Tag: Bible

Shine His Light

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

Our tendency as a part of a population of people…our friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc…to try to fit in with others. So, as darkness covers the earth and the world becomes more corrupt, we have to remember that we are called to be different, to be the light that the world needs. When others say that abortion is just a medical procedure to take care of an unwanted pregnancy, the light within should loudly proclaim that abortion is murder. When the world is telling us that we need to accept the new morality, twenty or so genders and homosexuality is being normalized even in some church congregations, we need to shine the light of His truth. God created two genders, period. And He created man for woman and woman for man. His word calls homosexuality an abomination; it’s not an old-fashioned idea but rather truth from the Bible. If we don’t shine His light, then we are choosing to participate in the darkness. Jesus put His light into our hearts so that we could shine, so we must shine brightly, even as the world around us accepts more and more darkness. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…let it shine ’til Jesus comes.” Together, we are a beacon of light telling the world the truth about God’s Word and His standards that are for our good always.

The Greater Light

From the gentle morning sun rays that break through your window in the morning to the headlights that guide you on your way home at night, light is a constant presence.

Yet, there is a greater Light than any physical light we know…

In Isaiah 60:1, the prophet speaks of this greater Light. And his words are more than pretty poetry and a prophecy; they are a call to action, an encouragement for God’s people to find hope—Light, in the midst of darkness (Isaiah 59:9-10):
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1
This Light is a beacon of hope, the picture of salvation and spiritual awakening. This Light is the true Light, the Messiah—Jesus Christ. He is the light God’s people needed then (Isaiah 59:9-10), and He is the light our hearts desperately need today.
In a world that sometimes can feel like it’s drowning in darkness—disasters, wars, injustice, and suffering—Isaiah’s message is an invitation to embrace God’s true Light of salvation, revealed in the New Testament to be Jesus Christ. Let this light shine brightly within you, driving out the shadows of darkness and illuminating the path for those who don’t know this Light.

Pause for a moment. Imagine a world filled with the light of God’s love and truth. Can you imagine a world where the light of Christ shines from the windows of every home and down every street…

God wants to use you—yes, you—to shine His light.

Lost Sheep

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Have you ever seen a real sheep wandering around and making the “Baa” sound that we sing about from nursery rhymes? I haven’t seen one often, but I did see a couple when I visited Iceland many years ago. The sheep are all free range and there are laws against harming them. So, they wander freely, get away from their home and “baa” incessantly as they try to find their way back to something familiar. I think that we can learn a lot from sheep and so did the prophet Jeremiah.

Image created on Canva. Scripture from the YouVersion Bible App.

God’s people are compared to lost sheep, but the sheep are not all lost because of wandering away. Their shepherds, the ones responsible for leading them, has led them to the wrong place and then set them loose there. Thus, they are completely lost and can’t find their way home again. Unlike the nation of Iceland in which sheep are protected, the only protection we have against false leaders is God. However, we are only protected as long as we stay in His Word, know what it says and that way we can recognize false leaders and the trails they want to lead us on. Some “shepherds” would have us believe that the Bible doesn’t mean what it says. False! They want us to think that there are many ways to get to Heaven, and one way is as good as another. False! These false “shepherds” want us to call evil good and good evil. False! We don’t recognize the falsehoods unless we know what the truth says, and the truth can only be found in the Holy Bible.

My advice to my readers who are followers of Christ is to read, study, memorize, hold fast to God’s Word. Surely the fake leaders are everywhere these days, so you have to be aware of that in order to avoid being fooled. It’s like the bank tellers who are trained to spot counterfeit money. They know the real thing because that’s what they spend time with! Jesus is the real thing, the ONLY way to Heaven, the One who leads us on the pathway to being more like Him and the One who calls out evil and expects us to do likewise. Don’t be fooled by those who want you to take an “easier road” because that way may lead to being lost and ultimately to eternal destruction. Keep following Jesus no matter how many wolves in sheep’s clothing you encounter. In the end, you will not be a lost sheep but the found one!

Be Strong

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song2 Comments

How does one go about getting strong so you can be strong? The physical trainer will say that exercise is the solution. Lift weights, use a bike or a treadmill, or join the latest fad on a Peloton. What does being strong mean? Does it mean that your brain and other faculties are working well, in sync with each other, so that you feel well and healthy? Some of the health gurus would tell you which vitamins to take and foods to eat and what you should avoid to make your body stronger. But my focus is on our spiritual body. How does one get strong in the Lord?

There is really only one way that I know of and that is to spend time with Him, reading His Word and talking to Him. God speaks to us through His Word, inspires us to personalize His Word through His Holy Spirit and makes us stronger in Him as we grow closer to Him. It’s important to spend time with God every day, not neglecting to strengthen our spiritual body, the part of us that will live forever with our Father in Heaven. Many train for marathons and long bicycle races with hours of endurance runs or rides. We are training for a race that will take us into the presence of the King of Kings, so we cannot grow weary and give up in the middle. We have to keep running that race, keep picking up our Bible daily and looking to His Word as our source for wisdom and strength. God’s power is endless, infinite as He is. In our finite minds, it is hard to conceive of a power that created the world from nothing and rules it with sacrificial love. But it is that power, that strength that we need to tap into and hold on tightly once we do. It is only in being plugged into our source of power that we can then be a source for others to get plugged in and come out know our Mighty God.

Be Strong in the Lord

Expect the Unexpected

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Have you ever looked forward to something that you have planned and really, really can’t wait for it to happen? That was me last week. I have been in MD taking care of grandchildren for about six weeks now. I miss my comforts of home, my husband and my kitty terribly. But I knew that this season of my life would be ending in about three more weeks. My husband plans to come up for Christmas together here and then we would head home.

Sometimes what we plan doesn’t happen just as we plan it, but it doesn’t mean that God was caught by surprise or that He isn’t still in control. On Monday, my son told me that they have a glitch in their plan and wanted to know if I can stay another month. I tried hard not to show how I was feeling, but inside, my heart was racing and I was asking God, “Why, God? You know I miss Harry and home and was looking forward to going back, relaxing again, all of the things I normally do? Now, another month in MD?” When I spoke to my husband, he was dismayed but not surprised and he said that we would work it out so he can visit more often and I won’t feel so lonely. I have only seen him for four days in the last six weeks, but the future plan is for him to come for Christmas and then every other week until I can go home again. So, resignation as well as hope for the future is still in my heart.

Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for the time that I have with my beloved grandchildren. They are precious, but they keep me oh, so busy and so tired at times. Their energy is boundless whereas mine is waning. But God knows all of that, too. He keeps reminding me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness and that I can do all things through Christ.

With that being said, here are some Scripture verses from my devotional today.

Praise God for the hope He puts into His Word!
This is a hard one, to be still when plans fall apart. But I’m learning.
This is one of the things that God has called me to do in this household. What a privilege it is to let HIS light shine through me to the members of this household, especially the children!
My prayer for each of you.

This is a season for me in which not much time is my own. Early in the morning, I do my devotions and I go downstairs for bed about 8 every night so that I can read and relax before falling asleep. Whatever minutes that are mine, I cherish because that is the time to re-boot, to re-charge and to wait on God to show me His truth and His will for me during these days of separation from what is familiar.

May God richly bless you during this holiday season and may each of us, separately and together, form a strong bond that reaches hands across the earth and binds us to each other and to the Lord.