If God doesn't want us to fear {what DOES He want us to have?}

The life of a Christian is not an easy life. Add to that being a wife, then being a mother, then also being a mother of school-aged children (no matter your educational choices), and the "easy" tally doesn't get any bigger.

Sometimes, it's not even just hard.

There are moments, days, and weeks where we could easily be gripped and overcome with fear.

It can be as simple as seeing all the opportunities for danger in the confines of a home.

It can be the crossing of a road, or the travelling in a car.

Circumstances can occur which bring fear to the front of our minds.  Difficult times when we face trials and difficulties, and fearing the day ahead, never mind the future, can have an almost crippling effect.

Child birth, breastfeeding, and rearing a small family - and an ever growing family - can make fear nudge at our thoughts.

The "what ifs?" of life can become a weight around our neck, and fear creeps in until it consumes us.

Recently, on his way through systematic teaching on II Timothy, my husband preached on the verse in chapter 1, that many would have heard before.

It really struck my heart, as a woman whose heart is inclined towards fear, in many circumstances. It holds so much truth, and so much depth of meaning.

It directs our minds, firstly, to something that God has not given us.

Fear.

When we fear, it doesn't come from God. We are to fear GOD, but we are NOT to fear our circumstances, and the situations we may, or may not, encounter in life.

God has NOT given us fear.

If it's not from Him, where IS it coming from?

It's that sneaky old serpent, the wily one, the devil.

HE wants us to be so gripped with fear, that our eyes are taken clean off what God HAS given us, which is what the second part of the verse tells us.

If the fear isn't from Him, what DOES he want us to have?

Power.

Love.

A sound mind.

Do you see?  Do you see what God has given?

A three-fold gift that encompasses body, heart and mind.

Power.  God has given us power.  This word, at its roots, is the word "dunamis". It's the root from which we get words like dynamite, and dynamic.

δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

When we are feeling fearful, and weak, as the devil puts thoughts in our minds that are not of God, we need to claim that miraculous, supernatural power, that only comes from God. But, come from God it DOES! He has given it to us, and we need only use it. 

The word also implicates abundance. It's not a power that fails, or runs out, like earthly power sources. It's never-failing, and all sufficient, in our battle against the temptations of the flesh and the devil. We don't need to let it have the victory in our lives, because we have power. He will give us physical strength to do all we need to do in the situation He has us walking through. We have spiritual power to battle the wicked one, and to quench his fiery darts.

What else does God give us?

Love.

Love is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given us. A heart that is loving in the way which God has intended us to, has the power to conquer all fear.  If our hearts are filled up with loving God, and loving each other - if we are so consumed with love, gifted from God -  then we won't give a second thought to fear. 

ἀγάπη

agapē

ag-ah'-pay

From G25; love, that is, affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast: - (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.

I love the concept of a "love feast", here in Strongs! We need to have our hearts feasting upon love - we need to take our fill of it, and be satisfied with it. Relish it. Enjoy it. Savour it. 

When we then have our hearts filled up with love, we won't fear. 

How does the verse end?  With a concept that every woman struggles with. I'm convinced it's more of a female thing. 

Convinced.

A sound mind.

Our minds tend toward being over-thinkers. We over analyse, mull over, ponder and repeat, until we have ourselves in a tangled mess of thoughts that bring us to a place of crippling fear. Whether it's thinking about what OTHERS think of us, or thinking about what we may have said or done to offend others, or simply thinking about things that may never happen, we tie ourselves up in a web of thoughts that bring our minds to a place that is dark and fearful.

That is NOT having a sound mind. 

σωφρονισμός

sōphronismos

so-fron-is-mos'

From G4994; discipline, that is, self control: - sound mind.

A sound mind is a mind that is brought into subjection. A mind over which we exercise self control.  Not a mind where thoughts run away into endless mazes of unproductive fears and concerns. 

No.  

A mind that is focussed on the Saviour - the one who rules in our hearts and keeps us in perfect peace, if we only have the self control to keep our minds on Him. 

Oh, my sinful, straying heart. My heart that fears, when it simply doesn't need to. I don't need to even spare a thought for anything further than right now. And, right now, I can claim the power, love and sound mind of  Heavenly Father who cares for me more deeply than I will EVER know or understand.  

My Saviour. 

My Jesus. 

He speaks strength to my heart instead of weakness.

He speaks love into my heart instead of enmity, bitterness and hate.

He speaks sound thoughts and peace into my mind instead of unrest, clamour and doubt.

So, how do I practically battle this fear that threatens my peace?

I arm myself for battle!  

I fight with prayer, and I equip myself with His Word. If I keep His word to the front of my mind, I will be able to claim the promises - EVERY SINGLE ONE - that He has given in His word.

Search His Word daily, and keep a note of those promises, as He lays them upon your heart. Cherish them. Memorise them. Claim them.

And, cast out the fear and replace it with power, love and a mind that is fixed upon God.

Trusting Jesus {that is all}

Yes.  A new blog post!

I AM here! I have just had a plethora of things to prevent me from getting a blog post written. Ill children.  Visitors.  Church events.  Oh, and a laptop that's really not very happy.

As I have said before, my family and other commitments always come first, and blogging slips down the list at times of busyness. That said, I miss sharing what's on my heart, and, of course, I am still to share about our UH-MAZ-ING trip to "The Continent"!

I am still quite busy, catching up from a crazy week just gone by, so the holiday post will have to wait.

Today's post is immensely relevant, however.  It sums up what I have been dealing with these last few weeks - in fact, what we ALL deal with EVERY day.

Let me wind back a little, to the day we got home from holiday.  It had been a tiring couple of days, and it was past 9pm on a Saturday evening. We pulled into the drive, to see this....

OK, so, not exactly. What we see was our rose bush completely fallen in front of our front door! This is actually Robert moving it, so we can get IN our front door! 

I love that rose bush, and I really hoped it wasn't damaged. Thankfully, although fallen over (we had terrible windy weather when we were gone - shame, we didn't have that in Italy.... *wink*), it wasn't damaged. The trellis was totally ruined, though. No trellis, no rose bush.

Regularly, I am very thankful for my wonderful husband.  He reassured me he could sort it out. He'd build a new trellis.

Well, one day I came into the garage to find a few long pieces of wood. Apparently, that was going to be a new trellis. For a start, I couldn't quite "get" how you could get a rose bush to weave itself into a new trellis, as they grow INTO one, usually. Secondly, I had no idea how one would even build such a thing. It seemed slightly complicated, and such a big jumbled mess of fallen over rose, and pieces of wood. To my brain, it just didn't seem doable.

I mentioned that I was thankful for Robert. I am thankful that he DOES know what he's doing. He tried to explain, and I just said "Listen, you know what you're doing, and I trust you to do it. I know you are very capable, and it will get sorted. I'll leave you to it.".

And, he did.  I won't go into the technical details, but he got my rose bush pinned back up into the wall, intertwined into a very strong trellis that won't go anywhere in a hurry!

The whole situation reminded me of my life. So often, I have things that "fall apart", or situations that are out of my control. I don't understand God's hand in it all, neither do I understand how He will work it all out. This I DO know - God is in control. God has a plan, and I don't need to understand.  I simply need to trust. I can ask for answers, but I may not always get them. My job is to trust the God who framed the earth, who created all things, whose power sustains His creation, and whose plans are perfect and past finding out. 

There are so many verses in God's Word that teach us about trust. Overarching so many of those, is the concept of protection. Our trust in the Lord will protect us from harm. Does that mean we don't have struggles and trials? Of course not! It means we will feel safe and secure in the MIDST of those trials and struggles.  

So, what IS this trust we can have? God's Word spells it out clearly.

Trusting God is safety -   "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence."

2Samuel 22:2-3  

I don't think you can be more specific than THAT! We can trust God to be our rock of sure foundation, our rock. He is our fortress, a secure defence from the attacks of evil. HE is our deliverer, from the trials we face. He is  our shield, to defend us against the fiery darts of the wicked one.  He is our tower, that we can flee to from attack.  He is our refuge - we can run to Him and be safe. He is our SAVIOUR! WE can trust Him, above and before all else, for our sure salvation! WE can trust Him to fully, completely, and never-failingly to save us from eternal judgement. 

Trusting God is security - "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings."

Psalm 36:7  

This may seem like safety, but, for me, this adds an even greater degree of trust. We may know we are safe from harm, but do we feel a SECURITY? A peace and rest in the knowledge of that safety? A CALM within the storm? That's what trusting God brings. Like a mother hen tucking her chicks in the safety of her wings, close to her side, so we know that we can trust God to keep us secure in His perfect plan and protection. 

Trusting God is confidence - "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Psalm 37:5  

What basis do we have for trusting God? Well, we trust that what He has promised will be fulfilled. We trust His Word.  If we are fully trusting God, and place our confidence in Him - if our ways are committed to Him, He will bring His promises to pass.  If He has promised something to you, in His Word, as one of His dear children, He CAN be trusted to fulfil it

Trusting God is extreme -  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:"

 Job 13:15

Job is the perfect example of "extreme trust".  Job was allowed to go through the most awful trials. You can hardly imagine the torment of mind, body and soul that he endured. And yet, he trusted God COMPLETELY. He said even if he was to die, he still trusted God, and what He was allowing Him to go through. Our struggles may be extreme, but our trust must remain.

Trusting God is guidance- "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse is so often read, and heard, we can easily lose its significance. First, we need whole hearted trust. We can't be half hearted, or even just a sliver of our heart. We need to fully trust Him, with every fibre of our being. Then, we need to not incline our hearts to our own wisdom and understanding. In everything we do, and in all the decisions we make, we need to acknowledge the Lord and His Word as our God, our leader, our authority. THEN....then, he will direct our paths. That whole-hearted trust will be the guide and direction we need for every step of the way. 

Trusting God is joy - "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:"

Psalm 5:11  

I love this one. LOVE. IT.

If we are trusting God, as we should, we need to have joy.  Not just have it, but SHOUT for joy! Why?  Because our trust is our defence. We are safe, secure and at rest in God, and all who He is, when we are trusting in Him.  How can we NOT rejoice?! We need to let the whole world know that NO MATTER WHAT life throws at us, we are trusting, and we have joy. Our heart should be so full of love and appreciation for everything God is to us, that we should rejoice.  Knowing that we can trust Him through all circumstances, no matter how trying, should be reason to shout for joy! 

Trusting God is blessing -  "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." 

Psalm 2:12

It seems so short, simple and basic. Yet, there is so much richness bound up in this statement. If you begin to ponder the blessing we receive from God's hands, from simply trusting Him, the words become so full!  All these things that are a result of our trust, are blessings in and of themselves.  Strength, security, peace, joy, direction, guidance, and confidence. Blessing upon blessing. But, think!  think upon all the blessings that we experience because we trust God. There are so many.  The fulfilment of each promise is a direct result of trusting Him to be faithful and true. We may not deserve it, and we may not trust Him as we should, but His generous nature lavishes us time after time.

Today.  This week.  This year.  Whatever your circumstances are, and even if you can't understand why you are going through them, or how God will work them out, you CAN trust Him.  Not only can you trust God, but He will bless you abundantly when you do, time and time again.

Simply trusting every day,

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,

Trusting as the days go by;

Trusting Him whate’er befall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly does His Spirit shine

Into this poor heart of mine;

While He leads I cannot fall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear,

Praying if the path be drear;

If in danger for Him call;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,

Trusting Him till earth be past;

Till within the jasper wall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Edgar P. Stites

(as a side note, the fortress in the picture was from my travels in Italy! - a taster of what's to come...)

Marriage {an overarching principle}

"An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning on each other, become a strength."

Leonardo Da Vinci

I just HAD to deviate from my normal Wednesday post, when I read this with the children in their school reading, for Tapestry of Grace, this week.  I read it, and something IMMEDIATELY jumped out at me.

This quote, of course, is the definition of an arch, from a scientific and engineering perspective.  The laws of science, worked out by a great mind like Da Vinci.

But, do you know what struck me? Right, smack dab between the eyes? THIS is a picture of MARRIAGE!!!

As individuals we are weak.  We have weaknesses in so many different ways, and invariably our weaknesses are not the same.  Our strengths and weaknesses lie in different places.  Without doubt, however, there ARE weaknesses.  Not one single person is always strong, always perfect, always right.  So, in a marriage that equals two weaknesses.

But look.

LOOK.

When those two weaknesses lean on each other, they become a strength.

What a beautiful, and wonderful image!

When we lean on each other - when we rely upon each other - we hold each other up and WE ARE STRONG!  It's no good just trying to "go it alone" in a marriage.  When you are united in matrimony, you become one unit.  It's about DEPENDENCE, not INDEPENDENCE!  It's not a sign of weakness to rely on each other for support  - it's a strength to do that.

Ecclesiastes tells us about the benefits of more than one.

"Two are better than one.."

It carries on to give situations where it's a benefit to have someone to help you in life.  No lesser so than in a marriage! It's the perfect picture of partnership being important.  Not being in conflict, but working side by side.

There's more though...

In the whole construction of an arch, there is a crucial, crucial part.

The keystone.

"A wedge-shaped keystone would then hold the arch in place, forming a strong support for spanning a wide expanse."

Well now, if that isn't just GOD right there!? It's HIM who then holds our marriage in place - it's HIM who is a strong support for a wide expanse of life and circumstances.  It's God alone that gives us the strong support that our marriages need.  If he isn't there, the marriage will fall apart, just as when the keystone is not there, the arch will not hold up. He needs to be central in all that we do.  He needs to be that topmost stone, to keep us united and strong. Holding us together and keeping our marriage strong.

Ecclesiastes carries on to say this

"a threefold cord is not quickly broken"

In a marriage we need that "threefold cord".  Two individuals with Christ gives great strength, and the marriage is not easily broken.

How's your "arch"? Are you trying to work on your own in your marriage, or are you two weaknesses, leaning on each other to be strong, with Christ at the centre? I know which I want to be, and am I ever thankful that my weakness can be strength when I lean on my husband and have Christ at the centre.

Raising our Ebenezer {trusting our faithful God}

It's the end of another year.

Another 12 months, flown past.

As I look back, there is SO much for which I am thankful for.  I can see so much goodness, from God's hand. So many blessings, that I couldn't begin to count them.  Family, friends, fellowship. Our daily needs, of food, clothing and shelter.

We were considering, on the Lord's day, of the Prophet Samuel interceding for the children of Israel, when they were threatened by the Philistines.  Samuel called out to God for them, and God rescued them, as He so often did.

After the Philistines were defeated, Samuel created a memorial, a stone - one would imagine it was big enough for all to see, and know what it was.  He raised an Ebenezer.  To some, that may sound strange.  Why name a stone Ebenezer? Isn't that the Dickensian man who is associated, in literary terms, as one so miserly and mean?

What does Ebenezer mean?

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us"

They raised a memorial.  That stone was placed to remind them of one crucial thing.

Their help was from GOD alone.

Up to that point, they were there purely because of God's greatness, faithfulness, and kindness.

Nothing of themselves.

Nothing of their own strength.

Nothing of their own goodness.

God.

God ALONE.

It wasn't just about the trial they had recently passed through.

It wasn't even about everything they had been kept through BEFORE that.

It was so they would not forget, when the inevitable trials would come once again - because they DO keep coming - that God was still faithful.  God, who had helped them before, would do so again. God, whose faithfulness reaches to the clouds,  whose faithfulness is GREAT.

Like the Israelites of old, we, too, must raise an Ebenezer, whether it's a physical reminder of God's faithfulness, or simply that the daily rhythm of our heart beats out GOD IS FAITHFUL.

When those hard moments come, our heart's cry ought to be "Ebenezer".

When the sorrows roll like sea billows.

When the cares press down upon our soul.

When we deal with struggles and challenges that make us feel like we are drowning in difficulties.

When the daily details are overwhelming.

When we just feel that we can't go one step further.

That is when we need to look back, and remember

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us"

He's helped before - He WILL help again.

As Hebrews teaches us, we need to hold fast to our profession of faith, without wavering. Why would we waver? Because we are tossed about on the sea of struggles.  Yet, we are told why we can hold fast, even in those times - HE IS FAITHFUL THAT PROMISED.

The words are so simple, yet the truth is profound. We trust God, because He is faithful.

As we gaze back, with memories both fond and hard, upon the year that is past, we can see how the Lord has helped us - time, and time again. He is, and always will be, faithful.  Along with Samuel, of old, we can raise our Ebenezer, knowing, that in the days to come - in joy or in sorrow - that God will ALWAYS help, and ever remain faithful.

I pray, as the new year dawns, we can all raise our Ebenezer, and go forward with expectation of blessing in the days to come.

"That's Amazin' {telling our children of God's greatness}

At the weekend, we were all in London, as Robert was preaching at a service there. Our journey brought us past Terminal 5, at Heathrow -  its newest terminal building.

It was night time, and it was all lit up.  It's a huge, glass building, and looks pretty awesome.

As we drove past, a little two-year old voice spoke up from the back, and said

"LOOK, Mum. That's AMAZIN'"

He was absolutely awed by this enormous, bright and shiny building.

You see, we live in a sleepy country village, and he doesn't see many building bigger than a manor house.  Rarely, we go to the big towns, but shopping centres are not quite like Terminal 5!

His new word (I've never heard him say "amazing" before!), and the gasps, and tone of voice that went with it, made me smile.

Then it made me think.

It made me think about God.

We, as the parents, know how wonderful God is.  We may have known Him, through our personal relationship with Jesus, for many years.

We know how wonderful, great, and amazing He is.

Sometimes, we can even lose the wonder, because we don't dwell upon that greatness as much as we ought to.

Our children, however, will not see how amazing God is, if we don't show Him to them.

If I keep Simeon at home, and never expose him to places like Terminal 5, he'll never have those amazing moments where he sees something new, and takes great joy in it.

Similarly, our children need us to tell them about our great God.

Of His love, grace, mercy, lovingkindness, and most importantly, His great salvation.


Look to God's Word, and see it for yourself.

"We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done."

Psalm 78:4

We need to tell them, so that THEY can see the wonderful of it, and how truly amazing it is.

They won't know, if we don't expose them to the amazing truth of God's Word, and how they can know it for themselves.

As those bright lights shone out, on a dark night, making a building look spectacular, if we share God's Word and ways, with our children, the wonder of it will shine out, like a light in the darkness, into their hearts.

We need to keep the wonder in our own hearts, so we will share it with our children.

Remember His wonderful acts toward us.

Remember His incredible attributes.

Remember His greatness.

Expose your children to the wonderful knowledge of God, and His ways. Then, watch as they learn of His greatness, in a personal way, in amazement.

Portion control {satisfied with Christ}

I have children who are food watchers.  Have you got any like that? They do this sneaky look out of the "corner" of their eye, to see what everyone else has on their plate.  Trying to decide whether they think that I have dished up their dinner fairly.  Seeing if they have the right portion size.

Similarly, you hear talk, in the world of food and dieting, about "portion control" - not having too much or too little of certain foods.  Thankfully, the "diet" I am following has not got strict portion sizes, other than "don't eat too little"!!!

What exactly IS a "portion"?

Well, it can be "a part of a whole" - your portion of a pie, or portion of a lasagne.

It can also be your "lot" in life, or your "destiny".

You can also think of it in terms of what you NEED, in order to satisfy you.  If a portion size that was too little, was given to you to eat, you would not feel satisfied, and would perhaps feel hungry.  If a portion that was too LARGE was given, you would struggle to eat it and feel too full!  The person serving it up would need to know you quite well, to give you the right portion.

I know my children, and their needs.  I know which children have a faster metabolism, and the ones who have a more sluggish one.  I know which ones can take higher quantities, and which ones are better with less and more often.  I'm their parent. I KNOW them.  Better than they know themselves. Sometimes I give them MORE of something than they would choose! I KNOW they need more veg than they would perhaps choose for themselves.... it's good for them, even though they don't like it, and don't like how it tastes.  They endure it, because I have put it on their plate.

In the Psalms we find several references as to the Lord being our "portion".

The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 

Psalm 16:5

"  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

Psalm 73:25 &26

Spiritually speaking, what does this mean?

The Lord *IS* everything we need. Just by having Him in our heart and life, He IS our portion.  No matter what life throws at us - no matter where our path leads us - if we are trusting in Him as our Saviour, we HAVE the Lord, and that is everything we need.

Also, BECAUSE He is our portion, He GIVES us everything we need.

As the verses in Psalm 73 say, other things around us will fail us - the things of our heart, and the things of the flesh - temporal things.

Sadly, we are often like my children. We can look around, subtly, so often, at others, and look at what THEY have and think "Why I can't have as much as they have?"

Maybe it's our husband - we look at our "portion", and wonder why it can't be like someone else's. Why can't we have more? Why can't our husband BE more? Different?  Better?  More skilled in some area?

Perhaps it's our children?  Why can't they behave as well as another person's child?  Why can't they look prettier?  Why can't they be as gifted in some area, or do better in the school life?  Why can't their personality be more like another child's, who we perceive to be "better"?

Our homes... bigger, smaller, more modern, better location, better equipped?

How about the circumstances that we experience in our lives? Too many trials, too much illness, too much heartache, too many trying relationships, not enough contact with others, not enough money, not enough holidays, not enough possessions?

If we have the truth of God imprinted on our hearts, that HE is our portion - that we HAVE everything ALREADY - all these other things will take on an entirely different perspective.  He IS our portion, and He DIRECTS our portion - our circumstances and provisions.  It's perfect.  All of it.

Think about Job.  It says he was "perfect" - that can be translated as "complete".  How could he be complete? By understanding that God was His everything, and NOT all the amazing possessions he owned.  And, he owned MUCH.  The true test of his understanding of the Lord alone being everything he needed is clearly shown in the circumstances of his life.  Children - gone; health - poor; belongings - obliterated; unsupportive wife - still there; unhelpful friends - still hanging around.  We can relate to SO much there - imperfect marriage, a lack of "things", friends who just aren't there when we need them.  Yet, where did his hope lie, through it all - where was his focus?  Upon the LORD - His portion.  ALL that He needed.  His body was decaying before his very eyes, and he had little left, in a temporal sense - but His focus was upon His Redeemer - His portion.

I KNOW there are friends of mine out there - right NOW - and the portion of their lives are not what they would have meted out for themselves.  They wouldn't have picked the trials and struggles they are enduring. They would have put their hand over their plate and said "enough", before now.  I wouldn't have chosen many of the experiences I have had to experience, either.

But God, who is merciful, loving, just, PERFECT, knows our portion, and sets it out perfectly.  He simply knows what we need, when we need it, how we need it, even if we can't see it for ourselves.

What are our desires?  Do we desire the things of this life, more than we desire God? Fulfilment in our marriage?  Children who are "perfect"?  All the temporal things we could desire?

Or, is there NOTHING we desire more than the Lord Himself?

If he is our portion, our heart will be strong.  Strong enough to see us through any trial we can face, humanly speaking, because our spiritual strength is in our portion - the Lord - alone.

Marriages, family, circumstances - all important, all God-given, all precious - but HE alone is our portion, FOREVER.

EVERYTHING we have, precious as it is, will one day be gone.  If our portion is Christ alone, and we are resting in Him, we have all we need.

My God, my Portion, and my Love,

My everlasting All,

I’ve none but Thee in heav’n above,

Or on this earthly ball.

What empty things are all the skies,

And this inferior clod!

There’s nothing here deserves my joys,

There’s nothing like my God.

To Thee I owe my wealth, and friends,

And health, and safe abode;

Thanks to Thy name for meaner things,

But they are not my God.

How vain a toy is glittering wealth,

If once compared to Thee!

Or what’s my safety, or my health,

Or all my friends to me.

Were I possessor of the earth,

And called the stars my own,

Without Thy graces and Thyself,

I were a wretch undone.

Let others stretch their arms like seas,

And grasp in all the shore;

Grant me the visits of Thy grace,

And I desire no more.

Isaac Watts

Have you got your brolly? {how we need to pray}

Elijah is one of my favourite Bible characters. The scene where he confornts the prophets of Baal is both amusing and challenging. So many parts of his life are challenging, but I was reminded of one last Lord's day, in the morning sermon.

It was a concept that brought memories, of my years in Scotland, back to me. You see, Scotland is notoriously rainy. Did you know? It rains a LOT.

It's still beautiful, obviously... 

Who am I kidding, though? It looked more like this, for me, a city girl....

You don't really think about it much if you grow up there. It's just part of life. One thing you DO learn, from a young age, is to be ready for rain at any point, and you carry a brolly everywhere.

Brolly?  An umbrella! (Not sure if that's an American word?)

I have left many a brolly behind on a bus, because the rain can stop as quickly as it started. I can also still smell that "wet brolly" smell, in my sensory memory!

Where I live in England gets far less rain, and because I homeschool, we also go out in the rain less. (No essential walk to school, rain or shine...) So, the handy brolly isn't so necessary.

If you know the life of Elijah well, you know that he was a man of great faith. He is recognised, in the New Testament, as a man of faith, who was fervent in prayer. It's what we think of, when we think of Elijah. He prayed for no rain, and it didn't rain for YEARS! Then, he prayed for rain, and it rained! 

What was noteworthy about it all, was that he prayed with great FAITH. He absolutely believed, without a shadow of a doubt, that God could do what he asked. 

No rain? No problem! 

Rain? You'd better believe it! 

Elijah had such great faith, that when he prayed for rain, he sent his servant running to look for the cloud, and he spotted it when it was still the size of a man's hand. Have you ever thought about how tiny a cloud is, of that size, away up there in the sky?? But he saw it, because he was LOOKING FOR IT. 

My husband had a relative with great faith like that. They were farmers, in a farming community. They had no rain for a long time, and the crops were suffering. They knew that if they had no rain the crops would fail, and they would struggle financially. His great-grandfather (I believe?), went along with some of the other men, to a prayer meeting, specially to pray for rain. They knew they needed to ask The Lord, and made special effort to do so. The thing is, only his great-grandfather came with living faith. He brought a pile of potato sacks, the old, burlap style ones, to the meeting. He BELIEVED that God would answer their prayers, and he would need to take shelter from the rain that would come. Not a single other man came with a brolly or rain covering. Do you know what?? IT RAINED ON THE WAY HOME!! He was able to hand out the sacks to the other men, who hadn't been prepared for such an immediate answer!  Praying, in FAITH.

It got me thinking about my prayer life. I think our small, human minds, can too easily take away from the absolute omnipotence of God. HE IS ABLE to answer our prayers, if we pray according to His will. That simply means not praying for anything sinful, which goes against His Word. He can do "great and mighty things" which we know not, if we but call out to Him in prayer. Praying, in FAITH.... BELIEVING. 

Have you got an unsaved husband, unsaved children, unsaved family members?? Keep calling out to God in prayer... BELIEVING that He can answer!

Are you having problems in your marriage? God, the creator of marriage, longs to hear and answer your prayers. Have faith....He can answer! 

Are you struggling as a mother? Is teaching and training your children tiring you out, and frustrating you? Do you long to see The Lord at work in their hearts and lives?  He can answer prayer! 

Is your health a trial? Do you suffer in physical ways, and struggle to find a remedy? God, the great Jehovah-Rophi, can answer your prayers! 

Work, relationships, health, emotions, attitudes, day to day life situations. Everything. Anything. God can do it!

But.....

Are you praying with your brolly in your hand? 

We must not neglect to BELIEVE. To really, truly, with FAITH, call out to God. Waiting, expecting, for the "rain" of answered prayer to fall. 

Before Elijah even went to look for the rain, he told Ahab it was coming. His ears were sensitive, or His eye of faith was 20-20 vison, because he told his there was the "sound of abundance of rain".  He wasn't just expecting a light, English shower. He was expecting "tipping it down" torrents! 

Oh, for faith like Elijah!! I WANT a prayer life like that. I WANT to see God's amazing answer to prayer, in so, so many ways. 

Don't you? 

Get praying, with your brolly in your hand! 

The "I can't find it" syndrome {whole-hearted searching}

I am a bit of a mean mother.

I have a pet peeve, which I come down on like a ton of bricks, because it winds me up so much.

When I send a child to look for something, it drives me demented when I KNOW I have sent them to the right place to look for it, and they come back and say "I can't find it....."

"Have you looked PROPERLY?", I ask?

And, if I have to go and find it for them, punishment ensues.  Simply because I KNOW they have not bothered to look properly, and have been lazy.

Can you empathise??

It's a bit like a man looking for something, but that's another topic.... *whistles*

I was reading in Jeremiah this morning.  I am loving the little gems of verses that crop up in the prophets, and one came up this morning.

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

It made me think of sending a child to look for something.  If they say they have looked, and I know they haven't done a good job, sometimes I will tell them that they have done it "half-heartedly".  Often, it's a school book they are looking for, which may be why they are not putting in as much effort! When we say "half-heartedly", we are saying they have not put their all into doing whatever task is in hand.

It got me thinking about my own life - spiritually speaking.

There are times when I can be faltering - struggling - failing.

I feel that the Lord is far from me, and circumstances are getting right on top of me, instead.

Just like a child, I can get in a stress, and declare "But, I can't find the Lord in all of this".

The thing is, I *THINK* that I am searching for the Lord, but it's not a whole-hearted search.

If I am still clinging to my circumstances, then my whole heart is not searching for God.  The Bible tells us to cast ALL our care on Him. When we search for God in the circumstances, and see His loving hand in all we experience, THEN we are searching with our whole heart.

If I am trying to make excuses for my own behaviour, then my whole heart is not searching for God.  When, instead, we see our sinful responses for what they are - our selfishness, our stubborn wills, our anger, our in-submission to God's commands, or our discontent - and turn from them, in repentance, THEN we are searching with our whole heart.

If I am allowing circumstances to dictate how I respond to trials, and I focus on how I FEEL, instead of how God expects me to behave, then my whole heart is not searching for God.  If we remember that all things work together for good, and have a calm and peaceful mind and heart that depends on God and not our emotions, THEN we are searching with our whole heart.

You see what it says?  We WILL find Him, if we search with our whole heart.  Amidst the circumstances we are in, we will see God, we will find God , we will depend upon God.  But, we need to search with our WHOLE heart.  Put in ALL our effort and not to stubbornly depend upon ourselves. Cast self aside, and rely fully on God.

The next time I bemoan my children not looking for something properly, I will have a quick check of my own heart, and make sure I have no neglect in my search for God's ways in my life.

Looking back

There are many who would say that we should not spend out lives looking back.  In some senses this may be true.  We shouldn't look back, continually going over mistakes or sins - dragging them up in our mind, let alone in conversation. We shouldn't look back with regrets, with a negative perspective - mulling over things we wished we had done differently.  What's done is done, and we can't change it.

However, there is great blessing in looking back over the good, and rejoicing with thanksgiving for the things that have happened in our lives.

Undoubtedly, this has been a year of great blessing to our family.  Just today, I am celebrating 13 years of marriage to the love of my life.  What incomparable years of joy they have been.  The blessings of marriage are so many, that I cannot begin to count them up in a blog post. Our love has grown, our relationship deepened, our personalities matured and our character improved  All of this adds up to a continuing love for each other, as we daily learn to die to self and give to one another. I love Robert greatly, and am thankful for him every day.  I can not imagine life without him.

We have been blessed with another child - our seventh.  I can hardly believe, 13 years on, that we have been so wonderfully blessed with these 7 children, from the Lord.  Simeon is a joy, and it is thrilling to see him develop and grow every day.  He's getting more vocal, more mobile and ever more adorable. All of the other children continue to grow, and learn.  We have many "wobbly" moments, where things don't go as smoothly, humanly speaking, as we would wish.  Balancing that all out, and tipping in the opposite direction, are the rich, moments of blessing that the children bring.  The smiles, the laughter, the tender moments, the little things they say, the precious things they do.  All a blessing. And, even in the trying times, there is always something to find, which we can still be thankful for.

We  are continually blessed and encouraged by our extended family.  Opportunities to meet up together, and have fun have been a joy.  To grow closer, to be blessed by help, and kindness, and love, and generosity of many varieties. Family is always a blessing.

Related to that has been the opportunity to open up our wonderful, new home, to have many people come to visit and to stay.  It's SUCH a blessing to now have home large enough to not only have room for our own family, but have room to comfortably accommodate overnight visitors.

We have been blessed with friendship.  Through my contacts with Facebook, we have made several new friends. Some that are more exclusive to me, in my online contacts - friends who I come alongside with, in prayer and praise, and who span all corners of the globe.  What a blessing to see answered prayer, and to be encouraged in my Christian walk by other like-minded Sisters.  Some are friends who have extended to an IRL capacity - "In Real Life".  To meet people and find they are just as you imagined, and have friendships bloom and grow.  What a blessing and encouragement. To have many come to stay in our home, and to be able to talk of the things of the Lord, laugh about many different things, and be so deeply blessed by the company of so many.  We particularly enjoyed meeting the St John family, and the blessing and encouragement that friendship has been to us.

We have been blessed in our journey in home education.  Beginning new curricula, seeing the children come on in leaps and bounds, having Susie start to read, and the general privilege of having my children with me in the home every day.  Is it hard at times.  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Absolutely!

We rejoice to keep in touch with friends who have been with us in years gone by, and now see them ministering in many ways, and in many places. What a thrill to see young men labouring for the Lord, and new families being raised for God's glory.

My heart is truly full, as I look back at the blessing that God has filled my life with.  We are contented with the many blessings which the Lord has bestowed upon us.

And, as I look back, with a full heart, I give thanks.

Thanks for the many, many wonderful gifts that God has given me.

"for consider how great things he hath done for you."

I Samuel 12:24

"The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. "

Psalm 126:3

The Kite

We receive a little monthly publication called "Cheering Words" - it is filled with little stories, anecdotes, quotes and other useful snippets to encourage God's people.

I was reading a backdated issue from a year ago, and came across a poem by John Newton, that struck a cord in my heart.

The Kite and it's string

"Once upon a time a paper kite

Was mounted to a wondrous height,

Where, giddy with its elevation,

It thus expressed self-admiration:

'See how yon crowds of gazing people

Admire my flight above the steeple;

How would they wonder if they knew

All that a kite like me can do?

Were I but free, I'd take a flight,

And pierce the clouds beyond their sight;

But, ah! like a poor prisoner bound,

My string confines me near the ground:

I'd brave the eagle's towering wing,

Might I but fly without a string.'

It tugged and pulled, while thus it spoke,

To  break the string - at last it broke.

Deprived at once of all its stay,

In vain it tried to soar away;

Unable its own weight to bear,

It fluttered downward through the air;

Unable its own course to guide,

The winds soon plunged it in the tide.

Ah! foolish kite, thou hadst no wing,

How couldst thou fly without a string?

My heart replied, 'O Lord, I see

How much this kite resembles me!

Forgetful that by Thee I stand,

Impatient of Thy ruling hand;

how oft I've wished to break the lines

thy wisdom for my lot assigns!

How oft indulged a vain desire

For something more, or something higher!

And, but for grace and love divine,

A fall thus dreadful had been mine."

J Newton

Oh, how like my own foolish heart!  

How we can pull, and pull away from the guiding hand that God has upon our hearts.  

That we can think that our own plans must be the right ones - how we would get on so much better if we could just be free of the restraints that God, in His wisdom, has upon our life.

That OUR plans, which seem to be so wise and good, must surely be as good as the way that God is guiding us?

Surely being buffeted about, this way, and that way - thinking God is leading us one way, when, SNAP....he draws another way.  Surely THAT is not as good as the smooth and easy way that we can see for ourselves, without change and rise and fall.

Just like the kite, we think we can soar, smoothly, to higher and greater heights...

These commitments that God has placed in our life - if we could just change them - pass them onto someone else - then we could soar to great heights for the Lord?  What greater ministry opportunities we could seek, if we could free ourselves from the "strings" of family, and home?....

But, may we learn from the picture that John Newton "drew" for us, in his words from hundreds of years ago.

We cannot bear our own weight, in the winds of life.  We have no ability in ourselves to rise to any height at ALL.  It is GOD alone who maps out our course, keeping a firm hold upon the strings, to guide us, and keep us in the place where HE would have us to be.

Cut our strings, and we would fall, like the kite, down into the tide of life - sunken in the "tide" of despair, instead of where we should be, guided and controlled by GOD'S hand. 

May we be content to rise high in the winds of life, controlled by the hands of God.

 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 


For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

Isaiah 55:8-9

Hard thanks....

I have been challenged by a thought this last week or so, that has now recently come up in conversation with some lovely ladies online.

How do we give thanks in the hard times?  How can we be thankful for things that are

tough...trying...challenging.


A little context goes a long way, so I will tell you what lies behind the verses first of all.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, was speaking of a revelation that he had received from the Lord.  He was glorying and rejoicing in it, presumably due to the fact that it was a pretty amazing experience, humanly speaking.


But, the Lord sent him a lesson in it all.  He allowed Paul to have a "thorn in the flesh", following this experience.  We don't know what it was - we are not told.  We just know that it was an unpleasant thing, that was bad enough to implore with the Lord that it should be taken away.

3 times he pleaded with the Lord.

As far as we read, his prayer wasn't answered.  Instead, he came to learn a valuable and insightful lesson about trials.

And, so we read the following verses.



"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 


Most gladly therefore will I rather

glory in my infirmities,

 that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Therefore I 

take pleasure 

in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: 

for when I am weak, 

then am I strong."

II Corinthians 12:9-10

So. Utterly. Humbling.

So. Utterly. Amazing.

So. Utterly. Challenging.






Do we have trials and struggles that we are going through?

Do we have days where we just want to crawl into a hole and die?

Do we have days where we just think we can't take any more?



Ohhhhhhhhhh yes.

Yes, yes, and YES again.




But, do you SEE?.....do you SEE how Paul responded?

"OK Lord....I guess I need to just endure these trials....with a sour face...with a gloomy countenance....with a "why me" sort of response....."


Sorry, I got confused for a moment...I confused MY response with the one I *should* have to my trials.

The one that Paul had.

Look...just look at those adjectives....those words that describe how Paul responded.

GLADLY

GLORY

TAKE PLEASURE

Really, Lord?

You want me to be GLAD that I have struggles?   To be GLAD when pain racks my body?  To be GLAD when my children drive me close to insanity with their squabbling and disobedience?

You want me to consider it a GLORY when my house looks a wreck because my strength is gone and I can't do a single more thing?  You want me to GLORY in my pain and distress when friends and family mock, argue and disagree?

You want me to TAKE PLEASURE in the days and hours when I just cannot seem to find the strength to carry on? In the torments and difficulties of my life?

But, OH, the beauty of the realisation.  Of the understanding of WHY....


"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...


...that the power of Christ may rest upon me...



...for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong"

Our weakness shows Christ's strength.  

Our trials allow us to experience Christ's power resting upon us.

Our pains remind us that ALL of what we experience, do and say, is for Christ's sake.

That HIS glory would be made known.  That HIS goodness would be recognised.  That HIS grace would be sufficient.

Us all nothing.

Him everything.

Ladies, let us embrace the thorns.  Let us grasp them, with two willing hands.  Let us REJOICE in them.  Because by His grace, we see HIM through the trials.  The casting away of our own plans, our own designs, our own perfections - replacing them with the plans, designs and perfections of our perfect Father.

May we run to Him, rejoicing, and find strength in our weakness.

Are we wearing the right clothes?

As women folk, we (on the most part) tend to care very much about what clothes we wear.  If we have a heart for the Lord, we will desire to look both modest and feminine.  Maybe it's a pretty blouse, or your favourite long, swishy skirt?

But, despite what you thought when you read the title of this post, I'm not going to talk about modesty and femininity!  I do, at some point, intend to post about that topic, but today I am dwelling on something that is equally important - in fact, more so.

I have been continuing to read through the book of Isaiah, and it continues to both challenge and bless me.  There are SO many wonderful verses, hidden in amongst prophecy which is a little beyond my understanding!

I came across this verse today - a verse full of many wonderful things, but one thing in particular struck me.


"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

Isaiah 61:3

What garment are you wearing today?  Are you clothing yourself as a reflection to how your day is going?  Are you clothed in sackcloth and ashes, mourning your difficulties and troubles.  Adding to your misery, by clothing yourself in an attitude of 

"poor me...everything is going wrong...nobody loves me...why can't things go better for me...how am I supposed to cope in these circumstances...?"

You need to put on the garment of praise!  You need to clothe yourself and surround your being with an attitude of praise!  Thanksgiving to God at all times, in every situation, no matter what your circumstances.

"Oh yes, (you may say), it's all very well talking about having a garment of praise when everything is all hunky-dory".

Oh, but look!  The garment of praise, when?

 "for the spirit of heaviness;"

You have to put on praise WHEN your heart is heavy.  At the time when it is hardest and you least feel praise coming to your lips.  You need to CHOOSE to put that garment on.  You need to CHOOSE to praise, instead of pouting.  You need to CHOOSE to remember that the God who is good on the good days, is worthy of our praise at ALL times.  Oh yes...He is worthy of our praise all the more on the bad days, because despite our attitude of self pity and misery, He still comforts, blesses and draws His arms of comfort around us.  He is worthy of our praise, and we need to choose to give it to Him.

Not just saying a cursory "thank-you, Lord".  Not just a brief "God is good", with no heart in it.  Surround yourself in praise.  The garment is not some skimpy mini-skirt, or a light-weight cardigan.  We're talking wrapping yourself from head to foot.

The original Hebrew says it best...

עטה

‛âṭâh

aw-taw'

A primitive root; to wrap, that is, cover, veil, 

Surround yourself - cover over all of your struggles, sadness, despair, bitterness and self pity - wrap yourself in praise to the Almighty, Unchangeable God. Veil those sinful thoughts and attitudes with praise.  Praise to the one who deserves it, because of His unending love and compassion - His grace and His mercy - His blessings, too innumerable to count.

So, you think you got dressed this morning?  Go back and check again - go and pick up that garment, that is so important for getting your day right.  Put on that garment of praise, and watch your day take shape the way it should.