Category: Provision

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Overwhelmed

Have you ever taken the time to sit quietly and think on God’s goodness? When I do this I am overwhelmed!

We need to contemplate, as the song says, “the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God”!

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

I heard the testimony of a young evangelist 40 years ago. He had been invited to speak at a gathering during the Jesus movement of the 1970’s. Speaker after speaker stood and gave testimony to God’s saving grace. They told of drugs, homelessness, imprisonment, alcoholism, severely depression. Then it was his turn. The moderator said to him, “Tell us how you got here.” He said I quietly answered, “On the bus.” Everyone laughed.

He then went on to tell the crowd how being raised in a Christian home he had never strayed, but God had kept him, giving him strength to overcome the temptations that so many others had experienced. He said the miracle of being kept from a life of sin was just as great as being delivered out of that lifestyle.

I hear people talk of how God protected and delivered them in dangerous and life-threatening situations. I am so thankful for the miraculous deliverance of my friends and family, but I am just as grateful that Dave and I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles without a “close call” or an accident. That too is miraculous!

The children of Israel saw the miraculous power of God deliver them from Egypt, part the Red Sea, provide food from heaven, and then bring them to the Promised Land that was flowing with milk and honey.

“‘I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. 14 ‘So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.'” Joshua 24:13-14a NLT

Never downplay what seems ordinary when compared to the miraculous. The person who has had a miraculous healing from a life-threatening disease prays for a life of ordinary good health.

The Bible uses the illustration of sheep and the Good Shepherd on several occasions. One story is of a shepherd who went out to find one lost sheep. That sheep needed rescuing; it needed a miracle. However, there were 99 sheep who weren’t lost but had been living under the shepherd’s overwhelming, never-ending, precious loving care.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMPC

“ The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack…Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.” Psalm 23:1, 6 AMPC

We all need to take time to be overwhelmed by the ordinary, everyday, protection and provision of God’s love. It’s miraculous!

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Anticipation

We should be living every day with a sense of anticipation – not fear, but excitement for the wonderful things God has planned for us!

This morning I know three small children who are waking up with anticipation. I hope their folks are too. You see, Dave and I gave the gift of experience to our youngest daughter’s family for Christmas. Today we will drive to northern Arizona, early evening we will board a train for the Polar Express experience.

The weather forecast is calling for snow this evening and tomorrow. It will be a day filled with firsts. A first train ride, not just a first for the littles but for Dave too. And a first for snow for the little ones! The excitement is building – that wonderful sense of anticipation!

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NLT

Anticipation: Always be full of joy and don’t worry about anything! That is our instruction from God the Father.

This morning I was reminiscing about the last 10 years. We have had numerous moments of anticipation: the sale of our home in Montana, our return to AZ, births, weddings, home goings, cancer treatment, back surgery, full-time RV leaving. Yes, there has been much anticipation and there are new ones for 2023.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, praise His holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His acts of kindness. 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity. 5 He fills my years with good things and I am made young again like the eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 NLV

Remembering the past and looking forward to the future should heighten our sense of expectation. Young David, the shepherd, remembered the Lord’s help in killing a lion and a bear and so it increased his anticipation of success when he went out to face Goliath.

Moses reminded the Israelites on how the Lord had delivered them from Egypt, opened the Red Sea, and fed them with manna. These events of the past filled them with hope of God’s continued provision for their future as they entered the promised land.

“ I have been young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the man who is right with God left alone, or his children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25 NLV

As we remember the past it should give us great anticipation for our future. God is faithful to a thousand generations – He is the Father of strength and victory. Be full of joy and free of worry as you anticipate the year ahead!

(There will be no blog tomorrow morning. I want to focus on my time with family.)

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Is It Over?

The piles of torn paper and empty boxes is a scene that played out in millions of homes worldwide. The joy and the laughter, the hugs and kisses, the thank-yous and oooh’s and aaaah’s are still fresh in our memories.

Face-to-face conversations and loving words exchanged over the phone were all added bonuses of the day.

I’m sitting here this morning recalling the texts, the sounds of loved ones voices, the snuggles, all the details of the day and I imagine Mary did the same.

Every one of us mothers can remember what it was like to wake up the day after one of our children were born. We spent time going over in our heart the emotions of the day, those that came to visit and once again holding that tiny child in our arms – counting every finger and toe. Kissing the top of their head, holding them tightly and marveling at the life of one so small.

Imagine what must of have going through Mary’s heart that morning after Christ’s birth. She was in a stable, with a man who had showed her unconditional love and holding a child in her arms who was God’s gift to mankind. How blessed – how in awe!

“ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:16-19 NLT

The life ahead of Mary was new and uncharted territory. She had never been a mother or a wife before. So much about her life was changing. Her Son was the promised Messiah! How do you raise the Son of God? Yes, there was so much to ponder. She would need to be dependent upon God for His help and instruction.

What will we “ponder” today? Is it the travel home, the new job after the first of the year? Maybe there will be a medical procedure that you’re dreading.

Is Christmas over and now we go on with the daily routine or will we be like Mary and realized that we need a greater dependence upon God for the days ahead?

Let’s take time to be thankful that Christmas has life changing, glorious meaning for every day of the year!

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Something Went Wrong

Not the words you want to read first thing in the morning.

“Something went wrong, try again later”.

I was trying to access the app on my phone so I could see our boarding passes. We’re headed home today and I had selected our boarding position early so I wouldn’t have to check in yesterday. It would have interrupted the fun day that our granddaughter had planned for us.

So, this morning I tried to open the app to check our boarding passes and was greeted with this message several times. Yikes! But at last, I had success. Now we are set for our return flight with no problems.

I’m so glad that God the Father doesn’t use an app – He’s definitely bigger and greater than that.

“…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

The mighty God – THE mighty God – the MIGHTY God – the mighty GOD – THE MIGHTY GOD – no matter where you put the emphasis, it means that HE is greater than I am.

From the beginning, God’s plan was to be involved in the daily lives of those He created. He wanted fellowship. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He spoke with Noah, with Abraham, Samuel, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Mary, Joseph and many others. He came personally to dwell with mankind and reveal His nature – His heart – His plan.

The MIGHTY God made an old couple able to bear a child; shut the mouth of hungry lions, brought victory after victory in battle, fed the Israelites with bread from heaven, raised the dead, healed the sick, open the eyes of the blind, walked on water and defeated Satan. His resurrection from death was the ultimate victory.

The Mighty GOD came to live among us, to experience what we experience and to give us the victory. There was no need to “try again later”, His mission was successful, and His victory was unthwarted.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”I John 4:4

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16

There is NO situation or circumstance in our lives that “the mighty God” can’t handle. No need to try again later. When we give our lives over to Him, we will experience His presence, His peace, His help in our times of trouble.

Unwrap the gift of The Mighty God and experience His strength!

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Willing to Wait

Well, this morning we are on our way to visit with our son and his girlfriend for a few days and then with our granddaughter and her family.

It seems I’ve been waiting forever for this day to come.

Waiting is hard, especially at Christmas time. Do you remember being little and having to wait for Christmas morning? Tell me ,why do parents put presents under the tree 3 weeks in advance? Why are we told grandma and grandpa will be here, 2 weeks before they arrive? For little ones that seems like an eternity.

Now, imagine if you will, being Mary on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was about 120 miles. Each night of the trip she waited for a comfortable bed but there was none. She waswaiting, hoping in all earnestness, for a warm and comfortable bed upon their arrival. But there was none.

Never in her wildest dreams do I think she imagined that she would be giving birth to her first child, God’s Son, in a barn!

“ I would have been without hope if I had not believed that I would see the loving-kindness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart be strong. Yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NLV

These words were written by King David but I think they must have also been the words of Mary’s heart.

But Mary wasn’t the only one who had waited for the day of Christ’s birth. God, the Father, had been waiting too. He had been waiting since the days of Adam and Eve in the garden.

“ Then the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, you will be hated and will suffer more than all cattle, and more than every animal of the field. You will go on your stomach and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will make you and the woman hate each other, and your seed and her seed will hate each other. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NLV

These were God’s words of prophecy to the serpent in the garden. The seed of the woman, Christ, would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. Satan’s fate had been sealed! God would have the final word but He had to wait!

Are you waiting for something big to happen? A clear doctor’s report? A new promotion? A vindication among your peers? A restored relationship? Retirement? Graduation?

Don’t get tired in waiting. Don’t try to rush the plans of God. Be patient. Be willing to wait for God’s best, don’t settle for Satan’s counterfeit.

“ I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure.” Psalm 130:5-7 NLV

When we’re willing to wait good things happen. After all, it’s almost Christmas!

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Peace of Mind

That was the message of the night when Christ was born. “Peace on earth, good will toward men”.

But what kind of peace? There was and has been unrest and wars, divisions between nations and people. Was God wrong to have the angels proclaim peace? Not hardly!

The peace that Christ brought to earth was a peace between God, the Father, and all mankind.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 ERV

What an amazingly, wonderful gift! Peace with God; God’s goodwill being poured out on us. It’s a heart peace, a freedom from worry. A mindset that God loves me, and I can trust Him with my life. I can trust Him to want good for me, I can trust Him to protect me. I can trust Him to give me peace.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.

8 Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me—what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6-9 ERV

God’s peace will stand guard over ALL my thoughts – imagine that. Every thought guarded by peace!

I’ve heard it said that the war or battlefield we face as Christians is the one in our mind. I agree with that. Fear starts in our thoughts – the “what if’s”. What if I get cancer, lose my job, my kids rebel, my spouse leaves, I’m injured or killed? What if?

“We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:5 NLV

Replace the what ifs with things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honest, pure and lovely. This is why it is so important to have our hearts and minds filled with God’s word. The word of God is the sword that helps us fight the battle in our own imaginations.

God’s word has promised us protection, provision, a life of peace. We need to appropriate those promises.

The peace that the Father promised didn’t come in a big box wrapped with a beautiful bow, no. It was delivered on a normal night, in a small town, wrapped in strips of cloth and put in a feed trough. His name was Prince of Peace and He comes to all who will receive Him.

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Thankful for Abundance

Years ago, I had a Thanksgiving experience that has reminded me to be thankful for leftovers. Putting away leftovers became a reminder to me of the Lord’s abundance.

This particular Thanksgiving occurred during our farming days. We had a hired hand named Max who irrigated for us. We invited him to come for dinner but he felt uncomfortable with that, so, Dave took a platter of food down to him. I had put some of everything on that plate.

Dave came back and he was almost speechless. Max said he had never seen so much food at a single setting. In fact, he wanted to know if we were going to come down and eat with him because this was just “too much food”. Dave told him it was all for him. Max was overwhelmed to say the least.

That year as I cleared the table and put away the leftovers my heart swelled with gratitude. We certainly had more than we needed, we had more than enough. We had an abundance that we took for granted.

Leftovers.

I wonder how the mother of the boy in the Bible who had a lunch of five loaves and two small fish felt when her son came home with leftovers.

“ Jesus said, “Bring the bread and the fish to me.” 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked into the sky and thanked God for the food. Then he broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. 20 Everyone ate until they were full. When they finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten.” Matthew 14:18-20 ERV

Here was a boy with a sack lunch, just enough to satisfy his appetite. Jesus took what he willingly offered and created a miracle that fed a multitude. I’m sure that some of what had been gathered was sent home with the boy. That’s what God does.

When we give, God gives. In fact, God gives before we do.

“ Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

As we head into the Christmas season I want to be mindful of all that the Father gives us on a daily basis. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him.

May something as small as a bowl of leftovers be a reminder of God’s abundant blessings.

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Make Yourself Comfortable

Some of you may not realize that I enjoy dissecting words. I’m not really a “word smith” but quite often I see a written word and its meaning deepens as I examine it.

Take the word courage. The definition means strength or bravery; when the prefix “dis” is added to the word the impact and meaning are greatly changed. The same holds true with the word ease. Add the same prefix to it, dis-, and it doesn’t just mean nervous or anxious but it also means sick or weakened – dis ease.

This is a bit of a tangent, but I wanted you to see where my mind was taking me this morning as I grabbed my cozy blanket, my cup of coffee, my laptop and took my place in front of the fireplace.

I thought “Thank you Lord for my comfortable home. I am grateful.”

Comfortable: Enabled by comfort. adjective. in a condition of comfort; having comforts; not suffering or anxious; hence, contented; cheerful; as, to lead a comfortable life. affording or imparting comfort or consolation; able to comfort; cheering; as, a comfortable hope.

Comfort – abled. The act of being comforted.

And there you have it – Jesus said that the heavenly Father sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. His purpose is to bring us “comfort”, to impart comfort, cheering us up, making us comfort- able.

“ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.” John 14:16 Amp

All of this is ours through the Holy Spirit. The Father knew we would need assistance in our life here on earth. As a loving Father, He made sure we had the “Helper” we need to live as His examples.

Providing comfort – comforting – making us comfort abled has always been a part of His plan.

“When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady. 19 And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.” Psalm 94:18-19 CEV

“When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life. 51 Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law. 52 I find true comfort, Lord, because your laws have stood the test of time.” Psalm 119:50-52 CEV

Our true comfort doesn’t come from the external things in our lives but from the eternal – from God’s Word and His love.

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 CEV

I am grateful that we have been made comfort-abled and can now share this same comfort with others. Let’s make ourselves comfort abled to the world around us.

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Good Day for Gratitude

I woke up this morning singing a little chorus that we used to sing at church:

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord

and to sing praises to the Lord most High.”

It is a good day for gratitude. That little chorus came from the words of Psalm 92.

“It is good to praise the Lord.  God Most High, it is good to praise your name. 2 It is good to sing about your love in the morning and about your faithfulness at night. 3 It is good to play for you on the ten-stringed instrument and lyre and to add the soft sounds of the harp to my praise. 4 Lord, you make us very happy because of what you did. I gladly sing about it.
5 Lord, you did such great things. Your thoughts are too hard for us to understand.” Psalm 92:1-5 ERV

Some think there has to be a grandiose reason for being grateful to the Father. Things like being saved from a near death experience or a huge financial windfall but what about all the small things that add value to our daily lives.

There’s a brisk wind gusting this morning and I can enjoy the breeze coming through the windows but I’m grateful that I’m not in a tent, that would be less pleasurable. Of course, you always know that I’m grateful for a hot cup of coffee first thing each morning and the quiet time that I spend with the Father, enjoying His presence.

I’m especially thankful for technology advancements. Our granddaughter was married yesterday, and we were able to view the full ceremony last night because it had been saved to YouTube.

Those of you who are younger may think something like that is silly, but I remember the days when the only phone in the house was on the kitchen wall and the only time we talked to someone outside our local area was on Sunday afternoon/evening when the rates were low. There was no streaming, no cell phones, no texting – yes, it was the dark ages.

We have so much to be grateful for: grocery stores with stocked shelves, free schools (many countries still allow boys to go to school free but girls are charged tuition). Most of us live within a few miles of medical attention, we don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to a doctor or hospital. We have clean water to drink. The ability to travel from place to place without restriction. We are still free to worship God as we please.

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” Psalm 96:1-3 NLT

This is a good day to declare the news that Jesus saves!

“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today. 25 The people say, “Praise the Lord! The Lord saved us!” Psalm 118:23-25 ERV

There are so many things to be thankful for, as my good friend Winnie the Pooh says, “today’s my favorite day”!

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I Have It All

I love this image. I don’t remember the first time I saw it but I do know it made an indelible impression. It could have been on the wall of Sunday School classroom, or maybe it was in my children’s Bible. It could have been hanging in one of the rooms in my grandma’s home but it has always stayed with me.

Time and again the Bible refers to the Lord as our Shepherd. Jesus even said that he was the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.

As a child it was so reassuring to know that Jesus was always there! In my teens and early 20’s I would sometimes wonder about His presence and even wander off to do things on my own, without His leading or assistance. But I don’t wonder anymore, I know, I am absolutely convinced there has never been a time when Jesus hasn’t been with me.

In Christ, I have it all!

“We are your people, the sheep of your flock. We will praise you forever. We will praise you forever and ever!” Psalm 79:13 ERV

A good shepherd provides food, rest, protection. He is constantly with his sheep and protects them from intruders and cares for them if they do get hurt. Our shepherd does the same – His death provides for our salvation; it makes us sound.

“And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” I Thessalonians 5:23 AMPC

The word sound means strong, able, with no defect. The walls of a house are sound. The conformation of an animal is sound. The supports of a bridge are sound.

I think it’s interesting that this isthe same word used for our relationship with Christ.

King David said it best: “The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 ERV

In Him I have it all – protection, provision, contentment, comfort, abundance.

“Then we, your people, will always thank you. We are like sheep with you as our shepherd,
and all generations will hear us praise you.” Psalm 79:13 CEV

We should never be silent. We should talk of the Lord’s goodness to those of your own generation and to those older and younger. Our younger generation needs to know the reality of God’s goodness.

The image of the Good Shepherd created a life-long impression for me. I want my children, grandchildren and great grands to know the goodness of the Shepherd. In Him, we have it all and I will sing His praises.

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