“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)
“In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles” (Psalm 34:6)
Being alone can be difficult. In life people may leave, but the Lord is always with you. Kids grow up and leave the house, relationships end, loved ones pass away, or, in my case, work takes them farther from you. No matter the reason, being alone is hard.
As Christians we are in fellowship with each other, and we can gain comfort from that. In my life when I am alone because we have moved and everything is new, there isn’t always a community to fellowship within when things are hard. Remembering that the Lord walks with us all of our days and through all our trials helps ease the burden of loneliness. Going to the Lord in prayer and turning things over to God heals our soul and, in that time, alone with the Lord, He will deliver to you comfort and clarity of mind to get you through whatever the situation may be (1 Peter 5:7). It sometimes takes those moments with Him to see that He has already given you the answers you need, but we are often so caught up in a narrow view that we cannot understand things through his wide lens. Take time in your life and throughout your day to reflect and consider that everything has a purpose, and with faith his plan will be revealed. Nothing happens when you are with God by accident. There are lessons in everything, and when you call to Him, you will be saved from all your troubles (Psalm 34:6). We serve a loving God, and He takes up your burdens to ease your pain if you only call upon Him. I am always comforted knowing in my life that I am never truly alone; He is with me. He is working in ways that I cannot imagine to prepare me for the roads ahead or to be the person working in someone else’s life.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, Help us to always call upon You, no matter the reason. Be with us as we work through life’s various burdens to lift them from us as we draw closer to You. Amen.
“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.”
Isaiah 41:10
There will be days when life hands you more than you believe you can handle; days when your obstacles seem insurmountable. Hold onto God’s promise and know He is always by your side. Lean on God and His Word; He will sustain, strengthen and equip you to face the trials of life. What an honor it will be to testify on His behalf as you weather to storms of life.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you are our comfort and strength. Thank you for walking beside us daily. Thank you for your love, mercy and grace and for the strength we draw from your Word and the assurance of your constant presence in our lives. Help us to be a light for others as we face life’s challenges with confidence. Amen.
There are persons for companionship, “But he who finds a Wife finds what is good.”
Have you ever looked up all the different meanings for “friend”? I have friends that are labeled with special titles. Maybe like many in your .category of friends you include things like ‘my new BFF’, or maybe ‘friends forever’. Think a moment about other categories, i.e., acquaintance or those you claim as ‘someone I know’. Do you have someone that fits the description found in Proverbs? I used to think it was so great to have a ‘Chum’ in school. And then of course several ‘Buddies’ through growing up and even Pals in the Military. But I have come to cherish the time I found what the Lord has brought into my life. He gives so many reminders through Scripture that when we study, discuss and live by those instructions, we learn just what He means and will always provide the guidance we will need to find just who will fill that special spot as friend and now goes by the title of Wife. Have you been that fortunate? This day a few decades ago I was, and now I have what is ‘good’.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, guide us always in the way to continually seek Your guidance and to accept it in our lives so that we may always live in fellowship with You and know what is ‘good’. Amen.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “Tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29 (NIV)
“You can’t walk on the water if you don’t get out of the boat.” I first saw this in an Upper Room devotional. Like Peter, we all want to walk on the water. But do we have the faith to step out of the boat? Years ago, I was in a job crisis. My job was ok but not what I was supposed to be doing. I knew I needed to find something else but that was scary. And who likes to job hunt? All those interviews and rejections – not me! But then I read this devotional and realized that I could “walk on the water,” but first I had to get out of the boat. I have framed this saying and keep it by my desk to remind me every day that “walking on water” is possible but only if I have the faith to step out of the boat in the first place.
Prayer: Our most gracious heavenly Father give me the strength of faith to step out of the boat and walk on the water. Amen.
Jeremiah, a young man and possibly a teenager, heard this from the Lord: “I formed you in the womb and sanctified you before birth. I ordained you as a profit for the Nations. Jeremiah replied: “but I cannot speak, I’m just a youth!” Although afraid, he listened to God. God instructed Jeremiah to go to the Nations and speak to the people. God admonished him saying, “do not be afraid for I will be with you.” God touched his lips, and said, “I have put words in your mouth! You will be over the Nations and Kingdoms. You will tear down and destroy evil. You will build and plant anew for all the ages.”
Years later Jesus was teaching in a home when an observer told Him that his mother and brothers were outside. He looked at those around him and asked, “Who is my mother and my brothers? Whoever does the will of God is my mother and brothers.” Near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was preaching to the multitudes when he was forced into a boat to finish his sermon. He told his followers that they would learn through parables. He then told the story of a sower of seeds. Some seeds fell by the wayside and birds devoured them. Others fell on stony ground. They sprang up quickly, but were scorched by the sun and blown away to die. Others planted in thorns were smothered by the rapid growth of thorns. Seeds planted in fertile ground yielded a healthy crop producing some tenfold and even thirtyfold. A sower of words who preached the gospel experienced the same fate. Some words fell by the wayside; others fell on hearts and were taken away by Satan. Those sown on rocky ground instilled joy, but did not last, as few had a strong faith. They stumble and the word is lost when they face challenges. These words sown like seeds in thorns are overcome by cares of the world, riches, and excessive desires. These words are lost and their meaning forgotten. Words that fall on open minds and hearts are accepted. These people have faith; they believe in the word and are nurtured by the word of God.
As God’s people and His workers, we are obligated to build a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel He preached. This faith will resist even fire and survive any challenge. Those who believe will be justly rewarded.
Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, we pray that You will give us the faith of Jeremiah. Help us to resist temptation and sin. Let our faith grow and become strong in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Bless us and show us the paths of righteousness. Amen.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
On July 7, 1997, my husband had a severe heart attack, and the doctors gave him 30 minutes to live. He prayed to God to give him 15 more years, and he lived until July 7, 2012.
A few years that followed the heart attack he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He was operated on, and the doctors removed all the cancer. Then in 2007 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and suffered much pain from chemotherapy and radiation, yet he never complained; instead he talked about his love for God.
Then in 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, and it had to be removed in June of 2012. My husband had to have someone with him 24 hours a day, so my son, daughter-in-law, and I took turns caring for him. On July 7, 2012, at 3:00 a.m., the Lord spoke to me to take my son’s shift, so I was able to be with Herbert when he died that morning at 4:20 a.m.
Before he died, he had asked the hospice nurse not to cover his face when they took him out of the house because he was merely asleep in the Lord, not dead. So, I thanked God for all the love Herbert gave me and for all the love he gave my son. Then I sang a song of praise to God and told Herbert that the glory of God was so bright that it lit up all of heaven. He looked forward to heaven and smiled and did indeed go to sleep in the Lord.
He never went to bed angry, and we both said we loved each other when we woke and before we went to bed. We committed to go on a date every Friday.
Before Herbert’s death, he was totally blind in one eye and only had enough vision in the other to follow a shadow to get around the house by keeping the lights on. I could tell that he had complete vision in the sight of the Lord.
Prayer:
You are the perfect healer and give sight to the blind. You are my comforter and hope. I am not afraid to die because I know when I get to heaven, I will be in the presence of my Lord. Amen.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Tug and I moved from Dallas to my hometown in 2007. We gave up our retirement plans to help my deceased son’s wife and two small children. Those plans didn’t happen. We loved our church in Dallas and were looking forward to finding our forever church home. We prayed! After a couple of visits, the decision was made. We started attending FUMC Killeen in 2008.
This is where my story begins! One day I made an appointment to speak to the Senior Pastor to discuss where I could best serve God and this church. I had been praying but was at a loss. He immediately replied, “We need someone to take over the Prayer Team.” Yikes! Now what was I to do? I had prayed all my life, but I couldn’t pray out loud or in front of anyone! I told him I would have to think about it, maybe responding, “I would pray about it!” I called the pastor the next day and hesitantly agreed to “try”
to lead the Prayer Team. Joni Lien and Sue Teinert, who had been leading the prayer team, were great mentors. Why am I sharing this now? I thought I needed the pastor to tell me where I should serve. All I needed was to have the confidence in approaching my Heavenly Father, knowing He listens and waiting patiently for His response. Trust in the Lord with all your heart!
Prayer:
Gracious God, thank You for loving me even when my words and thoughts are simple and my confidence waivers. In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray. Amen.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”
My thirty-year marriage to George ended with his surrender to Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is a great teacher.
I first realized George had Alzheimer’s when we were towing a 35-foot Avion trailer. Far from home he stopped on a two-lane, paved highway and refused to go over the next hill. I directed traffic while he walked to the top of the hill to see if the road continued. My world shifted that day. I grieved the loss of the man I could trust to make sound decisions for us both and accepted the man who needed me to step up as a more vocal partner.
A couple years later, the police stopped George after he went through a stop sign. George explained to the officer, “If everyone stops, no one will get anywhere.” I sold his car and became sole driver.
Alzheimer’s teaches us to grieve each loss and fall in love again and again and again. I loved the adult and then lost him to his twelve-year-old mentality. I lost my twelve-year-old to an eight-year-old who rescued a bird that flew into a garage window. We spent the day taking the bird to a veterinarian and buying birdseed.
My eight-year-old left me, and I fell in love with the four-year-old sorting nuts and bolts for me again and again. He loved to take walks and eat fast food. By his last Christmas, he was a one-year-old playing with shoes on the floor. I experienced existential joy on the floor beside him.
Grief and joy are the same lesson.
Years ago a friend who had just lost her husband told me, “I am looking at this as a new adventure. I have never been here before.”
This new day requires me to find joy in a new relationship(s). There is more than one season to each life.
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, Mother of cardinal, earth and sky, Great Spirit of wind and prairie grasses: Teach us the lesson of holding on and letting go, holding on and letting go. Teach us to love unconditionally. Teach us to give ourselves permission to live anew in joy. Amen.
God Restores Us and Protects Us with Important Purposes
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you.”
I overheard this Bible verse in my first year of college when I was seventeen years old. Two very concerned female students were discussing it and were frustrated that they did not know what it meant and had to discuss it for a class. They kept repeating the verse over and over. My heart was pounding inside of me while I stood at the other side of the library cubicle wanting to help them, but I never did. I was ashamed of being born and raised in church and was self-conscious.
The oracle that opens in Isaiah Chapter 43 foretells in its turn the redemption of Israel/Jacob by none other than God. Images from the time of Exodus appear: the water that does not submerge and the fire that does not consume (an echo of Isaiah 1:25 in which Yahweh announces purification through the crucible of adversity). The Lord does not wait for the people to change on their own; he freely transforms the deaf and blind people (Isaiah 42:18) in the nation that proclaims the Glory of God (Isaiah 43:7). The trust that God infuses to the people implies the certainty that nothing opposite to them may shake them as a nation; the strong waters, the turbulent river, the fire and the flame
symbolize Israel’s enemies. The New Testament retakes the certainty that no adversity may overtake the faithful of the Lord. What’s solid about these chosen ones is that God has called them by their name, and they are his personal property (Isaiah 43:1b), thus provided entity to proclaim God’s glory.
I believe God’s grace, redemption, and protection will be with me when I stand for the words of eternal life. I wasn’t courageous enough to stand up for the Gospel in my first year in college, but God has kept working in my life ever since. I believe during this Lenten season and all throughout the year God’s protection will be upon us when we preach, uttering words and testifying with our demeanor as well. I believe God’s protection will be with us when we obey his teachings and encounter turmoil along the way.
Can we trust and be at peace that God is our protector? Can we walk our journey as if we are under the protection of the Almighty? Are we aware that who calls us by our name expects us to contribute to His visible glory? Are we thankful that God provides us second and third chances; that He provides us new opportunities to make up for our shortcomings? With what purposes (or callings) has God redeemed and protected you? Do you consider them important?
Prayer:
God, you create, restore and protect us with the purpose of living lives worthy of repentance and worshiping you. May we be strengthened in our Christian faith when it’s time to learn the hard way and when we just don’t feel like standing up for what we are called to do. Help us, walk with us, protect us as you have promised. Allow us to comprehend there’s no need to rush or flee for you are all we need to smile through tough times and proclaim the good news of salvation where they are most needed. All of this we pray, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
8 “Love never fails.”
13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.”
I always tell my grandchildren to be loving and kind to EVERYONE. What is wrong with our children and youth today? Absolutely nothing! I’ve witnessed many children and youth who are doing great things for our church, for individuals, and for themselves. The children are so alive with joy at Children’s Time, going to Children’s Church, Vacation Bible School, and camp outs. The Children’s Choir performs at church services during Christmas. I could go on and on. This is very good.
The Youth do fundraising to help pay for their mission trips. There they are helping others who are in need. They serve throughout their community. One senior I was visiting with humbly shared with me that he was on a youth council and meets with the Bishop once a year. After I said, “Shut the back door” to him, I told him how proud I was of him. I saw another youth
getting the Pastor’s attention saying, “Come, Pastor, and see all the food we cooked for tonight.” Many of our youth greet at the church’s front door. Children are looking for acceptance, too. One young man walked up to my grandson recently at a stock show asking if he could play football with a group of children playing in a corner of the barn during their break from the show. Sure, my grandson said. Another boy said, “Who is he?” My grandson said, “He’s playing with us.” I whispered, “Does it matter who he is?” “No, it doesn’t matter,” my grandson said. These children had such good manners and were so loving and respectful to each other. My grandson won the Breeding Showmanship Award that day.
The next day was a different story. It was time for the Market Showmanship class. He showed and was not selected to be in the final two. The remainder of the class was asked politely to exit the arena. Before they exited, they must shake the judge’s hands. On this day there was the judge and half a dozen seniors judging. He became emotional because he had not shown as well this second day.
Walking up to shake all the judges hands with head down, fighting back tears, one senior judge put her arms round him, turned him away from the other judges, and walked with him out of the arena. What love and compassion this senior judge showed!
These few stories I’ve shared are examples of the faith, hope, and love which are so desperately needed in the world today.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for working in us to share our faith, hope, and LOVE with others. Amen.
