Trusting

S. "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:" (Psalm 37: 3-5, NIV)

O. I have not been very good as blogging the past few days. I have been spending time with my family at the Hospice House in Huntington. My niece, Sarah Beth has been there for over a week. This has been a very emotional time for us and for me as well. Sometimes I don't know what I am feeling. I can't identify what I am feeling and I just get frustrated with myself and others. The time that we are having together as a family has been filled with tears, laughter, hugs, and lots of memories. We have been praying and reading scripture, we have been supporting each other and so much more. I have been filled with many questions about why all this is happening, about why Sarah's time on earth is up and even why it is extended at the present time. I don't have answers to all these questions, but I have to believe the God has a plan and purpose in all of it. I have seen God at work in Sarah's life while she is lying in bed…people who are amazed at her brave battle with cancer and how she has remained faithful to God through each step. I read these verses from Psalm this morning and it just made since in the midst of things being so senseless. I must put my trust in God who knows that best for me and knows exactly what I need to be doing in my life. Leigh Ann has been posting things from Sarah's post blog posts and this is what I read this morning…

"You know, this hasn't been the easiest walk of
life, but it's the only one I want...one that is
completely sacrificed for the will of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Thank you for all your prayers and kindness
towards me and my family. May God bless you for
your graciousness." - sarah beth, august 12, 2008

What words of faith and courage…what an attitude of surrender. I think that I need to keep more of a trusting faith in my God.

A. Continue to trust and live for Jesus!

P. Lord, I am so thankful for your grace and mercy. My prayer is that I will be faithful to allow you to mold and shape me daily. Amen

Choose Life

S. "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess." (Deuteronomy 30: 15-16, NIV)

O. We have a choice to make while we live on this earth. Moses writes that we can choose "life and prosperity or death and destruction". I believe that too many times, we are plagued with a thought that this life is all there is…that we just need to live it up on the earth because that is what really matters in life. But when you think about it, we are really only here for a small portion of time. I have often described my life here on the earth compared to eternity as a long line (representing eternity) and a small dot (representing my life). We are here for just a brief, fleeting moments when we see life as more than our time here on earth. I have been reflecting so much on the life of my niece Sarah Beth Napier. She is in the final stages of breast cancer and we are grief stricken as we see her final days on the earth. But in days of sharing every precious moment with her, we have reflected on the brevity of her life here on earth…and more important the impact that her few years have had on so many people around the world. I think that Sarah really understood that as we life this life we have a choice…to embrace each day as the life that God has given, to walk with the Lord, obediently following his ways and living her life to the full in view of God's will. The land that she is entering into is a land that is her eternal home. Having walked faithfully in the ways of God will bring her great reward.

I guess there is a great lesson in her life and in these words from God…you have a choice as to how you will live your life. Choose God's way…because what really matters is your relationship with God that will last eternally.

A. Today I choose to live in God's plan and not my own.

P. Lord, you have blessed me beyond measure…you have given me an example (and so many others) in Sarah's life. Today, I choose to live in YOU!

Blessing Upon Blessing

S. "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth." (Deuteronomy 28: 1, NIV)

O. This promise is so true in my life. I have been so blessed in my life. I have tried to live fully for the Lord, although I would be the first to say that there have been and are times with I fall short of this goal. I am only human…but I strive to give my life to the Lord every day. I strive to live within God's commands for my life and live for him in all that I do and say. And even in spite of my failures and in view of God's power and forgiveness, He accepts my offerings.

I really have been blessed in my life. I have not just sought the blessing of God, but have received in His blessing in more ways than I can ever imagine. Family, friends, a house, food, clothing, a ministry to serve the Lord in, health, strength, hope and more. I look around and I see that I am blessed more than I deserve. I AM BLESSED!!

A. I continue to be amazed at all the God is doing in my life. Today, I will seek the face of God, live for him and serve him in every way that I can.

P. Thank you for all the provisions and blessings you have given to me. I love you Lord, Amen.

Remaining Holy

S. "For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you" (Deuteronomy 23: 14, NIV).

O. There are several times in this section of Deuteronomy that God calls for the people of Israel to be holy. They have been set apart as God's chosen people and were set apart for a reason. They were instructed to keep their camp and they bodies pure and holy vessels for God. This is no different than what God expects of us today. He calls us to be set part and holy for us purposes.

A. I need to continue to pursue a holy life and keep in place accountabilities that will keep my in check. I want to live a holy life before God.

P. Lord, you are perfect and holy. You have called me and set me apart of be holy, just as you are holy. I call upon you and complete my and keep me holy by you name. Amen

God’s Affections

S. "To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today." (Deuteronomy 10: 14-15, NIV)

O. I think this is the most awesome thought…that God, who created the world and holds all things in his hands, care enough about us that his affections pour out over us! What would life be like if this was not true? I believe that life would be a constant battle to earn God's love and acceptance. It would be a constant effort to please the one who created us. But because of God's grace, he offers to us a free gift that is founded in His Son Jesus. This grace is overwhelming…I mean God created us knowing we would sin and at time reject him, yet He still loves us. He created us so that we might love Him and I know His heart is grieved when we don't acknowledge His love and grace. His Heart is grieved when we don't love Him in return for His love. How thankful I am for God's affections!

A. Today I am reminded to God's love for me and my family. I accept this wonderful gift today.

P. God, my heart is filled with gratitude for all that you have done in my life. I am in awe of Your love and forgiveness in my life. I stand with a thankful heart. Amen

Walking with God

S. "So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." (Deuteronomy 5: 32-33, NIV)

O. This should not be so difficult to understand…but we care suppose to be careful to do what God wants us to do. Why is this so hard for some people to do? In my mind selfishness is the main reason we have such a difficult time doing the things of God. God loves us enough to give us the freedom to choose how we will live this life. He loves us enough to allow us to make a decision about how we are to live. And that means that we are suppose look to God's commands to see how we are live. What is the result? If we walk in the ways of God, we will be blessed with a life that is pleasing to God and that will be filled with prosperity and with fullness of days every day!

A. I will continue to look daily to in the Word of God for how I am to live my life.

P. Please accept the offering of my life. Help me to live each day in your will and by your command.

Absent Blog Posts

Just wanted to say a word about my absence at times from this blog...I continue to do my reading on a regular basis, but I have been out of town (without internet connection) and also been at the hospital many days with the niece Sarah Beth Napier. She has been courageously battling Breast Cancer for the past five years and has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. We are keeping vigil as a family at the hospital, offering our love and support to her and her mom and dad (my sister and brother-in-law). Please be in prayer for Sarah...you can read more about her story at www.loveyourguts.com.

(Sarah Beth on the left with her mom, Kathleen).

My wife, Leigh Ann has been keeping Sarah's website up-to-date...
Here is her entry from Saturday, March 6th...

when we got to the hospital this evening, sarah
beth was asleep after having been awake for a big
part of the day. kathleen had texted greg earlier,
saying that sarah's color was good, she was sleepy
and speaking in whispers. we weren't surprised to
find her asleep. of course we stayed anyway - lots
of family there. after awhile, sarah beth's eyes
popped open and with that, she had everyone's full
attention. we had a time of prayer, then sang a
few songs together that are some of sarah's
favorites - there's something about that name, i
love you Lord, amazing grace, how great is our God
- she even sang along in her whispers with us all,
smile on her face. (i can't even tell you what a
beautiful sight that was.) sarah's uncle greg
suggested "victory in Jesus" to her and i wish you
could've seen her reaction - her face just lit up!
when asked about a favorite scripture of hers, she
said romans 12:1-2, so it was read. here it is, in
case someone reading isn't familiar with it:

"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what God's will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

sarah beth, in the way she is walking this cancer
journey, is a perfect example of "living
sacrifice". she has given herself over to the Lord
time and time again to be used as He sees fit. and
He has grown her into such a woman of His. a
living sacrifice being molded continually into
what God had planned for her all along. sarah's
uncle chuck asked greg to read 1 peter 1:6-7:

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in
all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your
faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes
even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine
and may result in praise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed.

in our time together tonight there were many tears
but also many smiles and even some laughter. that
seems to be the way it always is. our hearts are
heavy as we continue to realize more each day what
is happening with sarah beth. but we aren't
without hope. and neither is she. our hope is in
God alone. who else could bless hurting hearts
with moments of joy?

as we were leaving, she was getting a few more
bites of her oreo blizzard, a request of hers from
earlier in the day. she looked to be enjoying it
pretty well. =)

as always, thank you so much for the time you take
to pray.

leigh ann

Beyond Being Good

S."Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mark 10: 21, NIV)

O. The entire story of the rich young ruler has always fascinated me. Here is a guy who is so intent on finding out how to be saved…he runs up to Jesus and falls down at his feet and asks, "What must I do to be saved?" (vs. 17) Jesus asked him about the law and whether or not he has kept the law…and he says that he has. But Jesus goes beyond the law and speaks of the radical side of following Jesus, "Sell everything you have and give it to the poor" (vs. 21), Jesus says, making sacrifice and following Jesus he focal point of the life we live. I have been studying the prison epistle of Paul and he spent time talking about Christ being above the law and the completion of the law. He taught that our salvation does not come by following the law, but by God's grace expressed through His Son Jesus.

I got to thinking how Jesus was trying to help people see this same thing. Living the law was good and created good moral character and "good people", but the law would always let you down…always will lead to condemnation. But there is no condemnation in following the way of Jesus…in giving of oneself in sacrifice and love. That is model of Jesus and it should be for us as well.

A. I really want to be more than a good person…I want to live my life with a passion to love Jesus and serve others for God's glory. I really want to offer my life in sacrifice for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

P. Lord, there are times when I am tired and don't want to move forward…when I want to focus on me and what I can do and what I want…help me to lay those things aside and surrender my life to you and the building of your kingdom. Amen.

God Can

S. "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9: 27a-28, NIV)

O. I try so many things in my own strength…but I don't believe that God wants it that way. There are so many times went I exhaust my own resources, but fail to draw about the resources that God has offered to me. Maybe I don't draw upon the resources of God because I don't fully understand what He is offering to me. That is where the man in this scripture was. His son was filled with a demon that made him seize and convulse and foam at the mouth. Jesus witnessed the attack of the demon and the man was desperate. His statement is so typical of my response…"If you can". At times I limit my understanding of the abilities of God…about in so doing I underestimate what God can do. When I see God only matched up to my human abilities I don't see the full nature of God. God is all powerful, all loving, all knowledgeable…it created the universe in which I live and even created me.

A. I want to always respond to God in light of who HE IS and not in what I think He can be. I want to place my life FULLY in the hands of God and rely on his mighty hand to guide me in every way.

P. Lord, you created me and know my heart. Cleanse me today and allow me to see that ALL things are possible in your care. Amen.

 

Clear Understanding

S. "They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." (Mark 8: 22-25, NIV)

O. There are times in my life when I feel like this blind man. I come to a point where I can only seen shadows are what really is around me. At times things that are happening or unfolding aren't as clear as I would like them, but I have to trust in time that everything will become clear and fully understood. I guess what really is on my heart and mind today is Sarah Beth. Sometimes I look at this situation and it doesn't make sense. I ask myself why such a good person has been struck with such a horrible disease. It is like I am seeing only part of the picture or I am only partially understanding way this is happening.

But I have been in this situation before and I can rely on my God. While things might seem dim in my eyes now, I have to trust in Almighty God to help me understand all that He has in store. God's ways are higher than mine…God's ways of pure and right and holy. I must believe that God has a greater plan and purpose than what I can see. Paul wrote, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13: 12, NIV). What a comfort to know that one day, just like the blind man, I will see clearly God's purpose and plan!!

A. I know that I will see clearly one day and it will all make sense, but in the meantime, I will just place my heart and mind in the hands of God and ask for peace and understanding to guide my days.

P. Lord, My heart is heavy and hurting today, but I pray that your purpose and plan will be clear to me. Please let your peace fall upon Sarah Beth today…let you peace fall upon Kate, Mark, Jeremy and Jason…upon Dad, Christina, Dale and Martha…upon Leigh Ann and Blake, Luke and Max…upon Julie, Cassie and Emmie. Thank you for your unfailing love! Amen