In teacher lingo, we call it “modeling” what we want the student to learn. God does that for us daily. He shows us the way He wants us to go, the best path for us, but it is up to us to choose to go on that path.

This is one of my favorite verses and is in the same Psalm in which David recognizes that God is teaching and guiding him. God is also our hiding place, our refuge that we can always depend on during the hard times. I think that sometimes I create my own hard times and places because I didn’t follow God’s path that He wanted me to take.

Finally, the Psalm concludes with the exhortation to rejoice and sing. We who are following the Lord’s instructions and hiding in Him as we encounter difficulties can always find a reason to rejoice. Always!

Have a wonderful and blessed New Year! May you find the path the Lord wants you to take and follow it, being willing to be counseled by the Great Counselor, and finding refuge in His comforting presence. Rejoice in the New Year because God is still KING!

Waves of Doubt

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I have been faced with a lot of doubts during my long life. This failure to believe in others started when I was very young and watched people around me fail time and time again. My grandfather was an alcoholic, my father ended up being a drug addict after years of being idolized by me and my mom, well, my mom just didn’t know how to love herself or others. So, I doubted that others could or would help me through the storms of life; thus, I was determined to succeed on my own. That is, until one day I was introduced to Jesus and He has made all of the difference in my life.

I am not even trying to compare myself to Peter when he got out of the boat and walked on the water. Rather, I am saying that we all get afraid sometimes and take our eyes off of the Lord. That’s when we start to sink because the doubts overwhelm us. I was sinking in a sea of doubts when Jesus came to me the first time, held out His nail-scarred hand to me and convinced me that He would always love me and be there for me. Did He appear to me physically, like a vision? No, He appeared in His Word and made Himself known to me, in all of His power, glory and humility. I trusted His love and still do.

I will freely confess that sometimes circumstances overtake me and I take my eyes off of Jesus and put them on the problem, focusing on the issues instead of on the problem solver. Then, I read this verse again and it strengthens me. Notice that the verse says “immediately.” Jesus didn’t let Peter flounder around in the water for too long. He IMMEDIATELY reached out His hand to Him and held him. That’s what Jesus does to me over and over again when I start to flounder in the sea of doubt in which I used to be accustomed to dwell. He immediately reaches out to me as soon as I call on His Name and holds me securely in His loving arms, letting me know that the times may be tough, but He is there for me through it all.

Why do I doubt to begin with? I just don’t know the answer to that question. I think it has a lot to do with a lack of trust. I have to go back to the basics of my relationship with the Lord, know without any hesitation that He is totally trustworthy and call on Him to rescue me…again! The wonderful thing is that He has never failed me when I call on Him. He is always right there, close by, reaching out to assure me that He will take care of me. His Word is hidden in my heart and I find the comfort I need through the many verses He brings to my mind just when I need them.

Have a blessed day and remember that it’s okay to doubt and reach out to the Lord. Just don’t linger there lest you drown in that sea. God loves you and will always reach out to lift you up, again and again and again!

Power and Weakness

On By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

I must admit that when I try to do too much, I get to feeling weak and powerless. But God’s power in me is always sufficient and gets me through whatever the situation is.

I have found that the more I lean on God, the more powerful I feel. The weakness that overwhelms me sometimes goes away and is replaced with a sense of well-being and peace.

God shields me constantly from attacks, both physical and spiritual. How do I know? Because I can sense His presence and know that He is right there with me guarding me from all sides and making sure that I am able to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy, whoever and whatever form that might take.

Holding God’s hand is like holding no other. He reaches out with immeasurable love and promises and He is always faithful. When I feel weak, He is my faithful shield, always there, silently on guard and waiting for me to call on Him. We have an agreement, God and I. I call His Name and He responds as my Father…He answers and reassures, holds me gently and comforts. Whatever I need for that moment, He provides because I trust Him to continue to watch over me.

May your day be blessed with the presence of the Lord and the knowledge that He is a faithful shield and a power that will be made perfect in your weakness.

Equality and Adoption

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

There is a lot of talk in the media these days about equality and making things right and reparations and all things divisive. In the Scriptures, I read what Jesus thought about equality and it has nothing to do with race or reparations and everything to do about sacrifice. And Jesus’s sacrifice unites instead of dividing.

Jesus is and was God, before the creation of the earth. He left His rightful place in Heaven to come to earth as a humble man, born into the family of a carpenter and one hundred percent human as well as one hundred percent God. His humility led Him to the cross and thank God for His sacrifice because it is through Him that we become adopted into the family of God. Jesus paid the “reparations” for all of us to be accepted by the Lord God.

We are not a servant in God’s household, but rather, we are His children, calling Him Father and able to cry out to Him freely at any time. That is what Jesus’s sacrifice provided for us. Jesus did not seek equality; He created it for us.

It is because of the Father’s great love for us that He gave His Son, thus making us all His children. Amazing love, indeed!

Have a blessed and wonderful day, realizing your status before God and how very much He loves you!

No Excuse

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Look all around you. There is evidence of God’s everywhere we look, so mankind is without excuse to believe in God. I have friends who say that they cannot possibly believe in a supernatural power whom they cannot see. Well, have they seen the wind? The recent blast of wintry air was a testament to God’s power and His presence. No one can see the wind, yet we know it exists because we dress in layers to protect ourselves from the cold that it brings. Some say that they cannot believe in God who doesn’t control all of the evil in the world. Hmm. Why does evil exist? Not because of God but because of man’s choices. We continue to laugh in the face of God and to refuse to acknowledge His sovereignty and then we claim that we are angry at God because of all of the evil that is taking over the world. Once again. If you want to know the source of evil, check out the choices that mankind is making. Building museums to honor unholy practices of matrimony, exhorting politicians who steal from the people they serve, and in general calling the things that God calls sin as okay. So, once again, there is no excuse. One day, we will all stand before God and give an accounting to Him for our lives. We cannot stand there and say that we had no idea that God actually existed because He shows us each day that the sun rises, the moon comes up, the tides roll, the rains pour down. God is showing us His sovereignty in nature and in all of the creatures around us.

Even the animals know that God exists. Mankind, in trying to establish his own control over his life, has denied the existence of God, much to their eternal detriment if they don’t repent and turn away from such foolishness. God is in control and there is no excuse not to know that and to give Him the glory due His Name.

May the Lord who does indeed exist bless you with the knowledge of His power, grace and mercy.

God’s Pleasure

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I am a prolific reader and as such, I have frequently read the phrase, “I serve at the pleasure of the king (or president or governor).” But I have never heard anyone say that they serve at the pleasure of the Lord. Maybe because we don’t often consider the Lord’s feeling because we are so busy pleasing ourselves and others close to us. I am happy to have discovered this verse in my Bible reading this morning because it gives me insight into God’s character. God gets pleasure from those of us who fear Him. We honor and revere Him because He is God. He takes pleasure in those who hope in his love that is always steadily fixed on us. No matter the circumstances, we have hope because we have God. That unwavering belief gives God pleasure. That’s a good thing to know and a good thing to work on in my life!

Have a blessed day and I hope that it is one in which you are aware of giving God pleasure just because you love Him so much!

The Gifts Are Opened…Now What?

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

So, the day after Christmas and all of the gifts have been opened, exclaimed over and thanks given (I hope, at least) for the time and effort that the giver put into choosing the gift for you. In order to truly appreciate a gift, one needs to be aware of the effort and time that the giver put into the package that he/she gave you. Now, take that thought and apply it to the gift that God has given each of us.

The time God put into offering His Only Son as a sacrifice for our sins…well, He planned it since the beginning. So, more time than I have ever put into a gift, for sure! The effort God put into the gift…well, He gave up His Only Son for each of us to be able to have an eternal relationship with Him. Jesus left His home in Heaven and came to earth, suffered and did. That’s a lot of effort for sinful man, many of whom don’t accept or appreciate the gift. The gift of Jesus was costly and showed an unbelievable amount of love from the Father for each of us, His children.

So, now what? With gifts from family and friends, we express our thanks, sometimes write a thank you note and may or may not actually use the gift. With God, the gift is so wonderful that we need to spend time on our knees thanking Him for it and then we need to spend the rest of our lives dedicated to serving the One who made it possible for us to even exist, much less in a relationship with the Sovereign God and Creator of all. The what next part is giving our lives to Him so that He can then reach out to others who need to know about the gift that they were given but may not have received yet. It’s important that we carry through with sharing the testimony that God has given us so that others can know the same freedom, joy, hope, love, mercy and grace that we have. God sent His Son for all…an indescribable gift that should never be taken for granted but should always stir up thanksgiving and the urge to tell others about what God has done.

May you always know the peace and love that come with the gift of the birth and sacrifice of Christ! Have a blessed day, my friends.

Grace and Truth

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

This is the reason that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He came in the flesh to be a man on earth and walk among mankind. It was like the Lord God came and stepped into the neighborhood and decided to make His home there. He brought to the earth grace and truth. Grace is what saves us; it is God’s undeserved mercy that takes away all of our sins so that we can stand before Him, righteous and clean. We did nothing while He did it all for us on the cross. The truth that Jesus brought is what sets us free. We are freed from the curse of the law, freed to come before the Lord God as many times a day as we want, without going through a priest or a lot of ceremony. We can have a conversation with our Heavenly Father because Jesus showed us the truth of how to have a relationship with God. We just have to confess, repent and be the person He created us to be. In my devotional two days ago, this verse was the central focus and the video that I watched from the YouVersion inspired this post. One of the things the speaker said in the video stuck with me, “Lean on His grace and live by His truth.” It is in the leaning and the living that we find the pathway to eternal life and thus we have the reason for the season!

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas Eve as you ponder Jesus’s birth, life and sacrifice which left behind His grace and His truth for each of us to enjoy forever.