Tag: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Traveling Mercies

On By vickleaIn God’s blessings, praise, promises, Scripture5 Comments

This year has been one of a great deal of travel for me and my family members. Our grandson went to Japan while our granddaughter went to Ireland and then on a cruise around the Greek Isles. Our son went on a business trip to Germany. The trips my husband and I made this year were not as distant, but there were a lot of them. Starting with four graduations in May, we stayed on the road for almost three weeks that month. It seemed that we barely got home when we packed the car again and headed to Myrtle Beach, SC, to see my brother and his family who had flown in from Colorado. Returning from that trip, we spent a few weeks at home, then headed out to Maryland to see our son and his family. And this past weekend was our last trip of the summer. We went to Williamsburg to the Great Wolf Lodge to spend the weekend with our other son and his family. I would not trade any of those hours in the car for anything since my husband and I both got so much pleasure from seeing our children and grandchildren.

One of the things that I purposed to do this year is memorize more scripture verses. One of those became like my mantra for the year.

There was a lot of going out and coming in this year for ourselves and our children and grandchildren. They are still on the move, with one in college at Liberty, one actively seeing employment and one employed and traveling for work. This Psalm has been on my lips as a prayer for us and for our family members as they travel. The promise of traveling mercies is real. Harry and I put a lot of miles on these old bodies this year, and God was with us the whole way, just as He promised. Did unexpected things happen while we traveled? Of course, but nothing that God could not help us handle. When God promises, you can count on His acting on your behalf!

How about you? Did you go anywhere special? Did you pray before, during and after your trip for the traveling mercies that God provides?

Tuesday and All is Well

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony6 Comments

Those of you who read my posts regularly know that I recently posted that our church was considering a merger with another church that is slightly larger than ours. I am out of town right now and Sunday, I started getting messages one after another on my phone from our Bible Study group. They were all happy about the news announced in church that day. Since I hadn’t been there, I asked “What news?” The news was that the pastors and elders of our church had decided to no longer pursue a merger. Hallelujah! No real details were given about their decision, just “after careful consideration and prayer…”

So, the scriptures prove true once again. No surprise there! We were all in a dither about what we would do if the merger happened, especially since the way it was presented to us, it seemed like a “done deal.” Most of us in our group planned to start looking for another church if the merger came to be. But we all determined to pray, speak out about our reasons for reluctance for change and then wait for God to act. Somehow, in some way, he touched minds and hearts and they changed. It is definitely a God thing to do and we are thankful. So, worrying doesn’t do any good. It just brings stress and anxiety and maybe some health issues. Just turn things over to God and wait for Him to act! I am still very unhappy with the noise level of the bass and percussion at our church, but I am still praying and still expecting God to act. I don’t want to take any action that God is not the leader of. Out of His will is NOT a good place to be!

Knock and keep knocking until there is an answer! Yes, No or Wait are all answers, although they may not be the one we want or expect.

The Truth about Sleep

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture4 Comments

I have found that as I am aging, I am becoming less likely to sleep. I awaken early in the morning, may or may not take a short nap and then stay up until around midnight. This has been my new schedule for months now. Prior to that, I was rising early (about six) and going to bed by nine or ten. That is a much better choice for me, I think, but insomnia has become an issue. Thus I have sought out scripture verses about sleep.

This verse tells me that sleep is a gift from God that I have to accept and be thankful for. So when I sleep more than a few hours, I am very grateful to God for His love and His gift of sleep.

I have never been one who has a lot of bad dreams that keep me awake. Rather, it is my mind that won’t shout off, thinking of all I need to do to prepare for whatever is coming into my life soon. This verse tells me not to be so concerned about tomorrow and its problems, but just to lie down and get some sweet sleep.

I am grateful every morning that I awaken to a new day with new possibilities. There are few nights that I don’t get up at least once during the night to head to the bathroom, but even when that happens, this week, I have been able to go right back to sleep instead of the usual tossing and turning. God sustains me all night long, and He gives me songs in my mind to comfort me and scripture verses like this one to remind me of His constant presence in my life.

We all have very busy lives and need to rest as much as we can. A normal night’s sleep for me is 5-6 hours. If I sleep less than that, I need a nap sometime during the day and usually rest for about an hour, depending on how tired I am and how cooperative my cat is. I am envious sometimes of my husband who sleeps 8-10 hours every night. He goes to bed late but he doesn’t get up until noon or after. That works well for me because it gives me the quiet time I need every morning with the Lord.

If you are having difficulty sleeping, I don’t have a solution but I have the answer. Pray, recite verses, sing quietly to yourself or just say the words to a favorite song to yourself. Counting sheep doesn’t work for me, but counting blessings and reminding myself that sleep is a gift from God does.

Favorite Hymns: Spotlight on “It Is Well With My Soul” Lyrics by Horatio Gates Spafford, Music by Phillip Bliss

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song, testimony3 Comments

The story behind this hymn may be familiar to you. I heard it once many years ago and had to look it up to remind myself of what happened to inspire such a heartfelt song. Here is where you can find the story:

The Story Behind the Hymn

I have sung this song for years, especially when times are hard for me. The last month has been a real trial with my health. Hospitalized twice, once for a bacterial infection and the second time for blood pressure so high that I was in danger of having another stroke. Those incidents were closely followed by bronchitis and a secondary lung infection. I have been taking so many medicines that I had to write them down to make sure I took them as prescribed. One evening, as I was exhausted from coughing and lack of sleep, God reminded me of this song. No matter what is happening in my body, “it is well with my soul.” And that is what truly matters.

Here are the lyrics:

It Is Well With My Soul – Lyrics

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Note that the bold print was added by me to the verses that mean most to me. What verse(s) resonate with you today?

(From Lyrics, “It Is Well with my Soul”)

And now the hymn for you to enjoy, or at least part of it.

“It Is Well With My Soul” by Audrey Assad

Being Honest with God

On By vickleaIn Book Review3 Comments

Honest Conversations with God

As a teenager, David was anointed as the next king of Israel. But instead of ascending to the throne in a blaze of glory, he spent years running from Israel’s current king (his father-in-law) who repeatedly tried to kill him. 

During this time, David laments to God: he has honest conversations about his situation while holding onto the hope that God can—and will—restore him. Psalm 59 is the result of one of those conversations.  

David’s laments allowed him to express his grief, cry out for justice, and remember God’s faithfulness. Focusing on God’s faithfulness reminded David of God’s character, and knowing God’s character helped him hold onto hope. That’s why he could say, “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16 NIV)

Talking honestly with God helped David recognize that even though his current situation wasn’t good, God was still good, and still worthy of being worshiped. David believed that God was still in control, and that he would one day see the fulfillment of God’s promises.

And one day, God’s promises did come to pass. But God didn’t waste the years David spent as a fugitive: instead, He used them to help David become the leader and warrior Israel needed. The setbacks David endured actually strengthened his character and prepared him for his future purpose. Although his circumstances were painful, God was faithful. 

And God can—and will—be faithful with your life. 

When you place your hope in Jesus, you never grieve in vain because the God who is now is also the God who will be forever. And He is constantly advocating and acting on your behalf. That’s why, no matter what you face, you can hold onto this hope: Jesus can turn your setbacks and sorrows into setups for your good and His glory. 

God can take your pain and use it for His purposes. He can make a way through your desert seasons. He is your source of strength and your refuge in times of trouble. Nothing is impossible for God. 

So today, continue to draw closer to Him, and look for evidence of His faithfulness. As you intentionally pursue God, look for ways to worship Him like David did.

My Thoughts

I have never liked the idea of turning lemon into lemonade or making the best of a bad situation. That seems like a lack of faith to me. I am not sure that there are any bad situations. Rather, I believe that bad things that happen are an opportunity to look for ways to praise God in it. Yes, I said look for them! Sometimes it is hard to see good things in the middle of an overwhelming situation, but He is always there. I emboldened the print of the lines that stood out to me in today’s devotional. God is forever and Jesus can take our setbacks and use them for His glory.

I recently had yet another health scare. I am not sure why these things have started happening when I am out of town, away from home and my regular doctors. But this is twice now in as many months, so God definitely has my attention. First of all, with my sister, I tried to remain calm and faith-filled. Yes, I had to go to the ER and was there all night alone. But I was praying and reciting scripture verses and received good care. I was honest with God, telling Him I was frustrated that this was happening and I had no idea how I was going to get back to my sister’s or what the real problem was. The doctor had told me that they were doing tests to make sure my single kidney was okay since I had an E Coli bacterial infection in my bladder. Well, I told God that was more than a little concerning, but I also told Him that He made me and I was sure that He could take care of me. So I was able to tell my sister when the hospital “taxi” took me back to her apartment that the hospital was efficient and all the people were kind. She is terrified of hospitals and as this is likely the one she would go to if something happens to her, I helped to reassure her that it is a safe space.

In Maryland, my blood pressure kept climbing and reached alarming highs, accompanied by a severe headache. So, on the eve of our granddaughter’s birthday, we headed to the ER (again). My specific prayer as I lay there waiting for tests to be completed and then for meds to work, I prayed to be able to be back at our son’s house for Penny’s birthday. I was honest, and told God how upset I was to once again be in the hospital, helpless about my condition. God answered as I was discharged just after midnight. Once again, I could assure the kids that I was okay and tell them that God had taken care of me. In a household where the only time God’s name seems to be mentioned is in the epithet of OMG, that was a big deal. The kids were happy I was there and amazed that I gave God the glory for it. So, is it a great experience to go to the ER with health issues? Of course not! It’s frightening and uncomfortable and not part of the plan for the out-of-town visit. But if one good thing comes from these unexpected interruptions in my plans for the week, then I am okay with that. I was able to share my mantra with my sister and my grandchildren: “Nothing is going to happen today that God and I cannot handle together.” I am not sure what they thought about it, but I hope I fed them enough to whet their appetites to know more. When it was time to leave, we gathered in a circle and prayed and the little ones who were there (home sick with strep), joined in enthusiastically. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless and I will take them. I am certain God did not put me on earth to be a Debbie Downer. I am here to spread His positive light regardless of my circumstances and I am doing my best to do so. So, you can call it lemons and lemonades. I will call it God’s giving me an opportunity to show others that I belong to Him and they can, too!

Waiting

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

There Was Jesus: In the Waiting (You Version Devotional, “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams)

One of the things we all can agree on is that, as a culture, we’re not good at waiting;  we’ve invented so many ways to get out of waiting in lines, waiting on food to cook and waiting for paint to dry. I’ll admit, I’ve been conditioned to expect things quickly and right when I ask. When I read a verse like Isaiah 40:31, where it lists out the wonderful things that can happen when we wait on God, it’s challenging to follow through, especially when times are tough. I believe our impatience comes from our need to remain in control. It’s scary and goes against what we naturally want to do in most situations; hold tight and only trust ourselves. God has given us guidance on the best way to live, and sometimes, the best way to allow God to have control of a situation is to wait on Him. It requires existing in a space that feels unknown, trusting in His process, and believing that He has a plan for our lives. Easier said than done, right? What should we be doing during the waiting? Romans 12:12 tells us to be “constant in prayer.” While we’re waiting on God’s timing, prayer helps connect us to Him and helps us to focus our faith. Ephesians 4:2 tells us that we should spend our time loving others, being gentle with each other, and to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Basically, God has asked us to trust Him with the timing, but to walk along with Him in the meantime.

Waiting on God doesn’t mean we’re separated from Him. He’s always right alongside us. Exodus 14:14 tells us, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” He’s fighting for us and with us in the waiting and the searching, every minute and every moment. 

My Thoughts

I don’t know about you, but waiting is hard for me. I am not so much “in an instant”as in my own timing. I don’t like to wait because, as the author of the devotional wrote, it means I have to relinquish my control over something. Change and waiting throws me, every time. I try to be in prayer and wait, but I get anxious, and my blood pressure soars. I try not to be anxious, but that doesn’t work because in trying not be anxious, I get more anxious. It’s like I am on a Ferris wheel, stuck on the top and unable to get off or to make the thing move and get me back down to the ground. So, I am working on learning to calm my thoughts and think about Jesus walking beside me, or even sitting in that Ferris wheel next to me, holding my hand and asking me to tell Him about my day. I’m glad that He is patiently still working on me.

This morning, I got up early and got ready for my appointment with my neurologist. Every year since my stroke, I have to go in to get a Doppler on my carotid artery. The procedure isn’t painful so it’s not a big deal. That is, until an hour and a half before I am supposed to leave, the doctor’s office calls, says there is a problem with today’s schedule and wants me to come in tomorrow. You would think that I would roll with the punches, as they say, just write down the new time and move on. Well, instead, I had to juggle another appointment to take my car in for brake work and there were two changes to the schedule this week already. Not bad, right? Unless you have my body and my mind which has its own way of dealing with change and waiting…my blood pressure soared and I had to take my extra pill that is only for such occasions as this. As my husband says, I am not conditioned for change because change in my home growing up meant my mom would get angry and I would be the target. I have basically spent my whole life trying to avoid change, but then along comes God who wants me to get accustomed to it so He can teach me that change is not a bad thing. I am now putting myself into His capable and loving hands and praying for my BP to regulate so my head will stop pounding. I am doing my deep breathing exercises and reading my Bible while I also pray. There is no magic formula for me to de-stress when change happens, but believe it or not, I am getting better at accepting the waiting part of change. My body still reacts physically, but my heart is calmer, knowing that the Lord is right beside me. He is waiting, too, for me to be calm enough to listen. So, appointment tomorrow…no problem! Car on Wednesday, not a big deal. God’s got this and me, in His hands and He is molding me to be more like him. After all, that is what I have been praying for. And if this change and waiting stuff is what it takes, then I am ready to fight that stress battle with the Lord holding my hand and speaking in my ear!

The Paths We Take

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Throughout life, we each take a path that we think will lead to future happiness and success. For me, it was to go to college and become a teacher. I never expected to get married and have children, but that was part of God’s plan for my life. Each of us has choices and our choices make a difference in our own life as well as in the lives of others.

This has really been brought home to me recently because I have been at my sister’s house this week helping her pack up to move to a different state. She is a year older than I am, and she is not in particularly good health. Because she has macular degeneration and is slowly losing her vision, she cannot really live alone for many more years. For that reason, when my niece and her family decided to move, they also chose to move her mom with them. That is a very kind gesture that shows the love she has for her mom. However, my sister has had little choice in the matter. A house was purchased next door to them for my sister to live in. The fact that she is leaving all that she has ever known is not a factor in this decision at all. There have been spontaneous outbursts of tears and more than a few arguments (all caused by stress, I’m sure) between my sister and her daughter since I have been here. My heart goes out to my sister and I long to comfort her, but the best I can say is that she knows she can’t take care of herself and that in the long run, this was an unselfish and caring thing for her daughter to do for her. Nevertheless, it is not a path that she would have chosen, but it is done now and she leaves the state she has lived in for almost all of her life and moves to a new one.

I would like to share this Scripture with my sister but she refuses to listen to anything I have to say about God. Her current reason (she has had many excuses over the years) is that a friend of hers was recently diagnosed with cancer and how can a good God give people who are good such an awful disease? She expanded on that philosophy ad nauseum the other night when we were resting from a long day of packing. She says she knows that I believe in God but she just can’t believe in a God who does such horrible things to people. I tried to tell her that God didn’t do it, sin and evil in the world did. But she tuned me out and said she doesn’t believe in sin and evil. Are you kidding me?!? How can anyone not believe in the evil that is rampant in the world, threatening to overtake us at any time? And if it were not for God’s love, mercy and grace, we would all be destroyed. I spoke for a few minutes before I was interrupted, but she just would not hear me. My heart is broken for her because of her move, her leaving all behind here but mostly because she doesn’t have the hope that lives in my heart. Yes, bad things happen to good people. But God is still on His throne and still in control. I sincerely believe that He has everyone’s best interests at heart and that God’s heart is hurting when people suffer, from cancer or from heartbreak, but especially from unbelief and turning away from Him.

God literally showed me the truth of this Scripture back in the 1980’s. My husband was a fairly new officer in the USAF (having left his enlisted position in the USN) and we had been stationed in a very small town in Arkansas for four years. Preparing to move overseas, we were all excited about going to Japan. Alas! The military carefully scrutinizes medical records of all family members before they send you overseas and they decided that my health was too bad to go to a military base without an appropriate military medical facility. So, our things were all packed in crates and awaiting our final orders to Japan, but those orders had been canceled. My husband talked to the scheduler about where he could go and they came up with Iceland. Again, I could not be approved to go there, but I could be on base as the caregiver of our children and they would take care of me medically if needed. Harry asked me where I wanted to be while we waited for base housing to be available and I told him South Carolina since I had lived there for eight years at various times during our military moves. He went to Iceland, the children and I found a small apartment in South Carolina near our church and settled in to wait for our stay in Iceland. It never happened! Once my husband arrived, he was told that the wait for base housing was at least two years, a remote tour was one, so he opted to stay there for one year alone while the children and I lived in South Carolina. I was beside myself with anxiety and grief, but I did what I do whenever I’m caught in a situation that I can’t control. I prayed. I knew that God had me there for a reason, so I asked him to reveal the reason to me and let me be calm and nurturing for the children. Not long after my prayer, the Christian school in which I had taught each time we were in SC called and asked if I would be willing to step in for the teacher for grades 6-7 since Harriet had been diagnosed with cancer and was dying. The students knew me and needed a familiar face at this time of grief for them. My youngest son was only two, so I prayed about it and asked the principal if I could come in for only half a day and if they could accommodate Steven in their daycare. Both worked out, and I was there in SC for a classroom filled with students whom I had known since they were in my third grade class. They were disoriented and confused about why God would take away their beloved teacher, so I spent a lot of time comforting them and reading Scriptures like those above. God had me there for a reason even if I did not understand it when I got there, and even if I had other plans that just didn’t come together.

God always has a plan and it’s always better than the one that I have. That’s what my experience with faith has taught me. I wish I could impart that knowledge to my sister. Instead, I’m packing boxes for the last day and going home this afternoon to prepare to teach Children’s Church tomorrow. God has a plan and I will continue to intercede for my sister as she goes on this totally unexpected and new path. I hope that some of you will join me in prayer for her.

Thank you for your prayers and have a blessed day, yielding your will to God’s and thus being on the path that He has prepared for you.

What’s Next?

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

Let’s assume that you have followed the Roman Road, confessed your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. So, what do you do next? Do you just return to life the way it has always been for you? The most important thing you can do is to establish a routine of reading your Bible and praying daily. The Bible is God’s instruction book for our lives and in it He tells us His expectations of us and His promises for us. Praying is simply talking to God. How long would you expect to have a relationship if you never talked to the person with whom you are trying to establish one? You need to get into the habit of talking to God daily, about little things, big things, everything. If it bothers you, talk to God about it. If it puzzles you, talk to God about it. If it pleases you and makes you happy, talk to God about it and tell Him how thankful you are. Then, after you have done your talking, sit quietly and wait for Him to talk to you. Sometimes, He speaks to me through a Scripture verse that He puts into my mind or a song that I recall or sometimes He just speaks to me to be still and let Him calm me and prepare me for the day. Regardless, give God a chance to speak to you so you don’t always have a a one-way conversation.

Here are some Scripture verses that were in my devotional this morning to encourage you along the way.

Reading your Bible is a good start, but you also need to put His Word into your heart and apply it to your own life. I call that meditation on God’s Word. For example, the first verse above, as I think about it, I ponder what it means to continue to live my life in Him. What are the daily choices I make that would please Him? Are there changes that I need to make in order to walk more closely with Him?

Ultimately, your life as a Christian is still filled with choices. Every day, I make the choice to read a certain book or watch a certain show, based on what its effect might be on my faith in Jesus. I know that no matter where I go or what I do, Jesus is with me now and I want to choose to do things and see things that are pleasing to Him. The choices are still ours to make. That’s why we have to be rooted in Him, dependent on Him to help us make the right choices. Will you mess up? Probably. We all do. But God’s love is so big that He forgives again and again. We just have to be honest with Him and tell him that we sinned again and ask for His forgiveness again. Be careful with that, though. You can’t plan to sin knowing that you will then ask for forgiveness later. That’s like a premeditated act of defiance against God. The sins we continue to commit because we all have a sin nature are from choices that we make without thinking of consequences for ourselves, our spiritual relationship with God and for others. I have found that it helps to pause and pray before I make choices. The pause is brief, the prayer is brief, but if I feel any hesitation at all about the choice, I save the choice for later and wait for God to lead me in the direction He wants me to go.

The Christian walk is just that, a walk that you start again daily. Sometimes, you may go off on the wrong path (sin), but when you pray, God will lead you back to where you should be. One of the things that will help you to persevere as the Scripture above says is to find a good, Bible-believing church and attend regularly. How do you do that? Well, you visit the pastor beforehand and ask about some of the church’s basic beliefs. If they have a firm foundation on God’s Word, it would be a good place for you to plug into to be nurtured with other Christians, some of them new to the faith just like you. I can’t tell you what a good church looks like or believes because that is up to the leading of the Holy Spirit inside you. Yes! Another promise! Jesus said that when He returned to the Father, He would send a new comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us in all things. So, when you pray, asking for a church to call home, ask for the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit to help you find the place you should be. My husband and I have moved over 25 times (military family) and each time we move, the first thing we do is visit local churches and find one that meets our spiritual needs. When our children were at home (they are all grown now), we always chose a church that had programs for them because we knew it was important for them to be fed spiritually, too.

I hope that this rambling missive has been helpful and instructive. If you have questions, just ask me via the comments or my email address on the site. I have been where you are, many years ago, but I have been standing in your place, bewildered about how to move on with God. Just take the first step and He will meet you there and tell you what’s next.

God bless and keep each of you as you make choices that will glorify and honor our Lord and Savior.