Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Don’t Be Afraid

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

Did you know that the Bible has verses about fear for each day of the year? Yes, 365 times, the Holy Bible tells us not to be afraid and what to do if we are.

Looking around at all that is happening in today’s world, it’s hard not to be anxious. In our study of Revelation at church and then again in my devotional today, I have decided to cling to this verse. I may never be persecuted or thrown into prison or face the death of a martyr. But, if it happens, God has already given me the answer. DON’T BE AFRAID. I don’t know how to interpret the entire verse, whether the ten days is literal or not or whether the church as a whole will suffer great persecution. But what I do know is that God says not to be afraid and that we will receive from Him the crown of life. What is that? It’s the eternal rest with Him that awaits us after our sojourn on earth has ended. However we die, whenever we die, I think that everyone has an element of fear because death is an unknown. But God tells us not to be afraid. Jesus went before us and conquered the last enemy, death, so that we should not be afraid of death but we know that on the other side, the Lord waits for us to give us eternity with Him.

So, this verse seems to be almost a paradox. God tells us not to be afraid but David says in the Psalms when I am afraid. He doesn’t use the word “if” that has the connotation that it may or may not happen. He uses the conjunction “when” denoting that is will happen. And when it does, David has already determined that he will put his trust in God. I think that is good advice for all of us. We need to determine in advance that when we are fearful, we will put our trust in God. God is our stable anchor in a storm-tossed sea and He is the One who places us on solid ground. That is a verse to hold on to…facing death as a martyr? I don’t have that train ticket yet because God hasn’t given it to me, but if I need it, He will provide it and I am confident that He will be with me through whatever the future holds. Like David, I will trust in God.

Blossoming Under His Mighty Hand

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

My husband is an avid gardener. His passion is for his vegetables, but a few years ago, he planted a beautiful flower garden right outside the window where I sit. It started with a rose bush and a few irises. It has since grown to multiple rose bushes, lots of irises, azalea bushes and seasonal flowers that he hangs for my enjoyment. Recently, he added a hummingbird plant to attract the little creatures that I enjoy watching. My husband takes joy in my pleasure of looking out to see the garden. My mobility is limited and my allergies keep me inside, but his love helps me to enjoy God’s beautiful creation.

My husband is the caretaker of the flowers, but we both know that God is the one who helps them grow and flourish. So when things happen that are unexpected, the challenges in life that throw curveballs my way, I only have to sit in my chair and look out the window to be reminded of how much God cares. My faith has grown in this season of testing (of the medical variety, mostly), and I have learned to lean hard into God, knowing that He loves me even more than my beloved spouse does. I can see the evidence of Harry’s love and God’s each time I glance out the window…it makes me stronger to face whatever the day brings. Harry lovingly transports me to all of my appointments and God stays with me throughout all of the procedures. They have a pretty good partnership going and I’m blessed to be the recipient of all of that love. In fact, like the flowers, I blossom under the mighty hand of God, the One that shows me through the kindness of my husband how much He (and he) cherish me. My faith grows and my thankful heart overflows with gratitude.

I sincerely hope that you see flowers in your life today and remember that God put them there for you to enjoy and to remind you that He is faithful. The answers are coming…just wait for the blossoms to unfold!

Devoted to Prayer

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

Prayer, as most of us know, is simply having a conversation with God. But what does it mean to be “devoted to prayer”? If you look up the word “devoted” in a dictionary, it means loyalty, strong affection or dedication. Prayer should be something that we do daily, all day long and we should miss it if we neglect to do it. Some synonyms of “dedicated” are constant and steadfast. Prayer isn’t something that we practice occasionally; it is a habit that we need to get into so that we are establishing a close relationship with our Heavenly Father. Those of you who are married know that your relationship with. your spouse would not last very long if you never communicated or even if you only talked to each other occasionally. The foundation of a strong relationship is communication and prayer is communicating with God and then giving Him time to communicate with you.

When we pray, our minds should be alert, watching for the enemy’s attack. For me, that usually comes in the form of distracting me away from prayer to something else. We also have to be discerning as we pray, alert and watchful to what God is doing. We should not assume that God will answer our prayers in our way and on our timetable. We need to watch for Him to act on our behalf and be ready to adapt to the way and time in which He is answering our call.

Finally, we are to be thankful, recognizing that there is nothing we are, nothing we have, nothing that has any meaning to us that did not come from God. Our prayers should begin with adoration for who God is and end with thankfulness for all that He has done and is doing. Again, relate this to your human relationships. If you are never thankful to the person with whom you spend the most time, are they likely to want to continue to spend time with you? Everyone wants to be appreciated, not just for what they do for us but for who they are in our lives and how much they mean to us. God wants to be appreciated because He wants to establish a close relationship with us, for us to know Him intimately just as He knows us.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. As you pray today, may you remember to be devoted, alert and thankful.

The answers to prayers come, in God’s time, but remember that He is constantly guiding and restoring you. So, be thankful for His presence in your life.

Be on Guard

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I have found that as I am aging, I am less alert, especially as the day wanes. I don’t sleep well at night so I try to nap daily for about an hour, but then by about 7-8 at night, I am ready for bed again. That’s not to say that resting is not a good thing. But I need to make sure that when I am awake, I need to be fully alert to attacks from the enemy. These attacks come in the form of doubt, my temper being aroused and irritability towards anyone who is nearby.

The attacks that you suffer may not be the same as mine, but they will come nevertheless because that is what our enemy does. He attacks when we seem to be vulnerable. That’s why we put on the full armor and keep it on! When we are alert and clearheaded, we can recognize the attacks for what they are and stand firm in our faith, being the person God wants us to be to represent Him to others. Sleep is necessary, of course, but not when you are supposed to be on guard duty!

Slow Me Down

On By vickleaIn Poem, prayer, Quotation and Citations, Scripture3 Comments

Slow Me Down, Lord!

By Wilferd A. Peterson (August 21, 1900 – June 2, 1995)

Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me,
Amidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music Of the singing streams
That live in my memory.

Help me to know
The magical power of sleep,
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations Of slowing down
To look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend Or make a new one;
To pat a stray dog;
To watch a spider build a web;
To smile at a child;
Or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day
That the race is not always to the swift;
That there is more to life Than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life’s enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars
Of my greater destiny.

I have a small plaque of this poem that my husband and children gave me about three decades ago. It hangs in my bathroom next to the sink, a place where I can see it each day if I choose to take the time to look at it. Lately, I have been seeing it a lot, first out of the corner of my eye, then taking it down and reading it carefully and finally, taking the time to read and think about what it is saying to me. This life that we live on earth goes fast. We are only here for a season and then we are gone, leaving footprints behind on the hearts of others. At least, that is our hope. I want to leave a footprint that says that I loved well and that I was well loved. I want to leave memories of activities together and laughter that we shared. I want to enjoy the moments, days, years that I have left on this earth making a difference in the lives of those whom I know best and love best. I can only do that if I slow down and take time to just be.

The world says to rush around and work hard each hour of each day so that you can make more money to buy more things. But Wisdom says to listen, to understand how quickly life passes and how important it is to take the time to be with God, to be with those you love. That is why we need to slow down, so that we can appreciate what we have and be grateful to the Father who gives us all things.

Let’s Start the Month with Praise

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, Song, Video2 Comments

This verse is short but filled with wisdom and a call to praise God. We are praising Him not for what He has done for us but for Who He is. I hope that you will join me today, pause and just reflect on Who God is…His names and His greatness.

Great Is the Lord-Michael W. Smith

How Great Is Our God

Awesome God-Michael W. Smith

Note: Please excuse the ads in the worship videos above. And enjoy the praise time!

A Testimony and a Praise

On By vickleaIn Quotation and Citations, Scripture6 Comments

These last few months, I have felt as though I knew what it was like to be the desperate woman who reached out to touch Jesus for her healing. I have been to specialist after specialist and had more medical tests than I knew existed, but the answer to my fainting and dizziness has been elusive. Then on Thursday, I saw a Balance Specialist. If you are blinking and looking again to see if you read that right, I can assure you that there is such a thing although it’s a totally new concept to me, too. My cardiologist had done innumerable tests and suggested I see my ENT to check for an inner ear problem. My regular ENT referred me to a Balance Specialist, a physician’s assistant who is actually a specialized physical therapist. I must admit that I went to the office with a little trepidation, wondering what in the world the new test would be like. This likable thirty-ish young man spent about half an hour with me. First he used some goggle like instrument that made me feel as though I were playing a video game in total darkness. He said that was checking my inner ear and there was no problem there. Then he had me lie down on a table, took my blood pressure, sat me up suddenly and took it again. Voila! An answer! It seems that the med that I am taking for my high blood pressure is a Beta blocker that keeps my heart from speeding up as it needs to do when I change positions. As a result, I get dizzy and if it doesn’t correct quickly enough, I faint. So, I was given instructions to talk to my cardiologist about changing or modifying my medicine. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But apparently it wasn’t since I have been to five different specialists since February and not one of them picked up on this problem. Anyway, I still have a few more tests to undergo to satisfy my neurologist but I am delighted to have an answer that seems to be something that can be easily addressed. What amazes me is that God knew all along what has been happening and has kept me right in the palm of His hand. I haven’t been frustrated, angry or discouraged as I am accustomed to getting when faced when plans that had to change. God has comforted me and encouraged me that everything will be okay if I am patient.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my “word” for the year is TRUST. I set out at the beginning of the year with the goal in mind that I will learn to lean into the Lord, trusting Him no matter what. God took me at my word and is helping me to fulfill that promise.

I would like to think that the worst is behind me, but even if that is not proven to be true, I know that I can completely trust God’s love for me. My health may not be what I want it to be, but my soul is thriving with God.

This is a quotation from a devotional that I read this week. Hudson Taylor had a lot of challenges in his life, yet he could still write these words and mean them with his whole heart. I plan to copy this and put it on a card on my bathroom mirror, just to remind myself that I am still moving forward and God is still with me, fulfilling His promises to me.

What has God done for you lately? What is your testimony of His greatness in your life? Small things, big things, all things. Give God all the glory!

Thank You, God, for Spring

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Spring has arrived in all of its colorful glory and I am so thankful to see the beauty all around me. God has provided awesome displays of His handiwork everywhere we look. We just have to take time to appreciate it.

It’s the season of hummingbirds, flowers, blooming trees and blossoming roses. It’s the season when God makes all things new. Although sometimes the winter seems long and never-ending, we have to remember that spring is coming. Even as the snow covers the ground, the plants that will come forth in the spring are already getting prepared to come out and up and astonish us with their beauty. It’s all part of God’s plan…a stage of dormancy and then an eruption of beauty. I think that says something about God’s plan for us, too.

To Gain Peace, Be Steadfast

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Most who know me well are amazed that I have not been “falling apart” lately as I go through multiple medical tests weekly, all without really coming to an answer for my medical problems. However, those who know me well also know that I have put my trust in God and my eyes remain fixed on Him. He knows the root of the problem and He has the answer. If He reveals it to a doctor and there is a treatment for it, that’s good. If not, that is okay, too, because He is in control.

That is not to say that I have been enjoying being poked, prodded, stuck and next week, I get electricity coursing through me as the doctors study my brain. No, no enjoyment here, but rather peace in the process. My mind is focused on the Lord, trusting Him to bring this all to an end in His time. I have had to postpone visits with grandchildren and other family, an extended trip with my husband to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary and other plans that I had looked forward to with great anticipation. That is all of little importance to me these days. I know that God is holding me in the palm of His hand and He knows what needs to happen for me to feel whole again. So, I wait, I trust and I keep my eyes on Him. I don’t want to be like Peter and lose my focus so that I start to sink into the deep waters; instead, I am spending more time in God’s Word, talking to Him continually and asking Him to show me what to do next. Trust is an easy thing when there are no tests or trials, but the more trials that come along, the harder it is to trust. I am determined to be steadfast in my pursuit of the Lord, regardless of outward circumstances. I hope that is where you find yourself, too…peacefully waiting for God to act and trusting that in His time, He will.

Don’t Give Up

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

I have heard a lot of discouraged people bemoaning the state of the world and the rampant sin that is taking over. God told us that this was coming, so we shouldn’t be surprised. Neither should we give up on the mission that He left for us to do.

The “he” in this Scripture is Jesus (read all of Hebrews 12 for the context). Jesus endured all kinds of spiteful treatment even before He was nailed to the cross. The Pharisees and Sadducees kept trying to trap him into saying something that would turn the people against him. They were incensed at his popularity and wanted to find a way to discredit him so kept asking him “trick” questions. For Jesus, though, they were like little bugs biting at him to no avail. He did not give up on the mission that God had sent Him to complete, i.e. the salvation of mankind and the establishment of a new covenant. Jesus gave His life for our sins and the author here points out (perhaps somewhat prophetically) that the readers have not yet given their lives for the cause of the Gospel. Of course, many early believers were martyred for their faith later; that’s why I say this could be prophetic. Nevertheless, we are called upon to be like Jesus and not to give up. When the world gets darker, we are to shine brighter. When the world seems to have lost their way, we are to show them the only way. When all seems lost, we are to remember that Jesus was and is victorious! No matter what ridicule or condemnation we face in this life, it will be worth it in the end because we will see Jesus and live with Him forever. The MSM paints Christian conservatives as a fringe group, but we are the Army of the Victorious Savior, and we are not giving up on the fight to win souls for Him. We will never give up, never turn away, never stop fighting in His Name for righteousness and truth!