"Trust and Obey"

The old hymns I grew up with still rattle around in my brain some days. When I ran across "Trust and Obey" this morning I began to wonder how I'm doing at trusting and obeying my God. At first thought, I'd say I do better at trusting than obeying. But, I need to think about that for a while.

Often when I use introspection my report card shows me failing in so many ways. Do I obey all that God asks me to do? I first think about the Ten Commandments. Do I follow all of these? 

"You shall have no other gods before me."  (house, cars, collections...?)

"You shall not make for yourself an idol...You shall not bow down to them and worship them."  (see above...)

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God."  (check)

"Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy." (sometimes?)

"Honor your father and mother."  (I was terrible to my mother when I was a teenager!)

"You shall not murder."  (check)

"You shall not commit adultery."  (check)

"You shall not steal." (pencils, ink pens?)

'You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."  (check)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife/husband, or desire your neighbor's house or land, servant, ox or donkey..."  (Deuteronomy 5:7-21 paraphrased and NIV).  (nicer house, an acreage, fancy car, better landscape?)

"Trust and Obey"

"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey, Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown not a cross, But is blest if we trust and obey, Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.  Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, Or we'll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go-- Never fear, only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey."  (Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis, 1887, and Daniel B. Towner, 1887.)

Lord God, I know I fail stop obey sometimes. I'm sorry that I don't live a perfect life. I know You forgive me for all my shortfalls when I confess them to You. Help me do better at trusting and obeying You. I want to walk with Jesus in His light and in Your Word. I want to be "happy in Jesus".Amen.

Absorbing the Word of God

On my desk rests an open Bible that I use daily. Within it I find the Word. I find truth, wisdom, instruction, answers, guidance, and hope. As I read this morning I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Word of God. Isn't it amazing that God pulled together all these words into one Scripture that is intertwined with truth for us. Of all written words, there in nothing greater than the Bible

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be throughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).

Using many different writers, God authored His Word so eloquently for us, to equip us to do good. That is It's purpose. My Life Application Study Bible NIV commentary says of 2 Timothy 3:17, "Our knowledge of God's Word is not useful unless it strengthens our faith and leads us to do good."

There are so many words in the Bible, and so many translations and paraphrases of the Word (Many of which I have on a book shelf). In Sunday School I probably studied the King James Bible. I believe my first personal Bible was a Revised Standard Version given to me by my church after I was baptized on April 9, 1967. I believe the next was the Living Bible, then the Good News. For a college course, I needed the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. There was the New English Version, a Parallel Version with four different versions side-by-side. I have a King James Version that my Grandmother Springer used and left for me. And believe it or not there are others on my shelf.

I love that the Scriptures explain our connection to Jesus Christ.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 NIV) 

Lord God, thank You for giving us Your Word to read and study and learn from. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Lord and King in life. May Your Word speak into our hearts and being so we may grow our faith and live the purpose that You planned for each one of us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Heart Cries

This is one of those mornings when my head is empty of ideas. I have one hour to find something meaningful to say. The goal of this blog is to be an encourager to you. To at least one of you. I pray that God will work through me as I write. 

I have a quote on my desk, "Words are the voice of the heart," by Confucius. 

This has been a stressful week. I have been praying for healing and strengthening for two people in my life that I care about. On Monday my hope seemed to falter, but for the time being my hope is extended. I know God is in control of the situations and for that I am very thankful. 

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world," (John16:33 NIV).

Our world is filled with bad things. Wars, starvation, sickness, conflicts of all kinds, making us sad, but Jesus has overcome it all. Christ's resurrection guarantees His victory over death itself. Believers do not walk the path of life alone. Jesus is right there with us, ready to wipe away our tears and lead us to eternal life with Him.

Heavenly Father, I know You are with us through all things. But sometimes it is hard to let go of the ones we love. We need You, Jesus, to walk with us and help us through all the difficulties we face. We trust in You alone. Lead us, Oh, God, through the maze of life ahead, day by day. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Tiniest Example

I have been enjoying watching the hummingbirds lately. It seems like they disappeared during the month of July, only to return again when the rains started in August. I don't know what happened but I'm so glad to see them back at our feeder. 

Watching these tiny birds with their incredible speed and precision delights me. I could stand at my kitchen window all day. The hummingbirds enjoy the hanging plant, both the blooms and the hanger. One perches on the top of the hanger to survey the neighborhood before approaching the feeder (not a great picture, sorry, but you get the idea).

It amazes me with these beautiful birds, how God created the delicate detail of all things, especially the hummingbirds. Their tiny beaks suck up the nectar, perfectly. 

"Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches,"" (Matthew 13:31-32 NIV).

God cares for the tiniest creatures and seeds.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:26-27 NIV).

Hummingbirds remind me of God's care for me and you, and that we don't need to worry about having enough food or clothes or shelter; God will take care of us.

Gracious Father of all, may all Glory be Yours today as we are made aware of Your Creation around us. Thank You, for providing for us our basic needs, and may we generously give to others who are in need. Even the tiny hummingbirds sing of Your greatness! Open our eyes to the wonder of Your creation, today, and teach us to enjoy each gift You give us. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

gds #1125 

"I Love You More"

Quite often when John and I go to bed one of us will say, "I love you" and the other one says, "I love you more". I even have the saying hung over our bedroom door. I don't know when we started this lighthearted, yet, sincere exchange but it's been a long time. Of course we have been married a long time, too. (51 years!)

A recent devotional I read focused on this saying, "I love you more" in reference to God. Who loves you the most? God! He imagined you and designed you before you were created in your mother's womb! He knew what you would look like when you were 16 and 60. He prepared in you a desire to pursue a career and a way of life. He gave you purpose.

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness,"" (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).

God spoke these words! The same God who created the universe carefully created you. He put that freckle on your shoulder. He counted every hair on your head. He tinted your eyes with the exact color He imagined. He made every cell in your body. He gave your life the number of days He perfected exactly.

God Almighty, Creator of all, we offer You our praise today, recognizing You as our Father, and the One who can say, "I love you more!" with complete truth. Your love is in us and through us and comes from You. We thank you for loving us so much that You sent Your Only Son to save us from our sin. Guide us this day to love others as You have taught us. Forgive us when we fail You and let us start again to fulfill Your purpose for us. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

We Won't Stop Praying

How do you deal with unanswered prayer? It may be the hardest thing a Christian must deal with. I don't have an answer. Only God has that answer. I know and trust that God has a perspective much greater than mine and I know there is a reason that I cannot see. God's answer may not be the same as what I'm expecting or hoping for.

There is a beautiful contemporary Christian song, "Don't Stop Praying" by Matthew West, 2024, that I've been listening to that reminds me that God hears everything I pray.

"Don't Stop Praying"

"What's your impossible? Your "I need a miracle" What's got you barely hanging by a thread? What looks so hopeless now? What weighs down your heart with doubt? You beg for a breakthrough, but no sign of breakthrough yet When you've cried, and you've cried 'til your tears run dry The answer won't come, and you don't know why And you wonder if you can bow your head even one more time Don't stop praying Don't stop calling on Jesus' name Keep on pounding on Heaven's door And let your knees wear out the floor Don't stop believing "Cause mountains move with just a little faith And your Father's heard every single word you're saying So, don't stop praying He's close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit The Alpha and Omega knows how your story ends When you've cried, and you've cried 'till your tears run dry The answer won't come, and you don't know why And you wonder if you can bow your head even one more time Oh, do it one more time And don't stop praying...Don't stop praying that His will be done...Hallelujah, hallelujah, and amen..." 

This poem from a friend by St. Francis de Sales, brings me peace:

"Have no fear for what tomorrow may bring. The same Loving God who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. God will either shield you from suffering, or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside All anxious thoughts and imagination."

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be," (Psalm 139:16 NIV).

Great and Loving God, Thank you for hearing our prayers and for knowing when our hearts are breaking. Help us when we struggle to understand Your Will and let us remember that You will care for us with Your loving hands today and forever. You hold the Wisdom; we put our trust in You, and we will not stop praying to You. In Jesus' Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

God's Face Shone Upon Us

Our Thursday started out wonderfully! Traffic to the Iowa State Fair was almost nonexistent at 6:45 a.m. There were no long lines waiting to turn into the Fair. Parking was a breeze, except for the price ($20)! My how that has changed in the years we have been going. We have always parked in a lawn on the south side of the Fair because it was close to the Sheep Barn where many of our Fair hours have been spent.

We made it all the way to the Sheep Barn before the rain began. Leaving our rain gear and umbrellas in the car (big mistake), we waited in the sheep barn with one granddaughter, while anticipating the arrival of some of our Arkansas family. John was constantly greeted by sheep folks from days past. When everyone arrived we planned the day around the things we needed to see and do and eat. 

Mini donuts were the start of the day. We hit a mini donut stand early on and waited and waited for donuts that were never realized. The inexperienced crew was evidently not well trained and could not make the donuts. Finally John got his money back and we decided to try a different stand. By this time the heavens had opened up and delivered a very heavy rain storm. We took shelter under one umbrella and concession tents over an eating area. 

When the rain finally let up, we hurried up a sidewalk to the "Varied Industries" building. We hit the Iowa State University booth first, and two of us got rain ponchos. Mini donuts were found and enjoyed. Then we checked out the amazing quilts and knitting projects on display on the second floor. Such talented Iowans!  We moved on to the State Fair booth on Grand Ave., then up the hill a little ways to get refreshing phosphates in the old time soda shop. We walked through the baby animals barn, stopped for a couple of corn dogs, then a ride in Ye Old Mill.

By noon the sun was out and it was hot! We had lemonades, water, sodas to stay hydrated. And to fill the empty bellies there were fried cheese curds, pickle wraps, lamb burgers, and cups of corn at the Corn Stand. We found all the Stewart bricks in front of the Sheep Barn. Each grandchild that showed sheep has a brick with their name and there is a now out-dated brick that says, "Stewart Club Lambs, Marshalltown."

We enjoyed all the memories that were made today and came home blessed and tired.

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations." (Psalm 67:1-2 NIV).

Thank You, God, for making all things gracious and blessed. Thank You for the rain and the sunshine and I pray for safety for our family as they return to Arkansas. God, You are so good. Amen.

Breathe

Happy August! I'm so thankful for the past few days of mild temperatures, a reprieve from summer's heat. Yet, it is to return just in time for the Iowa State Fair. (My topic for Thursday's blog.) We also get a break from the smoke cover over the Midwest for several days. It has moved east for the time being. Though I didn't have a problem breathing, I'm sure it must have kept others indoors on those worst days.

Breathe. We inhale and exhale 12 to 20 times per minute when we are resting. That's about 17,000 to 30,000 breaths in a day. Yet, we breathe without thinking, hardly ever pausing to think about what goes into our lungs. Besides smoke from Canada, we daily breathe in nasty carcinogens hidden in a smoker's fog or some cleaning agents. (a good reason to go with natural products). 

For the last year or so of my mother's life she lived on oxygen. She had a long tube that allowed her to navigate the first floor of their country farm house.  She also had a portable tank that went with her to doctor appointments and to church. 

"Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." 

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." (Psalm 150:1-6 NIV).

Take a few seconds/minutes to breathe in deeply. In and out. Again. Each breath is from God.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the breaths I take today. Make me aware of each breath; each one comes from You. For only You count the number of breaths I take in my lifetime. Thank You, God, for each one. We praise You and worship You this new day. Amen.