Tag Archives: God’s Plan

Posted on

Belonging to God

by

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all it contains, You have founded them.  Psalm 89:11

I spent most of the last two days driving.  It’s not something I do easily, but God was gracious in providing the needed strength and endurance.  Knowing that I would be traveling and my time would be limited, I was considering what I would write about this week.  As I drove, the song “I am Yours” started playing.  It echoed the quote from Charles Spurgeon that I shared earlier in the week and is shown at the top of this post.  The common theme was not lost on me.  Given the calamity due to hurricanes, earth quakes, threats of war, prayer requests, etc., it seemed appropriate to consider the concept that we belong to God and what that means.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Life Is Like a Pack of Crackers

Guest Post by Shelly Hendricks

by

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” – Proverbs 19:21

A frustrated woman, that’s what I was one day not long ago as I tried diligently to wrap and fold neatly, a pack of crackers. Sounds like a simple task, right? Try it sometime, and really pay attention to what happens. I found a few interesting tidbits that day that I could relate to life.

A pack of crackers, first pulled out of the box, is a beautiful thing, especially for a mind like mine that craves order. The package is crisp and smooth. The crackers are lined up neatly in a row, no breaks or crumbs in sight. The seam opens smoothly and they are crisp in your mouth. Then comes the trouble… how to return the package to a decent-looking state without losing your mind.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Thoughts From the Beach Pt. 1

Praise the Lord Oh My Soul

by

“Praise the Lord, my soul.  Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.”  Psalm 104:1

My wife and I are currently on vacation staying in a seaside condo.  We determined a few years ago that we are “beach people”.  We like to see and visit other places, but our first love is a seaside beach.  Marie grew up by the ocean in New England.  I was inland; consequently, my only encounter with the ocean was an overnight stay in Daytona while on a college choir tour.  She was excited to get me to the ocean and once there I was hooked.  At dinner last night we were talking about that fact.   As we talked while eating seaside, Marie observed that it is quite possible that I love the ocean more than she does.  I agreed stating that trips to the ocean are as much or more about my soul than rest and relaxation.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

The Father’s Love

by

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?  Psalm 8:3-4

Chronic illness can be lonely.  When severe enough, it often leads to isolation either because we are not able to get out or because we just don’t feel up to the task mentally.   However, isolation is not limited to illness.  Personal tragedy, loss or grief can also lead to isolation whether it is circumstantial or self-imposed.  When we do not sustain a close relationship with God to guard our souls and do not maintain connections with godly people who challenge us and draw us out of our isolation, it’s easy to let feelings of insecurity and doubt take center stage in our thoughts and erode our faith in God and man.  It causes our world to darken and makes our future seem bleak.  We often feel small, insignificant and of little value…we may even feel abandoned.  In those moments, we need to consider the answer to the question posed in Psalm 8:3-4.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

The Art of Sacrifice

by

“But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.  For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,  who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”   1 Peter 2:20-25

This past weekend I served at a Christian event.  I knew that I would need to give up some of the normal comforts of life, that I would need to push my body beyond what I would consider a wise pace for my health concerns and  that my diet would also be compromised.  However, I was not prepared for what I would consider unnecessary risks for myself and others due to disregard and lack of effort.  I’m not talking about malicious acts by evil people, but rather inadvertent decisions and actions by genuine godly people whom I have come to appreciate over the last few days.  The perceived lack of safety put me in a mode of questioning my decision to serve, counting down the hours until I could leave and started a running discussion in my head regarding what is “reasonable sacrifice”.  Thankfully, God quickly took me to the example of Christ which caused my issues to pale in comparison and allowed me to serve to the best of my ability and develop new friendships.

With respect to sacrifice, consider the following elements: preparation, opportunity, people, sacrifice, and reward.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

I Don’t Feel Like It

by

 “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  James 4:17

For those of us who live with chronic illness and/or pain, it’s often a real balancing act trying to figure out what we can or should do and what we need to avoid.  We must be careful not to exacerbate our problems by being reckless, but we don’t want to stop living either.  Unfortunately, too many times, it’s easy to avoid doing something we are called to by saying that we don’t feel up to it.  However, this isn’t just about our illness.  It goes much deeper to our attitude and what’s important to us.  Whether we are ill or not, we all face life’s challenges, physical limitations and mood swings.  Too often we find an excuse not to do something and that’s what James is referring to in this passage.  Today is one of those days for me.  I need to write to be faithful to God’s calling, but I don’t feel like rising to the occasion.  Between the weather changing and traveling over the weekend, my body has been crashing and I’m just worn out.  It’s not that I am unable to write, I would just rather not do anything…and there’s the rub.  I’m able but would rather not.  To write will not threaten my wellbeing or overall health so there really is no risk.  So here I am, writing, because it is the right thing to do.   In that light, let’s consider overcoming laziness, using discernment, facing risk, and looking for strength.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Dropping the Ball

by

“Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian, that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land.”’”  Judges 6:7-9

It’s that time of year again when we move from one calendar year to the next and anticipate the dropping of a well-lit ball atop a skyscraper in New York City.  While some see the change in years as a new beginning, the reality is that it is a continuation.  Many of the New Year’s memes reflect the idea that 2017 will be better than 2016.  Overall and statistically, it will be roughly the same because, as Solomon put it, “there is nothing new under the sun”.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Pregnant Words Part 1

Character

by

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.’  And Mary said:  ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.  For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.  And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.  He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.  He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.’”  Luke 1:41-55

I have a wife, two daughters, a mother, a mother-in-law, five sisters-in-law, seven nieces, and three great nieces.  Add to that friends’ wives and daughters and the fact that the majority of the people that I have supervised were women, I have heard my fair share of conversations between and about pregnant women.  First it’s the joy (or surprise) of pregnancy, then the trials of pregnancy, than all of the things that are needed for the baby, then the labor symptoms and finally upon the baby’s arrival comes the vital information i.e. sex, name, weight and length (and pity the poor guy that doesn’t get all of the pertinent information).  However, never have I ever heard a conversation even remotely similar to the one between Elizabeth and Mary recorded for us in Luke 1.  While they may have gotten around to the details of pregnancy later in their visit, their first priority was to acknowledge the works of the Lord.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Acceptance – Part Four

On Earth as it is in Heaven

by

“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Matthew 6:9-10

Like this one, the previous three posts have been on acceptance…specifically on acceptance of God’s plan for us as individuals.  When we study the concept of acceptance, our concerned is usually a particular circumstance.  We tend to lean in that direction because it is easier to deal with things separately and the more monumental issues tend to come one at a time.  However, the truth is that we rarely deal with one any trial in a vacuum.

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Acceptance – Part 2

May It Be Done To Me

by

Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  Luke 1:38

A key factor in accepting God’s plan for us is trust.  Do you trust God?  If so, how far does that trust go?  Too often our trust in God is colored more by our human relationships and our desires for information and comfort rather than the truth about who He is and His promises to us.

Continue Reading »