Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Need Wisdom

On By vickleaIn prayer request, Scripture3 Comments

A few weeks ago, the pastor at the church we attend said at the beginning of the service that there would be a “big announcement” at the end of the service. No one that I know about expected the big announcement that came. The pastor and elders announced that our church is considering a merger with another local church and we will be having town hall meetings to discuss what this will mean for Compass Christian Church. Our church has about 1200 attending on Sundays, in four services starting at 8 a.m and the last one at 4:30 p.m. A few years ago we went through a big renovation, building an auditorium for the kids’ ministry and adding classrooms and parking spaces. Now, a merger? The church they are considering merging with is also a large church, with over 1000 attending two different services on Sundays mornings. My husband drove me by there after church so that I could see the facilities and it is huge with a “campus” with various buildings for their various activities. When I looked up the other church online, I found some information about their numbers, but I don’t really know much about it. So, now the hard part. Do we stay with Compass if they merge next spring or do we start looking for a new church?

The photo that goes with this scripture on the YouVersion App is perfect for how I am feeling now, like I am on the edge of a precipice looking down into a small pool of water and I have no idea if jumping is a good idea or not.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not like change, of any kind or at any time. I am one who thrives on routine and sameness. God has moved me out of my comfort zone several times, but generally, He would nudge me and let me know that change would be coming so I should be prepared for it. This new scenario of a merger hit me like a brick falling unexpectedly on my head. All kinds of “what ifs” are floating around inside that brain of mine.

My first inclination is to say that we need to find a new church. I have been unhappy with the music ministry at Compass for a while. It is so loud that I have to wear noise canceling headphones and at times have had to leave the service and sit in an annex to watch on a screen since the music affects my brain (a side effect of my stroke is that I cannot tolerate loud bass or percussion). So, what would the music be like in a church that is even larger, a mega church, so to speak with a combined membership of over 2000? I have no way of knowing, but that is a concern. So, as I said, my first inclination is to find a new church.

But it is hard to leave the familiar friends and the Sunday school class teachers and classmates behind. It is difficult to contemplate what the women’s ministry for those of us over fifty would be like. What programs will the combined church offer that will be different than what we have now? So many questions and no answers yet. Thus I am left to ponder and pray.

My husband, the extrovert extraordinaire, would be perfectly happy in a mega church with thousands of strangers all around him. I am an introvert with a bad case of shyness and borderline agoraphobia, so the idea of an enormous church with lots of people makes me anxious. God has an answer for my anxiety in that He can and will and is giving me peace. But, what is the solution? I just don’t know. The merger is not a done deal and may never happen, although it sounds a lot like the decision has already been made, the pastors assured us this past Sunday that this is not the case.

I would appreciate your prayers and my husband and I consider what we should do. We are happy at Compass, after getting used to about 400 in the service and finding our niche in various small groups and classes. Can we find another place to belong where we will feel welcomed and comfortable? Maybe, maybe not. And therein lies the problem.

A Pilgrimage

On By vickleaIn God’s blessings, promises, Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

A Journey with God

Following God is a journey.

It’s not just a one-time decision. It’s a lifelong pilgrimage, a day-by-day walk of trust, transformation, and faithfulness. Psalm 84 paints a beautiful picture of travelers whose hearts are set on reaching God’s dwelling place. They’re blessed, not because the road is easy, but because their strength comes from Him.

If our strength came from ourselves, we wouldn’t make it very far. Life brings challenges: dry seasons, steep climbs, unexpected detours. If we’re depending only on our own energy, it’s easy to get weary and discouraged.

But when our strength is in God, the journey changes. We’re not walking alone. We’re empowered by His Spirit. We’re supported by His promises. We have a clear destination, and the blessing is not just at the end, but along the way.

A heart set on pilgrimage is a heart that knows this world is not our home. We’re pressing on toward something greater, and toward Someone greater.

If today finds you tired or uncertain, remember this: the strength you need isn’t something you have to muster up. It’s something God freely gives. Lean into Him. Set your heart on the journey. He’ll be faithful every step of the way.

My Thoughts

The first thing that came to my mind as I read this devotional from today’s YouVersion was John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” I taught about that book for several years when I taught in a Christian school. And every year, the students offered new insight that they had gotten from this wondrous novel. When I read it for about the fifth time, I really understood for the first time that life on earth is a pilgrimage for all of us. There are hard times, high mountains to climb, dry places to go across and roaring rivers to ford as we face obstacles to our goal of reaching our eternal destination victoriously. But the verse for today in Psalm 84:5 encourages each of us that we don’t have to struggle in this journey on our own. We can depend on the strength that can only come from God and know that He is with us, encouraging us and bolstering us up for each day’s new challenges. A poem I memorized in high school has the same kind of theme. “And miles to go before I sleep.” (Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) May you, my faithful readers, experience the closeness of God as you make your daily journey closer and closer to the time when you can rest.

Whose Garden Is It?

On By vickleaIn God’s blessings, Scripture2 Comments

My husband works hard on our garden. He has planted all kinds of beautiful flowers just outside the window next to my chair. Roses are my favorites so there are plenty of those. But he also has sunflowers, irises (for our granddaughter Iris), purple asters (for my best friend Heidi whose birth month was September and these were her favorites) and a variety of wildflowers. In the vegetable garden Harry has planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and potatoes. Just this week, he planted several kinds of peas. Yes, Harry works hard in his garden. That’s why he gets a little frustrated when he goes to pick the fruits of his labor and bites are missing out of the produce. Groundhogs, deer, rabbits…they all live in our yard because like Farmer MacGregor’s nemeses in the story of Peter Rabbit, they know that our year has a bountiful supply of good things for them to eat. So, whose garden is it?

Whose Garden Is It? By Mary Ann Hoberman

This is a delightful read-aloud story for children, but we adults can have the fun of pondering the wonders of nature right along with the children. Whose garden is it?

I submit this verse to you to definitively answer the question.

The garden and all that grow there belong to God. We are the recipients of His gifts of beauty, fruits and vegetables. And so are the little creatures that share with us!

Divinely Different

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, testimony1 Comment

Note: The idea for this blog came from a devotional entitled Jesus, Day by Day by Sharon Kaselonis (8-15-25)

All of my youth I tried to fit in. I wanted to play with the other neighborhood kids outside, ride bikes, learn how to ride a horse and run chasing each other through our yards. Unfortunately, since I was born with asthma, I was not allowed to go outside except for short spans of time in which I was to sit quietly and play jacks on the porch with friends willing to sit with me. So, I just never fit in and felt like one of the toys from a Christmas movie who live on the “island of misfit toys.”

I think the time during my youth when I always felt different is what led me to seek and search for something more in life. After college, I came to the saving knowledge of Jesus and found that finally I fit in. I was part of the body of Christ, His church, one of His people.

But then, someone told me I was supposed to be separate from the world. What?!? I had spent all of my teen years feeling separated from friends and fun, and now I have to step back from the world that I was just discovering. It has taken a lot of Bible study and patience on God’s part to show me that I am “divinely different” and that’s exactly what makes me acceptable to God and a part of a big family who also love the Lord. So, I am different in a good way, a way that keeps me safe from the temptations of the world (provided I choose to walk away) and with a whole future in eternity to look forward to. Through my relationship with Christ, I have found that being different isn’t always a bad thing. Rather, it is life-affirming and one of the best things that ever happened to me!

Look at those adjectives! Chosen, special and wonderful. These descriptive words help me to continue to walk in the light because I want to be all of these things for my Father.

Now, look at the nouns in this passage: righteousness, holiness and redemption. Jesus is all of these inside of us because of His sacrifice. It is Christ who makes the difference in my life.

On the outside, I am the same person. I still have the same physical body, but inside, I am brand, spanking new. I am a new creation because I am in Christ. I am indeed divinely different! I pray that you are, too!

Holy Is His Name!

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, testimony, worship3 Comments

This verse is from Mary’s song of praise when she finds out that God has chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah. She had to be a little wary of what was going to happen since she was a young girl, unmarried and with a baby on the way. God showed Himself strong on her behalf and fulfilled prophecies through her.

Fast forward several thousand years to my life. I have health problems so numerous that I get tired of going to specialists all the time. Nevertheless, God shows Himself strong and holy for me, too. Yesterday, I went to my nephrologist for my kidney labs and check up that I have to have every four to six months. (For those of you who don’t know, I was born with a single kidney and I have been diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney failure for the last few years.) The doctor checked me, talked to me and ordered the labs. I got the report this morning and the results have to be a God thing! Everything is normal…everything! My levels are better than they have been in the last five years. I have no explanation for this great report, but I do offer God praise and know that He is and always will be holy. I had expected a bad report since I had infections repeatedly in the last six months. My faith was low, but my hope was high and God showed me just what He has been doing and continues to do within this mortal body.

I hope that you will join me in rejoicing over this good news and also share with me a testimony of how God has come through unexpectedly for you. Let’s spend today lifting up the Name of the Only One who is truly worthy!

From YouVersion Daily Refresh, 08-15-25

Forgiveness

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture2 Comments

Forgiving others is hard, mainly because it is not a once and done thing for us. We have to continually forgive every time the thought comes to our mind about an offense. Forgiveness is a choice that we make each time, not a “I will just think about it later” kind of thing. You know who I have a hard time forgiving? Anyone and everyone who has ever hurt me or one of my children in any way. That means that there are a lot of reminders in my spiritual life to forgive and keep on forgiving. Jesus made sure we were assured forgiveness from the Father, but it is up to each of us to forgive others daily, all day long.

The enemy of our soul wants us to hang on to the burden of hurts and the desire for revenge. That old self really wants payback. But God says He is the one who will avenge us if we will just step back and be still. Part of being still and trusting God is to let go of the heartache we feel from whatever pain the offense caused and to choose to forgive. We cannot forget because that isn’t part of our human nature. But we can choose to forgive each time the offense comes to our mind. I say things like, “This is hard, Lord, but I am choosing to forgive. Help me to let it go and to truly love this person the way you love them.” There is no magical formula for what to say when you forgive someone; you just have to say what is on your heart and really leave it at the foot of the cross.

Forgiveness doesn’t hurt the other person because they generally either don’t care or they are unaware of how you feel. Unforgiveness is a bitter root that starts growing in your heart, and if you water and nurture it with your anger and refusal to forgive, then it will destroy you from the inside out. It can destroy your mental health, your physical health and your spiritual well-being. God knows that we need to forgive for our own good.

There are lots of scriptures about forgiveness. If you are having difficulty with the very idea of letting go of the bitterness and anger resulting from how a person hurt you, I recommend that you memorize verses about forgiveness, meditate on them and ask God to help you to forgive. It is His will, so that’s a prayer that He will answer if you just ask.

The One You Trust

On By vickleaIn Characteristics of God, promises, Scripture, SongLeave a comment

Do you remember during your childhood when you would get a scrape or a bump? That is a normal part of growing up, isn’t it? What did you do when you got hurt? The most likely answer is that you ran as fast as you could to the one you trusted to take care of the problem. Mom, Dad, Grandmother, whoever was the trustworthy adult around at that time. I recall my Nanny (my mom’s mom) always got out the mercurochrome (ouch!), applied it liberally and blew on it to stop the burning the medication caused. Then, she applied a bandaid and told me to go back and play but be careful. I hated the medicine, but I liked the loving care that went along with it.

When my own children got hurt, usually then their dad was deployed, my first response was to pray, check to see if it was something I could handle with neosporin and a bandaid or if we needed to go to the ER and then do whatever was needed to comfort my child. For one child, it was always a cuddle, for another it was to divert attention with a funny story or a song. I was their trustworthy adult and that was a heavy responsibility for growing and adventurous kids. They knew, though, that prayer was first and then action and if I forgot to pray because I was panicking over the extent of the injury, one of them would remind me.

God is our trustworthy refuge to whom we can go when we are hurting or just need to know someone is there. He is always there for those who trust in Him. He cares for each of us, more even than my Nanny cared for me or I care for my children and grandchildren. He is invested in our lives because He created us and He wants us to be okay in this life that He has placed us in. So, running to Him is a no brainer if you have a relationship with Him, recognizing not only His power but also His mercy and great love for you. The world is full of evil and there are a lot of things that can hurt you, but we need to remember to run as fast as we can to God when we get hurt. He is the one with the words to heal and the heart that always cares. He is a good, good Father.

Run to the Father-Cody Carnes

Prayer from YouVersion App, Daily Refresh, 8-13-25

Buried Treasure

On By vickleaIn Admonition, promises, Scripture3 Comments

Here is a photo that I found online of people and a popular hobby, especially on beaches and areas where there were Civil War battles.

They are using metal detectors to look for “treasure.” What do they do with what they find? Many are collectors and go to shows to display all that they have found. We had a speaker come to our church group last spring who is a collector of bullets, parts of weapons and even parts of swords from the Civil War. Fascinating, but not anything I am interested in doing.

I read a devotional this morning about buried treasure off the coast of Florida that was salvaged in the twentieth century after being in the ocean since the 1600’s. It is amazing to me the persistence people have in finding things that are so deeply buried in the ocean and under all that sand.

Their persistence is especially amazing since they have a treasure right next to them all the time, but they are not even looking for it.

God’s words to us are like a treasure that we can hide in our hearts and keep forever and it will never rust or corrode. We don’t take it out to display to others, but it is there for us to call on whenever we need it. Sometimes, we can use His words to comfort or guide others. Sometimes, it is just for us to ponder and wonder at the awesomeness of God.

If you are looking for God’s wisdom as hard as you would look for buried treasure, then you would be able to understand the Lord better and His resolve to love us in spite of us. The fact that He treasures us and keeps us close to His heart should give us a clue about how much we should treasure Him.

Look at the last part of this scripture…God made mankind so that they would seek Him and find Him. But He isn’t hiding. He is always as close as the next prayer or words you say to Him.

If we are always keeping our heads down looking for the treasure on the earth, then we won’t recognize all of the gifts that God has already given us. Whatever treasures the earth has will not last, but God’s love, mercy and grace are forever gifts.

Back to the whole looking for treasure concept. Buried treasure is elusive and illusory. It may or may not exist, but the treasure that God gives is ever present and never hides from us. We have to spend time with God to avail ourselves of His wonderful treasure house of gifts that He bestows on His children. Rather than spending time walking around in a field with a heavy metal detector, just pick up your Bible and you will find treasure on every page.

I do want to be a treasure finder, but the treasure I want to find is eternal and life-giving. Hobbies aren’t a bad thing, but whatever you do, keep your focus on God and His Word because that is the true gold in your life.