I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I would like to recommend that you read the entire chapter of I Samuel 15 before reading this post. But I will summarize it just in case your time is short since my post is based on this chapter.
Samuel had recently anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel and then he gave Saul a task. He tells him that the Lord wants him to go and destroy the Amalekites because of their treatment of Israel when they were crossing the wilderness. (15:2-3). So Saul gathers his forces and attacks, but he does not follow the Lord’s command that Samuel clearly told him. Saul was commanded to destroy everything and kill all of the Amalekites. Instead, he captured King Agag and took plunder of the livestock. When Samuel came to see Saul after the battle, Saul greeted him with the lie that he had done just as he was told to do. With what I consider a “gotcha” moment, Samuel asked Saul why he could hear sheep and cows if they were all dead. (15:13-15) Caught in his lie, Saul says that the Israelites planned to offer the animals as a sacrifice to the Lord. God didn’t ask for a sacrifice but for obedience and Samuel makes very clear to Saul that he is losing the throne he just got because of his rebellion. (15:18-23) Saul’s answer is very telling about the condition of his heart.
Instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, Saul blames the people over whom he rules. Not even close to true repentance and definitely too little, too late.
Lest you think that this Biblical story does not apply to you, I would like to point out that many of us are guilty of the same kind of rebellion that Saul practiced. We think our way is better, even when God clearly gives us other instructions. Then when we are caught and facing consequences, we tend to point to others who influenced us. Saul lost his kingdom because of his rebellion. We either obey God completely when He tells us what to do or we are choosing to rebel. God set the course for the entire earth and He is not One who allows rebellion to fester because it leads to others thinking it’s okay so they follow suit. We don’t have a kingdom to lose but how many blessings have we lost out on because we have chosen to go our own way? God opens a door and says to go through it, But, in our own power and what we consider intelligence, we open another door, enter and then when things don’t work out, we rail against God. God then gently but sternly will remind us that was not His plan for us but He allowed us to follow our own plan so that we could learn a valuable lesson, i.e. God’s plan is better and the only one that will succeed, the one that is best for us.
There is a lot of rebellion against God and His commands taking place in our world today. Transgenderism and homosexuality are sins that are rebellion against God. I can hear your sighing and thanking God that you are not guilty of those sins. But we are all guilty of rebellion at some time or another, little fires that we don’t notice that then become big conflagrations in our lives. TV time or devotional with God? Reading a book that you enjoy or prioritizing your time and spending time with God’s Word? I know I am guilty of making wrong choices at times and need to repent, back up and do what I know God would want me to do.
So what do we do when we head in the wrong direction and do the wrong thing? We should genuinely repent and ask God to forgive us instead of using the half-hearted “sorry, not sorry” blame game that Saul employed. God’s Word tells us that He is faithful to forgive if we confess and repent. (I John 1:9) God wants obedience, not sacrifice, and that starts in our attitudes and our hearts. I don’t want to stand before the Father and hear the words “Too little, too late” and I don’t think you do, either.
For a look at genuine repentance, read Psalm 51, David’s plea for forgiveness that is heartfelt and doesn’t blame anyone except himself for his own shortcomings. David was a man and he sinned, but he also repented. I think that is why he received Saul’s kingdom and God called him “a man after his own heart.”
When I read today’s scripture verses, I was hard pressed to understand how God who knows all would establish a king who would fail Him by disobeying. My answer is that God loves us and gives us chances to make the right choices, just as Adam and Eve had a choice in the Garden of Eden. When we fail, and we will because of our humanity, we need to be like David and genuinely repent. Turn away from the sin, change our ways and turn back towards God. God knows our hearts and what we are capable of as well as what rebellion lurks there if we allow it to come in. We have to force the door closed on anything that is not from God, choosing to honor Him in our actions and words, for our good always. Be a David and not a Saul. Don’t make excuses to God…just repent and change. God is a God of great grace, mercy and forgiveness, but we have to want Him more than we want our own way.
The Church is God’s Sacred Space (Daily Refresh, 4-11-26)
Back when the Old Testament stories were still being lived out, God designated sacred spaces for His people to meet with Him.
First, God planted a garden in Eden—a beautiful space in paradise for His prized creations. Next, the tabernacle was a portable space in the wilderness for the Israelites who’d been rescued from Egyptian slavery. Then, the temple was a permanent space in Jerusalem for the people of Israel.
In all instances, these were specially chosen places of worship, as well as tangible signs of God’s presence.
The Creator of everything that exists can’t be confined to a garden, a tent, or a building, but it was in those sacred spaces where heaven and earth could overlap.
Fun fact: Garden imagery is all over the decorative details of both the tabernacle and the temple: palm trees and pomegranates, water lilies and almond blossoms, lions and oxen, vibrant colors and precious metals. Such designs are meant to point back to the beginning—before things went wrong.
Because a holy God loves sinful people, we have a separation problem. That’s why priests were appointed as representatives—mediators for things like worship, sacrifices, and atonement. And though it worked for a while, it was only a temporary solution.
But when Jesus showed up, He not only fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and temple purposes, but He also bridged the gap. No longer was there a need for a temple made of wood or stone, but of flesh and blood. No longer was there a need for endless sacrifices, because Jesus, the ultimate High Priest, had provided the ultimate sacrifice—Himself. Finally, God’s Spirit could now dwell with and inside of His people, the new and improved “temple.”
That’s why Paul asked the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
We serve a God who meets people where they are: in the garden, in the wilderness, in the temple, in themselves.
So if you’re a follower of Christ, remember: You are the place where His Spirit now dwells. You are the vessel in which He lives and moves and works and empowers. You are the place where heaven has crashed into earth.
My Thoughts
God meets me right here, wherever I am. If I am in my den doing a devotional, God is right there. If I am in the car headed to yet another medical appointment or test, God is with me. If I am enjoying fun times coloring eggs with grandchildren, God is with me. Jesus said that He would never leave nor forsake us. The fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in me gives life and meaning to this verse. I have been reading the Old Testament a lot in my devotionals and just read the part in which Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem and God’s presence came among the people there. This devotional says that the temple was meant to be permanent. But we know history and know that it was destroyed, just as Jesus predicted that it would be. But we are God’s permanent temple here on earth, His dwelling place. I am in awe and wonder that the God of the entire Universe chooses to make me a dwelling place for His Spirit. He is as close as my next breath and right there for each pain I feel and each tear that falls. I want to be worthy of His presence, but I am not without the saving blood and grace of Jesus. His sacrifice made me worthy to be a temple of the Lord. That, my friends, is worth pondering and being thankful for…until we meet God in person, He meets us daily right where we are. Hallelujah!
In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.
Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn’t—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.
My Thoughts
This book is filled with drama, family dynamics, the importance of friendships and the theme seems to be learning to be there for others and to truly be your best self. This powerful story packs a punch as Charlotte travels to Italy after her husband tells her he wants a divorce. Going along with her are her best friend Sloane and Julian, Sloane’s brother and a good friend of Charlotte’s. They are going for emotional support because not only has Charlotte just been dumped by her husband, she is also facing a deadline on her new book that she is writing and has discovered a secret about her family that makes a big difference in who she thinks she is. This novel is fast-paced, with romance mixed into the drama and friendships and loyalty encircling everything. Told with the author’s signature style of wrapping a compelling and delightful story around characters that are dynamic, unique and relatable. This captivating story includes romance, strong imagery in a gorgeous setting, and characters sensitive to the needs of others. The novel shows the skillful plotting of a master storyteller as the conflicts that each character faces is dealt with in a way that shows the emotional depth of the book while also being massively entertaining. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, the places that they visited in Italy and the detailed description of each, and the resolutions to each of their issues. The ending was somewhat predictable but so satisfying that I was engaged all the way from beginning to end, and I really didn’t want the story to end. Meet Me In Italy is a slam dunk romance, amazingly refreshing and has a brilliant complexity as well as a sweet portrayal of family dynamics and friendships that are steadfastly supportive. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and also purchased my own copy. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Contemporary Fiction, Rated PG-15
About the Author
Brenda Novak is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with more than twelve million books in print, translated into twenty different languages. She’s written over seventy-five novels and has one of the most interactive book groups on Facebook. Her monthly reads coincide with those featured in the Brenda Novak Book Boxes, which contain autographed books from today’s most popular authors. Website: https://brendanovak.com/
Do you recall when you were young and your siblings and friends would taunt you with a challenge that would start something like this: “I betcha can’t…” And you would strive to prove them wrong by accepting the challenge.
God always, always always is ready to meet you right where you are and accept the challenge of convincing you that He loves you with an everlasting love and that He will keep His promises. As humans, we make half-hearted token promises that we may or may not keep depending on how hard they are for us to carry out and sometimes to whom we make them. God doesn’t worry about difficulty levels and He treats all people the same. If He put it in His Word, He keeps it.
Promises God Has Kept
He led the Israelite people to the promised land, keeping His covenant promise with Abraham.
He provided a Savior, just as he said He would in Genesis 3:15.
He promised Noah to never again destroy the earth with a flood. The rainbow is our sign that He remembers and is keeping His promise.
He promised that David would always have someone on the throne. Jesus is in the lineage of King David and He reigns eternally.
He promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us and remind us of everything that Jesus taught. The Holy Spirit resides inside us if we are Christians and is always right there to help us make right choices and to remember what a right choice looks like.
You see where I am going with this? God keeps His promises, every time. There are no days when we cannot depend on Him. What are some promises that you can think of that God has made real to you in your personal life?
My favorite promise is that Jesus said He would return, and we can count on the fact that He will so we need to be prepared.
These are scripture verses that remind me of God’s faithfulness, even in the hard times. Maybe I should say, especially in the hard times.
When I saw my neurologist yesterday for my EMG (a rough and terribly painful test), he said I would likely need surgery on my spine and the EMG showed some nerve damage from my spine being compressed. I told the doctor that my body is not in rebellion. Instead, it is holding a revolution. He chuckled at that. Then, I told him that I believed God would take care of me even though, as I said, “my warranty has expired.” I told Dr. Smith that I had prayed about my health issues with God and my “expired warranty” and He told me that He was with me until the end. The only way to renew my warranty is to go to see God. Well, I am ready when God is, but meanwhile, I am not betting against God. He always keeps His promises and He has promised to take care of me. Will life be easy? No, there are no promises for an “easy road” in life. The promise is that He will be right there, never leaving, always beside, before and behind us.
One of my favorite verses that I have memorized this year.
I hope that you are standing on God’s promises and not choosing to follow your own plans. Remember that when you bet against God, you cannot win. But when you stand with God, you cannot lose.
First, I will explain to you what the definition of “whimsy” is so that you understand the title of my post. Whimsy according to the online dictionary means:
Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from my neurologist about the results of my MRI. You know how an IPhone transcribes voice messages? This is a screenshot of what I saw when I checked my voicemail.
I laughed out loud that “Duck Smith” had called me. And even better the MRI was a game. Who knew?
I love to laugh and joke around a lot, so this tickled my funny bone and helped me to laugh even though the diagnosis wasn’t so great. Apparently, I need to see a surgeon (which I already knew and have an appointment for) since I have five herniated discs in my spine and lots of compression of nerves going on. Now, back to whimsy.
If you read the headlines of the newspapers, you will probably get stressed. If you listen to news all the time, you will probably get stressed. Instead, I choose to read my Bible, starting the day with God’s Word. Sometimes, I find humor in what God says because it’s like He’s shouting at the people, “You aren’t listening to me!” And indeed, they didn’t listen, just as we sometimes don’t listen. God says “go” and we sit and wait for Him to tell us more loudly, or perhaps to dump us out of our chair and onto the floor just to get our attention.
I also enjoy reading fiction, much to the dismay of my husband who only reads (besides the news) non-fiction like biographies, memoirs and other educational things that he can then expound upon and debate. Debating is one of his favorite things, but it’s not mine, so I just listen, comment rarely and he moves on to the next topic. Anyway, I read a lot of clean fiction that amuses me, inspires me and entertains me. I find it a lot better than most of the TV shows that are prevalent today.
I do like PureFlix and its choices of shows. Last week, before my daughter and her family arrived, I was tired of reading so I decided to watch a show on PureFlix. But I couldn’t get signed in. So, I called customer service. One hour and thirty-five minutes later, a nice, heavily accented voice answered. At last! A person! Another forty-five minutes later, she had my PureFlix account working again…shut down, remove the app, install the app, shut off the internet, turn it on again. The directions seemed endless. I thanked her for her help and her patience, but by then, it was too late for me to want to watch a show. So the next day, I turned on PureFlix. Uh-oh! It wouldn’t start up again. Not wanting to call and remain in a queue for over an hour again, I tried to remember the steps the nice lady had told me (Who knew that I should have been taking notes?) and got it on again within a few minutes. This was whimsical to me because my being able to get an electronic gadget to work without my son right there next to me is an unusual occurrence. But it happened!
I joke with my family that my body parts are deciding to rebel and they have recently joined together in a revolution. I could whine, moan and complain but that doesn’t help me or anyone else. Yes, the pain is there. So? It’s part of aging. Accept it and move on. Shoulder pain? Yep! Back pain? Yep! Surgery? Nope! Not if I can help it. I like surgeons. They are genuinely nice people with great skills, but I don’t like the idea of being asleep while someone digs around inside of me and tries to fix things. I feel like an old car where the mechanic looks inside and says, “Well, I can fix it, but it’s going to cost you.” The cost is not always monetary either when it’s your body. I have had more than one physician tell me that I don’t need to worry about cost because my insurance will pay. That’s true…because of my husband’s military insurance, we are well covered. But just because the insurance will pay for it doesn’t mean that I want to have the surgery. Surgery is unpredictable, the outcome is uncertain and I prefer not to have it unless there is no other alternative and only then if God gives me the green light.
I like things that are whimsical, like a flower growing in a field of weeds and a child smiling as though they have a secret that they will never share. I don’t pick the flower because I want others to enjoy it. And I don’t demand that the child tell me the truth because I want that smiling light to continue to shine in their eyes. I want the child to trust me and talk to me when they are ready.
You know, that brings me to the end of my discourse on whimsy. God is like that to us. He knows what we need, He sees what we need and He wants us to spend time with Him talking to Him about what we think we need. It’s okay to talk to God without being all serious and speaking in a stern voice. When I talk to God, I talk to Him as though He is a friend and a Father. I laugh with Him, cry with Him, rant about my issues and then sit quietly and wait for Him to speak to me or reassure me that He is right there, going through whatever the current problem is right alongside me. God is One who is big enough to handle my swinging emotions and understands that sometimes I need to vent and sometimes I need to laugh. Today was a day to laugh a little and enjoy the new day that God has given me.
Yesterday started as an Eeyore kind of day. You know what I mean, right? Eeyore is Pooh’s friend who can’t see any good in anything. You see, yesterday was the last day our daughter and younger grandkids would be here since they left early this morning. I was looking forward to a day filled with fun and activities with them: games, an outing to a park, maybe a Christian movie together and definitely spending time with them. Then, the bug hit me.
Instead of time with the granddaughters, I spent the day in bed and in the bathroom. Neither of those were part of my plan for the day.
But you know what? I had my bedroom door ajar so my cat could come and go freely. From my bed, I could see the girls enjoying a fast game of Spicy Uno (Uno with some additional rules, like no one can speak when a 7 is played until another 7 is played.) The four of them were laughing together and having a great time as sisters do. Then, I watched Tinslea teach the youngest one some dance moves that she had made up. The patience and love she showed her little sister amazed me! I also watched Teya, the oldest sister and the one who is living with us until August, make each of the girls some lunch and they sat and ate together, chatting about their plans for the day and about Teya’s wedding in August. After that it was time for our daughter Hope to take Teryn back to college. Big hugs were spontaneously shared and I waved goodbye from my bed, telling Teagan to give Teryn a big hug from me.
Yes, I would have enjoyed all that I had planned, but I found that I also enjoyed watching the girls interact and care for each other, sharing good times that they have missed for the last few months. I don’t think God made me ill but I do think that He redeemed the time for our granddaughters to have some special time together before they went their separate ways again. God always has a plan and it’s always a good one.
So, even though, I am still feeling slightly under the weather, I am so thankful that I had time with our daughter and her girls. We went to church together on Easter Sunday, enjoyed our own times of playing games and watching a movie and chatting. Yesterday was just for the sisters, and I am grateful that God gave them that precious time together.
I know that you are reading the title and thinking, “Okay. Now her brain is going bonkers because I was sure she believed in prayer.” Why, yes, I do. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to find an email this morning from an author named Heather Taber. She is new to me, but based on her philosophy about prayer, I know that I would enjoy her books since her thoughts are refreshingly honest.
Here is the link to her substack post about prayer:
Pondering her conclusions, I decided that she is right. Prayer doesn’t work because it isn’t meant to “work.” It is a conversation with God, not a way for me to talk God into doing exactly what I want when I want it. Once the relationship with God is established, then my will becomes more aligned with His and my prayers become what they are meant to be, a way to tell my Father what is going on in my life and to ask for His help in solving problems. Read the post from Heather and let me know what you think. Honestly, I had never thought of it this way. I have often said to myself and others that God is not a genie in a bottle that we take out and talk to when we feel desperate or have lost hope in everything else. Heather says things in a way that is understandable and that I could definitely relate to.
Having said that, let me tell you about another answered prayer. I had my MRI on my back yesterday. I was understandably nervous since I knew I had to lie down in a supine position and was told that the test could take up to an hour. An hour in what I call the thumping machine? Well, we went to the afternoon service at church (with our daughter and granddaughters, which was a real blessing) and then Harry and I headed to the hospital for my MRI. The technicians could not have been more compassionate or caring. From the time they loaded me into the wheelchair in the ER to take me to the MRI suite, they treated me as valuable and worth their time, even though it was Easter and they were not with loved ones. The test itself was the easiest one I have ever undergone. I went into the machine feet first, so the usual claustrophobic feeling wasn’t there since my head was barely in the tube. The test only took about fifteen minutes and done! I had prayed for nice technicians…answered. I had prayed that I wouldn’t be claustrophobic and panic in the machine for so long…answered times two since the test was much shorter than expected. And I had prayed that I would feel God close beside me as I was tested. We sang a song in church right before we went to the hospital and the chorus was “The Lord is with me.” I kept singing that to myself in the chamber…answer number three in a totally unexpected way. God has a way of surprising us with answers that we didn’t expect at all. I am not sure what I expected but answers were not it. I was just kind of “along for the ride” and hoping that God was driving. He heard and He answered; after all, the most important part of prayer is establishing a relationship before you really, really need an answer, right?
I hope that my testimony has stimulated your faith to ask for the small things and then expect them to happen, in God’s way and in His timing. God will surprise you with His great love for you and His desire that you trust Him.
One of my memory verses this month and one I turn to often for reassurance. It was also one that I was quoting to myself in the MRI tube. I call it “hiding God’s word in my heart.”
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 