Famous Last Word: Part 2

2 Timothy 4: 1-4

Today we will concentrate on verses 3 and 4 of our passage. I am sure that throughout the ages Christians had thought that this time had surely come. I certainly believe that it has. The examples are almost endless of how people and more specifically the Church is drawn away to cults and unbiblical teaching. Oprah has a "church" that has attracted millions, many of them former members of an evangelical church. And although I do not remember this event, I have heard the story of Jim Jones my entire life and the 900 people that committed suicide at his command to drink poisoned punch.

While these stories may seem extreme, many believers have allowed unsound doctrine to come into their lives in a subtle way. George Barna who is the founder and director of the Barna Group who has done extensive research on the Church writes:

Only 9 percent of all born-again adults have a biblical worldview - meaning that less than one out of every ten Christians age eighteen or older believes that absolute moral truth exists, believes that such truth is contained in the Bible, and possesses a handful of core beliefs that reflect such truth. Those beliefs include a certainty that the Bible is accurate in its teachings; Jesus lived a sinless life on earth; Satan is real, not symbolic; all believers are responsible for sharing their faith in Christ with others; the only means to salvation is through God's grace; and God is the all-knowing and all-powerful creator of the universe who still rules it today. The other 91 percent of born-again adults possess a patchwork of theological views and rarely rely upon those perspectives to inform their daily decisions. - George Barna, Revolution 2005

While this may sound hard to believe, I personally have had many conversations with people in the church, who I believe are Christians that do not believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is amazing how subtle Satan sneaks into our churches and deceives us.

I lived in deception for so many years. I was tossed back and forth by whatever the preacher in the pulpit would say. Well-meaning legalists kept me paralyzed in my faith for far too long. But, through that I learned the importance of knowing what the Word says for myself. I cannot express how important this is and I am just a fellow journeymen with you. It is way more important to know what God says about anything than it is to watch "American Idol" or anything else on television!

We must know the truth for ourselves. We cannot be dependent on our pastor, our Sunday School teacher, or anyone else. Yes, these people should help us in our walk, but if the only time we open our Bibles is on Sunday we will be much more likely to be taken in by false teachings. Let's commit to know the Word. If you hear something that does not sound quite right and your spirit is unsettled, study it for yourself. May God give us supernatural wisdom to know the truth.

Heavenly Father, I just want to know the truth. I know that you are truth. Please give me supernatural wisdom and understanding as I study your Word that you might reveal to me all that I am capable of knowing. I praise you for your infinite worth. I love you...

Famous Last Words: Part 1

2 Timothy 4:1-4

We have been studying the early Church in the eighth grade Sunday school class that I co-teach. I was brought to tears this week as I studied our lesson based in 2 Timothy. For months we have walked with Paul through his journey to expand the church and here in 2 Timothy we see his last charge, so to speak. Paul suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, but it was not in vain. All of us are fruit from his ministry to the Gentiles. What a legacy.

No doubt Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, chose his words very carefully. He knew he was going to die and church history tells us that Paul was beheaded shortly after writing these words.

We see the intensity of what he is saying in verse 1. He is telling Timothy this as if he is in the very presence of God and of Jesus. That's a pretty big charge! The charge is found in verse 2: Preach the Word! The word used for "preach" in this verse literally means "to herald or to cry out". We are to be prepared all the time, even when we do not think we will get a chance to tell someone about Christ or what He has done for us. We are also to be ready to "correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."

Let's break down each part of that verse.

1. Correct - meaning to lead someone to the truth. Correct their way of thinking about an issue based on scripture.

2. Rebuke - Condemn or reprimand someone who has been found guilty of a particular sin.

3. Encourage - With love, encourage others to repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness and freedom from sin, guilt, and the grave.

Now we cannot forget the most important part! We are to do all of this "with great patience and careful instruction". Although theologians differ on exactly what this means, one of the interpretations is that we are to have the same type of patience with other believers as God has had with us. Let that sink in for a minute. How many times have I been so discouraged because I thought someone just "didn't get it"! Maybe they didn't, but I pray God will keep it close to my mind how long it took me to "get it" when it came to some spiritual issues.

To wrap up today I want us to think about what it will take to be able to "preach the Word... correct, rebuke, and encourage". In order to do any of those things, we must first know the Word. Ask God to give you a hunger for His word and a thirst for understanding His word. As
God answers this prayer in your life, ask Him to give you wisdom for how to proclaim His word to others.

The Glory of Christ in All Things

Please enjoy these words of wisdom from my wonderful husband, B. J., today. Have a great weekend and thanks to all of you who have sent comments via e-mail! I am praying for you!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28NIV)

Why must we suffer in this life? What good could possibly come from hardship? For that matter, what value do I place on the difficulties I face when I am simply trying to obey God's will?

I have drank from this verse many times when feeling like my life was on the brink of disaster. The words of Romans 8:28 never cease to satisfy. They sustain me through the hard times.

I love this truth. My everyday life and ministry hinges on this truth. God has proven its accuracy time and time again. He truly works all things out for my good and his glory.

Today, as an act of worship, let us lift up praise and thanksgiving to our God for proving his faithfulness to us in all things. He never abandons us. He never leaves us. He works in and through us to display his glorious grace.

Father, thank you for working through even the smallest details of my life. Today, I agree with Paul, who wrote under the inspiration of Your Spirit, that in all things you work for my good. Thank you for giving me everything I need to live this new life.

God's amazing grace is most clearly displayed not in our strength but in our weaknesses. Jesus said it this way, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our Plans

Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 29:11

I was taught my entire life that God had a plan for my life and that I had to find it. This came across to me like God was hiding this plan under some rug in a big, huge house. It almost seemed impossible to me to be able to find this plan.

Several years ago, B. J. and I read a book about the will of God. It presented two different outlooks on finding God's will for our lives. The first outlook is the traditional way I had been taught of having to find the spot on the floor in the house, even if the spot was under a rug! The other outlook is just being in the house, meaning obedience to Christ.

As I have studied and prayed about this topic further, I truly believe that God has a plan. We find that all throughout scripture. And, I also believe that we are not big enough to mess that plan up. When we make a decision that is not the best for our lives, God is not wringing His hands in distress trying to figure out what to do now. He was already there, knew the decision that would be made, and He knows how He is going to use it in our lives ultimately for His glory.

Look at the life of Abraham. He tried to get ahead of God and had his own ideas of how God was going to give Him a son. Even though what Abraham did was wrong, God still carried out His original plan. Abraham was not big enough to mess up God's plan and neither are we. I hope this will free your spirit the way it did mine! I used to be so legalistic about God's will for my life that I would worry about being at the right place at the right time so that I would meet the right husband and have the right kids!

We cannot mess up what God has put into motion. Detour maybe, but He is going to bring about what He has had planned from the foundation of the Earth. Trust Him to order your steps even in the difficult times. Just because you are in a valley does not mean you made a wrong turn. Remember nothing grows on the mountain top so sometimes we have to be led into the valley.

My Hiding Place

Psalm 32:7

Recently I have been reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. This book, if you are not familiar, is the autobiography of one of the most amazing, faithful, women I have ever read about. It is no wonder after my reading and crying and praising God for His acts of mercy toward His people that He has brought this verse to life for me. Corrie ten Boom and her family hid Jews during World War II. They endured hardship and imprisonment. Many of her family members also paid the ultimate price for their love of God and His people.

I have thought about for the last few days how we as the body of Christ are called to do that today. I do not mean hiding people in our homes, although if our world was to ever go through something as horrific as the holocaust again, I believe we would be. But, how can we be a "hiding place" today? God is our ultimate hiding place. We can trust Him with anything, talk to Him about anything, confess anything, and confide in Him about anything. But, I believe He has called us to be His hands and feet as well.

One of the areas I believe the body of Christ struggles with, myself included, is being a place of safety for each other. We are called to protect each other, not hurt each other. Jesus prayed earnestly in His last prayer on Earth that we would be "one" (See John 17:20-22). Unfortunately, time and time again we see lives destroyed, marriages fall apart, abuse, depression, you name it, going on in the Body and no one even knows about it until it is too late.

Why could they not turn to someone in the church for counsel, help, prayer? When I was struggling so severely with depression, doubt, and hopelessness to the point where I was suicidal, why did I not feel that I could turn to someone in my own church? Part of the answer is because I believed the lie of Satan that no one would understand. I was the only person in the Church in the history of the world to feel this way, therefore no one would understand. Lies, lies, lies. They are the native tongue of our enemy.

However, sometimes we are not a hiding place for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes people have good reason for not talking about their problems with other Christians. You see, they might have tried that in the past and were betrayed. I never want to do that to another human being because I know what it feels like to talk about your innermost needs and feelings only to have the person you thought was safe tell someone else.

We have probably all let something slip from time to time that we knew we were not supposed to tell, but can we just not do it anymore? Can we be safe people for our brothers and sisters to turn to in their times of need? No, their physical lives do not necessarily depend on it as they did in Corrie's case, but it does hurt to be betrayed.

There are real needs in the people sitting in the pews next to you. Commit to God to be a "hiding place" for someone else if He ever needs you to be. We may not change history, but we might help change someone's life.

Knowing God

Isaiah 43:10-13, Psalm 139:13-16

I guess as long as the Lord allows me or any human being to write about Him the topic of knowing God will never be exhausted. David Platt says, "while we can never know God fully, we can know Him truly." We will never be able to know everything there is about God because His "ways are higher than [our] ways" (Isaiah 55:9). But, as I have said before, God is knowable and He desires to be known by us. The question I have always had is "Why?". Why would God in all His infinite greatness care if anyone on Earth, especially me, know Him?

Our verses in Isaiah give us part of the answer. We are His witnesses and the servants He has chosen. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we have experienced God. Although we are in the process of knowing Him better, when we begin to follow Christ, we have truly met with the Living God. We are His witnesses to the people we are around everyday. He could reveal Himself other ways, but yet again, He has chosen to reveal Himself through you and I.

What I am trying to say is that you and I are not just meant to know God for our own personal benefit. We are meant to be witnesses to the fact that others can know Him as well. God has so powerfully used other people's relationship with Him to show me that I can have that type of relationship as well.

I was only about 21 when I first encountered Beth Moore. I did not know what she had, but I knew I wanted it. The more I heard her speak, I realized that the reason she had such a living and active relationship with God is because she spends time with Him on a daily basis. God did not just come to her and reveal Himself to her daily without her putting in the time and effort to get to know Him through His word and prayer. I sincerely believed that He could change me, too.

I am living proof that God can reveal Himself to anyone, change anyone, do anything. If He did it (and is still doing it) in my life, He can in anyone's life. But, He not only did that for my benefit. First and foremost, He did it for His glory. That reason would be enough, but because He is a gracious and merciful God, He also did it so that I could be His witness. I pray that His work will not be in vain. I pray that through what He has done for me, He will draw others to Himself.

He has done the same for you. He has not just changed you for you. He has changed you for that man at the grocery store that needs a warm smile. He has changed you for your family member whose life is spinning out of control. He has changed you for that woman you see on the tennis court who is desperately looking for someone to love her. He has changed you for that woman at church who needs a friend. We must share what He has done for us so that others can "know and believe... and understand" that He is God. And He's still in the miracle business.

A Friend Indeed

Luke 5:17-20

This is another one of my favorite stories about our Lord and Savior! It is also one of my favorite stories about man-kind. So many times we hear how people turn their back on others. A man or woman is paralyzed in an accident or is incapacitated in someway and their spouse leaves them because "they just can't handle it." Someone is sick for a long time and their friends step in for a while, but then everyone leaves and the person is left with a few people to help care for them. Chonda Pierce, a Christian comedian who struggles with clinical depression, says that many in the "body of Christ has forgotten how to walk with someone through a valley."

While I do agree with her in some respects, today we see a great example of people just like you and I who did not turn their backs on a friend in need. I have always been in awe of this story. Although the Bible does not go into the detail of how this man was paralyzed, whether from birth or by some type of accident, we do know that he was totally incapable of bringing himself before Jesus. But, he had four friends that were not going to give up just because Jesus was not coming to their house.

They went and got their friend and carried him to the house where Jesus was teaching. When they saw that they could not get through the door because of the crowd, they still did not give up! They carried their friend up to the roof, took off the ceiling tiles and lowered their friend down right in front of Jesus! What a sight to see! I would have loved to seen this happening. Just imagine being in church and all of a sudden a man being lowered in through the roof to seek healing from the ultimate Healer.

Of course, Jesus could not help but see the man being lowered down in front of him interrupting his preaching. But the Bible says the "when Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." (Luke 5:20 emphasis mine). How awesome it must have been for the four friends to have been a part of this miracle!

As I read this, I am reminded that everything we do can be an act of worship. Even our friendship with each other can be an act of worship. Sometimes I find myself shying away from the hard situations of life because I am so afraid I will say or do the wrong thing. So I just do not say or do anything. God has showed me that this is wrong and I am asking Him to help me to reach out to those who are hurting or just need a friend.

These friends are a great example of how we should treat each other. Let's love each other the way they loved their friend. The only better reward than having a selfless friendship with another person is the fact that Jesus himself will see our faith and be pleased.

Did I Call or Did You?

Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:28-33, John 6:44, Romans 3:10-12

One morning during our family devotion time we began discussing how we have "Americanized" the salvation of our souls. We have so many freedoms, we have almost begun to believe that we can choose Jesus on our own. At some point the church began to teach that we needed to make a "decision" for Christ. Churchgoers are asked repeatedly to "walk the aisle" and decide to make Jesus their Lord. While I do not want this sound like I am contradicting the church, I do want to point out that Jesus IS Lord whether we accept Him as that or not. We do not make Him Lord. He IS Lord. Let us not forget that.

We see in our verses for today that the truth of scripture is that we bring nothing to the table when it comes to salvation. For years we believed that we brought our faith to the table, that we were saved by our faith. But, after studying these verses, we have to say this is just not true. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God". This means that the faith it takes to call on Jesus as Lord is a gift in itself. It is not of ourselves. We would never choose God on our own.

In fact the Bible teaches that God draws us to himself. He foreknew us, He predestined us, He justified us, and He will glorify us in heaven one day. That fact is as certain as if we were already there.

Let us never be deceived that we are the ones who chose God. Let us always be thankful that He convicted us of our sins and revealed Himself to us. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we turned to Christ all on our own. Give Him the glory and honor He is due in humbling ourselves before Him in thanksgiving for His mercy. He called you! All you did was answer.

"I was wondering - I mean - could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to - to Somebody - it was a name I wouldn't know - and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did and then we found the door open."

"You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.

- Conversation between Jill and Aslan taken from The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

written by B.J. and Elaine Price

Friend of God?

James 2:23
John15:13-15

A few years ago a worship song came out called "Friend of God". It is a very catchy worship song and became very popular. We have sang it at my church many times. After it had been out for a while, I started hearing from people that are much smarter than me that the song was possibly not biblical. The argument was that this song refers to the friendship that God had with Abraham and that was a unique situation. Therefore, we are not all "friends" with God.

I thought about that argument for a while and almost bought into it. But, then I remembered other songs like "What a Friend we have in Jesus." What do we do with that song? Many hymns and worship songs today are not biblical, but I truly just did not think that these were.

I began searching for what the scripture teaches. Yes, I do believe that Abraham had a unique relationship with God, but Moses did as well (See Exodus 33:11). However, Jesus very plainly in scripture tells us exactly what we have to do to be His friends - "do what [He] commands" (John 15:14). Three times in John 15, Jesus calls the disciples His friends. I consider myself a follower or disciple of Jesus and although I fall short, I am striving to obey His commands. And Jesus is God, therefore I do not believe that it is presumptuous to say that I am a friend of God.

Before you think that this is a commercial for the worship song "Friend of God", let me make my point! Isn't that an amazing fact? Jesus Christ calls us His friends! The One that laid the foundations of the Earth offers me His friendship. He laid down His life so that we could be friends. He is so worthy of our love, our worship, our praise. So worthy.

Have you ever called and called someone, but they never seem to call you back? After you do that for a while, you might begin to assume that the other person does not want to be your friend. Call Jesus back right now! Spend some time with Him today letting Him know that you want to accept His offer of friendship. Then praise our Almighty God for the fact that He chooses to make Himself knowable to mankind.

Where's the Fruit?

Luke: 13:6-8

Although this parable is extremely short and really does not even have a name in scripture, it is one of my favorites. This parable truly changed my life about 10 years ago. Let's break it down to see what Jesus is teaching...

The "man" who owns the vineyard is God. According to theologians, the "fig tree" can be the nation of Israel or can refer to an individual soul. And the "man who took care of the vineyard" could refer to the Holy Spirit. So, the man is walking through his garden and he comes upon a tree that has no fruit. This is not the first time he has checked to see if this tree was bearing fruit. He has actually been checking on it regularly for an ample period of time and it still has no fruit. He decides to get the tree out of the way. It is taking up space. But, the gardener intervenes and pleads for the tree. He asks the owner to give him "one more year" to dig around it and fertilize it. Basically he is saying, "just give me one more year to do everything I know to do to get this tree to bear fruit!" But in the end he even says that if it does not bear fruit after that, cut it down.

God is constantly walking through his "garden". If we are in Christ, he is checking our lives for "fruit". If we are not producing fruit for an ample period of time, based on this parable I truly believe that the Holy Spirit pleads for us, asking God for more time. But, when that time is up if we are still not producing fruit, "cut it down" can be interpreted one of two ways.

The first way could be that we would have rendered ourselves ineffective. Have you ever felt God leading you in a certain direction, but you refused? After a while, possibly a long while, that leading may go away. God found someone else to do what he was leading us to do. Some pastors refer to this as being "put up on a shelf" by God.

The second way "cut it down" could be interpreted is not very uplifting, but none the less true. If the Christian is not producing fruit after God has done everything He will do to lead His child to live for Him, this person could be literally "cut down", meaning death. I know this is not very uplifting, but I do believe scripture teaches us this. We have also all heard stories about once Godly people who fell into some type of sinful lifestyle and refused to repent that suddenly died. I truly believe that God will not be mocked. We have a job to do. If we refuse to do it, we are taking up "soil".

When I first read this passage and heard a message on it, I literally ran to the altar. I do not want to die not living for Christ nor do I want to be "put up on a shelf" to live the remainder of my natural life ineffective for Christ. I know that you do not want that either. God is serious about this fruit thing. Let's be about His business today and "bear much fruit" for Him.

Taking off the Masks

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

One of my truest desires and struggles as a human being is to be known. I do not mean fame or fortune. I mean for someone else to truly know me. To relate to another human being on an intimate level. This is not a one time event. It takes time (and lots of it) to really know someone and to be known by them. One of the reasons this is so hard for me and many others is the lack of transparency in our lives.

Somewhere along the line of Christianity, someone must have decided that Christians had to be perfect. They were not supposed to have any struggles or doubts or fears or...you fill in the blank. We think, "how unspiritual it would be to doubt God or struggle with my faith or an area of sin or be angry at God or need help in my relationships." And so we pretend that those area do not exist in our lives and say that we are "fine", give the church smile, and move on. Sometimes we move on without even realizing we are wearing a mask.

In this passage today we see the most amazing verse! Let's read it again!

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

As many times as I have read the remainder of this passage dealing with freedom in Christ, I had never paid any attention to verse 16. How and why do we have freedom in Christ? We have freedom through Christ's shed blood on the cross. But, through that sacrifice, when we turn to Him, the veil is removed that kept us from seeing who Christ really is. Now with "unveiled faces" we can know Him and confidently be known for who we are by Him. The transformation can now take place. We do not have to wear a mask anymore. So why do we sometimes put it back on?

Today let's go to God in all honesty and transparency asking Him to help us be transparent with Him, other believers and with ourselves. Whatever your struggle is, if you are a human being and drawing breath at this moment, you are not alone. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13). Ask God to reveal to you a safe person that you can confide in, someone that you can truly be yourself with.

God helped me throw my mask away several years ago, but honestly I buy a new one from time to time. But, for me, they are just to suffocating. Transparency in Christ is liberating and truly freeing. God has already "unveiled" our faces, let's leave them that way.

Crying Out in the Desert

First of all, let me apologize for not posting anything last week. My family and I went to Florida and we did not have Internet access in our room. I am so sorry and promise to do better in the future! Thank you for your e-mails of concern! I am fine and I actually have a tan! With that said, let's get back to the Word!

Psalm 63

Have you ever been in a spiritual desert? Have their been times in your walk with God that you just did not "feel" His presence like you used to? While David wrote this Psalm while in a literal desert, we can apply almost every line to our spiritual lives.

How do you know you are in a desert? Well, David knew because he had "seen" God in the sanctuary and beheld His power and His glory. You see, once we have experienced God and felt His presence, to not be in His presence leaves a deep, deep longing. Our souls literally "thirst", our bodies literally "long" for God. Sometimes we will not even know what it is we are so thirsty for. We try to fill ourselves up with everything the world has to offer, but they just will not satisfy.

Summer is extremely hot in Alabama where I live. I mean lately it has been sweltering! I always look forward to the summer because of vacation, free time, lack of a schedule, etc. But, it almost always leaves me wanting something more. The lack of structure sometimes causes me to be undisciplined in my walk with Christ. I would like to think this is just a "me" problem, but unfortunately we can look at church attendance during the summer and know that it is not. We almost all do better with a little structure.

So how do we get out of the desert? David begins by praising God, lifting up his hands, and singing. He thinks of God during the night because he knows that just as the morning will come, so will his deliverance. His soul clings to the Lord, knowing that God is upholding him with his right hand.

This is exactly what we must do. We must praise God in the desert. Lift up our hands to him for deliverance. Cling to the Lord with all of our might and trust that God will uphold us. We must stay in His Word daily, because once you have tasted it there is no turning back. Nothing else will satisfy, so why even try! (See Isaiah 55:2)

As these hot days drag on, let's encourage one another to stay out of the desert. Let's keep meeting at the table together and be "satisfied as with the richest of foods".

The Price of True Freedom

Isaiah 53:5-7

While I feel this is one of the most revealing Messianic passages in all of scripture, not everyone who believes in God feels that way. The Jewish Tanakh, or the Hebrew scriptures, contain the book of Isaiah, but the 53rd chapter has been removed. If ever anyone in the congregation questions the book, the answer is usually that the passage is too difficult to understand. When our faith is in Christ, the passage makes perfect sense.

This passage makes the old cliche' "Freedom's never free" jump off the page. It is not free. Christ was pierced, crushed, afflicted, despised, rejected by His own, wounded, and had all of our iniquity laid upon Him. Allow those words to bring the emotions that they would bring if it was happening to you and we will all boldly say "Freedom's never free". It always costs something. For the Christian, it cost Christ His life on the cross. Actually, for the non-Christian, Christ still gave His life so that all might have the opportunity to repent (See 2 peter 3:9).

Today as we celebrate our nation's freedom, let us remember the ones who gave their lives so that we might be free as well as the one's that are defending our nation's freedom right now at this very moment. May we also thank Jesus for giving His life that we might have ultimate freedom. He is truly the life giver and is worthy of all praise.

I also ask that we might join together today in praying for the millions of believers across the globe who are free in Christ, but are not free to worship Him. My heart is heavily burdened for them almost daily. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and many of them can only worship in secret for fear of imprisonment, beatings, or death. Let us pray that they will embrace their freedom in Christ and the knowledge that one day they will be completely free to worship Him face to face. Let us never forget the persecuted church.

Enjoy this great day and all that it means to our nation and our faith.

A Reward

Psalm 127:3-5

If you usually read this blog at 6 am then you realize that I am late posting today. I am visiting my parents, and my children are running around like wild indians the way they do when they are at their grandparents! My dad calls them "earthquake" and "whirlwind"! Anyway, that might be the reason that God brought this particular scripture to my mind this morning.

Let me just go ahead and say what every mother feels but sometimes will not say out loud: Motherhood is HARD!! I am convinced that it is the hardest job in the world, and it has the most consequences as well. We are entrusted with lives! Sometimes the responsibility is over-whelming to me. I was talking with another mother who has grown children one day. She was literally going back over every decision that she had ever made as a mother and associating it with the negative behaviors of her children. I attempted to encourage her that her children were adults and were making their own decisions that they were responsible for. Unfortunately, I believe at this point she is still allowing Satan to decieve her. Shame is his game.

However, the conversation truly made me fall on my face that day in prayer for my children and for myself as a mother. I earnestly prayed that God would help me daily in the decisions that I make in raising my children. My prayer for the last couple of weeks has been that God will take every decision I make and use it for His glory in my children's lives. I am not going to always make the right decision and I know that I will mess up a million times, but I am clinging to the fact that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

I love the Lord and I know without a doubt that He has called me to Himself, so I can wholeheartedly claim this promise. And, I bet you can too. Claim it over your children's lives. They are a reward. One that I myself am so unworthy of. For me, motherhood is another picture of God's grace in my life. I pray that you will join me in praying for your children today as well as for yourself. If your children are grown, it is absolutely NOT TOO LATE! You still have such an impact on your children's lives and God still hears your prayers for them.

Motherhood is a holy calling. Let's do it together!

Not If, But When

Isaiah 43:1-2

Our verses for today teach us at least two things:

1. God is ALWAYS with us!

2. The question is not if we will suffer through difficult times, but when will we suffer through difficult times.

Difficulties, hardships, and sufferings are a given. They are part of our life and we will go through them. But, we can take joy in the knowledge that God always delivers. Based on scripture, I have been taught and I believe He delivers in one of three ways.

The first way He delivers is to deliver us from a situation. We have all known or heard testimonies about people who were diagnosed with cancer or some other deadly infirmity only to be completely healed and restored. God does still heal and do not let anyone tell you different! He still delivers His children from situations for His glory.

The second way is by delivering us through a situation. This is what our verses teach us today. "When you pass through the waters...when you walk through the fire..."God is not going to leave nor forsake us. He will walk through suffering and hardships with us. This is often when we grow so much in our faith, because we are so dependent on God. In my own life I can honestly say that I would go through the hard times again because of what God taught me. I am so much closer to Him today because of the suffering I have gone through. Satan just did not have a clue what God was up to!

The third and final way He delivers is by delivering us into His arms. I know that we would never choose this option, but if we really had any kind of grasp on what it meant to be with Him forever and ever, we would take this option every time! Eventually we will all be delivered into His arms. When someone dies that we have earnestly prayed for, let us never think that God was unfaithful or that He did not deliver that person. He just choose to deliver him home.

We can take tremendous comfort in knowing that God is going to be there for us no matter what the circumstance. Suffering is a given, but in light of eternity, I pray that we will suffer with faithfulness.

I believe God brought this scripture to my mind specifically today because He has been so faithful to us through the situation with our son Joel. He has a speech disorder and has been in therapy for over a year. A few weeks ago his therapist told me that he was down to 5% disfluency (he has a stuttering disorder) which falls into the normal range for his age group. While I was excited, I was afraid to get my hopes up. However, yesterday at his 4 year old check up, his pediatrician said that he would have never have guessed or even known that Joel had ever had a problem with speech. So now I am excited and just want to shout Hallelujah and Praise the Lord! Your love truly endures forever!

Don't be Foolish

Psalm 14:1
Isaiah 47:10

I recently heard Dr. David Platt say that in order to prove that God did not exist, one would have to search everywhere in the universe for Him (all at once because He could have moved!) to make sure that He was not there. After one had searched the entire universe, that person would then have all knowledge. If a person had all knowledge, they would be "god". Therefore to say there is no god would be to deny there own existence!

I do not think that very many of us reading this are struggling with whether or not there is a God, but this illustration is one of the best I have ever heard to blast an "atheist's" belief that they have to have proof. The burden of proof is really on them. However, there are not many true atheists. Most people who say there is no god either want attention or they just have decided not to decide. Unfortunately, in doing that, they have rejected Christ. Hopefully, you might be able to use this illustration one day in a nonthreatening way.

What we are probably more guilty of as Christians is the second verse of today's reading. We certainly believe in God and probably most of us have placed our trust in Him, but sometimes we behave like "no one sees [us]". How many times have our thoughts and actions proved that we are the most important priority in our lives? Simply put, how many times have we bowed to the altar of ourselves? The thought makes me shudder, but I know I have done it.

Today, let us not be foolish. In my opinion, to make ourselves our most important priority is just as foolish for a Christian as it is for a non-Christian to say there is no God. Right now I ask you to join me in laying ourselves before the altar of God to "present our lives as a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1). He is and there is none besides Him.

Sharing our Lives

1 Thessalonians 2:8

My husband has taught me that everything we do can be worship. He really is right about that, too!
Not only is singing, praying, studying God's word, or doing good work acts of worship, but we can offer our daily jobs as an act of worship. Whatever we are doing, if we are doing it "as working for the Lord" (See Colossians 3:23), then it truly can be worship.

This is also true in our personal relationships with other believers. Today's verse is one of my favorites, but the truth of it can also be convicting. Many times I am more than willing to share "the gospel of God" through teaching or talking with other believers, but am I as willing to share my life? Or am I too consumed with what I want to do or have to do to make time for other people?

In this fast paced, garage door society that we live in we can honestly go an entire day or more without even speaking to another soul face to face. Oh we may e-mail or text another person, but sometimes I personally do that so that I will not have to get into a long conversation face to face or on the phone. The funny thing is when I am lonely, I sometimes wonder why I do not have more close personal relationships.

Fellowship with other believers is a privilege, but it is also one of our purposes in the Christian life. We are not called to walk this journey alone. Sometimes because of experiences such as betrayal, it is difficult to "share [your] lives as well", but I know from experience that God will truly supply someone or several someones that you can truly share your life with. However, it might be someone you least expect.

Let's never stop sharing our lives with other believers. The "Elaine" paraphrase is: Let's never stop making friends! I challenge you today to share you life with another believer today and it can not be through a text message!

Honest Worship

Psalm 13

It is amazing to me how God teaches various people from all walks of life the same lessons at about the same time. For instance, for the last several years,
B. J. and I have truly felt that God is moving so strongly in the area of worship. We had discussed privately that we believed that the time of people coming to church to be "entertained" was coming to a close and that more and more people were seeking out true worship. Amazingly, I have heard many teachers and worship leaders say the exact same thing.

The same is true of the Psalms. Beth Moore's latest Bible Study was on the Psalms, Sheila Walsh has recently written on the Psalms, and even more recently a Birmingham Southern professor has published a book on the Psalms. Although, these teachers may differ on some areas of theology, their teachings of the Psalms being honest, human outcries to God are the same.

Many times in my life I have come to church, put on a happy face, gone through the motions of worship and be totally brokenhearted on the inside. But, instead of bringing that brokenness to God honestly, I missed an opportunity to praise Him corporately. God has begun to change that in me in 2008.

Now during worship if I do not really believe what I am singing or if I do not feel that right then and there, I tell Him in my heart. For example, a popular worship song says, "all of you is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with your love and all I have in you is more than enough." Do we really believe that? Yes, we know it is true, but do we believe it? If I find I am struggling with singing to God honestly, I tell Him. I confess my unbelief, and I also tell Him I want that to be true in my life.

Today's Psalm has been so instrumental in this change. How many times have I felt like the psalmist? "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever..." I honestly tell God how I feel even if it is so "unspiritual". I just lay it out there as humbly and reverently as I can. It is amazing what honesty with God does for your spirit. We see that after the psalmist has cried out to God in honesty something changes. In verses 5 and 6, he says:

"But I trust in our unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me."

Wow. The psalmist had truly experienced God. He came with a mind full of doubts and anxieties and left with a mouth full of praise. At the end of the day, He truly has been good to us all.

The next time we have the opportunity to worship God corporately, I pray that we will seek Him honestly and allow Him to truly change our hearts. Let's take the masks off in worship because while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Joy of Submission

Ephesians 5:22-27



This used to be my most dreaded passage of scripture. I did not like it, did not want to read it, and most assurdly did not want to follow it. I would hear message after message on it, (all preached by men of course) and be so angry. Then I heard a popular quote that this verse means for the wife to duck because God is about to hit your husband! I liked that.



Part of the reason that I did not like this verse is that I took the word "submit" and thought "obey". According to various New Testament commentaries, the word "obey" is not used in scripture with respect to wives. The heart of submission is "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating" (Study Light Lexicons).


Several years ago, B. J. and I truly began to seek out the truth in these verses for the health of our marriage. If you look back at verse 21 it says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." We are not to submit because we want to or even because our spouse is deserving of it, but because Christ is worthy of it. That puts it in a whole different perspective. We should submit to our husbands as an act of submission to the Lord. Not in obedience to our spouse, but in obedience to Christ.



So I guess you are wondering where the "joy" part comes in? While talking with a friend recently, I made the statement that I knew when I married B. J. that I would go wherever he went. I knew we were both called into the ministry of Jesus Christ, and I trusted him to lead us. I realized after saying that, that it has been a joy to allow him to be the leader of our family. I am so thankful for a husband that loves Jesus and although he is not perfect, he truly does seek to love me as Christ loves the church. If your husband is a follower of Jesus Christ, trust him to do what God has ordained for him to do. It is truly God's plan. We can rest in that truth and have the joy that comes from obedience to Christ.



I do realize that there are many of us that do not have a husband that is following after Christ. If that is your situation, I can understand that this verse is probably very difficult to follow. Although my husband is a Christian, I grew up in a family where my mother was the spiritual leader of our home. If I have learned anything from her, it is that Christ is worthy of our submission even if you feel that your spouse is not. Persevere, dear sister! Your obedience to Christ will not be in vain.



Whatever your situation, take some time today to remember that your marriage is a picture of Christ and His church. May we seek to glorify Him in our marriage today and everyday until His return.

For His Glory...

Exodus 14:1-4
Exodus 14:15-18

Recently, I have had several discussions with other believers about the "hard things" about God. This passage and the whole story of the Exodus is one of them. Several times during process of God rescuing His people from the Egyptians the Bible says, "...but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart." While that is difficult to understand, I do believe that part of the answer as to why the Lord would choose to do this is found in scripture. Simply put, it was for His glory.

We were reading this story in our family devotion last week and one of the questions was: "Why did Pharaoh not let the people go?" Joel said, "because he was mad and he didn't want to." True. But, we also tried to explain to him the truth that God had "hardened" Pharaoh's heart. While he did not ask any questions about this, my spirit has always struggled with this answer. As we were finishing the story and I was silently struggling with the answer I had given my child, I began to realize that the Egyptians had been surrounded by the Israelites for hundreds of years. However, they still did not believe that God was the true God. They worshiped false Gods.

Possibly some of the Egyptians were converted to Judaism, but most of the country's religion was based on polytheism. They had over 2000 gods they worshiped! How could they have been in the presence of God's chosen people for so many years and remain virtually unchanged? When I began to look at this matter from that perspective, my thoughts began to change.

While most of my life I have looked at that passage and truly thought that it seemed unfair, now I am beginning to see how God bestowed His grace upon the Egyptians. For centuries, the Egyptians lived in total disobedience to Him even though the truth was right there in front of them. Although we see the judgment of God poured out on them through the plagues, how many Egyptians truly did "know that [He] is the LORD" as a result of what happened. How many of their lives were changed because of what they had seen?

We may never know the full answer to this question, but statistics tell us that as many as 20% of the population of Egypt today are Christians. In an area where Islam reigns and persecution is fierce, this truly is a miracle.

While there will always be things that are difficult to understand about God, we can all believe wholeheartedly that He is good, abounding in mercy, and worthy of glory.

Spirit Led (by B.J. Price)

Acts chapter eight concludes with a powerful story of how the Spirit led Philip to witness to an Ethiopian official.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)

There is much we can learn from this passage of scripture. For starters, note with me how Philip hears and obeys the Spirit. With the Lord's help we should tune our hearts each day to be sensitive to his voice and his leading.

Secondly, we should note that Philip's obedience to the Holy Spirit allowed him to join in the work that had already begun. This is the pattern that we will do well to recognize in the world - Christ has called us to be his witnesses, Christ offers salvation to all, the Holy Spirit draws men and women to God, the Holy Spirit then reveals his work to us, God invites and allows us to be a part of bringing men and women to himself.

Thirdly, we should note that Philip used the scriptures to share the message of hope. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

Fourthly, we should note that the Ethiopian official responded to the true gospel with immediate obedience. He wanted to be baptized right away. It would make sense that Philip must have spoke about Jesus' life, death, burial, resurrection, and commissioning of the disciples to go make disciples of all nations baptizing them.

Finally, we should note that the Ethiopian went away rejoicing and Philip continued preaching the gospel as the Spirit led him.

Today, as an act of worship, may we first delight in the Lord and in our salvation through Jesus Christ alone. May we fully surrender to God in order for our hearts can be tuned to hear and sense his leading. May we be faithful witnesses wherever we go.

written by B.J. Price (www.bjprice.blogspot.com)

Who Are We Trying to Please?

2 Timothy 2:3-4

In our lives there are so many people that we are supposed to please. Husbands, children, friends, people at church, our bosses... the list could go on and on. While there is not necessarily anything wrong with pleasing others, (especially our husbands!) there is something wrong if this becomes our focus.

Scripture tells us several times to be focused on pleasing God, not man. The apostle Paul even says that if he were still "trying to please man [he] would not be a servant of Christ" (See Gal 1:10)
Our scripture passage today teaches us to not get involved with civilian affairs, but to be focused on pleasing our commanding officer. Simply put, this passage means to be more concerned with doing what Christ wants us to do than anything else.

How can we put this into practice? A few things that come to my mind are if there is an issue at our work place or within our circle of friends and it does not have anything to do with us, we need stay out of it! Let's not be involved of the affairs of others. Another great way we can put this into practice is to learn to say "no". I realize this is hard for many of us because we are so used to saying "yes" to everything and wearing ourselves out trying to do everything for everybody, but when we do that we cannot be truly focused on Christ. We can not do many things and do them all well. To keep our focus on Christ, we will have to say "no" to some good things, so we will be able to say "yes" to some great things!

Last but certainly not least, the best way to keep our focus on our "Commanding Officer" is to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (See Heb. 12:2). Some practical ways to do this is to spend time in God's Word and in prayer, preferably on your knees or face at some point each day. Amazingly, as we change our posture, He changes our focus. Another way is to talk with others about what God is doing in your life, what He is teaching you. Many times what God is teaching you, He is teaching others.

As we change our focus to pleasing Christ instead of man many things may change in our lives. But, we will be giving up the good for the great! And we might be able to get a little sleep at night!

What If...

Psalm 124

I have said many times that nothing comes into our lives that has not passed through the merciful hand of our Sovereign Lord. I truly believe that statement. However, to believe that is to believe that He does allow painful things to come into our lives. I believe that as well. Why would He do that? I do not know the answer to that question, but I trust the answer given in scripture in Romans 8:28:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

When I can't "trace His hand", I choose to "trust His heart".

Today, I want us think a little deeper about this fact. Our scripture passage shows us that the Israelites were acknowledging their realization of the fact that if God had not been on their side many terrible things would have happened to them. If God had not intervened on their behalf they would have been destroyed. As God's chosen people, Satan meant to destroy them. And while sometimes God allowed them to go through very difficult circumstances, He never allowed them to be completely destroyed.

Do you realize today that if God was not on your side you would have been destroyed by whatever painful experiences you have gone through? Satan meant to destroy you. He meant to take whatever circumstances you were in and destroy your life. The fact that you are reading this shows that he did not succeed!

One of the most powerful exercises I have ever done was when I was studying the Psalms of Ascent in a Beth Moore Bible study. When we came to this Psalm, she encouraged us to think about what might have happened if God had not intersected into our lives. If He had not intervened, where would we be? I want to give that same challenge today.

Spend some time with God today asking Him to show you what would have happened in your life if He had not been on your side. Ask for the Holy Spirit to help you and to reveal this to you as vividly as possible. Then spend some time thanking God that He rescued you from the enemy.

This is a very personal experience, but if you would like to post a comment about what the Lord has showed you today, please feel free.

I love you all and I thank God that He intervened in my life. I assure you I would not be writing anything about Him if He had not. Praise be to God forever and ever!

For Freedom's Sake

John 8:36
Galatians 5:1

I talk all the time about freedom in Christ and sometimes people just look at me like I am totally crazy! I used to believe that I was the only one in the church that had been held in bondage to certain sins. But, recently I have realized that I am not the only one. Unfortunately many believers are being held hostage by sins that they have been set free from. They just decided to get back in the cell and lock the door. They have the "key", but just do not know how to use it.

A few years ago, I was reading the book Believing God by Beth Moore with my husband. In the book you were encouraged to wear a blue bracelet to remind you of 2 things you were giving up while reading the book. One of them was supposed to be a fast of some kind and the other was supposed to be a sin or habit that was leading you into sin. It was easy to choose what sin I wanted to "fast" from. I had struggled with "sins of the mouth" for a long time and I hated them. I put my blue bracelet on and vowed to not talk ugly ever again.

Well, I was doing pretty good, until one afternoon we were headed for a band competition that my cousin was performing in. We left in plenty of time provided that we had known where we were going. I despise being late. I do not really mind if others are late, but I can not stand to be late myself. As we were turning around for the fourth time, I lost it. I was crying and not saying very nice things to my husband and they were definitely not said in a nice way. I realized what I was doing and in my rage ripped off my blue bracelet and threw it out the window! I had failed.

In a few minutes, we both just started laughing. Not only at how ridiculous I had acted, but also that I been so foolish to think that putting on a blue bracelet and vowing not to do something would really change this issue in my life. There is only one way to experience lasting change and that is through depending on the One who set us free in the first place. His name is Jesus and you can know Him today for the first time. If you already know Him you can know Him better by spending time with Him in prayer and the studying of His Word. He is the only cure for our sin problem and prayer and Bible study are the prescriptions.

I never got another blue bracelet, but Christ did set me free from that particular stronghold when I started relying completely on Him and taking "captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (See 2 Cor. 10 3-5). Was it easy? No. Was it overnight? No. But, I have realized that very few things that are worthwhile are easy. It takes time, but you can start today.

Take that sin that keeps coming back up in your life and turn it over. There have been times that I have had to take a thought "captive" every five minutes, but eventually by the power of God, you will be free. The first step is realizing that Christ has already given you the key.

"Just be Reasonable"

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

This has always been one of my favorite passages of scripture. I will never forget my youth pastor always saying, "Just be reasonable!" There is so much truth to that statement. In view of everything God has done for us, all the mercy He has poured out on our lives and, all the grace He has poured on our sin it is only reasonable to live for Him.

My pastor preached on this passage on Sunday and it was a fresh reminder that we do not have to be a minister (or even a minister's wife) or a missionary to live our lives as a sacrifice. We can all do this everyday in practical ways. The Message says it like this:

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."

Whatever you do today look for ways that you can honor God with your life. It might be a simple as letting a co-worker or a family member that is struggling know that you care. Possibly you could reach out to that new person at church who does not quite know where they "fit" yet. Tell your children or family members that you love them for no reason at all.

The great news is that as we live our lives as a living sacrifice, we will not be conforming to the world which will lead to the renewing of our minds. "Then we will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2). We all long to know what God's will is for our lives. Well, this is it! With His help, live your life as a sacrifice for Him. He will renew your mind and then you will know what else He wants you to do and it will be a perfect fit for you.

On a personal note, as you are reading this, I am presently undergoing some tests at the hospital. Please pray that God will be glorified today in our lives and that He will make Himself known through us.

The Need for Fellowship

Acts 2:42-47
Hebrews 10:25

I love the Body of Christ! The media bashes us, and the world does not know what to do with us. It is a great group to be a part of!

I am always encouraged by fellow sisters in Christ that I share Bible study with. What I love about it is the willingness to get together, put your own agenda aside, and dig into God's Word to find truth. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the ladies' transparency in Bible Study. Many times I feel where we as the church fall short is in honesty about our struggles. However this past week I witnessed many ladies openly admitting their needs in search of prayer, encouragement, and accountability. How refreshing it is to see an honest heart.

One woman's comment particularly spoke to me and has had me very excited. When she was asked what she hoped to gain from the study we are doing, she very openly admitted that in her fast-paced life she has only been doing a one-minute devotion. She then said, "that is no longer enough for me. I want more of God than that." Hallelujah! That is such a Godly desire! Matthew 5:6 says: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
God will fill the desire for more of Him.

What is so awesome about being an active part of a small group of believers is that you have somewhere to share what God is doing in your life. A place to share your praises as well as your prayer needs. Your victories as well as your struggles. Who do you tell if you are not involved with a small group of believers?

Although, I do believe that being a part of a local church is important, I believe it needs to be deeper than that. You can have your name on a church role and go to worship service every Sunday and not speak to a soul. Where is the accountability in that? Yes, the "church" is counting your attendance, but who is counting on you. When you are involved with a small group, your presence, your input, and your contribution to the group is valued.

If you are not plugged into a small group of believers, I highly encourage you to find one. This might sound difficult, but there are many different Bible Study groups meeting almost everyday of the week in most areas. You can usually search your local church's websites for a list of studies/groups available. However, it doesn't even have to be that formal. You could start one yourself with two or three other believers in your home or at the coffee shop.

If you are actively involved in a small group, spend some time thanking God for the people in your small group. Pray for them specifically today. Send a card to someone in your group thanking them for devoting themselves "to the fellowship..."

Overcoming Fear

Psalm 23:4
Psalm 46:1-3
2 Timothy 1:7

I recently heard writer/speaker Angela Thomas say that she was "very familiar with the Bully of fear". I agree with this title for Satan because he meets so many of the requirements for being a bully. A bully likes to hit you when you are down. A bully seeks you out when you are alone. A bully looks for your weak spots and that is where he strikes. Satan does all of those things and more. He is definitely a bully.

Unfortunately, I am extremely familiar with this bully as well. For as long as I can remember, fear has been an issue in my life. I was afraid of the dark as a child. I can remember singing "Victory in Jesus" as I went to sleep many nights. As time went on my fears changed, but the feelings of helplessness they evoked stayed the same.

I am convinced that Satan's favorite time to strike is at night. Even if we are not physically alone, we are alone in the fact that everyone else is sleeping. It is quiet and there is virtually no escape from whatever fear he decides to throw at us. He always seems to hit me in my weakest areas at night.

In my early 20's, the bully started meeting me head on. B. J. and I had been married about two years when we both started experiencing very strong spiritual warfare. We were in ministry and B. J. was about to take his first full-time ministry position. Satan wanted to destroy us. He meant to destroy our ministry, our witness, our marriage, and our lives. We had discussed how we felt as if we were under attack, but I do not think either one of us knew how much the other was struggling. I will never forget one day when I was standing in the kitchen, B. J. came in and said, "I don't know who we think we are trying to fight Satan with our own words. Jesus fought him with the Word of God, we have to do the same."

That statement truly changed my life. I read the passage in Matthew 4:1-11 and realized that Jesus never answered Satan with "leave me alone!". He answered him with the very Word of God! Satan has no power over scripture. He has to flee. If we want to fight the enemy, then we have to have the ammunition. The Word of God is our only ammo! If we want to have our ammunition ready, we have to hide God's Word in our heart (Psalm 119:11).

Sometimes I still awaken in fear with thoughts that can only be from the bully. I quote scripture to drive him out of my mind. I have even sang praise songs in the middle of the night. Turns out "Victory is Jesus" is not a favorite of the enemy! If I am really struggling, I will get up and just read the Word out loud if I have to. What's amazing to me is that fear has led me closer to God and to His Word. Satan "intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..." Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

A very wise man named James Long used to say,

"God will never waste an experience".

God can use even our difficult times, problems, and fears for His glory. The question is not will God use this, the question is will you let Him?

A Woman Who Fears the Lord

Proverbs 31:10-31

In 1991 the President and Barbara Bush were on the campaign trail in Texas. One day the presidential limousine was low on gas. When they stopped for gas, the attendant came running out of the station to pump the gas into the presidential limousine. Suddenly, Barbara leaped out of the limousine, ran over to the attendant, and hugged him. They carried on a conversation for a few minutes and then she returned to the car. Upon reentering the limo, the President asked his wife who that man was. She said, "Oh, that is one of my old boyfriends from high school". President Bush smiled and said, "Let me get this straight... You are married to the leader of the free world, but if you had married him, you would be married to a gas station attendant?" Barbara just smiled and said, "Oh, don't be silly George! If I had married him, he would be president!"

Although, I find this story absolutely hilarious, I do believe there is some truth to Mrs. Bush's statement. The Bible testifies to the fact that a wife of noble character brings her husband "good, not harm all the days of her life" (31:12). She also "speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue" (31:26). This passage also says that because of the wife's noble character that her husband is "respected at the city gate" (31:23).

I venture to say that respect is what people, especially men, want more than anything. I want to be the type of wife that brings honor to my husband, not shame. I want people to look at him and be respectful of him because of the way I live my life. So how do we get all these wonderful qualities? There are several things that might help us to be like this wife of noble character. But, only one will truly change our hearts and lives and make a lasting difference.

The secret to being a wife of noble character is found in the second half of verse 30:

"...but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

That is the one component that allows all the other areas to fall in line. What does it mean to fear the Lord? That is actually the theme of the entire book of Proverbs. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...". "Fear of the Lord can be hard to describe, but one of the best definitions I have ever read is found in the NIV study Bible. It defines fear of the Lord as "a loving reverence for God that includes submission to his lordship and to the commands of his word". If our lives are truly submitted to the lordship of Christ and to the commands of His word, we will bring honor to ourselves, our children, and our husbands. But, we will also bring honor to our Father to whom all praise and honor is due.

"Blessed are those who mourn..."

Matthew 5:3-11

The Sermon on the Mount has been referred to as the highest call to moral and ethical living. Some even dismiss it as being completely unrealistic and believe that it refers to the second coming of Christ. However, it is obvious that Jesus meant for this to be the standard for living the Christian life. Let me tell you something you already know: We do not measure up to this standard. That is probably the point. We could never meet these standards in our own strength. We have to rely on Christ.

The verse that I want to focus on today is Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." At first glance, questions might arise in your heart: Why would God want us to mourn? Does this mean if I have a lot of terrible things happen to me that cause me to mourn that I will be more blessed in heaven? After close consideration of this verse and the personal way that God has used it in my life, I do not believe that is the case. What I do believe that it means is that God wants us to mourn over our sin. Kay Arthur says "For only those who mourn shall be comforted. the blessedness does not come in the mourning; it comes in the results of the mourning..."

When was the last time you truly mourned over your own personal sin? Or better yet, when was the last time you mourned over the sins of our nation? The word for "mourn" in this passage is "pentheo" in the Greek which literally means "to mourn for or to lament as a way of life". Has there ever come a time that you have truly had Godly sorrow over sin?

It is time for us to mourn over our sin. It is time to cry out to God and ask Him to break our hearts to the things that break His. He is holy, holy, holy. Sin is completely opposite to His character and yet sometimes my mind is filled with sinful thoughts that I should truly be broken over and I'm not.

My challenge for us today is to do something I did many years ago when I first studied this verse. I asked God to allow me to feel the way that my sin made Him feel. I prayed this prayer after coming out of a terrible season of sin, so brokenness just does not seem like the right word to describe what happened next. I could literally not get low enough on the floor. I wept bitterly and I could not even utter any words other than, "I am so sorry". And I truly was.

I have no idea how long I cried out to God, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was in that room in Jacksonville, Alabama picking me up off the floor surrounding me with His loving arms. I had truly experienced Godly sorrow and the blessing of His presence followed.

Join me today in asking God to break our hearts over the things that break His. Allow yourself to mourn over your own sin as well as the sins of our nation.

"But it is you..."

Psalm 55:12-14

The theme of this passage can be summed up in one word: Betrayal. If you have never experienced a betrayal, I hope you never do. If you have suffered through a betrayal, know that you are not alone. This is a very difficult area for people to talk about sometimes, especially those of us that have been through a very personal betrayal. However, I am so thankful that even in the darkest hours of our life, we can find solace in the Bible.

In this passage, David is seeking retreat from the madness that is going on around him. David was extremely familiar with betrayal. This passage was written when David's life was being threatened by a powerful conspiracy in Jerusalem much like his own son's conspiracy against him described in 2 Samuel 15:1-12. Only this time David found himself up against a "companion" his "close friend". Not only was this person a friend, but their bond went even deeper. David had "once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng and the house of God." This wasn't just a friend at work or someone at school. This was someone that David shared the bond of worshiping God with publicly. A modern day example would be someone that was in David's Sunday school class or small group that he also went to lunch with after church. This was a close friendship and everyone knew about it which only made the pain much more intense.

Betrayal cuts very deeply. The wound cuts so deep that healing takes quite some time. It is one of those things that should not happen period, but definitely not in the church. Yet, so many times that is exactly where it happens. Church is supposed to be a safe haven, a retreat from the world. Yet so many times I find that it is not. I do not mean to beat up on the church because I truly love the body of Christ, but there are some things that we must confront head on in our lives and in the lives of those around us if we are to ever reach a dying world for Christ. We hear about terrible things that happen inside the walls of the church and yet we still wonder why lost people think they are no different from us.

Obviously, there are many different types of betrayal. The degrees can range from breaking a confidence to adultery. Although some are harder to move on from others, the pain is very similar and the relationship is never the same.

If you have gone through a betrayal in your life, let me say again that you are not alone. Our Lord and Savior is very familiar with how it feels to be betrayed. Turn to Him today and find understanding as well as the grace to forgive and heal.

Also, let us never forget that all of us are capable of committing any sin in our flesh. We see example after example in scripture of men and women that walked with God and at some point fell away committing many sins of the flesh along the way. May we walk so closely with Him that we would never be the cause of another's pain, especially a "man like myself".