In God’s Hands

Joy was walking around the living room last night with her eyes closed. “Joy, you need to open your eyes so you don’t trip over something,” I said. “My eyes weren’t closed, Nana,” she insisted, “I was looking through my fringes.” Fringes, in case you didn’t know, are eyelashes. Her eyes were opened just enough to “see” through her lashes, though not enough to look like they were opened. And not enough to actually see where she was going.
Joy’s “fringe vision” made me think of Paul’s words: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13:12). Paul was saying we have imperfect knowledge and understanding. This world in which we live often leaves us confused and, let’s be honest, fearful. The more we try to figure things out the more uncertain life seems. I get it. I’ve been living in the “fringes” for the last year plus. Everything has been turned upside-down and inside-out. I thought God and I had a plan – I thought it was a good plan – but God has other ideas.
Job, in the midst of his painful trial, said we all live on the “outer fringe” of God’s works and ways (Job 26:14). The Hebrew translates to the “mere edges.” In other words, because He is so big and so other, we can’t see what God is up to. We don’t have His perspective. We can’t see “the end from the beginning.” But He can (Is 46:10). Not like a fortune teller who can “see” what will happen in the future. This is the sovereign God of the universe who determines the future and sets things in motion to achieve His plan. He said “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand” (Is 14:24).
I trust God’s plan. I trust that everything He purposes will be good because He is good. I trust that nothing – not one single thing – will touch my life that has not been filtered through His loving, gracious, merciful hands. Yes, even the hard things and the unexpected things and the things that break my heart. Because I trust His heart. And I know that the plan is ultimately to conform me to the likeness of Son.
Beloved, you and I may not see everything from the fringes of His hand, but we can trust Him nonetheless because – even at the edges – we are still in His hand.

Reading Between the Lines

“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 8:28)
“Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
These are two great verses and we love them. We put them on artwork and t-shirts and even tattoo them on our bodies. They speak beautifully of God’s purpose and His love – what more could you need? But maybe you missed the ten verses that lie between these two jewels. They bring 28 and 39 together like the covers of a beautiful book, bound up in one theme: Love.
In these verses, we see our purpose – to love Him and obey Him, and we see His purpose – to make us more like His Son. We could stop right there and be utterly blessed. But let’s continue on. We see the “golden chain” of His divine choice and calling. We see that He justified us and glorified us. We see His favor – that He is for us and no one can be against us. We see His mercy in giving up His own Son to save us and His promise to give us all things. We see His everlasting presence – no trouble or hardship or difficulty or danger will ever separate us from His love. In fact, nothing in all creation – and everything is His creation – will come between us and God’s love. We see His love defend us against every accusation of the enemy. We see the power of His love that conquers every foe, even death – and makes us more than conquerors. We see that His love that will last for all eternity.
Paul said he was convinced of God’s love because He saw the love of God in “all things” – working together with one purpose – to glorify His Son in our lives. By the way, did you notice that only one verse out of the twelve addressed our love for God and the rest focuses on His great love for us?
Beloved, are you convinced? Do you trust Him and His heart for you? Hear this again, loud and clear: If you are in Christ, nothing will ever separate you from God’s love. Not. One. Thing. What more could you ever need?

Acts: The End?

As we bring the book of Acts to a close, Paul and company wash ashore on the island of Malta. They are met with kindness and a warm fire. Paul, gathering firewood, is bitten by a viper, an extremely venomous snake. This is certain death, but Paul shakes the snake from his hand and has no ill effects from the bite. The islanders were amazed and assumed that Paul was a god. The chief official of the island gets word of the miraculous event and welcomes the refugees to his estate. Paul heals the man’s father who was gravely ill and the people send them on their way, refreshed and replenished.
With favorable winds behind them, they continue their journey and the promise of Paul’s Lord is fulfilled. Paul/Saul was chosen to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentile world, including Gentile kings and emperors (9:15). He was reminded of his calling while in prison: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify about me in Rome. (23:11). And again during the storm at sea: “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar” (27:24). Finally promise became reality: “And so we came to Rome” (Acts 28:14).
Luke’s account in Acts does not take us into the Roman palace, but we learn that Paul indeed testified in Rome – He declared his innocence – and the gospel. He was allowed a rare measure of freedom and “Boldly and without hindrance, preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (28:31).
The entire book of Acts is about the power of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty and providence of God, and the bold and devoted men and women who dedicated – and surrendered – their lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ. You and I are living in the continuing story of Acts. The work of the church is ongoing. We are granted the same Holy Spirit and have the same sovereign God guiding and guarding our steps. What is missing? Why do we not see the results they saw? Because we are not as bold and devoted to the Man, the mission, and the ministry of the gospel.
What will it take for us? The first-century church grew in spite of – or perhaps because of – persecution. The church today will grow stronger and deeper under the same conditions. It is coming. But this is not a reason for fear. It is a reason for preparation. It’s time Beloved. Get your armor on and stand up, stand up for Jesus.

Crazy-Quilt Life

I have two verses that are especially meaningful to me and they speak of the same thing.
Psalm 16:11: You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with Joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
Psalm 119:105: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Did you see it? Path. A path in both contexts means a well-worn passageway. It is that trail or road that others have used before. These paths in Psalms tell me two things I need to know.
A path is there because it has been proven to get you where you need to go. A path would not exist if it got the traveler lost. A path says that others have been this way successfully. One person does not make a path. But many feet do. It is like an unseen guide calling out, “Follow me! I’ve been this way before and I know it is trustworthy.”
A path also implies a destination. Aimless wandering does not make a path. A path says there is something at the end that matters. There is a reason to follow the path. There is someplace you need to go. There is someone you need to see or something you need to do down the road. Many others have gone this way because they also had a purpose in their travels.
This speaks to me because my life seems like a lot of aimless wandering. I never imagined that I had a purpose or that there was a grand plan for me. I took whatever came to me and never tried to connect any dots to see if there was some direction or reason in any of it. Or if there was Someone behind it all. Even after I became a Christian, I assumed that I was to just do the best I could with the cards I was dealt and hopefully not mess up too badly before I could get to heaven.
Then I read a quote by Marilyn Meberg who said, “[You are] not on a haphazard course of [your] own poor choosing.” I cannot tell you how much that comforted and encouraged me. Yes, I have made many, many mistakes – some doozies. I have suffered the consequences – painful, hard, scarring consequences. But even in my stumbles, God has been working. I need to know that. I’ll bet you do too. Beloved, even a crazy-quilt life comes together to produce something beautiful. Stay on the path and watch God stitch.

The Master Craftsman

There is a simple principle my mother taught me – you’re probably familiar with it: “Bought lessons stay with you longer than taught lessons.” It is the southern version of a verse in Psalms that I have underlined in my Bible. The Psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word”: (Ps 119:67). He followed it up with: “It was good for me to afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (v. 71).
I learned to be more discerning about who I hang out with when we were questioned by the police on prom night because one of us had drugs. I learned to be a better money manager by going through foreclosure and bankruptcy. I learned to stay focused on the road when I ran a red light and T-boned another car. I learned the hard way not to get prideful. I still have the sore behind to remind me that I don’t want God to take me to the woodshed ever again. I still have a lot to learn and I’m still making a lot of mistakes and causing myself a lot of afflictions, but I’m also learning that even my mistakes become tools for God to mold and shape me.
That takes us to a familiar verse – you probably know right where I’m going. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). All things mean all things. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The things someone does to you. The things I do to myself. The things that we regret. The scars and the consequences. They all become tools in the Master Craftsman’s hand, guided by His love and his purpose.
And what is that purpose? Look at verse 29: The we might “. . .be conformed to the likeness of His Son . . .” I believe that to be true to the marrow of my bones and the depths of my soul. Otherwise, I don’t think I could survive some of the trials I’ve been through and am still in. I have to know and believe that a good God is working behind the scenes with all this hard stuff.
Have you made some big mistakes along the way, Beloved? You can trust them into God’s hands. You’ll be amazed by what He will make of it – and you.

Hope for the New Year

The last grains of 2023 are slipping through the narrow neck of the hourglass. I don’t know about you, but for me and my family, it’s been a very hard year. You may be nodding your head in agreement. I could never have guessed this time last year what we would face in twelve months ahead. We pray that when we turn the calendar, we can put it all behind us and move on to brighter days. But life doesn’t observe our time boundaries. So how can you and I close this year with any measure of hope for the next? I’d like to offer you a few words of encouragement on the eve of the new year.
God is still the ruler of the universe. The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Ps 103:19). He has not lost control and none of the events of this year – on the world stage or in our lives – took Him by surprise. Nothing in the coming year will catch Him off guard either.
You may have lost someone you love this year. You may have lost your job or your home. You may have had a difficult health struggle. This year may have broken your heart as it did mine. But we can rest in this promise: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). God is near to all who are hurting.
You may be staring at a lot of uncertainty ahead. Listen to this: “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand as says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’” (Is 41:13). Whatever 2024 holds, God holds your hand and promises to help you through it.
He also said, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11). The Lord’s plans are not altered by family difficulties, hardships, unexpected events, grief, pain, job loss, or financial struggles. These do not deter God’s good plans for you. He will even use them to brings His plan to fruition.
As the calendar turns to a new year, let us put both the past year and the days ahead in the hands of our mighty, sovereign, loving, faithful Father. Better yet, put yourself in His hands, Beloved, and let Him carry you through.

Advent 2023: How Do We Get to Bethlehem?

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea . . . “Matthew 2:1

I had a conversation recently with a friend who is moving away. She is greeting this transition with both anxiety and excitement. “It’s all going to be so strange in a new town, but who knows what God has in store there?” I remembered my own move five years ago and that same mix of anticipation and trepidation. Like my friend, I believed God was behind our relocation and in the ensuing years He has confirmed that His will for me is here in this place. I believe God sets things in motion and orchestrates events so that His will is fulfilled. The Bible is filled with story after story of God’s hand in the events of human history, and in individual lives. But sometimes the path He chooses is hard and difficult to understand in the moment.

Joseph had a destiny in Egypt that affected his family, the forthcoming nation of Israel and the entire world. But God took him through pits and prison on the way. David would be king of Israel, but by way of the sheep fields and running for his life through the wilderness. I love the accounts of Paul; God had a purpose for him, to “carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel,” (Acts 9:15). He declared, “you must testify about me in Rome, (Acts 23:11). And he did indeed make it to Rome to declare the name of Christ Jesus, but he arrived as a prisoner, through a storm and a shipwreck and a snake (Acts 27-28).

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy made hundreds of years before: “Out of you, Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . will come one for me who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). How could that happen when His mother and father were in Nazareth, some 100 miles away? Watch what God did. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone when to his own town to register,” (Luke 2:1, 3). Guess where Joseph’s family town happened to be?

Beloved, a life surrendered into the hands of the Lord God Almighty may have twists and surprises, and yes even doubts and struggles, but you can be assured that He is faithful to fulfill His purpose. Don’t be afraid of these “strange things that are happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). It’s just God at work fulfilling His purpose for you.

Putting all the Pieces in Place

Can you hang with me for a brief history lesson? I promise the application will be worth it. In our Scripture writing group, we are in Numbers 10, where the Israelites are preparing to break camp and move out. In the preceding chapters, the Lord had assigned the work of the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, to the Levites. It was all precisely planned. As was the marching order of each tribe, and the Levites in particular.

 After the first three families led out, the Levite tribes of Gershon and Merari followed, carrying the curtains and support structures for the Tabernacle. Every pole, stand, and tent peg was accounted for and carefully packed. After the physical pieces of the Tabernacle came another trio of Israelite families, then directly behind them was the Kohath tribe of Levites. They carried all the Tabernacle furniture and the bowls, plates, candelabras, pans, etc. for worship and sacrifices. Six more tribes, in two groups of three, completed the company.

The arrangement was intentional. When the cloud of the Lord’s presence lifted and headed out, so did the people, and when the cloud stopped, this is where they made camp. When the first group of Levites arrived with the pieces for the structure, they immediately set to work reassembling the Tent so that when the second group of Levites arrived at the new campsite, the furnishings and other elements could immediately be put in order. Not one moment was wasted waiting around for the Tabernacle to be built. This was a brilliantly organized plan.

I’m sitting here in my life right now wondering why things have happened the way they have. Why am I working when most of my peers are retiring? Why am I in graduate school at this age? Why am I having to fight for my family right now? And then I look back six years ago when I didn’t understand why my husband had to medically retire, why we had to return home, why we moved into this house that was so much bigger than the two of us needed. We didn’t realize at the time a little girl was coming along who needed a place. But God did and He set it up well ahead of the need.

So here’s the question I am asking myself this morning. If I believe God had this planned out years before the fact – and I do – why am I so anxious? How about you? Do you doubt He will get it done? Beloved, if God sent the Tent, He will also send the tables.

A Divine Appointment

It was a Sunday morning twelve years ago and we went to Waffle House for breakfast because we had to bug-bomb our house. We took a seat and waited for the server. And waited. And waited. If you’ve ever been to a Waffle House, you know service is always swift. We decided to leave after 15 minutes – it’s like we were invisible. We headed up the road to McDonalds, quickly placed our order, and sat down. A young man caught my eye, shivering in a corner of the restaurant. Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. “He’s cold and hungry – what are you going to do?”  

I approached and asked him if he was okay. He told me he had spent the night with a friend whose dad came home drunk and kicked him out at 4 in the morning. He had called his mom to come get him but she didn’t get off work until 9. I asked if I could buy him some breakfast. He was very grateful so we headed to the counter together. He asked for a small coffee and a muffin. I told the girl to give him a big breakfast and a large coffee instead. I sent my son out to the car to grab a jacket and sat him down at our table. He thanked me profusely with tears in his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulders and told him God had sent me there to help him. Then I looked him in the eye and said, “God loves you and sent His Son Jesus to die for you and save you and give you eternal life.” His mom drove up just then and the young man hugged and thanked me again and headed out the door.

I’m not bragging on myself. I’m piggybacking on yesterday’s devotional about God’s sovereign hand over all of the events of our lives. Think about it – He used bugs to get me out of my house that morning. I’m convinced He made us invisible to the staff at WH to get us to that exact McDonalds at that exact time to meet that particular young man. Remember Paul’s message to the Athenians in Acts 17? God determines the times and places that are set for us so that we can encounter Him.

Bugs and bad service. How like God to use the worst things to accomplish His good plans.  Beloved, always look for His hand in the good and the bad. You may be heading to a divine appointment.

Your Crazy-Quilt Life

I wish someone had told me when I was much younger that God had a purpose for me. It would have changed everything – my education, the way I spent my time, how I thought about myself, the people I hung out with, and even the way I raised my son. I have already begun telling my granddaughter that God has a special and important plan for her life.

I appreciate Moses’ prayer: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Life moves at such a fast pace. But Moses wasn’t talking about keeping track of how many days we’ve lived; he was talking about paying attention to how we live our days. The word “number” means to appoint and prepare. It is about making your days – and the hours and minutes that make up your days – count.

God allowed Moses to grow up in the palace in Egypt as a training ground for his purpose. But I’m sure he never considered tending his father-in-law’s flock as holy schooling. But they were. He learned invaluable leadership skills in Pharaoh’s palace and he learned humility as a fugitive and a shepherd. Every step of his life was intended to move him toward his purpose.

That’s true for you and me too. My fascination with words started very early; they were part of my preparation. My high school creative writing course unlocked a passion for writing that has never left me. Yes, those were all good things, but what about the rest? What about the foolish things and the painful things and the ugly things? How could they possibly fit into God’s purpose? They taught me discernment, compassion, and, like Moses, humility. They taught me to be careful who I trust. They taught me to never judge. They taught me to be obedient to the Lord and they taught me the value of God’s Word.

Someone is sitting on a heap of regrets today. Maybe it’s been your choices or the fallout from someone else’s – either way, it’s been a rough ride and you can’t undo what has been. But God . . . You know the verse, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). “All things” mean the good, the bad, and the ugly. God doesn’t waste anything in your life. Every tear, every Joy, every sorrow, every moment is part of His training ground for your purpose. Put it all in His hands, Beloved, and He will bring about something beautiful. You.