Cast All Your Cares

“”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

When our kids were little there was a song by the singing Bible, Psalty, using this verse.  It still sticks in my head today reminding me to cast all my cares upon God.  I love that.  When you cast something, you are throwing it far away from you.  You lose control of it.  It is released and you can’t bring it back.  Now, I learned to cast my hook when I fish and I did have a choice whether to bring it back, how quickly to draw it in, or to let it sit until a big ol’ fish chomped it!  I wish casting our cares upon God would be the let go of type of casting, but I know that for me, I often choose to reel it back in and chomp on it a bit myself! 

In order to truly cast my cares away and release them, my heart must be in a position of humility.   The verse says to, “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…”  That description of God helps me to humble myself.  Because God’s hand is mighty it can truly handle my situations and concerns.  His hand is able to do what I cannot.  His hand is willing to bring about the right outcome that is best for me in the eternal perspective.  He is a Father that cares for His children.  He is good.  I can humble myself  under His mighty hand, because I can trust His heart!

 Remembering how Big God is and how small I am is a good place to start when casting our cares upon Him!  He controls the Universe, I can’t even control my own emotions, tongue, or thoughts at times!  He has a forever plan.  I do good to plan dinner before the 5:00 hour hits. He rules over nations.  I rule over my home when everyone wants to cooperate!  I think I can trust Him to handle my anxieties! 

Notice the last part of that verse.  We can throw our anxieties upon God, because He cares for you.  Not because He cares for mankind.  Or cares to make all things right.  Or cares to look good.  Or cares to makes sure that we are happy and face no uncertainties or calamities.  No, He cares for you – up front and personal.  He cares about your bad hair day (He has them all numbered); He cares about your days and your hurts and your heartaches and your plans and your concerns and your anxieties and everything to do with you!  He cares - not to have gossip to share, not to learn how to make you miserable - He cares so that He can heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3) and bind up the wounds of His children.  He cares so that He can comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).  He cares so that we may grow in Him and depend upon Him and love Him.  He cares.

 I am choosing to cast my cares upon God.   My cares aren’t globally impactful.  They aren’t about fame and fortune.  They are just the ordinary cares of a wife, mom, and Christian in 2012.  But God cares.  They are important to Him because I am important to Him!  I will cast and let go (at least for a few minutes until I find I have to cast them again!)  I will keep casting them because the mighty hand of God of the Universe cares for me!  He cares for you, too!  I used to tease my mother-in-law that God answered her prayers because she prayed at 4:30 in the morning and she had God’s undivided attention!  But God is so big that we all have His undivided attention all the time.  Call upon Him in your hurt and confusion, your anger, your discouragement.  He is there for you!

Hint of the Day: Write your cares down on a piece of paper or on a helium balloon.  Cast the paper into the ocean, a river , or another body of water or release your balloon into the sky.  You can’t retrieve them.  Let them go and let God!

Plans

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

This verse seems apropo today as we took our youngest son to college yesterday and left him in a dorm.  He is so excited!  He will start private flight on Monday.  His dream is within reach!  When Lucas was 8, we flew from Texas to Florida.  He said then that he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up.  We said, "Sure, sure." Really expecting him to change his mind ten or a hundred times!  But he never wavered.  He has pursued that dream through the Civil Air Patrol, Flight Academy, and now college.  He feels called to be a missionary pilot.  How wonderful to be so focused.

Our two oldest sons are now the CEO and CFO of The Para Firm Marketing Company.  They offer portfolios of marketing possibilities to small to medium companies.  They, too, are reaching towards who God has designed them to be.  Our middle boy, Aaron, starts his last semester at college with big plans for the future. And our other youngest, Lucas' twin, Ethan, is playing soccer for a college and praying about God's direction.

We are proud of all five, but mostly we are confident that as they step out and follow the desires of their hearts, that it was God that put those desires there in the first place.  (Psalm 37:4)  All five love the Lord God and want to serve Him with the talents that He gave each one.  They are all standing on the promises of God's word and seeking God in each new endeavor. 

That leaves my husband, Tracy, and me.  What are the plans for this next stage of life?  We are not sure, but we know that it includes Abiding Truth Ministry and writing of another book.  We also wait expectantly on the Lord as He leads us to this next phase.  I grew up just wanting to be a wife and mom.  God blessed that dream greatly and I was able to stay home for 27 years and raise the boys.  What a joy!  But now it is time to dream again.  I would love for God to lay it all out there for me in a neat little list, but that would take the joy of relationship out of the picture.  No, God has plans for me and He will reveal them as I need to know them.  His way is best!  I will be diligent to do the next thing next and look for God's direction. 

Hint of the day: Have your kids plan a family outing all the way down to times, and food, and activities.  Let them enjoy the anticipation of being the one in the know.  They may choose to only let Mom and Dad in on the activities and plans one at a time as they come along.  That is okay!  Relax and enjoy.  (You can put boundaries on the day before it is planned and turned over to the kids, but no griping or complaining the day of!)  Afterwards, tell them that God delights in seeing us live out His plans.  He likes to surprise us sometimes, too.  His plans for us are good just like their plans for the day were.   Yes, sometimes plans go awry due to things that we can't change, and sometimes God's plans go awry becuase of others or our own disobedience.  But God does desire good things for us and has a plan and a purpose for each one.  Have them write down the desires of their hearts.  This should not be a list of material wants, but rather who and what they want to become and accomplish.

Need

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to you.”
Psalm 51:10-13

Where do you find yourself in that passage?  Needing a clean heart? Needing renewal? Needing your joy restored? Needing Someone to sustain you in the midst? Or on your feet and teaching others?  I think we all go through cycles of need.  It is great to know the Someone that can meet every need and bring us joy!

Today God reminded me to enter into His presence with thanksgiving and praise.  I just needed to be in His presence.  I have no answers to some big things going on in our lives.  But I know the Someone who does!  Cancer, chronic pain, broken relationships, broken hearts - I lift all these up to you, O God!  You can meet each need.  But mostly, You can draw those that I love to you.  Some don't know You, and You can create in them a clean heart through their repentance - bring them to that point.  Others know You but have chosen the things of this world - renew a steadfast spirit within them.  Some are just babies in You, Lord, and need You to sustain them with a willing spirit.  Then there are those who are teaching others and just need Your power and presence to be obedient and allow You to work Your marvelous regeneration in the heart of those that they are teaching.  May many be converted to You.

Every need is met in You. my Creator, Father, Lord, Life.  I fall upon my knees and adore You and lay all things at Your feet.  I am inadequate, unable, sometimes unwilling, but You can do all things.  Thank You.

Hint of the day:  Be real with those around you.  It's okay when you realize that you have a need.  God often uses those around us to encourage us or to meet that need.  When you put on a mask and pretend that everything is fine, then you are denying yourself answers and comfort, and are denying others the blessing of being used by God to reach out and love you.  It's risky, but when you can take off the mask and be real, God will meet you there.

Be Ready

"For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.
Be dressed readiness, and keep your lamps lit."
Luke 12:34-35

I have way too many treasures!  They all require time and maintainance.  Right now most of them are out of their boxes and are finding a place in our new home.  Some are relegated to the attic and others to the back of a lower cupboard shelf.  Still others are put on a shelf temporarily until they are needed.  Some just sit around and are pretty, others are functional.  And then there are those who have outlived their usefulness and are consigned to the Garage Sale box. 

As I think about all my earthly treasures, I am at peace.  They do not rule over me.  If a fire claimed them all, I would be okay.  I am grateful for what God has provided.  I want to use my resources for His kingdom and glory.  I recognize that it all belongs to God and that I am just a steward.  A very thankful steward, but a steward none the less. I know that these possessions are not my greatest treasures and I hold on to them loosely.

When Garrett, our oldest, was a baby, I had several porcelain dolls that I had sitting around the apartment.  One day he broke one.  I came to a moment of truth.  My child was more important than my things.  I boxed up everything breakable and baby-proofed the house.  My treasure was my son and I was going to enjoy him and let him explore in a safe environment.  I now have five treasured sons.  They make me things and buy me things.  All of which I appreciate greatly.  But time with them, a phone call, an email, a card, means so much more!  They are my eternal treasures and I will always make them a priority.

What treasures do you have stored up in heaven?  Children, friends, a spouse, someone that you have led to the Lord, someone that you are discipling?  Maybe your treasure is a heart of purity and tears of suffering with a sweet spirit.  Or maybe your treasure is a pure love and acts of great compassion and charity.  The most important treasure that you can store up in heaven is a growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Your prayers, your tears, your sacrifices of time and resources are all being stored up in heaven. 

In a moment of great sorrow here on earth, remember where your treasure is and your heart will follow along.  Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamp lit.  Readiness is to be worn about you whereever you go, whatever you are doing, all the time.  Keeping your lamp lit is a reference to being filled continually with the Holy Spirit.  Even while doing our earthly tasks, duties, and responsibilities, our hearts can be ready for the Lord''s return.  When you see Him in the sky or He calls you home through death, don't look back with regret or longing for the things of earth.  Be ready to run into His arms.  If you are reading this and saying that you are not ready, that there are things that you want to do first or things that you don't want to let go of, pray about it.  Ask God to help you to surrender these things to His keeping. 

Keep in constant contact with God by practicing His presence all day long.  Pray and praise, sing and dance, weep and be still before the Lord.  Then your treasure will be in heaven and the things of this earth will not have a hold on you.  Either you rule over your possessions, or they rule you.

Hint of the Day:  Sometimes it is hard for children to let go of their possessions.  Many families have a rule that if a child gets something new, then something old must be given away or sold. Others will have a general clean out once a year.  Some children will be clingers and others will give freely.  Teach your clingers to keep and appreciate a few special things, but to release the others. Teaching your children to respect their property is good, but teaching them that a giving heart and a sweet spirit for others is more important. 

Unbelievable

"In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength."
Isaiah 30:15b

Wow!  What an unbelievable week!  If it could go wrong, it did!  We got caught in a  web of lies, lost paper work, unprofessionalism, and missteps as we sold one house and closed on a new one.  In the midst of all of that, we packed up and were ready to move on the 7th of August.  We then lived in a house with little furniture and no kitchen goods for another week because our buyer's mortgage company lied, lost paper work, and dragged their feet.  Then the electric company turned off the power two days early.  In west Texas heat, that's a problem! We rented the new house for a couple of days and went aheaad and moved in on the 15th.  Just this morning, lost funds were found and the closings are both finalized! 

One thing that we learned is that moving with one helper is a lot harder than moving with three to five!  Because we were a week late getting here, Ethan had to go on to college and 2-a-days for soccer.  That left Lucas and my husband to do it all!  I pitched in where and when I could and still have a lot left to do.  I never want to move again!!!

But in the midst we found quietness and trust and strength.  We chose to believe that God called us here, that He would work all things out for our good, that He was here with us, and that He would give us the strength to work through it all.  And He did!  Physical strength, mental strength, and emotional strength were extended to us.  Tracy is back at work, the essentials are unpacked, and we are ready to take Lucas to school on Thursday.  And, I found a great chiropractor and we got to spend some time with friends.  Life is sweet!

If you are a Christian then you are saved through your repentance and resting in God's promises.  But now strength and joy and peace and love can be obtained as you walk the Christian life by quietness and trust.  These take a life time to learn and practice.  It gets easier each time, but it is always a choice.  In the book of Isaiah chapter 30, Israel chose not to trust God, but rather they headed to Egypt and destruction.  They were not willing to be quiet and trust.  Will I be willing when hard times come?  Will I be strong enough in my faith to be still and trust?  I want to believe that I will, but only by God's Spirit will I be able.  For now, I am building that faith muscle by using it in the little things of life that come along.  God will give me strength for each new thing.  And He will give you that strength as you practice quietness and trust in Him.  He is able and no amount of worry will change the situation, so find peace in the midst and trust.

Hint for the Day:  As a mom it is easy to want to do everything for your children.  But when you let them go a little at a time and teach them that you are there when they need you.  You are building an example of trust that they will one day be able to tranfer to God.  Let your 3 year old play at a friend's house.  Let your 10 year old walk to the local gas station for a candy bar.  Let your 12 year old ride their bike to a friend's house.   Pray for them all the way!  If they get lost, they can call.  If they fall down, they can come home for first aid.  Be there when they need you, but let them grow up.  Send them off to college.  You are only a phone call away!  By college age, they should be relying on God more and more anyway.  Practice quietness and trust yourself while teaching this to your children.

Attention!

"He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."
Proverbs 16:20

Many of us read our Bibles daily.  Then we check off that box, put our Bible and God on a shelf, and live our lives.  But the verse above talks about "giving attention to the word."  This is a deliberate decision to not only read the word, but to be careful to live it.  It is reading and applying.  It is studying for the purpose of application.  Knowledge and instruction leads to wisdom.  Words on a page cannot give us wisdom, just knowledge.  Wisdom comes through prayer and applying the word of God.  It is not easy.  When I am angry at someone, I don't want to love my enemy or pray for them, but when I give attention to the word and do that very thing, I find that God changes my heart and often the relationship as well.  When I am depressed I don't want to thank God for everything, but when I turn my words of complaint into praise, my mood lifts and I am cheered. 

Deliberate application of God's word will bring good.  God made us.  He wrote the manual of successful living.  He guides us along the way.  When we read and apply His word, it will bring about good consequences.  Remember that the "...word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)  There is power in the word of God!  When I speak to people and give advice or comfort, I try to use God's words rather than my own.  God can recall these words to their minds and work great works in their lives.

Knowing our God by the reading of His word brings us to a point of trust.  When Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she would bear the Son of God, Gabriel also told her that  Elizabeth was also pregnant and would bear the forerunner.  By seeing God's promise fulfilled in Elizabeth, Mary was able to trust God in the fulfillment of His promises in her life.  Reading the Bible lets us see God's faithfulness in others lives.  He will also be faithful in ours if we trust.  Trust is more than believing; it is acting as if what we believe is true.  Trusting is taking that next step not knowing where our foot will land, but knowing that our God is good and will direct our paths.  Trust is being able to curl up in God's lap when our circumstances overwhelm us.  Trust is putting your hand in the Father's hand and knowing that you will be safe.  Trust is paying attention to the word of God and applying it to your life.

May God bless the reading of His word in your heart and home this day.  Don't put it back on the shelf!  Live it!

Hint of the day: It is important that your children see you reading God's word and spending time in prayer.  Be consistent and let them "catch" you spending time with God.  They also need to see you  applying God's word to your life.  That is instruction.  Talk about it.  Say, "You know I am sad today, but I know God is in control, so let's take a minute and praise Him."   These lessons are better caught than taught!  Give your kids a reason to want to be in the word - live it!

The King's Daughter

"The King's daughter is all glorious within..." Psalm 46:13

We are moving.  Actually we are supposed to be moved.  Instead we are stuck in a house with everything packed, no electricity for a time, and no idea when the closing will really happen.  This makes me grumpy, irritable, and wanting to cry.  I don't feel much like a princess today.  Now when we do get moved I will not have the help of one of our boys who needs to show up at college next Tuesday.  I was hoping for more help.  He may even have to spend his first few college nights on a floor at my friend's house.  My life doesn't look much like the life of a princess right now.  I only have a couple outfits available and why put on makeup to sit around an empty house?  I don't look much like a princess right now.  But...!  That doesn't change the fact that I am a princess!!!  That's right, I am still the daughter of the King of Kings!

I can't change my circumstances or my clothing situation, but I can choose to still be glorious within!  I am working on that.  I am trying to answer with soft words, not complain, to laugh a lot, and wait upon God with excited anticipation.  There is a reason that we are still here.  One reason was that we got to pray with our waitress last night.  She has a very sick grandfather.  We prayed, she cried, and then she told us thank you.  As we were leaving she told us that our caring had changed her evening.  I reminded her that God loved her and she agreed to not forget that.  The boys (twins, age 18) are getting to spend more time with friends, and I am able to squeeze in one more Bible study with a teenage girl that I mentor.  God has His reasons. 

So, I will choose to be glorious within when my circumstances without are not all that great.  In the end, we will get moved, my boys will get to college with college books ordered, and we will have fun memories of watching the Olympics in an otherwise empty living room!  I will choose laughter over tears and a smile over a grump.  As God's daughter, He gives me power to choose!  I will praise Him, be thankful for all things, and trust in His timing because I am His princess!

Hint for the day: Teach your kids that attitudes are a choice.  If they "woke up on the wrong side of the bed", have them go back to bed and get out on the other side.  That is always good for a laugh or two!  If they are having a grumpy day, send them to be by themselves until they can come in and join the family without a frown.  Being sad is okay when circumstances call for sadness, but being grumpy is a choice! 

Everything is Good

"For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude..."
1 Timothy 4:4

Timothy is speaking here of the last days when men fall away from the faith because they paid attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.  He speaks of doctrines such as forbidding marriage and abstaining from foods.  The bottom line is legalism.  When we put our trust in what we can do or should not do rather than the sacrifice of Jesus, then we are bound up by lies.  Verse 3 says that these foods that people are abstaining from were created by God to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.  Knowing the truth is accepting that we are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1), but rather we are children of God.

Law is safe.  Give me a list of do's and don't's and I can accomplish it well and feel good about myself.  Relationships are less safe.  They have the "Squishy factor" of emotions and wills.  When our oldest son wrote his senior paper for high school, he wrote on War Gaming.  In War Gaming much can be predictable and counted upon.  But the "Squishy factor" comes into play when you introduce human emotions and will into the mix.  So around our house that has become a familiar term.  Relationships have a 'Squishy Factor"! 

But relatitonships also offer greater rewards than lists.  I can pat myself on the back for a job well done when a list is accomplished, but to share in an accomplishment with another is more gratifying.  Law put restrictions upon the Israelites that they might know the protection and provision of God.  Also that they would learn Who their God is.  Law also taught them that they could not keep the law perfectly and that they needed a Savior.  Law has done it's job.  The Savior has come.  A relationship with that Savior, Jesus, and the Father Who sacrificed His Son, is fulfillment and love and acceptance and joy!  When we choose to go back to the law, demanding lists be fulilled, there is bondage and shame and rejection. 

Relationships are risky.  But, our God is good and everything created by God is good.  We teach our children that God created and everything was declared good.  Satan is a created being and cannot, himself, create anything.  Instead, Satan distorts what God created as good and perverts it for his use.  Take music as an example.  Music is God's creation for our worship and adoration of God.  It touches our hearts and minds like nothing else.  It can lead us into the very presence of God.  But Satan has distorted music and it is used to deliver messages of evil and death.  Sex is something else that God created as good within marriage.  It unites and draws near not only the body, but the spirit and soul of two people committed to one another for life.  Satan has twisted sex and made every kind of perversion acceptable in our culture, destroying lives, bodies, families, and children.

As Christians, we are to enjoy that which God has made for the purpose that God made it for and rejoice and be thankful.  There is no shame or rejection in God's ways.  Don't be bound by laws.  Walk with Jesus, day by day, minute by minute, know His word, and listen to His heart and you will know how to live and find fulfillment in that which god made for our good!

Hint of the day: As your children get older, don't run from topics that are uncomfortable rather engage them in this conversation: What God created for good, Satan has used for evil. Teach them to find beauty in music.  Teach them that beauty in sex comes only after marriage.  Point out the lies of Satan and tell them the truth of God's word.  We avoided shows with witches in them when the children were little.  Then as they grew we discussed the evil of witchcraft and why it is bad.  Together we agreed that Harry Potter and other shows that normalize witchcraft would not be what God would have us to do.  This grew not out of law, but rather out of a relationship with Jesus.  We want to please Him and glorify Him.  Witchcraft does not do that!

God Thinks of Me!

"He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God. 
Many will see and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done.
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count."
Psalm 40:3-5

When you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life and stepped down from your own throne, you became a new creature.  This new creature no longer needs to be ashamed of past performance or identity.  Rather this new creature can sing a new song!  Songs of praise to God!  Many who knew the old you, as well as those you meet, will fear and trust in God because of the change in you.  That change should include a new identity as God's beloved child of the King!  It should include love and acceptance, worth and affirmation.  As you read God's word and apply it to your life, you should burst forth with songs of thankfulness and joy because you can now stand before God forgiven and free!

The new creature will begin a journey of trust in God.  He loves us and wants what is best for us even if that comes through hardship or frustration.  We must trust that the God of the universe who loved us so much to send His Son to die for us will also lead us through the day to day walk of our lives.  He did not save us and leave us!  He saved us so that He could fellowship with us!  He cares about us so much that His thoughts are continually turned towards us!  He has so many thought of us that they cannot be counted!  That's love!!!

When you love someone, you think about them constantly, trying to figure out ways to please them and to be together.  god loves us so much that His thoughts are continually for us.  Have you ever felt abandoned by God?  Have you wondered where He was as life overcame you with harsh circumstances?  I have, but I have also trusted that even though I may not feel God's presence for a time, that He is still there because He says that He will never leave me nor forsake me.  My mortal existence can not always percieve the eternal presence of God.  I must believe His word, stand on His promises, and act as if His word and promises are true even when it doesn't seem to be so.  Because I choose to believe in the midst, I can sing a new song, even in the midst!

Hint for the day:  You don't have to be a virtuoso to sing with your kids.  Let song be a part of every day.  We used to sing on the way to church, and everywhere else!  We sang as we did chores, we sang in the car, we still sing when we are out hiking.  We declare the beauty of God's world with song.  Even if singing does not come naturally to you, try it!  Sing an old song such as "The B-I-B-L-E" or "Jesus Loves Me."  Make up silly songs!  But sing! Or at least hum along!

Pit of Destruction

"I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm."
Psalm 40:1-2

Waiting is hard to do for us humans.  It does not come naturally.  It is a character trait that we must learn and practice and then choose over and over again.  I used to be very impatient about everything, but as I began practicing patience and trusting in God, I learned to wait.  ("They that wait upon the Lord will gain new strength... Isaiah40:31) Waiting isn't hard when you know that the Author of the thing that you are waiting upon loves you and wants to do good for you.  Waiting become joyful expectation.  You will find yourself saying, "I can't wait to see how God pulls this one off!"  rather than, "Man, I can't keep waiting, I need to know now!" When we wait patiently and allow circumstances to work out in God's timing, it is always good.

God hears our cries!  Sometimes we cry out and want an immediate answer to our inquiry and tears.  God has an eternal timetable which does not always coincide with ours!  We cry out, knowing that He heard and then we wait with great expectation to see God work.

Not only will God hear us, but He answers with the eternal answer - Jesus!  He is the Rock that God sets our feet upon.  He can pull us out of depression, hopelessness, self-destruction, self-incrimination, and hatefulness if we cry out to Him and ask.  For me His answer came through Jesus in the form of a Christian counselor that help me to understand the instruction of God's Word that I had hidden in my heart for many years.  Friends were there to support me and my husband walked along beside me.  When you know that "Jesus is the Answer", but it doesn't seem to be enough, keep asking.  Go deeper in with God and wait upon His work in your heart and mind.  Be renewed by the reading of God's Word.  Jesus is the only Rock that is eternally stable and safe and strong.

Hezekiah was a king of Israel that sought God.  Isaiah, the prophet, came to King Hezekiah and told him that God had said that the king would die.  Hezekiah mourned before the Lord and God answered by taking the sun backwards! (Isaiah 38:1-8)  When Hezekiah asked God for healing, he was given an additional 15 years.  Hezekiah praises God with these words: "It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness.  For You have cast all my sins behind Your back." (Isaiah 38:17b) Hezekiah trusted God's prophesy and believed God even before Jesus was born that God, in Jesus, would erase his sins and make him righteous.  Jesus was the answer even before He was born!  He is the Saviour and will save us from the miry clay of hopelessness.  Keep crying, keep waiting, and wait expectantly to see God work!

Hint of the Day: Teach your kids that being sad is not wrong.  We all have these emotions.  There are proper ways of behaving when we are sad, but even Jesus wept!  Of course, if sadness is a habit then you need to intervene and teach your child to choose praise and joy through Christ.  Jesus wept, but then He got up ad raised Lazarus from the dead! 

Heaven

"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6b

Eternity.  Heaven.  Forever.  These are words that we have a hard time getting our minds around.  We are much more comfortable with the here and now.  Eternity is a fact for every soul.  Where one will spend that eternity is the question.  I choose heaven.  I choose now.  Eternity with Christ began the minute that you accepted Jesus as your Savior.  You can know a very small amount of heaven now as you walk in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  In His presence is joy and peace and love.  The relationship that you have today with God will continue and grow and explode when you get to heaven!

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though the outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day be day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things whcih are not seen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I am approaching 50.  I take good care of my body with nutrition and supplements and exercise.  But!  I see the reality of my body decaying.  Athletes in the Olympics are at their peak in their teens and twenties.  Rarely do we see a world athlete beyond thirty.  This world and these bodies will pass away, but our souls will last forever.  In comparison, this time is nothing!  The pain, the hurt, the grief, the worry, will soon be forgotten in the presence of God.  And we can begin to experience His presence even now because our inner man is being renewed day by day through the word of God, prayer, and fellowship with God. 

God's house.  His abode.  His dwelling place.  Right now we are hidden under His wings (Psalm 19 and 36).  We are abiding with Jesus through His word and prayer even now!  But our experiences often make us seek for other refuges, or we scamper out from under His protection.  But in Heaven we will bask safely forever under His wings, in His abode, face to face!  Are you getting excited yet?!  I am!  I can't wait.  In His presence forever there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more evil. 

Praise God today for His reality of heaven forever.  We read a children's book once by Janette Oke about a prairie dog pup.  He knew safety and provision in his den.  His mother was usually right there with him and his siblings.  He had plenty to eat and had room to play.  His mother prepared him for the day that he would come up out of his den for the first time.  While he sat in the dark feeling protected and loved, he could not imagine light and blue skies, and green grass, and fragrant flowers.  But the day finally came.  He poked his head out of the dark and entered into a world of wonder.  I think that is how we will feel when we get to heaven.  We think we have it all here.  We think that this is real, but it is just a shadow of what is to come.  One song says that God made the world in 7 days, but He has been working on Heaven for 2000 years!

Go to your Shepherd.  Let Him meet your needs.  Let Him restore your soul through salvation and a  walk with Him.  Find His protection.  Rejoice in His presence.  Wait upon Him.  The wait will be worth it!!! For you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

Hint of the day:  Blind fold your kids for 15 minutes.  It will seem like forever to them.  While they are blindfolded secretly set the table with something good (a treat).  When they remove the blindfold experience their thankfulness.  Tell them that we are now blinded to the things of eternity, but God will remove our blinders and we will see Him face to face for real and that will be the best treat ever!

Goodness and Mercy

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life..." Psalm 23:6a (KJV)

Life happens!  Right now we are in the midst of moving, getting two ready for college, dealing with pain, and coming home from 5 months on the road.  Life happens!  But when we abide in the presence of the Lord, "Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me..."  Surely means undoubtedly.  It will happen. And goodness and mercy is God's blessing for this life.  Does that mean that there will be no sorrows or troubles?  No.  But in the midst we will see God's goodness and mercy.  Mr. Truett Cathay, the founder of Chik-Fil-A, dared to stand up for traditional marriage.  He has been attacked by the gay and lesbian groups.  But in the midst, he is finding God's goodness and mercy.  Today, Christians across America are showing their support by eating at his restaurants. 

An often misunderstood and misquoted verse of the Bible is Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." The "And" refers back to the previous verses on prayer.  We are weak and don't know what to ask, but the Spirit of God intercedes on our behalf.  We would ask for goodness and mercy in the immediate and transient things of this life.  Our God knows better.  He wants us to experience good for all of eternity and that comes only with character building and relating intimately with our Savior and God.  A child asks for candy.  Sometimes the parent will give him some.  Often though the answer is no because the parent knows that candy is not the best for the child in the long run.  Our God knows eternity; we do not.  He knows our hearts; we do not.  He knows our bents and our sin and our minds; we do not.  But the Spirit does.  All things will work for our good.

And mercy (or lovingkindness in the NAS)...  When we are abiding in an intimate relationship with our God, we will know His mercy and His lovingkindness and that is enough.  God's mercy is His forgiveness and sacrifice that we might be in His presence.  His lovingkindness is His motive behind that mercy.  He loves us and delights in us and wants to spend time with us!  How great is that?!

And, God does not abandon us when we are old and cannot do things for Him.  He is with us all the days of our lives!  And there is sweetness to the one who has learned to walk with Him in their younger years and relief for those who are turning to Him in the last days.  Heaven is just a step away!  There is true mercy and goodness.

Hint of the Day: Spend a day telling your children 'no' for everything.  Spend the next day telling them "yes" (for everything that is not harmful).  The third day or the second night, ask them which they preferred.  They will be likely to say neither!  "No" was no fun!  "Yes" did not make them feel like they were protected or that someone bigger was in control.  They might say they liked the "yes" day, but take it farther and give examples where an always "yes" would not be wise and could actually be scary.  Then tell that God is bigger and His "no's" and "yes's"  are there to protect us and make us have a relationship with Him.