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Changing Your Landscape? Start Anew With God’s Plan

Life sometimes requires us to start anew, as in the case of a divorce or a move. Other times, we just have a tug at our heart, knowing we need to wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

My husband and I recently made the decision to redo the landscaping at our home. It took a lot of prep work to make that decision. We needed to agree we wanted to stay in our home and not move. Next came researching landscaping companies, followed by contacting the finalists, settling on a plan and price, signing an agreement, and submitting a down-payment.

You see, our landscaping was over 25 years old. It looked aged and worn, and we wanted a new look—one that involved fewer straggly bushes and less maintenance. Basically, we were tired of the same old thing!

The laborious work began this week.

We watched the crew not just “prune” our yard, but remove every evidence of the last 25 years of growth.

It wasn’t sad to us, because we hoped “the future” look would be better. Okay, it might have been sad to our neighbors when they saw the landscapers demolish the beautiful crepe myrtle that adorned our neighborhood.

But then arose the destruction—as trenches were dug a water pipe burst, then our Internet cable was severed. An emergency call to the water district, a three-hour wait to connect to AT&T, and disruption of my husband’s work-related Zoom call seemed quite problematic. Why? Because we were not anticipating any dire consequences from our well-thought-out plans.

As a believer, we face many decisions in life. We decide what ministries to be involved in, what church to attend, who to marry, what job to take, where to live, and more.

Just as there were steps in deciding to redo our landscaping, there are steps and choices to make in our spiritual life.

While we have the personal liberty to choose God’s plan or not, our lives are best lived in the presence of God’s will and direction. He is our strength and support in this life and the life to come.

Why is it important to know God’s plan?

It is important to know God’s plan because the Lord is the best person capable of running our lives. The Bible tells us multiple times that God knows our future. When we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are positioned to receive His blessings. When we are following His will by trusting and obeying Him, we can have confidence He hears our prayers and is working things out for our greatest benefit. God will not hide His will from us if we sincerely seek Him.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. (Psalm 139:4)

Every good thing [is] given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:30-33

You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:33

Starting Over

My husband and I don’t like yard work. In starting over from square one, we are trying to simplify our life by eliminating trees, bushes, and foliage in our yard. By removing unwanted debris, there will be more room for light to shine into our home—along with a simpler austerity.

In our Christian walk, sometimes we need to make decisions to move on, clear out our clutter, and/or change our priorities. Hopefully, when we do, our walk with the Lord will deepen and mature us to become more Christlike.

The “method to our madness” in discovering His plans entail making decisions by seeking Him, looking at options, and developing a sense of His guidance.

What are the steps to discover His plan?

  1. Ask God for His wisdom and understanding (James 1:5-6);
  2. Desire to follow His will. [That comes when we are repentant and obedient to His already established will in the Bible] (Psalm 51:2-3);
  3. Pray and meditate. [Do not make any decisions that have not been prayed over] (Philippians 4:6-7);
  4. Look for providential circumstances. [But recognize that circumstances and/or feelings alone should not be the deciding factor] (James 1:17);
  5. Talk to godly friends, confidants, or elders at your church for guidance (Proverbs 15:22);
  6. Rest and wait patiently in God through the power of the Holy Spirit (Psalms 27:14);
  7. Ask yourself if you have peace about your decision (Psalms 29:11);
  8. Understand that God’s will might involve some suffering (Romans 8:18);
  9. Recognize that if you have done these steps and are still unsure of His will, but a decision must be made, go with the best choice you can make (Romans 8:28);
  10. If you find you have made a “mistake,” keep trusting in the Lord to work everything out (Proverbs 3:5-6).

As I write this, our landscaping feat is not complete. Actually, we are deep in the midst of a huge mess.

However, I hope our decision to bulldoze all our greenery turns out to be the right one. Our expectation is to have an attractive and easy-to-keep-up-with yard. But, if it doesn’t, we still have a God who loves us and wants the best in our lives.

If you feel the need to start over, seek Him first. Be obedient. Follow His lead. And trust that He always knows what is best for us. And, don’t be afraid of a change!

Praying the Scripture

Dear heavenly Father, 

If I lack wisdom, I am asking You who gives generously without reproach to all who ask for it, because You have said in Your Word that it will be given. I am asking in faith without any doubting because Your Word says, “one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

Wash thoroughly from me my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Help me not to be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, I am letting my requests, concerns, and upcoming decisions ascend to You. And Your peace, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.

I know that every good thing is given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from You–the Father of lights. Give me wise counsel so my plans are not frustrated, because I know that with many counselors I will succeed. Give me the ability to wait on You for all plans and decisions that I need to make. Make me strong and let my heart take courage. Yes, let me wait for Your answers. I know You give strength to Your people, and that You will bless me with peace.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to me. And I know that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose, and that includes me. I want to trust in You, Lord with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I want to acknowledge you. I know You will make my paths straight and my decisions honorable to You.

I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

Edited by E. Johnson

Bible verses come from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Books by Patti Greene – Order Below!

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

 

#bgbg2, Bible Study, Christian Living, Discernment, How to Guides, Old Testament, People in the Bible

Solomon’s Wisdom: Bring Me a Sword

Wisdom

The Elementary Bible Truths Handbook defines wisdom as “the ability to use one’s knowledge and experience to make good judgments.”¹

While this is a good general definition, it does not differentiate between secular wisdom and godly wisdom. The late Pastor Adrian Rogers bridged this gap when he said that, “Godly wisdom is wisdom seeing life from God’s point of view. Secular wisdom (also known as knowledge) comes from looking around; [while godly] wisdom comes from looking up.”²

Days of Our Lives

1 Kings 3:16-28 puts godly wisdom in the forefront. King Solomon is tasked to solve a dispute between two women. If there ever was a story to grab someone’s attention, the story of Solomon and his wisdom is it. It has all the drama, including two bickering prostitutes, a “she said, she said” scenario, no witnesses and two babies—one dead and one alive. If this does not sound like a Days of Our Lives soap opera, it will.

As a child, I had a Bible storybook titled A Small Child’s Bible by Pelagie Doane that I read over and over and over. For hours I would ruminate on the stories and stare at the illustrations of two special Old Testament stories: King Solomon and the Baby and [Jonah] Jonas and the Great Fish. To read my story about Jonah, click here.

Below is the story from my childhood book, which still sits in my bookshelf to this day.

A Paraphrased Story Version of 1 Kings 3:16-28

Solomon sat upon the throne of David, his father. David had died and now Solomon was king. He was a good king and wise.

One day two women came to him. They had a baby with them. One woman said, “We live in the same house. We each had a baby born to us. This woman’s baby died one night, and she came and took my baby. She put her dead baby in my bed.”

The other woman said, “It is my child who is alive and hers who is dead.”

The first woman said, “No. The dead is your son and the living is my son.”

And so, they argued.

The king said to one of his men, “Bring me a sword.”

The sword was brought, and the king said, “Divide this child in half and give half to each of these women.”

One woman said, “Oh, do not kill the baby! Give him to the other woman but let him live!”

The other woman said,” No. Let neither of us have him. Divide him.”

Then King Solomon knew which was the mother of the child.

He said, “Give the child to the woman who does not want the child divided. She loves it and wants it to live.”

When the people heard how wise King Solomon had been, they said, “He knows what is true. He has thoughts of God.”³

Guiding Light: The Search for Wisdom

Solomon was King David’s son from his wife Bathsheba. His upbringing in an extremely wealthy household allowed him to have just about every privilege a child raised by a rich godly king could expect—fine food, a good education, religious training, little conflict, and more.

Solomon’s life was most likely free of conflict until it was time for him to ascend to the throne of Israel. His brother Adonijah tried to force a coup, doing all he could to get the kingship for himself that David already promised to Solomon. Fortunately, he did overthrow Adonijah’s attempt to rule Israel and became king.

Solomon knew he needed God’s wisdom if he were to enlarge the kingdom and construct the temple his father David had already prepared for him to erect.

Solomon loved God, and as a young ruler, he wanted the wisdom to rule this vast kingdom fittingly. Knowing he needed to dedicate himself totally to the Lord, he sought wisdom and guidance, and in a dream at Gibeon, not far from Jerusalem, he offered multiple sacrifices to the Lord. Then, God came to him in a dream and asked Solomon to ask Him for anything he desired.

God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:5b-9

It was at Gibeon Solomon asked for WISDOM. He wanted to administer justice and judgment using true godly discernment. It was normal in those days for the common people to have access to the king, and he took his job seriously. Shortly after his asking for wisdom, Solomon was introduced to these two prostitutes—both seeking to resolve a dispute between them and a living baby.

Solomon asked for wisdom because he wanted to administer justice and judgment using true godly discernment. GreenePastures.org
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One Life to Live: Mothers

These two temple prostitutes stood before their ruler and king, waiting for his judgment as to which woman should be allowed to keep the live baby.

Sidebar: I believe most mothers can recognize their own child, especially after three days of caring for and loving them.

But, the disagreement over the baby’s “ownership” continued all the way up to the top court. King Solomon, not being privy to DNA testing, listened to both women’s side of the story. He gathered facts and information. Although Solomon had many responsibilities, as kings do, such as peacemaker, builder, worshiper, administrator, and scholar, this was his opportunity to be a discerner, noted Warren Wiersbe.⁴ Solomon was looking for the real mother. Most Bibles and commentaries refer to the first woman mentioned in the story as the real mother and the second woman mentioned as the untruthful mother.

Both mothers were distressed—one because she knew she might lose her baby, and the other one because she lost her baby; and her maternal instincts were so strong, she was willing to lie and deceive to have any baby.

We see this kind of behavior even today. In February 2020, Juliette Parker, former Colorado Springs mayoral candidate, posed as a “friendly” baby photographer in an attempt to steal Elysia Miller’s newborn child. Meeting Miller on a Facebook newborn baby site, they connected. Parker met under the guise of taking free baby pictures to build up her portfolio and administered GHB—the date rape drug—to try to steal Miller’s baby. Fortunately, Miller called 911 after feeling drowsy and the plot was averted.⁵

In the original story, Solomon, using his divine wisdom, called for a sword. His solution was to cut the baby in half and give half to each woman. He was wise and I feel sure his intent was never to follow through on dividing the baby. Solomon was looking to see which woman had the most compassion towards the child to find the real mother.

“And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other, the first woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, ‘Oh, my Lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.’ But the other said, ‘He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!’” Then the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.” (1 Kings 3:25-28)

God is a God who works out the most magnificent things and coordinates situations in His timing to be used for the glory of God. In this case, God took two prostitutes: they lived in the same house, allowed them to get pregnant at the same time, and had them deliver their babies three days apart—to be used as a very early catalyst for the people of Israel to see his wisdom. Warren Wiersbe says, “for weeks, this even was the main topic of conversation in all Israel displaying to all that King Solomon was truly a wise king.”

As the World Turns: How to Gain Wisdom

We live in a culture not much different than Solomon did in the 900s BC. Today we encounter obstacles just like the people did back in Solomon’s day. Many times, we need wise people to arbitrate our difficulties and problems.

Right now, we might be like the first woman in this story desperately needing advice, the second woman who lied and deceived, or we might be like Solomon—the one to whom people come for leadership or arbitration.

Know that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, by repenting and choosing to live a life honorable to our Lord and Savior, we can gain God’s wisdom. By following King Solomon’s steps, let us do what He did first and then commit to following whatever He says in His Word.

How to Gain Wisdom

First Solomon ASKED FOR GOD’S WISDOM. (1 Kings 3:9; James 1:5) So should we, then we can work on:

Wherever we are on this pendulum called life, let us remember that we are loved by a holy and just God. He is there to give us direction.

Look to Him for divine strength. Look at people through His eyes.

It can be difficult after we have been lied to, deceived, humiliated, criticized, or disregarded, but God has a purpose for every one of us. Striving to live a life fully dedicated to Him is costly, but wisdom is supreme. Therefore, get wisdom. Ask for wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get [His] wisdom and His understanding.

It is then that we can look at life correctly as we Search for Tomorrow.

Bible Verses

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding, He established the heavens. Proverbs 3:19

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Ecclesiastes 9:18

They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. John 8:4-9

All verses are from the New American Standard Version (NASB).

Prayer

My heavenly Father. We need Your wisdom. We cry out to You for it. As King Solomon prayed, so we pray and ask You to give “Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil.” For it is only when You and Your Word is ingrained upon our hearts that we can begin to fully follow You. Give us a deeper walk from now until we reach Your heavenly kingdom. In the Name of Your precious son Jesus. Amen.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

Edited by E. Johnson

Works Cited

¹ Elementary Bible Truths Handbook. Greeneville: Bob Jones University Press, 1981.

² Adrianisms: The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers. Collierville: Innovo Publishing, 2015.

³ Doane, Pelagie. A Small Child’s Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1945.

⁴ Wiersbe, Warren. The Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament: Joshua—Esther. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2008.

⁵ Benzel, Lance. “Former Colorado Springs mayoral candidate allegedly duped local man before baby abduction plot.” The Gazette. Feb 18 2020; Updated Feb 25 2020. Gazette.com.

Books by Patti Greene – Order Below

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

Christian Living, Church and Ministry, Coronavirus, Patti Greene, Sacred Snippets, Spiritual Growth

Sacred Snippet: Watching a Former Church Online

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FBC-O’Fallon, Missouri by Patti Greene

Since COVID-19, my usual Sunday morning consists of watching my own church Bear Creek Church, Katy online, then watching Southcrest Baptist Church, Lubbock, and then an “extra church” for variety.

Today, my “extra church” was our former church, First Baptist Church-O’Fallon, Missouri. We left there 24 years ago when we moved back to Houston.

It was an awesome feeling. I felt like I was back in time. Memories of areas the Lord privileged me to serve filled my being — the apartment ministries, the Christmas tree gifts ministry, the library ministry, and the fun times like when a lady leading a group I was in just got up, closed her eyes and laid down on the floor for 5+ minutes. Everyone else seemed to know what she was doing but for me! Turns out it was a menopause attack! I learned a lot at that church about God and life.

Of course, all the pastors have changed, but the music and “being in the sanctuary” was like being right there with my old friends and church family!

I even imagined my former and now late pastor Gary Taylor at the helm preaching. I was brought back to the day we all poured out our love to him when he rolled himself onto the platform shortly after his devastating car accident. He couldn’t wait to preach to us. And we couldn’t wait to love and pray him through his crisis time. He trusted us to love him through his difficulty because we were family-we really were.

The sermon today by the current pastor Dr. Michael Atherton was on “Spiritual Giftedness” in the church and I only took six pages of notes! I typed them up; and even distributed my notes. Okay, to be honest, I only emailed them to one person so far.

I say all this to encourage you to think back to a church that gave you great satisfaction and joy and join them online sometime. It will make you so grateful for all the experiences and love you have received from God.

At least it did for me?

#bgbg2, A.W. Tozer, Bible Study, Christian Living, Discernment, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, Old Testament, People in the Bible

Building an Understanding Heart: The power of discernment can be nourished in the believer

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Most likely, we all know people who have that special discernment into what is really happening within our culture, in the lives of people, and inside the church. Not only are they able to understand spiritual happenings, but they are also gifted in expressing their thought so those enlightened by the Holy Spirit can grasp God in His fullest.

Recently, I have been reading several books by A.W. Tozer (1897-1963). Tozer was a self-taught theologian, pastor, and writer whose influential words still linger in the hearts of his readers even after his death. Two of his more than 40 books are considered modern-day classics: The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God.

I rank Tozer’s writings among those of other great Christian theologians or apologists such as Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, J.I. Packer, Warren Wiersbe, and E.M. Bounds. These men seem to have a grasp on the surrendered and deeper life Christians should be experiencing. It is that life where, after salvation, we grow, we depend, we surrender (or strive wholeheartedly) to live our lives in the presence of God.

Sons of Issachar

The men mentioned above and others like them remind me of the sons of Issachar mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:32. King Saul was now dead, and David was crowned King of Israel. During this period, great wisdom and discernment were needed to understand what was going on and what to do during this transition time. Being very analytical and perceptive, the sons of Issachar were aware of what was occurring and what should be done; their discernment far exceeded that of the average person. They skillfully knew how to express their sentiments so others could take hold of them and grasp the gravity of the situation.

And of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. (1 Chronicles 12:32)

Don’t you just love it when you are in a meeting and someone knows how to get to the real issues at hand? I experienced this first-hand as I served as a jury foreman a few years ago in a very intense five-week trial. We were into the third day of deliberations with the jury split 6-6 on a verdict. I was flummoxed as to how to proceed with my 11 jury partners when one of the men in the group stood up, went to a drawing board, and mapped out the entire plan and overview of what we needed to do to resolve our divisiveness. What a relief!

Don’t you just love it when you are in a meeting and someone knows how to get to the real issues at hand? 1 Chronicles 12:32
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The sons of Issachar operated in the same way. Their awareness of their culture was uncanny.

Because of that, I want to share some of the dynamic quotations I encountered when recently reading my seven-volume marathon of Tozer’s books. Hopefully, these will resonate a powerful drawing and passion for you to live a holy and surrendered life to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Due to time and space, I am sharing quotes from only four of my most recently read Tozer books. But the other ones are so worthwhile, I would be remiss if I did not mention the titles to you—The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Crucified Life: How to Live Out a Deeper Christian Experience by A.W. Tozer

One important point many fail to understand is that the Bible was never meant to replace God; rather, it was meant to lead us into the heart of God. Too many Christians stop with the text and never go on to experience the presence of God.

I refuse to be discouraged about anything, but it gives me a heavy heart to walk among Christians who have wandered for 40 long years in the wilderness, not going back to sin but not going on into the holy life.

The closer you are to God, the more tender your conscience is before the Lord, and the more severe your trial and temptation may be.

Most Christians are satisfied living their entire lives as common Christians. They never experience the richness of what it truly means to be a Christian. Without a deep insatiable hunger for the things of God, there is nothing within them prodding them to go forward to perfection. The condition of today’s Christian Church is the result of too many common Christians in leadership roles. Once again, we need a great move of the Holy Spirit to break out of the spiritual rut and press on to spiritual perfection. That move needs to start with individual Christians who are willing to give all to God and live the crucified life.

Never defame a fellow Christian. By this, I mean never believe evil about him or speak any evil report about him.

Pray. “Oh Lord, set in motion a chain of circumstances that will bring me to the place where I can sincerely say, ‘Be thou exalted above the heavens.’”

Obedience is a primary component of the Christian life . . . True obedience is the refusal to compromise in any regard or relationship with God, regardless of the consequences . . . If you believe in God as millions of Americans do today and do not make Him the number one exclusive priority in your life, the devil has no issue with you . . . We do not have to understand what is happening to obey God. We do not need to know the outcome to obey God. As a matter of faith and trust, we obey God simply because He is God.

The Dangers of a Shallow Life: Awakening from Spiritual Lethargy by A.W. Tozer

The people impressed by the converted celebrity are carnal Christians, and only until a bigger celebrity comes along. Where is that generation that fell on their knees before God with broken hearts for the world around them? Where are those men who gave up everything to reach the world of unsaved men and women?

It is possible to be crammed with religious news and filled with religious shoptalk and yet not have the spiritual discernment to know what it means. If there is anything, I have asked God for, it is spiritual discernment. It makes you just about as popular as a hawk in a henhouse or a skunk at a picnic. You are not popular at all, and you will never be popular because nobody wants to be awakened.

If you are bored with spiritual conversation (I am not talking about religious chitchat that would bore anybody), something has gone wrong inside of your heart. The best thing to do is admit it and acknowledge it before God.

A person’s choices distinguish him as either wise or foolish. The wise man knows he must give an account of the deeds done in the body, but the fool does not. In the Bible, the word “fool” is not describing a man of mental deficiency. A fool is a man who acts without regard to consequences.

The best thing to do is to keep your eyes on Jesus and let Him take care of the devil.

If God has called you, He is not withdrawing the call because of some questions you could not answer.

Suppose you pray for something and do not get it, and it is obvious that you are not going to get it. Do not let that finish you off. Maybe you are not living right; maybe you are praying selfishly; maybe you have misunderstood the will of God. Go to the Scriptures, search it out, get right with God, give God a chance at you, then try it again and press on. Finally, the Lord will either tell you to hold on or that you are praying for the wrong thing and to pray for this thing and He will give it to you; or else He will give you what you prayed for the first time. But do not stay defeated.

A Cloud by Day, A Fire by Night: Finding and Following God’s Will for You by A.W. Tozer

Rarely do we see many steps ahead of us. We need to walk entirely by faith. But like God did for Israel, He prepares us for one step at a time.

By trusting God whether we understand His plan or not, we are placing ourselves in the path where He can lead us to where He wants us to be.

From my point of view, many gospel Christians today accept the importance of getting people saved out of Egypt. That is the real focus for them. And it is true—God saves us from our past sins, from our worst habits, and above all else, He is to save us from hell. Coming to Christ means that. And people think, Now I do not have to worry about those things. I am not going to hell when I die. I will go zooming off into heaven. Now I can just enjoy life because I know where I am going when I die. However, almost nothing is said about what we are saved unto. Yes, we know what we are saved from, and we can glory in that, but that needs to be a temporary glory. We need to know what we have been saved unto.

We do not need to figure out our own road map or how we are going to go or what we are going to do. We need to be careful that we stay in His presence, and this is the work of faith.

Knowing what my weakness is enables me to turn that section of my life over to God.

Serve God. Not the church.

There is no premature death in the will of God. A man will live if God has work for him to do and as long as that man is really committed to that work. When my work is done and I have completed it as God wants me to, then my life is over.

This message is missing for the most part today. Too many people view Christianity as an insurance policy so that when they die, they can go to heaven. They do not see it as a road map leading them into the heart of God.

The deeper Christian life goes forward as God directs and leads us, and we depend upon God to deal with our enemies.

No obstacle surprises God: He knows what is ahead and knows how to prepare us, and we need to go forward in His power and trust His wisdom. Many times, we try to do it in our own strength and power, but it never works that way.

Delighting in God [Follow-Up to the Knowledge of the Holy] by A.W. Tozer

Whenever you find a man of God, you will also find an overwhelming passion for God that is almost beyond control. Not a curiosity about God, but a deep passion to experience God in all His fullness. To know God is the one passion that dries [drives] a man into the very heart of God.

What I see lacking today is this desire to know God on a personal basis. Other things crowd this relationship out until it is barely recognized in the church today.

The great secret of the Christian life is to begin experiencing God as He desires me to experience Him. God’s greatest delight is to bring me into His presence.

Our trouble is, we hear sermon after sermon and do not get anywhere . . . This is happening because we have a lack of desire. We have not the desire we ought to have, and God’s people are not hungry and thirsty anymore.

Conclusion

As you have read through these quotes, you may have gathered that Tozer spoke what he was discerning in his heart after being in the presence of God. Many people called his works too negative. He recognized that, but it did not stop him from sharing his perceptions about God and the culture around him. I guess you would say he operated like a 20th century son of Issachar!

My prayer for you triple-fold. It is:

  1. To read your Bible expecting to experience the presence of God,
  2. To pray and meditate reaching the holy presence of God, and
  3. To surrender your life to a deeper—a much deeper—walk with Him.

Bible Verse:

So, give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? (1 Kings 3:9)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.” (Luke 10:23-24)

Prayer:

Oh Lord, the world is full of so much information, please teach me to know what is true and what is false. Give me the desire to ground myself in Your holy Word—every day. Let Your words soak into my mind. Guide all my thoughts and decisions. Allow the Holy Spirit to give me discernment so I can always be an honorable servant obedient to You.

God Bless.

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member; BibleGateway Blogger, Member; SBC, Church Member

Bible verses are from the New American Standard Bible.

Edited by E. Johnson

Photo Credit: Canva/Fernanda Latronic

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Sacred Snippet: Tree Trimmers

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As I watched a crew of tree trimmers pruning the trees in my yard, there was one designated man whose job it was to place ropes securely around himself and climb into the inner portion of the tree to trim the branches that were high and unreachable to the other crew members. Without a doubt, this man–I feel sure—had been meticulously trained on how to use the saws and climbing gear properly.

I held my breath as this man stood on the tree limbs—convinced some would be too weak to hold him.

But then, I froze when I saw him slip a few feet down the limb. Only I WAS FEARFUL. He was not. He was confident because he had ropes holding him securely fastened in case of a fall.

He trusted in the ropes.

Watching him, I was reminded how many times we slip in our Christian walk, i.e. gossip, jealousy, critical spirit, and more.

But we have a God who, just like the ropes, holds us securely in place.

However, first, we must trust Christ to be assured of His full protection.

We do that by believing in Jesus Christ.

Then, we can lean on Him, securely aware He is our protector, and that He holds us securely in His arms.

In the Bible, ropes were used both for positive and negative purposes. On the positive side, ropes were used for . . .

  1. Support

After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. (Acts 27:17)

  1. An escape

So, Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. (1 Samuel 19:12)

  1. A reminder of God’s commandments

You shall, therefore, impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. (Deuteronomy 11:18)

Let us choose today to allow God’s “ropes” to give us His confidence during our times of need!

God Bless,

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Sacred Snippet: A Silver Lining

I admit it! I am a readaholic! During this quarantine period, I have read a ton of books. I usually only like to read one book at a time (along with the Bible), but I have found myself in a pickle these past few weeks—to the point of becoming overwhelmed.

I am currently reading…
– A book by A.W. Tozer;
– A book on the Christian life;
– A book preview for a friend who will publish her book soon;
– A book that is accompanied by a workbook;
– Reference books for when I have questions; and
– A book on Winston Churchill and World War II. [Usually, my bedtime reading!] What’s up with that?

But, God always has a silver lining for us! My silver lining is that I now get to pick up whatever book my mood directs me too!

Right now, I think I will go back and reread 1 Kings 12! It was awesome yesterday, so I am going to reread it.

As much as this quarantine has changed our lives, do you have a silver lining you would like to share? I would love to hear it!

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Don’t Worry… Be HOLY…

Don’t Worry… Be HOLY…

Our best response to COVID-19: stay focused on God

by Ellsworth Johnson, Guest Contributor

Those of us old enough to remember the late 1980s can recall Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. In it, he urges the listener to stay positive and upbeat through a litany of troubles, yet offers no hope or framework to support this approach.

Additionally, many people, including Christians, have been heard to say “God just wants me to be happy.” The trouble is… there is no place in Scripture where this claim is made. Our happiness, arguably, is not one of God’s explicit priorities, but our holiness is:

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

In the age of Coronavirus, our heavenly Father wants us Christians to stop wasting time agonizing over things we cannot control, and instead turn to Him as our first response when faced with trouble or fear.

Worrying, Past and Present

“Worrying big” is nothing new.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah faced a joint invasion from Moab and Ammon, an attack he had no hope of repelling. Two centuries later Hezekiah took part in a celebrated encounter with the Assyrian army, the most advanced (and brutal!) military in the world at the time, which was massed outside Jerusalem, poised to strike.

Both kings did the best thing they could have done under the circumstances: they turned the problem over to God, and let Him fight the battle instead.

Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and prayed before the nation of Judah, the essence of his prayer captured by this verse:

“For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

2 Chronicles 20:12b

Similarly, Hezekiah was terrified by the horde massing outside his gates, taunting the Israelite soldiers on the city walls with boasts about the superiority of the Assyrian gods, and gleefully recounting all the powerful nations they had defeated.

Hezekiah, too, went before Jehovah:

“Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

2 Kings 19:19

God answered the prayers of these kings of Judah in powerful ways. In the case of Jehoshaphat, the attacking enemy was divinely confused and ended up killing each other. For Hezekiah, He released the Angel of Death, who “breathed in the face of the foe as he passed” ¹ and exterminated 185,000 soldiers in a single night.

Pandemic of the Century

Sadly, large-scale pestilence has an equally long track record. The Black Death, the most fatal outbreak of all time, killed up to 200 million people on three continents from 1347 to 1351. In 1453 Constantinople was decimated by the bubonic plague as rats carried the disease to the rest of Europe. More recently, the worldwide influenza outbreak of 1918 was characterized by the Center for Disease Control as “the most severe pandemic in recent history,” infecting one-third of the world’s population and taking an estimated 50 million lives, with about 675,000 of those casualties in the United States.

And now… this.

“Don’t worry” is the overwhelming message from the pulpit around the country as COVID-19 rages on around us. We get daily counts as to confirmed cases and fatalities, but, as during the Tenth Plague in Egypt, when the first-born of each household was killed, we are to trust God that those whom He has chosen to spare will be kept off those lists.

Oh, what miracles are possible if our leaders would only overcome their collective pride and arrogance, and lead us in bowing down in submission to the true King of the universe?

Holiness, Explained

What does it even mean to “be holy”? When I was a kid attending Catholic Masses I thought it indicated you had a halo around your head, like in all the paintings and on the stained glass, which somehow marked you as “holy”… whatever that means…

There is no shortage of available answers; countless books have been written on the subject, and advice is all over the Internet – there is even a WikiHow page on the subject of holiness!

I have a feeling I am not the only one out here with a distorted idea of what holiness is. For all of us, that ends today, right here, right now!

Q: What does it mean to “be holy”?

A: Looking it up in the dictionary, and synthesizing from the many sources I consulted, I came up with:

holy: set aside by or for God, for Him and His purposes

So the holy water at Catholic churches is “holy” because it was blessed and set aside for its part in Masses. Similarly, the wafers and wine used at Communion, as well as the vessels which contain them, are “holy” because they are reserved specifically for use during The Lord’s Supper, and used only then.

Q: What can be holy?

According to Christianity.com, time, space, objects, and people—all can become holy if they belong to God. The temple in Jerusalem was considered holy space, and the objects used in worship holy objects. The Sabbaths and feasts of Israel were considered holy days or seasons. And the Israelites were called God’s holy people by virtue of belonging to [H]im. ²

Q: That’s all well and good, but let’s focus on people. What makes a person holy?

People can be holy when they are set aside by or for God. Samson was holy because an angel of the LORD told his mother “the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.” King David was undoubtedly holy because he was “a man after God’s own heart” and sought to do what God ordained. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was used mightily by God in spreading the Gospel and writing numerous letters to churches in Asia which became part of Christian canon.

Q: Why does holiness matter?

The main benefit of holiness is a close relationship with God, and the bounty which follows from it. Kathy Howard describes such closeness in her essay “5 Benefits of Living a Holy Life”:

Would you like to sit next to God and snuggle up against His side? To be so close you could hear Him
breathe? There would be no distance between the two of you, no barriers to prevent you from drawing
near. You could linger in His presence and rest in the circle of His embrace. ³

Howard’s list of those five benefits:

1. Holiness fosters intimacy with God and builds spiritual strength and stability (Psalm 15:1-6)

2. Holiness makes us useful and effective for God’s purposes (2 Timothy 2:20-26)

3. Holiness in your life causes people around you to glorify God (1 Peter 2:9-12)

4. Holiness builds peace with God (2 Peter 3:10-18)

5. Holiness pleases God and produces “fruit” (Ephesians 5:1-17)

Another aspect of holiness is that God gets rather protective of holy people and things, and visits vengeance on those who would attack, abuse and defile them.

God said to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:2: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” In turn, the Old Testament is replete with cases where foes like the Moabites, Ammonites and Amalekites are vanquished before the LORD.

In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar commanded that the golden vessels his father Nebuchadnezzar plundered from the temple in Jerusalem be brought forth so that he and his nobles, wives and concubines could drink from them while praising their false gods. God responded by bringing the Babylonian kingdom to an end that very night, and Belshazzar was killed by the conquering Medes.

Q: Well, I’m not one of those giants of the Bible, yet Scripture urges me to be holy anyway. How can I do that?

A sentence I found in an online commentary pretty much nailed it:

You are holy to the extent that your life is devoted to [H]im and your actions reflect [H]is character. ⁴

Yes, imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery! Perhaps the most profound way to glorify God (enhance His reputation) is by mirroring His temperament.

Q: So what can I take away from all this?

Holiness is how we manifest God’s nature in our own behavior. We make ourselves holy by setting ourselves apart for God and His purposes, and rejecting the way the world acts and thinks. It’s a “win-win” all around: God gets glorified (His reputation enhanced), we individual Christians enjoy a closer and protective relationship with Him, and the lost world witnesses His goodness and love through us.

While contemplating what it means to be holy:

1) holy: set apart for God

my mind drifted to this sound-alike phrase:

2) wholly set apart for God

Is this not a strong description of holiness? It’s also a great way to remember the definition given above.

Another good memory device for discerning holy behavior is an acronym popularized in Christian circles during the waning years of the 20th century. In a given situation, ask yourself:

WWJD → “What Would Jesus Do?”

The answer you get to that question will guide you toward an appropriate response.

What Did Jesus SAY?

Jesus eloquently captured this message on personal holiness during the Sermon on the Mount, specifically in Matthew 6:26-34:

“… do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

In other words: “Don’t worry… be holy.”

Bible Verses

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

Exodus 12:22-23

[W]e also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 10:12-14 (NIV)

Prayer

Yes, Father, those of us with ears to hear do indeed receive the loud warning You are proclaiming; You have our attention.

You have once more allowed pestilence and death to stand up against this world, to dim the distractions around us and focus our sights on our need for salvation, both physical and spiritual. For these, we look to You.

I believe You are showing us the cracks in the foundation of our way of daily life, as a first step in addressing and, hopefully, repairing them. You let us see our limitations and our biases, the gross inequalities which exist in our nation, and the stark choices we make when lives are at stake.

Shine a light on our corrupted values, and convict us where they have been compromised.

Bless and protect those who put themselves in harm’s way to safeguard our collective health and keep the essentials of this society functioning.

I pray that our leaders humble themselves, get the messages You are sending us through this pandemic and act on them; if they don’t, replace them with Godly men and women who will.

We fear not, because You promised to take care of us. “We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture.” We remain set apart for You, a light by which this country and this world may navigate these dark times.

Our source and guide in all this is Your Son Jesus, the bright and morning star, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Works Cited:

¹ Byron, Lord. “The Destruction of Sennacherib.” epic poem by Lord Byron, 1815.

² Christianity.com Editorial Staff, “What Is Holiness? How Can We Be Holy?” https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-holiness-what-can-be-holy.html.

³ Howard, Kathy, “5 Benefits of Living a Holy Life” https://www.kathyhoward.org/ November 2, 2017.

⁴ Gumbel, Nicky, Bible in One Year, Day 58, February 27, “Six Characteristics of a Holy Life”,
https://www.bibleinoneyear.org/bioy/commentary/2461.

All Bible verses come from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.

*The content of “Guest Contributor” posts are at the discretion of the contributor. While only those with similar beliefs are asked to contribute, their content may or may not represent the views of this website.

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Sacred Snippet: Hidden Faults

If you have ever lived any length of time in a house, you know its hidden faults—those flaws that others who enter do not see. It might be the chips on your wooden floor that only you notice. It might be the water stain on the ceiling that no one sees unless they look up, or it could be the light fixture you never turn on because there is something faulty with the electrical outlet.

As a house has hidden “dents and dings”, we as human beings do as well.

We try to conceal them from others. Many times, succeeding.

Unfortunately, sometimes we try to hide these shortcomings, frailties, and weaknesses from God. Be that as it may, that is an impossible endeavor, because the Lord already knows everything about us. He knows our vices, our sins, and our thoughts. Our Heavenly Father even knows our personality and our temperament.

God confirms He knows us in Psalm 139 when He says, He…

  • Formed our inward parts;
  • Wove us in our mother’s womb;
  • Knows our frame;
  • Understands our thoughts;
  • Knows when we sit down and when we rise; and
  • Is acquainted with all our ways.

We may love our house—imperfections and all, but do these spots and blemishes ever end up on a “to do” list for someone to fix? Of course, they do!

God loves us—His children—and we are always on His “to do” list. He sees us and knows what is best for us. Desiring to lead and guide our souls, He disciplines and lovingly guides us knowing how to perfect us to bring more honor and glory to His holy name.

Today, let God have His way and will with you. Allow Him to fix you up so you can be the shining example He desires you to be. Ask Him to show you your imperfections. Then, confess them and claim the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for you on the cross at Calvary.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NASB)

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COVID-19: Are We There Yet? How Much Longer? [Part 3]

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COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart [Part 1]

COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word and Prayer to Heart [Part 2]

Once upon a time, our family lived in St. Louis, Missouri. It was during that time when my husband and I first became acquainted with the phrase, “Are we there yet?” In the summer of 1994, while living in the Midwest, we vacationed in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. On that vacation, that phrase “Are we there yet?” was a constant with our three children!

Of course, we were “car traveling” before there were iPads, iphones, or videos to keep the kids occupied. I was the mom who checked out baskets of library books for our trip instead! Nothing was more difficult than driving long distances with squirmy kids in the car yelling, “Are we there yet?” It was annoying. Very annoying!

That phrase, along with its partner phrase “How much longer?” is usually asked by ones wanting to know when we will reach a destination or an endpoint—like going from Point A to Point B and wanting to know how much longer until we are there or the “When will it end” mentality.

How Much Longer?

An adult may ask similar questions today—in our current COVID-19 epoch.

  • How much longer will the Coronavirus last?
  • How much longer will we have to social distance?
  • How much longer until I can get my hair dyed again?

“Longer” seemed to be the reoccurring word here, so I looked up a few Bible verses using the word “longer” or words related to “longer” to get a Biblical glimpse of the “How much longer” or “Are we there yet” phrases. I am not a Bible scholar, so please use the comment section to correct me if my thoughts or translations are way off base. I speak as a layperson, but I did use Strong’s Concordance!

Bible Verses and Thoughts

And he [Moses] said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also, the Lord hath said unto me, thou shalt not go over this Jordan. My grace is enough for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Thought: We get weary and wonder how much longer we will go on living like this?

How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? (Psalm 119:84)

Thought: How much longer will we have to serve the Lord? And, am I making the most of my time? Pastor Charles Stanley recently posted, “Jesus wasn’t crucified so we could sit in pews each Sunday and listen to sermons. He has specific tasks for each of us to achieve during our lifetime.” ¹

So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore, is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. (Jeremiah 44:22)

Thought: God has thoughts about how much longer He will put up with evil.

Bible Verses and Translates

For thus saith the Lord GOD, how much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Ezekiel 14:21)

Translates: God sometimes is tired of putting up with us.

And sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer. Revelation 10:6

Translates: An end is coming.

These verses speak to me. They say, we are weary and are wondering how much longer we will have to put up with the repercussions of the Coronavirus. We question which Christian leaders we should believe in or listen to—not wanting to be swayed by false teachers or doctrines. We speculate whether COVID-19 is a foreshadowing of prophecy because the Lord is tired of our sinfulness. And lastly, we are reminded that there will be an end to our “shelter-in-place” period and are we prepared for it?

Face the “How Much Longer” Seasons of Life with God

One of the hardest things I go through in life has been the “How much longer” seasons:

  • God, how much longer until I will feel whole after my employment let me go?
  • Lord, when will my broken heart be healed?
  • Jesus, how much longer will I ruminate over an unrealistic possibility?

I tend to hang on to thoughts, desires, and concerns way longer than I should. Sometimes I know they are spiritual warfare attacks. Sometimes they occur from living in this secular world. Sometimes they are exacerbated on account of my personality—either the personality the Lord has given me OR maybe the personality traits He is trying to change in me.

As I have grown in my walk with the Lord, I have learned that all these worries need be laid at the feet of Jesus. He is the one that will give us peace and rescue our hearts from the terrible thoughts of “How much longer?”

Have you ever had thoughts so deep that you can’t share them with anyone else?

I have!

We hide them in ourselves. Often, we endure this emotional pain alone—not wanting anyone to think less of us. Sometimes, with me, it is because I don’t want to appear weak to my church family. Yes, I have said it. And, I know I am not alone in occasionally thinking this.

There are some thoughts that should NOT be shared! It is up to us to discern the difference. But remember, before talking to others, it is always best that Christ should be our first source in unburdening ourselves. He will show us if we need to share our concerns with others or not.

With the Coronavirus in full swing, you may be experiencing some of these deep thoughts or burdens right now!

  • How much longer will I be burdened with the kids out of school?
  • My husband is working from home. How much longer Lord?
  • Our family is struggling financially. How much more can I take?
  • How much longer will we be quarantined?

How to Function through the “Are We There Yet” Seasons of Life?

Strive for Contentment

We all desire contentment. As believers, we need to be content with what we have, and we learn contentment through our trials—whether it be a job loss or being thrust into “homeschooling” unwillingly. Erik Raymond in Chasing Contentment says, “Contentment is the inward, gracious quiet spirit that joyfully rests in God’s providence.” ² In Philippians 4:11, the Apostle Paul says, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Respond Responsibly and Biblically

We must act responsibly and Biblically. When we abide in Jesus Christ and anticipate Heaven before the state of affairs on Earth, we are better able to honor our Lord and other people. When our lives are surrendered to Christ, learning to be joyful regardless of our situation is the result. I am not saying our situations always dissolve. They usually don’t, but we can enjoy the journey we are on until we take our trip to Heaven. This may include repentance and change on our part. When we pray and call out to our Heavenly Father to align our will with His will, Biblical responsibility may involve encountering what Matthew 7:3 says, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” And, dealing with that takes effort!

Let God’s Word Speak Supernaturally

Did you know that we can’t depend on pastors, teachers, religious magazines, books, and online services to be the only source of our spiritual growth? We must continually read the Word of God. Furthermore, before you read, pray and ask God to speak to you through His Word. Look with anticipation for the Godhead–God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit–to enlighten you.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Accept Christ

All the above is dependent on our relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you can commit your life to Him right now. You don’t just “say” any old prayer. Our prayer to the Lord should express our sinfulness while asking Jesus to forgive us for our wrongdoings, and place our trust in Him to come into our life as our Savior. Pastor Greg Laurie recently said in his Easter 2020 sermon that, “Some of you might need to change your eternal address from Hell to Heaven.” ³ We do that by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. (John 3:16)

Fast Forward to Our Current Situation with COVID-19

Just reading the news headlines is tiresome and tedious right now.

  • How much longer will we be inside—and then what happens?
  • How long will the Coronavirus Outbreak and Shutdown last?
  • Life-or-Death Hospital Decisions Come with Threat of Lawsuits
  • Let’s Have Christian Woodstock! US Pastor Says Despite Anti-Coronavirus Quarantine Orders
  • Personalities that thrive in isolation and what we can all learn from time alone
  • The Digital Divide

God is Sufficient

Dealing with “Are We There Yet?” and “How Much Longer?”, I have personally asked questions like . . .

  • When will [it] ever end?
  • How much longer do I have to endure this until Your answers are made clear?
  • When will You show me why? How about now?

Subsequently, I have learned that when I am weak, He is strong. Our questions may remain unanswered. Thus, we must learn to trust that there are mysteries and secrets God keeps to Himself forever or until the timing is right to share it with us.

By accepting His strength, His sufficiency, and His all-knowing qualities, we can get through these difficult times with graciousness and humility. Yes, we will fail, but we have a God who loves us and accepts our weaknesses. It is the LORD who helps and sustains us.

And he said unto me, My grace is enough for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

My grace is enough for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
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Conclusion

In Deeper than Tears, Oswald Chambers’ short blurb is good for us to remember as we face this Coronavirus and other situations in our lives.

How many of us get into a panic when we are faced by physical desolation, by death, or war, injustice, poverty, disease? All these in all their force will never turn to panic the one who believes in the absolute sovereignty of his Lord. The thing that preserves a man from panic in his relationship to God: if he is only related to himself and his own courage, there may come a moment when his courage gives out. Don’t be disturbed today with thoughts about tomorrow: leave tomorrow alone, and bank in confidence on God’s organizing of what you do not see. ⁴

Bible Verses: Above

Prayer

My Heavenly Lord, as the world faces times of uncertainty and awe, let my feet remain staid on You! Let me trust You, follow You, and depend on You through this unusual season of life. Let me rest assured knowing that You knew this virus was coming and You know when it will end. Give me Your insights as I wait on You. It isn’t over yet. I don’t know when it will be over. But, thank you for peace as I await Your timing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member; BibleGateway Blogger, Member; SBC, Church Member

Edited by E. Johnson.

Works Cited

¹ Stanley, Charles. The Cross The Believer’s Motivation. In Touch Ministries with Charles Stanley.  11 April 2020. [Web]

² Raymond, Erik. Chasing Contentment: Trusting God in a Discontented Age. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.

³ Laurie, Greg. Easter 2020. 12 April 2020, Greg Laurie Live: Harvest Church. Live Sermon.

⁴ Chambers, Oswald. Deeper Than Tears: Promises of Comfort and Hope. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007. [Originally published in Run Today’s Run.]

Bible Verses from the King James Version.

Books by Patti Greene 

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

#bgbg2, Bible Study, Christian Living, Death, GreenePastures.org, Life Issues, Medical, Old Testament, Patti Greene, The Bible

COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word and Prayer to Heart [Part 2]

COVID-19 [Part 2]

It was Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Houston Texas—the last day all the nail and hair salons in our area could operate under the newly imposed state laws due to COVID-19.

To me, it was the last day I could get my hair colored gray to match my gray roots!

One week earlier I took the plunge and had 5-6” of my long hair cut off. My wonderful hairdresser (yes, I am showing my age by calling her that) kept three tufts of my hair to skillfully practice various dye methods to see which shade of gray would be best suited for me. Unfortunately, none of the three gray strands fit the bill–and we both recognized that.

Not knowing when the salons would be given the green light to open again, I left the shop both disappointed and empowered—disappointed I could not obtain my gray hair and empowered because I still had the choice not to go through with a dye job.

Perhaps that is how you feel with COVID-19—disappointed, empowered, or both!

Maybe you must Stay-at-Home or Stay-in-Place. Maybe your children are out of school and you don’t know how to teach them remotely or even worse, you are still having to work leaving your children unattended all day. Maybe you have been furloughed and you don’t know if you will have a job when all this is over. Maybe you had to cancel your cruise. Maybe you can’t find food or toilet paper in the grocery stores. Or maybe you have lost half or more of your life savings in the stock market.

Or on the opposite side of the spectrum, maybe you are grateful for the time to do some Spring cleaning. Maybe you are looking forward to just being home with your family. Maybe you are grateful for the time to read and spend time with the Lord. Or maybe you are thankful your church has an online service you can participate in.

The Word of God and Prayer

We may be disappointed in what is going on, but we can also be empowered because we have the choice in how we respond to the circumstances this virus has foisted on us.

I am choosing to spend this time in the Word of God and prayer.

In last week’s post titled COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart, I shared,

The question is, “Why is God allowing this?” Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know that He knew about it and He knew when it [the Coronavirus] would arrive.

Whether the coronavirus is just a medical occurrence or a foreshadowing of what is to come in our world, only our Heavenly Father knows for sure. ¹

And one week later, after reading multiple secular and Christian articles from various viewpoints, I feel the same way.

The Word of God—The Bible—has many purposes in our lives. Click here to read.

But prayer has many purposes in our lives, as well. Prayer . . .

  • Allows for faith, trust, and humility to develop
  • Creates humility and obedience in our lives
  • Builds compassion
  • Unlocks divine resources
  • Allows the Holy Spirit’s presence to guide and help us
  • Equips us to face every situation that comes our way
  • Develops our character
  • Permits us to see situations from God’s perspective
  • Shows us our weaknesses and failings, among other purposes.

Below are some Old Testament Bible verses from the King James Version to help us during this present-day situation.

Read them, pray over them, write them down, memorize them, meditate on them, highlight them in your Bible, or look them up in other Bible versions. But, please take them to heart and let the Holy Spirit of the Living God speak supernaturally to you through prayer.

As in all cases, when a particular verse is shared alone, there is always the possibility it may be misunderstood. I pray that these verses are not in that category. However, if you feel any verse is difficult to understand, out of context, or hard to digest, please take the time to look up the verse and read it in context to completely understand what God is saying to you or to one of his “ancient” servants.

The Pentateuch

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. Exodus 15:13

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 30:10

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

The Histories

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Joshua 23:10

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Judges 18:5-6

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: Ruth 4:15

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: Ruth 4:15
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He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9

And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 2 Samuel 22:1-4

(Elijah says to a widow) And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. 1 Kings 2:3

And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. 1 Chronicles 14:10

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Ezra 7:10

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. Nehemiah 1:6

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

Poetry and Wisdom

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Job 5:19

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:8-10

And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:8-9

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday…Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. Psalm 91:5-6, 14

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. Ecclesiastes 11:5

Major Prophets

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Isaiah 43:2-3

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19

 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36:26-27

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Daniel 9:9

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2

Minor Prophets

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. Obadiah 1:4

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Jonah 3:1

Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:7-8

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3

Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:5-6

Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee; Zechariah 9:12

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:6

Headlines, Articles, and Reports

This week countless headlines, articles, and reports seemed threatening, gloomy and ominous. Regrettably, we can anticipate more will come this following week, but let’s try looking at them from our Heavenly Father’s viewpoint. We can when we are grounded in His Word and prayer. He will show us how to pray. Let’s not let Satan create a fear in us. That is what he wants to do, so our hearts will worry and stray from God.

Recent headlines include…

  • Health care workers on frontlines feel like ‘lambs to the slaughterhouse’
  • Hedge funder Bill Ackman profited $2.6B in Coronavirus market rout
  • Southwestern Baptist Seminary full-time faculty members were let go for financial reasons
  • Pestilence-Is the coronavirus an end-time biblical plague?
  • Surging traffic is slowing down our Internet
  • Virtual happy hours are the new shut-in activity—and everyone’s invited
  • How can you have a church in the age of social distancing?
  • Women are begging for pills to end their pregnancies
  • The reality is that the disease is beyond our capacity to handle in this country
  • Hospitals across the U.S. consider universal do-not-resuscitate orders for coronavirus patients
  • Texas colleges change to pass-fail grading during the pandemic
  • Amazon delivery guy spits on package

Conclusion

The happenings of the day will create fear, loneliness, and an unsettled feeling to many. But, let’s try looking at them from our Heavenly Father’s viewpoint. It is then, and only then, we can experience the wonders of God (during this time) through prayer and His Word—The Bible.

So as with my hair, I was disappointed I couldn’t reach my goal of leaving the salon with my new gray hair. But, I was empowered I had the choice I could wait for a better day and a better color.

We may be disappointed regarding the state of world affairs right now or we can be empowered to make a difference in our life or in the life of others. It is my choice! And, it is your choice.

God promises to care of us. Just keep looking to Him through prayer and the Word of God.

He loves you.

To read COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart Part 1, click here.

God Bless.

GreenePastures.org

Bible Verses: See above.

Prayers:

“20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic” by Jen Pollock Michel

1. For the sick and infected: God, heal and help. Sustain bodies and spirits. Contain the spread of infection.

2. For our vulnerable populations: God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially the uninsured.

3. For the young and the strong: God, give them the necessary caution to keep them from unwittingly spreading this disease. Inspire them to help.

4. For our local, state, and federal governments: God, help our elected officials as they allocate the necessary resources for combatting this pandemic. Help them to provide more tests.

5. For our scientific community, leading the charge to understand the disease and communicate its gravity: God, give them knowledge, wisdom, and a persuasive voice.

6. For the media, committed to providing up-to-date information: God, help them to communicate with appropriate seriousness without causing panic.

7. For consumers of media, looking to be well-informed: God, help us find the most helpful local information to equip us to be good neighbors. Keep us from anxiety and panic, and enable us to implement the recommended strategies, even at a cost to ourselves.

8. For those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless: God, provide them every necessary support.

9. For the homeless, unable to practice the protocols of social distancing in the shelter system: Protect them from disease, and provide isolation shelters in every city.

10. For international travelers stuck in foreign countries: God, help them return home safely and quickly.

11. For Christian missionaries throughout the world, especially in areas with high rates of infection: God, provide them with words of hope, and equip them to love and serve those around them.

12. For workers in a variety of industries facing layoffs and financial hardship: God, keep them from panic, and inspire your church to generously support them.

13. For families with young children at home for the foreseeable future: God, help mothers and fathers to partner together creatively for the care and flourishing of their children. For single mothers and fathers, grow their networks of support.

14. For parents who cannot stay home from work but must find care for their children: God, present them with creative solutions.

15. For those in need of regular therapies and treatments that must now be postponed: God, help them to stay patient and positive.

16. For business leaders making difficult decisions that affect the lives of their employees: God, give these women and men wisdom, and help them to lead self-sacrificially.

17. For pastors and church leaders faced with the challenges of social distancing: God, help them to creatively imagine how to pastor their congregants and love their cities well.

18. For college and university students, whose courses of study are changing, whose placements are canceled, whose graduation is uncertain: God, show them that while life is uncertain, their trust is in you.

19. For Christians in every neighborhood, community, and city: May your Holy Spirit inspire us to pray, to give, to love, to serve, and to proclaim the gospel, that the name of Jesus Christ might be glorified around the world.

20. For frontline health care workers, we thank you for their vocational call to serve us. We also pray:

  • God, keep them safe and healthy. Keep their families safe and healthy.
  • God, help them to be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, as well as the changing protocols.
  • God, help them to stay clear-minded in the midst of the surrounding panic.
  • God, deliver them from anxiety for their own loved ones (aging parents, children, spouses, roommates).
  • God, give them compassion for every patient in their care.
  • God, provide for them financially, especially if they fall ill and are unable to work.
  • God, help Christians in health care to exhibit extraordinary peace, so that many would ask about the reason for their hope. Give them opportunities to proclaim the gospel. ²

Bibliography

¹ Greene, Patti. “COVID 19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart. Greene Pastures Blog. 24 March 2020. https://greenepastures.org/COVID-19.

² Michel, Jen Pollock, “20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic.” Christianity Today. Mar 18 2020. Accessed Mar 29 2020. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/march-web-only/covid-19-coronavirus-20-prayers-to-pray-during-pandemic.html

All Bible verses come from the King James Version.

Patti Greene’s Bio

Patti Greene is a fun-loving (but serious) coffee drinking wife, mom, and Grammi! She serves as a Bible teacher and Sunday School helper in her home church in Katy, Texas. She writes and speaks with the sole purpose of leading and maturing others in Jesus Christ and His everlasting love. To receive blogs from GreenePastures.org delivered straight to your email, please sign up from this blog or email her at Patti@GreenePastures.org with your email address, and you will be added to the email listing. You will need to confirm your decision to be added to the blog by email. You can also catch up with her on her Twitter feed at (@PattiGreene13) or her Facebook Patti Greene-Pastures page at (https://www.facebook.com/author.greene).

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13 #PattiGreene13 #bgbg2