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!

Age Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
Strong faith takes a lifetime to grow.

I recently asked a friend of mine how her dad was doing. He had just lost his wife a couple of months earlier. She had been sick for a while, but death is always hard.

She told me that he was doing well and that he told her he had started walking with some ladies in his church. He said he needed to get in good shape for when he was older. He’s 90.

She and I laughed and I marveled at his attitude. It’s so easy to find something to be down about. Just turn on the news. It’s also easy to grumble about getting older. Our bodies begin to change shape and ache. We don’t have the energy we used to. We can’t see or hear as well.

We could come up with a long list of why youth is better and spend a lot of time dreaming about the good old days.

But, with age, comes wisdom. We simply know and understand more than our younger counterparts do. In many ways, we become more fearless that we were when we were younger. We learn from living, that many of our fears and stresses were unfounded to begin with, but try explaining that to a teenager.

They can’t possibly understand and I don’t think they were meant to. They have to do their own living and make their own mistakes. Wisdom must be earned over time.

There was a man named Caleb, in the Bible, who was one of the spies to check out the Promised Land. He was 40 at the time. He and Joshua were the only two men who gave a good report and stood strong in their faith. The other ten spies panicked and persuaded the rest of Israel to do the same.

God rewarded Caleb and Joshua for their faith. They didn’t get out of the forty plus years of desert time, but they did see the Promised Land. When Joshua was dividing up areas for each tribe, Caleb, who was now 85, told Joshua to give him an area that had not yet been conquered, the fortified city with the Anakites. He said he was as strong as ever and with God at his side, they would take it.

Joshua agreed and Caleb and his clan prevailed. Caleb could have easily requested another area, something flat, by the water, that had no more fighting involved. Surely he’d earned it. Yet, he chose the more difficult route, because his faith told him he could.

My friend’s dad reminded me of Caleb, still strong, still fighting and still standing for God. He inspires me to do the same. Maybe you needed a little inspiration too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Following Heavenly Radar

Posted on by Wendy
I couldn’t have know an hour earlier, that the light would be perfect.

Last May, I made an appointment for my son to have his senior pictures taken at the end of July. I knew the summer would be busy, with his wisdom teeth surgery, vacation, family visiting, me working, his birthday, my Daddy’s birthday, my daughter’s birthday and band camp, not to mention, school starts back sooooo early.

I knew my window was small and I knew the photographer I wanted to use, so I contacted her and I booked a date early. The pictures were going to be outside, so I kept my eye on the weather. Picture day started out with rain and the skies were gray most of the day, but the radar kept assuring me that there would be no rain during our time slot.

A couple of hours beforehand, it was raining. I contacted the photographer. She was watching the radar too. We emailed back and forth about the possibility of cancelling. She was already booked for the rest of the week and was getting ready to leave the country for a couple of weeks.

I was really unsure about what to do.

The radar promised that it would clear. We adjusted the time a little and decided to give it a shot. It rained on us on the drive there. I wasn’t very hopeful.

But, when we arrived, the skies cleared, just as the radar indicated they would. The sun came out and the light was spectacular. It was cooler after the rain and we were so glad that we didn’t cancel. We walked around for a couple of hours and the pictures turned out beautifully. I couldn’t have asked for better.

I had come so close to cancelling because I was going by what I could see.

The entire experience made me think about how often we make mistakes and miss out on blessings because we walk by sight and not by faith. The Bible, along with our prayer life, gives us the perfect radar to make decisions not based on what we think or feel at a particular moment, but by discerning what His will is for us and what He says is true.

The Bible tell us that, “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Sometimes, we feel called to do what seems like the impossible. Sometimes we are fearful of stepping out in faith, but if our heavenly radar has given us the go ahead, we can be sure the skies will in fact, clear and the blessings are coming.

A photo shoot reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy

Bird Like Faith

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes just a tiny bit of faith can have huge results.

Last spring, a little bird decided she wanted to build a nest in our garage. My hubby and I thought it was a bad idea, so we fought her. She would gather up some twigs and sticks and put them high on a shelf and one of us would take them down. The next day, they would be back.

We didn’t think it would be possible for her to raise her babies in our garage. The door stays closed most of the time. How would she feed them? There’s also a cat that prowls around our yard. He belongs to our neighbor, but he can always turn up at any time.

We couldn’t figure out how she was building so fast. We kept the door closed, but the twigs and straw kept growing. At some point, we gave up.

One day, when I was working on a project in the garage, with the door closed because of weather, that little bird came flying through a small hole at the bottom of the garage door. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t imagine her being able to get through it to begin with, much less carry her nest materials, but she did.

It was really kind of amazing. We left her alone. She laid her eggs. She hatched them and those baby birds would get silent any time they heard us in the garage. And then they were gone. I knew they had been there because of the mess they left. Birds tend to do that, but I think every one of them survived because I never saw any dead ones and our feline friend tends to leave trophies if he’s been hunting.

That little bird reminded me of the many things that can be accomplished, when we have faith. Her quest seemed impossible to me, but she never gave up, even when we kept destroying her hard work. Her instinct told her that was the best place for her nest, (even though we have a hundred trees in our backyard). She was right and was rewarded for her perseverance.

Jesus tells us, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20

There are times in our lives when we know that God wants us to do something. Sometimes it seems impossible, but we have to remember that all things are possible with God.

A little bird reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Sharing Fears and Faith

Posted on by Wendy
We can help others with our own faith stories.

We were recently discussing in my Sunday school class, the Biblical account of the Israelites leaving Egypt and crossing the desert where they would eventually walk through the Red Sea.

The account tells us that God led them with either a pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night and that that pillar never left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:20-22

That’s kind of a huge wonder, right? I mean they could actually see the presence of God. So when the Egyptians decided to come after them and they panicked, my first thought has always been, seriously? You can actually see the presence of God and you still doubt?

But, in our discussion, it came out that there were likely three million plus, people in that desert. There’s a good chance those people in the back couldn’t see that presence. It wasn’t like they had smart phones to text the folks in the back.

All of a sudden, I found a little more understanding for those doubting Israelites.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had times in our lives where we’ve questioned our faith. We find ourselves attempting to faithfully follow God and live the life we think we are called to lead and then we can no longer see or feel His presence.

Like those Isrealites so long ago, we begin to doubt and fear. Has God abandoned us? Why didn’t He just let us remain in our own Egypt of darkness?

But, that’s where we really need to seek out those people who have traveled the road ahead of us. The people in the front, could see the pillar. They had the ability to share it with the people in the back.

There are always people of faith who have been in a situation similar to our own. They are sometimes people we know and sometimes they can be writers, speakers, or even singers who have willingly shared their stories to assist others on the journey.

Those of us who have walked in faith for a while have the opportunity and calling to share our own faith stories with newer believers to help them. That’s how kingdom work is done.

An Old Testament account of faith and fear reminded me that instead of automatically judging others for their spiritual shortcomings, we should remember our own and share our failures and victories with some fellow believers who may desperately need to hear them. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Miraculous Living

Posted on by Wendy
We can choose to see everything as a miracle.

I recently read the last verse in the Gospel of John. I’ve read it before, but this time it really made me think. “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them was written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:25

Ponder that thought for a moment. Apparently John just gave us the highlights and those were pretty phenomenal. Just imagine all of the lives Jesus touched while here on earth. Imagine all of the lives that were forever changed. The Gospels tell us some amazing accounts. But, there were more. With Jesus, there always is.

As I was thinking about John’s words, I came across a quote from Einstein that said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.” Since scientists seem to really enjoy trying to disprove that there is a God, I found that particularly interesting.

One quote was from the spiritual realm and one was from one of the smartest scientists who ever lived. Both point directly to God. As people of faith, we are called to see God in everything and even when we can’t see Him, we are called to know that He is present. That’s what faith is.

The Book of Hebrews tells us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were condemned for.” Hebrews 11:1-2

We sometimes still get condemned for it. Don’t we? Just turn on the news and there’s usually a story of some kind of clash between people of faith and modern, progressive thought. But, Scripture reminds us that the struggle is not new, nor will it end until Jesus comes back.

There will always be a struggle between good and evil on this side of eternity.

But, until then, we can take comfort that God is with us and we can choose to live as if everything is a miracle. We can seek God in every situation and if we do so with open hearts, He will show Himself. Sometimes He’s right there, in neon lights too big to miss and sometimes we can’t see Him until some times has passed, but He’s always there, always at work.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Good Friday Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
Today may look dark, but Easter is coming.

Today is Good Friday. It’s the day the Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. It’s tempting to skip over and head right on to Easter Sunday. Living on this side of the cross, we know how the story ends. Yet, to fully appreciate the glory and magnitude of the resurrection, we have to acknowledge the crucifixion.

In Mark, Chapter 15, we find Pilate talking to the chief priests about Jesus. Pilate knows He has done nothing wrong and is willing to set Him free. But, they would have none of it.

Nope, the folks in charge wanted Jesus gone and out of the picture completely. They were tired of the talk of miracles. They were fed up hearing about the massive healings and the feeding of the multitudes. They didn’t want to hear about people being raised from the dead. They didn’t want to hear about forgiveness and faith.

They didn’t want to change from how they had always done things. They liked the status quo.

And for a short while, it looked like they got their wish.

Although one would have to wonder if the earthquake that occurred along with the tearing of the temple curtain, at Jesus’ death, made them question their decision to have Him killed. The Bible doesn’t tell us.

They had Saturday to bask in their accomplishment. I suspect they were thinking they were back to business as usual, but Sunday morning changed everything. On Sunday, when the tomb was found empty and Jesus appeared, hope and redemption were born.

The people in charge, have been trying to get rid of Jesus ever since. From the persecution of the earliest believers to the persecution that still goes on today, apparently hope and redemption are just too much for some people. The concept of forgiveness and grace is something worth jailing, torturing and killing Christians over.

And while we sit and shake our heads, thankful that we don’t live in such a barbaric part of the world or in such uncivilized times, aren’t our own leaders getting rid of Jesus at every turn? Prayer is no longer allowed in school and there are people who have lost their jobs over praying. Different groups have fought to have crosses removed from public places. Nativity scenes have been banned in parts of our country.

As we reflect upon the somber outcome of Good Friday, may we pray for revival in our own lives, and in our communities, and in our country, and in our world. Yes, the world looks very dark right now, but we know that Easter is coming. Jesus has risen and He’s coming back.

Can I get a hallelujah?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Childlike Faith

Posted on by Wendy
Childlike faith is something we should all strive for.

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday at our church, just as many churches did around the world. It’s the beginning of Holy Week that ends with the celebration of Easter. I’ve been in churches where the children walk in carrying palm branches and somehow we always sing a song with, Hosanna in it.

After church, out of mere curiosity, I did a little research an the term Hosanna, because I never knew what it meant.

The word hosanna was only used one time in the Old Testament. It can be found in Psalm 118:25. The root word in Hebrew is hoshiya na. It means, “Save us or deliver us.” Over the years, it’s meaning changed to, “Salvation or deliverance has come.”

The Book of Matthew tells us When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds were shouting, “Hosanna!” and placing their cloaks on the ground as well as cutting branches for Jesus, who was riding on donkey to walk on. Jesus didn’t stop. He went straight to the temple where he first, drove the money changers out because they were not there for any type of holy pursuit.

But, right after he cleared out those who were there for the wrong reasons, He welcomed those who came to Him with needs. He healed the blind and the lame. Apparently it didn’t take physical sight to know that salvation had come and those who sought Him out that day were healed.

But, as the healing went on, there were children shouting, “Hosanna!” in the temple courts.

I am always astonished at how the Holy Spirit uses children to speak to us, when we take the time to really listen. The voice of a young child can both praise and convict us. It’s as if babies are born with the wisdom and faith of heaven that they lose a little bit of with each passing year. It usually takes years of prayer, worship, and study to get it back.

On that particular day, I don’t know whether they were begging for salvation or giving thanks for it. I suspect they were giving thanks and if so, how did they know? How did young children know that they were in the presence of salvation when the religious people in charge, had no clue?

Jesus had already told His disciples, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Palm Sunday reminds me of the importance of childlike faith. As Christians, we don’t live by sight. We sometimes forget that. The blind sought Jesus even thought they couldn’t see Him. It also reminds me that Jesus is still in the healing business. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Lifelong Learning

Posted on by Wendy
If you woke up today, God has something to teach you.

I’ve been reading a daily devotional by Jonathon Cahn, called, “The Book of Mysteries.” It’s a fascinating read that often explains the fact that many Hebrew words have double meanings.

Cahn wrote, “that the word for disciples in Hebrew is, “talmidim.” It comes from the root word, “lamad,” which is linked to teaching or learning, so the disciples were the taught ones or the learners.”

He went on to say that our lifelong mission here on this side of eternity is to learn something about God everyday.

I found this idea fascinating and did a little research of my own. Of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the Gospels, He was referred to as, “Teacher,” 60 of those times.

The people who were blessed to walk with Him physically, seemed to understand that He had something to teach them every single time they saw Him.

So, what is the significance of that information for believers today?

I think as Christians, we often tend to fall back on what we already know. We went to Sunday school as kids. We attend regular worship service as adults. We may even teach the basic stories of Jonah and the Whale and David and Goliath to youngsters.

But, what are we doing to actively learn ourselves?

I work in a school, so I’m surrounded by teachers. They are always going to professional learning classes. They are always seeking new ways to disseminate information. They are always looking for ways to connect with their students.

If Jesus is the ultimate Teacher, then shouldn’t we expect Him to do the same? Shouldn’t we expect Him to be looking for ways to connect with us in deeper ways to show us His nature, His plans, His ways?

Are we willing learners or do we feel like we know all there is to know about God? Are we just sitting around ready to graduate?

If we call ourselves Christ followers, then we call ourselves disciples, which means we have to be active learners and seekers of God’s Word and God’s Will.

If you woke up this morning and are reading this, God is not done with you. He still has something to teach you and you still have something to learn. The question becomes how do you go about learning and listening?

Is a once a week worship service enough? Are we involved in daily prayer and devotional time? Are we reading the Bible? How can we be better learners? Thankfully, like all good teachers, our Teacher, never gives up on us and He expects the best.

So, wherever we are in the learning process, He will happily meet us there. A daily devotional reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have a awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Jonah Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
When we’re afraid of what lies ahead, we can call out to God.

A few weeks ago, my pastor gave a sermon on Jonah. It’s a fascinating story for reasons much deeper than Jonah being swallowed up by a giant fish. It’s a super short book, only four chapters long, but full of lessons for those who want to seek them.

My pastor pointed out that when Jonah finally decide to obey God’s call, he basically walked, (or I kind of picture him stomping,) through the streets of Nineveh, saying you’re all going to die in forty days. It was by no means an eloquent sermon. Jonah didn’t want it to be. He was kind of hopeful that Nineveh would be destroyed.

But, God used it anyway. Isn’t it amazing how he can do that? When Jonah told the Ninevites, they were going to die and gave them a timeline, they changed their ways and turned to God.

Does this story in any way sound familiar to the modern reader? What happens when we receive a bad medical diagnosis, or when we lose our job, or when a marriage falls apart? What about when we have been attacked in some way?

Someone once said, “Their are no atheists in foxholes.” While I’ve never been in physical combat, I can attest that when life’s battles come at me, I find myself in prayer.

When we come face to face with the frailty of our human existence, we find ourselves turning to God.

Last week, after the school shooting in Florida, someone wrote in a bathroom at my son’s high school that they were going to blow up or shoot up the school. I don’t know what the exact words were and quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. I knew it was most likely a prank, but still, I prayed.

The thought of those parents mourning their lost children, filled my mind.

I contacted some of my strongest prayer warriors and asked them to pray for the safety of my son and his school and I felt some peace. When he walked through the door after school, I hugged him extra tightly, so very thankful for his safety and for the warriors who prayed on his behalf.

When faced with things like school violence, I have come to understand that the war is probably more spiritual than physical. Like those soldiers in foxholes, or even the Ninevites, we are terrified of what we see coming and we call out to God.

Maybe now more than ever, we should do just that. The king of Nineveh once said, “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:8-9

That’s exactly what God did. Nineveh was spared. Jonah’s story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Turning Back to God

Posted on by Wendy
If we truly want to stop the violence, we have to turn back to God.

Last week, there was another horrific school shooting in our country, that left seventeen people dead. Before the dust settled the blame game began. The gun control advocates got out their bull horns. The mental health reform folks got on their soap box. Everyone wanted to lay blame on someone for the tragedy.

When our sense of justice is shaken to the core, along with our sense of safety and that of right and wrong, we demand answers. Then, we demand change. We want assurance from those in charge of our safety and the safety of our children, that this type of thing will never happen again and especially not in our hometown.

As Americans, who live in a land of laws that are designed to protect us, we naturally look to the government to fix issues like this that seem to be spiraling out of control. We want to believe that the answers, along with the blame, lies with those who govern.

I think we are wrong.

While the government can offer some protection against these types of attacks, the more serious evil is at the source of the violence. The violence is merely a symptom of something much deeper and as we tend to do with everything in our society, we tend to gravitate towards treating symptoms, not the sickness.

Just walk into a pharmacy and look at all the treatments for stomach issues. There are hundreds and that’s not even counting prescriptions. Yet, if we would simply change our diets, we could fix the majority of our stomach aches.

Violence in our schools has been on the rise since God was escorted out. At every turn, there are groups who fight to keep prayer out, even if it’s simply cheerleaders praying before a football game.

We also used to be a people who feared God and we taught our children to do the same. Now, we teach our children to fear no one. They don’t fear their parents. they don’t fear their teachers. They don’t fear authority period. They don’t fear God and many have never even heard of heaven or hell, so they don’t fear death either.

The violence can be stopped, but it’s not by man. If you are reading this, you woke up this morning; God is not finished. The Bible says, “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Now, more than ever, we need to pray as a nation and we need to teach our children to pray, but we also need to teach them to respect the only authority who can drive out evil.

We need to turn back to God. He’s truly the only One who can end the violence.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂