Tag: trust

God Will Finish It

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

He Started It (YouVersion Daily Refresh, 5-02-25)

When the Apostle Paul was locked in a Roman prison for telling people about Jesus, he sent a letter of hope to his friends back in Philippi. A portion of it said:

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Though Paul was writing to specific people in the first-century Church, his words are just as true for the global Church today. 

Think about it: Who started this thing we call life? Who made this world and everything in it? Who fine-tuned the universe to actually make sense? Who put you here—at this specific time in history? Who handcrafted your body, your mind, your strengths, and your unique-to-you personality? Who began this good work?

Before you were ever born, God already had you in mind. Before you could even walk or talk or have dreams for yourself, God already had a plan. Before you knew to look to Him or to follow Him or to worship Him, God was already at work—in you, around you, and through you. 

Sometimes it feels like we’re just wasting time and taking up space, without real purpose. But—it turns out—God is intentional and He makes no mistakes. To top it off…

God always finishes what He starts. 

The story isn’t over. When Christ returns once and for all, the work of God through His people will finally be complete.

Until then, let’s commit to God’s good work inside of us. 
Let’s magnify Him in everything we do. 
Let’s believe that He’ll finish what He has begun.

My Thoughts

I like to finish what I start and I generally have good intentions to do so. But sometimes, I am thwarted by others or I just drop the ball myself, losing interest in the project. For many years, I had an unfinished crochet blanket in my closet. I had started it when my son’s wife was pregnant and then I never finished it. It was a nice color and had a nice pattern, and I did enjoy crocheting. As the years passed and I still saw the unfinished blanket in the closet, I tried several times to finish it, but I had lost two things: 1)the ability since my arthritis was painful in my hands and 2)the knowledge since I had forgotten how to crochet the stitches as well as the pattern I was working on. I had lost my motivation to complete the project. My intentions were good, but my follow through was lacking.

I am thankful that God does not have that problem. He starts something and sees it all the way to completion. He is our Creator and His love for us is perfect, not wavering and distracted. Thus, He can be trusted to bring us to the finish line. That truth motivates me to stick with God and to keep trying. I may fall and fail but I know that if I pick myself up and truly repent, God is right there helping me to get back on the right track again. He doesn’t just say, “That’s it! I am done with you. You’re on your own now!” I think many people have had that experience in life with other people and that makes it hard for them to trust God. But God does not lie and He does not quit. He keeps working, molding, shaping, whispering words of encouragement to us. I don’t always see what God is doing or the plan that He has for me, but I know that whatever the end result is will be a good one and the one that is perfect for me. It’s all a matter of believing God’s Word and it says He will finish what He started. I believe that and I hope you do, too.

Sunday’s Exhortation

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture1 Comment

Do you tend to worry? Do you let small things bother you so much that you can’t think of anything else except that one small thing? This describes me…I am still learning not to worry, but it’s a hard thing for me. I am a champion worrier, much to the dismay of my loved ones and my own body. I tell myself that I have let it go and next thing you know, that concern has popped right into my head again. So, this is my exhortation to you and to me today and into the future.

I don’t really worry about food or clothing, but I do sometimes worry about issues with my body and things around me that need repairs that I don’t have the money for. I think that this Scripture applies to anything and everything that we are worrying about. We need to let it go and trust God to take care of things for us. No, He is not suddenly going to make all the needed repairs, but I believe that He can keep them going until we do have the finances to repair or replace them.

This right here is where our focus needs to be, on God and His kingdom and His righteousness. If our focus is on God, then it is not on the things that concern us. I have found that mostly what I worry about doesn’t even end up happening, so I am choosing to let go, one day, one hour, one minute at a time and believe that God is taking care of it for me.

That being said, I would appreciate prayers for our upcoming trips to graduations. Thank you in advance and God bless you!

Like My Cat

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony1 Comment

I spend a lot of time in solitude as my husband enjoys running errands and working in the garden, not to mention sleeping very late every day. In my quiet times, I have a lot of time to reflect and this morning, I was thinking about the life of our cat Daisy.

This, my friends, is Daisy. She loves to sit in boxes and will figure out a way to fit into a box even if it is actually too small to accommodate her. Her persistence is admirable and so I want to make Daisy’s attributes the topic of today’s post.

We got Daisy when she was a very tiny four month old kitten. She used to sit in my lap most of the time, snuggled up close to me, kneading, purring and settling. She knew instinctively that I was her person and so began to learn things from me. I taught her to sit and beg for her treats. Although she will be nine years old next month, when I shake the treat bag, she comes running and when I say “Sit” she does so obediently and instantly. Sometimes, I just have to point to the floor and she sits. If I want her to beg, I don’t give her the treat until she is sitting, I hold the treat higher and she gets up on her back legs and begs for it. So cute! And so trainable. In fact, Daisy also walks beside me as I go from room to room in the house, never taking her eyes off my feet and watching exactly where I am going. It is only when I sit down that she pauses, looks at me to make sure I am no longer active and either settles in my lap or on the back of my chair. Finally, Daisy loves unconditionally. If I get preoccupied and forget to feed her on time, she still wants to be with me and show me affection. If I don’t turn on the bathroom sink so she can drink from the faucet, she taps my hand to remind me, but she doesn’t scratch or bite me. She just gives me loving reminders of what her expectations are.

My person that I depend on, lean on and want to be always around is Jesus. I could learn a lot from Daisy about being obedient and following closely as well as being persistent. I want to follow Jesus so closely that all of His actions and movements are exactly what I do. I want to listen so carefully that when he says to do something, I obey right away, with hesitation and knowing that what He has in store for me will be good. I want to be persistent in prayer and in my time with the Lord daily, knowing that is the most important time of my day. Snuggling up with God and His Word in my comfy recliner is like being in a nice, well-fitting box. God doesn’t hold me there; I get in voluntarily and enjoy my stay in the place that is best for me. God give me loving reminders of His expectations for me all the time, but He is never impatient or demanding, just loving and gentle.

Just as God says we can learn a lot from the birds who have no worries but know that He will take care of them, I can also learn a lot from watching Daisy. She is loyal and trusts me to take care of her every day. I want to be totally loyal to God and trust Him wholeheartedly to meet my needs daily.

I can have the same peace that Daisy has as she sleeps in my lap if only I keep my mind focused on God, trusting Him completely to take care of everything while I rest.

I want to listen as carefully as Daisy listens. She hears me pick up her treat bag and comes running from the back bedroom or wherever she was. She learned to obey my commands and to come when I summon her. Most people tell me that cats don’t come when they are called. Well, Daisy does. If I say, “Daisy, come” she does. She knows that I am ready to feed her or give her a treat or just sit and cuddle with her. How often does the Lord tell me to come and I am so busy with other things that I do not hear His voice? How many times have I missed out on something from the Lord because I have not listened carefully for His voice? That’s why being like Daisy and carefully listening all the time is a good thing. I want to always be ready to hear and obey the voice of the Lord.

I think of Daisy as a gift from the Lord nine years ago. She has taught me a lot about focus and persistence and even obedience and love. Have you learned anything from the animals around you? Have they taught you anything about God’s love for you?

No Perfect Church

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture9 Comments

In moving twenty plus times, my husband and I have also been to at least that many different churches. And although you may not agree with my title, I can assure you that there is no “perfect church” this side of heaven. After all, the church here on earth is made of imperfect people doing their best to strive for perfection, but our humanity keeps getting in the way.

We have been attending a local church for almost four years now and have been basically content with the teaching, the fellowship, and especially the worship. That changed a few weeks ago when I had to leave the service in tears because the bass was set too high and it was hurting my brain. Literally! I know that is hard to understand, but since my stroke, heavy bass and extremely loud noises cause me to cringe and sometimes cry out in pain. My brain seems to be almost bouncing inside my head and I just cannot cope with the pain. My neurologist said that is not abnormal for stroke survivors and suggested noise canceling headphones when I need them. I got several really good pairs of headphones but I had not had to use them for several years except for occasional birthday parties with grandchildren. I had my headphones with me in church that day, but they did not block the reverberation in my brain, so I ended up leaving the service. I came back in for the sermon and then left before the closing song since it was too hurtful, also.

My husband, ever protective of me especially since my stroke, called and spoke to the senior pastor. He suggested that we go to the “Common Room” which is usually used for overflow from the services when they get too crowded. There we would have access to closed circuit TV broadcasting the service. That has been better, but it certainly is not providing the fellowship I would like.

The problem started when we got a new worship leader and apparently his way of doing things is louder. I have asked that the audio person adjust the bass because it affects my health. The reply was that others are affected too, those with heart monitors or pacemakers. And yet the problem continues.

Yesterday was a bad attitude day for me. I didn’t want to sit in the room with just my husband. One of my friends from our small group joined us, saying that she was going to be our fellowship. Harry went into the auditorium and got our communion for us, so everything went okay. But I was still feeling excluded over a problem that I have no control over. I have prayed and prayed about what to do and the answer came this morning. I am to be quiet and to wait for God to take care of it.

Since I am a big proponent of spreading life, I know that I have to be quiet in this situation because my negativity is doing the opposite. Instead of calling the worship team a “garage band on steroids” I am choosing to call them the worship team or praise team. The fact that I cannot be in the auditorium to participate does not take away from the service that they are providing. And I am trusting God to take care of me and my needs, whether in the auditorium or a side room.

I am not sure what calamity could come from my voicing my opinion about the bass being too high, but I don’t want to find out either. I just know that I cannot be in that room because I don’t want to take a chance on having another stroke due to the irritation of the bass. So, I am guarding my mouth. Why? Because there is no perfect church and I cannot change hearts and minds by complaining since no one seems to comprehend the damage the overly loud bass does to my brain. My husband and I briefly considered looking for a new church. But we love our Sunday school class and get fellowship there and from our small group that meets each Monday evening. We have made friends there, people who check on us in bad weather and are willing to help out when we need it. Unless God specifically says to move on, we are staying put and trusting Him to take care of things there. Would I prefer to be able to be in the regular service? Of course! But rather than call the Common Room my “exile island” I am choosing now to call it my “refuge island.” Attitude makes a difference, especially when dealing with imperfect people in an imperfect world. God is taking care of me just as He always has and I am thankful for His concern and compassion.

Listening

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture4 Comments

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!

“How Long, O Lord…?”

On By vickleaIn praise, prayer, Scripture2 Comments

Sometimes God answers our prayers right away, but I have found that most times, I am waiting for an answer and feeling a lot like David in Psalm 13 when he asked God this question. He didn’t expect a reply from God. Instead, he kept on being faithful. I think David knew that the answer would come in God’s time.

Sometimes it does feel as though God has turned away from us, but He never does. He is watching us all the time while we deliberate how we will respond to his delay. He is looking for people who will be faithful.

We have to keep trusting and in that trust, we need to rejoice. We are not rejoicing because all of our prayers are answered right away. I have said it before, and I repeat it here again. God is not a magic genie who instantly grants our requests. He has a reason for all He does and He has a plan for us. We rejoice because we know ultimately we have salvation and will live with Him for eternity. I keep reminding myself that this life is temporary. The aches, pains, heartaches and trials will all pass. God and salvation are forever!

While we wait for an answer, a good use of our time would be to praise God and remind ourselves of all that He has already done for us. God has been good to me! My life is a living testimony of His goodness, grace and mercy, and for that I can sing even as I wait. So, how long? As long as it takes. Because when the answer comes, I can rest fully assured that it will be the right answer at the right time and for the right reasons.

Come into the Ark

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture2 Comments

In order for Noah to have an ark to go into for safety, he had to obey God and build it. God didn’t make the ark and tell him, “Here you go! Your safe space is ready for you!” Instead, Noah had to pick up his tools and work hard at building a huge boat for which he was ridiculed. Think about it. You’re doing what God tells you to do and everyone else is making fun of you. Hmm. Sounds somewhat familiar at times, doesn’t it?

When Noah finished building the ark (after about a hundred years), God told him it was time to go into it. It’s a good thing that Noah was tuned in to God’s instructions. We need to have that same mindset…just do what God says to do and the reason may/may not be told to us later, but it will be a good one.

Why was Noah called into the ark? Because God saw him as righteous before Him. The world was a wicked place, kind of like our world today. The only way we can be righteous before God is to accept His Son as our Lord and Savior. When we have done that and become the Christians that He desires us to be, adopted into His family, then we are invited into the ark. The ark is not a physical boat of safety. Rather, it is the place we can always turn to in order to be safe from the world’s temptation and sin. We are invited to go in, but we have to take the steps to get there. God will not shove us into a place of safety; rather, He woos us with love and patience, reassuring us constantly that He knows what is best for us.

There is a lot we can learn from Noah…obedience, listening for God to speak and doing what God says when He says it. We have a shelter provided from all of the storms of life. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be storms, just that we won’t suffer all of the consequences that we would without an ark to take refuge in.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

God’s Will

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony, YouVersion App2 Comments

Knowing God is trusting God to do what is best for all, not just for me. I confess that there have been many times when I did not understand God’s will and why things were happening. My trust faltered, and in my weakness, I would find myself crying out to God and asking for reassurance that He is still in control. One such time was when our daughter miscarried when she was almost seven months pregnant. We had just spent a week together in a cabin, enjoying games, outings, food and fellowship with her and her family. The last days we were there, Hope stayed in bed, saying she wasn’t feeling well and just needed to rest. When she and the family left, she told me that she felt fine and was eager to get the sonogram done early that week that had been scheduled for a while already. My husband and I were still at the cabin, this time with our son and his family taking their turn with us. Then the phone call came. Hope was sobbing and I could barely understand her words. But they became plain soon enough, “She’s gone. The baby died.” I don’t know if I have ever felt such heartbreak before. Our beloved daughter was feeling so lost, and we were well over a day’s travel away. We hastily explained to Scott what had happened, packed up and went home (three hours away) and then re-packed and headed to Pennsylvania, praying for God to be with Hope and Aaron and the four children as they grieved. When we arrived the next day, we found that the obstetrician had Hope go through labor and give birth to the deceased infant. Tessa was perfectly formed, but tiny. Tests showed that she had a tumor and died from it. The family was in shock and inconsolable. My lighthearted and faith-filled daughter was silent and sad. My grandchildren didn’t understand how such a tragedy was possible. We went through the days following the loss trying to help Hope cope with the loss and to choose to move on. She was convinced that this was her last baby and she had lost her. Tessa Serenity was never going to walk the earth. I took walks with the younger children around their large property and we talked about where Tessa was now…in the arms of the Lord and happy to be there. But the sadness prevailed. Hope mustered her belief in a good God the best that she could and went on with life. Two summers later, we met at a shopping center on our way to the beach for a trip together again. I had kind of dreaded the trip because the last time we had been together for a vacation had ended in such heartache. When Hope got out of the car, she had on a shirt with a rainbow that said something like, “God keeps His promises.” She then told us, right there in the parking lot, that she was pregnant and that this baby was a “rainbow baby”, a gift after the loss of a beloved child. We cried together and rejoiced in God’s goodness. Less than five months later, little Teagan Noelle was born. I guess I should add here that Hope and Aaron name all of their children with the letter T and online she calls her children T1, T2, etc. The latest, little Teagan, is not called by a number because it was too difficult to skip the number 5 that belonged to Tessa and Teagan and the other kids didn’t understand the number 6. So Teagan became “sweet Tea” and that’s her nickname to this day. She knows that she has a sister waiting for her in heaven who was to be number five. And we all praise God for the blessing that she is. She just turned eight, a precocious and loving child who is the delight of all in her family. So why did Tessa have to leave this life so early? I don’t know and probably never will. But these events led me to lean hard into God and to trust His sovereignty even when I don’t understand it.

From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Daily Power by Craig Groeschel, Day 4”

Years ago my wife Amy’s brother, David, was very sick. He was in the hospital, so we had everyone we knew praying for him—for his health, for healing, for a full recovery. For weeks and weeks, we prayed and prayed. But after several months, God healed David in a way we hadn’t planned. My brother-in-law, who was only thirty-four, left this earth and joined God in heaven.

My wife lost her only brother. My in-laws lost their only son. We were devastated and it was hard not to wonder, “Where was God in that? Why did we have to lose David?”

I helped do the funeral, and I invited people to know the Jesus who had changed David’s life and set him free from the bondage of a dark past. That day so many people said yes and invited Christ into their hearts, including Uncle Blue, a great guy and one of our family’s favorite people.

Recently Amy and I were reflecting on the positive ripple effect we could see in so many lives—all because God did not answer our prayer the way we wanted. “Would you trade everything that’s happened to get your brother back?” I asked. Without hesitating, she said, “No way. What God has done through our loss is greater than anything I could imagine.”

God’s will matters in the midst of our prayers. You don’t always get what you want when you want it. But you can always walk by faith and trust in God’s will.

Power Lift: Dear God, there’s so much I don’t understand about your ways. Today help me walk by faith and not by sight, trusting in your perfect and holy plan for my life.

Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane should be our prayer daily.

Worry or Hope

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Daily Power by Craig Groeschel, Day 3”

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. My mind spins with thoughts of appointments, responsibilities, and obligations for the following day. I worry about my kids, my friends, and members of our church. When everyone seems to be doing okay, I worry that I can’t think of anything to worry about! The best thing I do, though, is simply pray about all that’s weighing on me.

Sometimes people say, “All we can do now is pray.” It’s tempting to treat prayer like it’s a last line of defense. In actuality, though, prayer is our first line of offense.

We all have so many people depending on us that it can be hard to feel strong enough to do all that needs doing. We want to keep standing firm in our faith, but we become weary and feel so exhausted. That’s when we have to cry out for help, just like the psalmist says in today’s verse. We have to put our hope in the promises of God’s Word.

When you wake early because your mind and heart are troubled, you can rest in remembering what your Father has promised. He is with you and will never abandon you. He is in control and devoted to your growth for his good purposes. You don’t have to do everything that’s spinning around in your mind.

Today you can rest easy knowing that your hope is in God and not in your own efforts.

Power Lift: Today I cast my burdens before you, Lord, and trust that you can handle all that weighs on me and more. My hope is in you and I trust your timing to meet my needs as you show me my next step.

My Thoughts

I come from a family of hand-wringers and worriers. So, you might say that I have been perfecting this art of worrying for decades. I have also been learning (for fewer decades) how to let go and trust in God. I am not there yet because I still awaken in the middle of the night with my mind spinning. But I have learned to take deep breaths, release the troubles to God and go back to sleep. For me, that is good progress. I also recite scriptures that I have memorized to myself and sing praise songs in my mind. Sometimes it takes longer to go back to sleep, depending on what the issue is. But my belief is that I am awakened to pray, so I do and fall back to sleep when I feel comforted and the reassurance that God is taking care of things for me.

God’s Story

On By vickleaIn Christmas, Holidays, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

This devotional is from the YouVersion Daily Refresh for Sunday, December 22, 2024

Trusting God’s Story

Imagine Mary and Joseph getting ready to become parents. They probably asked a lot of the same questions expectant parents do today: Is the baby healthy? Are we prepared to care for this child? Where will we have the baby? Are we ready for the birth?

Near the end of Mary’s pregnancy, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that everyone within the Roman world return to their hometown for a census (Luke 2:1-4). This meant that Mary and Joseph had to leave their home in Nazareth to take the four-day journey to Bethlehem, the city of David, who was Joseph’s ancestor. 

Because of the census, Bethlehem’s inns were full of people making the journey home. And so, when the time came, Mary gave birth to Jesus in the only place available to them: a stable. She placed him in a manger—a feeding trough—because that’s all there was. Surely this was not the birth that Mary would have planned for her firstborn child.

And yet, it was exactly what God had ordained. God showed us a lot about His Kingdom through the circumstances around the birth of His Son. 

He showed us that Jesus is humble. Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a manger. The King of all Creation, yet such a humble beginning.

He showed us that the Kingdom of God is accessible. This King wasn’t tucked away in a castle or a mansion, separated from His people and surrounded by luxuries—shepherds and wise men alike were able to come visit Him.

He showed us that we can trust the story. Mary had to trust God’s story. Joseph had to trust God’s story. Imagine how the story would have been different if Mary and Joseph had demanded that room be made for them in an inn, shouting, “This is the Messiah, people! Make room!” But they didn’t do that. They accepted the situation in front of them, trusting God’s story regardless of how strange or undesirable the setting seemed. 

And from that surrendered posture and strange set of circumstances, God brought forth His Son, exactly as He had planned. 

We can trust the story because God is the Author. Jesus’ humble birth was not an accident—it was a message, a picture to all of us of what God’s Kingdom is truly like. It’s also an invitation for us to surrender our plans, our ideas of how the story should be, and trust the trustworthy hand of God in our lives. We can trust God.

The red lines for emphasis are added by me. That is what stood out to me in this daily devotional. I hope that it blesses you just as it blessed me.