Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Possess What God Has Given You

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/jos.18.3.mev

I am doing devotionals daily and as I read, I am keeping my eyes open for God’s promises. They are so numerous that I cannot begin to name them all, but finding this Scripture reminded me that reading God’s promises is not enough. I have to actually claim them. They are already mine. And, guess what? They are yours, too! How often have I sat and whined that things are not happening the way I want them to and then God shows me that He is indeed moving. What I have discovered in my journey with God is that sometimes He wants me to step out into the promise, believing that it is mine. Now, I am not a proponent of “fake it until you make it” or “Claim it” no matter how selfish the desire you have in your heart is.

God’s promises have to do with establishing His kingdom in your heart and in the world. For example, Psalm 84:11 says: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” What “good thing” is this talking about? Riches, a huge mansion, a luxurious car? No! Of course not! Good things are God’s grace and mercy and salvation. He has already provided these good things for us. We just have to know that it is promised and walk with that promise in our hearts.

Can I see God’s Heaven here on earth? Not really. But I know that I know that the Promised Land exists for me, just as it did for the Israelites. I may face many enemies here on earth, most of them in my own heart waging battle against sin. But I have to step into the knowledge that each day I face, each step I take to advance God’s kingdom brings me closer to the Promised Land, the land in which I will spend eternity with Him. I can sometimes imagine God just looking at earth and its inhabitants and shaking his head in disbelief at how stubborn we get sometimes. He tells us to do something that will lead to the fulfillment of a promise and instead we hesitate and want all kinds of confirmation and assurances before we move forward. God’s promises are “Yes! Amen” and “Go for it!” But they are not meant to fulfill selfish desires, but to establish His kingdom.

May you be blessed by a promise today from the Lord that you find as you read and study His Word. Hold it in your heart and stop forward in belief that it will be fulfilled because God does not lie, ever.

Praising God in the Hard Times

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/psa.42.11.mev

Months have gone by without being able to travel and see our grandchildren, with our regular visits every quarter. Today is our youngest granddaughter’s third birthday, and I have to say that I started the day with sadness over not being with her to hug her and celebrate her life with her. After all, in a few short months, she will have a baby brother, so a lot in her life is changing. Instead of rejoicing as I should have been, I threw myself a wee pity party this morning.

Then I read my devotional, and here was this verse. It was already highlighted for me since I read through the Bible annually and this verse has spoken to me before. But never have these words spoken so directly to my heart as this morning. So many small things have been going wrong lately…my phone stopped working and I have to set up its replacement today, for example. Not a big thing for the techies out there, but I am not one and the thought of having to set it up, even with tech help on the line helping me is daunting. Nevertheless, I will persevere.

My problems are so small compared to that of others. My daughter’s friend has spine cancer and is suffering through two different kinds of chemo in order to hold in in check. She has children who love and depend on her and a husband who loves her dearly. Please say a prayer for A. Neighbors had a recent tragedy last week, losing a loved one suddenly. Please pray for them. Finally, a dear friend from church had open heart surgery and is still building his strength back from that ordeal. So, I would appreciate those of you who pray to keep him in your prayers. So many problems, large and small, have been weighing on my mind lately and affecting my heart.

Then, today, God spoke to that heart and basically told me that my hope is in God. How could I forget that, even for a moment? We just went through the Easter season and had a phenomenal service at our new church. And yet, I walked away still discouraged and crestfallen. No real reason for it…just so many months of bad news. But Jesus brought the Good News. He brought the hope! I have only to reach out to Him and tell Him what is troubling me and my load is lightened, just in the sharing. In writing this blog this morning, I am not asking you to join me in my pity party. No, I want you to join in my celebration of the hope that lives in me because of Jesus. Yes, sometimes I get discouraged. But God doesn’t let me stay that way for long…He reminds me of who I am and what I am supposed to be doing. I am His child and I am supposed to tell others about His love, grace and mercy. Others will not listen if I am being an “Eeyore” because they will not see a reason for hope. Thus, I am now smiling, knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me, forgives me and wants me to have hope.

I pray that today will be a good day for you in all ways, that you will see a reason for hope and for smiling. Smile at a stranger today and let them know that you see them. Oh, yes, you say, but you have a mask on. How will they know that you are smiling? Did you know that if you are really smiling, your eyes shine in a special way? So smile and let the world and God know that you still have hope. I do. He is my Savior and my God, and yours, too, if you will allow Him to be.

Saturday: A Day of Waiting and Despair

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

So, this week we had Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and now it’s Saturday. What do we celebrate on Saturday? On the day after His crucifixion, Jesus lay in a tomb, for all intents and purposes, dead. All hope seemed to be lost. Today, we know that He arose on the third day. But, put yourself in the place of His followers when He walked the earth. They knew what He had told them, but did they really believe it? Did they remember that He said He would arise on the third day? I know myself pretty well and I would have been pulling an “Eeyore” attitude, with a, “Now, what? Our leader is dead and we could be in trouble with the authorities ourselves.” This is what Saturday is about…waiting. Perhaps despair and lack of trust. But, definitely waiting. No signs and wonders. No great miracles or preaching from a boat or a sea shore. Just waiting. Take a deep breath and imagine how you would have felt. The Lord has been crucified and is in a tomb. As Christians today, we have the Holy Bible that tells us that Resurrection Day really happened and that Jesus is alive. But, the disciples and other followers did not have the luxury of centuries of Easter Sundays to look back on as we do or the New Testament to read. Imagine their despair, if you will. Let us hope that they dared to believe that what Jesus said He would do would happen. We don’t know. We do know that it is Saturday and perhaps we should spend some time reflecting on what it would have been like to be a follower in the days of the crucifixion. We are waiting, perhaps with expectation, perhaps only with despair. But we are waiting.

In our faith journey, we spend a lot of time waiting. We wait for the answers to prayer for healing. We wait for the Lord to give us wisdom about a decision that we have to make. We wait for God to speak comfort and peace to our churning hearts when things don’t happen the way we think they should. But we are NOT waiting for news that Jesus has arisen because we know it happened. We know that He lives and we have eternal life because He left that tomb empty. But today is Saturday, and so we wait. We wait for the celebration that we call Easter, but we wait with total expectation and hope. There is no despair in our hearts because we know that He kept His promise and arose from that grave. Yes, it’s Saturday. We face the day with an expectation of a believer in Christ the Lord. Let’s do our best to share this Good News with someone today. They don’t need to despair. They don’t need to worry about waiting. Their hope lives, in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

May you have a blessed Saturday and a really special Resurrection Sunday, celebrating the life of our Lord who loved us so much that He died for us. Hallelujah! He lives and reigns forever!

Forever by Kari Jobe (Easter video)

Thoughts

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/php.4.8.mev

If we think negative thoughts consistently, then our whole being becomes focused on the negative. The news is famous for saying, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Negative most of the time, the news on any network is not teaching us to be positive and believing people. I would rather focus on God’s Word and the good things that are happening. I challenge you today to think positive thoughts all day. I know that for me this is quite a challenge, especially on this rainy day. But rain is needed, just as the sun is. So I am thankful for the rain that is watering the peas and turnips that my husband diligently worked to plant yesterday. I am thankful for each of you who reads my blog daily and makes comments to encourage me. Mostly, I am thankful for the privilege every day of being able to read God’s Word and to find His love and encouragement there.

May you each have a blessed day, thinking on the things that are pure, lovely, admirable, true, noble and right. As my mom used to tell me, “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” Jesus wasn’t a negative “Eeyore” type of person, and neither should we be. Is the world all that we want it to be? Absolutely not! But this is God’s world that we inhabit for only a short time, so let’s touch the world and its people with positivity.

Obeying God Rather than Men

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Having been told not to preach about Jesus, this was the reply of the Apostles. Can we do any less?

Wise words from Gamaliel, a leader of the day. The Gospel has survived for centuries and I know that it will survive the current onslaught of a culture that denies God.

Here is what Dr. Denison had to say about what Don Lemon (a liberal broadcaster on CNN) had to say about the Pope’s calling homosexual marriages illicit.

Dr. Denison on You Tube

No matter what men may say is correct, we answer to a higher authority. God’s Word will stand! It’s just a matter of deciding whether we will stand with God or not.

I pray for you to have a blessed day, remembering that today is St. Patrick’s Day. It’s not all about wearing green and shamrocks. St. Patrick risked his freedom and his life to preach the Gospel. Think about that as you wear your green today and wish each other “the luck of the Irish.” The Irish were blessed to have such a Godly man be so burdened for their souls. May each of us remember that it is our sacred duty to preach the Gospel to the lost, particularly those who do not know that they are lost.

The Godless

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

It’s hard to believe with all of the technological advances that there are people today who are totally Godless. Or, perhaps that is better stated, that their god is themselves or their possessions or their job. Their god is not the God of the Bible; thus they are easily led into believing more and more lies. Point in case is the Episcopalian private school in NYC that is teaching children not to call their parents “mom” and “dad.” This was reported in Dr. Denison’s Forum yesterday.

Dr. Denison March 15, 2021

There was a Papal announcement yesterday that had me scratching my head in wonder. Pope Francis has been very leftist and liberal, so his announcement yesterday that homosexual marriage is “illicit” puzzled me. According to the article I read, he said that we have to basically accept homosexuality, but homosexuals cannot get married and have the blessing of the church. What?!? I understand loving the homosexual, because they are sinners like the rest of us; they just haven’t found grace and forgiveness yet. Anyway, the Pope’s statement was a little disconcerting, like talking out of two sides of the same mouth.

The Epoch Times March 16, 2021

Dr. Denison’s Forum today addressed the topic of the Pope. It also addressed the Grammy Awards, a show that I stopped watching long ago because of its blatant disregard for any kind of decorum or morality. According to Dr. Denison, the Grammys this year were worse than ever and could be considered X-rated. This is a terrible commentary on our nation, that we would accept such a blatant display and not call it out as sin. Again, my mind is reeling with all that is happening today, as our nation spirals quickly down the rabbit hole of sin and destruction. What concerns me is that more Christians are not speaking up against things like this. Mike Huckabee, a well-known Christian conservative and former governor of Arkansas, wrote against the show in his newsletter today. Finally, Tucker Carlson from Fox News, questioned the absurdity of banning Dr. Seuss and allowing X-rated dances and songs on the Grammys.

Dr. Denison, March 16, 2021

Well, with all of that bad news, what is the Good News?

Here you go! A promise from God for the blameless. Remember that you don’t get “blameless” on your own. The only way that you are cleansed is through the blood of Christ, God’s only Son who sacrificed Himself so that we could call ourselves His children. I’m glad that I fit into the first part of that verse and feel bad for those who are in the second part. Let’s remember to pray for them to see the truth and the light and to accept the truth of God’s Word. Repentance is the word of the day.

Blessings to each of you and prayers that you will remember to pray for our nation, for the sinners and for this end of the age. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

My Refuge

On By vickleaIn Scripture8 Comments

www.bible.com/111/psa.91.2.niv

One of the favorite games of my little granddaughters in Maryland is to play virtual hide and seek with me. They hide and their daddy uses his phone and my voice to tell him where to look. The giggles are so precious, even as I am seeking them. And they are young, so hiding in the same place repeatedly is a thing with them. Recently, the youngest (who will be three in a few weeks) grabs her mommy by the hand and insists that her mommy hide with her. When I read this Scripture verse this morning, this game came to my mind. Evie’s refuge is her mommy; she knows that she is “safe” with her.

Likewise, I know that I am safe in the arms of the Father. He is my refuge, no matter what the circumstances. The last two weeks have been hard. I mentioned something previously about our home in Pennsylvania. It was the first house we had ever purchased after over twenty military moves, and I was like a momma bird with her nest. I ordered carpeting, decorated and put up curtains that I had actually picked out. We had planned to make that our real home together, pouring time and energy into making it a refuge. But then, the unthinkable happened. I couldn’t find a teaching job in PA. I tried everything that I knew to do, praying constantly for God to show me what He wanted me to do. In the end, we left our home in PA and I got a job in MD. Our home that I had created was rented to various other people and has been for the last thirty years.

Two weeks ago, we discovered that our property management company had sought approval to put our house under Section 8 rentals, without our prior knowledge or approval. My husband, who worked in real estate after retiring from the Air Force, was visibly upset. Section 8 housing usually means lower property values and can often mean renters who do not take good care of the property. We tried in vain to contact the owner of the office in PA, but he never returned our calls. Frustrated, I called the home office in TX and got in touch with a nice lady who promised to investigate what was going on. She called back and told us that the house is already leased under Section 8, again without our knowledge of approval. We cannot get out of the lease, so we are stuck. That puts us in the uncomfortable position of having to try to sell the house when the lease is up. My husband and I prayed and think that will be what’s best, but we will continue to pray. We don’t want to be sued for discrimination, but neither do we want to have a home that is losing value annually.

Anyway, throughout this nightmare, my stress level has been high, so I have been praying a lot. God has reminded me daily that He is right there with me. He is my refuge, the place I can go to be safe from all of the cares of the world. I am trusting Him to show us what to do when the lease is up and when and how we should move and leave Virginia behind. I have to be reminded daily because somehow I am hard-headed enough to try to handle things on my own, get stressed and then God’s Spirit gently reminds me that He is walking through this with me. He is helping me on the multiple phone conversations with the nice lady in TX who has taken over our account, he is guiding me as I write e-mails to the office in PA concerning the errors on their invoice and their changing our property without our permission. He has even been there when I angrily cried out that the man in PA who was supposed to look out for our best interests betrayed us and lied to us. God reminded me that I must forgive him and move on. Honestly, I am working on that. When he comes to mind, I ask God to help me to forgive him and his costly errors that have already cost us thousands of dollars in repairs that may not have even been necessary. Like little Evie, I have to have God’s presence with me so that I feel safe from all that is happening.

Is there something hard that you are faced with today? God is your refuge, your place of safety. Are you feeling assaulted by the things of the world that you can do nothing about? God is your refuge, your place of safety. I thought I knew these promises, having leaned on them for years. But then, the enemy came and showed me that I was not leaning or hiding in God; I was trusting myself to make things right. That never works because God is my refuge, my place of safety. I’m still learning daily to let go and let God be God. As someone said, this, too, shall pass.

Blessings, my friends, for a lovely day filled with insights from the Heavenly Father!

God’s Specific Directions

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

Have you ever wondered what would happen in your life if you heard God clearly and followed His directions exactly? Moses spoke to God and God spoke to Moses. Yet, Moses and his brother Aaron sinned and did not follow exactly what God told them to do.

Notice the very important word in this passage is speak.
Moses did not speak to the rock; he struck it. He did not follow God’s instructions which had been very specific.
Consequences follow actions.

Shortly after this passage, Aaron died. Later, Moses got to go to the top of a mountain and look and see the Promised Land, but he was never allowed to enter it. “Unfair!” I can hear the outcry already. What in the world was God thinking that He did not allow Moses and Aaron,who had faithfully led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert, to enter the Promised Land, their destination the whole time?

Well, my answer is that God was thinking that He is holy and what He asks for specifically is for a specific reason and He expects complete obedience, not a partial, half-hearted, “I’ll do it my way” kind of obedience. One of the big problems in our world today is that so many people are trying to do things their way, the way that their minds came up with, and not the way that God has said it should be.

For example, the Bible tells us that God made male and female. Now, there are people in our world who say that one can decide their gender. Really? Is that what the Holy Bible says? The Bible says that man and woman marry and become one flesh. Man today, in all of his own wisdom, has decided that homosexuality and the resulting relationships are okay. Hmm. I’m sure that is NOT what God thinks is best for our world considering He destroyed Sodom for such sin. Nevertheless, men think that they know better than God and go their own way. Like Moses, they are headed in a direction that will not allow them to go into the Promised Land.

In the time of Moses, the Promised Land was an actual, physical place. Today, the Promised Land is Heaven, that place in which we have eternal life and live in the presence of God forever. People who think that they can “do their own thing” all of their lives and then live in the presence of a Holy God are just fooling themselves. God does not respect some people more than others, and if Moses, a great leader of the Israelites, could be denied entrance into the physical Promised Land, who are we to think that we can do whatever we want and still go into the Heavenly Promised Land? How presumptuous is that!

In my opinion, the big thing that we are missing in the picture of sin and choices is TRUST. We don’t trust that God will fulfill His Word, every jot and tittle of it. I trust that God loves and shows mercy and forgives. But I also trust that He is the righteous Judge who will one day hold all men into account for their own choices and actions. Once again, remember that Moses and Aaron were not allowed to go into the Promised Land. They changed one word of what God told them to do and that made all the difference.

God says what He means and means what He says.

I hope that you have a blessed day and that you feel God’s presence leading and directing you in the way you should go.

How to Be Saved

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Over four decades ago, a sweet neighbor explained to me how to be saved and gave me a Bible to read. Considering how lost our world is now, it seems relevant that I share these Scripture verses with you for you to ponder.

Note that this verse is from the Psalms. God always had a plan for redemption of sinners in place. In the Old Testament, the people made animal sacrifices and times established by God. In the New Testament, Jesus sacrificed Himself Once, for all. But confession of our sins remains the same, regardless of the time in which we live.

The reason it is so important to confess our sins is so that we can be cleansed. We don’t have to go to a place or a person. We just have to confess our sins to Him. He hears us, and his faithfulness and justice reaches down to us, forgives us and cleanses us from wickedness.

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus by Hillsong

May God bless you this day and every day with a cleansing of your heart and soul so that you can go out and bless others with the Good News that there is salvation available to all.