A Potpourri of Verses

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

As I spent time reading God’s Word and my devotionals this morning, several verses spoke to my heart, so I will share each of them with you and pray that they will also touch you wherever you are and whatever circumstance you are facing.

Hoping in the Lord is not some “pie in the sky, by and by” promise. It is real because God is real and we can be strong because we do hope in Him. Our hope is not in leaders of the world or even in ourselves. Our hope is in the One who made us and all that we can see around us. During this season of joy, it’s easy to forget that some are mourning and struggling through the days. I pray that they can find hope in a relationship with the One who loves them most.

I always thought of this verse in terms of material or physical things, but today the Lord showed me that the hope that has been fulfilled is Jesus Christ coming to earth and planting the tree of eternal life in our souls. We don’t have to wait; he is right there beckoning us to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Good news!

Many times, I get ahead of the Lord and move at my pace instead of His. The best thing I can do is to wait quietly for Him to show me the next step, for it is in the waiting that I find the right path that leads ultimately to salvation.

We don’t shine because of who we are. We shine because we reflect the glory of the Son, the One who came as a child and grew to be a man who died for us. It is a wise person who recognizes Jesus for who He is and allows Him to be King of your heart, soul and mind.

I hope that at least one of these verses spoke to your heart today and ministered to you. Let me know in the comments if that is so or another verse that is calling out to you today. We are all in this together, rowing the boat towards Heaven, and encouraging each other daily with His Word.

May the Lord bless you and you bless others. Have a wonderful day of peace and worship in the Lord!

Finding Joy in the Hard Times

On By vickleaIn Dr. Denison’s Forum, Quotation and Citations, Scripture1 Comment

I haven’t written a lot about what has been going on in my life recently because I didn’t want to share how hard things suddenly became for me. We went to our son’s house on Thanksgiving and I ended up staying for two additional weeks to do childcare, similar to what I did last year. The difference this year is twofold: one, I had not prepared to stay, so I did not have a lot of my warm things with me; and two, the infant is now a very active toddler and my seven decades have difficulty keeping up with him. I have been home this week as my son and his family celebrate at Disney. I am so blessed to be home for almost two weeks, spending time with my beloved kitty and my even more loved spouse, taking care of errands and just settling comfortably into my chair with a warm blanket tucked around me. Next week I return to Maryland and my duties there. Yes, the work is harder for me than I want it to be, but God is allowing me to be a witness for a season, so I am trying to approach the situation with joy. My husband will be with me for Christmas and then he will come back to Virginia for the month of January while I remain behind.

One of the offshoots of my stay there has been higher blood pressure, a condition that my nephrologist wants me to get under control because of the effect on my single kidney. So one of the first things I did when I returned home was schedule an appointment to see my cardiologist. I saw the physician’s assistant instead and received a prescription for a new medicine to add to my Beta blocker. Unfortunately, I reacted badly to the medicine with some rough side effects, so now I am awaiting word from the doctor’s office about what, if anything, I should do next. Meanwhile, I am praying and hoping that the high blood pressure will pass and I will level out again. As my husband said, I am anxious about my numbers as I take the reading each day, so it is not a surprise when they are higher. I am trying to control my thoughts and thus my hypertension, but I’m not too good at it.

I read in Dr. Denison’s Forum today about joy and was happy to discover a quotation from Henry Nouwen. I hope that it speaks to you as it spoke to me. I encourage you to follow the link to Dr. Denison’s post and to sign up for his Forum. He gives a refreshingly Biblical insight into current events! Dr. Denison’s Forum

Henri Nouwen observed: “Joy does not come from positive predictions about the state of the world. It does not depend on the ups and downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based on the spiritual knowledge that, while the world in which we live is shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly and clearly: ‘In the world you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have overcome the world.’

“The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God’s light is more real than all the darkness, that God’s truth is more powerful than all human lies, that God’s love is stronger than death.

Joy is not based on circumstances, but on the unwavering truth of God’s Word. And that is a fact that I can live with!

Have a blessed day and may you find joy and peace in your life, no matter the circumstances.

The Steps We Take

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Wherever we walk, there is someone looking at us and perhaps following in our footsteps. Jesus followed His Father in Heaven and His guidance in the steps He took on earth, leading Him ultimately to the cross. It’s hard to fathom, but Jesus was born to die for us. His destiny was established from the beginning of the world because God always had a plan to save mankind. Thus, His steps were ordered. So should ours be and we should always be fully cognizant of the fact that others are watching. Some scoffers watch and are gleeful when we fall. Some of the faithful are watching, praying for us to make it to the end and giving them the hope that they, too, can end this life in victory. Whatever steps we take should lead us closer to our Heavenly Father and should leave no doubt in the minds of others about our dedication to the Lord. Thus, we leave a good witness in the path behind us and forge a witness of faith for others to follow.

Note that the author of this verse is Job. The same Job who lost everything and sat in a pile of ashes afterwards, but he never lost sight of the One in whom he had complete faith. He can say that he never turned aside. It’s like setting your compass for a particular destination and following it to the end. Our one true compass who always leads in the right way is God and when we are following Him, we don’t have to worry about getting lost along the way during all of the hazards that life throws at us.

Have a blessed day and may your feet tread steadfastly in the path that God has established for you, without hesitation or wavering, but with full confidence that God goes before you.

The Mother of the Savior

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song1 Comment

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary, Did You Know?” I think that is because I am a mother and I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be pregnant as a teen, giving birth to God’s Son and knowing that His mission on earth would be a short one since His destiny was to be the Messiah for all mankind. I recall when I was pregnant with my children, all the imaginings and hopes and wishes I had for each child. I cherished the moments with them when they were growing up, watching carefully to see the choices each would make and allowing them more freedom as they matured. What must it have been like for Mary, the woman who knew she was giving birth to the One who would sacrifice His life for all of us?

This verse gives us insight into Mary’s character as a mom. She, like many of us, treasure our children’s childhood, knowing that one day they will grow up, leave home and establish a life for themselves apart from us. Mary was a human mother who had all of the love of a regular mother for her beloved son, and like most mothers, she treasured the preciousness of her time with her child.

Unlike most mothers, though, Mary received a prophecy from Simeon when she and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to be consecrated to the Lord. The prophecy included the fact that she would one day suffer tremendous sorrow because her firstborn son would die. It is not the “natural way” of things that a child should predecease a parent, but that was part of Jesus’s destiny and God’s plan of salvation. How much did Mary know? Enough. But she still was willing to be obedient and give birth to the Messiah. She didn’t cower and say, “No, not me. Choose someone else to do this hard thing.” Knowing that the road ahead would be hard, she chose to be the mother to the Man who was also God, the One who would one day die on a cross with her watching beneath it. I admire Mary’s sacrifice and fortitude, but I don’t worship her because she is not God. She was a human whom God chose to use to fulfill His plan for all of mankind and her willingness is to be remembered by us all as the ultimate sacrifice of a loving mother and obedient servant of the Most High God.

Mary, Did You Know by Pentatonix

Have a blessed day as you ponder the real meaning of the season and the sacrifice that Jesus and Mary knew that He was going to make.

My Covenant with God

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

I really didn’t understand when I first became a Christian that I was making a commitment to honor and revere God forever. I recall excitement about spending eternity with Him and not fearing death, but I do not recall the fact that I had a part in this covenant relationship, too. I am committed to spending the rest of my life serving the One who served me by sacrificing His life for me. The best way for me to serve has been to ask God daily what He wants me to accomplish and then work on achieving it. I honor Him when I do my best at the tasks He has given me to do. I revere and fear Him when I show respect for His Name and His Word. He is the Only One worthy of all of my love, honor and respect. The covenant that we make with God when we are saved from our sins works two ways. We need to acknowledge that God desires a relationship with us and work on establishing daily communication with Him. It never shows respect to turn away from God while we pursue our own pleasures. In acknowledging that God is always with me, I am more likely to be careful what I see, do and say because I want to be pleasing to Him. He wants me to be comfortable in my choices and I can only do that if I am making choices that prioritize His importance in my life. Thus, I may choose not to review a book that is objectionable or watch a show that others are raving about. I don’t do these things to be noticed by people but so that God sees that I am honoring my covenant with Him to put Him first and not do anything that would dishonor Him. Have I fallen and disappointed Him? Yes, more times than I can count. But He is always faithful to pick me up, remind me of His sacrifice being enough to sustain me and encourage me to move on, forgiven by His grace and mercy that never end. I’m in a covenant with God, but it is not an equal one as we think of covenants on earth because not only did God establish this covenant with me, but He is constantly renewing it and showing me how much He still loves me in spite of my failures.

He has never stopped loving me and for that I am thankful.

May your day be blessed with the knowledge of just how much God loves you and sustains you each day.

Open My Eyes

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Sometimes, I think that I am going through the world with a blindfold on. Other times, I’m sure of it! Then there are the times that I slow down, really look around and appreciate God’s creation. This morning during my devotional, God was speaking to me about becoming more aware of all of the wonders that can be found in His Word. Daily, I sit and read and study my Bible, meditate on verses and pray. But it has become a rote thing that I do, not always the joy it should be as God speaks to my heart through His Word. I don’t want it to be an automatic thing to get done, like brushing and flossing my teeth. I want my time with God’s Word to be spent with my eyes completely open and my heart ready to receive from Him. That is my prayer for me today and for all of my dear followers and readers who are seeking a closer walk with Him.

The wonderful things are already in God’s Word. I just have to be ready to receive them. I realized that my receiver is on but my antenna is not fully extended so I’m not getting the signal properly all of the time. Today is a new day to extend my antenna and just wait for God to speak wonderful things to me from the guidebook that He left me (and you).

May your day be blessed with open eyes and a receiving heart!

Help Me to Do My Part

On By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

I often despair when I hear or read the headlines of daily events in our world. It is so apparent that darkness is winning. But, taken from the perspective of God’s Word, what is happening is only for a season. We who are believers in Jesus Christ know that His ultimate triumph is assured, and good does overcome evil. In the meantime, while we wait for His deliverance, it is a good thing to ask God daily to show us what part we can play in overcoming evil with good. No matter how small, we can make a difference!

God will guide us to do the work that He has purposed for each of us, if we are open vessels for Him. We all live in darkness these days, but God has placed us as lights in the darkness so that we can guide others onto the path of peace. Jesus is our example, a rising sun that we can reflect to others.

It’s honestly beyond comprehension that Jesus can be the light of all mankind and that He uses each of us to shine the light that began with Him. So, yes, there is definitely darkness in the world, with evil being called good by evil, manipulative people. But, we win in the end…we just have to persevere and keep asking God to help each of us do our part.

May your day be blessed with a multitude of reminders of how you can help God’s final purpose, fulfilling your destiny and God’s plan for your life.

Overcomer

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song2 Comments

I am an overcomer, and so are you if you are a Christian. Following in the path that the Lord has prepared for us, we cannot always expect the way to be easy. But we can know without a doubt that Jesus goes before us. Since He overcame all that life on earth and Satan threw at Him, we can, too. It takes faith, perseverance and steadfastness, but we can do it!

Overcomer-Mandisa

Have a blessed and glorious day in the Lord!