He is (The Names of God) by Eric Ludy

I hope you are all having a blessed summer. The youth pastor at my church closed last Sunday's sermon with this video below. It is so powerful and gorgeous and will get your eyes upon the Savior of our lives. 

One of my favorites, "He is my Husband." Whew!

I encourage you to take the time to give it a watch and let me know what "He is" to you. God bless you. 

Handfuls of Purpose: A Poem and a Devotion

“And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.”—Ruth 2:16

A POEM:

God to Boaz

Let fall handfuls of purpose for her

She knows not the blessings I have in store

And while My plans for her are taking form

As she waits, please bless her with provision, kindness, and care

Boaz to His Men

Let fall handfuls of purpose for her

As she ministers to her mother-in-law and likely grieves the passing

Of her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law

Comfort her with generous amounts of barley in our harvest

and protect her from any harm

I admire this young lady

She has shown commitment to our God

By leaving her comforts, her home, and her family—all she knows

To join herself with His people

Out of love for her mother-in-law

Show her the kindness of our God

Let her know that He does not let one of His children go uncared for

Show her the respect that she likely has never known

By letting handfuls of purpose fall before her

And watching over her as she gleans in my field

While I may not see the picture clearly

I know she is a special woman

She's young, yet has shown great wisdom

In how she is faithful and obedient to her mother-in-law

Boaz to God

So, Lord God,

Help me be to her

All that you are to me.

While I let handfuls of purpose fall before her.

A DEVOTION:

In the book of Ruth, Boaz told his young men to let “handfuls of purpose” fall on the ground for Ruth to pick up and glean. Not only was she to glean after the reapers what fell to the ground, more handfuls of barley were to be dropped on purpose on the ground in front of Ruth to glean. As far as we know, she was the only one of the maidens of Boaz' field who got this privilege. I think it could be said that she did not know this provision was taking place on her behalf. She just went along with her commitment to provide for her mother-in-law and reaped blessings in return.

So, too, in our lives. God's handfuls of purpose may not be easily understood or seen by us at the times of His provision of them, but when we look with hindsight back on the workings of God in our lives, we then see clearly that He, too, lets fall handfuls of purpose (or in a general sense, handfuls of blessings) before us.

Another way of saying this is that God not only provides for us, He gives us much more than we expected or even hoped for from Him. This could be monetary provision. It could be in the form of wise counsel from our brothers and sisters in the Lord. It could be the illumination He grants us when we read His Word. Whatever it is, if God is doing the providing, it is abundant, free, and given without rebuke or strings attached.

I think many of us, who have trusted Christ as our Savior, and received His free gift of salvation believe that somehow we need to work for His blessings. While there is some truth to the fact God blesses His children while we are faithful to Him in the here and now, I think God's handfuls of purpose are completely free and not dependent on anything we do.

Like salvation, the gifts and provisions He gives us in our daily lives, when viewed in light of Ruth 2:16, are blessings above and beyond our good works, our hopes, our requests, and our desires.

I think the best way to fully appreciate and acknowledge these handfuls of purpose then is to be thankful to God. Not congratulatory of ourselves in our walks with God and how we've “earned” these blessings, but to acknowledge that without Him, we would not receive these handfuls of purpose, these above and beyond blessings from His Hand.

As I survey my life, I can look back and see many of these kinds of blessings from the Hand of my Savior. I acknowledge that He has provided for me above and beyond what I ever hoped in my education, in my relationships with my family, in my work, in my growth in Him, with the recent gift of a husband and a daughter, and so much more.

It is good for me to remember as I reflect on these handfuls of purpose that God has let fall along my path, that they are from Him alone and are a testament of the greatest gift He could ever give me—His love.

(Source: Mark Oehrhardt on Pixabay)

Praise Ye the Lord

“Praise ye the LORD.”—Psalm 150:6b

The last phrase in the entire Book of Psalms is an exhortation to praise the Lord, which is an exhortation in itself as this verse segment ends a book filled not with just spiritual highs, but also many lows. 

I believe further revelation about the idea of praising the Lord can be summed up in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I believe God is telling us in this passage that we aren't to focus on the negative, but on the positive all around us. We are to think on the things that are lovely, of a good report, and that are virtuous, to name a few things that verse describes. And when we do think on these things, the end result can only be praise to our Lord.

As I go about my day, I am encouraged to be in constant communion with the Lord in praising His name and thinking on all the good I see in the world around me. For example, I can either concentrate my thoughts on the eczema spot that is developing on my daughter's forehead or I can praise the Lord that she can walk around the house, when so many children cannot. It's not that I shouldn't address the patch of dry skin on my child's forehead, but I must not let the negative aspects of such a condition overshadow all the good I can be thankful to God for about her health. I also shouldn't let it overshadow my hope and trust in God to clear this up somehow, when I bring this issue to Him in prayer. (For the sake of full disclosure, this last sentence convicts me because I haven't prayed for His guidance to either lead me to a product that will bring its healing or His power to heal it without my help!)

Work is a great spiritual testing place as it draws out either our praise or our complaints. I can be under so much pressure at work, with more and more paperwork stacking onto the already massive piles on my desk and start wondering if it will ever end. I can be grumpy that I don't have an assistant who can help me with my tasks as I assist others in my job. Or I can praise the Lord for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to be able to work part-time from home, while my daughter is young, even though I may not get everything done in a manner I would if I went into work every day at full-time hours.

Then, there is the guilt that comes so naturally to mothers. I can choose to be weighed down with guilt about not being able to give my daughter my full and undivided attention throughout the day, or I can praise God that while I'm working at home, she often plays near me and that we are at the very least in each others' presence. I can feel insecure for putting in a long  DVD for her to watch so that I can work at length on time-sensitive projects with little to no interruption. Or I can be grateful that I get to spend quality time with my daughter in the middle of my days by going to story times in the library, going on walks around the neighborhood, or even reading books together and playing tea time with her and her several Sesame Street plush dolls.

My favorite middle-of-the-day activity lately has been visiting a park and walking around with her as she discovers new sights, sounds, and textures. I enjoy listening to my daughter say hi to little girls her age and dogs her size. I savor the look in her eyes as she walks across a field 100x larger than anything she's traveled on with her own two feet before. I love the wonder in her expression as she takes in the largeness of the park fenced in with beautifully tall trees. I love the look of independence on her face as she follows her own path. What a treat that is! I may not get all the work done I thought I needed to complete in a day, but I get to experience my beautiful daughter as she discovers her world. So, what should I say? You got it, praise the Lord!

So, if I start feeling weighed down or guilty about what I'm doing or not doing or how I am or how I am not, I should ask God if there is any sin in what I'm doing. If there is, I need to ask Him to forgive me (1 John 1:9) and to gently correct my walk (Psalm 139: 23-24). If there is no sin, I then need to get my thoughts out of the guilt pit and onto the good that is happening all around me in every moment of every day. It may take some time at first to get my vision on the things God wants me to think about, but I believe with prayer and practice, thinking on the good and all that's mentioned in Philippians 4:8 will eventually become habit.

One final thought. If I am having a hard time thinking on the good right in front of me, that is the good in the temporal or physical realm, I am without excuse because the ultimate praise I have for Him is simply because He is and that I am His child.

So, just as the Book of Psalms ends, let us all be encouraged to redeem our time wisely by seeing something to praise Him for throughout our days on earth. While the natural man is not wired this way, thankfully, praising Him in Heaven will come naturally. Because only then, will we be freed from our sinful bodies and see Him as He is.

Praise ye the Lord!

Our Backyard (Spokane, WA)
March 26, 2014

Herein is Love

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,

and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”—1 John 4:10

“We love him, because he first loved us.”—1 John 4:19

Snowflakes on the ground. Colored lights on frosted windows. Wreaths hung and trees decorated.* Families visiting. Cookies baked. Presents wrapped. Fires lit. Dinners cooked. And hot chocolate sipped.

‘Tis the Season of this annual festival of joy that brings back warm memories of times spent in laughter, wonder and closeness with those who are nearest our hearts. (I know this may not be the case for everyone, and I hope that for them, each year, their hearts heal a little more.)

It has also come to be the time in which Christians traditionally reflect on our Savior’s birth. How He was born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger—a scene that is illustrated in myriad ways across the globe, in church plays, humble scripture readings, and in simple crèches in homes and on lawns. 

This is the true meaning of the season for many. With that said, I recently read an article about how Christ was not really born on this day (something I have heard before), but that He was most likely incarnated in Mary’s womb around this time (something I have not heard before). So, December 25 could have been the moment that God became flesh for us. What a tremendous thought and a glorious thing to celebrate!

There is yet another theme I am reflecting on this particular season: love, specifically God’s love for us and our love for God and others. God’s love for us can be summed up upon reading the passages I chose to begin this devotion above, in addition to probably the most popular verse in the New Testament:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16

The best section of Scripture, in my estimation, about how our love should be toward others is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

We can be the most eloquent of speakers proclaiming the truth, and yet, if we have not love in the proclamation, we speak as the clinging of brass instruments. Not a pretty sound at all! (1 Corinthians 13:1)

We can have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith, and yet without charity, we are nothing and our works are nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)

We can sell all that we have to feed the poor and we can sacrifice our bodies to be burned, and yet, without love, those things do not profit us. They become empty sacrifices. (1 Corinthians 13:3)

And then, if those things are not convicting enough, there is more we ought to know about how charity is expressed through us:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”—1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Two areas resonate to me especially: “Charity suffereth long (or is long suffering) … [and] is not easily provoked.”

Goodness, how just those two descriptions of charity convict me and show me I have a lot to learn in my Christian love. See, I know I am often impatient with others, and I get mad hastily, often with the slightest provocation.

I know I have grown much in this area, mainly because of and through my relationship with my husband. He has been a great teacher and guide for me in these areas. But I don’t want to stop growing. I want to be more loving, more charitable, toward others than I have ever before.

Would not that be the greatest present I could give to my family and loved ones during this season of giving?

It would simply be a small reflection of the love Christ has shown all of us when He became flesh and bore the penalty of our sins upon Himself through His death on the cross, so that we could be justified freely and fully to live eternally with Him.

Lord Jesus, may those same words You used Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 13 be written on the tablets of my heart, so that You may ever and always be glorified in me, not just this one time of the year, when many of us gather together to celebrate the moment You became flesh or the day You were born.

 (*I mean no disrespect to my brothers and sisters in Christ who believe strongly against decorating trees based on their reading of Jeremiah 10. I respect their freedom of conscience. I also respect the freedom of conscience of those who do not have that belief.)

Cal Poly Poinsettias (San Luis Obispo, CA)

A Resting Place

“And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.”—Numbers 10:33b

With Thanksgiving drawing near, and along with that, menus to create, shopping lists to make, and chores to do, this season’s busyness may eclipse something very important God wants us to know or, rather, something He wants us to remember: His glorious work in our lives.

My husband and I are participating in a small group at the church we are attending. Over the last couple months, we have met every other week. We have prayed for one another, gotten to know one another, and discussed the Sunday sermons and its themes and how they apply to our lives.

Last night, we broke off into two smaller groups, and a beautiful thing happened in our midst. We each shared our testimonies. We shared salient points in our spiritual journey that led us to Jesus, and the moment we came to faith in Him, each of us coming to Him through different circumstances. 

Some came to faith quietly, others with great drama, and still others somewhere in between.

In that beautiful time of sharing, though, I remembered something so very precious I had forgotten in my own testimony. It was not the story of my faith in Christ but the beginning of my story in how I came to give my life to Him, when I became His disciple.

It began when I had sought counseling from my family’s pastor in my early twenties because I had “blown” it with that same family. I had crossed the line in my anger and disrespect toward them, and I knew I needed help. As I was sitting in this pastor’s living room, he began sharing a story from Scripture. I thought he might as well have been speaking Greek as I was so unused to Biblical names and the formal style of Biblical writing. That did not matter though, because the Holy Spirit removed a dark veil from my understanding and deposited truth into my heart that broke me. In less than an hour, I knew my sin. I knew I had a problem with authority and that was the “root” error in my life and the source of many of my poor decisions. I knew it was a result of my parents’ divorce and the broken boundaries that resulted. I knew it was not my fault, which gave me a tremendous amount of consolation and comfort. What was my fault and would continue to be my fault, though, was how I would choose to live my life in light of my problem with authority.

When I left this wonderful pastor’s home (he did become my pastor, by the way, and he was a man God used to grow me and mold me into the Christian I am today), I remember walking to my car and having this sense of vulnerability I had not experienced for a long time. It was as if my heart that had been hardened over the years had finally softened and became open to the love of God for me. At the same time, God healed me in that He gave me the ability to forgive my father, who I was the most hurt by, as he was the one who left our family and started this cascade of unfortunate events in my life that were out of my control.

It was the most beautiful thing, and sadly, I had forgotten it. I did not forget Him giving me the gift of His forgiveness toward my dad, but I forgot being broken through His Word sitting in my soon-to-be pastor’s living room. I forgot that beautiful feeling of vulnerability after so many years of being hard.

Well, this Thanksgiving, I want to remember how God brought me to my “resting place.” I want to remember how much He loves me and how much He sought me out and cleaned up my life in order to experience His love with a pure conscience. My sins had become such a heavy load, and I was nearing the moment I would repent of those sins and lay my life down at His feet to do with it what He will. But before the moment I gave my life to Him, Jesus had allowed me to truly feel His life in me for which I am thankful.

I encourage you to reflect on your journey with the Lord and remember a time you clearly felt His work in your life. Ask Him to show you a detail you may have forgotten and thank Him for what He has done for you.

And have a marvelous Thanksgiving!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”—James 2:17

Park Bench in Onesti, Romania
(May 2005)

A Sweet Savor

 “A sweet savour unto the LORD.”—Leviticus 1:9b

“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ.”—2 Corinthians 2:15

  

The Bible has a lot to say about sacrifices, offerings and atonement in both the Old and New Testaments. Some of it is very dry reading and quite gruesome, but the truths these verses express are anything but dull, especially when we ponder that the ultimate sacrifice was the one Christ did of Himself on our behalf, when He bled, suffered and died in our stead for the just punishment of every sin that has ever been committed (and will be committed) since Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden.

Unfortunately, not everyone who has ever lived has accepted that free and precious gift of Jesus' death on the cross. And the hell that was created solely for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) has to enlarge itself each time a person dies without believing on Jesus and receiving His forgiveness of sins (Isaiah 5:14). In other words, they never received the sweet savor of Christ's sacrifice on their behalf. That savor that only Christ can offer, that goes up to the throne in Heaven, before God the Father, on our behalf.

Praise the Lord that there are many from every tribe, kindred, and language, who do believe in Jesus. They go before God the Father in Heaven and become “a sweet savour of Christ” to Him. That picture is so beautiful to me because it has nothing to do with my worth or my unworthiness. It has nothing to do with what country I live in or who my parents are. It has everything to do with Christ, Who He is and what He's done.

Which brings me to the heart of what I want to say on these verses above. When reading Leviticus 1:9 the other day, it occurred to me that I want to be a sweet savor to my Lord Jesus. I want to grow more in His image. I want my works to express the truths of His Word, the results of which become a sweet smell rising to Heaven under the nose of my Savior.

What this means for me is that I think it is time for a season of consecration to the Lord, when I sacrifice myself on the altar of His love and make myself open and available to be molded and changed into the person He wants me to be. This may hurt. This may show me sins I have yet to see and repent of.

I know this will be hard work, but this will be work He does in my life to bring me closer to Him, which is something I so desire.

After all, it is my reasonable service unto Him for all He's done for me. (Romans 12:1)

St.Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic
(August 2005)

I Stand Amazed

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5

“The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: 

so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.”—Proverbs 20:30

“Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.”—Luke 22:7

Christ, our Passover Lamb. The One Who was wounded, afflicted, and killed for our healing. When I take a look at that picture, I am deeply moved by Jesus Christ and what He's done for me. He is just so awesome, and I don't mean to use that word with today's casual meaning. I mean awesome as in He is beyond my human comprehension. And yet, in such simple language full of grace and truth, God explains to us in Scripture all He did for us, when He became flesh and blood and at the conclusion of that life here on earth, how that He suffered and died for us.

I stand amazed!

Let me look to Jesus often. He is the One my Christianity is all about. Not forms or traditions, although if those are biblical and bring me closer to the Savior, I believe those have wisdom in them. (Colossians 2:20-23)

A good start for me is to read Isaiah 53, a beautiful passage of scripture that prophecies the coming Savior to man. When I read that passage, I am struck by the section that reads, “We have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6b). When I read that in context to all He's done on my behalf, offering me a new start—free and full forgiveness for all my transgressions—not because I have been punished for my sins, but because He has, I stand amazed!

So often though, I know I'm like Peter who denies the Lord, maybe not in words or quite as literally as Peter did when Jesus was betrayed and delivered into the hands of His accusers. It's when I worry, doubt, or disobey my Jesus, etc., that I do deny Him and His power over my circumstances. I think if I go back to Isaiah 53, it will be like that moment after Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus looked at Peter, in the midst of all His suffering, as if to say, Peter, I love you still. Remember, I told you Satan desired to sift you as wheat. But remember also, I told you I prayed for you, that your faith fail not and that when you are converted, when you acknowledge your error, go and strengthen your brothers and sisters in Christ.

And after that compassionate look of knowing, Peter wept bitterly. He denied his Savior, but his Savior forgives him and loves him still.

Take heart in what you are going through. Put your eyes back onto Jesus. He will never leave or forsake you.

And stand amazed for all He's done for you, all He's doing for you, and all He will do for you.

------

I stand amazed in the presence

of Jesus the Nazarene,

and wonder how he could love me,

a sinner, condemned, unclean.

He took my sins and my sorrows,

he made them his very own;

he bore the burden to Calvary,

and suffered and died alone.

How marvelous! How wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous! How wonderful

is my Savior's love for me!

(Excerpt from: I Stand Amazed in the Presence by Charles H. Gabriel)

Manito Park Dahlia Garden
Spokane, WA
(August 2007)

Five Minute Friday: Worship

“Blessed are they that put their trust in him.”—Psalms 2:12b

Somewhere between the yesterday and tomorrow, the minutes exist where I breath prayerfully upward and ask the Lord to help me trust Him. Before I went into my long list of "If it be Your will, Father, please do this, fill this, heal this," and so on, I decided to name what Jesus is to me.

He is:

The Great I Am

He's the Master of the universe

He's the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End

He's my Savior

He's your Savior

He's my Rock, my Strong Tower

My Help in my time of need

He's my Creator

And the Master Designer of every living thing

He's my Destiny

He's my Forever

He's my very precious Friend.

He's so much more than all this, but in reading over my finite list of who He is to me, I am humbled by Him. I wonder at myself for doubting Him … for those strange little thoughts that creep in and question who He is and all He's doing in my life and in the lives of those I love.

I am Jairus asking Jesus to heal his daughter and I'm the demoniac's father, telling God I believe, but to increase my faith.

I am His. And in this, I worship.*

(*This post needed a more solid end, in my mind, so I wrote this part after the five minutes.)

The Black Sea
Mangalia, Romania (August 2005)

The Abundant Life

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: 
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
—John 10:10

I believe any objective observation of a person’s life could be said to conclude in two ways—that the individual has had an abundant life in Christ or that an individual has had a life that has been destroyed by years and years of poor choices. The broad strokes of one’s existence may not clearly illustrate one or the other kind of life at first, but if we look closely into that person’s canvas, we can see the details of his or her life as the paint dries. We begin to understand what those details say about the kind of life that person has lived.

In the verse above, we see Jesus offers not only life, but life "more abundantly." The thief, however—that great counterfeiter of God, the father of lies, and enemy of our souls—steals away the blessings of God on a person’s life, kills a person's joy, and I believe the Bible says, brings them sooner to physical death. (Romans 6:16)

As I have meditated on John 10:10 over the years, I feel so very blessed by what God has bestowed upon me despite the past destruction I have allowed in my life. When I gave my life to the Lord in my early twenties, I believe that was precisely when God began to grant me His abundant life or at least when I began to recognize it. I felt this life in my soul as I praised the Lord for the big and little experiences He gave me as I learned more and more about Him. I often sung songs of praise to Him as I walked to school or other destinations. I called these my prayer-and-praise walks with Jesus. Witnessing was effortless because I was just so full of my Savior and His love. Earthy blessings were many, as well, but I believe that was just a small part of the abundant life He gave me. The abundant life is a full life in Him, as we learn our place in His divine plan and yield ourselves to it.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying there aren't times of discouragement, sadness, and temptation in an abundant life, but I am saying the overall impression of such a life is full of beautiful colors and gorgeous textures on a canvas of His design.

Then, there is the destroyed life, which results as a consequence of our not only choosing sin, but remaining in it. When we feed our flesh and let our lives be full of the sinful parts of our natures, it only leads to our destruction. This is the kind of life Satan wants to keep us in bondage to, so that we don’t experience the wonderful truth and reality of God’s abundant life.

Over the years, as I've meditated on this verse, my heart hurts for those who have tasted God, who are born again, but who are seduced back into bondage to the elements of this world Satan then uses to destroy them. (2 Peter 2:19) I am very sad for those who choose over and over again to follow the philosophies of the thief toward their destruction, rather than follow their merciful Savior, Who healed and released them from this bondage upon their salvation.

Now, I realize a person’s life is not this black and white. My life, for example, has many gray areas, the shadows of a painting, let’s say, that are just as much a part of my overall experience in Christ. There may be periods of quiet, when I really don’t feel this abundance of God. I also choose to get under bondage again to those sins that easily tempt me. I believe, however, that living an abundant life before God is experienced again when I repent of my sins before Him, including any lukewarmness toward Him, and ask His forgiveness.

I know my canvas has moments of both abundance and destruction in it. But, I believe, when one looks at the overall painting of my life, they will observe a person who has and is experiencing the abundant life God promises His children. This is not because of me, but only because of Him and His grace and His mercy.

And I love Him for it.

I pray that we will not be Revelation 2:4 Christians who leave their first love. Jesus wants so much more for us. Let’s let Him take our lives and paint wonderfully abundant pictures of His love upon them.

Two Romanian Women
Onesti, Romania (May 2005)

Five Minute Friday: After

After the pain, after the rain

After the tears, after the years

After the waiting, after the hurting

After the when, after the then

We need, we feed

On God’s Word

Come what may, come what might

Let us not be afraid or in flight

Be still, be real

For God is near

Never fear

Jesus waits on us

Yearns for us

To come to Him and find Him

In the ashes, in the dust

Our lives, never complete

For without Him,

We can do nothing.

There is a before, there is a behind

We know not what we will find

In the coming days

Of God’s ways

Just stay the course

Begin again if you must

But never forget

That He has an eternal

After

Where we will put our face

In His hands

And rest there

Forever.

Five Minute Friday: Broken

So many pieces of our lives. So much fragility. So much sin. But He knows our frame. He died for us. The one who was perfect. The one who was without sin.

Lives are torn apart and broken through the consequences and choices of others. If we could stop. Breathe. Get centered on God’s truth, how many choices would never be made. And how much of our lives and the lives of those around us not suffer the consequences of our decisions?

But we are broken. Sinful. Full of fear, envy and anger. We know not how to walk. We think we do, but we don’t and our lives bear that out.

But then, He was broken, bruised and crucified to give us a better life. To free us from our bondage to sin and lies and hate. The flesh.

And it doesn’t stop there. When salvation is received, He turns our ashes into beauty. Have you ever stood back and looked at the choices – the poor choices—you’ve made and seen how God has made them beautiful? To me, I am ever in awe of the power God has had over my life to turn my brokenness into beauty.

Savior, I love you. 

Thought of the Day

Today's thought comes from Charles Spurgeon's morning devotion for November 19. I read it this morning (actually, technically, it was yesterday morning) and have been meditating on what he was trying to convey about "avoid[ing] foolish questions" from Titus 3:9. Here is an excerpt from his devotion.

"Our days are few, and far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our Churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse (not easily understood) points and unimportant questions. ... Questions upon points wherein Scripture is silent; upon mysteries which belong to God alone; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation; and upon mere modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish, and wise men avoid them. ... and if we observe the apostle's precept (Titus 3:8) to be careful to maintain good works, we shall find ourselves far too much occupied with profitable business to take much interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings. ..."

He did say that there were questions we should ask, though, and I quote him directly:

• Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
• Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind?
• Am I walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit?
• Am I growing in grace?
• Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Savior?
• Am I looking for the coming of the Lord, and watching as a servant should do who expects his master?
• What more can I do for Jesus?

This devotion was a good gentle rebuke for me today.

Introduction

Let me introduce to you the initial ideas I have for this online journal of mine. A little over two years ago, I had it in my mind to create a Web site entitled, "Under the Shadow of His Wings," to encourage women who are of my faith or similarly minded in the Lord. The main way I was going to do that was to post my devotions online that I have written over time during my daily Bible readings to help them fall in love with their Savior.

I have two inspirations, well three, if you count my Lord Jesus Christ, for this endeavor. The first inspiration is Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening daily devotional. His insights into the Scriptures and his love for God's word have inspired me to have the same regard toward the Bible. The other inspiration comes from the author Francine Rivers. In the "About the Author" sections of her books, she has noted over and over again, that she worships Jesus through her writings, and that worship, in my opinion, spills over into her stories. I have since wanted the same in my own writings.

And so, over the course of about three to four years now, I have written devotions to verses that God has used to speak to my heart about one issue or another. I haven't written one every day, but I have written quite a few. Because of this, and the "blogging" technology, I think now is the time to begin such a task.

I also want to include links to Web sites that will encourage study and growth in the Lord, as well as a space to discuss important issues that may come up. I am in no way unique in this task, but perhaps the Lord can use my ability to write to glorify Him - namely by helping others walk near Him ... to reside ever and always under the shadow of His wings.

For His glory,
Cassy

Onesti, Romania (May 2005)