Category: Biblical Wisdom

Sometimes the answers we seek to life’s troubles are in the Bible. Can I make a difference? Does God care? Am I good enough?Yes!

Honoring the Greatest Two Commandments

Posted on by Wendy
The azaleas reminded me that God has a plan and is not surprised by this pandemic or anything else.

I don’t usually post on Mondays, but today I felt led to. I am astounded at how quickly our world is changing. Every 24 hours the news is a little more grim. What weeks ago, was a virus called Covid-19, that I had never heard of, in an area of China I had never even heard of, has now crossed our borders. At this writing, 46 states, including mine, and the District of Columbia all have reported cases.

Unfortunately, panic has ensued. There’s not a drop of hand sanitizer to be found anywhere and for some bizarre reason, toilet paper has become scarce.

We have been told not to panic. Some 80 percent of people will clear it with no problems if infected. But, the remaining 20 percent will get very sick or die. Our government has asked us to stay at home if possible, for two weeks. Schools and colleges have been cancelled. People have been asked to work from home if at all possible.

Yet, it seems to me, that most everyone seems to believe that they are included in that 80 percent, even though the twenty percent includes anyone over 60, which is over 60.7 million, anyone with underlying health conditions like diabetes and emphysema and people who are obese, which is 70 million, not to mention anyone on chemotherapy. That’s a lot of at risk people.

Last week at my office, the question that arose over and over from my younger co-workers was if any of us older folks remembered a time this surreal. The answer most often repeated was the days after 911. Those of us who lived through that dark time remember it well. The difference is that we all came together, even Congress (for a time, if you can believe that). We reached out to our neighbors. We were all Americans and we shared concern for one another.

Our nation turned back to God and the churches were full, for a time.

I also have vivid memories of the Ebola outbreak in 2014. I even wrote about it. With a 50 percent death rate for all exposed, it was terrifying. I remember asking my readers to pray and a scripture came to mind.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our nation once again, turned back to God, for a time.

The Ebola outbreak was halted. I’ve no doubt that was due to Divine intervention.

As I was walking today and I observed that the earth was coming back to life, bursting forth in bloom, I was reminded that God is not surprised by any of this. He’s at work and He expects us to be as well. First of all, we all need to pray for intervention and we need to remember that we are not now nor have we ever been in control of our lives.

We need to acknowledge Who is.

Then perhaps we should ask ourselves how we can help that 20 percent. Can we deliver groceries or meds to them, so they can stay at home? Can we call them on the phone so they don’t feel so isolated? Can we stay at home as much as possible ourselves to avoid becoming carriers?

How can we effectively “Love our neighbor?”

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

Panic has never solved anything. The Bible repeatedly tells us not to fear, but apathy isn’t the way to go either. Maybe we could all dig deep and reach for empathy and remember that God is in control. Those of us who belong to Him need not fear.

Our most recent global crises reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Finding the Extraordinary Right Where We Are

Posted on by Wendy
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

My pastor has recently been preaching a series on learning to hear God’s voice. A couple of weeks ago, he talked bout Moses and the burning bush. This is a very familiar story to most Christians. Personally, I’ve always wished that God would talk to me in a burning bush or something like it. I would really appreciate a megaphone moment, giving me perfect clarity on the next steps I should take in whatever season I find myself in.

But, this time the pastor asked the question why God would choose an ordinary bush at the base of a mountain. Why wouldn’t He appear in a lush oasis, full of greenery and life? He could certainly show off His majesty that way. Why would He choose the ordinary?

I pondered that concept long after the sermon. Why wouldn’t God use all of His wonderful creativity when communicating with us?

But, when I thought about the Bible, He used ordinary people repeatedly. He used a prostitute named Rahab to help deliver the city of Jericho. He used a young shepherd named David, to become Israel’s most renowned king. He used a common fisherman named Peter, who had a tendency to shoot off his mouth and struggled to believe, to become the rock that the Church was built on. And then there’s the unplanned baby, born to a teenager, who had to use a manger for a crib, because there was no room for Him.

He would grow up to be the savior of all mankind.

When I think about it, God seems to go out of His way to intentionally choose the ordinary to further His plans. Maybe that’s because that choice is so very different than what we would choose. Humanity seems to naturally choose big, beautiful, bright and splashy. We like larger than life people and events.

But, God’s way is different.

So, why did He choose the burning bush, when all of Creation was at His disposal?

Perhaps it was because He meets us wherever we are. He meets us in the hospital room, in the midst of an upheaval, in the middle of the divorce or when we are surrounded by bad decisions. When our situation seems impossible, He meets us there.

He doesn’t usually zap us out to where we would rather be or appear to us in bright lights. Instead, He gently takes us by the hand and walks with us through the darkness. He sends friends and family and sometimes strangers, to cheer us on and when we get to the other side of the crises and look back, we know He was there, communicating with us all along.

We can often miss the extraordinary because it’s hiding in the ordinary. A burning bush reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Piper Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Piper often misses out because she overestimates her size.

When I leave my house in the mornings, to go to work, I put a baby gate on the stairs. If I don’t, our big dog, Sandy, will go upstairs and scratch on my kids’ bedroom doors, until he wakes them up. I have no idea why he does that, but my teenagers do not appreciate being awakened before 7:00 A.M. on days they don’t have school, and so to keep peace among all of the living creatures in my home, I use the gate.

Interestingly enough, there’s usually a pretty large gap between the gate and the wall and our smaller dog, Piper, could easily squeeze through it if she chose too, but she doesn’t. One of her favorite things to do is to go back to bed, but she misses the opportunity because Piper thinks she’s much bigger than she really is.

She will sometimes growl at the bigger dog for no good reason. She seems totally unaware of their size difference. She will sit at the door on the porch indefinitely, waiting for someone to open the door a little wider for her although she could have easily walked through the opening that was already there.

On Piper, her overestimation of her size and the limitations she places on herself are comical. She’s such a silly dog.

But, I sometimes ask myself if I do any better. What opportunities do I pass up because I’m too old, or not qualified enough, or smart enough?

Sometimes God opens a door for us, just wide enough for us to step through. But, we don’t walk through it because we would prefer it to be wide open with a neon sign pointing the way and great fanfare leading us on.

More often than not, I have found that, that is simply not His way. When we take quiet time and pray, we are able to see the open doors around us and the different paths that become lit up. We become more comfortable stepping out into the spaces He provides instead of insisting on our own preferences of wide, bright, and loud.

We begin to understand that man’s ways and God’s ways have never been the same. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

And when we see an opening, we aren’t afraid to take it. My dog, Piper, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Making a Difference to Someone

Posted on by Wendy
Every act of faith and kindness matters.

Last Christmas, I received a bracelet from the people I work with. It was engraved with the words, “it made a difference to that one.” It came with a starfish charm and was attached to a card with The Starfish Story.

I love that story. I remember vividly the first time I read it. It was part of a collection of stories found in the book, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” It was over twenty years ago and a very dark season for me. My soul was in desperate need for some light and that story really resonated with me.

It’s about a little boy walking down the beach. The tide is going out and there were starfish stranded on the sand. He would pick one up and throw it out to sea and move on to the next one. A man asked him what he was doing and he told him that if he didn’t throw them back they would die. The man told him there must have been tens of thousands of them and that he wouldn’t be able to make a difference. The boy bent down and picked up one and threw it as far as he could and looked at the man and smiled and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

There’s nothing like the faith and enthusiasm of a child. It’s something that we are gifted with when we are young, but tend to lose as we grow up.

Jesus recognized and appreciated it. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

What things do we not even bother to do or try because we don’t think we can make a difference? Things like the giving of our time or money to a cause that really touches our hearts, might not fix a problem, but will it a help a person? We might not be able to stop world hunger, but can we feed one child? Can we educate one mother? Can we offer to assist one elderly person in need? Can we give to a stranger in need?

Christianity teaches us that our faith is individual. Jesus cares about the person. So if we can help one person along the way either physically or spiritually or both, then we have followed Christ’s example.

We may never be able to completely grasp God’s economy. It’s just so different than our own, but we do know that all things are possible with Him and that every soul matters, so every person matters.

A treasured story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Wherever You Are

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus meets us wherever we are on our journey.

Last Sunday, our sermon was about seeing Jesus in the world around us, which is one of my favorite topics. Part of the sermon was about the travelers on the road to Emmaus found in Luke 24. Most people who are familiar with the Gospels know the story.

Two men are walking along and talking after witnessing the Crucifixion and hearing rumors about the Resurrection. The Crucifixion was real to them. They saw it. It was tragic, but it made sense on a physical level. When a body dies, it stays dead, to believe anything else would have been a giant leap of faith.

But, Jesus joins them and begins explaining scripture to them, yet they don’t recognize Him. Our pastor noted that they didn’t really recall if He caught up with them from behind or they joined Him walking ahead, but He fell in step with them.

That little detail stayed on my mind long after Sunday. Jesus met them where they were. The Resurrection was supernatural and so Jesus could then be anywhere at anytime. He was no longer hampered by His human form. The glory of grace is what He chose to do with the power.

He could have chosen to stay right there at the tomb and wait for everyone to come to Him. He could have gone to the temple to show everyone that He was who He said He was, but He didn’t do either of those things.

He went and met the people who had earnestly sought Him all along. He found them where they were, cowering behind locked doors, walking along the road, in the cemetery and fishing, to name a few mentioned places. He appeared to men and women and to people who were doubters. He encouraged and He forgave.

He still meets those who seek Him, right where we are. Whether we are traveling or settled, bold or cowering, rejoicing or mourning. It doesn’t matter if we have walked with Him for many years or are brand new to the faith, or whether we have stumbled somehow.

Jesus walks with those who love Him regardless of where we are on this earthly journey. A Sunday sermon reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Worshiping In the Storms

Posted on by Wendy
We can always hold the promise of Easter close, despite our current circumstances.

Last Sunday morning, I woke my groggy seventeen-year-old up to tell him his daddy and I were going to church. (He always comes later than we do.) I told him to be very careful driving in because we were expecting some bad weather that day, possibly even some tornadoes.

Without even opening his eyes, he asked me, “If the weather is going to be so bad, why are we going?”

Ahhh, questions from the mouths of babes, are not really surprising, but I suspect that those of us who claim to be mature in our faith, may not do much better.

It’s easy to praise and worship God when life is beautiful and everything is going well. But, how do we do when the really rough weather arrives? What about when it sets in and stays a while?

We probably find ourselves praying and asking for deliverance, which is fine. We should call out to God when we are in distress, but do we find ourselves praising and worshiping Him? Do we revert to the, “I don’t deserve this/ why is this happening to me questions?”

Do we question God’s goodness when things in our lives aren’t good?

The Christian life has never been a promise of a trouble free walk. We live in a broken world with an enemy who is very active and intent on causing chaos.

But, today is Good Friday, a day many of us would prefer to skip over and go straight to Easter. I get it. Easter is glorious. God wins and grace and redemption were born. Death was defeated for good.

Yet, Easter Sunday couldn’t possibly be what it is without the darkness of that Friday. We have the privilege of viewing that Friday through the Easter lens. Jesus’s disciples, friends, family and loved ones, did not. I imagine to them, they felt completely abandoned. The pain and sorrow they felt during those three days must have been unbearable.

But, God was at work. He had a plan just as He always has, just as He always will. When Sunday at last dawned, everything had changed and life on planet earth would never again be the same.

As we contemplate the events of that Friday which ultimately led to that Sunday, may we remember to never stop worshiping and praising the God who loves us enough to grant us eternity with Him.

May we be reminded that our current circumstances are not how our story ends and hold that truth close always. May our souls be filled with the hope that Easter brings.

Today may be Friday, but Easter is coming. Perhaps you needed reminding.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Using the Prayer Perch

Posted on by Wendy
This smart little guy is using his perch, so he can rest.

We put our hummingbird feeder back out a couple of weeks ago. My daddy had spotted some hummers at his house and had declared that it was officially time. Since he’s the hummingbird captain of our family, I put mine out and waited anxiously. A couple of days went by and I didn’t see any.

I was a little disappointed, but I patiently waited and one morning, one was there. I was like a proud new mama, so excited to see him. He was solo for another week. I made a new batch of nectar and hung it out there and then, there were three.

I have no idea why the tiny creatures delight me so much. They just do. I feel like they teach me new life lessons every spring when they return.

Yesterday, I was lamenting to my husband, wondering why the one currently feeding, wouldn’t rest on the provided perch. I specifically purchased a feeder that would allow them to rest. Why wouldn’t he rest? He’s grown accustomed to my hummingbird ponderings and didn’t bother to attempt to offer an explanation.

I wonder if Jesus feels the same way about us sometimes. He told us specifically that He would give us rest. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus also promised us peace if we would trust Him. He told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Peace and rest sound pretty good to this often tired and weary mama.

But, I have to ask myself, how often do I act like the little hummingbird who fluttered his wings constantly and refused to rest on the perch provided? How often do I bring needless anxiety and worry on myself when I worry about things completely out of my control or when I attempt to fix things I wasn’t called to fix?

The great perch of rest for Believers is prayer. Prayer is where our most effective work is accomplished, but how often do we forget that when we pray, we are then called to hand it over to Jesus and rest in the knowledge that He’s got it covered.

Our continued striving and worry gets us nowhere, but completely exhausted. A hummingbird reminded me that rest is a necessary part of the journey. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Trusting His Will

Posted on by Wendy
Like a message from Heaven, there they were, blooming early.

As I sit at my keyboard, I’m filled with gratitude. I have come to the end of a faith lesson and it’s been a tough one.

Thirty days ago, I began an online Bible study on Job. That’s always a tough book to read. It’s about human suffering. It’s about us not understanding God’s plans, but it’s ultimately about accepting that His plans are greater than ours because He is God and we are not. It’s about choosing to trust Him and worship Him in good times and bad, even in our suffering.

Thirty days ago, the same day I began the Job study, I got a call from my doctor. My mammogram had come back abnormal. There was some kind of mass and I needed further testing. It was thirty days before I could get an appointment at one of the local hospitals.

I had just finished reading the book, “Crazy Love,” by Francis Chan. In the book, he writes that American Christians tend to focus all of our prayer on our own protection, when our focus should be on glorifying God with our lives, whether we are protected or not.

It’s a difficult concept and not really how most of us are taught to pray, but for whatever reason, I felt convicted to pray that way about my situation. I didn’t pray that it wouldn’t be cancer. I prayed that God would give me the strength to praise and glorify Him, no matter the diagnosis.

While it was difficult, I kept remembering Jesus praying in the garden that there would be another way, but that He would submit to God’s will. I know I have a savior who understands all of my human weaknesses and every time I would pray about it, I would feel this voice deep within asking, “Do you trust me?”

The waiting was hard. I tend to be very patient with people, but I don’t wait well. I wasn’t afraid of the outcome, but I wanted a plan.

The day arrived and of course, they were running behind, more waiting. But, a woman came and sat in front of me with, Matthew 19:26 carved in the side of her purse, “With God all things are possible.”

Jesus was there.

The technician took like 10 films and told me to wait and that she would probably need to take more. She said she definitely saw something. She returned and took me for an ultrasound. After that, a different technician went to get the doctor and I was alone in the room, but not really.

I could feel Jesus there and I continued to pray for strength

When the doctor arrived, she looked some more and then smiled and told me it was a cyst and there was nothing to worry about. Flooded with gratitude I thanked her and as I dressed I thanked God for the outcome and for the lesson.

When I got home and let my dogs out, my yellow irises caught my eye; they were blooming, the ones I planted that belonged to my surrogate grandmother, the ones that usually bloom a little closer to the end of April. Yet there they were, a little early this year.

As tears spilled down my cheeks I thanked God again. I had tried the prayer that I was convicted to pray and I never walked alone. Although a little frustrated at times, I always knew it would be okay because He was with me.

And it’s the same with all who belong to Him. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Standing on the Promises

Posted on by Wendy
“The grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

When I write in this space, it’s usually to share glimpses of God that I have witnessed, with fellow Christ followers or those who may be seeking Him. I like to try to share encouragement and hope with those who may desperately need it, hope that God has a plan and that He’s always busy working, even when we can’t see Him.

Sometimes I hear about an account that is simply too powerful not to share. I heard one a few days ago.

Early Sunday morning, March 5th, a small church in rural West Virginia caught on fire. Firefighters from several fire departments worked for hours to battle the blaze. The fire burned so hot at times, that the firefighters had to retreat.

The pastor, Reverend Phil Farrington, who had been notified, sat on the ground and wept as he watched his church burn. The building sustained heavy damage, but when the firemen went in to investigate, they were surprised to find almost two dozen Bibles, unharmed. They were scattered around the sanctuary, mostly in the backs of seats.

The shocked firemen piled them up and took pictures of the miracle.

Reverend Farrington saw it as a sign from God and said, “In the midst of the fire, God’s word will always stand.”

Interestingly enough, there were three crosses that didn’t burn either. Two were made of wood and hanging on the walls.

The Coal City Fire Department put on their Facebook page, “Though odds were against us, God was not. Not a single Bible was burned and not a single cross was harmed! Not a single firefighter was hurt!”

I love this story. It speaks to believers and doubters. Bibles are made of paper. There isn’t a single, logical, physical, reason, why they didn’t burn, not one of them. But, faith isn’t always logical and it’s much more about the spiritual than the physical.

God’s Word has come under a different kind of fire lately. There are those who say it’s outdated, or doesn’t matter, or that God has changed since it was written, yet the Bible itself tells us that God doesn’t change and that His laws, plans, and thanks be to God, mercy, grace and love, are still in play.

As Christians, we can hold tight to that fact along with what the firefighters’ said, “Though odds were against us, God was not.” Deep in our hearts, that’s all we really need to know.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trusting the Giver

Posted on by Wendy
Anything placed in God’s hands, is always enough.

Last Sunday, during choir practice, we only had two sopranos show up. I don’t read music. I suspect that the fact that I got invited to be in the choir in the first place, had much more to do with my passion for singing than my actual abilities. Not to mention, the choir was really small at the time and they needed more people.

I have always made it known that my sweet spot is standing between two strong sopranos. But, alas, last Sunday, there were just two of us. Thankfully, the lady who did show up is very strong and she reads music. I let out a little sigh of relief.

When we began singing our song for the day, imagine my surprise, when she leaned over and whispered, “I’m following you.” I chuckled as I leaned back over and told her, that we would be going off the cliff together and we would be like “Thelma and Louise.” She got tickled at that remark.

We did okay, the two of us, but I thought about our exchange, long after we finished singing.

I’ve been participating in choir for over five years now, but I’m still very unsure of what I’m doing. I want backup. I want a safety net. Why is it that we are sometimes so hesitant to believe in our abilities when it has to do with serving God?

We go to school and we learn a trade or get a degree, then we go to work everyday. We learn new tasks and a couple of months into it, we are fairly confident. After a couple of years, we can often know enough to train someone else.

Why is our faith walk so different? Why are we afraid to share our faith or teach our faith after spending years in church? We don’t have to be Bible scholars to share the Gospel, yet we tend to hesitate. We always feel like there’s someone who is more qualified than we are.

At what point do we consider ourselves qualified enough? In fact, God has a long history of calling the seemingly unqualified, Abraham, Moses and Esther had all kinds of inadequacies, yet in God’s hands they did great things. What about the little boy with the fishes and loaves? Want to talk about not having enough? But, when he put it in God’s hands, there was more than the crowd could eat.

We have to remember in the end, it’s not about us and the abilities or resources that we have or don’t have; it’s about the God who we serve and when we hand it all over to Him, there’s always plenty.

A friend in the choir reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂