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Sunday, October 7, 2007
"At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son" Genesis 18:14 That's another way of saying, "This is going to be a full-term baby." This means a little bit more waiting, doesn't it? And that's not the answer we're looking for! We don't want nine months of carrying a child...nine months of bearing a promise until it comes to the moment of delivery. We want to wake up in the tent one morning and have a crib in the corner with a baby crying in it. For that matter, we'd prefer that the baby be smiling and cooing. Or maybe standing up and walking and talking with a full vocabulary. We don't want to wait! We want roses, but we don't want to weed or prune or water or wait until they bloom in all their fullness. Nor do we want to acknowledge that God might be maturing those roses and bringing fragrance into our lives through some dark, rainy, overcast days. Can you remember the days when you actually had to dial a number with a rotary dial and stand within a few feet of the wall because you were attached to it? We need one-button, pre-programmed auto-dial. Speed! No Waiting! Immediate fulfillment! We are all schooled to instant gratification. We pray, "Lord, give me patience and I want it right now!" Yet the Lord said to that dear elderly couple, "At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life." It was going to be a regular baby on a regular schedule born in the regular way. There is an "appointed time" for me as well. God has been faithful to His word, and He will respond to the heart's desire of His children. What He delivers may not be the very thing I ask for, but it will be the very thing I need. There is much about my life that I did not ask or that I did not plan. But I can see that He has brought fruitfulness to that place where emptiness has reigned, and He has caused my desert to blossom like a rose. Are you waiting for your "appointed time". It may not take as long as it did for Sarah, but however long it takes, it will be worth the waiting. In fact, while you go through the test of waiting, you will learn more about the Lord's miracle-working grace in your life than you would have learned if you had received a next-day delivery. The Lord said to Abraham and Sarah. "The miracle for which you have waited will come. But it will be something that grows in your life and comes forth in the fullness of time." (this post was taken from personal notes and quotes written from a study on The Life of Abraham by Jack Hayford) In Him...Chris Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table Labels: Chris's Articles, Faith, Hope Leave a comment... 5 Comments Links to this post “…And, yet God, You’re still sovereign, Your throne intact and eternal.” Lamentations 5:20b Have you ever had those moments when you just really felt like everything was going wrong, times when life just seems to be spinning out of control? Perhaps it is a health issue with you or a family member. Maybe it’s the loss of a job or just the stress of too many responsibilities. Whether it’s from our own poor choices, decisions made by those around us, or just circumstances beyond our control, we’ve all had times when we just felt like the bottom was falling out from underneath us. That is exactly where we find the children of Israel in Lamentations chapter five. In this case, they were being disciplined by God, their loving Heavenly Father, for their sins. They had chosen to “buy into the pagan system” of their day (boy, does that sound familiar) and God was grieved and angry. The bottom had fallen out of their lives. They were dealing with famine, war, violence, and complete despair. The writer of Lamentations is drawing the desperate picture for us, and right in the middle of all the discouraging details, he penned these words in verse twenty. “…and yet God, You’re still sovereign, Your throne intact and eternal.” No matter how bad things were, he recognized Who was still in control. This isn’t always easy, but this is an amazing truth that is often times our only hope. No matter how difficult life may get, God is still sovereign and His throne is still intact and eternal. We can trust Him with our health concerns. We can rest in His sufficiency, knowing that no matter how hard the storm rages, His Anchor holds. Corrie ten Boone said it so eloquently, when she said, “There is no pit too deep, that He is not deeper still”. We are never so far that His arm cannot save us. Our life is never so dark, that He cannot see exactly where we are. When life seems to be spinning out of control, hang on, my friend, because God, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, is still in complete control. He is still on His throne, where He will remain for all eternity, and He is working all things (the good, the bad, and the ugly) together for our good and for His glory! Lord, thank you that you are God and you are in total control. Thank you that your reign is eternal and there is nothing, or no one, that can overthrow you. Thank you that you are, right now, working everything together for our good and we can trust you. Help us to remember when life is hard, whether it’s due to our own sin or circumstances out of our control, that nothing surprises You and nothing is too big for You. In Him ~ Tammy… You can read more from Tammy by visiting her personal blog at Steps In Our Journey Labels: coping, courage, Endurance, Faith, fear, grief, heart matters, Hope, peace, Suffering, Tammy, trust Leave a comment... 7 Comments Links to this post
Friday, July 20, 2007
 About 12 years ago, I experienced my first bout of extended depression, not just a week or two of the blues, but the real deal--a suffocating, absolutely relentless depression. It made me feel like one of those caged cats in the zoo who paces back and forth day after day after day behind steel bars, unhappily separated from his former life and former self--or perhaps who spends the day sleeping, seizing his only respite from his misery.Eventually, I sought spiritual counseling, sought medical help, turned to friends who loved me unconditionally, began exercising and focusing on surviving, and because God never gives up on us even when we've abandoned all hope and sometimes even abandoned Him, I am here today. I claim Psalm 94:16-18, "Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O LORD, supported me." I'd like to offer a few tools, simple as they are, that I use to help batten down the hatches when the winds of depression kick up in my life. Maybe they will be relevant to you or a friend. The first/best line of defense against any threat is prayer and reading God's Word, of course. But since we eventually have to close the Bible or stop praying actual words for periods of time, I think it's wise to have some small practical weapons in our arsenal with which to fight these battles. Sometimes it only takes a few stones in a slingshot to bring down an enemy of the Lord! I'm not a professional, of course, but I am a survivor. Is my life perfect now? No. Do I ever feel down? Sure I do. But--when I feel the shadow of that terrible period hovering over me now, I quickly and confidently acknowledge that I am not powerless. I do not panic anymore because "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"(John 8:36). Here are some "stones" I keep handy when I'm under attack: 1. I remind myself of the verse above by stating, "Jesus set me free of depression; therefore, I am free. I may feel threatened. I may feel a little roughed up. Doubt may be tapping me on the shoulder. None of those feelings can compromise the truth: I am, at my core, set free from depression's oppression. Thank God. Now that I've remembered that the issue is settled, what else can I focus on to strengthen my faith?" 2. I get outside at least briefly, to get natural light. Outside light is different from indoor light, even on a partly cloudy day. Twenty minutes can do a world of good. And if I walk those 20 minutes, even better. Plus, outside I can pray more effectively. When I was heavily depressed, my mind was a thick fog, and I couldn't stay focused on praying or reading the Bible if there was any aural or visual distraction. 3. I avoid sad songs/movies/books/network news. I avoid rehearsing the time when I was depressed. I simply avoid reinforcing anything negative at all, until I feel I'm past the most intense vulnerability. 4. Any time you remove a temptation or avoid something, you need to provide a substitute to fill its spot. So you guessed it; I listen to music that glorifies Jesus or I listen to secular songs that I know also evoke positive feelings/outlook, none about broken hearts. I look for little ways to help other people; I watch funny movies. I talk to friends who will lift me up. It's OK for me to express what I'm battling with a friend, but we need to quickly leave the subject and talk about healthy, uplifting topics--not dwell on how low I feel. 5. I talk myself "down from the ledge." I say, "You are an old pro at fighting this. You are smarter than the threat. Your sad feelings may be valid; they may be rational depending on what's going on in your life currently, even so--it's still not all about you and your feelings in this world. Move emotionally outward. Feelings are fleeting. This depression is not coming to stay; it's coming to pass. You are prayed up, read up, sung up--now get up and live like a nondepressed person. Smile." Guess what? I start to feel like an overcomer. and that's not being false--remember--I have been set free. I am an overcomer. I am not boasting about having it all together; I do not have all the answers, nor do I have particularly original suggestions. It was Christ who set me free and the Holy Spirit who teaches me how to cope with my own personal trials. But sometimes I need to be reminded of fundamental truths and simple plans for facing hulking giants. Now matter how large depression looms, I know that I serve a bigger God. According to Ephesians 4:8 "When He [Christ] ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men" (Amplified). He has defeated depression. He has bestowed on me the grace to face my fears, an abundant life to enjoy in Him, and courage and desire to begin a brand new day.  I would love for you to visit my personal blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee. Labels: coping, courage, depression, Hope, Linda's Articles Leave a comment... 12 Comments Links to this post  "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country and he began to be in need..." From Luke 15 Father, give me... Give me time. Give me money. Give me control. Give me freedom. I am guilty of this. I am guilty of wanting to take what God intends for me to use in the boundary of His will and instead trying to make it mine. I just know I can use it more efficiently on my own. And it's so much easier, too. I don't want to be tied down or accountable. I am able on my own to accomplish my day's tasks- caring for my family, serving my community, making my house into a home day after day. But then, no. I squander it. All I desire for good works against me. I find myself frail and weak. I find myself insufficient. I find I was much better off when I was within my Father's gates, using His gifts the way He intended. But where am I now? ...and travelled to a distant country... I am alone. I have strayed far from home and can't see my way back. I am lost, set adrift by my own selfishness and pride. Can I make the journey back? I must try. But wait... But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him... "While the prodigal son was still thinking about what he would say to his father,... his father ran to meet him. What does that mean, to run to meet him, but to assure him of his mercy in advance." (Saint Augustine) Mercy in advance. God sees me. He runs to meet me. He knows my heart and has merely waited for it to turn. I see His mercy, I know His love. I again allow myself to be wrapped in His arms and forgiven. No words are needed, but I say them anyway, "I am not worthy, let me simply serve you..." But my worth is found at the cross. I am His child. Forgiveness is sweet and fellowship is sweeter. Thank you, Father. Though this scene is played over again and again, the ending is always the same. The Father is always watching the horizon, waiting for our return. Will you pray with me? Loving Father, thank you for your mercy in advance. Let us always seek you, draw near to you, desire you above all else. And when we fail, open your arms to us and show us what true love is so we may show it to others. Amen.  Visit my personal blog at Fruit in Season. Labels: Christian walk, Christine's Articles, Forgiveness, Hope Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post  Over the past several months I have enjoyed participating in an e-panel for a Christian publisher. My service on this panel will conclude this month. The final question is excellent: How does your hope of heaven impact the way you live life on earth? What a great question! I thought I would share my reply: “Mom!” my eleven-year-old, daughter drew out the word with heavy pronunciation. It sounded more like Maw-u-m. I looked up at her. She was standing in the kitchen a few feet away, staring straight at me, arms akimbo. “Don’t go to Jupiter without me,” she stated with annoyance in her voice. I smiled as I considered our conversation. Just before this stern statement, I was preparing dinner, chopping away at a head of lettuce. I was absorbed in travel imaginings I might have when I become a permanent resident of Heaven. As Mini-Me was setting the table, I off-handedly stated, “Jupiter is one the first places I plan to visit after I arrive in Heaven.” My daughter was distraught. How dare I consider going on an adventure without her while she is still living on earth? She was quite serious. You see my daughter and I talk of heaven all the time. We dream, we plan, we giggle, and we save our imagined adventures in our hearts. We plan to visit the dinosaurs, pop in to witness Paul deliver his speech in Caesarea. Experience the Orion Nebula. We plan to ride horses and pick flowers. Visit the past, explore the present see the future, and talk with everyone in-between. Moses, John, Noah, Eve, Mary, to name a few. In the New Heaven and New Earth, you won’t find me in the city, though I plan to visit often. You will find me in the garden – Eden! I have already made my request to the Master for a gardening position on the planet, thank you very much. I dream, dream, dream, fully aware my imagination can run wild. I envision myself sitting on the marble steps of the throne room for a thousand years, gazing at the King, face-to-face. I have much to ask Him. I want to talk with the angels who were my protectors on earth. What was it like for them? I want to thank each and every person who pointed me toward Jesus. I want to hug everyone there. I know heaven may not be like my dreams. It will be far more fantastic! Heaven is very real. Because of heaven I have hope for today and for tomorrow. I am free to live the impossible. I am able to forgive the unforgivable. I am empowered to love lavishly! I can live fully! I am genuine when others are deceptive. I am optimistic in a world gone mad. Hope of heaven carries me when life is ugly, cruel, unfair, and dangerous. Hope removes fear, doubt, and cynicism. Hope of heaven is my lifeline.  One of the best parts of heaven is like a sea bird. Imagine the bird flying to the shore of an ocean where it picks up a grain of sand in its beak and flies away. Every million years, the bird returns for another grain. When the sand from the beach is finally gone, the bird moves on to another beach, then another, one-grain, one million years. The day the bird picks up the last gain of sand, is only the beginning of our time in heaven. Heaven is where I will spend my days delighted with the King, living fabulous adventures, and loving His children. I have hope for today. I trust God with tomorrow. I have heaven in my heart because I know the Redeemer of mankind, Jesus, the Messiah.  How does your hope of heaven impact the way you live life on earth? Labels: Heaven, Hope, Lynn's Articles Leave a comment... 10 Comments Links to this post
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