Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

My Help Comes From God

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture5 Comments

The last few weeks have been brutal as far as my health is concerned. Issues with breathing are not a lot of fun, I can tell you. I have lived with asthma my entire life, but not until the doctor tried a new medication on me to which I had an adverse reaction, had I really struggled that hard to breathe. Usually, my rescue inhaler or nebulizer would take care of things and I would continue with my regular routine. Such has not been the case lately. I have been short-winded, wheezing at small exertions like moving clothing from the washer to the dryer or from the dryer to the room to fold them. I have had to rest frequently and have gotten more than a little frustrated with my limitations.

Photo courtesy of our grandson Tyler Bailey who traveled to Japan recently and got this wonderful photo of Mount Fuji.

I am turning to the Lord more than ever with all of the health issues. Monday I see a specialist to see if the medication affected my vocal cords since I am having hoarseness and cough each time I speak. Then, there was the call from my nephrologist yesterday. I have to return to have my labs repeated in a month’s time because there is some evidence from my recent labs that my kidney may be going into a rapid decline. I asked if this could be the result of the steroids I was on for two weeks after I reacted to the Trelegy. The nurse said that steroids can affect the kidney, but she knows I had to take them to help me breathe. Catch 22 situation, right? So, I have to carefully read labels on foods, avoid nitrates as much as possible, and stick with fresh veggies and fruits if I can. I know my single kidney is not going to keep chugging along forever, but I was discouraged to get this news on top of having to see a throat and a lung specialist about the effects of this medicine. The good news just keeps coming, huh? Finally, my primary care doctor wants me to see a pulmonologist because I still have bronchitis after almost two weeks of a strong antibiotic. Thus, the wheezing and persistent cough. But God…in the midst of my tears of anger and frustration, God reminded me that He has the final say and brought this verse to mind again. I had created the illustration over a week ago and posted it on my social media, but I am the one who needs to cling to it, so I am bringing it out again.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Bailey

And this verse goes along with the first one. God is my help. He made heaven and earth and He made me…my lungs and my kidney. And I am here until I have fulfilled His purpose for me on this earth. I may be sad because of the current limitations in activity and diet, but I am still a walking testimony to God’s love and grace and hope to continue that testimony until the day He calls me home to be with Him.

I appreciate your prayers for me and my husband as we walk this unknown road. But we know we don’t walk alone because God is before us, beside us and behind us…and I cannot ask for more than that! Meanwhile, I am still making plans to visit grandchildren this summer, going to Maryland next week to see little Nathan celebrate his third birthday and then home for a few days. Then, I am supposed to visit my sister for her birthday in July and finally we are going to northern Pennsylvania to visit our daughter and her family. Of course, that is all provided the doctors allow me to travel, but I am trusting that God will work things out since He knows the desires of my heart. These trips have been planned and postponed multiple times because I kept getting sick, and I just don’t want to put them off any more. So, prayers for that would be appreciated, too.

I remain a servant of the Lord and am in awe of His power and mercy. I hope each of you has a blessed day and remember how much God truly loves you!

Living in Victory

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/4

Every time we take a step closer to Jesus and move away from sin, we are getting closer to the ultimate victory. I keep remembering that Jesus already fought and won all of my battles; I just have to be a good soldier of Christ and accept His sacrifice. As a military wife, it’s hard to imagine a commanding officer who goes into the middle of the battle, but that is exactly what Jesus does. He doesn’t stand on the sidelines and bark orders. He leads the charge and expects us to follow.

Our Source of Strength

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App4 Comments

Sometimes, I reach out to the lamp next to me to turn it on and it doesn’t work. Why not? It isn’t plugged into the outlet so it has so source of power. That’s how we are when we decide to operate all on our own, making choices without praying and consulting the Lord. We move away from our source and lose our ability to make a wise choice. The source of all of our strength, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, is our close relationship with Jesus. He wants to be our source all the time so that when the waves and storms rage against us, we are accustomed to running to our source and plugging into His omnipotent strength to help us through the situation.

I have been challenged lately with health issues that seem never ending. At my follow up appointment yesterday, the doctor pronounced that after more than a week of strong antibiotics, I still have bronchitis. No surprise for me to hear since I am still using my rescue inhaler several times a day! So, next week, I go to see a specialist to see if my vocal cords were badly affected by the medication that I reacted to. Then she wants me to see a pulmonologist. She couldn’t believe that I have reached my age (72), had asthma my entire life and never seen a lung specialist. Well, whatever. I will go where they tell me to go, pray about doing what they tell me to do and trust the Lord to be my source of strength and healer. I was talking with my husband yesterday and told him that I cannot imagine what it will be like in heaven to draw a breath and feel the air completely since I have never, not once in my life, had that experience. I know my body will be different and resurrected, but I am so looking forward to being truly healed and whole. In the meantime, I walk the earth, take the breaths God has given me and am thankful that I can live each day and see the wonders He has created. Do I feel strong? No. But I feel strengthened by the power of His love and might and know that He is working on me for His purposes. I want to end my days yoked to the One who knows and loves me best and who has cared for me all of these years. May everyone who reads these words know the real source of strength in your lives and come to know Jesus as the only support you really need.

When You Need Support

Everyone carries burdens, and the things we go through shape the way we view the world, and ourselves. But we weren’t meant to carry our burdens alone.  

In fact, Jesus says to the people following Him—

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. … For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

A yoke is a heavy wooden beam that lies across a pair of oxen, evenly distributing the weight of the loads they carry. But the term was also used by Jewish Rabbis. “The yoke of the law” symbolized complete submission to God’s law, and Rabbis taught that becoming yoked to it would free the Jews from enslavement to the world.

Jesus is using a phrase that His Jewish followers would have easily understood, but then He flips the illustration. He tells the crowd that they must yoke themselves to Him—because He is the fulfillment of their law. 

When they do this, the burdens they carry won’t be heavy at all—because He will bear the weight of their burdens.
 
Paul references this teaching in his letter to the Galatian Christians:  

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”   
Galatians 6:2 NLT 

The law of Christ is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). But the only way we can fulfill the law of Christ is if we bind ourselves to Him. When we are yoked to Jesus, He becomes our source of strength. 

He helps us endure hard situations and enables us to walk away from poor decisions. He fills us up with His love so that we can pour His love out onto others. He gives us the capacity to support other Christ-followers just like He supports us.   

Just as Jesus bore our sins and suffering, we are called to bear the suffering of others. In this way, we show them the love of Christ and guide them toward Jesus.

Right now, spend a few minutes talking to God about the burdens you need help carrying, and then allow Him to show you the people in your life He wants you to support.

Seek Unity

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/2

As a member of a very large church, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer numbers in the auditorium. Then, God will speak quietly to my heart and remind me that He sees me there as an individual, worshipping Him and learning from His Word. When I look around and see others worshipping, too, I am reminded that we are all there in unity for one purpose, to worship and to serve and to learn.

God Is Our Helper

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/1

When I first became a Christian over five decades ago, I thought, in my lack of real understanding, that one of the things that I could expect is that there would be no more problems in my life. Ha! I quickly found out that challenges in life continue, but it is our attitude towards them that changes once we are Christians. Left alone in a new place while my new husband was deployed, I faced loneliness, but God sent a friend who needed a place to live, so Rhonda moved in with me. Finding out I was pregnant and my husband was gone, I was devastated and frightened, but the Lord sent a church family to stand beside me and help me. God is good and sends what we need when we need it, never late and never early, but always just on time.

We know we have the ultimate victory, so whatever happens on earth is temporary and cannot stop us spending eternity with Jesus. The kinds of challenges I have in life changes as I age, but the truth of God’s Word stands forever. Achy, moving slowly and creaking as I go, I am still moving onward with God, knowing that He holds my future and He is trustworthy.

Sanctification

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/5

Sanctification is a process, not a once and done thing that happens immediately. We have to be willing to go before the cross daily, confess our shortcomings and sins and continue on with the Lord in the process of being made more like the Lord. Sometimes we fall…but we have to get up and keep going. As the song says, “He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.” And one of my favorite children’s songs is “He’s Still Workin’ on Me.” I am not done with life, and thank the Lord God that He is not done with me either. Let Him continue to work in your life…listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit when He prods you to change and grow. The Master Potter is making a masterpiece from the broken shards of your life…let Him have His way!

H

Knowing Jesus More

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/4

I never thought about identity in this way, but it’s awe-inspiring to know that the more I know about Jesus, the more I discover about myself. Since my identity lies in my Savior, I can only truly know myself as I delve into knowing Jesus more. Personality tests don’t help much, but reading and studying God’s Word opens the world of possibilities to really know who God intends me to me and the purpose for which He created me. Food for thought.

Identity in Christ Isn’t Earned

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/3

A favorite saying of my father used to be that he worked hard for every penny he had and he had earned it. To be united with Christ, though, we have to leave that mindset behind and realize that we cannot earn salvation or our identity in Him. It is a free gift, an outpouring of God’s sacrificial love for us. All we can do is accept it and live for Him instead of ourselves.

Root Your Identity in Christ

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/2

Since Christ and His Word never changes, when our identity is rooted deeply in Him, then it does not change. We know who we are in Him because He doesn’t move or change. Circumstances change, the people around us shift, attitudes change, but Jesus doesn’t. His love for us never changes, the gift of salvation never goes away and God never moves away from us. Our identity is built on the firm foundation of the rock who created us to be just who He needs us to be in order to fulfill His purpose for our lives.

Only God Truly Knows Us

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/1

Sometimes I feel as though I have multiple personalities living inside me…no, not some mental disease, but different faces for different people. To my grandchildren, I am the fun and upbeat Nanna who brings gifts and plays and reads stories, never telling them how tired or anxious I may be. To the shopkeeper, I am distantly polite, seeing and appreciating their labor but not really knowing their needs. To my husband, I am more myself…moody, irritable at times, angry about being sick a lot and introverted. All of these different personas make up who I really am…and God knows all of me and loves me anyway. My real identity is in Christ. I am a Child of the King, usually in spite of myself and my own actions and choices. I would like to say that I will one day succeed in being the same person to all of my friends and family, regardless of who they are to me. But I know that is an unrealistic expectation and not at all helpful to others. I need to be the best me that represents God to each person, even to my careworn and patient husband who listens to my rants and prays with me for healing and peace. Who are you? I have heard it said that you are really the person that you become when no one is looking or hearing. So, who are you really? God is always looking, always hearing and always knows exactly who you are and who He created you to be.