Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:5 KJV

I love hymns. They often offer very stark and raw truths that pierce my soul and bring me to a place of humbleness. A few of my favorites are:

"Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" - At the Cross

"Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

"For nothing good have I, where by thy grace to claim." - Jesus Paid It All

These verses strike me at my core, because I"m reminded that a lot of the trouble I face is brought on by my choices.

Joseph's brothers had done an awful deed. Ridding themselves of him and then convincing their father Joseph had died…all to find out many years later that their fate would rest in Joseph's hands. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they had a choice. They could leave in shame and anger, or forgive themselves and accept Joseph's forgiveness. When brought to ultimate humbleness by their own actions and decisions, they chose to take Joseph's advice and forgive themselves as he had forgiven them. And, let's not forget, God is sovereign and was ultimately fulfilling His plan all along. 

We too have a choice when we find ourselves in a place of despair by our own will. We can choose to acknowledge, repent and forgive ourselves in order to move into God's will. One Bible commentator said it this way, "Even when we foolishly and willfully choose a position for ourselves, He [God] most graciously overrules our folly, and causes the influences of our self-chosen circumstances to work for our spiritual benefit."

"Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above."

-Lori C. 

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And [Paul]  said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.  Acts 27:10 & 11 KJV

When someone in our family has an ailment, the first place I typically turn is Google. (Don't judge.) Is there a home remedy for this ear ache, rash, sixth toe…I'm kidding. No one in our family has a sixth toe. After my thorough Google search, I call the doctor or dentist, check out books at the library and ask friends. I want expert advice before making a decision.

This didn't work out so well for the captain of the ship sailing to Italy that Paul was aboard as a prisoner. And when things began to look precarious, Paul tried to give a warning. But the captain chose to listen to the master of the ship instead of the messenger of God. What happened? The crew lost control of the ship and eventually the entire ship was destroyed. The captain could no longer control the direction of his voyage, even though he probably thought he was heeding expert advice. 

Where do we turn in a crisis? When we rely on society's "experts" on how to handle a situation without taking it to Christ first, we are missing the boat. Maybe His answer will lead you to follow "expert" advice, or, maybe, He has a different plan for you. Let's not inadvertently take matters into our own hands whether the situation seem simple or difficult, lest we lose our Master's direction.

Help us Lord, to hear Your voice above all.

Lori C. 

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And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Genesis 21:17 KJV            

One minute my son, Zach, was standing next to me in the kitchen flipping bacon, the next he was lying on the floor unresponsive. In that moment and the hours to come, I let worry win. 

In Genesis 21, we see Hagar amidst a terrible situation. She has been sent from Abraham's clan to wander in the wilderness with her son, some bread and a bottle of water. And God has told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and the boy away. With her water spent, while she is weeping, God shows up. He comforts her by eliminating her worries - providing water in that moment and a promise to be with her son for the future. 

Several hours and several tests later, we would find out that Zach was a perfectly healthy 12-year-old, and his body had reacted abnormally to a growth spurt. And my worry didn't change my circumstance. In fact, my elevated emotions made things worse and the situation more stressful. Had I only opened my eyes and seen the "water" Jesus was offering, I would've experienced the peace and reassurance from Christ that I rejected when I chose to worry.

Worry is a real emotion we are all going to experience, but I pray that in your next trial, you will realize that instead of letting worry dominate your situation, you will look for the "water" the Savior is offering you.

-Lori C.

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And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying,  O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  Matthew 26:39 KJV

There is a new song out by a Christian artist. The singer shares that she has followed God's voice, and it has lead her to a place of heart break. She acknowledges God is good, but can't understand why her situation is not good. When she prays, all she can say in her pain  are these four words: Thy Will Be Done.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible tells us that He said His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Our Savior experienced a place of incomprehensible pain, sorrow, and agony. And He knew the answer to His prayer was more pain, torture and death. Nevertheless, He prayed, "not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

How beautiful it must be to Jesus to hear His children, in their place of brokenness, truly seek His will. When we are in the depths of agony and despair, the only true way out is in His Will. So how do I get through my difficult, painful circumstance? It all begins with… Father, Thy Will Be Done. 

Jesus, forever first in my heart,

Lori C.

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Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.  Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77: 19-20 KJV

Several years ago, we lived on a cul de sac. I always felt safe there, and statistically, there is less crime on a cul de sac because there is only one way in and out. Then, after living there for almost a decade, we experienced a break in. It was the middle of the night, my children were sleeping and we didn't even realize it until the next morning. My sense of safety was replaced by fear.

In Psalm 77, the writer, Asaph, was in a place of trouble. He was overwhelmed and wondered where God's grace and mercy was. But he was comforted by remembering that when God had led His people to the Red Sea and it seemed there was no way of escaping the enemy, when it seemed God could not be found, He was there, leading the people to deliverance and safety.

My cul de sac reminds me that the only place I am truly safe is in God's will, and any fear or anxiety I experience happens when I fail to trust Him, and remember He is my Lord & Savior: my Deliverer. 

I love you, Father,

Lori

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Luke 18:35-39; 42-43 NASB  As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Our son loves to play outside in his backyard. The other day, it had been rainy most of the day and he had been stuck inside. So when my husband opened the back door to bring in the dog that evening, he saw his opportunity and jetted out the door and into his toy car. My telling him to come back inside was futile. And although my intentions were good (to keep him clean and dry) it turned out the patio had dried off enough, so we let him play outside for a bit.

Well-meaning people (often those inside the church) may tell you to hold back when your faith is telling you to go forward. Let’s not worry so much about what the crowd is saying, let’s try to get closer to Jesus! We don’t want to miss out on what He has to offer, when we come to Him in faith.

-Kevi

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Joshua 23: 2-3; 6 NASB  “Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you. Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,”

One of the last things Joshua did before he died was to gather all of the Israelites together and encourage them to continue to serve God. He knew he would soon be dying (he was 110, after all) and he wanted to ensure they would continue on the right path after he was gone. What a leader!

Who would we “call for” if we thought it was our last days? Who would we want one last chance to influence for the Lord? We might not know when our last days are, like Joshua did, so maybe we should go ahead and say something now!

-Kevi

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Luke 17:3-4 NASB  Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Toddlers have no problem with repetition. My son can do the same puzzle seven times a day, he wants to watch the same video (of himself) seven times a day, and he can throw a fit seven times a day! Although I do not share his love of repetition, I am trying to develop some patience for it because he is the toddler and I am the parent.

I imagine when we come to God for forgiveness time and time again; he views us like I try to view my toddler, with patience! If someone sinned against me seven times in one day, I don’t think I would be so quick to forgive after even the second or third time. But God is sure to forgive us as many times as we ask Him, and we are supposed to strive to be more like God.

Lord, help to show grace and patience to those around me, just like You do!

-Kevi

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Luke 16:11-13 NASB  “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

My toddler has plastic cups, plastic bowls, plastic spoons and forks. When he’s no longer thirsty, he throws his cup on the floor. When he’s done eating, he throws his bowl on the floor. Until he treats his plastic ware with care, he won’t be getting any real dishes from me! (I don’t know what parents did before plastic!)

It matters to God how we manage our finances. If we can’t take care of the worldly things he gives us, how can we expect Him to give us spiritual riches?

-Kevi

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Joshua 7:7; 10-11a NASB  Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!” So the LORD said to Joshua, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?  Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived.

My husband is very “security conscious” so I was surprised when I found the side door to our garage unlocked one morning. I was sure to tell him how he forgot to lock the door…only to discover I had actually been the last one to go out that door and it was actually me that forgot to lock it. Oops!

We humans are so quick to blame each other, and we are often quick to blame God for the things going wrong in our lives. After a successful attack on Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites failed to defeat Ai. Joshua blamed God, because God had promised to give them victory over their new land. But as God pointed out to Joshua, not all of the Israelites had followed His rules about the spoils, and Achan had taken items from Jericho for himself. God wanted this sin to be taken care of, and the result was their defeat at Ai.

Instead of blaming God when things go wrong, we need to humbly examine our lives for any sin that is keeping us from success!

-Kevi

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