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 believe what the Bible says about God’s creating everything. I am not a proponent of combining science and the Bible and coming up with new theories about how everything came to be. I just believe what God said. After all, He is the Creator and He was the only One there at the time, so I will take Him at His word.
Many like to refute the truth of the Old Testament, saying that it is no longer relevant so people need to only pay attention to what is in the New Testament. Really? ALL of God’s Word is relevant and necessary if we want to truly get to know Him. But for those who need verses from the New Testament that point to God as Creator, there are many.
Not only did God create everything to begin with, He puts the people in power who are on thrones or even in the Capitol building. It is hard for me to grasp that, but I think of it as, “God put them there for this season and He will be the One to remove them when that season is over.” We were created “through Him” but notice that we were also created “for Him.” We were created to have a relationship with God and it is to our detriment that we turn away and choose not to do so.
Scientists want to prove everything with things that they can explain with math formulas and experiments and observation. We Christians, however, know that understanding that God formed everything is by faith. We can’t experiment with faith or come up with a good math formula that replicates it. There are all kinds of physics laws, but one I remember from long ago is that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. I suppose that is true when man tries to create something from nothing or totally destroy something so that it no longer exists. But God created the laws of the Universe and He doesn’t have to operate within their boundaries. He created something from nothing and He can also totally destroy things so that they no longer exist. If you don’t believe me, read Genesis 1 and then turn to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. The towns were there and then they weren’t, due to their great sin. We can trust that God’s Word is always true and that He is in control of all that He has made. What we cannot trust is mankind’s idea of putting God in a box and commanding Him to stay there until they are ready to let Him out or need Him for something. God is not the genie in the bottle, ready to appear when we want Him to. He is always there, always looking, always listening, and ever waiting for us to accept Him as not only our Creator but also our Savior.
It amazes me that the God who made everything knew we would need a Savior and planned for Jesus and our redemption from the beginning. Read Genesis 3:15 and see the plan’s beginning. In this month in which we celebrate the Resurrection, we can also see the evidence of new life as flowers and trees bud and blossom. They are the visible representation of the new life that God has for us if we just accept it.
Creation was God’s plan. How did He do it? I don’t know and I don’t have to know because I have the faith to believe that He said it and that makes it true.
I hope that you all know the story of Jonah. God told him to go and preach to Nineveh, but Jonah had his own ideas and ran away from God. As a result, there was a big storm at sea, the boat he was on was about to wreck and Jonah knew that he was the reason. So, he told the sailors to throw him overboard (since he was the one who was disobeying God) and they would be fine. The sailors did, and God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. He stayed there for three days and nights. Hmm. It would be interesting to know what he was doing during that time, but I would guess some heavy thinking and repenting since once the fish spit him out, he went where God had told him to go in the first place.
God has appointed things for each of us to do and He gets our attention in ways that only the Creator can. He has a plan and He will work His plan, with or without our cooperation. It is a much better idea to go along with God’s plan to begin with than to come up with our own “better idea.” There is no better plan than God’s and no way that we can circumvent His plan. Jonah found that out the hard way. Perhaps we would prefer to spend more time with God, find out what He wants us to do and then follow through. After all, God can get our attention and get us back on track, but He would probably prefer if we would not get off track to begin with.
Each of us is a special creation by God, made uniquely for a purpose that only we can fulfill. The people in my life are not the same as those in yours. The places I go are not the same either. Thus, the lives I touch with the message of God’s great love and forgiveness are different than yours. God gave us a great task to complete, to tell all about His Son. He will carry out His purpose in the world with or without our cooperation, but if we get in step with God’s plan, we are showing God that we trust His plan and that we want to be a part of it. I need to pray daily about what God wants me to do that day to fulfill the reason He created me. Some days, it’s a simple act of kindness. Other days, He puts specific people on my mind that I should pray for or contact. Every day, I have to be open to hear His direction, or as I call them, my daily marching orders.
The message we share with the world is a simple one. God showed, God sent, we live.
Sometimes it is hard to be a good witness to others. I get really frustrated and tired at times. I think the reason is that I have to spend more time with God and ask Him to help me to see other people the way He sees them.
Moses and Aaron were the leaders of the Israelites, appointed by God to lead them away from Egypt. Before they went before the people that they were leading, they had to first go before God themselves. Once they did the preparation, they were ready to tackle the task and God showed His approval by sending His glory before all of them.
I am no Moses or Aaron, but if I am going to be an effective minister to others, in any capacity, I have to first appear before God myself. I need to spend time in prayer and worship and in His Word. My time with God needs to be quality time, not just to “get it done” and move on to the next thing. I know that God is there with me, but when I leave my prayer chair, I want to know that He goes with me so that what I speak and what I do is pleasing to Him. I am aware that I often disappoint the Lord because I miss opportunities that He has given me to serve and to say. I don’t want that to be the pattern of my life. Rather, I want the pattern to be one of taking what I get from God to others who need Him as much as I do.
If all I do is go into God’s presence and I never come out in to the world to serve, I am not fulfilling His plan for me in the world that He created. So, my prayer is that I can be a faithful servant who goes in with God and comes out with Him, too, ready to share and to be His ambassador to a hurting world.
Yesterday was my every six month visit with my primary care physician. One of the things that I do when I go to the doctor is tell him how I have been physically for the previous six months. Achy bones, visits to the ER, consultations with specialists, lab tests and results and blood pressure are all topics that I tell him about. Wonder what he would do if, after telling him all I had to say, I picked up my purse and walked out of the exam room? I think he would be concerned about my sanity for one, and he would probably insist that I sit back down and listen to what he has to say.
Sometimes, I think I go before God and tell Him my list of complaints, maladies and wish list, and then, before He can say a word to me, I get busy doing something else. Not very respectful, is it? God wants us to learn to listen to Him just as we listen to our doctors and others that we trust to take care of our physical body. God is taking care of our body, soul and spirit, so the least we can do is take the time to hear what He has to say.
God speaks to us in His Word, but we have to apply it to ourselves personally and ask the Lord to help us make His Word and its truth a daily part of our lives. We cannot know God’s teaching and commands if we don’t habitually and faithfully read and study His Word.
If I went into the doctor’s office, told him my problems and then told him that I knew just what he needed to do to make me better, I don’t think it would turn out well for me. One of us in that office has a degree in medicine and I’m not the one. It’s the same with trusting God. He is the only One who knows everything, sees everything and can point me in the right direction. I go to God in prayer daily, and I am training myself to be still after I pray and to just listen. God will speak to my heart if I will be quiet and let Him know that I am willing to hear what He has to say.
Taking up my cross daily means a daily denial of “me first” and consciously making decisions that put Jesus first. Sometimes, it means that I don’t get the things done on my “to do” list because Jesus points out to me the needs of others and that takes precedence. Jesus is first, others are next. I am last in my own list of priorities. It sounds like it’s backwards. But if you think about being on an airplane when the oxygen masks descend, you are always told to take care of the child next to you first (or the elderly person) and then put on your own mask. Others first…they yourself. I think I have shared it before, but there is an acronym for the way we are to make choices in life: JOY= Jesus first, Others second, and yourself last. That’s where you can find the joy in serving that God means for each of us to have and the denial of self in our choices.
I had a milestone anniversary this week! On Thursday, January 23rd, I celebrated ten years of being a stroke survivor! Praise God that He has kept me, is keeping me and will keep me…until He calls me home!
Have you ever thought about the fact that sometimes things don’t work out the way we had expected? But it all turns out okay in the end because God is right there.
I read in my devotional today that Abram turned aside from the promised land to go to Egypt because there was a famine in the land that God was sending him to. What? In Egypt, Abram got a little off the path of faith because instead of trusting God to take care of him and Sarai, he told her to tell Pharoah that she was his sister. Read Genesis 12 for the entire story.
Sometimes we are a lot like Abram. We expect one thing, get another, and then we try to help God by taking matters into our own hands. Believe me when I say that is never a good idea. I haven’t read a single scripture in which God tells man that He could really use his help. Actually, God is generally waiting for us to call on Him for help and then to be patient as we wait for His answer.
The “they” in these verses refers to Paul and Barnabas, the missionary duo in the book of Acts. Notice the last part of the verse. If these two men who had been imprisoned, beaten and cast out of cities because of their witness recognize that entering the kingdom of God is not a stroll in the park, then who are we to expect that?
God promises that in spite of our wandering off the path (also known as His best plan for us) and in spite of our insisting on going our own way, He does not abandon us. That is quite a promise to hold on to. Neither does God abandon His plan for us. He has a plan and He will fulfill it; we just need to be so in tune with God that we trust His plan to unfold, in His time, not ours.
Our response is to speak with a confident testimony to all of the scoffers and doubters around us. We don’t need to be afraid of them because God is still helping us, sometimes out of the mess that we got ourselves into.
I found this song to apply to my post today and hope that you enjoy it as much as I have. It speaks to the scriptures above and trusting God for all things in all times.
Let’s go back to the countryside outside of Bethlehem around two thousand years ago. Shepherd families around campfires, with few scattered among the sheep, when a stranger appears among them—an angel sent from God with good news.
The angel announced the birth of the promised Savior of the world, born in the nearby town of Bethlehem. Then, several angels appeared among the shepherds, singing praises to God.
But why these shepherds? Why not the people in town, the king of Israel, the Emperor in Rome?
Could it be that God has a habit of including shepherds like Abel, Abraham, and David in the story of the Bible and wanted shepherds present at the birth of Jesus?
Or maybe God wanted to highlight how this good news wasn’t just for powerful rulers or religious elites, but it was for all people—from the king, down to lowly shepherds.
Or God might have chosen the shepherds because they were mobile people, well-suited to spreading this joyful message all over the region.
Or it could be that this was the largest group of people around, and the angels wanted a big worship party for the biggest night in human history up to this point.
And could it be that, from day one, God wanted people to recognize Jesus as a good shepherd, kindly guiding His people?
The most likely answer is that it’s for all these reasons and more.
The angelic stranger announces the birth of Jesus and invites the shepherds to meet the newborn King. And when they hear the message, they don’t hesitate. They hurry to the town to meet baby Jesus, then go around town and all over the region telling the story of what they’d seen and heard.
This Christmas, you’ve heard a message of joy. Good news for all people. God hasn’t forgotten us or given up on us. Instead, He loves us and is working all things together for good.
So, how will you respond to this good news?
Hopefully, you follow the shepherds and work to share joy this Christmas. How?
By worshiping God, even if it feels embarrassing or awkward.
By giving good gifts to friends and strangers.
Or by inviting someone to get to know God better through sharing a verse, or inviting them to church.
Joy is a resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God. And God’s given each of us the opportunity to spread joy wherever we go. So today, we invite you to say yes to God’s invitation and find a way to share the joy of Jesus with the people in your life.
Pause and Pray:
Lord, thank You for Your gift of joy. Please help me to enjoy Christmas as I remember who You are and what You have done. Let my celebration demonstrate Your love and faithfulness to everyone I meet. In Jesus’ name, amen.
My Thoughts
I am going to be honest and tell you all that my joy was nowhere to be found about 3 a.m. today. You see, I got another bladder infection that sent me running to the bathroom every 3-5 minutes, experiencing a lot of pain and losing a lot of blood in the toilet each time. By midnight, I gave in to my sister’s pleas and called an ambulance to pick me up. (Neither of us has a car here.) I got there and was kept until about 9 this morning for them to tell me that I have a bladder infection. The news I did not know is that it could have spread to my kidney (my single kidney) and so they were using strong antibiotics to help me fight it faster and better. Anyway, as I said, about 3 a.m., I was not quite ready to concede that God has a plan for me and even this could be used for His good purpose. Nevertheless, I persisted in saying scripture verses to myself that I had memorized (Psalm 121:7-8 was especially helpful).
Later, as I rode home to my sister’s apartment with Demetrius in a “We Move Taxi”, I got to talk to him some about faith and prayer. If those few minutes were the only reason for my suffering, they were worth it. Coming to the party? Yes, I will be there, rejoicing and praising God for His good plan!
From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “An Unexpected Christmas”
Day 2: The Unplanned
You may be familiar with the next portion of the story. You’ve likely heard of the virgin Mary. It’s tempting to consider her as just another character in a story. But consider for a moment the real Mary.
She was a teenager. She didn’t have an iPhone. She wasn’t studying for her SAT or considering her choice of colleges. As a first-century Jewish girl, she knew what the future would hold for her. She’d soon marry a nice guy from the village and raise a family. Within this context, the story of the first Christmas continues.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.(Luke 1:26–38)
This was not part of Mary’s plan. Can you imagine Mary as a teenager grasping the weight of this conversation? First, an angel appeared to her. She had to wonder, Did that really just happen?Then she had to face the reality of what this news would mean for her. She had to consider, What will Joseph think? Then, What will my parents say?
Despite uncertainty or fear, Mary responded that she was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of her. She showed her willingness to trust God even when it cost her something. With her words, Mary displayed her heart to serve God and not herself.
Mary would have never written this plan for herself. But it was part of God’s plan. It was part of a great story God was revealing… in histiming and in his way.
This past year has had unplanned moments for all of us. For some of us, the unplanned moments were inconveniences. For others, this unplanned season has left us hurting, grieving, or concerned for our future.
An angel may not appear to you this Christmas season. But, as followers of Jesus, we will all be faced with a choice similar to Mary’s. How will we choose to respond to the unplanned?
As Christmas approaches, are we trusting in something or in someone? What could it look like for you to trust God in a deeper way this season?
My Thoughts
I don’t think I have ever considered Mary to have just been living her life as a young Jewish teen when Gabriel appeared to her. But, after reading it in the devotional, it makes sense to me. God calls the unlikely to do the unexpected in order to carry out His plan and then He equips them to do what He has called them to do.
I don’t know about you, but I generally get frustrated when I make a plan and then have to change it because of unseen circumstances. Honestly, I used to tell God how upset I was with Him that I had to change my plans when I thought He could have done something to help me carry them out. God has had to deal with me and my rigor for years, so I know He is used to it, but He has also been helping me to be more flexible, to expect changes. I don’t like them, but when they happen (as they usually do), I don’t fall apart because of it. I am getting better at “rolling with the punches” that life hands out and then praying and moving on. I am amazed that young Mary was able to accept the proclamation right away and told God that she was His willing servant. That shows me that God chose her for a reason! Perhaps He had already prepared her heart or He knew how much she already loved Him. I am not there yet, and may never be, but I aspire to be like Mary and just say, “Okay, God. Let’s do things your way; I’m getting out of the way so it can happen the way you plan.” Instead, I try to help God make the plan and He doesn’t need my help at all. In fact, I have never had God ask me for input into His plan. It’s His plan that we are supposed to all be working toward fulfilling and if a few glitches in our lives cause us to get off track, I am confident that in His grace and mercy, God will get us back on track instead of giving up on us.
Article: How to Find Hope in God Right Now, from “Advent, Day 6”
What drives people to persevere in impossible situations? What motivates someone with a challenging diagnosis to keep fighting? Or to keep believing in a relationship after years of conflict? It’s the powerful sense of hope.
Hope propels us to do impossible things. Hope is vital for tackling the toughest obstacles, conquering challenges, and driving the change our world desperately needs.
Hope is powerful, yet a lack of hope is devastating.
Without hope, simple situations can turn into unsolvable problems. Hope is one of the greatest gifts you can be given and one of the most valuable things you can lose.
So, how’s your hope? In this article, we’ll explore what biblical hope looks like and how we can find hope in God every day.
What Is Hope in the Bible?
In the Bible, hope is the wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that God is making the future better than the past or present.
Hope isn’t a vague positivity or a naive optimism. Instead, true hope acknowledges our world’s pain, problems, and dysfunctions. Hope knows the worst life has to offer, yet still believes that God can and will create a better future.
But what do you do when all the evidence in the world around you tells you that the future will only bring more pain? What about the violence, wars, and division we see every day?
Feeling Hopeless About the Future?
If you’re feeling hopeless about the future of the world, you’re not alone. Around 500 years before the time of Jesus, the people of God had been invaded, captured, and forcibly deported to a faraway nation. They were separated from their families, their homes, and for many, their hope.
Several biblical laments (songs of pain and suffering) were written by these people in exile. One lament was written by former musicians who had been forced into servitude.
Their captors asked them to play the music of their people, and they responded with despair, their words communicating, “How could we sing songs of hope and praise to God when our nation has experienced so much pain?”
When things go wrong, it feels like evidence that God is against us, ignoring us, or that He’s left humanity behind.But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Throughout their time in Babylon, the people of God not only survived but learned to thrive. They discovered that God was present in their pain and had a plan for their future.
One of the most famous Bible verses (Jeremiah 29:11) is about God’s plan for His people in exile. In that verse, He promises to give them hope and a future. And God delivered on His promise.
How Do I Find Hope in a Broken World?
Remember that pain isn’t evidence that God doesn’t care or that He’s far away. Pain is evidence that God is still working on His plan to make all things new.
From the “Advent” Devotional on the YouVersion Bible App
Wholehearted Hope
Let’s go back to two thousand years ago in the Roman province of Judea. People were low on hope and ready to give up. Their people had been steamrolled by a handful of empires, and it seemed like their story was almost finished.
Thousands of miles away, educated stargazers looked up and noticed something strange. A new star in the sky, shining brightly over Judea. We don’t know much about the stargazers (often called wise men), but we do know they came from around Babylon—the same place the Judean exiles were sent 500 years earlier.
Some scholars believe these wise men learned the stories of God from descendants of Judean exiles who remained behind.
The wise men believed the star signified the birth of a new, divine king. They hoped that if they followed the star, they would find the King. So they left home and traveled west. But they didn’t find the king in the palace or anywhere in the capital city.
So they kept following the star which moved with them on their journey, until it rested over a humble home.
Imagine what they thought when they came to the door. The wonder, awe, and disbelief at finding a divine king born in a simple town. It probably didn’t make total sense, but the evidence told them it was true.
That’s why they entered the home, bowed low, and presented kingly gifts.
To the rest of the world, the actions of the wise men might have seemed irrational, irresponsible, or naive. After all, what would you say if your friend decided to travel hundreds of miles because they saw a new star in the sky?
Hope looks risky to the people around you, but if you, like the wise men, have the wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that this baby would make the future better than the past or present, then hope makes sense.
The little child the wise men found was Jesus, along with His family. He was one child in a big world running out of hope. But even a little light can make a big difference and bring hope to countless people.
His life became a life that led people out of despair and into hope. His words and actions provided evidence that God’s plan was still moving forward.
But Jesus didn’t just tell His followers to sit back and watch while He brought hope. Instead, He called us the light of the world and a city on a hill, inviting us to be a small source of hope in a dark world.
It’s easy to feel despair, but when life gets dark, keep your eyes open and look for the light. See it in Scripture, in the generous actions of others, and by reflecting on your story. Then, you can be a light in the darkness for others as a source of wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that God is making the future better than the past or present.
My Thoughts
Think about it. Jesus had a ministry of about three years. Generally, each of us lives many decades more than that, so think of the impact we can have by continually shining our light into a dark world. It’s easier to withdraw and just sit in the dark and have a pity party about all of the sin in the world. But that is not what we are supposed to do. We have to look for the light in God’s Word and in our own testimony and in that of our friends. Then, we have to show that light to others.
The Wise Men didn’t look at the star and say to themselves, “Well, that’s very nice, but the world is a scary place, so I will just ponder what that light could mean while I sit here at home.” No, they traveled to see the reason for the light. They found Jesus, worshipped Him and presented gifts to Him. Then they returned home. I don’t know what they did on the way home or what they said when they got there. But I cannot imagine that they kept the secret of the light to themselves.
I have hope for a future with God but I also have hope that the world will be better because of each individual shedding our light out into the world. God is still working out His plan and He invites us to be part of it. Christmas isn’t just a season for putting up decorations and giving gifts. It is the season to remember the reason we celebrate and it’s the perfect opportunity to share with others the reason for our hope. Whether we believe it or not, there are people looking for the light that we have and we may be the only ones who can share it with them. Share and shine!
Solomon likely wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes and he is considered by many to be one of the wisest men who ever lived. Yet he wrote a book that for twelve chapters expounds on how meaningless life is. I think he derailed his own life by marrying so many foreign women who did not worship the One True God who gave him the gift of wisdom to begin with. I don’t know for a fact, but I think that he left the train station fully intending to follow the track all the way home to God and got derailed by his own lust. He did point out wisely that he concluded one needs to fear God and keep His commandments. Well, that is truth for sure! We cannot keep God’s commandments without a relationship with Him because I think it is His Spirit in us that enables us daily to fight the spiritual battles against all of the darkness in the world around us. I don’t know what happened to Solomon after his death or what his relationship with God was like after he married so many women and built altars to their gods. I do know that he was wise in exhorting us to fear the Lord and to keep His commandments. Without God, life is meaningless. With God, life has purpose because God has a plan for us that He wants to fulfill in our lives. We have to stay on the track and keep chugging along through all of the challenges in life in order to reach our eternal destination that God has prepared for us. Life isn’t meaningless unless we choose the wrong path and go in the wrong direction, away from God and His best for us. Choose God and choose His plan! That is wisdom.
What’s the Point?
There once lived a king whose experience exploring and grappling with life’s perplexities was recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes.
What’s interesting is that this king—likely King Solomon—reigned in Israel during some of the best years in its history. From the world’s standards, he had more power, prestige, and wealth than any other person before him. Yet, still, he summarized his luxuries with one depressing word: Meaningless!
“Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) “Everything is wearisome beyond description.” (Ecclesiastes 1:8) “Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14)
Though written thousands of years ago, this bleak analysis still resonates with our own restless yearning for more. We want more than meaningless stuff. We want more than surface-level connections and ambitions. We want more than a seemingly thriving, yet secretly unsatisfied life. We want more—but what we want doesn’t typically satisfy us.
Like the author of Ecclesiastes, we might find ourselves asking: “What is the point of life?”
By the end of the book, “the Teacher” has tried to find meaning in everything under the sun, and he concludes his reflections with these powerful words…
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV
We can chase after everything this world has to offer and it might bring temporary pleasure. But in the end, pursuing those things apart from God will always leave us empty.
The great news is, there’s a God in heaven who created and loves us, and He understands what we really need. He knows that life is best when we follow His design for life. He is worthy of our awe, our honor, and our worship.
So, fear God and keep His commandments. Love Him with everything in you and love your neighbor as yourself. That is the point. Only then will life no longer be meaningless.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 