Tag: provider

7 Truths for Enduring Unrelenting Trials

Have you ever felt so hopeless in a situation that you wondered when or if relief would ever come?

I’d like to share about a time when I fell to my knees in despair and wept out for the redeeming power of God’s hand.  God gave me the very words to cry out to Him with, tenderly received my anguished plea, and responded with more grace than I could have ever fathomed. 

My prayer was prompted by a biblical narrative found in Daniel: 3.  The general gist of the story goes like this:  Three men refused to bow down and worship a king.  The king was none too happy about this public display of defiance.  As such, the three men were to be thrown into a fiery furnace as punishment.  They declared that their God was powerful enough to save them from the fire, but even if He didn’t, they still would not worship the king since their God alone was good and worthy of their praise. 

Several years ago, within a very short timeframe, I kept on hearing this story again and again. Sometimes it popped up in my morning devotions.  Other times it was mentioned in a podcast or sermon.  There was even a graphic tee with the words “Even If” printed across the front that kept on popping up in my facebook newsfeed.

Concurrently, during this same season, I was feeling utterly defeated. I was playing a hand I had never asked to be dealt, and I just wanted to fold. I felt even less than hopeless. Days were like dark nights, and both felt too long.  Nonetheless, I clung to my Bible like never before. 

What was God trying to tell me? Clearly, the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention by emphasizing the same message so repeatedly.  There was a link between my struggle and these few verses, but what was it? 

In sheer despondency, long after the kids went to bed one night, I collapsed to my knees next to our fireplace. The fire set the dark living room aglow with its dancing flames. Yet again, I was reminded of the fiery furnace. I implored God to reveal whatever was in this story that I needed to understand.

Immediately, the clarity I sought after came. The words I needed to pray also came all at once, and I fervently meant every one of them.  I professed three intermingling ideas that miraculous night:

  • I trusted Him with my situation and how it would unfold, even though it was likely going to get even worse before it got better, and I had no idea what any of that meant for my family.
  • If it was God’s will to change my circumstances, I would need His strength to endure the trial that would be my testimony.
  • God alone had the power to change the circumstances AND He would still be worthy of my praise, even if the redeeming work I was so anxious for didn’t actually happen on this side of heaven.

Even if.  Three syllables.  Two words written two thousand years ago, and just as relevant today as they were back then. 

I now know that on that very night he was already putting events into motion which would ultimately lead to that prayer being  answered less than a month later. It did get worse before it got better, and I did receive the strength I prayed for to get through it.   

Although that was one of my last prayers in that season of life, it was not my by any means first. I prayed to be delivered from the turmoil I was in HUNDREDS of times and over several years leading up to that point.     

Here are 7 Lessons from during this time of suffering, waiting and redemption:

1

The prayers up until my “Even If” prayer were not wasted.  Each whispered request cultivated an ongoing relationship with God, turning to Him every single time the thorn in my side was too much to withstand.

2

I would have been unable to grasp the severity of His awesome power and my ultimate dependence on Him if the first feeble attempts at praying my reality away were immediately answered.

3

He alone has the sovereign power to save. Even if He does not do so, we must recognize that our understanding of any given situation is affected by a bounded rationality of what we perceive to be possible.

4

He is working all things together in ways we can’t even begin to grasp. His character is consistently good through all of it. He alone is worthy of praise, even if petitions may seem to go unanswered.  

5

We never know when the offered prayer will be the last one needed of its kind.  Until then, we are being refined and investing in a relationship with our God. Such time is never wasted!

6

Any trial is only temporary.  The battle has already been won on the cross.  God doesn’t have to win again.  The evils of this world have been defeated.  We can know that whether on this side of heaven or not, one day we will have neither pain nor suffering. 

7

We are not alone.  Not on nights we pray on our knees and not the hundreds of times we prayed before that.  There is another in the fire, right there with us the entire time.

Pray:

Father God, There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in your protective care, in the middle of your will.  Thank you for knowing what’s on my heart when I’m too exhausted to even speak the words. Even if you do not remove the burdens of the day, I still love you and praise you because of who you are.  Let me have patience as I wait for deliverance in your perfect timing.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

How Can Scripture Relate to Us Right Now? Part 2

Photo courtesy of Jacqui Cole

Last week we discovered that God fills what He creates. If you didn’t get a chance to read that yet, go ahead and do that now.

Now that you’ve read part 1, let’s take this notion one step further.  On the last day of creating, God made humans. What can that mean for us? 

Well, although people filled what was created on day 3, if the same logic is applied then we can see that God intends to fill us, too! After all, He fills what He creates! 

I don’t know about you, but it baffles my mind how the creator of the entire macro-level cosmos also has a divine plan to fill the micro-level individual! What lesson has greater bearing on our lives today than knowing that God desires to fill us?! To make us whole!?  

It doesn’t matter how deflated we feel or how far from grace we think we’ve fallen. Neither a void too vast nor a transgression too unforgiveable exists beyond the healing hands of our God. He can work through any person or situation! Remember, He was the one who called an entire universe into existence simply by saying it should be so.

Of course, it will take the entire rest of the Old Testament, and through the gospels and beyond in the New Testament, to find out exactly how God’s plan to fill and restore us to Himself is realized, but isn’t that amazing?!  His plan for us was conceived with the rest of creation! If there is any area in your life which needs to be forgiven or restored, go to Him. He created you to fill you. Let God be God. He’s pretty good at it!

There are so many more lessons in the Creation Account, but to start with the idea of creating and filling is pretty basic, isn’t it? As elementary as it is,  perhaps this traditionally common Bible story has now taken on new significance for you?  The more time you invest in the Word, in a translation you are comfortable with, the easier it will be to connect high-level dots and minor details all the same.  You will begin to see old stories anew. Chapters which were once possibly too overwhelming to make sense of will become like old friends when you visit the verses contained within them again and again.

The next part of Genesis goes into the story of Adam and Eve. Go ahead and read it in Chapter 2, but before you do ask that the Holy Spirit reveal something that you never noticed before.  Once you notice, pray again that the Spirit may reveal how that recognition may hold some relevance in your life, right now. You may be surprised with what else you can glean from Scriptures once you call upon the Spirit and ask for help as you read.

Pray:

Father God,

Thank you for meeting each one of us exactly where we are at in our walk with you. I’m so grateful that you also provide a helper in the Holy Spirit so that your people can understand the truths contained in your Word. Help me to remember to call on the Spirit for clarity next time I open the Bible. Let what I learn take root in my heart and affect my actions so that others may be drawn closer to you as well.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

How Can Scripture Relate to Us Right Now? Part 1

Photo courtesy of Jacqui Cole

I’m wondering if either of these thoughts have ever crossed your mind?

  • How can the Bible have any bearing on my life right now?
  • Parts of the Bible seem so hard to understand!

Me, too! I’ve thoughts like those before.

If you’re new to exploring your faith, I adamantly believe that you are precisely where you are meant to be in your spiritual walk with God! I also firmly maintain that the best place to get to know Him better is in His Word as revealed to us in the Bible, so you are in a great position to take your next step in cultivating a relationship with Him!

On the other hand, even if you’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover and are more seasoned in your faith, you’re also in the right spot! You know that intricately complex movie that you watch again and again, yet notice something new every time?  The Bible is the same way.  

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through its pages. We can read the same verse hundreds of times and glean something new each and every time.  Read a commentary by a great theologian or two? Even more is revealed.  Read in an entirely different season of life? Verses previously skimmed over can morph into wisdom-rich lifelines. 

For me, the Creation Account in Genesis is like this. It’s one of those stories that many are familiar with: believer, agnostic, or otherwise.  Its multi-faceted layers appear to hint at no end in sight.  Just for reference, here’s a summary of my exposure to Genesis over the years:

  • An illustrated children’s bible showing Adam and Eve covered in leaves
  • Memorizing the days of creation for a religion test every year in grade school, only to forget by the time I had to memorize the 10 Commandments
  • As part of a Literature class on great books, along with the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, and The Odyssey as an English Major
  • As a Philosophy and World Religion Major delving into Judeo-Christian traditions
  • As a new believer, every time I started a Bible-in-a-Year plan, with the sincerest of intentions to “finish this time”
  • As I read references to it in books related to God’s design for marriage while I was struggling in my own
  • As I read references to it in books related to the need to create a margin for sabbath as I wrestled with burnout

You get the idea.  Lots of surface-to-moderate level exposure throughout different seasons of life. Nonetheless, this past year, it was as though I read Genesis for the VERY FIRST TIME!  Here’s what I learned: Order in terms of what was created when may not seem like a huge deal, but it really is extraordinarily important! As it turns out, among other reasons, God’s character, forethought, and intentions are revealed in the established order of Creation. 

The lesson in a nutshell? What God Creates, He Fills. I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more I appreciate easily absorbable information which can be recalled with little-to-no effort. For information to be useful to me it needs to be able to come out of my brain as easily as it can take up residence in my brain. It’s even better when this info is based in the grounding truths of God! What God Creates, He Fills is a neat and tidy message I can get behind!

Now, let’s see what I mean. Grab your Bible or click here to read the Creation Account in Genesis 1. 

Notice that what God created during the first three days of creation, He proceeded to fill, in the same order, over the next three days.  So, what He created on days 1, 2 and 3, He filled on days 4, 5 and 6, respectively. For example, God made light and dark on day 1, and He filled those empty spaces with the sun, moons and stars on day 4.

Here’s a graphic for all the visual learners out there!

Image from: http://Image from: https://spreadingthefame.com/2020/01/16/order-of-creation/

What He creates, He fills!  Isn’t that amazing?!  Go ahead, and read the creation account again, but this time specifically focus on the create/fill correlations.

Next week we will delve into this teaching a bit more and find out what truth it can hold for us!

Pray:

Father God, thank you for revealing yourself in Scriptures. Trends, culture, and relationships shift over time. It can can be challenging to know fact from fiction, especially when the fiction is delivered by people with good intentions using seemingly harmless words. But, with the help of your Spirit, I am learning that the only real truth is what you chose to reveal in Scriptures. What a gift! By turning to your Word, I can how I ought to act in any situation. Do you know what else is incredible? That while your Word reveals new insights time and time again, it also remains absolutely unchanging. I know it is always true no matter when I turn to it for guidance or comfort. Thank you! Continue to open my eyes and soften my heart as I seek out the wisdom contained in your Word.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

Praying the Lesser Known Names of God

What if I told you I hold a title of “Lady” based on owning a small plot of land on the other side of the pond? It’s true! My husband purchased a very tiny land parcel in Dunfermline, Scotland as my birthday gift this year, compete with a printed proclamation of “elevated” social status and all. A title tells you something about the person bearing it’s name. Here are some more examples.

Although my name is Helen, that’s not what everyone calls me.  My kids call me, “Mama.”  My only sister’s daughter, my niece, calls me “Aunt Ellie”. My mom used to call me “Helen Jean” when she really wanted to get my attention. My email signature for work has some initials after my name, indicating my level of education and area of expertise.  Each of these names, or additions to my name, tell you something about me. Some attribute. What are some of the names or titles people call you? What do those words tell others about you?

Did you know God has different names to reflect His attributes as well?  Usually when I pray, I start out with “Father God…” or “Lord God…”, but He has so many more names, especially when you look at the original language they were written in! These names provide so much more dimension than the name “God” or “Lord” alone. We can call on these names when we want to humbly worship or petition Him in ways that correspond to various aspects of His character. 

Abba is an endearing term that means “Father” similar to what a young child might say to their own father when they want him to know how special he is.  Here’s a few more:

Adonai = “Lord” (Exodus 4:10-12)

El Shaddai = “God Almighty” or “God the All-Sufficient One” (Genesis 17:2-3)

Yahweh-jireh = “Yahweh will provide” (Genesis 22:11-14).

Yahweh-raah = “Yahweh My Shepherd” (Psalms 23:1)

Yahweh–nissi = “Yahweh My Banner” (Exodus 17:16)

Yahweh-rapha = “Yahweh who heals” (Exodus 15:26)

Isn’t that amazing!?  Which attribute do you need to call out to today?  Which one do you need to speak over a loved one?  Which one do you feel led to praise Him for?  The names for God go on and on in the Bible.  We would be hard pressed to find a need that would not coincide with one of His very many Names.  He is quite literally all-encompassing. Our every need can be met in and through Him, and He wants to meet those needs.  We simply have to call out to Him by name and ask.

Pray:

Yahweh-Jireh, you alone are my provider! Nothing of this world can fill voids in my life that only you can fulfill. If there is any place in my life where I am lacking then what I yearn for in those areas is not really a need at all. I trust you to meet my every need as I need it! Thank you for that! I am so grateful that I can call on you by name and that you know me by mine. You have an entire universe hanging in the balance, and yet you care about me and our relationship with one another. That truly leaves me speechless! Today, I do not even want to ask you for anything at all. I just want to praise you for being you and for your ultimate provision found in the resurrection and ascension of your son.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

To add to the conversation about calling on the names of God, here is a song our home church loves to sing during worship on Sundays. Now that we know that Jireh means “provider” see how much more meaning the words can hold and enjoy!!

Bonus Weekend Post! Coincidence? I Think Not!

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Welcome, back!  I’ve already told you how my youngest came up with the blog’s title.  Today, my other daughter had the insightful idea to add in an audio component to each post.  She was spot on with her constructive feedback, and I immediately backtracked to record my first two posts!

I love listening to my favorite devotions when I’m short on time while I get ready in the morning. How about you? Maybe you listen to a best seller on audible or a sermon on Spotify? However, as practical as her tip was, especially for the ever-multi-tasking human, I knew she suggested the feature out of necessity as opposed to preference or convenience. 

My daughter has at least two reading disabilities, including dyslexia.  If there is too much content on a page, she must scrape together every ounce of energy to process what she is seeing, then remember which rules to apply to which letters and then sound it all out in a way that she can still comprehend what she is reading.  It’s exhausting, but she’s a trooper! 

While attending cyber school last year, she was introduced to a variety of apps and electronic modifications which optimized her ability to do talk-to-text, as well as, you guessed it, have text read aloud to her.  It was a game changer!  No wonder she was the child who suggested to add in audio, and I love her for it!

If I’m her mother and I so willing provided a perfectly tailored tool she needed to be more independent, how much more willing is our Father in heaven when it comes to meeting our specific need? Here are two of the most reassuring verses I’ve ever come across which make this very point:

 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:25-26

What’s one need you have that was met yesterday or today?  Can you think back to a time when everything aligned perfectly so that the quintessential coincidence unfolded before your very eyes?  That was God meeting your needs! Before you go to bed tonight, try thanking Him for these times and ask that He reveal another provision to you tomorrow.

The more we upwardly shift our focus, what we think we “need” begins to better align with what He also wills for us. By pressing into Him and His Word, we not only experience an alignment of wills, but we also deepen our relationship with Him, and He continues to fill a void in us that could only ever be satisfied by Him to begin with.