Category: Provision

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Annoying Circumstances

There are little circumstances that can cause big annoyances. Let me explain.

We have been dealing with a refrigerator issue for about a month now. The freezer stays at a constant -2 degrees, however, the refrigerator won’t cool below 44 degrees. This isn’t a big problem for most of the items but things like milk, mayonnaise and eggs get a little too warm.

The manufacturer of our RV has been great. First, they sent us some “trouble shooting” guidelines. Perfect. We followed them step by step. Everything checked out. Next instruction was call a mobile tech. Check. He came and assessed the issue. Sent pictures, written explanations and waited. We received another more detailed check list from the manufacturer’s of the refrigerator. Really???

Notice, I am now getting annoyed. Emails are being exchanged a couple of times a day. Had one arrive yesterday morning at 5 am my time. I responded immediately. As Dave and I were talking, trying to keep our blood pressure down, the phone rang. It was the RV manufacturer. The rep on the other end was very sympathetic and knew our need to have a working refrigerator in place before we leave in three weeks for the mountains. She listened to our frustration and assured me she was on it.

Within two hours she sent another email. A new refrigerator is on the way. It will be there in four business days.

Big sigh and a “thank you Jesus”!

Each day that we have been dealing with this Dave has been saying, “I will not let this spoil our summer. We’ll work it through one way or another. We just need it fixed and God knows that”.

Truly, He did. He knows all the little things that come about to steal our joy and when we trust Him he will bring us through with a proper attitude.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 NLT

“The Lord is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same… 21 He is the one you should praise. He is your God. He has done great and amazing things for you. You have seen them with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:17-21 ERV

Will we have annoyances? Yes. Will we face circumstances that are frustrating? Yes. Do we have to give in to them? No.

If we trust Him, our Father will guide us through each situation. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. He will be the one to defend and protect. When we keep our focus on Him and His ability we will have joyful victory over annoying circumstances.

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Time to Reset

If I say the words “manual override” do you know what I’m talking about?

We had a watering system in our previous home. Dave put it in and most of the time it worked without a hitch. But periodically I noticed the plants in the back yard would look a little wilted.

I would check the timer and find that it wasn’t working correctly. The plants hadn’t received their scheduled water. I would reset the clock on the timer, reset the watering schedule and then pushed the manual override, twice. The plants would show immediate signs of relief.

My morning quiet time was regularly interrupted by the sound of the watering system turning on and off. It was working correctly. However, there were those few times when the timer would malfunction. It needed replacing. It was time for a full reset.

I think sometimes we are like that. We have the clock set…going to accomplish this or that by the time I’m 30 or 40 or 60.

We schedule all the events to kick in at the right time…college, marriage, kids, retirement. We even schedule our spiritual lives…prayer time, Bible reading, church services, small group, Bible study.

Then without noticing our timer malfunctions and we begin to wilt – physically, emotionally, professionally, financially and spiritually. We get dry. Things heat up. We feel like we are dying. Stuck in a dead-end job, relationships begin to wither, emotionally we become hard and spiritually we are parched. Sometimes we need a manual override to refresh us and sometimes we need to reset the clock completely.

“Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall.31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 ERV

One version of this Scripture says we are to “wait” on the Lord, expect, look for, and hope in Him.

A reset with the Lord, waiting on Him, renews us just like a manual override on the watering system renews the plants.

“Lord, you are the hope of Israel. You are like a spring of living water. Those who stop following the Lord will have a very short life. 14 Lord, if you heal me, I surely will be healed. Save me, and I surely will be saved. Lord, I praise you.” Jeremiah 17:13-14 ERV

If you’re feeling dry today check your timer. Is it functioning properly? It might be time for a reset!

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Begin Small

Have you ever felt small, insignificant or left out?

Yesterday our youngest daughter and her family came for lunch. We bar-b-qued hamburgers, I had made potato salad and we had homemade ice cream for dessert. It was a fun day.

Kaci and Stephen have blessed us with our three youngest grandchildren. On Sunday, we had taken the older two for an “adventure” to the ostrich ranch but the youngest had to stay home. When her brother and sister walked out the door without her, she cried. It broke my heart!

Yesterday we were getting ready to take a walk up to the mailboxes and she was going to need to stay home again. We felt the walk would have been too much for her little legs. But as we started to leave, she cried again at the thought of being left behind. We stopped and took her with us.

I carried her a bit; her mom carried her some and we let her walk on her own. It made for a longer walk timewise but it also created an atmosphere of acceptance and learning. We included her and that was what was important.

I am impressed by the significance of small gestures, small beginnings.

We sometimes make judgements of what is or isn’t important, what has value. Here the disciples judged the boy’s lunch as small or insignificant but what Jesus saw was the significance of a heart willing to share.

“But they said, “We have only five small loaves of bread and two fish.” 18 Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him, 19 and he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people.” Matthew 14:17-19 CEV

A small lunch fed thousands. A small act of kindness changed Zacchaeus’ life. A small basket in the Nile River cradled Moses. A small seed of faith can move mountains. A small babe brought salvation to the world.

“Finally, Jesus said: What is God’s kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. 32 But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 CEV

We all can play a “small” part in God’s kingdom. The Father isn’t bothered by small. He takes what we offer and uses it for His glory. Never despise small beginnings!

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Think Big!

Have you ever heard of “grasshoppers syndrome”? Grasshopper Syndrome was first diagnosed in Numbers 13.

Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt . God said He would give them the Promised Land. All they had to do was go in and possess it. Moses chose twelve men to spy out the land and bring back a report. Ten men came back with Grasshopper Syndrome and two men, Joshua and Caleb, came back only seeing the good that God had revealed to them.

“Caleb told the people near Moses to be quiet. Then Caleb said, “We should go up and take that land for ourselves. We can easily take that land.” Numbers 13:30 ERV

“We saw the giant Nephilim people there! (The descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim.) We felt like little grasshoppers. Yes, we were like grasshoppers to them!” Numbers 13:33 ERV

The problem wasn’t the giants. It’s that they saw themselves as grasshoppers, small and insignificant. Joshua and Caleb chose to focus on God and not themselves. However, the majority were affected by grasshopper thinking and didn’t move forward.

Years later there was another outbreak of grasshopper syndrome. Recently, we discussed the army of Israel’s fear of Goliath. Only David saw past the fear and focused on the greatness of God.

“Today the Lord will let me defeat you. I will kill you. I will cut off your head and feed your body to the birds and wild animals. And we will do the same thing to all the other Philistines too. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel. 47 All the people gathered here will know that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the Lord, and he will help us defeat all of you.”” I Samuel 17:45-47 ERV

What giants are you facing today – unemployment, illness, personal relationships, financial hardship, high gas prices, inflation? Don’t fall prey to grasshopper syndrome.

“Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” I John 4:4 CEV

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

Take God’s word and destroy Grasshopper Syndrome. Let God’s word have final authority in your life. You are and will be victorious in this life.

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David & Goliath Revisited

As I was watching some of last night’s news I was reminded of the miraculous story of David and Goliath.

Goliath was a bully. He cursed God and the army of the Israelites who represented God. To both armies, the Israelites and the Philistines, David was a young, unimpressive, naïve teenager.

But in God’s view David was a giant slayer!

Goliath trusted in his experience in battle, his sword, his spear, his size. David trusted in His relationship with the Lord.

“When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him. 43 ‘Do you think I’m a dog?’ Goliath asked. ‘Is that why you’ve come after me with a stick?’ He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods 44 and shouted, ‘Come on! When I’m finished with you, I’ll feed you to the birds and wild animals!’

“David answered: ‘You’ve come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel’s army, and you have insulted him too! 46 Today the Lord will help me defeat you… 47 Everybody here will see that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. The Lord always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.'” I Samuel 17:42-47 CEV

I encourage you to read the whole story in I Samuel 17.

David went to the battlefield to take nourishment to his brothers. At the encampment, he found an army literally shaking in their boots as they were taunted by their enemy. He saw an incompetent king who didn’t know what to do. The king was so desperate that he agreed to let an inexperienced teenager, single-handedly fight the opposing army’s star warrior.

The opposing army was just as afraid to fight and more than willing to let their “hero” represent them in battle. The hero was self-confident; he had never been defeated.

David was a shepherd with no battlefield experience. What he had was a confidence in the God of Israel.

Let me explain…all Israelite male babies were circumcised when they were eight days old. This had been done since the time of Abraham and circumcision was a sign that God would always be the protector and provider for all of Abraham’s descendants. David took this promise of God to heart – he believed that whatever he encountered God was with him and would protect him.

“‘Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.’ Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you.’” I Samuel 17:36-37 NIV

David knew Goliath had no covenant promise with God and so Goliath would be no match for the power of God working in his life.

You may be feeling like you are facing a giant, something big, something unnerving. You have the same promise from God that David did. God will never abandon you.

Go out against your giant and let God fight for you!

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What Am I Missing?

For years I have had a wonderful fascination with clouds. I’m not sure when it began or why, but I know I have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of photos with nothing but clouds.

When we left the Big Sky Country of Montana and moved back to Arizona eight years ago, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have a view where I could enjoy the clouds. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the path of my morning walk took me to wide open space with an unrestricted view of the sky.

Those of you who were following my blog last summer were the beneficiary of my mountain views and the wonderful cloud formations that I enjoyed nearly every day. Last night coming home from a day’s Good Samaritan outing, I was greeted by this sight as we rounded the bend and started to drop down into our little hidden valley.

That cloud spoke volumes to my heart! It was welcoming me home, but it was also a vivid reminder of the Father’s hand of protection.

“21 The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. 22 And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:21-22 NLT

When the Israelites left Egypt, the Bible tells us the Lord guided them with a cloud by day and fire by night. This cloud shaded them from the scorching sun and the fire pillar kept them warm at night. The cloud also rested between them and their pursuers when they crossed the Red Sea.

Protection and direction.

My thoughts center on that when I see a cloud of this magnitude. I’m captured by the greatness of our God who promises to be our shield and our defense. I don’t like cloudless skies.

The Bible tells us about another cloud – a cloud we should all be looking for.

“16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:16-18 NLT

When the Lord returns to gather the believers and take them to heaven, He will come in the clouds! Dave used to tease me and tell me that I would probably be photographing clouds on the day of the Lord’s return. I really can’t imagine anything more wonderful!

As I stare at those cloud filled skies my heart is at peace, I am comforted by a sense of my Father’s presence. Where are you leading me today? I don’t want to miss out on anything you have planned for me.

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Beauty & Goodness

I just felt I needed to share with you about the goodness of the Lord and the beauty He brings to our lives.

We’re surrounded by so much that is the opposite. Sometimes we get distracted and lose hope.

Last night while putting one of our grandchildren to bed we had this conversation. “Sometimes the devil gives me bad thoughts and I can’t sleep.” We prayed for peaceful sleep and told the devil he couldn’t bother him in the night.

A little while later he called out and said he couldn’t sleep. He was bothered by bad (he means scarey) thoughts. I went in and asked him, “Who’s bigger? Who’s stronger? God or the devil? Every time God and the devil fight, God wins and God is here to fight for you”.

Simple, childlike trust. He went to sleep and slept peacefully through the night. Sometimes we adults forget that the battle isn’t ours, it’s the Lord’s and He has already won. Our job is to trust Him and not feel we have to do it on our own.

“Give honor and praise to the Lord, whose power and beauty fill his holy temple.” 7 Tell everyone of every nation, ‘Praise the glorious power of the Lord.8 He is wonderful! Praise him and bring an offering into his temple.'” Psalm 96:6-8 CEV

God, our Father, fills our lives with beauty and power. He does not leave us helpless. His goodness follows us all the days of our lives.

“The dry desert will rejoice. The desert will be glad and blossom. 2 It will be covered with flowers and dance with joy. It will be as beautiful as the forest of Lebanon, the hill of Carmel, and the Sharon Valley. This will happen because all people will see the Glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God.

3 Make the weak arms strong again. Strengthen the weak knees. 4 People are afraid and confused. Say to them, ‘Be strong! Don’t be afraid!’ Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. He will save you.” Isaiah 35:1-4 ERV

We have God’s promise of His goodness all the days of life here on earth and when this life is over we have the promise of living in His house, in His presence.

“For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.” Psalm 23:6 NLV

We used to have a saying, “God is good all the time, all the time God is good”. He is! There is no God like our God, the creator of the heaven and the earth.

“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. 20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.” Psalm 31:19-20 NLT

Take a look at the beauty around you, your Father created that for you to enjoy. It is to be a reminder of His goodness and power!

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Unshakable, Immovable Part 2

This morning’s blog will be the conclusion of yesterday’s teaching.

I want everyone to realize that God’s promises are still true. They haven’t lost their power and they aren’t being withheld because we aren’t worthy to receive them. That’s just not the case.

Let’s continue…

But it’s not a given – the promises of God are true, but we have to appropriate them.

We all have electricity in our houses. But if we don’t know to turn on the switch we will sit in the cold and the dark. It’s that simple. Christ paid the bill, the power is flowing, we have to release that power.

2nd reason: There is a very real devil who is working against us. He wants to destroy us and he will if we don’t fight back.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

When satan came and tempted Jesus, He resisted the devil’s attacks by using Scripture.  We must follow His example.

 “7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 9 But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith.” I Peter 5:7-9 CEV

3rd reason: We get rebellious and want to do things are own way.   Just like a child who is told not to touch the stove because its hot – if the child reaches up to touch the stove, ignoring the father’s advice, and gets burned that’s not the father’s fault. He didn’t allow it or cause it. It was an act of our will.

“16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.”. James 3:16 CEV

4th reason: We get tired of fighting and give up. Seeing God’s promises come to pass is not for the faint of heart.  The Apostle Paul says it’s a spiritual battle. Don’t be moved away from God’s word, therein is our victory!

“Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:12-13 ERV

Never, ever, are we alone. The Father has promised to never leave us or abandon us.  We might get weary and want to give up but if we ask, God will give us all the strength we need.

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything” Philippians 4:13 CEV

God will not force His protection and blessings on us. We have to believe and receive His promises. There’s nothing the devil wants more than to defeat us and make others think God’s word doesn’t work. If he can deceive, he can defeat.

God’s word has stood the test of time, the very gates of hell cannot prevail against it. When we stand on God’s word, we will be unshakable and immovable!

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One More Time!

Yesterday I shared some insights from the book of Joshua. It seemed appropriate to draw on that book again today.

Years ago, I was given a copy of the book, Victorious Christian Living by Alan Redpath. It was written in 1955, long before much was being said about victory in the lives of Christians. Redpath uses Joshua’s experiences to show us how God has designed for us to win. (I would encourage you to find a copy [ebay’s a good place] and read it.)

This morning I was reading about all the kings that came out to fight Joshua and the Israelites when the entered their Promised Land. Moses had led them in successful military campaigns before they crossed the Jordan River but Joshua was given the responsibility to lead the warriors as they defeated the many kings occupying the land.

“…The total number of kings was 31.” Joshua 12:24 ERV

Joshua went from battle to battle. Sometimes he was the aggressor but at other times four or five kings would form an alliance and come out to attack him and the Israelite army. Each time Joshua headed into battle the Lord would give him the same message.

“All these kings met together at the small river of Merom. They joined their armies together into one camp and made plans for the battle against Israel. 6 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of that army, because I will allow you to defeat them. By this time tomorrow, you will have killed them all.” Joshua 11:5-6 ERV

Don’t be afraid – one more time go out to battle; one more time I will give you the victory.

Joshua wasn’t the only one who faced repeated battles. Young David first fought Goliath and then he battled many enemy armies, including one his oldest son led against him. Jesus also faced many personal attacks. Satan came to him with three different temptations when Jesus was physically and emotionally weak. He had just completed a 40 day fast when Satan tempted him with food, with proving his deity and with world-wide acclaim.

“Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’ 11 So the devil left him. Then some angels came to Jesus and helped him.” Matthew 4:10-11 ERV

Joshua and David won great victories because they trusted God’s word. Jesus was victorious over the temptations of the devil because He placed His trust in God’s word.

The Christian life isn’t void of trials or attacks but like Joshua and even more, like Jesus we can go from victory to victory when we put our trust and confidence in the promises of God.

“But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 ERV

I just had the feeling that some of you woke up this morning with a battle ahead of you. The Lord wanted me to remind you, you’re not in this alone. “Be not afraid, send the devil running. Our victory comes from the Lord”. You’ve got this – He’s got this!

Trust Him – one more time!

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Dig Deeper

This morning I found myself praying for those we will be working with this upcoming summer at the campground. I was texting a friend a couple days ago and we agreed that the mountain and the lake are home.

It’s where we are comfortable and enjoy being. It’s a place of peace but not without a few challenges. The month of June we were under a red alert. The fire danger was high and only propane fires were allowed outside. Even generators were reduced in their hours of use. Finally, the order came to evacuate the campground. The fire danger was too high to allow campers to stay. Everyone had to leave. We camp hosts were sequestered in one area that had several routes of ingress and egress. For two weeks we lived with Ready-Set-Go evacuation orders.

On July 7 we were allowed to go back to our campgrounds and prepare for campers’ arrival just a few days later. The weather had changed. We had now gone from dry dangerous conditions to thunderstorms and flooded campsites. But everyone seemed to be in good spirits, hardly a complaint, we were all so grateful for the rains that came each day.

But one day the rain came, and it didn’t stop in a few hours like it normally did. It rained all day and all night and into the next day. We joked that very shortly we would be building an ark. Our campground is elevated above the entrance and there are run off channels throughout the campground which bring the water downhill and to the lake. It was an efficient way to handle the normal run off but not this time, there was too much water.

So, what’s all this got to do with my prayer time? Glad you asked. I was telling the Lord it would be really great if one small issue were remedied. The culvert used to funnel the waters at the entrance is too small in diameter and it isn’t buried deep enough. It needs to go deeper! I was praying that will get fixed this year.

It was then this verse came to mind.

“ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6:47-49 NLT

Dig deep!

Life will have its storms. There will be flash flooding and hurricanes; physical, emotional, financial and spiritual. It’s our responsibility to dig deep and be prepared to withstand what comes. When we have God’s word in our lives, we have a rock solid, immovable foundation that will not be shaken.

The time to prepare is before the floodwaters come. The skies may be blue and sunny and you may have a list of fun things you want to do but prepare your foundation first. Dig deep into God’s word. Find out what He has promised you about joy and peace, forgiveness and grace. Shore your foundation up on hope, kindness and His unconditional love. Line the perimeter with the rocks of protection and provision that He promises to everyone who hears and applies His word.

Dig deep! It will keep your house from falling.

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