One of My Favorite Verses

But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."  

My times are in Your hand...

Praying this verse for our family today and so grateful to know that it really is true.  God holds each of our days in His hands, guiding them with His steadfast love.

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What's More Real Than Laundry

It is embarrassingly easy to forget all that God has done for us-to forget all of His benefits.  The simple things like a sink full of dishes and a bedroom full of dirty laundry can seem so much more real than all the good that God has done for me.   I love to go back to these words from Psalm 103 again and again and again to help me remember:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

 "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him."

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Suffering When Tempted

"Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:17,18

I read these verses earlier this week in my quiet time/devotions. They are obviously jam-packed with meaning on a number of levels. Probably the most important thing in them is the reminder that Jesus Christ came as a propitiation for our sins, taking on the wrath of God that we deserved that we might know peace with God. That is reason to stop and worship! But this week, what God impressed upon my heart were the words "he himself has suffered when tempted." I started thinking about all of the suffering of Christ and let's be honest, there was a lot of suffering in His life, particularly the suffering of His death. The suffering that He endured while tempted was deeper than any suffering I've ever known or will know. As He awaited the cruel death before Him, He prayed to His father, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me." I can't imagine the variety of temptations that He faced in that moment: despair, fear, the desire to run away, etc. He was suffering so much that He sweat drops of blood. Still, Jesus said, "Yet not what I will, but what you will.” He did not give in to those temptations but honored His father.

When I'm tempted to sin by my own desire (James 1:14) I can sometimes think that it is huge suffering to resist. Or when I give in to the sin and later repent, I can think that there was so much suffering involved in turning. But what is my suffering when tempted compared to the suffering of Jesus on my behalf when He was tempted? As I consider His suffering and the ways that He was tempted, I am humbled and put in my place. My sufferings during temptations suddenly do not seem so looming in comparison with His.

May we worship Him with gratitude as we consider how our God was willing to go through extreme suffering and temptation on our behalf. And may that bring us comfort as we go to Him when we're tempted. He is truly able to help.

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Trusting His Promises

Josh & I have been been reading through Genesis in our quiet times/devotions. I am so grateful that God is giving me fresh eyes to look at this book anew and to benefit from it. In particular, I have been struck by how faithful God is to keep His promises.

Today I read Genesis 21, where God grants Abraham & Sarah their promised child, Isaac. Verse 1 stuck out to me: "The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as He had promised." Much earlier, (Genesis 15) the Lord had promised Abraham that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. When Abraham was a whopping ninety-nine years old, God reiterated the promise to him, but it had not yet been fulfilled. Abraham was one hundred years old when he saw God's promise fulfilled in the birth of Isaac.

I just love in Genesis 21:1 where it says that God did as He had said and did as He had promised. This is the God we serve. He is a promise-keeping God. What seemed like an outlandish and impossible promise was fulfilled by the faithful God. He always keeps His word and all of His promises prove faithful. As I consider that truth, I'm filled with fresh faith today to trust Him. Why would I doubt that God will give me grace to fight temptations to sin when He has promised me in 1 Cor. 10:13 that God will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear? Why would I doubt that God will help me to grow in being a loving wife when He has promised in Philippians 1:6 that He will bring to completion the good work that He has started in me? Why would I fear the changes that will come with caring for two children instead of just one when God has plainly told me in 2 Cor. 12:9 that His strength is made perfect in weakness? God always proves good on His word so I can bank on His promises. What hope and joy there is in believing that truth!

May you be encouraged today as you seek to trust Him, knowing that our God is a God who faithfully keeps the promises in His Word!

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