Belonging to God

I was reading a bible study book and it mentioned Psalm 100:3, which says:

Know that the Lord is God.
    It is He who made us, and we are His;
    we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (NIV)

 

There’s a lot of good stuff in this verse, but what really stuck out to me was the second line –

It is He who made us, and we are His,

 

According to this verse, it is God who made us.

We weren’t made by accident. We didn’t suddenly just exist.

We didn’t evolve from slime somewhere.

God made us.

On purpose.

He meant to do it.

 

Because God has made us, we belong to Him.

We are His people.

This means we aren’t our own.

Continue reading

Category: Faith, God, Life, Submission, Trust | LEAVE A COMMENT

Lenten Season 2021

Today is Ash Wednesday.

It is the first day of the Lenten season, often called Lent.

Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter.

Lent is a time of reflection.. It is meant to remind us that we are by nature sinful and that we need Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary to save us from our sins and to restore our relationship with God.

It is also an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to see whether we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.

Some people fast during this time.

There are several reasons they do this.

Many are following the examples throughout Scripture when men have fasted as a way of showing repentance, to seek God’s favor, receive answer to a prayer during a difficult time, or to show they are grieving..

Some fast to show they realize the seriousness of their sin and their appreciation of the Spiritual life Christ offered us when He was crucified.

Continue reading

Category: God, Holiday, Life, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

I Choose to Love Them

I look at this family member I dislike so much.

This person who has repeatedly and intentionally hurt and used me.

And I think how could anyone expect me to love someone so detestable?

 

But then a small still voice whispers,

“the same way I could love you,

not because you deserve it

but because love conquers all

and covers a multitude of sins.”

 

…and in that moment I’m brought back to the reality of my salvation.

A reality that forces me to remember it’s not about whether they are good enough to be loved.

It’s about whether or not I am willing to love just because I have the chance.

So I choose to.

Continue reading

Category: Family, God, Prayer, Truth | LEAVE A COMMENT

National Sanctity of Human Life Day 2021

Today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

It falls on the anniversary of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade court decision to legalize abortion in America.

Since that fateful day over 62 million babies have been aborted.

This is tragic.

As Christians, it is our job to reach out to the women who are considering abortion.*

We must address the issues that cause a woman to think this is her best choice.

What are these issues?

These issues are as varied as the women who experience them.

While they vary from woman to woman, they encompass social, emotional, financial, and domestic issues which create an atmosphere or experience causing her to think this is her best choice.

We can’t solve all the issues at once  but we can each solve an issue for one or a few.

We can all work on the bigger picture issues to help bring the kind of care and resources these women need – social and emotional support, financial support, changes in health care laws, safe housing for victims of domestic violence.

What can one person do?

One person can support their local pregnancy center with money, diapers, baby clothes, and/or volunteer time.

One person can write their local and national government officials and lobby for proper and increased resources.

One person can mentor a mother-to-be and walk her through the process of pregnancy, supporting her decision whether to keep the child or place it for adoption.

One person can pray and ask the Father to end abortion.

Each of us can do our part to help save a child’s life.

I urge you to pray and ask the Father to show you how you can help stem the tide of abortion.

 

*If you are considering or have experienced abortion, please know that I love you and I do not judge you. More importantly, God loves you. He wants to heal your heart about this decision. Please go to Him in prayer and trust that He will meet you there and He will heal you, if you will trust Him to.

 

There are resources out there to help you sort through your feelings. Several are listed below.

Feminists For Life This pro-life group is focused on changing how society sees women so that women never have to make the decision to abort. They also provide emotional support to women who have experienced abortion.

Focus on the Family Resources Page A Christian ministry of Focus on the Family. It contains many links to various resources for both pregnant women and those who have experienced abortion. Also contains a helpline so you can call and talk to someone.

Project Rachel – Hope after Abortion A Catholic organization that provides resources and support to those who’ve experienced abortion as well as those who love someone who has. Also provides pre-written prayers you can pray to help you heal.

Ramah International is a faith-based organization that seeks to help women heal from the trauma of abortion. Also contains resources for women struggling with the decision whether to maintain their pregnancy.

 

 

Category: Family, God, Truth | LEAVE A COMMENT

It’s Thanksgiving Week!

It’s that time of year!

Thanksgiving is only a few days away.

It kicks off the official holiday season.

Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

Lots of people say it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

For many women it’s often the hardest.

Extra cooking, guests, shopping, holiday parties, and events take a lot of our time, energy, and effort.

I could get tired just thinking about it!

 

Part of what drives us during this season is a desire to show our family how much we care and to give them a great family holiday filled with lots of memories and love.

That is a good thing as long as we keep it in check and don’t let it overwhelm us.

Unfortunately, too often we get so busy trying to get it right we lose sight of why we’re doing it.

This cheats us out of enjoying it and defeats the purpose of even doing it.

 

One of the other things that drives us this time of year is fear.

Continue reading

Category: God, Holiday, Trust | LEAVE A COMMENT

Count It All Joy…

One bible passage I used to really struggle with comes from the book of James.

It says,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. –James 1:2-4

So, according to this verse, we are supposed to be joyful over the trials of life?!?

In a way that seems far-fetched.

 

But look closer…

First, James is talking to other Christians.

We know this because he calls them his brothers.

As Christians, we live within the boundaries of God’s economy, not man’s.

This means that the reasoning and morals of God are what we adhere to.

They are different than the world’s and are often complete opposites to each other.

As Christians we cannot look at things from the world’s point of view.

We must look at things from God’s perspective.

 

Next, notice he says to consider it joy.

He doesn’t say the trial should be joyful in and of itself.

Continue reading

Category: Faith, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2020

Tomorrow is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday of November, it’s purpose is to highlight the need to pray for our Christian Brothers and Sisters around the world who are not free to openly worship Christ.

Please spend some time this weekend praying for the Persecuted Church.

More information may be found at Voice of the Martyrs.

They have information on ways to pray as well as opportunities to write to Christians inprisoned for their faith.

They also have a phone app called, Pray Today. This app offers a daily prayer prompt for people groups and countries in need of prayer due to the religious persecution they face.

It can be found in your app store or visit their website by clicking here.

 

Category: Death, Faith, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

Rightly Dividing Scripture

Rightly dividing the Scriptures is very important to me.

God calls us to it in 2 Timothy 2:15 when he tells us,  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)

When I see someone misquote or misapply Scripture I get very concerned for them; I fear they’re being misled by the enemy.

Taking verses out of context or using only part of a Scripture so that it seems to say something different than it’s actual meaning is a favorite tactic of his.

Seeing people fall for it worries me for their sake.

If it happens in person I will typically try to lead the conversation to a place where I can gently and politely correct them without embarrassing them.

If it’s online I typically just let it go.

Either way, I pray for the person, asking God to educate and correct their understanding so they can learn and be closer to Him.

 

But then –

Continue reading

Category: God, Jesus, New Testament, Scripture Study, Truth | LEAVE A COMMENT

Today’s World

I haven’t said anything about what’s been going on in the world lately because I don’t believe in saying anything bad and I don’t believe in giving my opinion unless doing so will be helpful.

The more this has gone on, though, the more I feel the need to say something.

I want to speak some truth about the current world situation.

 

The  truth of our world’s current crisis is this:

The world is broken and will never be completely fixed until Jesus comes back.

Because of this, there is always going to be something bad going on in the world.

That doesn’t mean it is okay that these things are going on.

It doesn’t mean we should just accept it, turn a blind eye, and keep going.

On the contrary, we should be fighting against these terrible injustices wherever and whenever they rear their ugly heads.

 

The thing is, these dramas and traumas are only symptoms of the problem.

The problem is people have turned away from God and are now doing what is pleasing in their own sight instead of trying to honor God and do what He wants.

Society has turned from God’s truth and focused on chasing sin.

 

We’ve lost sight of what Jesus said are the first and second greatest commandments.

 

In Matthew chapter 22 the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus.

Continue reading

Category: Family, God, Prayer, Truth | LEAVE A COMMENT