Stand Firm

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety {ALL YOUR ANXIETY} on Him because He cares for you.  {GOD-maker of the universe!!!! CARES for YOU!!!!}  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, {yes! ADVERSARY: opponent, enemy, antagonist, combatant, challenger, foe, (in case you still don’t get it)} THE DEVIL, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone (like you, believer in God) to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith (it says FIRM), knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself (now listen carefully to this…) perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever. AMEN."  1 Peter 5:6-11

Paul goes on to say, “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!”  In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to "take up the armor of God so that we can resist in the evil day and having done everything, to stand firm.”  There are many verses in the epistles that say to stand firm.  Many times we look at those verses and think that’s just talking about persecution.  These epistles were written to the believers to encourage them through the intense persecution they were experiencing.  However, we must be instructed by these same verses.  We may not yet experience the extreme persecution of those believers.  But as Christians, we are stalked by the same adversary.  And the battle we fight, whatever the battle, is intense.  Martin Luther’s great song of the faith, “ A Mighty Fortress”, pens it well:

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.”

This is the Word of the LORD:  “Stand firm…He, HIMSELF, will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  There are times in our lives when there is absolutely no strength.  We are weary, depressed, “undone”.  We may not know what to do in a particular situation.  But as believers, we know Whom we have believed and we can stand firm.  And the results, well observe the definitions of the words from 1 Peter 5:

Perfect (improve, polish, hone, refine, fine-tune) Confirm (verify, prove, validate, authenticate, vindicate, support, uphold, guarantee)  Strengthen (make strong, build up, buttress, toughen, reinforce) Establish (exhibit, manifest, institute, create, construct)

I really like the “exhibit” definition.  We are on exhibition.  We are walking exhibitions of the One True God.  Yes, we have bad days.  But we must not waver, doubt, despair, crash, or have a melt down.  We must stand firm.  Keep standing firm! 

Blog Fog

Why blog?  Not really sure the answer for everyone, but I know the answer for me.  I had no idea how many people do this.  I have followed one blog for a few years.  A dear artist friend from the past blogs her latest creations and it’s been fun to follow.  But recently, I did a search for a blog of the daughter of a friend.  The friend wanted me to see a post her daughter had made that was special.  Instead of waiting for the friend to send the link, I did my own search.  In opening the blog of the first person with the same name, I found a world of blogging I didn’t know existed.  I read a few posts of this “girl with the same name” and was saddened at the depth of the hopelessness she expressed.  I read in her blog disappointment, despair, and loneliness.  I wanted to respond to her with hope but responding took more an “act of congress” than I realized, being the baby-blogger that I was.   So that day I decided to start my own blog, a place to share spiritual insights God blesses me with as I study His word and pray.  I don’t see myself as profound.  We can look those people up by name in cyber space.  I am just an ordinary woman saved by the grace of God at the age of 23 and if by providence, you land on my blog, I pray God will use it to give you hope.  The hope I share comes from Him, and He continues to give me hope.  Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, The Life and He is my Hope.  He is not a  decision I made, but I am a transformation He made!  He transformed me from darkness to light, from despair to hope.  His foundation is solid and His peace is sure!  Amen and Amen!

Maudlin

I learned a new word from Andre Seu last week: maudlin.  I  knew what it “probably” meant from the context.  However, my sweet, young English tutor prodded me with the definition.  Now, my education is a bit more complete.   (Young friends are an asset to have, with their fresh, active brains.)   This same friend thought the following was a good truthlet and I share it by her request:

1 Peter 4:7 – “the end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers.”  In thinking about sober-minded, we Christians brag about not getting drunk but I’m afraid I get “drunk-as-a-skunk” on self-pity, defeat, distrust, faithlessness and that is not sober-minded or of God.  John MacAruthur says about this verse: “To be self-controlled and sober-minded implies here not to be swept away by emotions or passions, thus maintaining a proper eternal perspective on life.”

And the tie-in for “maudlin”:  self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness.  (This connection was also made by my young friend.)

And the moral of this truthlet?   Be right minded, maintaining a proper eternal perspective on life and make sure you have plenty of young friends.  

A Glass Darkly

From the main floor where I sat, I could hear whimpering, that quickly turned into crying.  I ran up to the loft to find the child locked out on our top deck.  As I made my way to the door, she could not see me but I could see that she was frantically searching for a way back through the door.  She climbed on the bench, looked off the deck, looked onto the roof, all while continuing to cry out.  I opened the door and she ran to me, tears on her face and a turned down mouth that burst into a smile of joy and relief!  We hugged while I explained that she was not the first to be locked out.  It happens to those who have not yet learned about this door.

About fifteen minutes later, I again heard a loud crying, this time not prefaced with a whimper.  Again, I ran up to the loft to the rescue.  As I topped the stair this time, the child was not frantically searching for a way back, she was standing at the door with her face pressed against the glass, mouth opened wide, letting her distress be known.  As I approached the door, she continued to cry.   Her continued crying showed me she was not able to see me as clearly as I could see her!  As I thought about it later, a favorite verse came to mind:  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I know even as also I am known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12

When I put my hand on the doorknob, she saw me! Her expression changed once again.  I picked her up and she buried her head in my shoulder in relief.  “Face to face…I know even as also I am known.”

Bless God

When I hear people say "bless God", it puzzles me.  How can we creatures bless the Creator?  Yesterday, I read John Piper on this subject:  "... in Scripture when God "blesses" men they are thereby helped and strengthened and made better off than they were before, but when men "bless" God He is not helped or strengthened or made better off.  Rather man's blessing God is an "expression of praising Thankfulness".  When the OT speaks of blessing God, it does not "designate a process that aims at the increase of God's strength".  It is an "exclamation of gratitude and admiration."  God is the fullness and source of all blessing.  If this is so, then a most natural burst of praise would be "You are blessed!"  The recognition and joyful exclamation of God's blessedness should be described as "blessing God".  That does not mean that we make God larger or higher."

With all this in mind, I began to think that God blesses us and out of His blessing, we return the blessing.  It all came from Him, just like Godly love, mercy, etc.  We are the product of what He has been teaching us and any expression of right attributes from us was only possible because they came from Him.  Like in His light, we see light and become light for those in darkness.

So, as I thought on these things today on my walk on this gloriously beautiful day, I began "blessing God" for health, strength of legs to walk, beautiful blue sky, white wispy clouds, pink blossoms of the tulip trees and the gentle breeze.  Bless You, God!  I bless You!

All of Grace

When faced with the rawness of the inability of the blatant unbeliever, I am reminded of the complete ability of drive, desire, and devotion of my own life is all of grace.  "ALL of Grace"!!  Why do I become so distraught and confused by the waywardness of unbelievers as though their rejection is toward me?  They are under the curse of sin as we all are from birth and only the quickening power of the blessed Holy Spirit gives us freedom from this curse and allows us to seek Him who took care of it at the cross!

Drama King

The dark-eyed boy sat in the corner, face full of frustration, sadness and hopelessness.  “I’ll NEVER get another monster truck!” he expressed emphatically.  This run to the corner and expression of distress came after finding out his mother had gone for a walk and I was unable to fill his request.  His request:  to do a job, earn a dollar, go to the dollar store, and get a monster truck.  And all this he wanted NOW.  On his mom’s return, she told me her son could at times be a “drama king”.  I laughed, went on my way and soon forgot it.  However, the next day I reflected on an interesting correlation.  I had tried to spend the remainder of yesterday praying.  It was a grueling try and I will not here go through all the land mines of that battle but at the end of the day, I too, “sat in the corner, face full of frustration, sadness and hopelessness”.  I cried, “I will NEVER” be able to talk to God.  He’s never going to answer my prayer!”  As I reflected on my evening, I thought of the young boy and suddenly he became my mirror.  “Drama Queen”! ( I know I have that tendency.)  I thought about his situation and I knew as I listened to him that his mother would come back, he would be able to do his job, get his dollar, go to the store and get his monster truck.  I knew all this could easily happen within a day or two.  But my situation is different!!??   Is it?  What about the following truths I say I know and believe:   “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” “I say, “My purpose will stand.”  “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”  “As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the LORD is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”  The list goes on and on and on!!       I’m a big girl!  I know all these things and more! Yet, I find I’m no different in the eyes of my Father than this innocent, inexperienced little boy was in my eyes.   And thankfully, my yesterday becomes a test taken and passed today.  “He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.”  Amen and Amen!

References: Joshua 1:5,  Romans 4:20-21,  Isaiah 46:10-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Psalm 18:30