Apr 19 Hope is fulfilled in God

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Oh Father, I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises.

The delays that come are hard to take.  Even when I can understand there may be a good and logical reason behind postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier.  And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

This happens time and time again when I put my hope in people.  The wondering if they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, the anticipation of desiring something but having it drag on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting.

A tree is beautiful to look at.  It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind.  It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat.  I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.

Depending on the type, its leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.   A tree is life giving and life sustaining.

This verse paints a beautiful picture of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true.

You promise salvation and You deliver.  Your mercy and grace are renewed every day.  You always forgive and never leave me.  All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You.  If I have hopes or longings that are not honoring to You, please remove them.  Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me.  Show me if I need to move my focus or change my perspective.

When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully.

And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father.  Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Oct 23 Waiting – the hardest thing to do

O Father, have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there’s pressure to make a decision, or a belief that harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They’re encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it’s truly You.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me try to justify any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.

Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust Your wisdom, Your perspective, and Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire. 

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

Apr 19 Hopes fulfilled in God

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Oh Father, I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises.

The delays that come are hard to take.  Even when I can understand there may be a good and logical reason behind postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier.  And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

This happens time and time again when I put my hope in people.  The wondering if they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, the anticipation of desiring something but having it drag on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting.

A tree is beautiful to look at.  It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind.  It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat.  I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.

Depending on the type, its leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.   A tree is life giving and life sustaining.

This verse paints a beautiful picture of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true.

You promise salvation and You deliver.  Your mercy and grace are renewed every day.  You always forgive and never leave me.  All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You.  If I have hopes or longings that are not honoring to You, please remove them.  Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me.  Show me if I need to move my focus or change my perspective.

When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully.

And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father.  Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Oct 23 Waiting – the hardest thing to do

O Father, have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there is pressure to make a decision, or a belief that harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They ere encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it’s truly You.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me try to justify any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.

Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust Your wisdom, Your perspective, and Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire. 

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

May 6 FAITH = things hoped for but not yet seen

Lord, may my faith be like that of the royal official.  He asked for You to come and heal his child who was close to death.  You simply told him “Go, your son will live.”  And he took You at Your word and left.

Even before he saw it with his own eyes, the circumstances proved that You did what You said You would do.  They even revealed that it happened exactly when You spoke! 

Father, help me trust in You and what You tell me, even when I can’t see the results immediately.   When it is not in front of my eyes and the doubt of the world pushes in, don’t let my faith waver.  When it doesn’t seem to be happening quick enough let me be patient and trust that Your timing is perfect.

 Even now, we are waiting with baited breath, to see when our country will return to normal…for people to get their jobs back, to travel freely without fear of exposure, connect again with those they have missed for so long with visitation shut down in our hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

Father, we are calling out to You.  Let us hear Your answer.  And then go on our way in faith.  Trusting, that You’ve got this.

Reminds me of an old country hymn.  Part of the lyrics say

“Take Him at His word when it’s not lookin’ good,
believe that He’ll do what He said that He would…’”

I believe.  Amen

John 4:43-54

Apr 19 Hopes fulfilled in God

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Oh Father, I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises.

The delays that come are hard to take.  Even when I can understand there may be a good and logical reason behind postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier.  And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

This happens time and time again when I put my hope in people.  The wondering if they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, the anticipation of desiring something but having it drag on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting.

A tree is beautiful to look at.  It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind.  It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat.  I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.

Depending on the type, its leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.   A tree is life giving and life sustaining.

This verse paints a beautiful picture of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true.

You promise salvation and You deliver.  Your mercy and grace are renewed every day.  You always forgive and never leave me.  All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You.  If I have hopes or longings that are not honoring to You, please remove them.  Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me.  Show me if I need to move my focus or change my perspective.

When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully.

And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father.  Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Oct 23 Waiting – hardest thing to do

O Father.  Have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there is pressure to make a decision, or a belief that harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They ere encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it’s truly You.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me try to justify any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.

Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust Your wisdom, Your perspective, and Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire. 

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

May 6 Faith = things hoped for but not yet seen

Lord, may my faith be like that of the royal official.  He asked for You to come and heal his child who was close to death.  You simply told him “Go, your son will live.”  And he took You at Your word and left.

Even before he saw it with his own eyes, the circumstances proved that You did what You said You would do.  They even revealed that it happened exactly when You spoke! 

Father, help me trust in You and what You tell me, even when I can’t see the results immediately.   When it is not in front of my eyes and the doubt of the world pushes in, don’t let my faith waver.  When it doesn’t seem to be happening quick enough let me be patient and trust that Your timing is perfect.

Even now, we are waiting with baited breath, to see when our country will return to normal…for people to get their jobs back, to travel freely without fear of exposure, connect again with those they have missed for so long with visitation shut down in our hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

Father, we are calling out to You.  Let us hear Your answer.  And then go on our way in faith.  Trusting, that You’ve got this.

Reminds me of an old country hymn.  Part of the lyrics say:

“Take Him at His word when it’s not lookin’ good,

believe that He’ll do what He said that He would…’”

I believe.  Amen

John 4:43-54

Dec 15 When?

Father, I wonder what the people thought when they heard this prophecy from Micah?  Were some moved to change their ways?  Did some campaign for a national awakening and shift in policy?

Did they just think it was for another generation?  Or that it would never happen? 

Did they believe it at first, and then as time passed and destruction did not come, think they were safe in their sin, and settle back into complacency?

How was it in Noah’s time?  Did they all scoff at the ship builder’s efforts?

Micah at least gave hope, that after the calamity there would be a time of peace again.  Even though the Israelites were delivered from Babylon, was Micah looking even further into the future?

Moving from Micah’s prophecy to John’s Revelation puts the prophecy squarely into my time for consideration.  I have heard of “the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” since I was very young.  And as I grew to understand that they were a part of a bigger picture of the Revelation given in the Bible about end times, I began to wonder if these things would come in my lifetime.

Almost 50 years ago, as a young woman in college, I heard some sermons and read some pamphlets and believed the end times were upon us.  When I told my parents of my discovery they said that they too, when they had been in college 25 years earlier, had also made connections from prophecy to current events.  They had thought the same thing in their time.

It has been 75 my father has waited, and now he is old.  He recently passed away without seeing Your return.  It has been 50 years for me, and now I am old.   Will John’s Revelation come to pass in my lifetime?  I do not know.  Your time, Father, is not the same as my time.  Psalm 90:4 says  “A thousand years in Your sight is like a day…” 

I have studied Revelation enough to know that man will not know the day and time, but can certainly recognize the signs of its coming which You have revealed.  For me and my life, I can do no more than praise You as Your servant, minister in Your Name, and tell others of Your wonderful greatness.

Father, I praise You that my times are in Your hands.  I put my trust in You.   Amen

Micah 4:1-10; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 90:4

Oct 23 Waiting – the hardest thing to do

O Father.  Have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there is pressure to make a decision, or a belief that harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They ere encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it’s truly You.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me try to justify any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.

Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust Your wisdom, Your perspective, and Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire. 

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that you have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

 

Oct 23 Waiting – hardest thing to do

O Father.  Have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

 

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there is pressure to make a decision, or harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They ere encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it’s truly You.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me try to justify any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.

Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust Your wisdom, Your perspective, and inYour perfect plan to keep me out of the fire.

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

 

Apr 19 Only God can make a tree

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Oh Father, I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises.

The delays that come are hard to take.  Even when I can understand there may be a good and logical reason behind postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier.  And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

This happens time and time again when I put my hope in people.  The wondering if they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, the anticipation of desiring something but having it drag on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting.

A tree is beautiful to look at.  It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind.  It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat.  I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.

Depending on the type, it’s leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.   A tree is life giving and life sustaining.

This verse paints a beautiful picture of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true.

You promise salvation and You deliver.  Your mercy and grace are renewed every day.  You always forgive and never leave me.  All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You.  If I have hopes or longings that are not honoring to You, please remove them.  Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me.  Show me if I need to move my focus or change my perspective.

When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully.  And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father.  Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Oct 23 Waiting – hardest thing to do

O Father.  Have I been like these people?

It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will.

But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and come to a decision they thought was best for them.  It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do.  Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations.  But when there is pressure to make a decision, or harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable.  Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me “God can’t steer a parked car.”  They are encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I commit to go.  But sometimes that is not wise advice.  I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

While waiting, help me stay so close to You, that I recognize Your voice.  When I do hear from You, reassure me it is truly Your Word.  Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You.

And Father, empower me to be obedient.  Don’t let me be defensive of any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t.  Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

The Israelites decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them.  Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that.   Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust in Your wisdom, in Your perspective, and in Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire.

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good.  Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not.  Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Oct 23 Waiting – hardest thing to do

O Father. Have I been like these people? It seems they were truly seeking Your will, and promised to do whatever Jeremiah revealed as Your will. But when ten days went by, they had already evaluated their options and had come to a decision they thought was best for them. It seems once they had made up their minds, there was no room for Your Word to be heard.

I wonder if there have been times when I came to You, pouring out my heart because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do. Then, while waiting for Your response, I looked around for myself and became convinced of my best option.

Father, when faced with hardship and stress, would You help me be patient until I hear an answer from You.   Waiting can be very hard even in the best of situations. But when there is pressure to make a decision, or harm may occur without action, waiting can be unbearable. Help me bear it.

I’ve had people tell me ‘God can’t steer a parked car’. They ere encouraging me to get started in some direction, saying You will guide me once I committed to go. But sometimes that is not wise advice. I can become so committed to the direction I choose, that I refuse to course correct later.

When I do hear from You, reassure me it is truly Your Word. Even if it goes against what I might have thought, help me know without a doubt, that what I’ve heard is from You. While waiting, help me stay so close to You, that I recognize Your voice. And Father, empower me to be obedient. Don’t let me be defensive of any plan I have come up with myself, or think I know something You don’t. Time and time again, You have shown me that Your answers are far more creative, far more successful and far more wise than any I have ever thought up.

These people decided rather than stay in hardship one more day, they should go the way that seemed to benefit them. Father, if there comes a time when I must remain in a hard place, or endure Your correction, strengthen me to be able to do that. Even though it may seem I’m in the frying pan, I trust in Your wisdom, in Your perspective, and in Your perfect plan to keep me out of the fire.

That I have faith in You to direct my life is easy to say when the times are good. Father, strengthen and prepare me to be able to live out my faith, even when the times are not. Amen

Jeremiah 42:1-43:7

Oct 16 Trust God’s plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” These wonderful words of life and promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You and endured such hardship that they had been forcibly removed from their homes and land. They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that. I would imagine escape back home would have been considered. Or revolt. Some attempt to regain freedom. But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away! And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say ‘Accept captivity! Settle down! Live in the new land. Pray for your new home! For seventy years!’

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do. And the harsh word, that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful. But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place”.

Father, I know I sometimes wonder if where I am is really the place You want me to be. I trust the plans You have for me. Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing. But please don’t let it take seventy years, Lord! David prayed, and I do too, “Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in You.” Thank You Lord, that You are “forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on You.” Thank You that You do “Hear my prayer, Lord,” and “listen to my cry for mercy.” I praise You that You are “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”.

The Israelites must have looked at their circumstances and doubted whether it could really be Your will. Father, sometimes things don’t look too good to me either. And Iwonder how You will work things out for my good. But I totally trust that You will.   I completely “rely on Your faithfulness”.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now. If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it. If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement. Help me feel Your presence here with me. And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.   Show me those plans as I need to see them. My hope and my future are in You. Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14; Psalm 86:1-17

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us is the best plan for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago. He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working. You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring. For through his descendants came salvation on the cross. And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah. And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me. You will “aid me against the enemy”.   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years. But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately. I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now. I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.   But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us. Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts of wise. Do not let them be misled by the ‘wisdom of the world’ or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh. But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today. Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right”.

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised. Thank You. Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Apr 19 Only God can make a tree…

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises. The delays that come are hard to take. Even when I can understand there may be a good, logical reason behind the postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier. And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

When I put my hope in people, this happens time and time again. Wondering when they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, desiring something but having the anticipation dragged on and on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true. You promise salvation and You deliver. Your mercy and grace are renewed every day. You always forgive and never leave me. All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting. A tree is beautiful to look at. It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind. It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat. I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.   Depending on the type, it’s leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.  A tree of life is life giving and life sustaining.

So what a beautiful picture this verse paints of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You. If I have hopes or longings that are not God honoring, please remove them from me. Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me. Show me where I need to move my focus or change my perspective.   When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully. And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father. Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Dec 15 When?

 

Father, I wonder what the people thought when they heard this prophecy from Micah?  Were some moved to change their ways?  Did some campaign for a national awakening and shift in policy?  Did they just think it was for another generation?  Or that it would never happen?  Did they believe it at first, and then as time passed and destruction did not come, think they were safe in their sin, and settle back into complacency?

How was it in Noah’s time?  Did they all scoff at the ship builder’s efforts?

Micah at least gave hope, that after the calamity there would be a time of peace again.  Even though the Israelites were delivered from Babylon, was Micah looking even further into the future?

Moving from Micah’s prophecy to John’s Revelation puts the prophecy squarely into my time for consideration.  I have heard of ‘the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ since I was very young.  And as I grew to understand that they were a part of a bigger picture of the Revelation given in the Bible about end times, I began to wonder if these things would come in my lifetime.

Forty years ago as a young woman in college, I heard some sermons and read some pamphlets and believed the end times were upon us.  When I told my parents of my ‘discovery’, they said that they too, when they had been in college twenty-five years earlier, had also made connections from prophecy to current events.  They had thought the same thing in their time.

It has been sixty-five years my father has waited, and now he is old.  It has been forty years for me, and I am old.   Will John’s Revelation come to pass in my lifetime?  I do not know.  Your time, Father, is not the same as my time.  Psalm 90:4 says  “A thousand years in Your sight is like a day…”. 

I have studied this Revelation enough to know that man will not know the day and time, but can certainly recognize the signs of its coming which You have revealed.  For me and my life, I can do no more than praise You as Your servant, minister in Your Name, and tell others of Your wonderful greatness.  O Lord, “May You bless [me] from Zion, You, who are the Maker of heaven and earth”.  Amen

Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 90:4; Psalm 134:1-3