Beginning of the End

“See, I am doing a new thing!   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness   and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

Can I just be brutally honest and tell you how much I am over this virus?  My feelings are not meant to diminish anything that anyone has gone through or might endure up ahead.  They are simply my feelings and I am confident some of you might be feeling the same.  I believe the reason I am most over it is because I am a woman in love with beginnings.  The beginning of a new season…the beginning of a new project…the beginning of a new adventure.  So, for this woman I feel stuck in quicksand.  I was considering what topic I would write on this morning. How many more mornings must I try to say the same sentiment in different ways?  Where are my ‘fresh mercies’ this morning and why am I having these feelings?  I decided to reread my blogs and see how long the virus has held dominance in the writings.  No wonder, the topic is like stale bread instead of fresh mercies.  This virus has taken my writings hostage for over 6 weeks.  So today, I am rescuing my blog and turning the corner to new… fresh…beginnings.

God meant for us to participate with Him in creation…from Genesis to Revelation…from morning to evening…from our birth to our life in Heaven.  The Bible is full of beginnings and He is still creating…forming…molding…orchestrating.  If we could just think about every way to begin a new way, a new day, a new thought, and a new focus framed around the spirit of creation, we will find fresh mercies.  As I look out the window, I see the beginning of new buds on my rosebush.  I see the beginning of the sunlight hitting the tallest tree.  I see bags of mulch that will be the beginning of something beautiful in my yard.  I see a new plan for my daughter’s refashioned wedding that moved from a beautiful museum to our back yard in June.  I awake to a new day where my back is getting stronger.  In the room on the other side of my house sleeps my grandson who will awake to the beginning of his 15^th year.  Fresh beginnings are created in the recesses of our imagination patterned by God who creates new things hourly.  When we tap into His power, the quicksand holds no threat any longer.   Welcome to this woman’s new beginning!

Picking what We Ponder

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” Prov 4:23 (NCV)

One of the most frightful times for me when my children were teenagers was when they got their license and they were free to drive alone. Handing them the keys to my car felt like I was giving them control over my future. My mind raced through every bad scenario humanly possible and was only at peace when I saw the car winding down our long driveway. The next morning as I awoke, I was always surprised at how anxious and fretful I had been the previous day.

Satan must be having a field day during this pandemic as we are all a captive audience. He doesn’t have to work as hard, be as crafty as usual or worry about timing. We are all sitting ducks periodically with worse case scenarios swirling above our heads. Yesterday by mid-morning I had already held up the keys to my mind and watched him drive off. From feelings of calm to chaos, peace to frustration and even a bit of anger my mind was all over the place, all before noon! I felt like a fraud as a devotional blogger and a failure as a woman who constantly claims that God is in control and works all things for our benefit. But what good is a testimony without sharing the test? Max Lucado, author of Anxious for Nothing summed up yesterday’s emotions by describing them as follows, ‘He [Satan] will lead you to a sunless place and leave you there…Exaggerated, overstated, inflated, irrational thoughts are the devils specialty.’ p. 122. Satan was probably smiling more than usual yesterday but it will not be repeated today! I am so grateful for authors who remind us of God’s word and what is Biblical truth. The phrase for today is ‘You can pick what you ponder.’ p.120. He writes, ‘You didn’t select your birthplace or birth date. You didn’t choose your parents or siblings. You don’t determine the weather or the amount of salt in the ocean. There are many things in life over which you have no choice. But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion. You can choose what you think about.’ p. 121

When we hand over the keys to our thoughts to Christ during our exaggerated emotions, He will drive us to peace. He will help us capture what are 'head-on collision' scenarios and remind us of what is true and factual. Only when we think about the things of Christ will we experience true peace in our heart and calm in our soul. Today I will not allow Satan to run my thoughts or my life!

‘Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true…noble…right…pure…lovely…admirable…excellent… praiseworthy…Think about such things.’ Phil 4:8-9

Guarded by Angels

“He [God] has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go.” Psalm 91:11 NCV

It was November 4th, 2018 and I was out running errands. On this day it was sunny and warm, and I didn’t mind my long list of things to do. Driving around listening to music and jumping in and out of the car at different locations was a perfect day. I was less than a mile from home when I saw a huge truck coming towards me. As I got closer a sports car shot out from behind the truck barreling straight for me in my lane with no shoulder on which to pull over. I’ve never written about this incident before I don’t think because I realize how crazy it sounds. But this morning as I read this verse this day came to mind. With nowhere to go I slammed on my brakes and remember whispering goodbye to my life here on earth and my loved ones. It was at that moment that the sports car made a move to squeeze between the front of my car and the truck he was passing. As I watched him right in front of me swerving back over in the other lane cutting off the truck, I saw the front of his car go through the front of mine. I didn’t imagine it…I didn’t dream it…it was my Psalm 91:11 moment where God put an angel in charge of me. It was neither my day to pass nor the way I would go to Heaven. If God still has assignments for us to do, He will keep us alive to accomplish them. He will send angels to move heaven and earth so His plans are not thwarted.

One of my absolute favorite verses is found is Psalm 139:16, ‘All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.’ (NCV). We are living in a time globally when we are reminded multiple times daily that we could die from this virus circulating across the globe. With areas beginning to loosen certain restrictions it will be easy to be insecure and fearful that we might become sick. Reasonable caution is healthy but walking in fear is counterproductive to our faith. Before we took one breath, God wrote down how many breaths we were assigned. Before we knew to be scared, God gave us parents to watch over and protect us. No virus will kill us unless God wrote about it decades ago, and no unemployment will break us because God promised He would always provide for us. ‘No life is too short or too long. You will live your prescribed number of days. You might change the quality of your days but not the quantity...God has never promised a life with no storms. But he has promised to be there when we face them.’ Anxious for Nothing, Max Lucado, p. 112. And every day in between our first breath and our last will be walked out with angels watching over us.

Activating Angels

“Put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence [silent]” (Isa. 62:6 AMPC).

When my children were still under my care, I can’t number the times they reminded me of a promise I made to them. If I was taking too long leaving home to go shopping, they would remind me that I had said we would leave at that time. If errands stretched out too late in the afternoon and I changed my mind about taking them somewhere, their battle cry was always, ‘But you promised!’ I tried my best to promise things over which I knew I had control. The fulfillment of my promises rarely hinged on the fulfillment of their promises. After all, we are only as good as our word to others. I was never perfect at being able to deliver every promise made, but God is.

Isaiah invites us to remind God of His promises through the words of Scripture. Although we serve an invisible God, He has shared His visible promises in the Word. I love how Max Lucado exemplified reminding God of what He promised. ‘Populate your prayers with ‘You said…’ ‘You said you would walk me through the waters’ (Isaiah 43:2 author’s paraphrase). ‘You said you would lead me through the valley’ (Psalm 23:4, author’s paraphrase). ‘You said you would never leave me or forsake me’ (Heb 13:5, author’s paraphrase). Find a promise that fits your problem and build your prayer around it. These prayers of faith touch the heart of God and activate the angels of heaven. Miracles are set into motion…The path to peace is paved with prayer.’ Anxious for Nothing, Max Lucado, p. 87.

These are anxious times and prayer is the only thing that ensures peace in our journey. Be specific regarding the things you desire God to accomplish on your behalf. God has a heart for details…just consider His creation. Consider how many small insects He created that crawl upon the earth. Consider the blooms of every rose and the timing that God bids them to open. Consider the sap that rises in the tree…the wave that finds its landing spot upon the shore…the cloud that waves as it passes in front of the sun. When we express specific desires to God, we demonstrate our belief that He governs over every detail in our lives. We remind Him of the beautiful things that He has promised and the faithful record He has built for delivering those promises. So ‘keep not silent’ but power your prayers with the words of the One who is faithful.

Out on a Limb

“Jesus…was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus…He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Luke 19:1-6

One of my fondest memories from childhood was going to Sunday School. I can still see Miss Bullard with her high bun and tissue tucked under the stretchy watchband on her arm. With a felt board at the front of the classroom stories were told and stories were sung. If I close my eyes, I can still see Zacchaeus sitting on a limb of a tall tree while Jesus in a crowd of people were approaching from afar. As Jesus and the crew reached the tree, He stopped. He knew exactly what Zacchaeus was trying to do…he wanted to see Jesus. And what did Jesus do? He not only saw and acknowledged Zacchaeus, but Jesus told him to get out of the tree and meet Him at Zacchaeus’s home. Jesus desired to fellowship with him.

It’s been a while since I have been in a season that required me to look for Jesus as much as I am now. Multiple times during the day I feel like that little man who climbed up in the tree to get a glimpse of Him. Does Jesus see me when I feel burdened? Will He stop and acknowledge that I desperately need Him in my circumstances? Will He show His compassion and comfort with my present disappointments and frustrations although others around the world are suffering more than me? Will He invite me to meet with Him throughout the day whenever I need Him?

Times are very confusing and challenging right now without the knowledge of when things will get better and life will resume. It is true that this season is crowded with statistics, models, and newscasts… not to mention our own crowded thoughts. But when we separate ourselves from the fray and find a higher place, we have a much better chance of seeing Jesus. We can call on Him and He will answer because He is never far from us. We can always find Him when we cast our eyes towards His direction. He is never too busy to stop what He is doing, offer His presence to us, and satisfy our longing for Him. Isn’t it amazing how blessed we can be by a little story on a felt board 50 years ago?

Casting Our Cares

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat…’ So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” John 21:5-6

On a dark night seven disciples decided they were going out in a boat to fish. A great deal of work was required when preparing to take a boat out on a fishing excursion. It was late at night, so I assume the men were tired but hopeful to catch, cook, clean and eat the fish. Hour upon hour their empty nets surfaced but their frustration no doubt was plentiful. I’ll bet their muscles were giving out after hours of casting the weighted nets into the dark to no avail. Early the next morning, as they dragged their dirty nets and their exhausted bodies to shore, they still had to clean the boat and fishing equipment. But Jesus called out to them encouraging them to fish on the opposite side of the boat. I wonder if they were irritated since they had been fishing all night from all sides of the boat. I am sure they were tired, hungry and frustrated that they came up empty. But what did they have to lose? They had caught absolutely nothing to satisfy their hunger and efforts. But because Jesus inserted Himself in their equation the yield was miraculous and their satisfaction complete. As they battled their nothingness in their situation, it wasn’t until Jesus was near that their everything was provided.

Each of us are also in our own little boats waiting…watching…fishing for positive outcomes. We want our nets to pull in normalcy, contentment and freedom. When we cast our emotions into the worries of nothingness, we yield nothing. But when we cast our nets into the Living Waters, they are so full of the abundance of Jesus we can barely drag our nets in. It isn’t until we calculate our catch with Jesus in the middle that we catch what we are fishing for…peace…hope…joy. As we continue to live during these challenging times, let us make sure we are casting our weighted nets onto Jesus.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

Fragile Hope

“…knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3b-5.

A few days ago, I was out taking my morning walk which has

become the best part of my day. As the days continue to unfold with somewhat of a ‘Groundhog’s Day’ movie theme, I find it more difficult to keep the faith…display the smile…to feel ‘the peace of Christ ruling in my heart.’ I doubt I am the only one who feels a bit off…weepy at times…easily irritated with things that normally don’t take up space in my mind. But we were created for freedom, so I am not too hard on myself since our job is to isolate. As I walked, I was focused on how restrictive our lives are at present and I glanced down and saw this fragile little speckled egg on the ground. The outer shell was missing a portion of its protective wall, an area where the baby bird applied pressure as it got stronger. I can just see the tiny form squirming and moving with perseverance until daylight broke through. Did the light hurt its eyes because of the brightness? Were there moments when the bird doubted it had the strength to continue? Did the little bird use hope as much as it used pressure?

Hope…what a beautiful word that never loses its optimism. ‘Hope is found not in the avoidance of suffering but the working through it. So, what is hope? According to this passage, hope has to do with an experience of God’s love that does not disappoint but instead feels like a flood of God’s love in the heart…and offers us a sense of certainty about God and our future.’ Inheritance of Hope website. Are we not like that little baby bird squirming and striving to make it through this time with the hope of freedom coming soon? Don’t we need the same perseverance that the little bird exerted, for us to grow spiritual development and a strengthened relationship with God? Because of God’s love we are also shelled in as a means of God’s protection and wisdom. Just like the little bird, we were meant to soar and experience God’s creation in full throttle. We might feel fragile during these days and weeks, but our promise of freedom applied with the hope of a better tomorrow will be realized sooner than later… hope does not disappoint. I never met the little bird, but it took flight as soon as it could, and so will we. In the meantime, we will remain protected in God's love and sheltered in hope...even if some days feel more fragile than others.