Meditation of My Heart

One of the benefits to scripture memorization is the ability to redeem seemingly idle time. As I was rocking my sick baby to sleep, I was meditating on some verses in James. Jam 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, Jam 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Jam 1:4 And let  endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Trials is what according to verse 3? It is the testing of your faith. Anything that tests your faith and remember according to James 1:13-15 that all things are trials unless we respond sinfully to them then they are temptations.. As Hebrews 14:23 states that all things not of faith are sin, so we are to respond in all things in faith. What happens in the testing of faith is endurance. We will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. What a promise! Something to remember when I struggle with just the routines of a day. Character...

My daughter and her husband moved out of our small town to about 15 minutes in the country. One of my favorites things about the change is the drive. The back way from our house to hers takes me by my favorite spot. It has hills and you can actually see them. Usually there are so many trees, it is hard to see anything for very far. I dream of owning a country house out in those hills. I dream of cows, chickens, goats, a horse and a huge garden. I dream of being able to feed my family off the land and getting back to the basics. I dream of it so deeply sometimes, I can feel an ache inside. I read a quip, probably on facebook, a little while ago that said, "God's gifts are better than man's best dreams!". Isn't that comforting!! I don't know why we don't have that perfect house in my perfect spot. However, I do know that God is sovereign and His love is perfect. He knows so much more than I do.  He knows whether my dream would bring joy or sorrow. He kno...

Testing! Trials! Stretching! Hardship! Pain! Those words don't seem to bring vision of much joy. These are things I would like to avoid at all costs. Yet, scripture has them in a different light for a believer. They bring growth. Much growth if we submit to the trials God brings. He allows them to strengthen us and to draw us to Him. I have endured much pain in the last six weeks. Trials that have cut deep into my soul. Piercing far more than I thought would be what I could bear. Times I was so perplexed in it. Can sin in another's life bear fruit in ours? A resounding YES if I choose to respond in a way that God would desire. It is hard to respond as God would chose though. It is hard to honor Him when our souls are so raw that the slightest brush causes to writhe in pain. Yet as He heals me with His love and washes me in His word, my mind begins to clear. I see His goodness in the timing of a well spoken word, a sermon preached just for me, the gently comfort of His Spi...

Spring! The time for planting. Have you ever planted a small tree? It needs extra protection. Many times you will see a fence around it to protect it from nibbling animals. Often it will have a stake next to it to support it. It just needs the time to establish the roots. It is unable to protect itself or weather the disasters, natural or man-made, that happen to come along. I couldn't help but think how that reminds me of being a parent. It is my job to shelter my kids until they have deep enough roots to weather life's storms. I am to protect them just as God protects us. 1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. He doesn't give us more than we can handle. When a tree is small the fence covers almost all of it, as it grows the branches start to ...

Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, Jam 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Jam 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Trials. I feel I have had my fair share of them lately. We all do at some point in our lives. Health issues, work pressure, trouble with friends, financial problems, failures, sin struggles .. the list goes on and on. Sometimes we rush into things causing our own sort of mayhem and chaos to deal with. Other times, trials just seem to encompass us from all directions. They blow in from seemingly nowhere. I was reading in John MacArthur's commentary. A trial becomes a temptation when we chose to react to a trial with a wrong human response. It changed my outlook on the struggles I am going through. How can I glorify God in this right now? What is the response He is looking for in me at this moment? Is this a trial God...

My heart does rend the pain of sin that clutches at my soul Who can climb free and finally be made whole The reaches of the dark stained arms stretch far beyond my sight It suffocates and twists and tears with a mighty fight Oh! To tear away the scars it burrows in my mind Lies piercing deep within my soul wrapping me in binds Destroying all within my reach because I cannot see But, alas, I beg who has the strength to finally set me free? Not one, not one of mortal man can break the bond of sin Oh, agony untold, of death that churns within Deep within the heart, its darkness who can face? This turmoil has to fall completely on Your Grace Crushed beneath the weight I bear, broken deep within my soul Yet through death, victory comes, and then He makes me whole Oh life so sweet, He paid a price, He paid a price for me! Liberating mercy, You died to set me free! Oh beloved, don’t you know, you must call upon His name Throw yourself on the cross and never b...

I was pondering boycotts the last few days. Now let me give a heads up first, I am not telling anyone to boycott or not to boycott. So please don't take this as condemnation one way or another. We are under grace and have too many things to worry about without dithering over something so trivial. Lately, it seems that 1 Corinthians 10 keeps coming up in different studies. It is the chapter on not eating meat sacrificed to idols if it causes a brother to stumble. Throughout the chapter it talks about considering the brother and you don't eat because of love of others. I don't see another reason, actually Paul states that we are under grace TO eat it. We can eat it. Where were they buying it? A temple ... what kind of temple? A temple to a FALSE God. Where did the money go? To support a false religion. Wow! That thought came as a shock. Paul had no problem spending money there. Why? 1Cr 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are with...