Faith is Joy Even in the Midst of Heartaches

When our hearts are aching and circumstances around us are very difficult, is it possible to have joy?  For me personally, this past year or so has included some physical pain problems and also some heartbreaking situations involving loved ones of mine.   If we properly understand the concept of joy, however, it truly is possible to have joy no matter what is transpiring in our lives. We can experience joy in the midst of heartbreak and right along side emotional and physical pain.

I have been reading about joy in my devotions again this week.  That has been a huge blessing to me.  We need to remind ourselves that joy is not the same as happiness.  Happiness is based on perfect circumstances.  Joy is based on something much more profound.

Joy is only grounded in the Lord and not on our shifting and fickle emotions.  It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  Yet we also need to be always pursuing it, because Satan's lies and our own emotions can so easily drag us down.  Personal heartaches and trials, loved one's illnesses and sorrows, and the conditions of the world around us can so easily discourage us.  We should feel sorrow and heartbreak over many things around us.  Yet our joy is found not in circumstances but in a Person, the Lord. Our joy is found in the character of the Lord.  He is always faithful and always loves His people with an eternal love.  He is also powerful to help us in our trials.

I remember in my younger years thinking that if I could just get through the next situation. then everything would be good. Yet my God was always faithful, and He was always present.  The Lord is the definition of joy.  I need to remind myself that He is also the definition of joy in current struggles. By faith in Jesus Christ we can experience joy despite the circumstances that we may be currently experiencing.

Peace in the Storms of Life

 

We have heard much in the news of late about devastating floods, massive fires, earthquakes, wars,  school shootings, and political shootings.  I don't know about you, but hearing about these events and knowing the turmoil these things are bringing in people's lives makes me sad.

Personal storms in our lives can do the same.  Sometimes they can make us feel very sad and discouraged. When feeling very troubled about something, I am often reminded through Scripture that I need to trust God in that situation.  I need to be quiet in that situation.  Isaiah 30:15b says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength."  The feelings may not not all go away, but being reminded of this helps me immensely.   A song by Stephen Curtis Chapman also speaks about being quiet in the Lord.  The link to that song is below if you would like to hear it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgaHaioAjyg

I remember the discouragement and sadness of seeing both my two husbands' bodies deteriorate step by step and the grief of losing them both to death. I also know the discouragement of bodily pain myself at times.  You may have similar feelings, dear Christian.  May the Scripture verse I quoted and song link about resting it with the Lord be a huge comfort to you.  God will always be faithful to you.

Another Scripture passage which is a huge comfort to me is found in the early verses of Isaiah 43.  It speaks of God summoning us by name and being with us through all the rivers and fiery challenges of life.  I wrote about that eight years ago at another blog site of mine called "Moments With God. " The link for that is below.  I hope you find this a comfort as well, dear child of God. 

http://scripturemoments.blogspot.com/2017/09/isaiah-43_14.html

Life's Puzzle Pieces

 

I have never been good at putting puzzles together.  It is not my talent, and I have never enjoyed trying to fit the pieces together.  I have seen completed puzzles, however, and often they portray beautiful scenes.

Sometimes it is difficult to see the completed product of my life's puzzles pieces as well.  It has been challenging sometimes to understand the Lord's plan in the overwhelming moments of my life.  God is so much wiser than I am, however.

Also I can know by faith that the Lord loves me and is meeting all my needs.  He has forgiven my sins,  and He is fitting what I perceive to be the missing pieces of my life into a beautiful picture.  When I look back on my life I can already see how He has used difficult times for His glory and my good.  I can begin to see how the pieces are fitting together.

 I will, however, never fully see the completed and big picture of God's love and wisdom until I reach eternity.  Yet as the picture above illustrates, my life is molded by the heart of God and by His love.  I may still see my life as having missing pieces, but He sees the beautiful finished product.  Philippians 1:6 (NIV) says, "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  He is fitting the puzzle pieces of my life together into something beautiful.  Dear child of God, trust that the Lord is also fitting the puzzle pieces of your life together into a beautiful mosaic of His love!

Contemplating God's Faithfulness

 

As I contemplate another year on this earth today on August 24, the song, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is running through my mind.  There have been trials throughout my 77 years like the death of parents, the death of a dear sister, and the death of two husbands.  Yet the Lord has been faithful to me through it all. 

There has also been rich blessings throughout my life as well such as loving family; the graduations, professions of faith, and weddings of my grandchildren; my defeat of cancer by God's grace some years ago; and also my many years of walking with my faithful Savior.  

And when the time comes for my life to end, the Lord will hold my hand and will walk me into a future of joys and glory with Him in His presence.  Great is His faithfulness!

Below is a link to the song, Great is Thy Faithfulness."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwiBz1QA4o&list=RDErwiBz1QA4o&start_radio=1

Joyful Dependence

 Our title to this post in an age of cultural high regard for rugged individualism and self-identity seems strange.  Yet the Lord calls us to find joy in dependence on Him.  He calls us to rejoice in our salvation more than our success.  I don't know about you, but I don't like being dependent on others.  I don't like asking people for help.  Yet the Lord instructs us to not only be dependent on Him but to be joyful about it as well.  A mature Christian will actually sing about their dependence in Christ.

Not only should joyful dependence on Lord be more important to us than worldly success, but it should also be more important than our gifts, talents and experiences.  Joyful dependence on the Lord should be even more important than successful ministry for the Lord. This is because it is so easy to become prideful of our gifts and talents and to forget that it was the Lord who gave us our gifts and talents in the first place. 

We should be joyful in our dependence on the Lord, because He is the only  One who can supply our earthly needs.  He is the only One who can save us eternally.  Our rejoicing should come from the fact that are names are written in heaven.  We should rejoice in His grace.  We should rejoice in whom we are in Christ and not in our accomplishments. Since we are by nature sinful and prideful, this can only come through the power and working of Christ and His Holy Spirit in our lives.  Thank You, Lord!

Part of joyful dependence is submitting to the Lord in obedience and in dependence.  The link to the song below talks about that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHJPwI1Qioo&list=RDdHJPwI1Qioo&start_radio=1

 

PS

If you did not see last week's blog post about singing praises to the Lord you can find it at the below link:

https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2025/07/sing-and-praise-him-for-his-grace.html

Sing and Praise Him for His Grace

 

After punishing Pharaoh and the Egyptians with ten awful plagues Pharoah had released God's people, the Israelites, after 400 years of slavery.  Yet Pharoah hardened his heart, and he decided to pursue God's people  in the wilderness.  God performed a miracle that day.  God's people were able to cross the Red Sea on dry ground and Pharaoh and his soldiers were all drowned. Read this exciting story in Exodus 15 in the Old Testament of the Bible!

After this victory and miracle of the Lord God's people collectively and corporately burst into songs of praise for what the Lord had done for them that day.  They did so in response to God's actions for them that day and also in praise for God's character and attributes.  "Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted!" they sang.  Should we not also thank the Lord for all He has done and does for us? Should we also not continually sing praises to Him? Should we not also praise Him for His character?

You would think that after God's people witnessed such a huge miracle and display of God's power, God's people would not have soon forgotten this day.  You would think that they would have perfectly and continually trusted the Lord in future difficult situations. 

That did not prove to be the case, however.  Soon God's people landed in the Desert of Shur.  For three days they traveled in this desert without finding water, and when they did find water it was bitter and undrinkable.   Instead of trusting the Lord God to meet their needs, they immediately complained to Moses. God's appointed leader for them.  God did provide fresh water for them that day, but one has to wonder why they first had to pass through a crisis of unbelief that day.  

As A child I remember my Mom reading many of the Old and New Testament stories from the children's Bible story book. I remember wondering how God's people could so often fail to trust the Lord when He had proven His faithfulness to them over and over again.  Yet are we as believers today any different? The Lord has proven His faithfulness to us over and over also.  Yet we too often succumb to fear and panic at the next test and trial which life presents us.  Forgive me, Lord.  Help me to trust you more.  Thank You, Lord, for your grace and forgiveness.  I am so thankful for the wonderful grace of Jesus to cover all my sins. Below is a link to the song, "Wonderful Grace of Jesus!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsPc-Ix3_ow&list=RDvsPc-Ix3_ow&start_radio=1

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Think About Things That Are Lovely

 

Recently the above flower  appeared unexpectedly among my flowers.  I think it may have come up other years as well at this time of year, yet it was still a pleasant surprise.  Sometimes I find myself getting discouraged about the weeds and unwanted things which need to be either weeded out or pruned.  Sometimes that is all I see, and I fail to see the beauty in the flowers.

It is like that in life in general as well.  It is easy to focus on the "weeds" of our lives, to focus on the problems or difficult issues of life.  If we do that, however, we may miss out on seeing the blessings of life,  the blessings the Lord gives us every day.  Philippians 4:9 reminds us to think about things that are  true, lovely, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy.  It is easy to get our minds in a negative mindset.  Yet in the Lord we can focus on the beauty of the Lord. on His character, and and on His creation. As we discussed in our last post, let's get rid of the negative giants in our minds and replace them with lovely and beautiful thoughts.  https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-battle-in-our-minds.html

The Battle in Our Minds

In the Old Testament of our Bibles is recorded the well known story of David and the giant, Goliath.  David was just a young boy, but Goliath was a huge giant of a man.  All of the Israelite soldiers stood in fear of Goliath when he came out to taunt the troops.  No one dared to try to fight Goliath.  That was until David decided to come out and face Goliath.  In the Lord' s strength and with just his slingshot and five smooth stones David was able to victoriously defeat and kill Goliath that day! 

We, however, often face giants in our minds.  We often face the giant of delay.  When God does not answer our prayers on our timetable we may become fearful or impatient.  Other possible giants which may come in our minds include discouragement, disappointment, and doubt.  The only way to conquer those fears is to rest in the Lord.

To also conquer the giants in our minds we need to step forward  in faith even when we are afraid.  We need to stay focused on Jesus when feeling fearful or distracted.  Finally, we need to choose to worship the Lord and not worry, to pray and not panic.  Rest in the Lord!   Think about His character and faithfulness!  Think about things that are beautiful and lovely about Him and His creation!

Rest and Satisfaction in Him

In the last post we discovered that we can find ultimate and lasting satisfaction in the Lord alone.  You can find a link to the last post here, if you want to reread that post:   https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2025/06/satisfaction-found-in-lord-alone.html  

Everything and everyone else except the Lord God is temporary and fleeting.  This is true in spite of our sins and because of the Lord's death on the cross for us.  The Lord Jesus put our sins upon Himself, and in exchange we were clothed in His perfect righteousness.

In the Lord we have forgiveness, joy, cleansing, and peace.  The psalmist says in Psalm 16:2, "You are my Lord; apart from You  I have no good thing."  The psalmist goes on to say in verse 5. "Lord, You alone are my portion and cup; You make my lot secure."  

Therefore we need to desire and to seek His presence.  By doing this we need never be shaken by life's storms, trials, and tests.  The Lord will also always counsel us  through His Word and the Holy Spirit in us. In Him we find joy, rest, satisfaction, and eternal pleasures that can be found in Him alone.

Oh how wonderful, O how marvelous is my Savior's love for me!" says that precious hymn of old.  If everything else would be stripped away, He is sufficient.  He is providentially directing your and my lives step by step on the path He wants us to take.  He is doing this through His constant presence in our lives and through His awesome and trustworthy promises.  As yet another hymn says, "Wonderful grace of Jesus, all sufficient for me!"

Below is a link to that wonderful hymn, Wonderful Grace of Jesus. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsPc-Ix3_ow&list=RDvsPc-Ix3_ow&start_radio=1

Satisfaction Found in the Lord Alone

 

Satisfaction and joy in this life can be found in the Lord alone.  It can not be found in fame or in things money can buy.  It can not be found in youth or youthful pursuits, for that will fade with time. Human love can provide joy and satisfaction for a time, but it too will pass in time.  I personally have married, loved, and buried two husbands in my lifetime.

Friends and friendships also provide blessings in our lives, but they too are not permanent.  Friends and family can comfort me, but they can not meet my needs the way the Lord God does through Scripture and through the Holy Spirit's comfort and encouagement.  Friends and family can help me, but they cannot heal me.  Also only the Lord can promise to never leave me or forsake me.  Only the Lord can promise an eternal future with Him.  Only the Lord can provide lasting satisfaction, light, and joy.  

"Truly my soul finds rest  in God; my salvation comes from Him." (Psalm 62:1)  Other people, experiences and even things can be instruments of grace and blessing in our lives for a time, but only the Lord can provide lasting fullfillment and satisfaction.

Catching Our Tears in His Bottle

 

Psalm 56:8 says this in the NIV translation, "Record my misery, list my tears on your scroll-are they not in your record?  The Lord God  is aware of our times of grief and trials. He  is not only aware of these times, but they are noted and recorded in his  record!  The Lord cares that much about us as His children!  

The King James verson of that verse translates that verse saying that the Lord actually catches our tears His bottle.  This is such a beautiful image of the Lord's love and care for His children.  The shortest verse in the Bible says, "Jesus wept." (John 11:35)  In that story in John 11 Jesus' friend,  Lazarus, had died.  His friends and family were sad.  Even though Jesus already knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the grave, He wept.  Jesus cared that much about His friends' emotional pain and grief.  Our loving Lord and Savior loves us and cares about us in the same amazing way!  What a Savior!  

Father's Day

 

Sunday, June 15  is Father's Day in the United States.   Today I want to remember and honor the men who were special in my life and were fathers.  I think of my paternal grandpa who I remember for his kindness and ability to laugh.  I also remember how my grandpa and grandma would always bring full-sized candy bars for each of us children when they came to visit our home.  Although I did get to know my maternal Grandma, I unfortunately never knew my maternal Grandpa.  He passed away when my Mom was only sixteen years old.  I understand, however, that he was a very godly man, that he died from cancer, and that he had a very vivid dream about heaven not long before he passed away.

My own dad was a gentle, godly man.  He exhibited his faith in a quiet but sincere way.  He was also very hard working and cared deeply about his family's well-being.  My first husband, Wayne, and my children's father, exhibited many of these same character traits in his life as well.  That is most likely why I was attracted to him.  Wayne and I were married for over 34 years.  I have  pictures of my dad and Wayne below this paragraph.

Bob was my second husband who I married in July of 2019.  Sadly, he also passed away after only a little over five years of marrige.  I remember him for his ability to make me laugh in the early days and for his love for his children and grandchildren and for mine as well.  I have a picture of him below this paragraph.

Finally, I am thankful for my heavenly Father.  Earthly Fathers will one day pass away.  Our heavenly Father will never leave us, however.  He will be always with us throughout all the days of our lives on this earth and throughout eternity.

Beauty in the Broken

 

There is a certain beauty in experiencing brokenness in our lives.  Kintsugi, a Japanese expression of art expresses that concept beautifully.  In this expression of art a broken piece of pottery  is repaired with gold.  The cracks in the piece of pottery are filled in with gold.  This makes the repaired piece of pottery more beautiful,  exquisite,  and valuable than the original piece of pottery.  The broken piece of pottery repaired by gold surprisingly also becomes more resilient and strong.

So also our lives are often broken and even shattered by life's trials and struggles.  Yet if we submit these things to Lord, He restores us and makes us more beautiful people for His glory.  In His strength we become stronger and more resilient servants of Him. 

 In Job 23:10 in the midst of horrendous trial after trial Job said this concerning the Lord God, "He know where I am going, and when He tests me I will come out as PURE as GOLD.  The Lord God knows what He is doing when He allows trials and testing in our lives.  That is a time to pray, to wait in hope on the Lord, and to trust in Him.

Our Only Hope in Life and Death

 

The Heidelberg Catechism asks this question:  "What is your only hope in life and death?"  The Catechism answer is this:  My only hope in life and death is that I belong to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ."  I don't think as a child I found that catechism question particularly comforting, but as I am getting older I most definitely do find it comforting.

In my life I have lost to death grandparents; both my parents;  a mother in law; a father in law; a dear sister who was younger than me; and two husbands, Wayne in 2011 and Bob in 2024.    I do know what it is like to grieve, and I have also experienced the blessing of the comfort that only the Lord can give.

One day I too will join the Christians that have gone before me.  As the sweet hymn says, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.  In Psalm 139 it also says that all the days ordained for me are already written in the Lord God's book. Why would I not seek to love and serve Him every day?  Why would I not place my hope and trust in Him?

(On the top picture is pictured Wayne's gravestone.  On the botttom is Bob's gravestone.)

Mother's Day Blessings

 

Mother's Day is now over in the United States as of Sunday, May 11.  I hope all of  you Moms had a lovely day.  The Lord God loves Christian mothers and woman in general.  I had a lovely lunch with family and with my grandchildren doing the cooking for the woman in our circle.  Personally, I also received the lovely orchid pictured above, some sweet smelling bar soap, and some lavender flavored tea bags from two of my granddaughters.   I also had a phone call from my Iowa son and text greetings from my two stepdaughters on Mother's Day itself.

A few days before Mother's Day I received a card. and I received these lovely roses from my stepdaughters.  I pictured them on Facebook, but in case you missed them here they are  pictured again:

Then earlier yet I received this Mother's day card from my son who lives in London.  They call their mothers or moms "Mum" there, and they celebreted Mother's day in March.  Here is a picture of the card that I thought you might enjoy seeing:

 I praise the Lord for the blessing of family who show love for us! 

 

Lessons Learned in Spring

 

Spring has been slow in arriving in our state and county this year.  Yet there are subtle signs of spring starting to show.  The minutes of daylight are getting longer each day and some seasonal flowers are beginning to emerge.

Perhaps you are beginning to emerge emotionally from a winter like season of grief or discouragement in your life as well.  Perhaps your grief is slowly emerging from a season of emotional winter to a spring time of joy and peace.  Just as spring is transitional, often reverting to winter like conditions, so perhaps you have reverted at times to periods of deeper grief as well.  Yet you also are experiencing greater  renewed hope and joy.   Perhaps your night of sorrow is slowly developing into a dawn of joy and peace.

Spring  is also a wonderful picture of new life in Christ.  As spring brings new emerging flowers, newly revived green grass, and longer and warmer hours of daylight; so new life in Christ brings new joy and purpose to our lives.  It brings salvation and forgiveness and a personal relationship with Him.  It brings the assurance that the Lord will always guide and protect and that He will never leave us or forsake us,  This new life brings an assurance and peace that we can trust our Lord God, and we can trust the promises He has made in His Word.  If you have not yet accepted this new life in Christ, I pray you will do so; or if you have strayed away for a time from the sweetness of  a relationship with Him, I pray that you will embrace it again.

God's Plan From the Beginning

 We have just celebrated Easter a couple of weeks ago.  In thankfulness for what He did for us on the cross and in celebration of His rising from the grave we should want to live for Him.   For this week's blog post I am again going to use a devotional which comes to my e-mail every day. It is by Pastor Rick Warren:

"“Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 (GNT)

From the beginning, God’s plan has been to make you like his Son, Jesus. This is your destiny. God announced his intention at creation: “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness’” (Genesis 1:26 NCV).

In all of creation, only human beings are made in God’s image. But the image is incomplete and has been damaged and distorted by sin. So God sent Jesus on a mission to restore the full image that we have lost.

What does the full “image and likeness” of God look like? It looks like Jesus Christ! The Bible says Jesus is “the exact likeness of God,” “the visible image of the invisible God,” and “the exact representation of his being” (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3 NIV). 

People often use the phrase “like father, like son” to refer to family resemblance. When people see my likeness in my kids, it pleases me. God wants his children to bear his image and likeness too. The Bible says, “You were . . . created to be like God, with a life that truly has God’s approval and is holy” (Ephesians 4:24 GW).

Let me be absolutely clear: You will never become God, or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, “you shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV).

Many religions and new age philosophies still promote the old lie that we are divine or can become gods. This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and the people around us.

But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god. He wants you to become godly by taking on his values, attitudes, and character.

As you work to fulfill your calling, remember that God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. 

In The Message paraphrase, Ephesians 4:22 says, “Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:22). That’s what you are meant to do! "

When You are Running on Empty

 Easter is past already, but I wanted to share a devotional from Rick Warren.  In this devotional Rick speaks of Easter Sunday evening.  His devotionals come to my e-mail box each day:

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!”

John 20:19 (NLT)

"Have you ever felt like you were running on empty—out of gas, fearful, or just plain weary? Do you ever get sick and tired of being sick and tired?

You’re not alone. After Jesus died on the cross, his followers were devastated. They gathered behind locked doors in fear of the Jewish leaders who had condemned him. They felt defeated, discouraged, disillusioned, demoralized, and depressed. In other words, they were running on empty.

But three days after Jesus died, on Easter Sunday, Jesus came back to life. And then something happened that changed everything: “That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! (John 20:19-20 NLT).

The difference was immediate. The presence of Christ turned their panic into a party, their fear into good cheer.

The presence of Jesus makes the same difference in people’s lives today. Cowards become bold and courageous. People who’ve felt empty start overflowing with joy. 

But how do you get Jesus’ presence in your life? You don’t have to go anywhere to get it—if you’re a believer, he’s with you already. You just need to acknowledge his presence. Notice that, in John 20, “Jesus was standing there among them.” When the disciples were running on empty, they didn’t have to go looking for Jesus. And you don’t either. He’s right there with you.

I love that the very first thing Jesus said to his followers was, “Peace be with you.” It makes me think of what he didn’t say. He could have walked into the room and said, “Why did you guys abandon me? Where were you when I needed you most?”

But he didn’t say that. He didn’t criticize, rebuke, or scold them. He didn’t put them down.

When you’re running on empty, Jesus doesn’t do that to you either. In fact, he does the opposite. He offers you his peace, “which is far beyond human understanding” (Philippians 4:7 GNT).

Are you running on empty? Does it feel like God is a million miles away? You can rest more easily today knowing that God cares. He has never left you. He is with you now. He has been with you all along. You are not alone!

Believe that today, and experience the peace that Christ brings.

• When have you felt like you were running on empty—letting fear or exhaustion keep you from experiencing God’s presence?
• What difference has it made when you have acknowledged Jesus’ presence and accepted his offer of peace?
• What do you need to do today to experience more of the peace Christ offers you?"

Holy Week

 

Sunday, April 13 through Sunday, April 20 is considered Holy Week.  Christians all over tne world celebrate and remember Holy week.  Easter falls late this year in 2025, so we are remembering this week later than some years.

On Palm Sunday we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.  Crowds of people including children ran into the streets welcoming Jesus.  They were waving palm branches and praising Him as the King of kings. 

Sadly, some of these same people would reject Jesus and even put Him on the cross just a few days later.  On Thursday night of that week Jesus celebrated the Lord's Supper with His disciples.  Later that same night, Judas, one of His own disciples, betrayed Jesus ; and some of  His other disciples ran away in fear leaving Jesus all alone with His enemies.  Later Peter, another of His disciples, denied Jesus three times even though he had previously said he was ready to die for Jesus.

Crucifixion on the cross  on what we call Good Friday was a horrid way to die.  Jesus experienced all God the Father's wrath and justice for our sins on the cross.  Jesus willingly paid  the punishment for all of our sins on the cross.  He suffered hell for us on the cross.

Then on Easter Sunday morning Jesus rose from the grave!  He rose victoriously over sin, death, and the devil!  Satan had not won this battle!  Jesus, the Son of God, had won the battle!  Because of Jesus rising from the dead, we too will one day rise from the dead to meet the Lord in the air!  What a day the will be when my Jesus I shall see!  These blessings will only be ours, however, if we have accepted and not rejected His free gift of grace and forgiveness. 

The "How Longs?" and "Whys?"

 

In times of struggle, grief, and trials, Christians tend to often ask the questions, "How long, Lord?" and  "Why, Lord?"  It is not an act of unbelief to ask these question of the Lord God.  The Lord wants us to ask Him our  honest faith questions  Even Jesus on the cross asked "Why?" of His heavenly Father.  

In Psalm 13 the Psalmist in faith also asked multiple "How long, Lord?" questions of the Lord God. The psalmist wanted to know how long it would be before he again sensed the Lord's presence in his life.  He also wanted to know how long it would be until he would no longer be tormented by his own thoughts and by his enemies.

Yet through all his questions and through all his trials and grief  the psalmist of Psalm 13 expressed his trust in the unfailing love of the Lord.  He also continued to rejoice in his salvation and praise the Lord for his salvation and goodness.

The Lord promises us that one day we will be free from all trials and grief.  All of our sorrows will end.  (See Isaiah 60:20.)  Yet even in this life God will begin to heal many of our sorrows in his grace and by His healing hand.

Honest With Our Emotions and Struggles

 

It is important to be honest with our emotions whether in active grief, or if we are just facing the every day challenges of life. Below is a devotional from one of my GriefShare messages which come daily to my e-mail box:

Do you embrace honesty as a foundational principle in your life?

If yes, then honestly evaluate your emotions right now. What emotions and struggles have you experienced from the first moment of your grief until now, including those you have not admitted to others? Be honest with yourself and with other people.

“When you are suffering, you may sometimes tend to withdraw, pull back, and pull away,” says Anne Graham Lotz. “I do think there is a time for that, and each day you should spend time alone with the Lord. But don’t forsake other people, because other people can give you comfort and encouragement and help you keep your focus. Sometimes you can get so preoccupied with the problem that it consumes you. Other people can help give you a balance.”

God wants you to be truthful with yourself and with other people. He wants to free you from the debilitating effects of withdrawing and hiding your emotions. Jesus says in the book of John that “the truth will set you free.” Read the book of John to learn more about Jesus' teaching, His truth, and true freedom.

“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-32, 36).

Lord Jesus, I want to be set free. Amen.

Moving On or Moving Forward?

 

Does one move on, or do we or move forward to a larger life with and in the Lord after the death of a loved one?  Is the healthy path to grief healing mean we need to emotionally disconnect from the loved one who has passed, or is it or something else?  The answer is that for emotional healing to take place one has to gradually move forward in one's life.  This does not mean we deny that our loved one has died, because we will always hold on to them emotionally to some degree through our thoughts and memories.  We will also continue to  be ambushed by grief at times maybe even years later especially on special days like anniversaries and birthdays. 

 Further, our personalities and values are often formed by the people who came before us and influenced us.  God has sovereignly shaped us to be the people we are by the grandparents, parents, spouses, and circumstances that He has orchestrated in our lives. We become the people God has planned us to be and whom He is shaping us to be largely by the people He has allowed in our lives.  So treasure the memories and cherish the good values instilled.  They are a gift and part of whom we are.  

Helen Keller is quoted saying this, "What we  have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us."  Our memories of them are also a continued connection with our loved ones while we are still on this earth and until we reunite with them in Eternity.  

Grief Letter

 

Dear Friends and Family,

I am part of a community grief share group, and it was suggested that we share a letter with our friends and family.  A few months ago I suffered the lost of my husband.  This was the second husband that the Lord has asked me to bury.  It will take me awhile to live with my loss once again, although one never completely gets over a  grief lost.  One just learns to live with it.  it becomes more manageable,  and it becomes part of who one is.  Grief is not a sign of weakness or lack of faith.  It is God's gift to me to help me process my emotions.   Please be patient with me especially when grief at times causes me to feel unfocused.   More than anything else I need your understanding and prayers.  You don't always have to know what to say, or even have to say anything.  Your touch,  hugs, and assurances of prayer for me are wonderful.  Pray for me that I can come to see meaning in my loss once again one day.   Thank you for caring for me and praying for me.  It is a wonderful gift to me for which I am thankful.

Blessings Even in the Struggles

I have a secret I am going to disclose.  I love Cinderella "happily ever after" type movies.  The truth is, however, that our "happily ever after" will not come until our Lord returns.  He is our only true Prince of Peace.

There are many moments of joy and happiness in this world.  There are also many trials and challenges.  God doesn't always let everything go our way or facilitate our version of "happily ever after" at least not during our existence on earth.  God is more interested in bringing us into a deeper relationship with Him and to a place of submission to His will.  He wants us to come to a place of trusting that His will is always best even in the struggles of life.  He wants us to rest in Him, to trust in Him.

Even in the struggles we can know that He loves us and cares about us, though our unreliable feelings may try to tell us differently.  He loves us even when He doesn't "fix" our difficult situations in the way we would like Him to remedy them. We must rely on the truths of Scripture which promise us over and over that He will never leave us.  God often uses the difficult chapters of our lives in ways that He doesn't use the smooth-sailing moments of our lives.  In the difficult moments it is also His chance to show His faithfulness over and over again,  Rest in His faithfulness, dear reader.

Below is a link to an interview with Laura Story.  Her husband and she, as his wife, have been dealing with the consequences of her husband's brain tumor for over a decade.  Her vision of "happily ever after" would have been for God to fix the situation.  That is not what happened.  Yet God has used this situation in her life for her good, to bring blessings.  God has also used the situation for His glory in wonderful ways-one being to encourage us. Click on the first link below to hear her story and insights.  You also may also want to check out her song "Blessings" by clicking on the second link below:

http://www.crosswalk.com/video/when-god-doesn-t-fix-your-life-an-interview-with-laura-story.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=cwupdate


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc

My Divine Valentine

 

This past Friday was Valentine's Day in the United States.  Valentine's Day is considered a day for lovers to express their love for each other with cards, and perhaps candy, flowers, or jewelry.  For some people, however, it can be a day of sadness because of past losses or current trials.

During those moments of sadness remember that the Lord loves you with an infinite love.  He in effect is your Divine Valentine.  He is sufficient.  He alone can give you all that you need.  People may fail you at times, but the Lord never will fail you.  

Below is a poem called Your Divine Valentine.  This poem became very special to me when I was a widow after Wayne died and is special again after the death of Bob.  I love this poem.  I especially love Jesus being referred as the Rose of Sharon in the Song of Solomon reference, because Sharon is my first name.  (Be sure to check out this verse and all the verses for that matter.)  Sharon is the name of a place and not the name of a person in the Bible, but I still love this verse.  I hope you find the poem and accompanying Bible references a blessing.    

Your Divine Valentine

A Valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.  (Zephaniah 3:17)

A Valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
(Song of Solomon 2:1)

A Valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.  (Psalm 119:103)

A Valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity,
(Jeremiah 31:3)

frida

God's Direction and Guidance

Scripture often talks about the Lord being sovereign and about Him directing our steps.    We are told that God's Word  is a lamp or light for our life's path.   Scripture also teaches us that the fountain of life is found in God and that in His light we see light. (Psalm 36:9  Proverbs 20:24. and Psalm 119:105).  I don't know about you, however, but I often find myself anxiously fretting and planning my next step instead of trusting in and resting in the sovereignty of God not only in my head but also deep down in my heart.

Recently God's directing my path came into sharp focus.  I had planned on being somewhere that morning,  It was a good place to be, but God seemed to have other things in mind for me that day.  I woke up with an unpleasant sick headache.  I then began to question whether I should leave the house that morning.  It also had snowed a bit over night just enough to make it slippery on the roads and sidewalks.  Finally, I received a computer borne message that morning from someone who needed my prayers and encouragement.  I felt that the Lord had directed my steps that morning to stay home by sovereignly directing circumstances for me to do so.

The Lord laid this on my heart in another way recently  For some time I have been fretting and overthinking a situation sometimes even in the middle of the night.  Very recently the Lord has shown me some new information which makes me realize that all the fretting had accomplished nothing but to make me tired and anxious.  God is in control.  He is sovereign and directing my steps.  Thank You, Lord!  Forgive me when I fret, worry, and over plan.  

A few days ago I posted a song about God's sovereignty on Facebook.  I have a link to that song on this post today also.  Let's rejoice in God's sovereignty and guidance in our lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x8TZiwPGa0

Jesus, the Greater Adam

 

I don't know about you, but I sometimes weary of how the world is right now with the many heartaches and trials.  God created the physical world with beauty and perfection.  He also created the first people, Adam and Eve, sinless, perfect, and good.  God did create them with free will, however, and they chose to sin and disobey God.  They were in a perfect and beautiful environment in the Garden of Eden where God placed them.  Yet they failed to obey God in the one act of obedience that God asked of then.  They succumbed to the devil's temptation.  Thus sin with its consequences entered the world.

Yet praise God that there is still hope, peace, and joy for the child of God.  The first Adam failed, but Jesus, who is sometimes called the second Adam, and is our Great High Priest came to this earth to again give us hope.  He left a perfect place in heaven with the Father and came to this very flawed world.

Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life for us  in spite of the devil tempting Him in the very hostile and imperfect environment of the wilderness.  Then Jesus died the awful death of death on the cross.  He did this to pay the punishment for our sins.  Finally, He rose again from death to win victory over death.  Hence, we will one day be with Him forever free from all heartache, tears, and trials.  We will be living  in perfect peace and joy with the Lord forever.  Hence, those who are children of God and seeking to obey Him are filled with His hope because of our glorious promised future.

Even though we still live in a sin laced and troubled world. we already are able to enjoy a sweet relationship with our Lord.  We can know that the Lord will always be faithful to us and guide us throughout all our life on this earth.  We can know that we have a Savior who can perfectly sympathize with our weaknesses and our heartaches.  We can go to the Lord with all our needs and rest in Him    Trying to forge ahead in our own perceived abilities will never work, but in the measure that we can rest in the Lord we will experience peace, hope, and strength.  Rejoice and rest in  Him and in the promises of His Word, child of God!

 

Thank You, Lord

 

Thank You, Lord, for the lessons taught by grief and other trials.  Thank You, Lord, that You use suffering to help me grow spiritually and emotionally.  Thank You,  Lord, that grief and other trials teaches me that I am not in control of anything; but You, Lord, are in control of everything-that You are sovereign and are God!  Thank You, Lord, that even in the very difficult things which I have experienced in my life such as breast cancer and the decline and deaths of my parents and my two husbands, Your sovereign plan for my life was still in place.  Thank You, Lord, that even in more recent household and car issues You are in your control.  Thank You, Lord, for being with me each step of the way and for what You taught me and are continuing to teach me through every difficult experience.

Thank You, Lord, that Your wisdom is beyond my understanding.  Thank You, Lord, that You are a loving and caring God.  Thank You, Lord, that I can trust You.  Thank You. Lord, that You use suffering for my ultimate good; so I become more like You, Jesus, in my actions and attitudes and become the person You intend me to be.  Thank You, Lord, for Your hope and joy.

Lord, instead of me asking, "Why did you allow this to happen?' type questions; help me to ask, "How  can I grow and honor You through this experience?" type questions.   Lord, grant me patience, as I wait on Your perfect timing for healing.  Thank  You, Lord, for the peace and healing I will and do find only in You.  Help me, Lord, to remember that this world is only temporal, and help me to not try to distract myself with mere busyness or meaningless pursuits but to rather rest in You and shine for You.

Thank You, Lord, that in my eternal home there will be no more instability, fear, or sadness.  Thank You, Lord, that in Eternity I will never stop learning more and more about the wonders of Your character.  Thank You, Lord that it is You who will make Eternity wonderful, but also thank You that I will  be reunited with loved ones as well  Thank You, Lord, that I  can experience hope. peace, and joy because of what lies ahead in Eternity!

Who is Worthy to Open the Scroll?

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, in our church in our evening services we have been contemplating that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain to pay for our sins.  In the book of Revelation in chapter 5 an angel is lamenting that no one is able and worthy to open the scroll in the author, John's vision.  But then it was also revealed that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the only One who is worthy to open the scroll and also the only One worthy of praise and worship.  The scroll that He alone is worthy to open is symbolic of the future of all the world's events and of the unfolding of your and my life's stories.  He is the only One the that is able to implement His will for this world and for your and my lives.  He alone is in control.

You and I can trust Him in all this.  Will you and I submit to Him as the all powerful Lion of Judah?  Will we submit to Him as the Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself for us on the cross?  Will I personally submit to Him and trust Him my grief and also in the things I  don't understand?  Will  I  further trust Him with my fears for the future?  He is worthy of my trust! 

There is a beautiful song that the Lord Jesus alone is worthy to open the scroll of this world's history and to implement His will in our lives.  You can listen to that song by clicking the following link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkRiYsTN7KY