Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Rescued

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

Sometimes attacks come when we least expect them. Actually, most of the time, that’s when they happen. This last week was no exception in my life. First, our air conditioner stopped working. Bad news for me because I am asthmatic and need the “canned air” to breathe. The repair was completed last Friday and we were able to finance having it done. Not part of the budget, but it’s done. The really good news is that the entire time our AC was down, there was a cool wave in Virginia so the house stayed comfortably cool, meaning I was able to breathe well without the stultifying humidity that makes me gasp. Thus, God blessed us even during this trial.

A few days ago, my son told me that he had received a letter from our grandson in boot camp. Isaac has Covid-19 and as a result has been moved out of his division into quarantine. We have no idea when he will graduate now, but we do know that it will be delayed until he is completely well and has been placed into a new division. I have no doubt that God is working in this situation to redeem it, just as he did with the petty annoyance of our air conditioning. In the meanwhile, I can’t write Isaac (no address, since it’s by division) or call him (no phones allowed), but what I can do is pray for him to be encouraged during this time of waiting.

I don’t know that this is a test of Isaac’s faith as much as it is a test of mine. I have prayed for him faithfully every day (several times a day) to be successful and protected in boot camp. And then…Covid. Well, God didn’t say bad things wouldn’t happen, but He did promise to be with us through them. So, like the rock pictured in the Scripture above, I want to rise above the circumstances and praise God for what He is doing and what He is going to do in this young man’s life, and in the lives of the multiple other seamen recruits who have the same malady. It will be a great day when I hear that he is restored to his training, but in the meantime, I hope that you will join me in prayer for him to be strong in his faith at this time. That reminds me about the small Bible that we gifted Isaac to take along with him to Great Lakes. I wanted to give him a Bible but I didn’t know if he would even appreciate having one along with him. He was raised in a home in which Bible reading is reserved for church time, so thus my reluctance. I read the brochure provided by the USN about items the recruits could/could not bring along with them. One of the things they were told not to bring was their phones (no phone numbers available to them) or books other than religious materials. They were allowed a pocket Bible only. Thus, on the last day that we visited with Isaac before he left, we went to a bookstore and I purchased a pocket Bible for him. He was a little leery about this gift until I showed him the blank pages that could be his address book for phone numbers for family and friends. He grinned at what he considered my duplicity and was happy to accept the gift, along with the addresses and phone numbers that I printed neatly inside for him. I was not at all being duplicitous, telling him that the Bible would serve two purposes, one to encourage him to read God’s Word and two, to have that information about loved ones handy. After all, he had not memorized any phone numbers because he always had them in his phone and just touched the number and it dialed. Now, he has both resources. Thus, when I write him letters and include a Scripture for him to read, he can refer to his new pocket Bible/address book. 😉

In the meantime, God continues to work in our lives and to work out His salvation within each of us. Sometimes the process we go through is painful, but we know that God is in control, even when our lives take unexpected detours. He is the God of the mountains and the valleys!

May your day be blessed with the revelation of God’s presence in your life and the knowledge that He is rescuing you and He will rescue you, over and over again.

Not Perfect Yet

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song2 Comments

I used to sing this song when I was younger, especially with my children and with the children that I taught in various church classes. It has been in my mind a lot lately, so when my devotional this morning led me to the verse below, I decided I needed to share it. It gives me hope because I’m not perfect yet, but He’s still working on me. Like a construction zone in Pennsylvania that seems to be endless, God is still making me into the image that He created me to be.

I have started many projects that I have never finished, but the good news is that God finishes everything He starts and I’m a project that is in the works. You are, too, and that is worth a big “Hallelujah” to the Lord, our Maker, our Creator and the One who finishes what He begins.

Have a wonderful day and may you be blessed with the knowledge that God isn’t finished with you yet, but you’re not what you used to be! Every day is a new day in Him and a day for Him to work on each of us some more! Hallelujah!

Humility

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

God loves us enough to call us to humility and away from pride. It’s easy to be proud of possessions or accomplishments, but we are called to give all glory to God for all that we have and all that we are able to do.

May your day be blessed with God’s love and the knowledge that His calling you to humility is a blessing in itself.

Connections

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

During the pandemic, I discovered a new way of communication with my distant family members. I had used FaceTime occasionally but during the pandemic, I found myself craving to see the faces of my loved ones. Just hearing their voices was not satisfactory to me. So, once a week, we scheduled time on FaceTime. I even used Zoom once with my daughter and her family at home and my college-aged grandson on his campus. How delightful it is to see their faces! I still use this miracle of technology these days. Yes, I can go visit them now, but not as often as I would like to, so seeing their faces on the screen is like desert in a dry place for me.

My devotional this morning was about connecting with God. No, I don’t FaceTime with Him, but I do call on Him. I praise His Name, tell Him all about my struggles and what I need help with, and then I listen. I know He listens to me because there is a feeling of peace that goes with me throughout the day after my quiet time with God. And the least I can do is listen to Him. Sometimes, He speaks to my heart and tells me to calm down and just wait. Sometimes, He speaks to me through His Word. Sometimes, He speaks to me through a song I hear as I worship. But, no matter what, He always listens. He knows what I am going through and our relationship is important to both me and to God. How do I know that? Because He loved me enough to send His Son to die for me, so He is not going to leave me now. His Word tells me that He will never leave me and I believe Him. So, I can’t see God, but I can feel the touch of His Holy Spirit all around me. I call and He answers. Sometimes it’s not the answer that I wanted, but He‘s a good Father and He always answers with just what I need for that time. Meeting with God daily is nourishment to my soul, the food I need to get through every hour of every day.

Have a blessed Sunday! I hope that you are planning on going to church and meeting with your brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Lord hold you close and answer when you call on Him today and every day.

Our Testimony

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Have you ever tried to tell someone about Jesus and the gift of salvation and they just turn away? They act as if they have heard it before and just don’t want to hear it again. I think it’s because our actions (or the actions of those who have gone before us) have spoken so loudly that our words have been muted. The Bible gives sound advice about how we should be acting and speaking.

One of the words that I see online a lot is “karma.” The folks using it seem to think that “karma” is their ability to call on the powers that be and await the results, on the other person, of course. What the Bible teaches is that we are not to wish bad karma on others but instead, we should be blessing them, asking God to bless them because in blessing others, we are blessed. It sounds really strange, doesn’t it? Remember when Jesus reviled the sinners and called the angels down to rain bad karma on them because of their unbelief? No, you don’t remember it because it didn’t happen. Jesus didn’t condone their sin but neither did He condemn them. He had compassion on them and offered His free gift of forgiveness. He blessed them with healing, miracles of provision and wisdom from above. Not once did He rail at them that they were all going to hell unless they straightened up and flew right. Hmm. And yet somehow, we think that our hellfire and damnation speeches will convince people that Jesus is a loving God who died for them. Perhaps the way of Jesus is better…a blessing and not the insult. This is the example of the words we should use.

Next, how do we live? I have lived for over seven decades and I have never had the Lord remove me from a situation that was difficult and away from non-believers who were annoying me. He has been much more likely to place me in the middle of them and then wait for me to act the way He has been teaching me to act. I cannot take advantage of every opportunity to be a witness if I’m so busy thinking I’m so much better than those around me just because I’m a Christian. I’m just a sinner saved by grace. They are sinners who still need to know that grace is available to them. I’m the vessel through which they can hear and see this grace, so I am responsible for my actions in front of them. Our testimony is not just what we say, but it is also how we act.

I still have a lot of work to do in my life on myself. God did not put me here to fix other people but to tell them that He can fix them. He can mend their broken hearts and lives and give them a hope for eternity with Him. I can show them how He has fixed me and tell them how He is still repairing all of my broken parts. I’m not perfect yet, but one day, when I’m with the Father, I will be. That is my testimony that I want others to know. God works with us right where we are to make us what He knows that we can be…our very best selves.

Have a beautiful and blessed day, my friends! May you ever be mindful of your testimony, both in word and in deeds.

Trust In God’s Love

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Notice what comes after the action verbs. Trust in your unfailing love. Rejoice in your salvation. Sing the Lord’s praise. Why do we trust, rejoice and sing? Because the Lord has been good to us. Every day that we live is a gift. Every breath that we take is from Him. Instead of bemoaning circumstances that we cannot change, let’s choose to trust, rejoice and sing!

Have a blessed and awesome day as you look to the Lord for His salvation and His love and as you praise His name throughout the day.

Our Clothing

On By vickleaIn Scripture8 Comments

I have read a lot of commentaries and different Biblical versions about putting on the whole armor of God. But what goes under that armor is also important. Did you know that the Bible tells us how we are to clothe ourselves?

I have read the book of Colossians numerous times, meditating on its verses. But this verse somehow escaped my attention until our Bible study group met on Monday night. I pondered it then and today this same verse was in my daily devotional. God does want us to put on the whole armor of God, but underneath that armor, He wants us clothed with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. If we are clothed in something, that is what people see when they see us, those qualities that make Jesus’s presence evident to others.

The chapter continues with this verse about forgiveness. How can we be clothed with Godly characteristics if we don’t forgive? The answer is that we can’t. It’s like going out in public with a shirt that is ripped down the middle and expecting no one to notice. Lack of forgiveness causes a root of bitterness inside the person who chooses to hold on to it. The person you are not forgiving is either not aware of it or chooses to ignore it. Either way, it doesn’t hurt them as much as the lack of forgiveness hurts you. The very important word in the verse is “as”. A tiny little word that means so much…the same way the Lord forgave you is how you should forgive others. He forgave each of us of everything, so we should do likewise to others. Grudges are not an item of clothing that we should be wearing around our shoulders.

Finally, there is love, the binding agent. I vaguely remember my chemistry class in which we were making a glue-type substance and we were told that one of the elements we were using was the binding agent, so we had to be careful to add it at the proper time. Love has to always be added to all of the other clothing that we are wearing because it is the seam that holds the clothing together on our bodies. Without love, we can’t exhibit the other qualities in any way that creates unity. In this divided world, love is an absolutely necessary quality for Christians to put on daily. You don’t like someone’s politics? Love them anyway. You don’t like someone’s selfish actions? Love them anyway. Someone is rude to you, in traffic or in a store or at work? Love them anyway. Love is the one thing that will draw people to you and to your witness about Christ. Once they see love, they can look at the other “clothing” that you are wearing and examine the gifts of His character that God has put on you. But first they must see love.

Have a beautiful and blessed day in the Lord, making every effort to put on the right clothes before you venture out into His creation.

Hope in the Lord

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

You can count on God in all circumstances. What you are going through does not change who God is. I would appreciate prayers for my granddaughter Teryn. She has an injury to her clavicle that the doctors cannot explain but the specialist is insistent that she give up gymnastics. She qualified for nationals, so this is a really hard thing for her. Please pray that her bone will get the blood supply it needs and that her mom will be able to find a suitable replacement for gymnastics that she has been competing in for about ten years. We are all praying and waiting for God to act. I hope that you will join us.

May God bless you as you wait for your answers to prayer.

Thankfulness

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

We give thanks to God because He is good, not because of what He does for us, but just because He is God. Think about that. He is all goodness and we are not.

Have a blessed day!