When God is Silent

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1

The following words were found on the wall of a concentration camp:

I believe in the sun, even though it doesn't shine,

I believe in love, even when it isn't shown,

I believe in God, even when He doesn't speak.

Enduring atrocities I will never comprehend, this person wrote something that would encourage all those who would read those words: then and now.  The person who wrote those profound words, understood that at times, God may be silent, but He's never absent.

Hebrews 13:5b says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

There will be times when we might 'feel' like we are all alone, but in reality, we are never alone.  God tells us that He will never leave us--and I will claim that promise regardless of my circumstances.

"There are a lot of things in life that are difficult to understand.  Faith allows the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see."  John Maxwell

Sometimes, God speaks best through silence-

     But that's just me!

Keep Singing

 I have the devotional book Amazing Grace 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck.  As I was reading the history behind one of our most classic, beloved hymns, I realized that a lot of the hymns we sing today were written by those with either great victories in their lives, or they were written with grief stricken hearts because of a tragedy that had occurred in their lives.   I thought about that for a moment and had to ask myself, "In the most heart wrenching moments of my life, do I reflect music in my soul?  When I'm hurting the most, do I want to sing?  Do I praise God in ALL of life's circumstances?"  It's easy to do when we are happy and things are going well, but what about when things aren't going so well?  It was a sobering thought.

In Psalm 137:2-4 While in captivity the Bible says, "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?  Depression closed the mouths of the Redeemed. 

But yet there is another account in the Bible over in Acts 16:23-25.  It says, "And when they had laid many striped upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."

What a difference singing and Praising God made!  Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned, but in their hearts they were free!  Free from the circumstances that had them in physical shackles!  And then God freed them literally.  And not only did God refresh the souls of Paul and Silas through their singing, He brought Salvation to the hearers!  Isn't it amazing what a song will do in the hearts of those singing, and in the hearts of those who hear the song?

C.H. Spurgeon once said, "In the absence of all other joys, the joy of the Lord can fill the soul to the brim."

No matter what circumstance you may be in right now, Keep Singing!

But that's just me!

As Is

I recently had a garage sale.  

I had items that I have had for years that I was ready to get rid of.

Some things were still new, not even out of their original packages, and some things were old.

Some of the older items were faded, scratched, dinged or missing parts.

Those who shop garage sales will find something they like, buy it 'as is' and will try to locate the missing parts, mend the tear, paint the faded and fill the scratch to make their garage sale purchase usable and brand new.

I was like that.

I had been used, scratched, faded, rejected and dinged.  

But then I met The Saviour.

Jesus accepted me 'As Is.'

He will accept you too. 

1 Corinthians 6:20 tells me that I was bought with a price.  I belong to Jesus now.  And every day  He is making me into His Image for His glory.

I have a new purpose.

You can have one too.

But, that's just me!

Are You Watching?

Funny thing happened to my husband this morning.  At 6:45 A.M., donned only in his shorts and jacket to take the dog outside, our Pastor and wife drove by and honked the horn at him.  Even now I'm laughing because as soon as he came back into the house, he emphasized that it was only 6:45 in the morning and how very unlikely that someone you knew would drive by at that hour.  In our area, it's even highly unlikely that a stranger would walk by our house that early in the morning.
I've  had those moments, have you?  When you don't have your make-up on, but you decide to make a dash up to the Post Office to retrieve your mail, only to come face to face with at least three people you know from church?  If I had my make-up on, I wouldn't have seen one soul.
Or even more embarrassing, maybe you just lost your temper with a Store Worker, and you turn around and see someone you know?
Unexpected encounters.  They happen all the time.
The Bible tells us of another unexpected encounter.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 says, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10a says, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night:
Revelation 3:3 says, Remember therefore how thou has received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.  If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
And Revelation 16:15a Behold, I come as a thief.  Blessed is he that watcheth,
A.W. Tozer once said, "When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return."
I want to be ready, do you?
But, that's just me!

Just Kidding!

I grew up in a very 'witty' family.  I was the baby of the family with one older brother and two older sisters, and even now as I write this, I'm smiling.  We were all very clever, humorous, amusing, and quick to see who could come up with the fastest, most funny response to any given situation.  I have wonderful memories of us all sitting around the dinner table or a campfire.  Eating a meal, playing a board game, or attending a family reunion, we always had a very lively conversation with plenty of laughter.  But every once in a while, our wittiness could turn to sarcasm.  Our playful, clever, fun, just turned into friendly fire.  A quick jab.  Truth or criticism spoken in a jovial tone.  We all knew when our conversations turned in the wrong direction for three very apparent reasons:
1-Our Mom would holler from the next room and she would say, "Ok you guys, that's enough!"
Or,
2-The person who spoke that first jab, would laugh and then say, "I'm just kidding!"
And,
3-Nobody was laughing.
If you have to say, "I'm just kidding," guess what?  You just crossed the line from friendly banter to friendly fire, and friendly fire still wounds the target.

Even God's Word tells us that.

"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"

Proverbs 26:18-19

I'm all for having witty fun, but I pray I will never have to tell someone that "I was just kidding!"
But that's just me!

Keep your words soft and sweet in case you have to eat them-Amish Proverb

Love or Nothing

I was reading 1 Corinthians 13 this morning.  The chapter of the Bible that is usually referred to as 'The Love Chapter.'  This chapter defines what true love really is, and what true love really isn't.  You see some of these verses  pasted on plaques, note pads and coffee mugs.
This chapter explains the very essence of love.
But this morning I couldn't get past the first four verses:
Verse 1 tells me that no matter how eloquently I could speak, my words would sound like a harsh gong or cymbal to those who are listening, and those words spoken would soon be forgotten.  But if I speak words in love, it doesn't matter if my words are spoken with eloquence, my words will have eternal effects.
Verse 2 tells me that even if I had the gift of prophecy, wisdom, knowledge or faith, without love it means nothing.
With love....it means something.
Verse 3 tells me that if I give everything I have to the poor, everything I am to those in need, without love, it means absolutely nothing.
I could have all and be all, but without love it is all meaningless.
I have a choice:
All, or Nothing.
Love, and Something.

Santa Teresa de Jesus once said, "It is love alone that gives worth to all things."
1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Nothing surpasses love.  Where there is love, you have everything.
......but that's just me!

Scams

I can't tell you how many times this past week alone, where I received a phone call letting me know that my Social Security Card had been used fraudulently in a different State so that it is no longer valid. 
How about the phone calls letting me know that the warranty on my car is about to expire?  Or what about the emails that tell me to just 'click on this link' because my identity has been stolen, or my credit card information has just been hacked?
Or my all time favorite phone call, "You've just won an all expense paid vacation for two to the Bahama's!"
Really?  
Scams!
They are all around us.
If we aren't careful, we can be scammed by Religion.
There's lots of them out there to choose from.
How do we know we aren't being scammed?
God's Word.  On that you can be certain.
Galatians 1:8 warns us, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
And what is the True Gospel in which we stand?
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us:  "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
There will always be scams and their will always be Con-Artists.
There will be Truth, and there will be Lies.
John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
I will choose Truth.
But that's just me.