He's Closer Than You Think

I love the change of seasons. I would not like to live where I could not look forward to spring and summer, flowers, fresh corn and tomatoes from the garden, and long, sunny, hot days. For me, life would be dull without the anticipation of fall with its changing leaves, pumpkins sitting everywhere, cool crisp mornings, evenings with a fire in the firepit. And then there is all the "getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas." I love it when my family gathers around the table. I enjoy decorating the tree, getting just the right gifts, the Christmas play at church, Luke chapter 2.

I've learned that my faith goes though seasons too. There is the season of fresh, new faith. Those sweet times of discovering God and all His splendor, just after we're saved. Those early years when He is building our faith by answering the smallest of prayers, revealing Himself to us as we read those first words from His Word, as we sing the old hymns with a new awareness of what they mean, and we hang onto every word the preacher says. There is nothing so sweet as fresh, new faith.

Then there are the middle years of our journey with the Savior, I call them the "busy years." We've reached a place of maturity, but we still have a lot of learning to do. Our family is growing and we're busy with raising kids, growing our relationship with our husband, helping with our parents, working in the church and all the countless other things that fill our lives. Our fellowship is sweet and comfortable, but not quite as intense as fresh, new faith.

Then there comes the season of feeling that God is not as close as He once was; He feels so far away. Our prayers are not as intense, they seem to be more "me" focused. My spiritual gifts that I excitedly used in the church during my fresh new faith season have become more of a "chore", not a pleasure. If you are in this season now, you don't have to stay there. We can never go back to "fresh new faith," but mature faith is an exciting faith as we look forward to Christ's return and an eternity in His presence. And the good news is this: God hasn't changed, and He never will. (Malachi 3:6) And when I draw near to God, He will draw near to me. (James 4:8)

So how do I get there? How do I draw near to God when I don't know how?

Here are 5 things that help me when I feel God is far away.

1. Confess that you have moved and tell Him you are sorry. God never changes. He has promised to always be with us, so if I feel He is far away, guess who moved? Me. The first step in getting closer to God is to admit that I have moved away, not Him.

2. Begin right now to thank Him for everything in your life. Giving thanks is an act of obedience. (1 Thess. 5:18) Start right where you are and thank Him for the good and the bad and He will bless your obedience. He will bless you with more of Himself and more faith.

3. Sing His praises. Whether it actually be in song or in your heart praise Him! Praise Him for Who He is: Praise Him for His goodness: Praise Him for His love: Praise Him for forgiveness of sin: Praise Him that You belong to Him. Get the idea? Praise Him for everything! Psalm 148:5 says it best; "Let them praise the name of the Lord for He created them."

4. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Read it with hunger and let Him fill you up with Who He is. He will not disappoint you. The more you read it, the more you will crave it.

5. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess. 5:17) Talk to God as if He is standing right there in the room because He is. He is your Father and whatever you are concerned about concerns Him too. You are His beloved child, and He will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5 and 6.)

James 4:8 is a promise from God; "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." He's closer than you think. He is only one step away and He's waiting for you to take that first step toward Him. 

I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and share the blog with friends.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Penny

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Sing Like Paul and Silas!

 I love to sing......usually. It's easy to sing when life is good, the family is healthy and well fed, and all the bills are paid. But throw in a teenager making a bad decision, a large unexpected medical bill, a layoff at work, or no job at all and singing is not at the top of my list of fun things to do when my heart is hurting. But in Acts 16, that is exactly what Paul and Silas chose to do: sing as loud as they could sing.

Paul and Silas were preaching throughout Asia Minor, the churches were growing and people's lives were being changed. In v16, a young servant girl "with a spirit of divination" followed them and relentlessly distracted from the message they preached. Paul commanded the demon to leave her, it did, and he and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison. Bleeding and in much pain it would have been so easy to feel despair and rejection from God. After all, isn't that when satan delights to attack our feelings and emotions? He beats us up when we are down, he reminds us of our past when we feel good. He knows our weaknesses and he relentlessly uses them against us.

Does life seem overwhelming today? Are you anxious, fearful, lonely? Get ready: you have a song to sing!

When we sing a song of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of our turmoil we are saying, "Lord, I trust you. There is nothing in my life beyond your power to fix." 

When Paul and Silas began to sing and preach to the other inmates the Bible says the men listened. That says to me that when we go through difficult times and circumstances we are given an opportunity to work with God in our suffering and bring honor and glory to Him, or we can work against Him. When we sing praises to Christ, we work with Him and people listen. 

Ladies, it works! Singing songs of praise and thanks lifts me from the bottom of the pit and sits me at the feet of Jesus. So...folding laundry? Sing. Vacuuming? Sing. Changing a diaper? Sing. Feeling physical or emotional pain? Sing. It may be the LAST thing we want to do when we're hurting, but let's determine to make it the FIRST thing we do. 

Sing like Paul and Silas!

Death Could Not Make Him Stay

Happy Easter! 

The grave clothes are folded, the tomb is empty, there is no smell of death. 

There is no weeping only joy, He lives just as He said.

Friend, Jesus is alive today, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, He died for you. He loves you. He will accept you. If you have not repented of your sins, please do so now. In faith, cry out to Jesus, He loves you, He will save you.

Death Could Not Make Him Stay

They were scared, tired and cold

The day was long, the night longer

They had promised to be bold, 

They'd promised to be stronger

Huddled close together

As they watched the eastern sky

They waited for the morning

Why did He have to die?

Then Mary came and told them

"Come and see the empty tomb.

He is not there He is alive,

Come with me, see it too."

Oh Yes! The tomb was empty,

Just the way that Mary said

John went in, He was alive

John knew He was not dead

No grave could hold the Son of God

Death could not make Him stay

Praise God Christ won the victory!

He is alive today.

Happy Resurrection Morning!

Penny 

Where Were the Other Nine?

 As a young Mom, manners were a big thing at our house. And I remember well the very first courtesy I taught to our oldest was to say "Thank You." With his sweet little "just learning to talk voice" how proud I was to hear him say "tank you" to each gift, a cookie, or help with a toy, and then to hear the words of praise in response from others who had been the recipient of that sweet little "tank you."

A grateful heart is a mark of a maturing believer and it speaks to our appreciation for all the graces and mercies we have received. Just as any parent enjoys hearing words of appreciation, Jesus' heart is blessed when we respond with thanksgiving for Who He is, for all He is to us.

Gratitude is taught many places in the Bible, but one of my favorites is found in Luke 17:11-19.      Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and he "passed through the middle of Samaria and Galilee." He didn't have to go that route, but He chose to go right through a place that the Jews hated, and a place that hated them. I personally believe that Jesus wanted to teach His disciples the importance of stepping outside our comfort zone, of being willing to be in uncomfortable places with less than friendly people and share our faith. And the perfect place for that lesson was in Samaria. 

Ten lepers saw Jesus and carefully approached Him, making sure to keep their "legal" distance. They recognized Who He was and loudly shouted, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When Jesus heard them and saw them, He commanded that they follow the Law's requirement for cleansing and go to the priest and show him that they were healed, that they were ready to return to their homes, their families, their lives.

In verse 15, when one the 10 looked at his skin and saw that those awful, sickening white leper's spots were healed he went no farther: he fell down at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. With his face on the ground, repeating the words, thank You, thank You, over and over, Jesus looks around and notices that the other nine are no where to be seen.

In v17 Jesus asked the man, "Where are the other nine?" Then Jesus said, "You are the only one to give God the glory for your healing. Get up, go anywhere you choose, your faith has healed you."

We know nothing more about this thankful man but someday soon in Heaven I would like to talk with him and learn the rest of his story. I believe it will be a story of blessing, because ladies please remember this: God blesses thankfulness, with more to be thankful for. Don't miss an opportunity for blessing by forgetting to say, Thank You, Lord.

Are you in need of answered prayer? Start each day with "Thank You, Lord", then start naming the good and the not so good, and thanking Him for everything. (1 Thess. 5:18) You will feel so good, you will be so blessed, you will be amazed. Thankful people are happy people and don't you know that this man who was once a leper knew the true meaning of Thank You and all the blessings that comes with it.

You Are There

 You Are There

No matter the trial, You are there

No matter the fire, You are there

In the testing, in the pain, 

Nothing wasted, or in vain

In the sunshine, in the rain, You are there.

Such comfort trusting, You are there

Such joy in knowing, You are there

In the splendor, in the peace

In surrender, on my knees

Always faithful, You will be

You are there.

He is there for you ladies, no matter what you are facing, no matter your circumstances, wherever you may be today, He is there.

Penny

The God Who Sees

 Do you ever feel like a tiny little speck in a great big world? I do. It is a lonely feeling, a feeling that no one sees you, or understands how you feel or what you need. I remember the first time I felt the overwhelming reality that I was indeed a tiny little speck in a great big world. The front porch of our house had two swings, one on each end, and my sisters and I would often sit in those swings and make up all sorts of games. We imagined the swings were airplanes, or trains, or even ships on the ocean and we were all on a journey to a far away land. We especially loved to play those games on rainy summer nights and on one such stormy night while pretending we were in the middle of the ocean, I looked out into that big front yard with all those trees and felt so tiny, so small. I remember exactly where I was, which swing I was in, and just how I felt: a tiny little speck in a great big world.

Many years have passed since that dark, rainy night in that front porch swing, but I can still experience feeling small and unseen. In the Old Testament book of Genesis, a young woman named Hagar experienced the same feelings: she felt alone and that no one saw her.

Hagar was a maid servant to Sarah, Abraham's wife. She was an Egyptian and she became a part of their household when Abraham had taken his clan to Egypt, and because of his deception to the Pharaoh, he was commanded to leave. The Pharaoh had given Hagar to Sarah while Sarah was living in Pharaoh's house and when Abraham was ordered to leave, Hagar went with them and she became the property of Sarah. Her life was completely controlled by her mistress, she had no say-so at all, and when Sarah was unable to have children, she gave Hagar to Abraham as his concubine. The child they would have together would be considered the child of Sarah and Abraham. But as soon as Hagar was expecting, everything changed. Whether it was jealousy or pride, the two women found themselves in a much different relationship than before. Hagar became insolent and when Sarah complained to Abraham, he told her to take control of the situation. She did, and when she disciplined Hagar, Hagar ran away. 

In Genesis 16, Hagar finds herself in the wilderness, all alone, and afraid. But then an amazing thing happened: the incarnate Lord appeared to her, an Egyptian girl, a Gentile, and asked her why she was in that wilderness place. She told Him she was done, (I've said that a few times) she was leaving, (felt like doing that a few times) she said, "I'm running and I'm not going back!"

In verses 9-12, the Lord told her to return to Sarah and to "submit" to Sarah's authority. And then He made her some amazing promises that let her know she was not alone, she was important, He saw her. She was expecting a child and that child would become a great man and do great things. 

I love reading the Hebrew names for God and I want you to mark Genesis 16:14 in your Bible and when you feel all alone, that no one sees you, this verse will assure you that you are seen and known by God: v14; Then she called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, Jehovah Roi, the God Who Sees; "For," she said, "Have I also seen Him Who sees me."

Maybe you are in a wilderness place today. Maybe your wilderness is financial, or a relationship with someone you love is strained, or maybe you are feeling alone because of your health. No matter your wilderness place, or how alone or unseen you may feel, Jehovah Roi sees you. He sees exactly where you are physically and spiritually, and He cares. 

Hagar was obedient to God. She went back to Sarah and to her home. She had a son and named him Ishmael, just as the Lord commanded. God kept HIs promises to her, and Ishmael became a great man.  I believe Hagar often called out to Jehovah Roi and each time she did she knew that "she had seen Him Who saw her."

Are you feeling like a tiny little speck in a great big world? Look to Jehovah Roi because He is looking at you. 

Penny

It's Time to be Bold

I do not like confrontations. I do not like to disagree, hurt someone's feelings.....take a stand. I like happy, feel good moments with everyone getting along, smiling and agreeing, in other words, "I'm not a fighter." But just the other day I learned a very important lesson that I pray I don't soon forget: true believers, true followers of Christ, Christians living under the authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ are called upon, yes even commanded to confront, disagree, hurt the feelings of a loved one if necessary...to take a stand.

I have tried to stay clear of battles on Facebook concerning the election, (will it ever be over?) the pandemic controversy of mask or no mask, ( I'm saving money on makeup) and the endless lists of opinions on everything from laundry detergent to the best way to peel a banana. But ladies, when it comes to biblical authority it is time to be bold. It is time to stand.

Almost 20 years ago a young woman began attending my Sunday School class. She was so sweet, so eager to learn and in the course of time she became a believer and began to grow in her faith. I invested myself in her by praying for her and with her, and listening to her questions about the Bible and how to apply it to her life. I've watched her mature as a wife and Mom, teacher of young children and faithful Christian. She has blessed me many times by thanking me for mentoring her in her faith. She is kind, soft spoken, doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or stir the pot so to speak, but she became the teacher and I the student as I watched her take a stand and be bold.

My friend is pro life and outspoken about her convictions. She not only says that she is pro life, she backs it up with her involvement in children's causes. After sharing a pro life post on her Facebook page, a person she respected and liked challenged her belief. And when I read this young woman's response I had to share what I learned:

1. Begin with the positive. Thank them for sharing their feelings with you. Ask how they are doing, give them a heartfelt compliment or word of encouragement.

2. Respect them and their opinion. The tone of our voice or the tone of the words we speak or write telegraph our respect or disrespect. To be bold does not necessarily mean being loud.

3. State your convictions without apology. A conviction is much different than a preference or opinion. A conviction defines us and dictates our words and actions. Believers live by our convictions, not our opinions. We owe no one an answer or apology for our convictions. Convictions influence people. Leaders lead by conviction, not by opinion.

4. Be ok with walking away. Not everyone will agree with you or respect you. If that changes me, then I need a time of reflection and self-examination. If someone is not ok with my convictions, I must decide where my loyalty lies: with my Savior or with what others think of me.

I believe the time of our Lord's return is near, and if there ever was a time for Christian women to be bold in our faith and convictions it is now. In Esther 4:4 Mordaci said to her, "Who knows if you were brought to the kingdom for such a time as this?" You and I were not placed her in this time and place by accident: we are here "For such a time as this." We are here to be bold.

Penny