Loved and Protected

We all think of holidays as times for rejoicing, gift-giving, family reunions, and celebrations, and often they are. But what happens if we’re grieving a loss at a holiday? What happens when Dad’s place at the table is empty that first Thanksgiving after he’s died?

It’s tough enough to cope with grief during ordinary days of the year. But holidays can be even more difficult. It seems strange and even wrong, to see others celebrating when our hearts are so heavy with loss.

Maybe it’s not a death, but a financial setback or a job loss or a terrible diagnosis that’s suddenly turned our world upside down. How do we deal with that?

If we’re wise we’ll go to God, because Scripture says He draws near to the brokenhearted, and He longs to comfort us in our grief. It says He will never leave or forsake those who are in relationship with Him. Once we’re in the beloved, we can dump that grief in His lap, weep on His breast, and then take comfort in the truth, that He is right there with us in the grief process. It says He even weeps when we weep.

In my own times of grief, and there have been many, I had one of two choices to make. I could carry it alone and tough it out on my own, or I could dump it in God’s lap and let Him wrap me in His warm embrace and comfort me in ways no human ever could.

We serve a God who feels our hurts and bottles our tears–that’s how much He cares.

If you’re struggling with grief from a loss this holiday season, know that Jesus cares. He wants you to come to Him, talk to Him, tell Him how you feel, and then let go of the grief that only He can carry.

He loves you and wants to be the lifter of your head and your Comforter. I pray for you today, that Jesus would be everything you need to carry you through.

In fact Psalm 28:6-9 says: “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is a saving defense of His anointed. Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance. Be their shepherd and carry them forevermore.”

If you are in grief, draw near to God and He will draw near to you…

Because of His great love,

Nancy

All throughout history there have been times when God’s people have suffered, often because the culture in which they lived walked away from God. I have a feeling they struggled just as we do, knowing we are mired in what has become a pagan culture.

It’s easy in situations like ours, to lose hope, to stop fighting, and to simply sit down on the battlefield and curl up in desperation and hopelessness. 

But Psalm 37:1-5 says, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers. Be not envious toward wrongdoers, for they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

In times like these we need to be meditating on God’s Word, reminding ourselves to focus on Him, and not on circumstances that often seem like madly shifting turbulence under our feet. Instead we must remember we are grounded on the unmoving foundation of God and His Word, and He never fails.

Let me repeat: Delight youself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart…Trust also in Him and He will do it.”

Now that’s a huge, unfailing promise. That if our focus is fixed on God and we have His will written on our hearts, He will be faithful to us.

We don’t have to fear the future, but rather we can take comfort in the truth that our God is ultimately in control and will not only protect us, but use us to be light and salt to those who need to see that Christ is alive and well on planet Earth…

Because He lives,

Nancy

Scripture is full of irony. Have you noticed how often it seems politically incorrect? Nearly always.

First of all, Jesus was part of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And though Jesus had a divine nature and was equal to Almighty God Himself, He chose to submit Himself, coming to earth as a human being, living the life of an outcast, and then dying an agonizing death that He didn’t deserve, in our place.

When we seek wisdom regarding the right thing to do we can always look to our model, Jesus.

In the gospels we read the story of James and John, who really had to have a great deal of nerve to tell Jesus they wanted Him to do what they asked. With great patience Jesus said, “What do you want me to do?” They said, “Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on your right hand and one on your left.” (Mark 10:35-27) He told them they didn’t know what they were asking. And at that stage of the game, they had no clue that would mean laying down their lives for their faith.

Mark 10:43-45 says Jesus answered them, “Whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life for many.”

Even today these words turn conventional wisdom on its ear. Those who would strive for wealth, fame and a name can build it all up over their lifetimes, but they can’t take it with them. As I’ve heard it said, “There’s never a U-Haul behind a hearse.”

Jesus says that when our hearts belong to God, we will long to serve and please Him. And anyone who’s been rich knows the accumulation of material goods fot its own sake is an empty pursuit, unless we bless others with it. And in order to lead others to Christ we must serve them. This means loving our enemies, which is another tough sale these days, even to Christians.

The thing is, we can do none of these things in our own strength, which means that we must be connected and leaning on the power of the Holy Spirit to make them happen.

Today I’m asking God to enlarge my vision regarding servanthood. To love others through me, in ways I’ve never dared believe for…

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Regarding those who say there is no God, the Scripture calls them fools.  (See Psalm 14:1.) As harsh as that may sound, it is a clear warning to carefully consider our words before we boast that we have no need of God in our lives.

Psalm 19:1 would argue: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day (it) pours forth speech, and night to night (it) reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words (enough to declare it). Their voice is not heard, their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.” (Author paraphrase.)

Even those who claim to be atheists can’t help but marvel at sunsets, rainbows, colors, the beauty of nature, and mountains and oceans, and the Grand Canyon, to name just a few. And yet they deny the Creator, God.

Scripture goes on to say that if we fail to acknowledge Him, even the rocks will cry out with praise to the One true God.

Lest we think otherwise, what we see here and now is just a mirage, a temporary reality at best. The reality of realities is taking place in the third heaven, where spiritual warfare goes on day and night. And heaven and hell are real places where real people go after their vapor of a life has ended.

Consider this: those who have drilled deep into the bowels of the earth searching for oil have heard the agonizing screams and groans of those who suffer eternally in hell.

To those who deny the existence of God, I challenge them to search the Scripture to prove their point. Take me up on the challenge and prove me wrong. I dare you…

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Psalm 31 says: “In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge. Let me never be ashamed. In Thy righteousness deliver me. Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly. Be Thou to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me. I will rejoice  and be glad in Thy lovingkindness, because Thou hast seen My affliction.”

The Lord says He runs to those who are downhearted and afflicted. His heart is tender toward those who need help. Are we ever in situations like that? When we are do we turn to Him?

Every trial is an incredible opportunity to see our situation as an opportunity to say, “Okay, God, You’re on. I can’t do a thing about this situation, but You can, so I ask You to move on my behalf. I thank you for what I have yet to see, because that is the faith that pleases You.”

I can testify to this truth because it is close to my heart. My husband gave up a good job in July because it consumed over 100 hours a week. His company demanded he work six very long days and be on call the rest of the time and on Sundays. They made demands on their employees that broke my husband’s heart, and because he could do nothing to change things, we agreed he needed to quit before it consumed him. Since then, we have lived on faith. And though we’ve had to wait on Him, He has made a way every time. He’s truly a trustworthy, faithful Friend whose mercies never fail.

It’s just as Scripture says: He sees our affliction and runs to us every time. What a mighty God we serve!

Because His great love,

Nancy

I just realized something today. I’ve taken God at His word for everything in my life except one. I’ve struggled with weight issues much of my adult life, never quite getting to the root of the problem–until today.

I can trust God for the future, for my children, for financial provision, but after the revelation of this morning, I realize I haven’t trusted Him to feed me.

My website has a minibook on this very subject, so in essence my head knows it well. But my heart obviously hasn’t gotten the message.

Psalm 28: 6 says: “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication.” Is doesn’t say He might listen or that His line is busy, does it? Well, it’s clear that in this instance I need the Lord to convince my heart of what my head already knows.

I’ve noticed that when I’m insecure I eat chocolate more than usual.  I also eat when I’m not hungry, perhaps because in the back of my mind I believe there will not be enough for later. My mother was a type A personality who limited what we did and what we ate, in subtle ways. I believe this is the reason I struggle with the ‘not enough’ syndrome.

Today is the day of new beginnings, because when we get a revelation from God that opens our eyes to the truth, we can take Him at His word, and choose to rest knowing He is enough and will take care of us.

For years I have found it nearly impossible to fast, but perhaps there will be grace for that, too.

If you, like me, struggle with weight, know that I am praying for you, asking God to reveal Himself as your shepherd, the One who will feed you, His precious little lamb.

God cares about the details. Scripture says He is a God of compassion who bottles our tears and numbers the hairs on our heads. So if He cares about little things like that, He is certainly interested in feeding us.

Today I’m going to take His hand and let Him lead me, asking Him to show me how to eat for His glory.

In His wonderful love,

Nancy  

Are you struggling as a Christian wondering how this whole thing will turn out? Are you overwhelmed with seemingly insurmountable problems? The most recent David Wilkerson Newsletter spoke directly to this issue, so I want to share his encouraging words with you.

In Matt. 15:32 Jesus said to His disciples: “I have compassion on this multitude because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.”

“I believe Christ was making a statement… here. He was saying, ‘I’m going to do more for the people than heal them. I’ll make sure they have enough bread to eat. I’m concerned about everything that affects their lives. You have to see that I am more than just power. I am also compassion. If you see me only as a healer, a miracle worker, you will fear me. But if you also see me as compassionate, you’re going to love and trust me.

“I am writing this message for all who are on the brink of exhaustion, about to faint, overwhelmed by your present situation. You’ve been a faithful servant, feeding others, confident that God can do the impossible for his people. Yet you have some lingering doubt about his willingness to intervene in your struggle. (Emphasis added.)

“I wonder how many readers…have spoken words of faith…to others, who face distressing, seemingly hopeless situations. You have urged them, ‘Hold on! The Lord is able. He is a miracle-working God, and his promises are true. Don’t lose hope, because he’s going to answer your cry.

“Do you believe in miracles? That is the question the Holy Spirit asked of me. My answer was, ‘Yes, of course…”

“Yet this answer is not good enough.The Lord’s question to each of us is really, ‘Do you believe I can work a miracle for you?‘ And not just one miracle, but a miracle for every crisis, every situation we face. We need more than Old Testament miracles, New Testament miracles, and bygone miracles in history. We need up-to-date miracles that are designed for us and our situation. (Emphasis added.)

Think of the one difficulty you’re facing right now, your greatest need, your most troubling problem. You’ve prayed about it for so long. Do you really believe the Lord can and will work it out, in ways you can’t conceive? That kind of faith commands the heart to quit fretting and asking questions. It tells you to rest in the Father’s care, trusting him to do everything in his way and time.”

Let not your heart be troubled, for we serve a God of tender compassion! Don’t give up! Your answer is on the way!

In His great love,

Nancy

(Forgive me for not figuring out sooner that I need to increase the font size. Better late than never.)

In recent years it’s become popular to say that faith means to ask once and believe it is done. And while there are specific times in the Word where God said that was true, most of the time He responded to the persistent prayer of faith.

Remember the story of Elijah and Elisha? God had told Elijah to go find Elisha, the newly chosen prophet who would replace him. And he found Elisha plowing a field. From then on they went everywhere together, with Elisha ministering to the needs of his mentor and learning everything he could.

In II Kings 2 it says the prophet Elijah was an old man and his time on earth was drawing to a close. It appears that he wanted time alone with God when he told Elisha that he wanted to be alone. But Elisha would have none of that. In fact he refused to let Elijah out of his sight for a moment, and over time he became a terrible annoyance.

Finally Elijah had had enough and said, (author paraphrase), “Okay. What is it you want from me?” And Elisha asked for double portion of his anointing. Now remember, Elisha had been shadowing his mentor for some time and he had seen the miracles and wonders God did when Elijah spoke. Apparently over their time together Elisha decided he wanted to be used in the same way, and in the end, he refused to miss a moment of opportunity. He knew his moment of blessing would come if he stayed focused on the goal. And Scripture says he received exactly what he asked for.

In our day of easy believism it’s easy for us to give up when God doesn’t answer quickly. But God sets great store by persistence. Over and over the Bible says that those who kept on asking received what they asked for if their hearts were right.

Today, more than ever before, we need to ask God for what we need–for souls and things we’ve never before dared to believe. Not out of lust or greed, but for kingdom purposes. He said to ask for the nations. We need to ask and keep on asking, believing He will come through for us. Scripture says we have not because we ask not.

Will we dare to be persistent and believe for the impossible? God isn’t limited by time, space or resources, so let’s grab hold of faith and keep on asking. Our God loves to answer the prayer of faith!

In His great love,

Nancy

When God created the earth He planned to fill it with all the beautiful things in His mind. But it was incomplete until He created man. A pretty globe with movement and water and color was simply not enough for God. He longed for companionship. So He created man. And because Adam was alone and lonely God made him a companion in Eve.

And God loved them and longed to spend time walking and talking together in the garden, which they did every evening. He already knew what they thought and felt, but He wanted to hear them say it, because that’s what intimacy is all about.

Then He gave them work to do and made them fruitful in the garden. He also gave them choices, which always amazes me. Especially when He knew exactly the kinds of choices they (and we) would make. But He did it anyway. He told them they could eat of every other tree in the garden but they were not to eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Eve listened to the voice of the serpent (Satan) who said they could be as wise as God if they would only eat the forbidden fruit. Now in a way the serpent was telling the truth, but in Eve’s limited understanding, she had no idea what she was getting into. Once they ate they saw their nakedness and lost their innocence forever. The new knowledge was terrible thing, introducing fear for the first time into the lives of formerly secure people. And because God loved them unconditionally He made another way to deal with their sin, killing animals and covering their nakedness with the skins, and when they repented, He forgave them. This was the first sacrifice for sin.

Later in God’s Word it tells us that all along the way God blessed His people, leading them and wanting relationship with them. And though He loved them unconditionally He did put conditions on their blessings.

Deuteronomy 28:1 says: “Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord… will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you…if you obey…” And He goes on to list (this takes fourteen verses) the ways He would bless His people for their obedience and tender hearts toward Him.

Then in verse 15 it says: “But…if you will not obey the Lord your God to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I charge you today,… all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.” It takes 53 verses to detail the curses.

And while we now live in a day of grace God still requires us to have hearts that are tender toward Him. Those blessings and curses still apply to us, depending on the choices we make, for or against God. In fact we can still see evidence of those blessings and curses today.

And if we as a nation and as individuals refuse to repent and turn our hearts toward the Lord, the final great judgment will give us exactly what we’ve demanded, that God leave us alone and just go away. And just like in the case of Adam and Eve, getting our own way will be a terrible thing–one that holds horror that will never end–in hell, separated from God. Just because we say it isn’t so doesn’t make it any less true. Those in hell are, no doubt, shocked to find that it’s absolutely true, but by then it’s forever too late.

It’s time to diligently pray in a revival like we’ve never seen before, loving people enough to tell them the truth–that time is short, and their souls will be required at their hand. Oh, Jesus, may they have ears to hear!

In His great love,

Nancy

Scripture says in Luke 12:48: And to everyone to whom much is given, much will be required. This is a subject to which many of us have apparently given little thought and even less heed.

In the early days of our country, the town crier was a person of much importance. This person had the sacred duty of notifying the local citizenry when something important occurred that demanded their attention. Our founding fathers didn’t take this position lightly, but always filled it with a person of high moral character and great integrity, for their lives often depended on it.

These days, the equivalent of the town crier is the media. Like the town crier, the media is supposed to report the facts as they are, but because they have exalted themselves above others, becoming policy makers and celebrities, drunk with power, we can no longer trust them to tell the truth. They have become a law unto themselves with an agenda of their own.

Recently I received an email from a British citizen who forwarded an article by a British newspaper columnist who reported that the U.S. and President Bush have almost singlehandedly won the war in Iraq. He went on to say that of all the terrorist insurgents who had once had control of certain areas in Iraq, few are left who are not in the custody of the new Iranian government. He congratulated President Bush for standing up to both Democrat and Republican detractors and doing the right thing to restore the control of the Iraqi government to its people. He also wondered aloud why our press had suppressed such incredibly good news.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that none of these things had been reported in the American press. There was not a single word praising our troops for their courage or their persistence, for a job well done. Nor was there a word of praise for our President, whom many have said is the worst president we have ever had. Personally I applaud him for swimming against the tide, staying the course and using common sense to do what had to be done. In my mind he’s right up there with Ronald Reagan in the annals of great leaders in history.

I knew our news was skewed to the left, by a liberal media who no longer thinks there’s a place for accountability, or for nationalism or patriotism, but I didn’t know how far we had slid down that slippery slope until now.

Let me remind us all of a quote by John Bunyan, the great author and preacher who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. He said: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. And though he penned these words over 400 years ago they are just as true now as they were then.

Anyone who has been  entrusted with a place of honor will be required to give an account of what they did while they held it, on top of answering for their own personal integrity or the lack thereof. Unfortunately, once again we see that men do not believe in that day of reckoning I mentioned the other day. If they did they would report the truth and not slant it, turning the truth into a lie.

God takes this very seriously, and I would be remiss if I didn’t blow the trumpet once again, reminding everyone whom God has blessed with power, to reconsider the direction they are taking, because time is short, and a day of judgment is not far off.

Scripture said a day would come where right would be wrong and wrong right. Well, that day is here, and it’s frightening.

I pray that revival comes soon and brings deep repentance and grief over our corporate sin, for eternity is a long, long time in which to consider the error of our ways, and it must not be taken lightly. Choose carefully the path before you if you are among the blessed, for God cannot be mocked. Scripture says in Galatians 6:7 that whatsoever a man sows he will also reap. John chapter 3 says that men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. It’s time to come to grips with our sin and ask God to forgive us, accepting His great gift of salvation, or face all eternity without Him, paying for our rebellion.

At this point all I can do is shake my head in grief over what we have become and say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Because of His great love,

Nancy