Rubber On The Road  

Life can hurt! God knows how painful life can be. The Gospels show our Lord experiencing the pain and frustrations of humanity. No matter what circumstances or disaster come in our life; God has made a way of healing through Calvary. (Isaiah 53:4-5) Often, God’s comfort is not found where we expect it.

Our first grandchild died when she was 9 days old. Many months later, the emotional pain still came in waves that often left me too weak to stand. An evangelist that was known for his words of encouragement spoke at our church.

As the Pastor’s Secretary, I had read his testimony of sensitivity to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. After a powerful sermon on God’s faithfulness to heal the broken hearted; the speaker was to pray for those who had broken hearts. As he began his “calling out” of persons to pray for them, he walked toward me.

My heart was raw and tears came easily. Knowing that fear and depression could only be overcome by His Spirit, (2 Timothy 1:7) I stood to my feet. Exhausted from mourning for so long, I lifted my eyes, abandoned my pain to the Lord and waited for the healing balm to be poured out upon my aching heart.

The evangelist stood before me and whispered beside my face, “Do you have a breath mint? If you do, get in the front of the prayer line and hand it to me. And, thanks.” For a moment, my mind froze, “WHAT? That’s it? You’re asking me for a breath mint?” I was at once, startled and furious; then a smile flickered in my heart.  Seriously, he did NOT just ask me to bring him a mint, –did he?

As I got in line, breath mint in hand, my heart began to giggle. God knew my pain and He also knew my personality.  Life can be so hard, but God is good, ALL the time. How can we worship through mourning?  How can we praise with a broken heart? Scripture reveals that Jesus suffered all the pains that we suffer, in order that He would understand what “life” feels like. No matter what has crushed us; death, betrayal, illness, cruelty, Jesus understands it all.

The Word says that laughter is good medicine and sorrow goes clean through to the bone. (Proverbs 17:22) If laughter is good medicine, that means that sometimes, laughing will be difficult to “swallow.”  Yet, when we allow ourselves to seek the pleasure of God’s company, He brings the things that will heal us.  To be happy really is a personal decision, one that requires not only decision but action.

Satan wants the trials of life to make us bitter. He wants to use circumstances to drive a wedge between us and our Savior. It is “I” that chooses; do I choose continued pain and mourning or do I choose worship and, in time, let myself be happy? (Romans 8:38-39)

The next time life leaves your heart broken, remember: There is NO thing that can separate us from our Lord, nothing; unless we allow it to. Pain and suffering requires mourning, but, in time, we must put aside the clothes of mourning and actively seek out those good things that God sends us to heal our brokenness.

Psalms 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand

Prayer: My Lord, you and you alone know the depths of pain that I have suffered. Only you can see the tears that I cry into my pillow at night. I want to be happy again, I want to laugh and live and be whole. Take my pain, pour out your healing balm on my brokenness and give me a Spirit of praise and worship so that I can know joy in your presence. I love you and I thank you. Amen.

Scripture references:

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,  he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a crushed spirit dries up the bones

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Sin Ties You Up!

When I was teaching Children’s Church, I used a mummy to illustrate how sin ties us up. 

A local merchant donated a mannequin torso for “mummification.” 

Strips of muslin were torn and soaked in starch then wrapped round and round the torso.

After wrapping, I put coffee in a spray bottle and misted the cloth making it look old. 

Still needing that ‘ancient’ look, I sprinkled cocoa powder on the mummy then gently smudged it. The kids in my class named our mummy, “Billy Bob the Mummy Dude.”

I asked the children what could be learned from this lesson illustration.

Little Bruce solemnly said, “the debil ties us up and rubs dirt on us?”  While not exactly right for that particular lesson, his explanation actually was–a good point–.

Satan doesn’t stop trying to ‘tie us up’ with sin when we get ‘saved.’ None of us are exempt from temptation. (I Corinthians 10:13)  Jesus, Himself, was tempted, but He did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

The scriptures give us guidelines for detecting sinful behavior (Galatians 5:19-21) as well as revealing how temptation starts (James 1:12-16). 

Satan’s main goal is to ruin our relationship with each other, with Jesus and steal the blessings of God (John 10:10).

When we read God’s Word faithfully, it is much more difficult for satan to deceive us.  That’s why it’s so important to be diligent in daily Bible reading and prayer. (II Timothy 3:16) 

We must be vigilant to apply Biblical principals to every area of our life; relationships, activities, goals and attitudes.

I Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Prayer: Father, help me to be aware of how the devil tries to trap me. Show me by your Holy Spirit and through your Word how to break free from the things of the world that tie me up. I love you. Amen.

Scripture References:

I Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Hebrews 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Galatians 5:19-21    The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

James 1:12-16  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

John 10:10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

II Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Today, I straightened my sock drawer because; in my sock drawer, there are more than just socks.   

There are old birthday cards, photos, pretty rocks my grandsons gave me and hair bows my granddaughters left on the coffee table. There was even a flyer my husband gave me on the migration of hummingbirds. 

I guess I put stuff in my sock drawer because I’m busy and just stack it and don’t realize I’ve got so much STUFF until there’s no more room.  Not bad stuff, just—-stuff. Much of it is good stuff that has simply gotten out of place. 

Sometimes, we can have stuff that has gotten out of place in our life too. Satan knows that everyday “stuff” can be manipulated to come between us and God. Our job, our finances, our family, even ministry; all of these things are, in proper perspective, good.  

God loves to prosper us, to bless our families, our lives and our ministry. But, when those things that He has blessed us with separate us from Him, we need to do some rearranging. (Matthew 6: 31-33)  

The Word says that God is a jealous God. Not as a person would be jealous, but vigilant in guarding us against those things that can lessen our relationship with Him. He knows when we are not listening; it’s easy to lose our way.  

When we put conversation with our Lord (prayer), at the top of the list, the every day stuff is less likely to frustrate, intimidate and discourage us. Time alone with Jesus not only gives us direction through life’s trials but also restores our strength and our perspective.  

Intimacy in any relationship needs a starting place. Begin now to take a few moments each day to have a conversation with Jesus. Be sure and remember that an important part of every conversation is listening.  

Find something in your every day life that you can enjoy with Jesus; I love having a cup of coffee with my Lord! As your intimacy with Jesus strengthens, the busy things of daily life will fall into right priority. Your stress will lessen, your confidence improve and your heart will be kinder and more caring.

Matthew 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Prayer: Father, I love you so much!  Help me to re-arrange my daily priorities so you are included in the important–stuff.  Amen.

Scriptural references:

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

My grandson, Max, a first grader, was working on an assignment for school. 

He was frustrated because he couldn’t figure out how to spell “ponta”.  Not recognizing this word, I kept asking him to “say it again”.   

He was close to tears of frustration; telling me again and again, “PONTA, mamaw, you know, PONTA!”    

I told him I was old, please be patient with me–and use it in a sentence please.  He said, “once a ponta time in the deep dark woods.”   

Sometimes, life can be so confusing or painful that our heart searches for words to pray. The Word says that we are to pray continually, in good times, in bad times, without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)  But, on our face before God, our face wet with tears, we struggle to find words to express our need.   Life can hurt.

When Jesus was among men, he experienced how bad life can hurt. He knew rejection, poverty and temptation. (Hebrews 4:15)  Jesus wept when He heard the news of his friend, Lazarus’, death.  (John 11:3-38)   

God knows our struggles and He cares about every thing that happens in our life! Our Lord knows the pain in our heart when we witness to loved ones and they walk away from a relationship with Jesus. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they rejected Him and He knew the suffering that would result in that rejection. (Luke 19:41-44) 

God sent His precious Holy Spirit to direct us in our Christians walk. (John 14:25-26 & Galatians 5:22-26) No matter what our pain, frustration or failure, God cares and made a way to know, through His Spirit (ICorinthians 2:10-12), how to pray in God’s perfect will.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Ephesians 5:19-20

One afternoon my grandson’s kitty was watching him rehearse on his saxophone. Finished with practice, Zac sat down on the stairs, holding his sax in his lap. His kitty climbed up on his knee and looked down into the bell of the saxophone, as if trying to find out where all that music had come from.  It made a great picture and continues to be one of my favorites in my album.

The problem with life is; there is no music. In movies, we know when the bad or good parts are coming because of the music. Life can change fast and have little notice. Unexpected illness, financial setbacks, relationship problems; LIFE happens; all without any music to warn us.

We were created for relationship with God; Satan knows that and does all he can to distract us, frustrate and cause pain. Music, though it doesn’t accompany the drama of life, is one of the ways God has given us to calm our angst and bring us into His presence.

Paul and Silas sang hymns in jail. The prisoners around them heard their songs. It was in the midst of their hymns and prayers that God literally loosed them from their chains. (Acts 16:25-26) There may be strength to be found in song. Jesus sang a hymn with the disciples at the table before they went to the Mt. of Olives where the son of God was betrayed. (Matthew 26:29-30)

Music is an important part of worship. When we join together in one accord to worship; that intimacy invites God’s presence. (2 Chronicles 5:13-14) In the Old Testament Psalms many Hebrew words that described specific kinds of “praise” were translated simply as “praise.”

From barach that means to bless on bended knee, through halal which means to shout out in a loud voice, to zamar which means to sing praise accompanied by instruments; the intent was to worship with enthusiasm. True worship involves all of the heart, body and emotions.

Praise does not bribe God; praise brings an intimate awareness of His presence.  When we recognize God in that intimate depth of “knowing,” we begin to realize how astonishing His love for us is. He, who created the universe, calls the stars by name and rides on the wings of the wind, loves “me.”

As singing matures into the intimacy of worship, burdens are lifted and encouragement is poured out.  Only within that intimacy, borne through praise, can we know who God really is.

The next time there is upheaval in your life and satan whispers, “So, where is your God NOW?” Lift your voice in the joyful triumph of praise and let the song of your heart proclaim, “He is HERE.”

Ephesians 5:19-20 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, send me your Holy Spirit so that I may know you intimately. Give me a desire for your Word that will surpass my desire for the things of the world. Show me how to plan my activities and time so that I always have time set aside to worship you and read your Word. Thank you for loving me and thank you for your Holy Spirit.

Scripture References:

Acts 16:25-26 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Matthew 26:29-30 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14  The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:

“He is good; his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

• In loving memory of Fuzzy, my grandson’s kitty, who went to live in heaven in March 2012

My grandson, Zack, was almost 4 and had just learned about having Jesus in his heart at Kid’s Church.

I was cleaning the bathroom and  had the light on.  The door was pulled “to” but not shut.  Zac had been taught to turn lights OFF!   

I heard his little stool dragging across the hall floor.  His little hand reached in and flipped the light off. Before I could say a word, he pulled the door shut leaving me in the dark. 

I said, “HEY! Mamaw’s in here, cleaning!” He hollered “YOU IN DARE MAMAW?”, I assured him I was.  He struggled to turn the knob and reopen the door. Unsuccessful, he said, “Mamaw? You have Jesus in your heart?” I assured him, “yes, I do.” 

He replied, “Then, you not have to be afraid any more!” I said, “I’m not afraid, I just would like to have some light!”

He was quiet for a minute, then, very confidently, he said, “Mamaw, Jesus the light of the world, you be ok in there.” Then, he added, “The light still on here, you just can’t see it from in there.”  

Sometimes, many times, life is hard.  God did not promise us that life would be easy.  He did promise he would be with us through every dark time.   

Even when the darkness of circumstances seems to overwhelm us and we don’t know where to turn or what to do, we can have peace.  Jesus is there and will direct us into the light of His presence.  

John 16:33  I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have trouble, but take heed for I have overcome the world.

The other day, I was admiring the small vase of flowers on the altar at my church.   

The next day, I was at church and found the vase of flowers moved outside the sanctuary for safekeeping while some maintenance was being done. To my astonishment, the vase of flowers was HUGE!  

It stood nearly as tall as my head and so wide I couldn’t reach around it! When in the sanctuary, I’d viewed the flowers from a distance and they had looked small. When I stood closer to the flowers, their real size was revealed. 

Sometimes, it seems like God is small —because where we’re standing makes God look small.   

The Children of Israel had a name for God that shows how BIG He is, Yahweh (Jehovah). The Hebrew meaning of the word is, “He who is at one with the limitless, unbounded universe because He has created it.”

 The word, name, Yhwh, (Tetragrammaton) with this particular BIG meaning, is in the Bible only four times.  (Exodus 6:3, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 12:2 and  Isaiah 26:4) 

The Jewish people held that BIG name for God in such respect that some claim that it was spoken once a year and then only when they were in the temple at Jerusalem.  

They believe that BIG God name is so Holy that they won’t even write it down; using only symbols to represent it. They would not even say that word in prayer because it was so Holy!  God, Himself, defined by that one name, in all of His glory.   

Sometimes, because we’re so busy with work, family, life, even church, we stand at a distance and don’t see how BIG God really is.

Situations and circumstances that I have no control of seem so huge because I have placed “that” between God and me. As I move in closer to my Lord, the problem doesn’t change, but my point of view does.  

How BIG do I allow God to be in my life? It’s up to me.  Move in closer.

 Jeremiah 10:6 No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.

When Your Horse Bucks

Isaiah 41:10

When I was a young teenager, one of my friends at church had a horse. She invited me over to ride. I’d never been on a horse before and was excited about the adventure. 

She instructed me on how to handle different situations that could arise. Confident after listening to her experienced instructions, I mounted my steed. We set off down an easy trail near the barn.  

About the time I was feeling that I was in control and could enjoy the ride; a big black snake crawled out on the trail in front of us!  I’m not sure if the horse responded to the snake or to me yelling. The horse reared up and I dropped the reigns, grabbed the horse around the neck and hung on for dear life! 

My friend’s Dad saw the whole incident, jumped on his own horse and took off after my run away steed. By the time he caught up with us, I was saddle bruised, brush scraped and absolutely terrified!   

Important lessons are learned in those trials where we have no control. When all we can do is just grab hold and hang on; we have no choice but to trust God. No matter what the trial of the moment, God will either walk with us through it, holding us up; or deliver us from the circumstances.  The Bible says that all things work together for our good; not “all things feel good”.  

Sometimes, it is through the experienced pain of our own circumstances that we gain compassion to minister to others.  “I understand.” can mean a lot to a heart that hurts. (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

God’s direction for our life is often discovered in the wild ride of unplanned discovery.  Every life event comes with God’s oversight; even the hard things.  

Isaiah 41:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   

II Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Prayer: Father, I get afraid sometimes, forgive me for running scared instead of standing strong on your Word. Help me to see what to do in every life situation so that I represent you in all life’s circumstances.  Comfort me, encourage me and give me direction through your Word and your Holy Spirit. I love you. Amen

Have you ever met an annoying person?  All of us know at least one person that makes us grind our teeth!

Instead of letting my tongue beat my eyeballs black and blue with unspoken criticism; I’m trying a new approach. What can I do to have a positive relationship with this person?  

I’m starting by asking God to help me see that person as He sees them. It’s interesting to find God sees me the same way He sees them; as a sinner needing His mercy and grace. 

There is a difference between an annoying personality and sin; is it the personality that irritates or is it sin? The Bible does not say that we are to overlook or accept sin!

Indeed, the Bible says that we are to boldly confront sin while being careful we don’t fall into the trap of sin ourself !  (Galatians 6: 1)

 We are not to allow sin to be active in our lives  (I John 5:18) or allow those who continue to sin to be active in ministry in our church.  I Corinthians Chapters 5 and 6 speaks to how Christians are to deal with sin in the body of believers. 

God can’t be mocked, if we continue in sin, we do not inherit eternal life! (Galatians 6)  We find that when we commit our own attitudes and activities to the cleansing of God’s Word, we will be able to minister to our friend through leadership instead of criticism.   

Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

What is praise? At church and in the Bible, we’re told to praise God.  The dictionary defines praise as: To express warm approval of, commendation for, or admiration for. In order to adore somebody, we obviously must have intimate knowledge of that person. 

Praise is a spontaneous response to an intimate knowledge.  It comes from an understanding of who God is. Praise is not something we do on cue from the song leader on Sunday morning.

A relationship with God is made the same way a relationship with anybody is made; time spent together. (Jeremiah 29:13) So, how does a person spend time with God? God sent us His Holy Spirit so that we can intimately know the personality of God.  But, it takes more than an acknowledgement that the Holy Spirit exists to find intimacy with our Lord.

Schedule time in your day to sit down and talk to God. Just like you would schedule time to talk to your friend, plan time for your Lord.  I like to get a cup of coffee and sit down in a quiet place the same way that I would with a friend who has stopped by. Prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent; it can be an ordinary conversation.  Tell Him what’s on your mind, what happened at work/school today. What are your plans, hopes and fears?  

God’s never too busy to listen to you. There is no part of your life that He isn’t interested in.  He created you for relationship with Him. A vital part of relationship is listening. One of the ways that God speaks to us is through His Word; read the Bible like you would read a letter from a friend or loved one. 

The Bible has instructions for life, for handling every possible circumstance. As Ecclesiastes says, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Life is life, the scenery and customs change but people have the same human issues today as they did then.

God also speaks into our heart. I Corinthians 2:10-11 says that we know what God thinks through the Holy Spirit, who searches the deep things of God.  As you read God’s Word, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the mind of Christ to you.  Once you get to know God, not just know about Him, but know Him, you won’t just praise Him—you’ll worship.   

Psalms 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. (Have you ever noticed that Psalms 14 and Psalms 53 are the same Psalm? Check it out.)

Prayer: Father God, I want to know you. Show me how to arrange my busyness so that time spent with you is included in my daily activities. Speak to me through your word and your Spirit so that I will know the things that please you and the plans that you have for me. Thank you for wanting to spend time with me, for being interested in everything that I do. I love you. Amen.

Scripture references:

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I Corinthians 2:10-11  but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.