An Ordinary Streetlamp

As I was on my way to work one day, my eye was drawn to an ordinary streetlamp in the parking lot of a local market. I noticed the ray of light that the streetlamp was giving off and how everything the light touched was illuminated and exposed. I also noticed how the things directly behind the lamppost, the things out of the direct path of light, were hidden in the shadows, dark and obscure. How can those things which are so close to the light still be in utter darkness?

My observations about that ordinary streetlamp made me think of the condition of many of our hearts. Many of us have been raised in church, gone to church, or have at least heard the Gospel message explained and expounded upon. Many of us have allowed the Word of God to powerfully challenge and change us. Many of us have allowed the light of God’s Word to illuminate all the dark places within our hearts and to flood our souls with His redemptive light, much like the light from that lamppost did to everything in its path. Yet, there are many of us who have heard those same words, who have been in God’s undeniable presence, who have attended church but have not let His light shine within. Many of us have lived in the shadows of God’s light, right on the verge of radiance yet remaining on the edge where there is no light. And where there is no light, there is only darkness.

Luke 11:33-36 says, “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

God’s Word is light. When His Word is in us, when we have completely surrendered everything and have opened our hearts, every nook and cranny, to God, our whole being will radiate that light. We cannot reside on the edge; there is no half-lit as far as God is concerned. We must live our lives in complete surrender, as complete as the completely lit ground below the streetlamp, illuminating God’s Word and presence through us. Step out of the shadows, soak in the rays of God’s light, and let “those who come in see the Light.”

Abosolute Certainty

"And being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by, He is able to make good." Romans 4:21

I am
absolutely certain
of His
abundant ability
in each
overwhelming situation
I face.

He has
boundless resources
to meet
limitless insufficiences
and all
continual difficulties
in life.

I know
He is
able!

Expectancy

To expect something to happen means that one KNOWS that there will be an end to the expectancy, a fulfillment of a promise, a beginning and an ending to watchfulness. When I was expecting each of my four daughters, I watched the changes in my body and knew that those changes would, in time, lead to a beautiful gift from God. I did not forsake my body, but I cared for it because it housed my blessing. Never forget that at the end of expectancy is blessing.

BUT GOD...

Disappointments surely come
Sadness and sickness thrive
Death looms 'round each corner
Trying to take our lives

But God is MY source of comfort
My Rock and my King of Peace
He shieldeth me in the storms I'm in
He promised me He'd never leave

Though the world around me shakes and shifts
Though pain still comes my way
In HIM will I stand and rest and pray
In HIM will I always stay


Isaiah 12:2 says,"Behold, God is my salvation,I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." AMEN!

Answered Prayer

Since my last post, God has answered my disappointment resoundingly. I had been disappointed mostly because Ricky and I were praying about a pastorate position and God had not seen fit to answer us in the affirmative. The church where we had sent our resume had voted in someone else from out of state. We had really felt good about the church and were very sad. Ironically, we still held out hope and were still praying for the church. Little did we know what God was planning and when. At the end of October, we heard that the guy they had voted in had declined the position. Ricky and I knew at that point that we needed to pray more fervently and specifically. After reconnecting with one of the deacons, we were asked to come in for a meeting. The first week of November, Ricky and I met with the deacons and the youth leader of Living Free Fellowship in Portland, TN. After a great meeting of like minds and hearts, we waited. We received a call the next week to preach and be voted on. On November 17th, we tried out and were voted in, unanimously. We took the week to pray and talk about it. We already knew in our spirits that it was right, but we wanted to talk to the girls and the rest of the family about the changes to come. We called and accepted the position, thereafter, and had our first service as pastors on December 7, 2008. Since then, God has grown our love for the church people and has grown our passion for his service. We had felt complacent for many years-- sort of stuck in a rut. We feel revived and renewed in our vision and passion for God. We are thankful that God chose to say YES, and we are humbled by his trust in us and seek his guidance and anointing to minister to the people in our care. God was with me in my disappointment, and I am grateful that he listened to my grumblings and still loved me. But... that's our great God! There is none other like HIM! Thank you, Lord; I love you!

Disappointment

What do you do when you are disappointed? Me? I tend to turn inward. I tend to get really quiet and question life and my place in the world. I tend to wallow in my sadness for a while, and then I wake up to God's faithfulness and perfect sovereignity. Right now, I am disappointed. I am at the point of quiet questioning. What is God trying to teach me? Have I missed his direction? Have I not done something that I should of done, or did I do something that I should not have done? Am I who He wants me to be? Will I ever be? I KNOW that my questioning and waiting will lead me to God and His still small voice. I KNOW that His timing is perfect; His ways are perfect; and He will complete the perfect work that He began in me. But... until I totally wake up to all of those truths... I sulk and wallow.

Thanks, friend!

This summer I was feeling a little low and one of the HSYM youth gave me a word of encouragement. All she did was tell me that she appreciated me. Those words have been repeated by so many, so often, in so many situations without even a thought of their meaning; however, when she spoke those words, they were exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear them. So... I wrote a poem...

One Kind Word

One kind word was spoken to me today.
It was enough to send my sorrow and sadness away.
The power of that word the sender could not have known.
Yet, healing balm abounds when kindness and love are shown.

Simple, but true! Thank you, friend, for that kind word. I was feeling blue and you showed me that you cared. Let us be encouragers, even when we feel like we are the ones who need encouragement. Kind words are like boomerangs-- they are sent out from our hearts, fly by others to spread good will, and then return back to us. Again, thank you, friend!