Charity…envieth not…

By: Jilene Scherenske

     Webster’s says it like this:  Envy is “a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.”  Proverbs 14:30 tells us the physical effects of envy:  “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”  Over and over again scripture forbids us to envy those things which are not in God’s will for our lives.  (Ps. 37:1, Prov. 3:31, Gal 5:26)

     What does envy accomplish?  

  1. Envy caused brothers to sell Joseph into slavery!  Acts 7:9
  2. Envy caused the Jews to speak against the things Paul was preaching.  Acts 13:45
  3. Envy caused the unbelieving Jews to gather others to them and assault the house of Jason.  Acts 17:5-9
  4. Envy caused Cain to kill Abel.  Gen. 4:8
  5. Envy caused the chief priests to deliver Jesus to Pilate.  Matt. 27:18

     Who is full of envy?  

  1. The unsaved:  Rom. 1:29
  2. The proud:  I Tim. 6:4, I Cor. 10:22
  3. The carnal:  Gal. 5:19-21
  4. All of us at one time:  Tit. 3:3-4

     Why should we refrain from envy?  

1)  Envy destroys us.  It destroys our emotions, our thought life, even our physical health.  When we envy we become bitter, jealous, angry; we lose our peace.  This negative spirit overflows to those around us and turns others away from us.  Then we have the added stress of loneliness and rejection, as old friends shun us.  Prov. 14:30, Job 5:2, Jam. 4:4-5

2)  Envy is a contagion and will cause others to become envious.  Acts. 17:5

3)  Envy is also sin and will open up the door to satan.  He then will be easily able to attack us in many areas and will quickly be able to lead us in a certain path to destruction.  Jam 3:14-16  

4)  Envy stops our prayer life!  “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”  James 4:2.  Rather than envy we ought to look to God for those things we desire.  

5)  Still I think the greatest reason to stay away from envy is that it takes our focus off of God.  When we envy, we keep pondering that thing which we want but don’t (and perhaps, can’t) have.  It soon occupies our every thought.  But GOD wants to occupy our every thought!  And well He should!  Gal 5:24-26 “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”  Rom. 13:13-14 “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

     Proverbs 23:17 is the answer for those tempted to envy:  “Let not thine heart envy sinners:  but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.”  If we concentrate on reverencing God we will not need to envy.  Just like we saw in Romans 13 and in Galatians 5 we must keep God as our complete focus, then envy will have no opportunity to enter our hearts; and if it is already there, turning our attention completely to God will chase it out quickly.

Marriage

     Let’s look at ways that envy affects marriage.  First, when we envy others, we have already seen the consequences and bad attitudes it creates in us.  This will not make us good wives!  We will soon be discontent in every part of our lives.  Discontentment can lead to suppressed anger, lack of peace and contentment, bitterness, jealousy, etc.  These all add up to marital conflict.  When we are angry and bitter we will infect our husband; soon he also will be angry and bitter.  It won’t be long until the marriage is destroyed.  Satan’s plan will be successful.

     Sometimes another lady may mention something her husband has accomplished, or perhaps she boasts of a godly personality or some character trait he possesses.  It is almost always a temptation to think, “I wish my husband was like that.”  “I wish my husband could do things like that.”  If we latch on to these thoughts and begin to ponder them our marriage will be quickly on the road to destruction.  This is envy.  Don’t go there!  Immediately replace these thoughts with thoughts of the many good things your husband can do and of the multitude of wonderful character qualities he already possesses.  Hang on tight to those good thoughts of your husband!  I heard a lady once say, “I feel sorry for all of you married ladies, because God gave to me the best husband”.  That statement came to my ears at a time when I didn’t have much good to say about my husband, not because he didn’t have many good qualities, but because my focus was stuck on me and what I wanted and on his weaknesses.  That self-focus clouded my view of what God had graciously given me.  But this woman’s statement made such an impression on me that I decided I needed that attitude also.  Today I feel as she did - that God has given me the very best.  And He has!  And He has given you the very best husband also!

     There may be some who are tempted to be envious of their own husband.  Perhaps he is very talented in an area in which you wish to be talented.  Perhaps he has cultivated a particular character quality which you wish you possessed.  Once again, envy is a dead end road, full of destruction.   Be thankful for what he has.   Ask God to give you a real joy for his talents and great qualities.  Ask God to enable you to encourage him in these abilities and characteristics.   And ask God to develop these in you as well.    

     Envy is a tool of satan.  If he can get you to be envious, he can destroy you and your marriage.  Is this what you want?  Of course not!  A guaranteed preventive is daily digging into the Word of God so that you maintain a fear of the LORD.  Diligence must also be given to daily prayer as you look to God to be your sole Provider.  This will then give you strength to resist the temptation when it comes and to remain close to the Lord.  It is imperative if you want a successful marriage.  If we see God as our ultimate Provider in all things and are content with what He has given us (both material things as well as strengths) then we will never need to envy.  Envy raises a fist to God and says, “You aren’t providing for me what I want to have.”

     Sometimes we may be tempted to be envious of something or someone who takes our husband’s time away from us.  It may be a hobby or interest or it may be the boss!  Envy is not the answer; it is a focus on self.  

     If this is your case, consider the following steps:

  1. Confess your wrong attitude and your focus on self.
  2. Ask God for His agape love to flow through you in this circumstance.
  3. 3.Be consistently in His Word daily so you will be attune to His direction.
  4. 4.Examine yourself.  Is there anything you are doing to drive your husband away?  OR… Do you have something in your life which takes you away from your time with your husband?
  5. 5.Does God want you to become involved in his interests?
  6. 6.If God (not self) has clearly revealed to you that there is an imbalance on his part, then seek God’s direction for His words and His timing with agape love to lovingly go to your husband to discuss (not argue) the matter.

Jesus: Our Example

     God is never envious….He is perfect in every way and is Ruler, Creator, Sustainer of all.  Of what could He possibly be envious?  He possesses all that there is.  Even satan must function under God’s rule.

     However, God is extremely jealous of you and me.  Consider these passages:

2 Cor. 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  

Ex. 20:5 “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”  

Ex. 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”  

Deut. 4:24  “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”  

Deut. 5:9 “Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,”  

Deut. 6:15 “(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  

Josh. 24:19 “And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.”  (See also Zec. 1:14, 8:2) 

     Envy is like an idol.  It makes us look away from God.  Whenever we put anything or anyone in a position of greater honor than God, He is jealous.  Our loving God wants our entire attention, our entire esteem.  He wants all of us because He is All-Knowing and knows what is best for us.  And our complete and total focus on Him in every way possible is what is best for us.  He is zealously jealous of us.  He wants none other to possess us; not the devil, the world, nor our flesh.  Scripture is full of God’s jealousy in action.  Num. 25:11; Deut 29:20, 32:16,21; I Kgs 14:22; Ps. 78:58; Ezek. 23:25, 36:5-6; 38:19; Zeph. 1:18, 3:8; I Cor. 10:22.  

Again, God is a jealous God.  Surely the One Who created us, loved us, and then gave all He had to us, has a right to be jealous over us?  What is there in your life that is provoking God to be jealous over you?  Isn’t it about time that you forsake it? 

Putting Truth to Work

     “If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord’s table, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of Heaven – take alarm.”  Thomas Guthrie

  1. Get alone with God and ask Him to reveal to you any envy that is hiding in your heart.  Don’t assume you have none!
  2. When you see it, confess it.  Ask God to forgive you and to wash the envy and jealousy from your heart and make you clean.
  3. Ask God to replace it by enabling you to focus upon the good that your husband already possess.
  4. Every time you feel a twinge of this envy return, immediately call out to God to remove it before you get yourself involved in it again.
  5. Record your experience in your journal.

“Envy slays itself by its own arrows.” -Anonymous

“As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.” –St. Chrysostom

A moth begins by gnawing on only one thread, and then another, and another until a hole occurs in the garment.  Over time there will be many holes.  Envy begins just like the moth and if we don’t take care to destroy it, the garment of our soul will be filled with holes destroying us and our influence for God.

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The Gift Of Summer

By: Kristen Kelley

I headed back towards the tree line, in our yard, after I laid the girls down for their nap, this afternoon.  We had used their sand pails from the beach, to gather items from a little “nature walk”, and my oldest daughter, Brooklyn, had discovered a pretty wildflower, we wanted to identify. Of course, there were gnats, and bees, and other undesirable insects, but the sunshine felt wonderful.  Upon my “return journey” – flower photo now successfully on my phone, for future “Google research” – I thanked the Lord, once again, for this awesome summer. 

Sometimes my heart still sinks at the realization that I have no newborn to care for, but the gift God has handed to me this summer is a “non-nursing” summer – a summer with four little toddlers, preschoolers, and schoolgirls. This is the gift that God has chosen to give us this year, and I have opened it – embracing it to the fullest.  The Library’s Summer Reading Program . . . Every night of VBS . . .  “Summer Lessons” on flowers, water, baseball, and birds . . . Trips to the park . . . A children’s play. . . An afternoon picking wildflowers . . . Water balloons, birthday parties, river exploration, and even a day at the beach . . .

With missionary candidate school now behind us, I realize, more than ever, that I will not always live in a house with a huge backyard at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains – but for now, we will ENJOY it!  We will love seeing the deer walking through the grass.  We will take our sand pails and fill them with items from our nature walks.  We will identify birds, and pick flowers to put in little cups of water on my kitchen counter. We will tend the little memorial garden for Joshua, and watch the seedlings burst into full bloom.  Later, we may be in a camper, or a trailer, or a hotel room, and, by God’s grace, I will ENJOY those days, too!  Determined to be thankful . . . Determined to embrace the gifts that God places in my hand . . . for He “daily loadeth us with benefits.” (Psalm 68:19).  Are we looking for them? 

In Psalm 31, David writes “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”  Being quite a petite woman, myself, I picture those blessings of goodness as wrapped presents on a top shelf.  God has “laid them up” for me, and I sometimes need to stand on a stool to reach them.  He has “laid up” so much goodness, and so many blessings for you, too, Dear Sister in Christ!  Are you reaching for them? Are you looking for them? Are you willing to see them, all around you, every day? When you open the “gift of summer”, in your own home, what do you find? Where has He intentionally placed YOU? May you thank Him for it, and embrace it with joy! 

Is my life carefree? Absolutely not . . . There are more stresses and concerns now than ever! More things to prepare, to plan, to ponder . . . I’m taking my children from a lovely little spot in the Shenandoah Valley, and headed towards 17,000 tropical islands on the other side of the world! We are changing the course of our lives forever, because GOD has changed it for us!  And there is JOY in serving Christ! There are blessings EVERY DAY! “For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.” (Psalm 26:3) What “lovingkindness” from the Lord, do you have the eyes to see, in your own home, today? What blessings lay all around you? Healthy little ones? Food in the pantry? Air conditioning? A library, just around the corner? “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:6) My encouragement to you, this evening, is keep those blessings “before your eyes” – open those gifts – and ENJOY these blessed summer days!

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Greater Things to Come

By: Amanda Baker

John 1:49-50  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.  50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

One of the first things that Christ did in His earthly ministry was to seek out and call His disciples.  John 1:35-51 gives us record of Christ’s calling John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael.  These five men were the first of many people to follow the Lord while He walked on this earth.  As I studied this passage recently, something about Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus struck me.  Jesus sought out Phillip and called him to follow Christ.  It took no convincing on Phillip’s part to follow Christ.  He must have heard about Him, and we know he realized Who Christ was because of what he tells Nathanael.

John 1:45   Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Nathanael’s response proves he needed some convincing.  

John 1:46   And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

As you continue through this passage you see that Jesus convinces Nathanael of His identity by telling him something that only God could have known about Nathanael.  Christ immediately ministers to his heart and Nathanael responds by following Christ.

It is amazing to me how our God ministers to each of us as He calls us to serve Him.  Some He calls once and they need no other explanation.  Others He has to woo and minister to carefully until they are assured of His work in their lives.  But each one is brought into the loving arms of his Savior just the same.  The striking statement of assurance for us in this passage is what Christ tells Nathanael in verse 50, “thou shalt see greater things than these.”  Christ assures us even as we are called to minister for Him that this is only the beginning.  He is going to do so much more in our lives than what we have witnessed when we choose to answer His call.  Be encouraged today in all the great things God is going to do in your life as you answer His call to be His disciple.

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Chicken Chat #2

By: Jason Tsaddiq

We brought our little chicken pullets home – no, not chicken nuggets; there is a difference. Upon the advice given by the farmer and the seventy-eleven articles online, we immediately put them into the chicken house we had prepared. The fresh pine shavings gave a “woodsy” smell that would never again return to the house after chickens lived there. A feed bowl and water bowl finished their accommodations, accoutrements through which they enjoyed traipsing. There they stayed for weeks, never leaving the house, seeing the outside world only through the screened windows, receiving fresh air only through thoughtfully-placed air vents.

Some folks believe that animals belong in the big, wide, wonderful world and not be captured and caged. The plethora of advice dictating that young or new-to-you chickens be cooped up for several weeks seems to be contradicting the animals-belong-to-nature belief.

As the several weeks passed, the birds began to realize that this was their new home, their resting place, their roosting place, their haven, their protection. After the appropriate time came, we opened the coop door, allowing them to roam freely within the fenced yard. Oh, their excitement was fun to watch as they wandered over their newly-discovered domain. Heads bobbed and necks jerked as they looked this way and that. Some scurried over here to investigate the pile of leaves; some roved over there to check out the white fencing. This one pecked at that one, wanting the bug or cricket she had just noticed.

We walked amongst them in the fenced yard, observing and laughing. Chickens are probably the funniest critters that God made! Some days we pulled lawn chairs up to the outside of the fences and spent time, soaking in nature’s noises from the fenced creatures and from the creatures in the surrounding woods.

Ah, yes - the surrounding woods which contained song birds, squirrels, deer, and chipmunks. The nature music was amazing especially when one ponders the Creative One Who designed it.

But the surrounding woods also contained opossums, skunks, snakes, and coyotes – all who would love a chicken dinner (and they weren’t even Baptists!). The fencing was enough to contain the normally gentle chickens who wanted nothing more in life than to find the next juicy bug but it was not strong enough nor thorough enough to keep out a hungry nocturnal predator.  There is no way that I was going to stay up all night guarding the hen house! What to do? What to do?

God had the problem solved many, many years ago; He designed the chicken to return to her nest about dusk time. The once-jerky-headed, spasmodic bird starts to slow down, to bob her head slowly, to gently sway her head from side to side, as she ambles over to the chicken coop – her home, her resting place, her roosting place, her haven, her protection. Sometimes her body system slows down so much that she misses the ramp to the chicken house, causing her to wander around the ramp, puzzled over the location of the door. Pecking each other stops. Scratching the ground ceases. Running after flying insects halts. Eventually, one hen notices that another one is sauntering up the ramp and she gets in line. Then the little group of hens over by the fence begins to stroll toward their house, their home. Sometimes ten to twenty birds gather on the ramp, quietly bragging about the number of bugs who lost their life today and taking a vote to see who goes in first. By dark, this little orchestration of fowl finding their haven is concluded; all the birds have successfully made their way into the house and were stumbling around in the near dark, trying to decide which post on which to roost for the night.

The human then would shut the door til morning.

The predators were outsmarted once again.

As a single person, have I taught anyone that my presence, my home is their haven, their safety? As a married man, does my wife know that she is safe in my financial, spiritual, and emotional haven? As a married woman, does my husband think of me first when he needs a safety net, a friendly shoulder? As a parent, do my children know that I will never will betray their trust, that I will lead them in righteousness, and that I will never cease from praying a hedge of protection around them? Does my co-worker feel safe enough to confide in me and trust that I have the wisdom from above? Does my single mother neighbor know that she can go to work, knowing that her children are safe playing with mine? Does my fellow church member believe that I will step forward in his time of need of security? Does my pastor know that I will never allow a predator to get to him?

Am I one from whom others can gain a home, a resting place, a roosting place, a haven, a protection? Have I spent enough time with my Haven so that I can show another the way to the Most Loving Haven?

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Hopeful Thinking

By: Kristen Kelley

In January, I found myself so often clinging to verses about healing, rest, and comfort.  In February, there were many verses on having hope and not fear.  Psalm 16:9 preciously linked the two, in my heart“ . . . my flesh also shall rest in hope.”  There can be many fears after a miscarriage regarding future pregnancies.  There can be many fears concerning cutting ties with a family’s income and starting deputation.  There can be many fears about taking your little ones to the other side of the world.  But God’s Word reassures me that I can “Trust in him at all times . . . (and) pour out your heart before him . . .” (Psalm 62:8)  God knows my heart; He knows my fears.  Because of Christ, I can be counted as one “Who against hope believed in hope . . .” (Romans 4:18) Even when things seem doubtful, I need not fear. 

Romans 15 has some powerful verses for an often-pessimistically- practical person, such as myself.  You see, sometimes “being realistic”, can be the enemy of “having faith” or “having hope”.  The Bible says,  “ . . . that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.  Now the God of patience and consolation . . . Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”  He is the “God of patience and consolation” and “the God of hope”, and He wants ME to “abound in hope”!

How do I come by such hope?  Do I muster it up within myself and just seek to become a more optimistic “it will all work out” kind of person? No! Psalm 146:5 declares “Happy is he . . . whose hope is in the LORD his God.” My hope is founded in my Savior!  “ . . . that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4) My hope is founded in the Word of God! “ . . . that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13) Such abounding hope comes through the power of God’s Holy Spirit! I cannot be thus hopeful on my own. 

Acts 4:13 says, “ . . . and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”  By my actions and my words, do my husband and my girls know that I’ve “been with Jesus”? Or do I live a life of fear and trepidation? Is there any kind of difference, when I emerge from my quiet time with God?  Have I left all fears aside, and emerged a more HOPEFUL person, because of WHO my hope is founded in?  “ . . . until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” (Psalm 71:18)  If we do this – trusting God for deputation, for future babies, for our finances, etc. – even our daughters may see God’s strength and His power in our lives. 

In Psalm 71, David declares, “But I will hope continually . . .” Hope and not fear! This is a SPIRITUAL resolve! Not a mustered-up will-power, but a determination founded on the right things – God Himself, His Word, and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. 

Thinking on these things, in recent months, I compiled a list before the Lord.  This is from my heart, Ladies. This is my prayer:

• I will hope that God will give us life and not loss . . .

• I will hope that we will be safe on the road during deputation . . .

• I will hope that we will raise the support to go to Indonesia . . .

• I will hope that my blood sugar issues will not hinder us . . .

• I will hope that we will still have homeschooling and parenting successes, while on the road . . .

• I will hope that our children will make many friends all over the U.S. and the world . . .

• I will hope that Brandon and I will stay romantic and fiercely in love, amid the challenges . . .

• I will hope for strength in my weakness, peace in my fears, and victories on every side . . .

• I will hope for good attitudes, gracious words, and God-given opportunities to be witnesses of God’s love and of His work in our lives . . .

• I will hope that others will desire to love and reach Muslims, because of God’s call on our lives . . .

And most recently . . .

• I will hope that the flu leaves our household very soon! 

With God’s help, “I will hope continually, and will yet praise . . . (Him) . . . more and more.”

And “I will go . . .” (71:15) I will go overseas with the Gospel of Christ, because my hope is in Jesus Christ!

“For thou art my hope, O LORD GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” (71:5)

“ . . . God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty . . .” (I Corinthians 1:27)

“Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea . . .” (Psalm 46:2)

I WILL hope . . . I WILL go . . . I WILL NOT fear . . . Spiritual resolve and hopeful thinking . . .

We ALL need hope in our lives.  “Happy is he . . . whose hope is in the LORD his God.” (Psalm 146:5)

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Affliction

By: Amanda Baker

Psalm 119:71 – “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”

Affliction in this life comes in many different shapes and forms.  There are so many things that we as Christians have to face on a daily basis that could be categorized as affliction.  Often we look at those issues in our lives as “bad” things that we just have to learn to deal with.  However, this verse became a blessing to me in a time of great affliction in my life.  The Lord has often used it to remind me that the affliction of this life is merely a reminder that He is in control of my life.  There is a lesson for me that I cannot successfully learn any other way except in a time of affliction.  No matter how big or small your affliction is today, remember that God wants you to learn something from it.  Go to the Word for strength and find the good that He has for you in every aspect of your life!

Psalm 84:11 – “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

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Looking Ahead

By: Kristen Kelley

Psalm 30:5, 11-12 “. . . weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning . . . Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness . . . O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”

James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

In the months following our loss of Joshua, we saw God do such amazing, wonderful things.  I want to share with you my personal reminiscing, on that one-year anniversary of his delivery.  I pray it will bring you HOPE – HOPE that there is more to your life than the painful tears of today... That there IS a new tomorrow on your horizon, just as there was on mine... Just as I believe there will be for me again . . .

Today, I pull out the comforting purple blanket from the hospital, and I pray, thanking God for all He has brought us through.  We talk at breakfast about what this last year in Heaven might have been like for Joshua. I look through the photos and the memory box.  I remember the loving midwife, the nurses, our family, and our friends.  I recall those who told us they were praying for us; those who wrote us messages and sent us cards; those who washed our dishes, and brought over taco salad, or dinosaur chicken nuggets for our girls; those who reached out to us with precious remembrance gifts like wind chimes and necklaces . . . I praise God for His Word, and for the great hymns of others who found the comfort of the Lord in great sorrow.  I thank God for His loving care - that He “is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Ps. 145:9) Today, I think back over this past year, and I say, “Look, with me, at what God alone could have done . . .”

That year was one of the most incredible I’d ever known.  With my heart, I felt the grief and pain of sorrow, but I also knew the peace, the comfort, and the healing of my God.  With my eyes, I saw the waves of Lake Erie, the mountains of West Virginia, and the rice paddies of Indonesia. I smelled the aromas of Asian spices and experienced the flavors of other parts of the world.  I stood at the mouth of a volcano, rode on a motorbike, and watched two of my girls place their trust in Jesus Christ. As I clung to the Savior, my mind was filled with Bible verses, with missions lessons, and with research about parts of the world I’d never seen before.  My hands planted wildflowers in a little memorial garden, built sandcastles with my girls, and packed and unpacked suitcases, dozens of times.  I had opportunities to sing God’s praise, to encourage women, and to share with children, as we presented missions work in numerous churches across the Eastern United States.  BLESSED in ways I never could have imagined, I saw my Lord at work, everywhere around me.  God had given me LIFE, and I truly began to appreciate the significance of that gift, in a way I never had before.   

How I pray, that in the days to come, you’ll look to see God’s hand in your own life, too, Dear One!  There is no level of darkness that the light of God cannot touch.  To Him, “the night shineth as the day.” (Psalm 139:12) Through every tear, He is right there, beside you.  Through every joy, His heart rejoices too. 

Amid the smiles and the tears of life, may we pray with the Psalmist David, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1)  I WILL . . . I will love You, secure in the knowledge that nothing can take away Your own love for me.  I will trust You, even when I do not understand.  I will thank You, knowing that my baby is safe in the arms of Jesus.  I will find hope in You – hope for this hour, this day; hope for the future ahead of me; hope for all eternity.  And even in the “valley of the shadow of death”, I will GLORIFY Your Name. Psalm 96:2 “Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.”

Ten years – a whole decade – before our first miscarriage, I penned a poem I entitled “Unknown Trials”.  We don’t know how much sorrow or joy will be in the steps that God has for our lives, but if we are His children, then we know that we can trust Him with our path.  We are put here on this earth for just one purpose – to glorify our Father in Heaven.  Even in our loss, we can bring God glory - If we comfort others with “the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted” . . . If we point others to the cross . . . If we let beauty rise from ashes . . . If in our sorrow, we offer Him our praise . . .

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God Uses the Desert

By Amanda Baker

The desert…not the place most people want to go for a vacation to get re-energized.  So why did God give us the deserts?  How can the desert times in our lives be beneficial for us?  There are many situations in which the Lord used a desert place to accomplish His will in a way that only He could.  One such time is found in Mark 6:31-45.  The Lord invites his disciples to go out to the desert place for rest.  The people follow Him, and He shows His disciples one of the greatest miracles of His earthly ministry – the feeding of the five thousand.  He used a desert place in the disciples’ lives to show His power.  No doubt they were tired and had an enormous problem, but God showed His power in the desert.  Let the Lord use your desert to do miraculous things in your life!

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A Second Lesson In Sorrow

By: Kristen Kelley

Perhaps you’ve been here, more than once, now . . . My heart hears yours, too, Dear One.  I don’t know the gender of the baby from our second loss – In December of 2017, we weren’t as far along in our pregnancy, as we’d been with Joshua.  But how much joy it brought me to give that second Little One a name, and to know that he or she was safely in Heaven with our Lord. This is Finlay’s story.  A baby whom I’d carried and loved for 11 weeks . . . A baby whom I’d prayed so hard would be our “rainbow” . . . But it wasn’t meant to be. I pray that as you read the verses and the peaceful thoughts that God gave me in our second grief, your own heart might be comforted, too!

Psalm 63:6 “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”

I didn’t want to look at another lifeless ultrasound ever again . . . But sometimes what we dread the very most, ends up coming to pass . . . Only those who have walked this road can truly understand.  You feel like you’ve plunged beneath a frozen, icy pond, and you’re gasping for breath.  You hear the voices of your other children, playing, but you can hardly pull yourself from bed . . . It is the familiar weight and cloud of grief . . .  You’re not taking fun family photos, or planning a wonderful goal for the new year, like all the world seems to be, around you . . . You’re just trying to live through TODAY . . . Trying not to be in physical pain . . . Trying to hold back the tears every time an article of clothing makes you remember what was finally a noticeable “bump”, only a couple of weeks ago . . .

Any death can be tragic; saddening; devastating – but a miscarriage leaves a woman feeling HOLLOW, as no other grief in the world can do - especially if you are a Christian mother. Because of your belief in God’s Word, you understand how REAL it all is, right from the very beginning.  Life was growing within you, a heart was beating close to your own - and then it was gone . . . Studies in recent years have shown that when we have carried babies in our womb, their cells sometimes even leave imprints on our own, changing us forever.  Once you become a mom, you’re truly never the same. Once you have miscarried, you’re never the same, either. Such loss molds your heart in an entirely new way – a deeper way than you’ve ever known before.

They tell you that you feel grief because you have felt LOVE – Oh how true that is!  You may be wondering, “How can your heart hurt so much over a fifth baby or a sixth?”  Because I have enjoyed the “baby stage” of motherhood so very, very much!  I have embraced it as a gift from God.  And I truly long for another wobbly little head on my shoulder, at midnight.  Perhaps you’d say with the well-meaning, “You already have 4 beautiful children . . .” But a mother’s love does not get divided amongst her children, it only multiplies!  And so, yes, a loving mother does grieve – whether it be her first or her tenth child, that she has just lost. 

Often in these sorrows, there are no answers.  Once again, everything appeared to be “going just fine”.  So what do you do when there seems to be no “why”? As the beautiful church song goes, “And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel; We are tempted to believe God does not know . . . And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan, in the Presence of the King, bow the knee.”

ANYONE we love, here on earth, is only a gift for a time.  Some are with us for 11 weeks, but never held in our arms; some are by our side for 50 years or more.  We ought to love them as God would have us love them – every single day.  But we ought to love Our Savior even more. 

“All to Jesus I surrender,  All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His Presence daily live . . .”  One baby . . . Two babies . . . and any more of those most dear in all the world to me, that God chooses to call home.  They are really Thine, Oh Lord! 

And then, when we sorrow, we “ . . . sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (I Thess. 4:13)  Much in my heart has been crushed, and there have been many, many tears. But our 2017 baby was taken to a glorious Heaven, by a good and loving God. And I will see both my miscarried babies in Heaven, someday!

As my husband and I sat together in the hospital room . . . I wrote these words from my heart:

“Heaven is on my mind, today. The sweetest nursery you could ever hope to see . . . Every baby loved, and hoped, and wished for, but never held here on earth . . . Every baby left, neglected, now cared for by the angels . . . Every baby aborted in the womb, but now loved on by millions of mamas in a perfect land . . . Every baby who suffered from illnesses and birth defects, here below, now and forever healed . . . Perhaps there are volunteers who work "nursery" in that Heavenly Place - If so, I will certainly be one of them.” 

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

With My Lord’s help, through the sorrow and the pain, I choose to hold on to FAITH.  Faith that God is good.  Faith that “ . . . his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:9).  Faith that He will heal the brokenness, once again.  Faith that no matter how many times I “go down to the grave”, my Lord will bring me up (Psalm 30:3).  Faith that joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). . . The words of the timeless hymn sound in my heart, “Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not . . . Great is Thy faithfulness.”

I don’t know your name, or where you’re from.  I don’t know if you have a husband or a child at home, to hug, in your grief, or if you’re feeling all alone in the world, right now.  But through these first few pages, you have caught a little glimpse of my own heart.  You have heard both of my own stories of heartache and loss.  I know how much a miscarriage can devastate and hurt.  But I also know that My Loving Heavenly Father is truly “the God of all comfort” (II Cor. 1:3), in even the deepest of sorrows. And He will walk alongside you, as no one in all the world can do.  

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How to Find the CALM in the Storm, Part Four

By Amanda Baker

Since storms in life are something we must all face, finding the “CALM” in the midst of the storm is so vital. “CALM” in the storm can be found by calling on the Lord first, acknowledging that God allowed the storm for your good and for His glory, leaning on Him in the midst of the storm, and finally, minimizing the negatives of the storm and maximizing the lesson learned through the storm. There have been times in my life that I have faced the storm and have reacted in a very negative way. I spent my time asking why and being bitter that life is not fair. There is no “CALM” in a storm when we focus on the negatives and all that we don’t like about it. No one is volunteering to go through stormy times in life, but I believe that Bible clearly speaks of so much good that is meant for us in the storm if we will only recognize that good and focus on it. When I was in college, my grandmother passed away. I was devastated. She was one of my favorite people in the whole world. At the time of her death, I had been reading and studying Psalm 119 in my personal devotions. It felt like the winds and waves on the sea of life had really kicked up, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to weather this storm. The Lord showed me a wonderful truth in Psalm 119:71 – “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” I remember lying in my bed in my dorm room crying and thinking, “How can this affliction be good for me?” It was in the days and weeks that followed that I began to see the Lord work in my heart and teach me in the midst of this storm. I still hurt at the loss of someone very dear to me, but the Lord began to teach me about His peace and about His all-sufficient grace in my life. He brought a storm to my life that forced me to look to Him. That is what the storms of life should do for us. They should direct us to the loving, caring Heavenly Father who desires to teach us in the midst of these storms. Psalm 119:68 reminds us of His goodness in our lives – “Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.” The storms of life as good for us, and He desires to teach us in the midst of those storms. If we miss the lesson He has for us in the storm, how can we do what He has called us to do effectively? Sometimes the storms accent our weakness so that He can manifest His strength in our lives. Paul put it this way in II Corinthians 12:9-10: “And he [Christ] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient for the storm. He never gives us more or less grace than we need for the storms of today. We don’t have to store up the grace for another day. He gives us exactly what we need for that day, and then He magnifies Himself in our weakness. Paul was able to say that he could glory in the storms of life because it pointed others to God’s grace and strength in those storms. What is your focus in the storm? Is it the negatives of all that has happened to you? Or have you seen the lessons that the Lord is trying to teach you in your weakness in the midst of the storm? It is a conscious choice to trust God and focus on that which He is trying to teach you. Psalm 118:24 illustrates this choice for us: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Will you rejoice in the storm by maximizing the lessons that the Lord wants to teach you today?

Finding “CALM” in the storm doesn’t mean that there will be a sudden end to the storm. It just means that you will be able to weather the storm with God’s grace and His strength. He will bring you through. He promises to never, ever leave us nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:5). Will you trust Him today and find “CALM” in the midst of your storm?

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How to Find the CALM in the Storm, Part Three

By Amanda Baker

We have been looking at finding the “CALM” in the midst of the storms of life. So far, we have looked at the need we have to call on the Lord first and to acknowledge that God allowed the storm for our good and for His glory. Today let’s take another step in finding the “CALM” in the storm – we must lean on Him in the midst of the storm. Storms bring with them fierce winds that would seek to blow us off course, to look for something or someone to hold on to while we weather the gale force winds and the driving rain. Scripture is clear that there isn’t anything or anyone more dependable to lean on and hold to in the storms of life than the Lord Jesus Christ. Oftentimes in the midst of the storm, I find myself trying to figure out how to work out the problem on my own. I seek my own wisdom in how to handle the problem, but that is not the right way to face the winds of the storm. Proverbs 3:5-6 clearly tell us to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” My leaning must be on the Lord and not on my own understanding. He desires to help me in the midst of the storm. In fact, the Psalmist makes this clear in Psalm 61:1-4: “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.” Leaning on the Lord in the storm is what He desires. The Psalmist is crying out to the Lord here “from the ends of the earth” with an overwhelmed heart. Christ promises to be our rock, shelter, strong tower, tabernacle, and much more. He wants us to come to Him and lean on His strength in the storm. The storms are so much more overwhelming when we try to face the winds on our own. It is interesting to note that the Psalmist often couples this idea of leaning on the Lord with times of prayer. The two go hand in hand. Why not just trust Him in the midst of your storm? Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” God’s Word never tells us to fix the storm. It just points us to call on Him, trust Him, and lean on Him as He takes us through the storm. Will you lean on the Lord as He leads you to the “CALM” in your storm today?

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How to Find the CALM in the Storm, Part Two

By: Amanda Baker

As we continue with this idea of finding “CALM” in the storm, let us consider another truth – Finding “CALM” in the storm requires you to acknowledge that God allowed this storm for your good AND for His glory. This truth can be a tough one to get your arms around at times. There are a few parts to this statement that we need to consider as we seek “CALM” in the storm.

First, we have to acknowledge that God allowed this storm. There is so much talk in our society about the “bad” things that are happening all around us and to us. Granted, the world is full of evil that all traces back to the original sin of Adam and Eve. But Scripture supports the truth that not all “bad” things, as we would call them, are allowed in our lives as punishment. The Psalmist writes the following in Psalm 119:75: “I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” If the storms of life are all bad for us, this verse is contradictory because the Psalmist saw the affliction in his life as the Lord’s demonstration of His faithfulness.

Secondly, we must acknowledge that God allowed this storm for your good. Admittedly, none of us would volunteer for a storm in our lives, but God sometimes brings those storms in our lives to show us how good He is. Again, the Psalmist states in Psalm 84:11 – “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” I often go to this verse to remind myself that everything the Lord sends my way is good for me because He promises not to withhold good from those are seeking to walk with Him. That leads to the conclusion that the storm in my life must be for my good!

Lastly, we must acknowledge that God allowed this storm for your good AND for His glory. As believers, we must realize that God’s ultimate purpose in creating us was to bring glory to Him. Revelation 4:11 – “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” So even in the storm, we must seek to give Him glory for what He is doing in our lives.

The storms of life should help us see His working in us if we are seeking to see it. Sometimes it is necessary to follow the Psalmist’s admonition and just “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). He is in control, and not only in control, but He is working His master plan that is for your good and ultimately for His glory. How are you doing at finding “CALM” in your storm?

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How to Find the CALM in the Storm, Part One

By: Amanda Baker

Storms in life are not unique to any one person. In fact, someone has rightfully said that at any given time in life, we are in a storm, coming out of a storm, or getting ready to enter another storm in life. The Lord promised us that storms would be part of life in I Peter 4:12 - “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” So the presence of storms in our lives should not surprise us as Christians. However much of our lives are consumed with dealing with the stormy times of life. The real question that every Christian must deal with is this - how do you find calm in the midst of the storm?

I believe that the Bible is full of passages that can be our “CALM” in the storms of life. Over the next several blog posts, I want to share with you some thoughts the Lord has impressed on me about just that - Finding the “CALM” in the Storm. Here is an overview of those thoughts.

  1. Call on the Lord first.

  2. Acknowledge that God allowed this storm for your good and ultimately for His glory.

  3. Lean on Him as He takes you through the storm.

  4. Minimize the negatives of the storm while you maximize the lessons God has for you as

    you weather the storm.

Let’s begin with what I believe to be a foundational truth for each of us as we look for the “CALM” in the storm - Call on the Lord first! Sadly, as twenty-first century believers, we so quickly overlook this very important resource in the storms of life. We run to social media to ask others to pray for us (which is a blessing, don’t get me wrong), but many times we are asking others to do for us what we have yet to do for ourselves. I believe that we will more easily find the “CALM” in the storm if we will personally begin by crying out to the One Who has the ability to do something about the storm.

There are several passages that remind us of these truths. Below are just a few that have been a comfort and even a conviction to me concerning calling on the Lord first.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Psalm 55:16-17 - As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice.

Psalm 86:6-7 - Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: For thou wilt answer me.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These passages and many others like them speak for themselves. Our God wants us to call on Him when we are in the storms of life. The question is do you see prayer as the first resource or the last resort when the winds of life whip up around you? “CALM” in the storm must begin with calling on the Lord first!

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