Tag: scripture

2022 is coming!

It’s about that time of the year when I begin to plan and think about what I want to focus on next year. It’s that time of the year when I start looking for my word or phrase for the year. I started this several years ago after a friend shared this idea with me. I have never been good at New Year’s Resolutions. Oh, I could make quite the list and would have quite the aspirations. Then life would happen, and my beautiful schedule that included all of my do’s and don’ts would get all discombobulated. Ultimately, I would feel like a failure for not being able to keep all of my resolutions.

Choosing a word or phrase for the year has made such a difference for me! Now instead of a list of things to do or a list of things not to do, I have one area to focus on all year with a scripture that guides my thoughts and my decision-making. It has been especially helpful when life becomes difficult.

The first year, I chose the phrase “run your race” (Hebrews 12:1). It was a couple of years after our son died, and I couldn’t stop comparing my life to the lives of those around me. Thanksgiving had just ended, complete with all of the pictures of intact families. Christmas was coming, and I knew there would be more pictures to follow. My family felt so broken and lost. We were missing a huge piece of our lives. I knew that I had to focus on my race and run it, not try to run someone else’s. It made a huge difference.

Another year, I chose the word “courage” (Joshua 1:9). I am afraid of just about everything. I wanted to stop feeling afraid and instead walk with courage into daily life. While I am still not courageous enough to go bungee jumping or skydiving, I did ride rollercoasters in the dark a couple of months ago! That’s a win!

Another year, I chose the phrase “open my eyes” (Psalm 119:18). I felt like I was missing out on some of the blessings that God was lavishing on me. I wanted to see all of the blessings and all of the opportunities that He gave me. That year, I focused on looking for both. The saying is true; we do find what we are looking for. 

What I love about this idea is that even years later, I continue to find myself thinking about the words or phrases that I chose. They continue to influence my life and my walk with the Lord.

I’m still searching the scriptures and praying for just the right word or phrase this year. It will come, at just the right time. I’m so excited for all the possibilities!

How about you? Do you choose a word or phrase for the year? I would love to hear about it!

God’s Protection

I have wrestled with the idea of “God’s protection” since Joshua ran ahead to Heaven. Not everyday. But sometimes I will hear something that causes me to reflect on it again. A few weeks ago, I heard a woman say, “I praise God for protecting my husband. He was in a horrific accident that should have killed him, but God protected him.” My first thought was, “Does that mean God didn’t protect my son, and if He didn’t protect Joshua does that mean that He is to blame for Joshua’s death.” Thoughts like these can spiral out of control very quickly if we don’t ground ourselves and take our thoughts captive with a solid foundation of truths. 

Hiding scripture in our heart is one of the best avenues for refuting the lies that often want to take up residence in our minds when we are hurting. It is natural for these ideas to pop into our heads especially when we are dealing with life’s difficulties. We have to be incredibly intentional about grabbing hold of them and getting rid of them so that those thoughts don’t become permanent residents.

Let’s take a look at what scripture tells us.  

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James 1:2

Truth #1: God never promised us an easy life here on earth. In fact, scripture very clearly tells us that life will be full of difficulties. There are so many examples in the Bible of faithful ones who experienced great tragedies: Job lost everything, John the Baptist was beheaded, Stephen was stoned to death, Christ was crucified for my salvation. He faced suffering and torture that I will never understand in order to rescue me from an eternity in hell.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

Truth #2: God is more concerned with our spiritual life than our earthly life. I recently heard someone say, “God wants me to be happy.” While I don’t believe that God enjoys watching us hurt on earth, I do believe that our eternal salvation is more important to God than our earthly comforts. Our life on this earth is but a vapor. Eternity is forever. 

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘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

Truth #3: God is God, and I am not. I will never understand why terrible things happen; things like diseases, famine, poverty, abuse, neglect, death. And, even if I did understand, it would not lessen the sorrow that I feel. Jesus understands all things and knows all things, and He still wept at the news of Lazarus’ death. 

Am I grateful that the sweet woman’s husband was protected? Absolutely! Do I wish that my story had a different outcome? Absolutely! Both of those things are true. Do I understand why some people have to face horrible illnesses and others don’t, why some struggle with addictions and others don’t, why some fight to feed their families every single day and others don’t. I have no idea. 

What I do know is that I choose to trust God because I believe what His word tells me.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

Despite what happens to me on this earth, I have the promise of His eternal protection in Heaven. 

You are not Alone

A little more than six years ago, our son passed away. Just before he passed away, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. For the eight months that we had with her, I spent quite a bit of time traveling to her home to take her for chemo treatments. On those drives, I often found myself crying out to God, asking why. Why did this have to happen? All I could do was hope and pray that it was a bad dream and that I would wake up to find my family intact and my mom healthy. 

I scoured scripture while I watched her sleep. I desperately needed something, anything that I could cling to. Something I knew that I could trust while everything around me seemed to be falling apart.

What I learned is that God is faithful. Regardless of what I am going through, He is going to walk through it right beside me. 

This virus is having a devastating effect on many. The loss of jobs, the loss of financial security, the shortage of food, the loss of loved ones. Everyone is being affected. We are all being affected, but we are all being affected differently. 

One thing that we can all share and know for certain, we are never alone. God is always with us. It says so in scripture and God does not break His promises. Don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at God’s track record.

In Exodus 3, Moses finds himself standing in front of a burning bush and God speaks to Him. He charges Moses with the task of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. In verse 12, God says to Moses,  “I will be with you.”

And, He was. He brought them out of Egypt, He parted the Red Sea, He guided them through the desert, He gave them manna and quail. 

Notice what God didn’t say. He didn’t say that He would protect Moses from all of the difficulties that came with moving thousands of people such a distance. He promised Moses that He would be with him. Moses was not left to tackle this task alone. 

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses is turning over the reigns to Joshua to lead the people. As a testament to a faithful God, Moses says to Joshua in verse 8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Moses could say those words with confidence because God had been with him every step of the way. From his birth to his death.

Moses knew that leading was difficult. He knew that Joshua would encounter problems along the way. He knew that Joshua would make mistakes. He didn’t give him a false sense of security by saying, “It will all be okay. God will protect you from any storm.” Moses knew that life was full of storms. He also knew that God was faithful in His word and would walk through each storm with Joshua.

After Moses’ death, God makes the same promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then, there is the story of Gideon in Judges 6. If you haven’t read that in awhile, I encourage you to go back and reread it. Gideon did not feel equipped to handle the task that God was giving him. In verse 16, God says, to Gideon, “I will be with you.” And He was.

One of my favorite passages comes from the book of Isaiah. I can’t hardly read it without singing the song.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

Maybe for you this virus is like passing through the waters. Your feet are getting wet, and it’s a little inconvenient. God is with you. Maybe for you it’s more like a rushing river. There are so many uncertainties, and you feel like one wrong step could cause you to fall and be swept away. God is with you. Or maybe for you, this is more like walking through fire. Your entire world is ablaze, and you don’t know how to get it under control. God is with you.

How many times does God have to say something for it to be true? Just one, yet He reminds us multiple times in scripture that He will never leave us. He will always be with us.

During those difficult days of navigating grief, I learned so much about the character of God. He will keep His word. The promises in scripture are a guarantee. He doesn’t promise that life will be easy. He promises to walk with us every step of the way. I don’t know how He will carry you through, but I know that He will. I don’t know the outcome of your situation, but I know that you can trust God to bring you through it. You don’t have to have all of the answers. God does.

I pray that you can cling to His word and that it will bring you some comfort and peace during the uncertainties of the days in front of us.