Tag: bible

Posted on

When Ordinary Snow Becomes Extraordinary

When the Almighty scattered the kings there, it was snowing in Zalmon.  Psalm 68:14  (NASB)

 

Snow . . . it’s one of my favorite things.  It’s so pretty and it quiets the world.  Have you noticed that?

One thing my late husband and I enjoyed was taking a walk in the first snow. Usually this was at night after dinner. It seemed like God had wrapped the world in cold cotton and silenced the noise.  It was magical and peaceful. 

Of all the times I have read through the bible and even more times the Psalms, I have never noticed the reference to snow. Of course I had to Google to see if it snows in Israel.  Was this a real thing?  Yes it is !  It snows in a few areas of Israel, particularly the north. 

Next I Googled Zalmon to pinpoint it’s location.  Zalmon is in the northern region of Israel.  The ruins of Zalmon are located directly south of Wadi Zalmon National Park.  So experiencing snow there is completely possible.  What a great discovery !  There’s lots of weather in the bible, but snow?  Yes – ordinary snow. 

Call me crazy, but I thrill to see ordinary things cited in scripture.  It makes me smile, and yes, chuckle, to read about snow in the bible.          Oh how God delights us as we read His word! Isn’t it extraordinary how He communicates deep truth as well as the joyful, ordinary things? God provides the perfect balance of heavy and light.  I love that about Him !

So what do we know about snow?  What would it have to do with scattering an enemy army?

Well, we know that in a snowstorm, visibility can be tough.  Snow also deadens sound, so verbal communication would have been challenging.  Also, depending on how much snow was on the ground, it could have been difficult marching on foot or traveling on horseback. 

Did God bring the falling snow to aid in scattering the enemy?  I think that’s a logical possibility.  Of course, this is just my imagining.  And while plausible, it could just be a statement of fact tucked into scripture. 

No matter what the truth of the snow reference,  I love seeing God in the ordinary. 

We don’t usually assign anything spiritual to ordinary snow. It’s usually an inconvenience to us.  It cancels plans and causes rescheduling.  For kids it means playing and hot chocolate. But what if God wants us to see Him in ordinary snow? 

Maybe God brings snow to make us smile at it’s beauty and hear laughter as kids build snowmen.  Maybe it’s to slow us down to enjoy time snuggling under an afghan, reading a good book. Maybe it gives us a leisurely morning in our PJs in front of the fire with an extra cup of coffee. 

After reading about snow in the Psalms, I don’t think snow will ever be ordinary for me ever again. 

Posted on

Where I Found Hope

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:8

 

I love to walk, but not alone.

My husband and I loved to go for walks.  We would walk in our neighborhood, the Air Force base where we were stationed and in local parks.

Sometimes we would hold hands or just walk side by side. We might talk, or not. It didn’t matter.  We were walking together. Together is the important word.

That’s how we walked through life until cancer took him in 2014. That’s when I started walking alone.

My world shattered. My future was uncertain. And my purpose disappeared in the emptiness.  I lost who I was. I lost my dreams. I lost focus.

But just like walking always brings me back where I started, my broken heart brought me back to God’s word, sitting silently in His presence. It was there I cried, I was numb, I was speechless. He wrapped me in His arms and spoke to me from His word. Verses leaped off the page becoming etched on my heart.  Each provided a twinkle of light, and that light sparked hope. I knew that more than loving God, I trusted Him.  I could trust Him to walk with me.

So right then, Deuteronomy 31:8 was tattooed on my heart.  I began speaking it out loud every day. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

It is in God’s word that I found hope. It was a tiny light that got brighter and warmer as I spent time in scripture. . .in His presence. He was filling in the empty cavern inside me. The fact that He will be with me & never leave is what I needed to hear.

Do I know the whole plan? No. Do I like this part of the plan? No. But do I trust the One with the plan? Yes! Oh Yes!

It’s been nearly 7 years since I started my earthly walk alone. God has been with me through daunting life decisions. He has provided wisdom, resources, and help from faithful friends.  I am truly very lonely, but I’m not alone.

This walk with God gives me a spark of joy in my heart.  His purpose is unfolding as I take each step. The light of hope surrounds me and while it might only shine on my current step, it is enough.  

I don’t know what loss has left you walking alone. But I know where you can find hope.  I know Who will walk with you no matter where your journey takes you. Give God a chance and He will walk with you. Out of your emptiness a flicker of light will grow, lighting your path, and leading to hope.

Posted on

Are you experiencing turbulence?

2 Corinthians 13:11

There is a card I have been using to hold my place in my bible as I’ve gone through 2 Corinthians.  A dear friend gave it to me one year after my husband was interred at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis.  The card ministered to my spirit so profoundly that I wanted to have it close to read again and again.  This is what it says.

          Whatever comes your way today – circumstances around you or feelings within you. . . be certain of God’s still, small voice saying,  “You are Mine. . . I love you. . . and I’ll never let you go.”

Those are such precious words to me – to anyone grieving really.  But not just grieving – a person could be experiencing all sorts of turbulence.  These words soothe my heart.  They bring me peace.

Lately, I have seen  “love” and “peace” in scripture in several places.  It’s not a coincidence.  My heart has been experiencing a lot of turbulence lately. Sometimes life just seems hard — sometimes unfair – and sometimes we just hurt from discouragement or other reasons.  We need to know we are loved.  We need peace – but not just any peace.  We need God’s peace.

2 Corinthians 13:11 says “. . . the God of love and peace shall be with you.” (NASB)  In the last 4 verses of this chapter, Paul mentions God’s love and peace twice.  I needed to read my card AND I needed to see again in scripture that God does indeed love me as well as have the kind of peace He gives. God has my attention.

Does this come instantly like magic?  Do I suddenly feel perfectly fine?  NO.  What DOES happen is this.  As I turn my focus to my heavenly Father, read His word and offer my broken, troubled spirit, He comforts me.  He stills my heart.  He tells me again that He loves me.  He reminds me that while others may leave, He will not.  He’s with me every step, every hour, every moment.  I am not alone.  And I feel His peace wash over me.  I still have turbulence, but I choose peace.  Life isn’t perfect, but I choose peace.  My heart is still hurting, but God’s hand gently touches my heart.  he will stay till the tears subside and I finally rest in Him.  How awesome is that???

Just in case you’re reading this and are having a rough time too, reach out to God.  Realize you are not alone.  Talk to Him.  Lay it all out.  Cry, crumble, lay your heart on the altar.  God will pick you up.  He will never leave you.  And His incredible peace will wash over you.

Dear one – – – – I pray you will see and know that the God of love and peace will be with you – – – -always.

Posted on

Simplify. . . . Hear His Whisper

Matthew 11: 28 – 30

While getting some other things at the Christian bookstore recently, I picked up a book by Bill Hybels – “Simplify”.  I respect Mr. Hybels so I picked up the book to check chapter titles and endorsements.  It looked good and I know I the need to simplify.  This happens each summer as I review what took place over the previous September to May.  Every year the landscape and choices are a little different for me.  This is the time of year I pray about women’s ministry, music, leading Adult VBS music, and lots of other stuff.  In addition, I get thinking about bigger ideas – where is God leading – what happened last year in bible study, work, music etc.   More importantly, I look for places I can get a better handle on commitments. 

Anyway – this book, I feel, is going to be a game changer for me.  Here are some of the words used in the chapter titles – overscheduled, overwhelmed, anxious, drifting, stuck, meaningless, exhausted.  Do you identify with any of those???  I sure do.  Maybe it’s not constant, but sometimes it almost feels like I am meeting myself coming and going. I feel overwhelmed as I contemplate the upcoming calendar or as I think about decisions which will affect the next year.  My decisions affect others and it all becomes so heavy – in both mind and heart. I need to sort it out.  

That’s where this book comes in.  As I sit here writing this, I’m in the Detroit airport on my way home – where I grew up.  I’m getting a week to visit, to attend a ceremony, to relax, to think things through. I brought the book with me and have only made it through the first chapter.  Even though that’s true, I can see that it’s going to make me ask myself some serious questions.  Focusing and identifying what is best among all the good is the task at hand. God talks about “the abundant life” in His word.  That’s what I want.  Mr. Hybels has struggled with all of this and still does to a degree.  That’s why what he has to say in this book is so impactful.  He’s lived this, he’s figured out some stuff with God’s help, and he is having a good deal of success employing key strategies.

How does this qualify as a devotional? Bring scripture into this and it really changes everything.  There are several places where God makes the point of priorities, but I’ll just site a couple.  In Luke‘s gospel Jesus goes to the home of Mary and Martha.  Mary chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet while Martha freaks out in the kitchen.  Mary invested in relationship.  Martha, while her heart was in the right place, was demonstrating what happens when we are overwhelmed and anxious.  In the process she became frazzled and I’m sure exhausted. Jesus said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Jesus was saying that connecting with Him was what was important.  And in Matthew Jesus says, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

What does it all mean?  I am willing to bet that I’m not the only one that feels this way from time to time.  I’m learning that it’s absolutely crucial to put my energy and trust in the most important things.  There is no way we can do all that we want to do.  If I will keep my priorities straight, God will help me sort the calendar and requests out.

Mr. Hybels talks about “uncluttering the soul”.  That is precisely what is needed.  I’ll leave you with a quote from this first chapter……………so good.  “…without the needless clutter clanging around in your soul, you’ll be able to hear – and respond to – each whisper from God.”  I want to hear His whisper – every single one.

Posted on

The Ultimate Reno. . .

2 Corinthians 11: 1 – 20

When I was growing up, it was a much simpler time in all areas.  There were not as many choices for one thing.  Phones were stationary and had only one function.  Churches didn’t have a myriad of programs.  And television had somewhere between 3 and 10 channels.  Amazing isn’t it?

Another thing was true too.  Good and evil were relatively easy to distinguish.  There were indeed gray areas as well, but not as much as today.

Today we have so many good things, it is very difficult , at times, to determine what’s best.  Evil has been dressed up, concealed and promoted as either something good or simply something we should tolerate.  So many of the lesser evils have become “normal” in our world.  When compared to the evil of terrorism, they seemingly fade into the dailiness of life.  And right there is the danger.

Satan is the father of lies.  His character is all about deception.  He twists things around and gets us thinking toward sin instead of away from it.  He wears us down bit by bit with subtle lies until we start believing his propaganda.  This is precisely what Paul is warning against in 2 Corinthians 11.

Warnings. . .

Twice in this passage Paul flashes a warning about satan’s deception.  In verse 3 he reminds us how in the beginning he deceived Eve by leading her mind astray.  In verses 14 & 15 Paul tells us that he disguises himself as an angel of light. And, his servants appear as servants of righteousness.  This is scary stuff.

If we are honest – if I am honest – he has tricked us in so many ways.  Often we are afraid to come against something if it seems it’s “not a big deal”.  Or, we simply don’t see it coming.  It’s so incredibly subtle that we don’t recognize what’s happened till much later.

So how do we fight back?  How do we retake the ground that’s lost?  How do we stay vigilant against deception?  Is there a way to stand firm against the subtle lies?  Yes.

What to do. . .

One way is to pray the Armor of God.  Yes – the Armor of God again. . . .Get dressed every single day.  Ask God to quicken our our spirit to anything that’s “off”.   Ask the Holy Spirit to give us special discernment for satan’s lies and cloaked deception.  Ask God to wake us up out of our spiritual slumber so we can remain on alert.  Remember that there is a battle going on, whether we see it openly or not.  We must acknowledge that it exists.  By keeping that thought in the forefront of our minds, we are automatically positioned to see the truth.  And above all we must stay in God’s word everyday and pray. God’s word is truth.  God’s word is our Sword of the Spirit.  We can do effective battle with knowledge of God’s word and prayer.

One other thing helps so much and is often missed when discussing the battle for our minds – Praise.  Praise and worship songs are so very helpful.  Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praise of His people.  Where God is, satan cannot be.  I also love Romans 12:2 which says, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  That’s huge, because it’s basically saying we need to re-wallpaper our mind.  And how do we do that?  We do it by re-wallpapering with God’s word, with prayer and praise.  We saturate our minds with Him so satan can’t find any room for his lies.

God’s Not Dead !!

So take courage dear one.  We need to do this together.  Yes, we’ve allowed our minds to be deceived probably in many ways.  But that stops here.  This is war and we must put on the Armor and re-wallpaper our minds – serious renovation.  God is faithful and with His help we won’t be deceived anymore.  In the words of a song – “God’s not dead. He’s surely alive.  He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.”

Posted on

Who’s First?

2 Corinthians 10: 1 – 10

No matter where you look, there seems to be a structure of hierarchy.

  • in the animal kingdom
  • among birds
  • in organizations
  • in business
  • in the church
  • in our jobs
  • in families

It’s this concept of hierarchy, or putting things/people in order of importance, that has me struggling lately.  It was tormenting me under the surface of everyday life for quite awhile.  Then a combination of scripture readings and a video series called “gods at war” by Kyle Idleman, pierced my heart.  As I watched the teaching video, tears came and I saw clearly the reason my heart had been hurting so much.  And – I was wrecked – in a good way.

We think as Christians that we may break some of the commandments, but we certainly have not broken the first two.  In reality, we have probably broken them more than any others.

The first commandment is to have no other gods (small g) before God.  The second is to not make any kind of idol.  In our minds we go immediately to Old Testament pictures of pagans with bizarre gods and gold, bronze, silver or wood idols.  Of course we haven’t done anything like that – or have we?

It’s the hierarchy, or order, that God demands.  He says in the first commandment that He must be at the top – no lesser gods before the One True God.  And the second commandment goes along with that because any idol is something that comes before God.  It doesn’t have to be an object, it can be good things that have gained too much importance.  And that’s where I found myself – Yikes.

Gods……………..idols…………….

 

In the video series it addresses several gods – pleasure, love, power, money, me.  None of them are awful, evil things.  What we do with them and where our thoughts, money and time are spent tell a different story.

Where’s my focus?  What is consuming my thoughts?  Where am I stuck?  What’s invading my heart and mind?

In the midst of all this I read 2 Corinthians 10 where I zero in on verses 3 – 5.  I am living a life in the flesh in a flesh driven world.  But, I have spiritual weapons at my disposal.  I have the power of the Holy Spirit to recognize and take every “above God” thought and put it in the correct place or throw it out completely – whatever the Spirit prompts to do.

If you are struggling with this stuff like I am, take courage dear one.  Don’t be discouraged when you can’t seem to get it right all the time.  Me either !!  Doesn’t it feel sometimes like we take 2 or 3 steps forward and one back?  UGH!  So frustrating.  This is where I hold tightly to Philippians 1:6 – “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  I am unfinished, in progress, under construction.  You and I have to cut ourselves a bit of slack.  It’s not condoning excuses.  It’s acknowledging that we are but dust.  We’re human, broken, imperfect.  But God doesn’t throw us away when we mess up.  He wants us to confess, accept His forgiveness (I John 1:9) and get back in the game with Him.  He has more to do in and through our lives.  He is NOT done with us yet.  We are not failures.  He loves when we come back to Him and put Him at the very top of our priorities and thoughts.

I’m doing this daily………………

 

Here’s what I have started to do and you are welcome to do this too.  First of all I acknowledge every day in my morning prayers that it is my desire to put God first.  I ask Him to help me identify and take captive every thought that competes for His place in my life.  Another thing that has become  automatic every day since the beginning of 2017 is praying the armor of God on myself.  It goes like this. . .

Lord –  I put on the helmet of salvation – Your salvation because there is salvation in no one else.  I pray protection over my mind, my eyes and my ears.  I put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect my heart and other vital parts – Your righteousness because I have none on my own. I put on the belt of truth.  Your truth – not truth from the culture, the country, my church, my friends, or anything but Your Word.   I take up the shield of faith to extinguish the enemy’s fiery darts – the ones I can see and the ones I can’t see coming (meaning I place the shield over my head, crouching down, becoming turtle-like).  I take up the sword of the Spirit – God’s Word.  I infuse my mind with Your Word that I can use as I battle each day.  I put on shoes of peace.  May I walk through my day in peace and bless others with peace.  Above all, I cover with prayer – not just at that moment but conversationally through the whole day……………………….Amen.

Posted on

My Fragrance

2 Corinthians 2: 14 – 17

How do we smell?

We shower, use deodorant, and wear clean clothes so we don’t stink – at least, we SHOULD be doing this.  But when it comes to being the fragrance of Christ, how do we smell?

2 Corinthians 2 says that God leads us in triumph and manifests the sweet aroma of Christ. Manifests means it’s seen easily.  It’s unmistakable.  But is it?

Sometimes I begin my day out of sorts, or not in a good frame of mind.  My attitude could use an adjustment.  I need more Jesus!  The more Jesus I get, the better I smell.

This fact is one reason spending time in God’s word is a daily appointment I can’t live without.  Some days I certainly try to live without it.  And yes, I manage to slug through another day.  But how’s my fragrance that day?  Is it a fragrance or a stench?

Opportunities. . . .  The Spirit. . . . A Lifeline. . . .

Truth is, some days I smell better than others when I’m drumming it all up on my own.  But the days I put on more Jesus, my aroma is definitely better.  It must be.  On those days, opportunities appear with great frequency.  It’s easier on those days to hear the Spirit’s nudging.  People sometimes seem almost drawn to me.  Could it be the fragrance of Christ seen in a smile?  Is there an openness and acceptance that’s palpable?  I hope so.

This passage in 2 Corinthians causes those on the path to death to continue their path. They want nothing to do with the fragrance of Christ.  But to believers, it’s life.  To a fellow Christian, it’s hope, love, encouragement, joy!

The folks I’m thinking about right now, however, are those headed to death, but looking for life.  For them, we are a lifeline.  For them we can make the difference between giving up or continuing to seek.  We get to plant a seed, water a seed, help it grow.  And when it’s just the right time, we might get to harvest.  No matter where we fit in the process, let’s carry the fragrance of Christ on our way.

Questions

Have you spent time in God’s word yet today?  How do you smell?

 

 

Posted on

Welcome to Flying Above !

Everyone has turbulence every single day.  None of us does this perfectly. As I share in this simple devotional blog, perhaps it will help you as you experience the day-to-day turbulence as well as devastating turbulence.

Coffee & Jesus

My posts come directly from what I call my “coffee & Jesus” time.  In 2015 God changed the way I met with Him.  He made me slow down.  So as He takes me from book to book, chapter to chapter, verse to verse, I’m listening closely to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach me.  And you know what? I’m seeing new things in God’s word.  Or, at the very least, I am seeing them from a fresh perspective.

Please be kind. . . . . . . . .

Writing has never been my deal.  But God has recently given me a voice – on paper and with actual voice.  I’m not formally schooled in scripture.  But I have walked with God for 50 years and been in women’s ministry for 25 years.  So please realize that I’m merely sharing what God has spoken to me.  Don’t take what I have to say as gospel.  Read God’s word for yourself.  No doubt there will be some who either disagree or feel the need to correct me.  You are welcome to your opinion.  That said – please be kind and respectful  when you comment.

                        Peace & Blessings………..