MY HIDING PLACE

You are my hiding place;
You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs
of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7

Since I was a little girl, I loved hiding places. I didn't like playing “Hide and Go Seek” because then a person had to be found and returned to home base. My sister Kay and I shared a room since we were old enough to do so. Coming from Southern Illinois, a very active coal mining area, Kay and I came up with a hiding place, we referred to it as hiding in our coal mine. When lights went out at night, we would crawl to the foot of our bed with covers over us and huddle up into two different clumps, hiding in that place. My Mother always caught on and found us for some reason and we were admonished to get up in bed and go to sleep.

As I got older, I still loved hiding places. I didn't really have anything to hide from, but loving mysteries, the thought of hiding places always fascination for me. Any hiding place I ever made for myself seemed to be easily identified by a parent. It was still fun to try.

I thought for the longest time in my adulthood, I was the only one seeking a hiding place from the cares of this world until I came to know of Corrie ten Boom. She resided with her sister and father over her father's clock shop. He felt strong affinity with the Jewish people and detested the Nazi treatment of them. Their home was soon turned over to being a shelter for Jewish folks in danger of losing their lives. That wasn't good enough for the Nazi's for they could go into any home at that time, raiding it to find Jewish fugitives.

Because of relentless of the Nazi troops, a plan was devised for a hiding place even in their house of refuge. If a raid should occur, there was a secret hiding place where Jews could hide and not be found. It was behind a wall in Corrie's bedroom.

There are times in all our lives when we would love to have a hiding place...a place away from cultural influence, family problems, crashing finances, chronic health issues...a place of peace and quiet away from it all. Such a place isn't possible on this earth, even if one were to go to reside in a convent or monastery. One could flee to the mountains where there is no indication of society in any way, but even with that would be unrest and even guilt for forsaking everyone.

Psalm 32 is such a sweet Psalm of blessing and forgiveness. As David puts pen to scroll, he's aware that God IS his hiding place. It may not be a hiding place that can be found in a building, forest clearing, worship center or other physical places. David knew his hiding place in God wasn't so much a physical place (even though it could be should God provide such), but his hiding place was in a presence...the very presence of God Himself.

We don't have to run to a place to hide. That would involve time and distance. Our hiding place as it was for David is not a physical place. The thing for us to think about is that a hiding place isn't worth a thing if we don't choose to take advantage of it's warmth and safety. God's provision is different as we see in Psalm 91:1:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

We can look to the next few verses in Psalm 91 where the Psalmist refers to God as his refuge, fortress, deliverer and will cover with his feathers where we may rest comfortably under the shelter of His wings. No, these aren't physical places, but with God, He has ways of providing even physical places for us in times of need.

I see the key to my hiding place in God is to be found in the first five words of Ps. 91:1. .”HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SHELTER. We must choose God's protection and we do that through relationship with Him. The Psalmist is speaking of one who has made a choice to dwell. You and I can flop and flounder in our problems that may strike from any direction...finances, health, family difficulties, job loss and all the rest. We like to work on our own problems and when all else fails, we turn to God.

Remember, we think of a hiding place as a physical place. I can go to a hiding place and take all my problems with me, sit and muse on them and nothing has been accomplished. How much more peace could we have if we would be so nestled under the wings of God, our Hiding Place, that He would be our first and main resource at any time, any place. For evil to try to seek me out, it would have to look for me under the wings of my Father, my shelter...my Hiding Place.

Thank You my Father for being so much more in my life that I can even think of. I so take for granted all the wonderful ways You work in my life. Thank You for being my Hiding Place, and for the comfort of the warmth of Your presence under Your wings. In Jesus' name....Amen

SEEKING AFTER GOD

Seek the Lord and His strength;
seek His face continually
Psalm 105:4

Several years ago, I gave up hero worship. There were some things I guess I had to learn the hard way. Such “people worship” is a real danger for Christians as there are speakers, leaders and authors who would love for us to fall at their feet in pure, unquestioning adoration. I do believe God brings folks into our lives who exhibit godly qualities and life styles we can learn from. However, we aren't called upon to be “followers” of theirs.

There are authors living and dead I have come to really admire and learn from. Two I'm thinking of right now who have gone on to Heaven are R.A. Torrey, a godly preacher who preached in his day like we need to be hearing in all our churches today. I have several of his books and as I read them, it's almost as if I can hear his voice.

The other author, a godly author now in Heaven, is Corrie ten Boom. The history of World War II has always fascinated me along with human incidents resulting from that time. I was fascinated with the life of Anne Frank, but Corrie is the author of Christian books, books that have spoken to me in wonderful ways. There are times I've been encouraged by her grit and toughness and yes, her humanity and humility. Her faith was so strong in latter days that it seemed she had Jesus all to herself.

Today, I have read just about everything Anne Graham Lotz has written. I have followed her life not just because of her being Billy Graham's daughter, but because of the depth of her faith. She has in recent months gone through treatments, chemo and radiation, for cancer. It would seem that such would put her on a shelf, but she made the best of the time to write and do some other things of service until able to be speaking again.

In a recent interview, I read where Anne was questioned about what was next in ministry for her. She made a statement that convicted me more than I can say. She said during that interview:

“My hearts aim all my adult life has been to be where God wants me to be. I'm pursuing Him, not ministry and I want to be where He is.”

That is such a profound statement that should be true in my life and perhaps in yours as well. I think of the times I have pursued ministry...teaching, choir, church pianist/organist, ladies ministry among them. I've done my best to do God's work well as I feel He deserves my very best, no matter what my service for Him. However, there have been times when I allowed God to get lost in it all as I engaged in all of the busyness. He waits for me (and you) to give Him some well-deserved time out of all the busyness.

I have to ask myself how much time I give in seeking God, of not just seeking position, but wanting to be who, what and where God desires of me. Am I giving as much personal time to my Heavenly Father in prayer and in His Word as I am with being busy with activity even though the activity is spiritually healthy? I know God appreciates what we do for Him, but wonder in the process if He isn't neglected by us when it comes to a more in depth relationship with Him.

As we walk closer with God, He has ways of leading us to just the right places and ways of service. As we make it a major thing in our lives to be “seekers”, it doesn't mean casual treatment of the Scriptures. It will mean time spent reading, praying through those things that convict and challenge us and allowing in unhurried ways for God to minister to us and our communing with Him.

I pray our hearts desire as God's people is that we will want to love and seek Him in all our ways...that He might become THE priority in our lives. There are fine people with great testimonies we can learn from and appreciate. However, God is to be THE Person who occupies our lives and thoughts. God stands ready for our seeking Him. He's always available.

I love those who love me;
and those who diligently seek
me will find me.
Proverbs 8:17

Dear Father, forgive me for doing my own thing so often, many times not even seeking your will regarding ministry. I want You to be first in my life. I want to walk with You, learn from You, and seek You in all things. I long to be closer to You in every way. I pray for Your empowering for there is nothing I can do on my own spiritually that can count for much. Thank You for Your Spirit in me and for Jesus who came and made it all possible. It's in His name I pray...Amen

O TASTE...AND SEE

O taste and see that the Lord
is good: blessed is the man that
trusteth in Him.
Psalm 34:8

All of our physical senses are important. If asked to give even on of them up, it would be an almost impossible decision....sight, hearing, touch, sight and taste. Looming ahead of us are some special days (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years), all days that involve something we dearly love...EATING. In those days and days leading up to them, there will be a lot of eating going on. It's mouth-watering just thinking about all the social events we will take part in that will present us with some of the most delightful foods and aromas that will prove to be irrestible.

There is one thing, though, that might prevent us from making utter gorging fools of ourselves and that is TASTE. I don't care how good a kitchen or dining room smells or how well presented the foods are, put a fried pork chop in front of me and I will gag to no end. Pork chops used to be one of my favorite things but not anymore. You see, our ability to taste isn't something that is a norm for some of us. For me, an accident with a head injury changed my taste in some foods for the rest of my life. Before, there wasn't anything in the way of food I didn't like but now it's different. Our taste in foods can be altered by a physical event, medications, or physical conditions.

Over the next few weeks, we will do a lot of tasting. Some things we will spoon onto our plates with great gusto while some other things, we will politely avoid. We know what tastes good and what doesn't whether it be regular entree's, desserts or things we drink. We will do all to satisfy the tastes we crave. Sometimes, certain foods may not look good just in their presentation. Thus, another sense, our sight may take over that may discourge our eating something.

The Psalmist suggests in the above verse that we taste and see. This time, food isn't even a part of our scenerio. Tasting is something we do when first approaching a food product. Tasting is something we do to first see if a dish is agreeable. Tasting is often a test as the Psalmist is suggesting to a reader. We are encouraged to taste AND see the goodness of the Lord. My question is, “What's not to like?” Our culture tells us that the Lord doesn't look good or even taste good. They come to such conclusions without having done either because Jesus isn't someone they would even invite to a Christmas party because to them, He just doesn't fit in.

For many of us, one taste and view of Jesus was all we needed. Some may have done some tasting for a good while before deciding how really “delicious” Jesus is. Delicious is another definition for something that tastes good. When we find something that tastes good, we usually want more and more of it. As I read this verse, I recall how good the Lord has been in my own life. I have seen and tasted His goodness toward me when I least deserved His loving kindness. Sweet fellowship with Him can't be surpassed and the rest of the verse indicates such. When we taste of Him and see Him and how good He is, the process brings about a trust in Him we can't explain. Our trust in others is often flawed because of our humanity, but our trust in Him is safe and secure. Our tasting Him should be every moment thing.

In coming days, we'll do a lot of eating and fellowshiping with family and friends. My prayer for all of us is that we won't leave our Heavenly Father out of all our celebrating. Tasting of Him will mean approaching Him with a grateful heart for all His goodness in our lives. Hopefully we will make time to really SEE Him as we meet with Him through His Word, in prayer and in serving others in His name through all the holiday festivities.

I am personally so grateful for each friend it's my joy to share with on a weekly basis. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. My prayer is that we will continue to taste and see Jesus in all His glory. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day.

Dear Father God, I can't sufficiently express my gratitude to You for what You mean to me...for Your presence in the good times and Your faithfulness and guidance in the difficult ones. Without Jesus, we wouldn't even have one iota of understanding what true gratitude is. I pray these things in His precious name....Amen

ABOVE THE STORM

Peace I leave with you; My peace
I give to you; not as the world gives
do I give to you. Do not let your
heart be troubled, nor let it be
fearful.
John 14:27 (NASB)

It was my first flight and I was scared to death. I shook as I stepped onto the plane and even when I sat down. I had purchased a first class ticket thinking that would be the safest place to be “just in case.” Little did I realize in dire circumstances, the best place to be was as far back in the plane as I could be. To top off my fright, it was a stormy day. I didn't know if the plane would even take off, but during a lull, we headed up through the clouds.

Not thinking with any kind of a mechanical or scientific mind, I was shocked to see, as we soared through those dark, and foreboding clouds, that they were changing color from very dark to various shades of gray that were getting lighter and lighter. As if a miracle took place, we were flying above the clouds with only blue skies, fluffy white clouds and sunshine in abundance. Through the window, I looked down and could see gray clouds but it seemed we were leaving those behind. I had never seen anything like this. I was in my 20's and didn't really know anyone who flew with any regularity. I had friends tell me how wonderful flying was and some of them had never set foot in a plane.

I saw the following quote on my Facebook, but it didn't have a name with it. It was that quote that reminded me of that trip. The author said:

“Remember in the storm what
God taught us in the sunshine.
The storm will pass.”

Very often in our lives, there can be some things that hide God's intended sunshine He bestows on us. There are times I walk out on my front porch and can't see the mountains that were so clearly seen the day before. Out of nowhere, a heavy mist can cover our mountains and it doesn't take a hard rain to do that. The miracle of it all is that the mist usually disappears when the sun comes out full force and dissipates the mist. The beauty of the mountains were hidden for a brief time...the sun, however, was stronger.

There are things you and I have learned in the sunshine we can stake our lives on, such as:
God can be trusted no matter the circumstances
God does everything in our lives in our best interest
The Word of God can be trusted.
God is as near in our difficult times as in our sunshine days..
God loves us beyond any love we can ever imagine
God is still on His throne and is sovereign.

Those are just a few things that should be etched on our hearts with no questions asked. Satan will do all to bring doubt into our minds when things get rough, but every positive quality of God we can remember stays in place no matter our circumstances. We believe these things...we remember them...by faith.

When the storms come, it's not the best time to prepare for the storm. Maybe some have just come through a storm or are in the middle of one. Be sure if neither have happened to you, there is a storm lurking around a corner of your life. That's just the way life is. We Christians are not insured from difficulties and struggles. CPR classes are to train people for future emergencies. Firefighters train in anticipation of using their training to put out fires and save lives. Both situations require pre-training.

As God's children I pray we will be faithful in remembering and trusting in God's love and care He has consistently provided in our lives. God never says “oops” no matter the storm we find ourselves in. Storms bring clouds, rain and noise. Our spirits can be lifted above those clouds to sunshine and blue skies. This can happen even during our storms because of who God is.

Thank You Father, for Your sunshine, but I thank You even more for Your presence and peace during the storms of my life. I thank You for Your sovereignty and ever-present love for me. Thank You, that despite storm clouds, I can rise above them into Your Son-shine. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

A MOTTO FOR LIFE

Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

O Lord, my strength, and

my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

One of the great regrets in walking with the Lord these many years is that I have never memorized Scripture like I should. The older I get, the more I join others my age using the “age” excuse. However, I have come to know that I memorize things I really want to memorize. I have memorized words to hymns that I can sing word perfect. There are recipes I have by heart right down to ¼ tsp of salt. I also know of things I memorized when a child that I can still recall and so can you.

There are so many things we have memorized through the years that is amazing. The first verse I ever memorized as a little girl was John 3:16 and it may have been the same for you. In Vacation Bible School, I memorized many verses that mostly went by the wayside mostly because they didn't seem to apply to life so didn't repeat them very much.

Our small church had just one youth group. When I went into seventh grade, I thought I was as big as the world. Margie and Gerald Randolph were our youth group leaders. I think their encouragement was that they had two sons in the group. Through those six years, our youth group members became very close. I think we were closer than most we were with others at school. We met every Sunday night before the service. We went on outings and the Randolph home was always open to us on weekends.

With all of the variety there was for us as a group, there was one thing that never changed from week to week. It was standard, expected and carried out faithfully every Sunday night when our youth meeting was over. At the end of our meeting, we stood in a large circle, holding hands and repeated Psalm 19:14 and putting an “Amen” on the end of the verse. I must admit that it became routine, almost a ritual that didn't have as much meaning for me most of the time. However, little did I know that Psalm 19:14 was so etched in my mind and heart that I could never forget that verse. It's a verse with great meaning if we choose to regard it that way. I can't tell you how often, even in my “grown up” days that I find myself repeating that verse to myself. There's no one around to hold hands with, no group but that's okay.

As I often do, I'd like to pick that verse apart. Perhaps you would like to memorize it for those days when frustration sets in.

Let the words of my mouth,

Words are so common to us that we think very little about them as they roll off of our tongues. The ability to just speak anything is such a blessing. There are those who are handicapped, who don't have the gift of speech. I think of so many times I have abused the privilege of being able to have the privilege of utterance.

And the meditations of my heart,

This is where those words begin...in the heart. Whatever is in the heart is going to come out through the mouth. Jesus spoke of how a fountain doesn't give off salty and fresh water at once. If we desire purity of speech, we must desire purity of heart first. Meditation occurs when we ponder, think about things. More of that goes on that our speaking if there was a way to measure it. What we meditate upon becomes a part of us; it sinks very deeply into our very spirits. This verse would be a good one to recite when our thought life is troubling.

Be acceptable in thy sight,

If something is acceptable, it's good and meets a positive standard. For God to accept our meditation, it must be pure and yes, holy.

O Lord, my strength and my redeemer...help me to never forget the meaning of this precious verse, to honor you in my words and thoughts, seeking to please you in everything I say and do. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
receives whomever I send receives
Me; and he who receives Me receives
Him who sent me.
John 13:20

Several years ago, having not been in the church very long at the time, and new even to the area because of our move from another city, everything was new to me. It wasn't long until I was asked to teach a Sunday school class in the church we had joined. The teacher of the class was a staff wife and that family was going to be moving to another pastorate. Taking the place of a very loved women's teacher can be difficult and this one proved to be tense. We were strangers in one room and it would take the Lord to warm things up. His plan in a situation can be very unique.

On one particular Sunday, I was taking prayer requests when a lady walked in the door that was at the back of the room. I knew from class response that folks didn't seem to know her. The lady looked very professional in her dress and physical presence. Most visitors when they come into a new setting like that quickly take a chair on the back row. That wasn't happening with this lady. She walked around the group (chairs in about five rows) and came straight to the front row. There was no one seated on the front row so she sat down in a chair right in front of me.

I stopped what I was doing and turned my attention to her. I'll call her Grace for now. I asked her name and was shocked at what happened next...a first for me. She stood, gave her name and began listing some things. She told me she the very professional career she had with a local university, was a single mom to two teenage girls who were out of control, her husband had left her for another woman and she was recently divorced. To top it off she was just finishing treatments for breast cancer and wasn't sure if the treatments were working. After all of the information, she looked at me and firmly said with tears in her eyes, “And I need a hug.” I went to her and just held her for a longer hug than usual. I stood in utter shock. After it all, she sat down and got her Bible out of her purse and we went on with the class.

After class, I needed to get to choir, but didn't want to leave her hanging. I asked her if she read music and she said she did. I invited her to come with me to the choir and we would sit on the back row together. Our choir was quite large at the time. I didn't know if she would agree to it or not but she did. In fact, she became a faithful member of the choir and of our class. Within several weeks, Grace became the president of our Sunday school class.

We were very good friends for several months, having lunch together along with phone calls I would make feeling she needed encouragement. With one phone call, she let me know her cancer was back with a vengeance.

Several weeks later, I went on a trip for a week or so. When I came home from the trip, I had a call waiting for me from Grace's mother. Grace was in the hospital and the situation looked dire. She asked me to come to the hospital as soon as I could get there. I had met Grace's mother one time when she visited our class so recognized her right away. She told me that Grace wanted to see me privately and she honored that.

Grace took hold of both my hands and said she had one request. Her mother was going to move from another city to live with the two teenage daughters. She simply said, “Will you please be a friend to my mother?” I assured her I would do that. While holding both my hands she began kissing the backs of them. I felt awkward but said nothing about it. I leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, assured her of my love. After praying with her, I left the room. Her mother had observed things from the door and told me that Grace was telling me goodbye.

Grace lingered for another few days, and then peacefully went to Heaven from a hospice where she had been moved. Within several months, Grace's mother had to move to be with other children because of her own health issues. Up until that time, she and I went to lunch every Wednesday. She became a dear friend and could see so many special things in her she had contributed to her daughter.

We all have had “divine appointments” arranged by God alone that have been life changing. Those divine appointments almost always involve having a person walk into our lives seemingly out of no where. The person may be a person from the past we haven't seen in years. It might be a new lady coming to our Sunday school class or that we meet at work. No matter how the person comes, it usually takes us off guard and we wonder, “What's going on here?” God usually brings such folks into our lives with insistence...we can't get away from them. There may seem to be an instant “click” or feeling of trust or acceptance. However it happens, such divine appointments are life changing. The appointment may not last a lifetime, but something God intends for certain days. That person may be “Jesus with skin on” that God brings our way to minister in our lives for a time.

I'm spending some time these days thinking of those walking blessings God has chosen to send my way. From them I've learned so many things, been encouraged and blessed and have come to know Jesus so much better. What divine appointments (folks of blessing), has God sent your way, seemingly out of nowhere, but you knew at the time they had come into your life for purpose. Stop and think with gratitude for those folks who changed your life for good and God
.

Thank You Father for bringing Jesus into my life. No one has changed everything about me like He has and like He continues to do. Jesus was, by far, my most precious Divine Appointment and I thank You for that ongoing relationship with Him and I pray these things in His name....Amen

GOD'S COLORS

The heavens declare the glory
of God; and the firmament
sheweth is handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth
knowledge.
There is no speech nor
language, where their voice
is not heard.
Psalm 19:1-3

One of my joys when in grade school was the initial purchase of school supplies. The list was very small. In the beginning, they consisted of a pair of blunt-nose scissors, jar of paste, a couple of fat pencils and a box of crayons...only the 8 count box. I dearly loved the aroma of those crayons. Still today at times when in a general store, you might find me carefully opening a box of 8 crayons just to take a whiff of them.

This time of year, living in a mountainous area, the colors are breathtaking. However, they are a little slower showing up this year because of the drought-like weather we have had for a couple of months. I felt bad for visitors to our national park who came just to see the full array of leaves in their colorful attire. There have been some, but we're getting a little more now, just later than usual.

We all remember from childhood Joseph and the coat of varied colors his father had made for him. Although a much appreciated gesture on the father's part, it resulted in a great deal of conflict with Joseph's brothers. Who can forget the variety of colors used in the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Blue, gold, red, and others were used for various curtains and furniture along with the attire with it's various colors worn by the high priest. We can't even imagine the beauty of the temple Solomon was to supervise in it's building and a reading of it's description reveals a generous use of colors.

Although in my KJV version, I don't see the word “color”, I'm very aware of colors that are mentioned individually in the Bible. Red in Hebrew is Oudem meaning “red clay.” Adam, Esau and Edom all three got their names from that Hebrew root word. The color that means most for we Christians is that color of red, representing the shed blood of our Savior. Without that color, that blood, there wouldn't much of anything that holds much meaning for us.

I looked up some information regarding the spiritual meaning of colors that remind me in so many ways of our Heavenly Father. If I can remember their meaning when viewing colors all around, it's such a blessing to be reminded of God's glory. As I look to the hills, there are certain colors that are predominant. I don't know who came up with the spiritual meanings for things, but the following is fine with me. So as I see certain colors, here's what I can be reminded of:

Red – blood of Jesus, love of God
Gold – heaven, glory of God
Orange – fire of God, deliverance, praise
Green – growth

Every season of the year, we can see God in all His glory and creativity. I see white snow in the winter that indicates purity, the purity of Jesus. Spring in our area brings a myriad of color as all the spring flowers spring up. Our visitors come almost as much for those months as in the Fall. To some extent, I even enjoy the winter months as our mountains take on more of a gray color. It reminds me that except for some evergreens, even the mountains need some time of rest before all the activity begins again. I'm amazed how we can find God in so many common, ordinary things in every day living.

No matter where you live, look around and take in God's beauty that is all around. There is a church sign in our area that says: “God is painting the mountains.” That He is, but He's also being creative wherever you live. It's just another reason we can give God glory.

Dear Father, You so wonderfully beautiful in Your own person and in everything you touch. Thank you for the many reminders you extend our way that can remind us of You in so many ways. Thank You again for Jesus who bled red for each of us. In His name....Amen

OVERWHELMED

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

We live in a world where we can find ourselves greatly overwhelmed. Every generation has gone through it's times of being overwhelmed. The feeling of being overwhelmed comes where waves of negative circumstances and cares seem to overtake our thinking and thus, drains us of strength and emotional energy. Sad to say, such circumstances can also drain us in a spiritual sense. It isn't God's fault when this happens. God will always be be who He is. He doesn't change no matter what is going on in the world. I'm afraid it's those of us, the overwhelmed, who have taken our eyes off of our Father, losing our spiritual focus.

The Holy Spirit lately has been speaking to me through the above Psalm. A refuge is a place we can run to in time of great need. For we Christians, such isn't necessarily a physical place we can see and touch. God may provide refuges for us through our church, spiritual family members or even places of peace and quiet where we can fellowship with Him. However, even spiritual friends, family members or even church families can let us down. They may not intend to do that but in reality, no one other than God knows our deepest needs in times of being overcome with circumstances.

There may be times when I seek refuge in all the wrong places, having expectations of others they cannot meet. I would trust for us we would turn to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for our some spiritual comfort and advice. In reality, there is just so much others can do on our behalf. We live in a time when we want help and attention immediately, and even then it would seem we've been disappointed. There are no emotional EMT's in our world to come to our rescue.

I love the fact that God makes Himself available to us not only as a refuge but as a strength, a strength we can't muster up for our own selves. He will not force Himself on us. He just stands ready for us to approach Him. We somehow don't feel He is real enough and again, the fault is with us in our lack of faith. He knows us well and in entirety while we know Him so little.

Chapters, especially in Psalms are so precious with regard to who God is and the encouragement He can be if we approach Him in faith. I see in Psalm 46, precious things about God that are faith builders in every way. However, at the very end of this chapter is the key and it's a key we find uncomfortable. In verse 10a of Psalm 46 is a simple statement:

Be still, and know that I am God...

Being still under any circumstances for just about all of us is a near impossibility. Many of us have known quieter days. I recall childhood summers with no TV, computers, bustle of lots of activity when in the summer, I could sit on the front porch swing and just read. It was quiet except for an occasional car that would pass by. With that quiet came a peace in one's spirit that could equip a person for any hard times that needed to be faced.

We're told to be still which is a problem in itself. It's hard to be still even in spirit with all the noise our culture provides. If we are to be still in any way, we will have to determine to a least find some places of quiet for ourselves.

Under the best of spiritual circumstances, we aren't assured of never feeling overwhelmed,
but we will have the key to our survival in them all. That survival will be in our refuge with our Heavenly Father where we will find strength. He never sleeps or goes away for a weekend. He is as near to us as the very breath we breathe.

The final verse of that chapter is the resounding Hallelujah chorus:

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

I praise you, Father, for all You are in my life. Thank You for Your love and constant attention on my every step of life. Thank You for Your Son and all that has been made possible through Him for me. It's in His precious name I pray....Amen

I HAVE A PLAN

For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper
and not to harm you; plans to give
you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

The above title is a small phrase from the follow-up verse that in recent days, the Holy Spirit has brought to my mind off and on. I know it's meant to assure and comfort me and am so grateful for it. I've enjoyed verses in John 14,15 where Jesus introduced His disciples to the coming of the Holy Spirit after He would be leaving. He explained some of the things the Holy Spirit would do in ministering to them and to us as well, among which is His ability to remind of Scripture Jesus taught or from other places in the Bible. I'm being reminded of that phrase on a regular basis this week.

This reminder is to me of the different times in my life when situations looked not only unsolvable, but also impossible to discern. Now I find today as I am being reminded of this phrase, I have gone back in memory when I faced times of uncertainty. I wish I had been mature enough to know this verse and God's words of comfort in it.

At age of ten, this then skinny, blond headed girl went forward after a sermon by an evangelist. I didn't know much about anything spiritual in nature. I sure didn't know a lot about Scripture, but I knew that day that Jesus became my Savior. That was all I needed to get started on the right track...you see...God had a plan even back then.

In college, my senior year, I had no money to complete the year. I was advised to go to the local bank for a loan. I couldn't imagine they would loan me the money with my going to be living two states away from the location of that bank after graduation. I went to the bank and the president immediately granted the loan. I see now it was nothing I did, but it was God who had a plan for my life and He was kicking that plan into high gear.

After college, having worked in a very difficult inner city situation for a time, I came to the point where I knew I was supposed to leave that work. I had no car, no money, no anything. Going back to college hours, I realized I had a lot of library science hours. I went to a nearby city to apply for a job in their city library and was hired on the spot. I walked out of the library and across the street, a lady was putting a sign up in a window. It was advertising a furnished apartment for rent. I almost ran across the street to the somewhat broken down building and talked with her. Told her I didn't have any money for a deposit. She smiled and told me to not worry about money. I could just give her my first rent in a month. I knew God was working, but I also knew God had a plan. A lot of that plan was meeting Brian in my church just down the street. God had a plan beyond anything I could imagine.

In 1968, just about two months before my wedding, I came down with the Hong Kong flu. I recently checked the death rate in our country of that horrible flu that had come across the Pacific Ocean to our shores. I've never been so sick. However, many others in our country suffered terribly. Hospitals were full. I couldn't get into a hospital, but was living with dear friends who helped nurse me back to health. In those days, there were about 34,000 Americans who died from just that flu. I could have been one of them except for the fact that God still had a plan for my life just as even now He has for you as well.

Lately, my thoughts have been running to and fro through my mind regarding a situation I know is going to have to be faced. I've learned even though God is in charge, very often end results haven't been exactly what I have hoped they would be. So I look back at God's track record in my life when there have been major things needing a decision. No matter all the things God has worked in and through my life, He's always done a good job. Even if it meant a lot of adjustment, His Spirit has been present strengthening and educating me through any situation. I'm so grateful the Spirit has reminded me in recent days that God always has a plan for my life and always knows what He's doing.

I'm sure some reading this are going through difficulties where they can't see the end from the beginning. It can be such a comfort looking back at God's track record in our lives. We are a blessed people. God always does things well in the lives of His children. I encourage you to look back at some of your life impossibilities and recall how God worked on your behalf and you can see now that He has always had a plan for you...and still does.

Do remember though that if we don't store Scripture in our hearts and minds, the Holy Spirit may not have as much to work with in the area of reminding. When facing decisions or concerns in our lives, being in the Word is one of the best things we can take time, even extra time, doing. Just remember that God knows the plans He has for each of us. In fact, copy that verse from Jeremiah on something handy so you can read it often. We must remember that God has a plan for each of us that will always be in our best interest. The plans He's revealed to me have usually been in small steps, not large leaps. We have to keep trusting.

Thank you, Father, for being interested in every detail of my life, and for having everything worked out ahead of time so that I can rest in You completely with no struggle. You are precious to me as is Your Spirit and Jesus, Your Son in Whose name I pray...Amen

NOTHING'S NEW

Is there anything of which one
might say, “See this, it is new?”
Already it has existed for ages
which were before us.
Ecclesiastes 1:10

Lately I've been reading through the book of Ecclesiastes...yes, it's really a book in the Bible. It's one of those that is nestled between Proverbs and Song of Solomon. I remember where it is because both Proverbs and Song of Solomon were penned by Solomon with Holy Spirit leading. It's understandable that Ecclesiastes should be found in between those two books. So often we feel that much of the Bible is out of date. Even Christians who love God's Word can take on that attitude if they aren't careful. I look at this particular book and wonder if Solomon wasn't looking into the future of our living room windows, halls of Congress, Wall street investment desks and maybe even into our church buildings
.

Solomon was a blessed man. At the beginning of his reign, he gave the right answer when God told him he could have anything he wanted. He could have had military power, riches and whatever else many people would have asked for. Solomon simply asked for wisdom. As a result, God added those other things to the list Solomon might have desired because Solomon had given God the answer He wanted.

Unfortunately, the wisdom and riches God gave him didn't seem to be enough. Eventually, his pride and riches became compulsions in his life and in this book that is also considered a wisdom book, gives his frustration with all of his achievements.

First, in 1:13,17 of this book, Solomon said, “I set my mind.” In verse 13 he set his mind on wisdom.. In verse 17, Solomon's goal was similar in that he wanted his mind to know wisdom. For a time, all went well, but before he knew it, in both cases, he ended up in the middle of folly and things that didn't matter. We must be careful what we set our minds on because we will usually do all we can to achieve whatever it is. Solomon also decided in 1:18:

Because in much wisdom there is much grief,

and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

In chapters 2 & 3, Solomon spoke of all the things he added to his coffers. He seems to speak of where we might be in our day in 2:10.

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
for my heart was pleased because of all my
labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

I can hear us now. I may have said something similar at times. “I've worked hard and there's nothing wrong with buying myself some things I want and deserve. I can buy anything I set my mind on and can have as much fun as I want.” Does any of that sound familiar. It's pretty much the mind set of our society today.

My prayer for us is we will live lives that will honor God in every way whether it be in our work, spending, possessions, or amusements. If the richest man who lived came to know the folly of riches and things of this world that were for nothing, can't we learn as well. Our responsibility is to set our minds on things that honor and please our Father. May our longing for more of God's wisdom in our lives be an ongoing desire of our hearts.

Dear Father, I'm so grateful that You never change. You decided how things should be long before time began and you have adhered to those things to the letter. Thank You for Your provisions in my life that are just what You want for me. I praise You today for who You are in my life. Thank You for Jesus and it's in His name I pray....Amen