A stained white garment

April 11, 2024BIBLE STUDY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENTFreda Farmer

Stained, again. “Oh, no! Not again!”

As I closed my Bible and put it on the side table next to the rocker by the window, I looked down at the little spatters of burgundy on my favorite white everyday top. I must have, once again, held the tiny communion cup too close when I’d opened it.

There have been seasons in my life where I take communion at home with the Lord every morning. For years, I used grape juice and bread or crackers, but a few months ago I purchased a box of pre-filled communion cups and wafers, like those used in many, perhaps most, churches. The plastic lid covering those cups is hard to remove.

In other seasons of life, I have taken communion at home as the Lord leads like, for example, when I am deeply convicted of sinning against the Lord or another person in some way, like this morning or when I want to commemorate or celebrate something with the Lord.

God cares very much about celebrating important things by doing something concrete, like the Lord’s Supper and meeting with Him at church on the Sabbbath day. Consider also the feasts, the festivals, all the altars He commanded to be built in the Old Testament. And how about the twelve stones taken out of the river bed of the Jordan to celebrate the miraculous crossing of the river described in Joshua 4:1-11?

God’s ways to deal with sin. I hasten to say that this is my personal habit, something Holy Spirit has put on my heart to do after I heard about it from others. There is no verse in the Bible that tells us we must take the Lord’s Supper each time we are convicted of sin. The blood Jesus shed on the cross paid the full price for sin once and for all. By faith in His sacrifice my sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. The practice of bringing a sacrifice for sin to the temple was for God’s people before Jesus came.

Then Jesus came to earth and fulfilled the Law with His life, and His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus made the way for us to be cleansed of sin and to have eternal life.

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.” John 3:16, (AMPC, emphasis added.)

After Calvary, the age in which we now live, the God-prescribed way for believers in Jesus to be cleansed from sin as we go about our daily life is found in 1 John 1:9. God promises us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)

Getting those stains out. So what happened to my favorite everyday top? I remembered a household tip learned when I was a secretary for the Sheriff’s Office. Once when a deputy—wearing a snowy white uniform shirt—was fixing a jammed stapler he somehow got blood on his sleeve. Another deputy retrieved hydrogen peroxide from the clinic, poured a bit on each spot and rubbed. As she kept rubbing the liquid into the fabric, the hydrogen peroxide foamed away the blood stain. Completely.

I see several spiritual lessons in that process.

[1] Sin is an unavoidable part of being human, just as accidents are. In Romans 7:14-25 the Apostle Paul describes his struggle with sin. If you have never studied this passage, read it over first in the NIV or the NLT, then do a thorough study. In this passage Paul explains that, although he wants with all his heart to do what is right, his human, sinful nature always fights against that. Yet Paul rejoices that God, through Jesus, delivers him. Paul says,

“(v. 21) I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. (22) I love God’s law with all my heart (23) but there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. (24) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (25) ‘Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God’s law but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (NLT)”

I clearly remember the relief I felt the day I first understood the next verse, Romans 8:1.

“Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation [no adjudging guilty of wrong] for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1, AMPC, emphasis added).

God does not condemn me for how my human nature reacts any more than He condemns me for how my physical flesh reacts when I fall and scrape my knee.

[2] God has prepared the way to deal with all our sins. When we genuinely repent and turn away from our sins and toward God, our sins are blotted out (Acts 3:19). We are born again, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:1-21. Then, as we live this new life of serving God, as we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. How does that happen? As we saw earlier, when we confess our sins to God He forgives us. Look at this section of First John, which the NIV labels “Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness.”

(5) This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (6) If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. (7) But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

(8) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us form all unrighteousness. (10) If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.” (NIV, emphasis added)

[3] It is best to confess our sin immediately. Perhaps you have heard “It is best to keep short accounts with the Lord.” This pearl of wisdom comes from the Word. Leviticus 5:5 tells us “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.” (NLT) Psalm 32:3 shows what happens when we refuse to confess our sin. “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.”(NLT)

If I had let that blouse with the grape juice stain sit in the laundry basket for a few days, it likely would not have come out. I had to interrupt what I had planned to do, find the prescribed cleaning agent, then take time to follow the prescribed procedure.

[4] We must be ever vigilant against sin. Whenever I wear my white blouse, I am extra careful about possible spills or stains and I glance down at it several times a day to be sure it remains unstained.

Once God cleans us up, He changes our basic habits and attitudes. He gives us a new nature, a new garment so to speak as He covers our sin with His righteousness. In the Bible, garment is a “symbol of covering, evil or righteous, defiled or beautiful.” (Interpreting the Symbols and Types, Kevin J. Conner, p. 144)

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10, NIV, emphasis added)

Once we are robed in His righteousness, we must watch daily to keep our garments clean, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12).

And look at what Jesus promises in Revelations 3:5:

“The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels. (NIV)”

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, recorded his musings upon the purpose of life. He told us to keep ourselves pure, to keep our garments white. In Chapter Nine, after Solomon concludes that good and evil, death and life happen to everyone, he says it is best to go ahead and live your life. “There is hope only for the living. . . ‘It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” (Ecclesiastes 9:4, NLT). Then Solomon continues:

“Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments be always white [with purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil of gladness]. (Ecclesiastes 9:7-8, AMPC, emphasis added).

In Verse 10, Solomon counsels: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (NIV).

That says to me that I am to live my life, with joy, keeping my heart pure before God by living in the light that comes from understanding the Word of God. I am to keep my heart clean before God by confessing any sin as soon as I am aware of it.

Washing with the water of the Word works. After rubbing out those stains on my blouse, I laid it across the back of the couch to dry out before putting it in the laundry basket. When I got back from errands, I picked up the blouse. I looked at every inch and could find no trace of stain. It was completely white. Consider these verses.

(25) Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her, (26) So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, (27) That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless]. (Ephesians 5:25-27, AMPC, emphasis added).

Selah, oh my soul, selah! God loves me so much that He compares me to His bride. God has made the way—despite my frail human flesh—for me to be holy and without blame in His eyes. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14, KJV).

Everything We Need, Part Two

March 28, 2024BIBLE STUDY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, DAILY LIFEFreda Farmer

Review of Part One: In Part One, we looked at the first three verses of the first chapter of Second Peter. We learned that, through having a personal relationship with Jesus, God has already provided everything we need for life and for that life to be godly. In Part Two, we see how He does that and how we are to respond.

His exceedingly great promises. First, go back and re-read the first three verses of 2 Peter chapter one. Then read verse 4:

(4) By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape (by flight) from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed) and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. (AMPC)”

In this verse Peter tells us that the cause of the moral decay filling the world is lust and greed. However, we can flee away from that and share in God’s divine nature through the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives. God has given us His very great promises because of His glory and His goodness. Look closely at the first three phrases in the next verse, verse 5.

(v. 5) For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop. . .

That phrase “For this very reason” points back to verse 4. Peter says that because of the great promises God has given us, we must make every effort, which means be diligent, to add godly qualities to our faith. Then Peter lists seven qualities that we can – and are supposed to — develop in ourselves. We develop these by God’s grace of course, but it requires our effort or it will not happen.

To reiterate, Peter says God has given us all that we need to live a godly life and the way to live that godly life is to flee the world’s corruption by participating in the nature of God. We do that by diligently exercising our faith and continually growing in Jesus, which means developing godly qualities.

What qualities should we pursue? Verses 5 through 7 list the godly qualities Peter says we can develop. We are to add to our faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Putting each phrase on a separate line makes the process of how to acquire these qualities easier to see.

^“For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort

in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy),
and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),
And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control,
and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance),
and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),
And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection,
and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.”

The process of developing godly qualities. Do you see the pattern? As we exercise, or use, one quality, we develop another godly quality, another attribute of the divine nature. “In exercising _________ develop ________.”

Image result for public domain picture of mans strong arms When we obey God and exercise, or use, the small bit of spiritual muscle we have, God develops that muscle. As that particular spiritual muscle develops—in response to our using it–the spiritual muscles and tendons around it also grow and another good quality starts to grow. And on and gloriously on!

A good comparison is physical exercise. Let’s say I’m a high school gym student. The coach says he is sure I have potential as a distance runner. I have faith in him, so I add to my faith in what the coach told me by starting with what I have. I diligently, industriously, start running every day. As I continue exercising my faith in what the coach told me, I develop strength, in general, in several body systems and muscles. As I continue running daily, my legs become stronger. I see (or the coach tells me) I must also do strength training to develop my quadriceps muscles so my knees will stay strong. I do that and next the coach assigns exercises to strengthen my hips and on and on until I have a well-trained runner’s physique.

Or consider someone who wants to have strong arms. I start with biceps exercises and those biceps muscles grow as I diligently work out, week by week. While I am developing my biceps, the triceps are also affected. Next I add triceps exercises. Next come the shoulders. And on and on until all muscle groups are strong.

Why do we need to develop these godly qualities? The answer is simple: these qualities will keep us from being idle or unfruitful, both of which are dangerous spiritual conditions. Look at verse 8.

(8) For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Notice we must develop these godly qualities and then keep on developing them. These qualities must “increasingly abound.” God puts a stern warning in Verse 9 for those who do not keep growing.

(v. 9) For whoever lacks these qualities is blind [spiritually shortsighted] seeing only what is near to him and has become oblivious [to the fact that] he was cleansed from his old sins.”

Do you remember how many times in the Old Testament God had to punish the Israelites because they lost sight of what He had done for them, could not see clearly Who He was and turned to their old ways of living?

Remember that God has already made the way for each of us to develop these qualities. God equips us for everything we need to live a godly life. If we fail to develop spiritually, we harm ourselves. Greatly. We remain spiritual infants, weak creatures and easy prey for the enemy of our souls. Our spiritual infancy requires that someone else carry us, feed us, and put up with our immature behavior.

Do you want to avoid stumbling and falling? God gives us a priceless promise in verse 10. He says if we work diligently to develop those godly qualities, we will never stumble or fall.

(v. 10) “Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall” (emphasis added). (The NLT says “fall away.”)

Paradox Principles: The Stumbling Man

That “because of this” at the start of verse 10 connects this verse to those that came before. Because of the great potential that awaits us in God’s promises, we should be eager to do what God says and work diligently to develop God-like qualities. God does not promise a life free of problems, in fact Jesus says quite the opposite in John 16:33. However, God does promise we will be able to keep walking safely with Him. And it will be with joy and all the other results of having an intimate relationship with Jesus (Galations 5:22-23).

(v 11.) “Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Enduring Word Commentary has this note about 2 Peter 1:11: “Peter here reminded his readers of the great reward of a calling and election made sure. They would enter heaven gloriously, not as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15.)” Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and meditate on that warning.

Be stirred up. Friend, may we be reminded about these things and stirred up “by way of remembrance”, as Peter wanted us to be. Peter said, “I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle (tent, body) to stir you up by way of remembrance.” (2 Peter 1:12, AMPC). May we diligently exercise our faith so we may become strong and develop every godly quality.

Godly qualities will save us from the darkness of our present world. And we will shine like stars in that darkness. As the apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:14-16:

Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves].

That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (fault-less, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world. ( AMPC)

Stars - Long Exposure 4k Public Domain Video - YouTube

Everything we need

March 14, 2024BIBLE STUDY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, DAILY LIFEFreda Farmer

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3, NIV, 1984)

³For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). (2 Peter 1:3, AMPC)

We already have everything we need for. . . . I watched Lily closely. She had just started her morning catly ablutions, thoroughly licking one slender paw, rubbing it over and over the right side of her face, then more licking and more rubbing until that side of her face was satisfactory, then repeating the process on the left. Next came her shoulders, then tummy which required an awkward posture and finally her hind parts, rear leg straight up in the air in the most undignified way.

“Hmmm, Lord,” I reflected, “You have given my little Lily and all cats everything they need for life, everything they need to take care of themselves. Either their mother, instincts or both teach them to keep themselves clean, to hunt and eat food, to socialize, to reproduce and to raise their young. I know that their grooming keeps their coat healthy by distributing oils, removes dirt and pests, calms them down and, if necessary, cools them. You’ve given them everything they need for life . . . ”

I paused a beat, then smiled.

“. . . just like You have given us everything we need for life and godliness through Your very great and precious promises. Let me see, where was that verse? I still remember the jolt of power in those words the first time I understood them. . .”

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3, NIV, 1984)

Background of our text: First Peter was written by Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus, to a group of Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. Peter urged them to remember what Jesus did for them and he encouraged them to live holy lives. He gave instructions for living a holy life in a sinful world. Second Peter was written to the same group of Christians who were then in “danger being confused by false teachers. Peter reminds the Christians that the best way to resist false teachers is to grow in the knowledge and practice of the Christian faith.” (NIV 1984, Introduction to 2 Peter.)

The headings in the 1984 NIV show that Second Peter covers these topics:

Making One’s Calling and Election Sure (the section we will focus upon),
Prophecy of Scripture,
False Teachers and Their Destruction, and
the Day of the Lord.

Key point: It is just as important to live a holy life today as it was for believers sixty years or so after the death of Jesus, when this book of the Bible was written. The way to live a holy life remains the same. Furthermore, verse 9 contains the clear warning: if we do not have the qualities listed in verses 4 through 7, we are short-sighted spiritually and have forgotten what Jesus has done for us. But if we develop those qualities, we “will never fall. . . and will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (v. 10-11, NIV)

Our text, 2 Peter 1:1-12. Take time now to read the first chapter of Second Peter, then re-read verses 1-12 slowly. Here is a summary of what I believe Peter is saying in verses 1-3.

(Verse 1). I, Peter, am a servant and special messenger of Jesus, and I am writing to believers, those “of like precious faith.”

(Verse 2) I say to you believers “May you have even more grace and peace, which you will be able to obtain through knowing Jesus, which means to know Jesus fully, personally, precisely and correctly .. .

(Verse 3) . . . because through knowing Jesus we will find the power God has already given us for living a godly life.

"We are all just walking each other home." (With images) | Pictures of ... In other words, God has put abundant grace and peace and total provision for a godly life in the pathway of knowing Jesus, of being one with Him. And knowing Jesus means knowing Him “fully, personally, precisely, and correctly.”

A more detailed look at verses 1-3. Let’s turn to the Amplified Classic Bible (AMPC) for a deeper look at these verses.

1. “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of ) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”

First, Peter reminds his readers that he is a disciple of Jesus and also an apostle. Peter says he is writing to fellow believers. He tells them that, as believers, they share the same privilege of having faith like his if they live in right standing (righteousness) with God. They have that privilege because of the right standing Jesus had with God the Father.

2. “May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” What a prayer!

Grace and peace. Most of us have heard that grace means God’s unmerited favor, a truth we need to be ever mindful of. But how often have you considered what God means when He says peace? Look at what the phrases in the AMPC tell us peace is:

perfect well-being,
all necessary good,
all spiritual prosperity, and
freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts

Notice God says perfect, or complete, well-being. Webster’s 1828 online dictionary says wellbeing means welfare, happiness, prosperity. Peace also means we will have “all necessary good.” Remember that God promises in Psalm 84:11 that He will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly (KJV). This peace God is talking about also includes having all we need to be spiritually prosperous or successful. Lastly God’s peace means we can be free from fears and agitating feelings and conflicts. As someone prone to insecurity and anxiety, I especially treasure that fact.

. . . be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. And how do we get that grace and peace? The NIV says “through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. Gotquestions.org says the following about knowing Jesus.

“When people speak of “knowing” Jesus, they refer to having a relationship with Him. Being a Christian is more than knowing about Jesus; being a Christian is knowing Him personally. Jesus spoke of the need to know the Savior when He prayed, “This is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3).

The AMPC expands upon what a relationship with Jesus looks like with the following words “in [the full, personal, precise and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” You no doubt have some people you know a little bit, but not fully. We are to have a full, complete relationship with Jesus, holding nothing of ourselves back from our wonderful Savior Who held nothing of Himself back from us. The next word, personal, speaks of our private life, what we do and with whom, and how we feel.

Precise and correct are the next two words used to describe what our relationship with Jesus should be. Precise refers to how detailed or specific something is whereas correct means being right or lining up with a standard. To me, these two words mean we are to take great care about the details of our relationship with Jesus and that our relationship should be based on the truths of God’s Word.

Consider the religious leaders in the time of Jesus. They were precise in their attitude about man’s relationship with God, having rules about the little details of life such as how many steps they could walk on the Sabbath, but they were not correct, because as Jesus explained, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27, NIV)

Verse 3. “For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that are [requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).”

The first word in this verse—for—is not in the NIV nor the King James. These connecting words in the AMPC help me see cause and effect and connections between ideas. That “for” in verse 3 tells me that verse 3 explains verse 2. In verse 3, Peter says God’s grace and peace will be multiplied in us as we walk with Jesus because God has already put everything we need for living a godly life in the pathway of knowing Jesus.

Crowns – Royal Exhibitions God, in His divine power, has already bestowed, or given, us everything we need for our life and for that life to be godly. Bestow means to give something to someone or present it to them. A queen could bestow knighthood on a man but if that man did nothing with it, what then? You can place a bowl of food in front of someone, but if they do not eat, what good does your bestowing food on them do?

A theme I see repeated throughout the Bible is that believers are to act like believers in our daily life. If we have faith but do not do anything with it, our faith is dead. James 2:14-26 gives clear teaching on the necessity to put shoes to our faith. Notice especially verses 17–“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”– and verse 26 — “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” ( NIV).

Another theme present throughout the Bible is God’s charge to us to pursue continual spiritual growth. We are to follow Paul’s example and press on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1-3). God tells us to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), which means we are to take action regarding something He has already provided. We are to clothe ourselves with humility (Colossians 3:12), pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and on and on we could go with things God tells us to do.

How has God given us all we need for life and godliness? Look at the second half of verse 3. “Through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). God has already given us all that we need and the way to get that is through that full, personal relationship with Jesus. As we come to know Him, we perceive His glory, His true nature, not what others may have told us or what we thought. We also come to understand (at least a tiny bit) how wonderful He is. Awareness of these truths will draw us, or call us, to Him as surely as flowers seek the sunlight.

A question to ponder: God has given animals, including my Lily cat, the means to take care of themselves. What would happen if Lily did not eat the food I put in her dish, or if she did not groom herself? Please show me, my beloved Heavenly Father, how to perceive and fully use all that You have bestowed upon me for living a life pleasing to You. Amen.

Part Two: In Part Two we will start with 2 Peter1:4.

“By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed) and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.” (AMPC, emphasis added.)

Read the entire first chapter of Second Peter, again, and see what Holy Spirit shows you the second time through.

Do you know what happens when you love God?

February 29, 2024ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

Please note: This is a reprint from April 8, 2021.Life has been blessed – and busy!

The “if-then” nature of God’s promises. While studying Psalm 91, God has taught me much about the “if-then” nature of His promises. I am very grateful! In all the years I have studied the Bible (and I feel I have only begun understanding how to study this last year) I do not recall being so aware of how often if-then, because, for, therefore, thus, and similar words appear. Perhaps that is because two years mired in the muddy pit of depression imprinted a zeal to understand what God wants me to do so that I can remain safe in “the secret place of the Most High.”

As we conclude our exploration of Psalm 91, let’s review what we learned about the “if-thens”, when we began this study of what is often called “the soldier’s psalm.”

The “if-thens” of Psalm 91. A clear example of how God rewards us for seeking Him is found in Psalm 91. The AMPC has this footnote for Psalm 91: “The rich promises of this whole chapter are dependent upon one’s meeting exactly the conditions of these first two verses.” Here are the “thens” that follow verses 1 and 2, along with the “becauses” in verses 9 through 16, (using the 1965 Amplified Bible) :

IF I dwell in the secret place AND SAY God is my refuge AND TRUST in Him (verses 1 and 2)

THEN God will “deliver me from every trap” (NLT),
THEN He will cover me,
THEN His “faithful promises will be my armor and protection”,
THEN I will not be afraid of anything evil, at any time,
THEN “No evil will touch me” (NLT) though people fall all around me. (phrases in parentheses are from the NLT)

. . . the “because” point the way to promises, too . . .

BECAUSE I make God my refuge and dwelling place (which repeats verses 1 and 2), “no evil will conquer me”, (NLT) and that is true because “He will order His angels to protect me wherever I go” (NLT)

(and finally, verses 14-16):

BECAUSE I love God and trust in His nature, He will rescue me, protect me, answer me, honor me, give me a long life, and show me His salvation, which includes deliverance, as well as redemption from sin through the blood of Jesus.

Psalm 91: 14 through 16–eight thundering “I wills! Eight powerful “I will” promises conclude Psalm 91.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never] 15. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Let’s look at these promises once more, in list form:

(Because he has set his love upon Me, THEREFORE:

I will deliver him,
I will set him on high,
because He knows and understands My name
I will answer him when he calls on me,
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him,
I will honor him,
I will satisfy him with long life, and
I will show him My salvation.

When we set our love on God. Notice that these eight promises apply to us when we set our love upon God. I see God’s fairness in Verse 14 in that when we set our love on Him, he sets us on high. How do I “set my love” on someone? “To set” means to put something in a specific place or position, like setting a book on the table. I like what Webster’s 1828 online dictionary says, “To put, place, or fix in any situation. God set the sun, moon and stars in the firmament.” That means something is permanently fixed and secured in a particular place. And that is how we are to love God—permanently and unshakably. If we do that, God promises to deliver us, which Webster’s 1828 defines as “to free or to release, as from a restraint; to set at liberty, as from captivity” and also “to rescue or to save.” The enemy of our souls always intends us deadly harm, but we have the promise of Almighty God that He will deliver us IF we meet His conditions.

Image result for FREE PICTURE OF HIGH GROUND If we set our love on God, God will deliver us and “set us on high.” It is good to be on high ground during a battle, and we know this life on earth is a battle! “Setting on high” also implies being lifted up from having fallen down or being in a low position. Job 5:9-16 lists a few of the kind things God does, one of which is “The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” (V. 11, NIV). God will keep us fixed and secured in a high, or safe, place.

Stand in awe of the Word. I think a word of loving caution is needed here. I do not pretend to know exactly how God works, but I do know He tells us to study His word diligently, 2 Timothy 2:15 clearly instructs us to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly] handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” That includes understanding the context of a verse upon which you are relying. I have heard and read many instances, as I am sure you have, where a verse is obviously used incorrectly. However, we all need to be on guard against mishandling the Word in subtle ways. I have done this in the past, but by God’s grace, I now work diligently to ensure I handle His Word correctly.

Image result for FREE PICTURE of bible Searching out context helps prevent such subtle as well as obvious errors. At a minimum, I read a few verses before and after. Preferably, I read the entire chapter and peruse an outline of the book of the Bible in which the verse is located. This does take extra time and effort, but it is a safeguard for us. Below is a link to an excellent article about handling the Word of God correctly at knowableword.com The Dangerous Consequences of Ignoring Context (knowableword.com)

Because we know and understand what God is like. . . “Because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (Psalm 91:14b, AMPC)

The AMPC translation of verse 14-b teaches us what it means to “know and understand” God’s name, which means His nature or what He is like. The phrases in brackets state “has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never.” So as we personally experience God’s mercy, His love and His kindness, we will be able to truly trust and rely on him because we will know—through our experiencing it—that God will never, no never, no never forsake us. (Now is a good time to meditate afresh on Hebrews 13:5-6 in the AMPC)

Image result for free picture of sick woman in bed I may have heard that someone with whom I have a casual acquaintance (let’s call her Sandy) is a kind person, but when Sandy brings soup and other food and medicine to my house when I have the flu, I know—through personal knowledge and experience—that Sandy is kind.

Perhaps one reason God tells us to consider ourselves blessed when we have trials (James 1) is because trials give us chances to experience God’s love and faithfulness. After we have walked through a few trials and seen God deliver us, we can have the confident hope and expectation of the writer of Lamentations. In the first part of Chapter 3, he remembers all his afflictions, the “wormwood and the gall” (AMPC) but in Verse 21 he remembers something that gives him hope and expectation—which is that “Because of the LORD”s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. (NIV)”

Image result for free picture of sunrise

We will have all we need. The other six “I wills” cover everything we need in this earthly life. If we set our love on God and come to know Him through experiencing His love and mercy, God says:

I will answer him when he calls upon Me;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and
I will honor him.
I will satisfy him with long life,
and I will show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16, AMPC) (Besides the theological definition of “deliverance from the power and penalty of sin.” salvation also means “saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.” (www.dictionary.com).

In these promises I hear God’s thundering voice, but I also hear Him gently, quietly, pleading with us, urging us to set our love on Him, to put Him first. Why? Because He loves us and knows what is good for us. Oh, how great the love of God! Dare we offer Him anything less than total, passionate, faithful love, obedience, and devotion?

Look how Matthew Henry talks about these promises :

“Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befall, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble.

The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him?

Image result for free picture of heaven A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer’s conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.” (from the Matthew Henry commentary on Psalm 91:9-16 at www.biblehub.com

Is it any wonder that so many of us memorize all of Psalm 91? Selah, selah, selah!

Do I really need God?

February 15, 2024ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

How much do I depend on God? Eyes closed. I’m snug and warm under the covers. The blanket edge flops over most of my face. On my cheek comes a velvety soft fluttering, a tap tap tap, tappity tap, tappity tap. Lily, my sweet cat, is waking me a bit early. I turn on my back and she climbs on my chest. Nothing happens, so she administers more tappity tapping. After a few ear rubs she jumps to the floor, but not for long. In thirty seconds, she again sits on my chest, tappity tapping my cheek.

Then I was out of bed, heading to the bathroom, getting a drink of water, washing my face, getting dressed, walking to the kitchen, putting on water for tea. Through all of that, Lily was right there within three feet, looking at me with her beautiful eyes, intently watching my every move. The moment I reached for a can of cat food, she meowed and ran back to the bedroom, to sit in front of her two white feeding bowls. Focused and persistent she was.

Why? Lily needs me, for her very life. I am essential to her, a vital necessity. Without me, she has no food and no water.

Do I need God like I need breath? The Word is filled with verses where God tells us to seek Him with all our heart. In his farewell address before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses warned that they would be scattered and many of them destroyed if they worshipped idols. But Moses told them that even from that place of idol worshipping they could still be saved if they sought God desperately. “But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life. (emphasis added, Deuteronomy 4:29, AMPC).

Lamentations 3:25 instructs us that “The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word.] (AMPC, emphasis added)

This verse tells me that I am to wait for God with hope and expectation. It also tells me that my need gives me the right to ask God for help and that I can do so with confidence when my need is covered by the Word. And God promises to “supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (I Corinthians 4:19, NLT)

All I have to do is remember the many times God has come through for me and I can lean on God with confidence and trust Him while He works out my problems. Ponder Psalm 9:10.

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].

hands, pray, prayer, praying hands, faith, folded, hope, meditation ... Do you see that God is telling us again that we can ask for God’s help based on the authority of the Word of God and that our need gives us the right to ask?

Being desperate for God is a blessing. It is good when God lets be aware that we have, in some way, turned our face away from the light of His truth. I have a built-in safeguard in that regard because all kinds of negative feelings start if I let my mind drift.

Despite the miraculous healing God did of life-long depression, it is still sometimes a struggle to maintain emotional balance. Through many failures, many times repeating the lesson, I have learned that I need God as I need breath. I learned that if I do not keep my mind on God and His Word all day long, that the enemy’s destructive lies can quickly flood my mind with darkness. My fleshly tendency is to feel afraid, to worry, and to grumble and complain, about the little as well as big “troubles, trials, distresses and frustrations.” Jesus warned us we will have in this world (John 16:33)

Free Images : landscape, tree, nature, path, grass, light, sky, night ... If I do not immediately reconnect with God and let the truth of His Word light the way for my next steps, I continue stumbling along in the dark, listening to the enemy’s taunts of doubt, fear, and hopelessness. With every step, it is harder to turn back to the light of God’s presence and the peace and joy He has stored up for me. My foot has been trapped in the snare.

I wish I could say this never happens anymore, but it still does because the enemy of our souls, satan, is exceedingly evil and cunning and always seeking to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

How has he attacked lately? Like many fellow believers, I have struggled with several health problems for many months now, praying and believing for healing and doing all I can to improve my health. However, despite a good diet, medicine, exercise, and physical therapy (with God’s hand evident in each of these), it has become progressively difficult to keep writing. Problems with my back, neck, eyes and hands, energy and mental clarity – the very things I need to write – have continued for months now, one new difficulty after the other.

What to do when hope dies. Somewhere along the path of the last few weeks, I failed to keep hope alive. Subconsciously, I began to doubt that God would be able to keep me writing. This was layered of course over other ongoing burdens, like unsaved loved ones, bills, repeated plumbing problems, and of course the darkness of our present world we all are facing. Every day, climbing out of the mire of negative thoughts grew harder. I grew irritable and short-tempered with traffic, neighbors and every little annoyance.

Fortunately, I kept seeking God, asking Him to guide me, show me what to do, and to restore my soul. I read and listened to Psalm 25 through Psalm 33 repeatedly. One morning I felt so desperate that I made repeating two passages of Scripture all day long my only goal.

Psalm 28:7 – The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.

Psalm 33:18-22 – Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,

¹⁹To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.²⁰Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.

²¹For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name.

²²Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You. (AMPC, emphasis added)

That day was, by grace, better and I kept persisting, being honest with God and leaning on Him for His strength because my strength was gone.

I must guard my expectations of how deliverance will come. I think I was expecting God to do as He has done countless times before, to open a passage of Scripture for me or let me hear a bit of music or catch sight of a bird or flower or hear an encouraging word and all of a sudden get my heart back in the right place.

Winding Path – Clean Public Domain But this time, this time I think God was lovingly letting me develop more spiritual muscle. I have had to patiently plod along, one hard step at a time, one day after another, doing what I know to do, and reminding myself of all God’s previous deliverances (Psalm 107:43).

The following three passages of Scripture especially helped.

Philippians 4:4-7 – “wonder-working power.”

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

⁵Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].

⁶Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

⁷And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (AMPC)

This verse tells me to:

choose to be glad in the Lord,
think how to help others, and,
rather than upsetting myself with worry, to ask God specifically for what I need in every situation and to thank Him.

If I do that, He promises to keep me in peace and guard my heart. He will build a permanent fortress around my heart. That’s how carefully He will protect my heart.

Jeremiah 15:19 – blessedly firm conviction about doubting God.

Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister;

and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. (AMPC, emphasis added)

As He told Jeremiah, God clearly tells me that if I return to trust and hoping in Him that He will give me “again a settled place of quiet and safety” and I can go about my work of living for and serving God. Furthermore, the Lord clearly tells me that it is a vile thing to have “unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness.” He is lovingly but firmly rebuking me for doubting Him, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness over and over, despite all the times God had forgiven and rescued them. But the verse also shows me that it is precious to God when I trust Him and have faith in His faithfulness.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 – renewed hope and strength.

¹⁷Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

¹⁹The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

The example of the prophet Habakkuk is a model of the right attitude to have while living in desperate times. Habakkuk said that no matter how hopeless circumstances look (v. 17) we can choose to be exceedingly glad in the Lord and to have an attitude of victory. Why? Because God IS our strength, God IS our bravery when we have none, and He IS our army that can never, never, no never be defeated. When we are weak and afraid, God Himself will be strong and brave in us. He Himself will fight our battles.

An Ode To The Magnificent Feet Of Mountain Goats | Gizmodo Australia Despite all life’s troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities, God gives us the ability to walk right through them all and to make spiritual progress because of and on top of the very troubles themselves. Just like a mountain goat moves forward in its daily travels across rugged terrain.

What are your troubles? Dear friend, on the authority of God’s Word I can tell you that if you are seeking God, He is right there with you (2 Chronicles 15:2). Your life may seem small and insignificant, like my quiet, retiree’s life does, and troubles may have nearly swamped your little boat, but the God Who made and controls the entire world loves you and His compassion for you is as high as the heavens are above the earth (Psalm 103).

He understands exactly what you are going through, He feels it with you, and He has prepared a way ahead of time for you to escape into His place of safety and peace and, yes, even rejoicing.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. (I Corinthians 10:13, NLT, emphasis added.)

All that you have I have to do is wait, with confident expectation and loving obedience, on our all-mighty, forever loving God. He will renew your strength.

²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

²⁹He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;

³¹But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired (Isaiah 40:28-31, AMPC, emphasis added).

Did things get better? Outward circumstances have changed little but, by grace, I have a grip again (which is to say I have a grip on God’s hand. He never, no never, no never for one second let go of me). And you know, while I was writing this blog post for you, on a gray cloudy day, I felt the warmth of His touch on my heart again, after many days. As the song says, “Oh, how He loves you, oh how He loves me, oh how He loves you and me.”

Daddy’s Hand - Daily Devotions | CBN.com

You can do it!!!

January 25, 2024ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

Dreading your daily work. Well, Lord, I am going to try to sneak up on it, on this outlining I am dreading, sort of get into it before I have time to think about. So let’s do a short devotional time first thing this morning and a longer one later. I’ll just sit here with You, watching the sun coming up over the rooftops, just being with You, trying to cast this care upon You and leave it there because I know You care mightily about me and everything I do (I Peter 5:7).

And, I do recall Proverbs 16:3, where You say:

Roll your works upon the Lord
[commit and trust them wholly to Him]
He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and]
so shall your plans be established and succeed.” (AMPC)Father, I do roll this writing thing all upon You and I trust You to do what Your Word says. Amen.

Divine little reminders. I stood up, walked over to the desk area and the big pad of paper on which I had outlined Chapter Four. By chance (ha!—see Ruth 2:3-4), I happened to glance at the little card taped to the top of the hutch cubby. Creased in half, with the edges partly rubbed off from having been carried inside my billfold for years, the front of the card was a picture of a glorious sunset over ocean, with Romans 11:36 at the bottom: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” (NIV)

“Soli Deo gloria.” Tears came, those tender tears that always come when we are deeply aware that God is saying something to us.

“Thank You, Father,” I murmured. Four times in the past few days I had read of people who used this motto specifically to dedicate their work to God: authors Jan Karon and Tracie Peterson and composers George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach.

“Soli Deo gloria is the motto that grew out of the Protestant Reformation and was used on every composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. He affixed the initials SDG at the bottom of each manuscript to communicate the idea that it is God and God alone who is to receive the glory for the wonders of His work of creation and of redemption.” What Does “Soli Deo Gloria” Mean? (ligonier.org)

I finally heard what God was saying. As I paused and just rested with God, I finally understood what I think God was saying to me through circumstances. I think God was reminding me that I had dedicated my life and my work to God and that I am doing all I can for Him, the best I can, so I can know that He IS indeed leading my steps. Furthermore, far from condemning my weaknesses, such as a tendency to dread hard things and to fret, God feels great compassion toward me and He will help me with my specific weaknesses , just as a father watches and knows just when his toddler needs to be picked up and carried.

Dear Father, I choose to believe and fix my thoughts on the truth that You are leading each step of my life, and that includes my work for You. I know You are in control of that as much as anything else in the world. And I know You will accomplish Your purposes in my life and my work for you as I simply do my little part and walk holy before You, with my whole heart. And I know this applies to each minute and each aspect of my life, not only our writing.

What about your work and your life? Some of us can point to a specific task that is our work for God. For some seasons of life, however, our main work for God is more dispersed, like being a stay-at-home mom, working to support your family, or caring for a sick loved one.

Regardless, all of us have some specific gift we are to exercise. And all of us are commanded to live our life for God, to be a living sacrifice for Him. That is the real day’s work for all of us. In Romans 12:1 Paul tells us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (NIV). And in Colossians 3;17 we hear “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

You can, this very day, live for God, whether the main work in your life is in an office, a factory, a home with children, a church, a rock mine, or living your life for God while residing in a retirement community. You can do the same even if you are in a season where you must rest and get well, or where everything is happening too fast. You can purposefully choose to give this day to God. You can choose to live it for Him and for His glory.

“The trouble with life is that it is so daily.” (Chuck Swindoll) I must remind myself often that the everyday tasks of daily life—making breakfast, fetching home the groceries, housecleaning, paying bills, getting the car repaired—are as much a part of my life for God as when I am privileged to be seated at my desk writing. I must remember that God cares about the minutes and hours of the activities of my daily living as much as when I am doing something specifically for Him.

For that reason, I periodically reread the small book “The Practice of the Presence of God”. Written by Brother Lawrence, this short volume shows us how to be aware of God’s loving presence during all the hours of daily life, simply by turning to God with a humble, thankful heart.

“You can do it!!!” As I turned toward my desk with refreshed determination and confidence, I saw the Leggo cat note holder one of my grandsons had made me for Christmas. On it he had written “you can do it!!!” Notice the three exclamation marks. When I opened his gift Christmas morning, I knew it would be one of the things that has a permanent place on my desk.

This precious gift is, I firmly believe, another Divine “happenstance.” My frail heart needs encouragement constantly and my heavenly Father knows that. So, God moves me to meditate on the numberless verses in the Word that strengthen the weak heart, He sends encouragement every day, and He sends courage through little pats on the head, like seeing that worn-out card and Ansel’s note holder today. God reminds me, and you, that, in His strength – you can do it!!!

Father, I ask that You send special tokens of encouragement to Your children today, in whatever way touches each one most deeply. Let someone they thought takes them for granted say thank you in a notable way. Let them see their favorite bird as they walk in to the office one more time or, one more time, start on a messy house. Let the flaming crimson and gold of a sunset warm their heart. Let a sense of well-being blanket them as they sit down for their evening meal.

Although we live by faith, not feelings, bless them this day with the awareness that You are right there with them, that Your love for them is higher than the heavens are above this beautiful earth. Let them know that You take delight in their love for You, that You sing over them, that You have written their name on the palms of Your hands. Make Your face shine upon them and give them Your peace that is more than we can understand. Let them know that You are with them when they are with You.

Open their eyes, Father, and let them see signs of Your love and Your specific encouragement for them. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!

The message on the back of that card was:

Everything comes from God. He designed it, He created it, and He sustains it. There’s nothing that’s beyond His imagination. And He wants to pass that optimism on to us. When He gives us a job to do, He wants us to know that it’s not too big for us. He’ll enable us to do whatever He asks us to do. We can serve Him with confidence, knowing that He chose to put us into this situation because He knew that – with His strength – we could do it.

Friend, in God’s strength, you and I can do it!!! If you have given your heart to Him, the same One Who tells the oceans where to stop is busying Himself with the details of your life. And He really, really loves you.

Waves on the seashore seascape image - Free stock photo - Public Domain ...

This Arctic blast did not surprise God

January 16, 2024ANXIETY, CURRENT EVENTS, HOPE, PrayerFreda Farmer

This Artic blast did not surprise God. This current Artic blast has brought dangerously cold temperatures to much of the United States, including Texas. In situations that could cause fear, it is comforting to remember God’s omnipotence. Just do a search on your computer for “Scriptures about God’s omnipotence.” I also love to review Chapters 38 through 41 in the book of Job. Notice especially Job 38:22-23, when God asks Job:

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?

As Matthew 8:23-27 tell us, “even the winds and the waves obey” Jesus.

God foretold this Artic blast. It is also comforting to know that God foretold this current weather. He did that through Hank Kunneman, a modern-day prophet. Watch the January 16, 2024, Flashpoint podcast, starting at about minute 41 to hear the prophecy. Copy and paste the link below into a search engine.

https://rb.gy/9wr18x

A clip of the comments is also available on Rumble. Search Rumble for Flashpoint and the clip titled “Prophetic Word: Deep Freeze, Water, and Divine Change.”

Pray for our dams and waterways. Also on the same Flashpoint podcast, Dutch Sheets shared the need to pray for protection of our dams and waterways from terrorists. Curiously, Facebook declined to post Dutch’s “GiveHim15” podcast, but you can see Dutch’s comments at about minute 38 of the January 16 Flashpoint podcast, as well as on Rumble.

Will you pray? After hearing Dutch’s comments, I decided to pray for our nation’s waterways and dams, and particularly those in Texas, where I live. I was stunned when an internet search for a list of waterways and dams revealed that Texas has 7,000 dams, more than any other state. I printed a list of those dams and the waterways in Texas and I am “spreading it before the Lord,” as King Hezekiah did with a threatening letter he received from the wicked king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:14-19).

Will you join in praying for the protection of our nation, and in particular for our dams and waterways?

And be assured: “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.” (Psalm 135:6, NASB).

Sea And Sky Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures

Are you still praying for Israel?

January 6, 2024BIBLE STUDY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, Prayer, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

So much is happening in our world. So much is happening in our world, the pace of events is accelerating, and much of what is happening seems horrible. But be encouraged! Yes, seemingly terrible things are happening “but our God is in heaven. He does whatever pleases Him.” (Psalm 115:3, ESV). God is still and will always, always, always be sovereign. He is allowing some evil things to be exposed, and He is allowing that for many reasons.

For a Biblical view of what is happening, and to help keep your heart safe in His peace, I recommend watching Victory News (https://victorynews.govictory.com, daily at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.) and Flashpoint (https://flashpoint.govictory.com, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m.). Another truthful and up-to-the-minute source for news from Israel is www.jerusalemprayerteam.org.

So much to pray about! There is much for believers to pray about and trust God for. Two especially helpful resources for prayer are the “Give Him 15” daily podcasts by Dutch Sheets and the Intercessors for America website. One thing we must pray about is Israel.

God tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!
⁷May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces!
⁸For my brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within you!
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good. (Psalm 122:6-9, AMPC)

And God promises to bless those who bless Israel.

And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. (Genesis 12:3, AMPC)

Are you still praying for Israel? The world was horrified when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 of last year. And Satan is still attacking Israel through Hamas and through stirring up world-wide anti-Semitism. We need to pray for the protection of Jewish people world-wide. We also must pray for the enemies of Israel. Read Genesis 12:3 again and notice – God says He will curse those who curse or use insolent language against Israel.

And we must pray for the nation of Israel, that God will cause the enemies of Israel to be defeated (Deuteronomy 28:7), that Israel will totally destroy Hamas. Victory News includes a daily update from Israel where you can hear what is really happening.

An important prayer for Israel. The military arm of Israel, the Israel Defense Force, needs our daily prayer. In 2005, I was privileged to visit the Holy Land. While there, I learned the powerful prayer below. Will you join me now in praying for the IDF?

God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, may You bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the great sea to the approach of the Arabah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against our fighters to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, blessed is He, preserve and protect our fighting men and women from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, may He lead our enemies under their sway, may He grant them salvation, and may the Scripture be fulfilled for them that says, “For it is Hashem your God Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:4). Now let us respond, Amen.

How to help in a concrete way. The Israeli people also need our financial support. There are many organizations helping Israel. One such organization that I trust uses the money for helping Israel, not for personal gain, is www.jerusalemprayerteam.org.

Every prayer and every dollar help. I must ask myself, “Am I doing my part?”

Israel Flag Wallpapers - Wallpaper Cave

Merry Christmas to you!

December 24, 2023UncategorizedFreda Farmer

Lilly Bugs and I say Merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones!

Blessings to you and glory to God in the highest for His marvelous gift to man!

Freda

Are you fearful, like me?

December 18, 2023ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

O Little Town of Bethlehem - Point of View - Point of View

The following poem can be sung to the melody of the beloved Christmas carol “O, Little Town of Bethlehem.” Try it.

[1] My fearful heart, my fragile soul, why do you doubt and fear?
for God your King is powerful, and He is very near.
He watches over you with care, takes note of where you go,
so wait and hope and expect Him. He’s helping you to grow.

[2] Here in the silence of my heart I’m learning to depend.
He’s teaching me from His great law to hide myself in Him.
He’s working all things for my good. In all things He is faithful,
to teach my heart to follow Him, to trust Him as I should.

[3] When life in this old evil world brings torment without cease,
our God wants our minds fixed on Him, safe, guarded, kept in peace.
He knows our every weakness, He knows our hearts are frail,
and so He sent Emmanuel. In Him we never fail!

[4] When you are feeling all alone, like you don’t have a friend,
remember Satan’s lies are lies, and trust makes darkness end.
For every time we call on Him, He answers us with light,
and on His strength we can depend!
We’re girded in His might!

“Are you fearful, like me?” is a trick question, sort of. I wanted to get your attention. I am not fearful in the sense that I know God is sovereign, I know that He is loving and faithful, and I know that not one word of all His promises ever fails. Yet, because I am human, feelings of all kinds occasionally splash up, like waves on seaside rocks. And, sometimes if I do not run to God quickly enough, feelings overwhelm my soul, as surely as the tide overwhelms (ah! but only temporarily) the ever-shifting shoreline.

We all have similar feelings. As the Word tells us, we humans all have similar feelings. Look at 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 in the New Living Translation.

¹²If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. ¹³The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure (emphasis added).

The context for this comforting verse is Paul’s warning that the believers at Corinth not repeat the mistakes Israel did, when the Israelites “set their hearts on evil things” (v. 6), when they were idolators, adulterers and grumblers and tested the Lord. All these died in the dessert, never making it to the Promised Land.

Paul says “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (v. 11). In light of that, Paul says we must be very careful, if we think we are doing well spiritually, to be careful and not fall into sin, because we are all subject to the same temptations.

¹²Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].

¹³For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man

[that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear].

But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature],

and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure,

but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out

(the means of escape to a landing place),

that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. (I Corinthians 10:12-13, AMPC).

Note that the emphases and the spacing are my interpretation and not included in the original text.

God will provide a way of escape. How comforting that last part of Verse 13 is! Read it again. No matter what temptation we face, God has promised He will not let it be more than we can endure and He will make a way out of it, a “means of escape to a safe landing place.” I like to think of that as a child running into his father’s strong and loving arms.

Why we must always be running to God. Verse 14 is connected to what came before the “Therefore” that starts Verse 14. Because of what we just saw in Verse 1 through 13, we are to flee from idolatry, which means to shun, to consistently avoid loving or honoring or respecting anything or anyone more than we do God. Read this verse in the AMPC.

¹⁴Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God) (emphasis added).

So, verses 1 through 14 tell us if we are appropriately aware of our human tendencies–of all kinds, not just fear–we will seek, inquire of and for, and depend upon God as our first and vital necessity.

I think God is lovingly telling us here, as a father would tell a beloved son embarking on a journey: Now, remember, you cannot see in the darkness. You must walk only in the light.

And how do we do that? By keeping His Word in our mind – constantly. Three years ago, I was just starting to learn how to maintain healing from life-controlling depression and fear. What brought healing? Diligent, daily meditation on God’s Word. Desperation led me to meditate on comforting Bible verses hour after hour, all day long, during every free minute, every day, week after week, month after month. As I did that God’s Word healed my heart when all else had failed.

God has maintained the healing and helped me grow. How? By moving me to continue delighting in His law and diligently meditating “on His law day and night.” (Psalm 1:2, NIV).

Still desperate about His Word. I am still desperate about His Word because I have learned I can do nothing without Him but that “I can do everything through Christ Who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NLT) By His grace I can now say to my loving, gracious Father:

I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. And I will walk at liberty and at ease, for I have sought and inquired for [and desperately required] Your precepts. (Psalm 119:45, AMPC)

Other carols for consecration. If you like the poem above, and the idea of more verses for your favorite Christmas carols, see “Carols for Consecration” on the Books and More page of this website or the link below.

Carols-for-Consecration-.pdf (wordsofhopeandhealing.com)

I pray you will be helped to meditate more and more on God’s powerful Word. And find more and evermore peace during this season, this blessed season when God Himself came to earth to bring peace on earth and “good will to men.” (Luke 2:14, NIV).

O Little Town of Bethlehem - YouTube