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MACRO GOD

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UNIVERSE

God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
      toddlers shout the songs
   that drown out enemy talk,
      and silence atheist babble.

 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
      your handmade sky-jewelry,
   Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
      Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
   Why do you bother with us?
      Why take a second look our way?

  Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
      bright with Eden’s dawn light.
   You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
      repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
   Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
      even animals out in the wild,
   Birds flying and fish swimming,
      whales singing in the ocean deeps.

 God, brilliant Lord,
      your name echoes around the world.

Psalm 8:1-9
The Message Bible

When I read this passage of scripture, especially this poetic rendition from The Message Bible, my heart swells with excitement and awe! Why? The psalmist is talking about my Heavenly Father and His unprecedented, unequaled love for me. The brilliant God who made the macro vastness of the universe cares for micro me!  And in His eyes, I am not micro, but macro also. He loves me so much that He made me in His image and put me in charge of His glorious creation.

I know you’ve often heard stories of kids bragging on their dads. Each one thinks his dad is the greatest! What about the children of famous actors or football stars? Well, let me tell you, they have absolutely nothing on us! Our Father is not just world famous, He is universally famous. His power and influence extends to the far reaches of the earth, the universe and beyond. His exploits are renowned to every people group that inhabits the earth. Even creation itself proclaims His existence with voices loud and clear! And we have the awesome privilege of saying, “That’s my Father…that’s my Dad!”

GOOD PLANS FOR ME

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HELPING UP

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared
For those who love Him
1 Corinthians 2:9

That verse just makes me feel good all over. My Heavenly Father has awesome things prepared for ME! How do I know that? Because I’m one of those who love Him. And if you also love Him, he has great things prepared for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Things may not appear to be going great in the present moment, but hold on to this promise and say, “My Father is preparing things for me that are more wonderful than I can even imagine!” Remind the Lord of His promises and thank Him that He is working to bring them to pass. After all, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” Numbers 23:19 TLB

I have heard numerous stories about how God turned situations around for people because they held on to his promises in faith. Proverbs 24:16 says, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” Maybe you feel like this is your seventh time and like the commercial you’re saying, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” But let me tell you, with God’s help you can! Listen to these words from God Himself and take heart.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

WALK WITH ME

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Holding-Hands

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He [God] delights in his way.
Psalm 37:23

I have been thinking lately about how the Lord plans our lives and our steps. He says so right here in His Word. Listen to how The Message Bible says it, “Stalwart [man] walks in step with God; his path blazed by God, he’s happy. If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; God has a grip on his hand.” How totally awesome is that! Webster’s defines the word stalwart as “marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind or spirit.” So, do the plans God has for us manifest in spite of our own response? Think about this …can two people accomplish a common goal if they are walking in opposite directions? No, it’s impossible. Suppose someone very reliable says to you, “Walk with me to the bank and I’ll make a withdrawal and give you a large sum of money?” How foolish it would be for you to turn and walk in the other direction. And yet, how many times do we as Christians willfully plan our own way without even consulting our Heavenly Father? And how many heartaches and setbacks has it caused us in our quest for happiness?

How wonderful it would be if we could consistently walk in step with Him by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. And how can we accomplish that? You cannot recognize a person’s voice unless you have spent time with him, listening to him, memorizing his inflections and intonations. So it is with hearing the voice of God and following His leading. As we spend time with Him, learning to hear His voice and walk in cadence with His steps, our path to happiness and fulfillment is blazed before us. He takes the sword of His Word and cuts a path through the jungle of worry, fear and unrest that try to block us from the path of success that He has specifically laid out for us.

As for myself, I know one thing, or should I say two things, that have caused me to break cadence and stray into enemy territory. They are the culprits of impatience and self-will. “God, it is taking you entirely too long. I’ll just handle this one myself.” We wouldn’t dare say those words, but how many times have we thoughtlessly acted them out? I have many a battle scar incurred along this pathway of disobedience. But thank God for His mercy and grace. We can find our way back onto His pathway of peace at any time by repentance…simply changing our mind and falling into step with Him once again. If we really believe that God has planned our way, there will be no place in our lives for worry or trepidation. As we rest in Him, we know that whatever comes our way has to come through His hand and He will either lead us out or lead us through.

“Holy Father, as I walk in step with You;
I thank you that my path is blazed by You and I’m happy.
If I stumble, I’m not down for long;
For You, Father, have a grip on my hand.”

THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, MY FRIEND

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BOOTSTRAPS

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1

A friend of mine said to me this morning, “Nancy, every time I think I have myself pulled up by my bootstraps, someone comes along and unties them!” I started thinking about what she said and thought, “Now that would make a great theme for a devotional! (You know the Lord gives me ideas in the most unusual ways.)

First I looked online to see if I could find the origin of the saying…perhaps some old proverb or witty Southern quip. But the dictionary of phrases said that it had no specific origin. However, the meaning is quite clear. It means “to improve one’s position by one’s own efforts.” It refers, of course, to boots and their straps (laces or pull tabs on Cowboy Boots) and to the imagined feat of lifting oneself off the ground by pulling on one’s own bootstraps. This impossible task is supposed to exemplify the achievement in getting out of a difficult situation by one’s own efforts. It is a great source of pride in this country to say that someone pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. It usually means that they came from a very humble background and made a place for themselves in the world.

My father was such a man. He grew up very poor. He told of going to school with ragged clothes and no shoes and getting in many a fight because his classmates made fun of him. He told about his mom cooking green apples because there was no food in the house. His father was very irresponsible and to put it mildly had no work ethic. My father quit school at the age of fourteen to work in the coal mines to help provide for his mom and siblings. But because he had such a difficult start in life, he determined that when he had a family of his own, he would never allow them to want for any necessary thing. He kept that promise. He literally worked day and night to provide for our family. I am a third child and by the time I came along, we lived in a nice brick home on 130 acres of land. We were not rich, but we were definitely not poor. I never knew any of the want he suffered. He truly “pulled himself up by his own bootstraps.”

But sometimes because of the circumstances that life affords us, we are not able to do it alone. I have always been a self-sufficient person. I think it was ingrained in me by my father. But there have been times in my life when I just couldn’t make it on my own. As a matter of fact there have been times when I couldn’t even make it with the help of others. I needed supernatural help! I needed the help of my Heavenly Father! The chorus in a song I wrote in one of those difficult times says:

“Lord, nothing less than a miracle will do.
I can’t depend on others, I must depend on You!
I’ve tried to work it out…It’s not enough to see me through;
Lord, nothing less than a miracle will do!”

And thank the Lord…He IS a God of miracles! The Bible is full of people who tried every means known to man to solve a problem to no avail. Then they called on Jesus! One man brought his son who had seizures to the disciples for help, but they couldn’t help him. Then he called on Jesus. Jesus said, “Only believe. All things are possible to those who believe.”  The man replied, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” Even when we don’t think we have enough faith, we can depend on His faith. And He is always faithful to help us in our time of need. If someone has untied your bootstraps, call on Him. He can help when no one else can!

THROUGH THE FOG

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…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin [temptation or trials].

Hebrews 12:1b-3

“This too shall pass.” How many times have you heard people speak those words when they are going through hard times. Or maybe someone has spoken them to you in that situation. Actually the words hold only small comfort if we aren’t looking to a better future after we have made it through. I know you’ve heard the old saying, “They’re just jumping from the frying pan into the fire!” In other words, folks are just passing through one bad circumstance only to encounter something worse! I’ve known people whose lives seem to reflect this philosophy. They never seem to get a break!

When I lived in Florida, some years ago, I was recuperating from a physical and emotional breakdown. I was diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Sounds dismal doesn’t it. Well, it was! My future didn’t appear to be very promising in the natural. But I refused to look at the natural. I spent my days focused on the Word of God and His promises to me. I kept my eyes looking toward Jesus and I knew that He wanted to bring me through. I considered the fact that He endured many things such as I was going through and much, much more when He was here on this earth. And the Bible tells us that when He was on the cross, He took all of our sins and sicknesses upon His body. This is not figurative, it is literal! That means He felt every pain that we would ever feel…physically, emotionally and spiritually. He even ended up losing His life…and I had no where nearly gone that far! He also promised me this…”No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message Bible)

After I was well on my way to recovery, my pastor, a lady who was also my good friend gave me a framed photo that she said reminded her of the trial I was passing through. It was a photo of a pier extending out into the water in Cedar Key, Florida where we had visited several times. The boards of the pier, especially toward the end, were broken and in disrepair. You couldn’t actually see the end of the pier, for over it and the water beyond, was a dense fog. If you were walking on it, each progressive step would be a step of faith into the unknown. There was no way to see through it to the end. You just had to trust that your steps were ordered by the Lord…and “look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”

Pastor Retha gave me the picture to encourage me at that particular time in my life. And every time I looked at it, I pictured Jesus there with me, holding my hand, guiding me through the fog of an uncertain future. But I must tell you I’ve never completely gotten through the fog. The life of faith is an on-going experience. There may be a time when the fog lifts temporarily, but it will always come back, as long as we’re living on this earth. And when it does, we have to reach once again for the Master’s hand and take one step at a time, totally trusting in His guidance to see us through. We should never worry or fret, but rest in the fact that He has gone on before us and He knows the perfect way for us!

YOUR WORD, MY HOPE

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You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Ps. 119:114

Do you remember the time when a man’s word was his bond? I do. My father lived by that motto. If he told you he would do something, you can be assured it was as good as done. Not only so, but in those days (what my children called the “olden days”) men often shook hands on a matter in lieu of signing a bill of sale or contract to close a deal. I experienced the fruits of that method when my parents passed away and I had to get properties surveyed and lines confirmed. I ran into such things as, “Well, Mr. Jones and your dad shook hands and agreed that this road would be a common property.” But kids and grandkids of Mr. Jones knew of no such arrangement and some concessions had to be made. Sadly enough, those kinds of agreements are things of the past. Now days one has to have everything in writing, notarized and signed by two witnesses!

But, thank God, He is still a man of His Word! The Bible says in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” And the answer to that would be a definitive “No!” “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (II Corinthians 1:20) Whatever God tells us in His Word, we can consider His bond and we can say “Amen” to it. Amen means “so be it”. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she was to birth the Messiah, her words were, “Be it unto me according to the Word of the Lord.” She was saying, “Amen, so be it!”

The Bible is filled with promises that are written to us, His children. But if we are unaware of them or don’t believe them, they will be of no benefit to us. So if you’re having a difficult time in any area, find a promise that applies to your situation, go to the Father with it, and picture Him shaking your hand and saying, “My Child, consider it a done deal!”

You know with all your heart and soul

that not one of all the good promises

the LORD your God gave you has failed.

Every promise has been fulfilled;

not one has failed.

Joshua 23:14

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!

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  Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

  But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV

Do you ever find yourself so tired you feel as though you can’t take another step? Or maybe you’re just weary in your mind and feel like you will certainly faint if you have one more decision to make or one more obstacle to present itself. Hey, I’ve been there… more times than I’d like to remember! Sometimes I think to myself, “I’m old enough now that life should be getting easier!” Then why isn’t it? Because we live in a world that is filled with a continual stream of challenges and choices…some that we make ourselves and some that others make for us. The bridge to one of my songs says, “I wake up every morning and I must decide. Will I follow Jesus or believe the devil’s lies?” The devil delights in bringing things across our pathway that would cause us to lose hope. But the devil is a liar. The choice to continue to hope in the faithfulness of the Lord is one that we must make at the dawning of each new day and maintain throughout the day. You may say, “Well, how do I do that?” Meditate on verses that encourage you and build hope. And remind yourself of God’s faithfulness in times past.

To keep an eagle from flying, you only have to clip its wings. We must not allow the hardships of life to clip our wings of hope and keep us from rising above the difficulties. Proverbs, the Wisdom Book says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) Don’t let the enemy of your soul defer your hope! Let’s quote the title verse again with a little modification. We’ll call it TPV (The Personalized Version).

“Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

  But I hope in the LORD!
That hope will renew my strength.
I will soar on wings like eagles;
I will run and not grow weary,
I will walk and not be faint.”

Wow! My faith is fueled by that verse. I can feel my wings of hope spreading and the winds of the Holy Spirit lifting me above the cares that would vainly try to weigh me down!

WHO’S FOLLOWING YOU?

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Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 118:1

This verse is repeated numerous times in the Bible, especially in the Psalms.
It is another glorious thing to be thankful for…the fact that God is a good God and His mercy endures forever. I have had to lean hard on that verse many times in my life. A line in one of my songs says: “My life was so fragmented, my mind was so confused. But I took the broken pieces and I gave them all to You. And much to my surprise, You took them in Your hands. And You gave them to Grace and Mercy, to make them over again.”

Because of God’s intense love for us, through His grace and mercy, He gives us new beginnings. I don’t know about you, but I have had several in my life. I know I’m making it sound like I was some sort of Mafia character or something. Not so. I was basically the same person I am now. But I have made mistakes that could have ‘done me in’ so to speak had it not been for God’s goodness and mercy. And for that I am eternally grateful. The title of the song that the line above is taken from is “It’s Not Enough to Say Thanks”. I not only thank God every day for what He has done in my life, but also for what He is going to do in the future. You see, God’s goodness and mercy is never-ending. It endures forever!

Everyone is familiar with the Twenty-third Psalm. It is known as the Psalm of Comfort and has been read at many a funeral. But one particular line has always stood out to me that pertains solely to life…“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my LIFE!” I have made that my confession many a morning as I contemplate the day ahead. Let me give you an illustration.

I recently had a little puppy dog in my home for a few days. I couldn’t leave the room without him following me. I have hardwood floors and every time I changed locations, I could hear the tap, tap, tap of little feet following behind me. As children of God, we should listen for the tap, tap, tap of goodness and mercy following us at all times. Storm clouds may be rising on the horizon, but everything will be okay because goodness and mercy are following me. My bank account may be getting a little low this month, but it will be alright because goodness and mercy are following me. I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately, but I won’t get down and out. Goodness and mercy are following me! If I stop for a moment and reflect on God’s love for me, I can feel their presence. And when I move again, I listen for a soft tap, tap, tap, coming from behind.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 23:6 NLT

UNPRECEDENTED FAVOR

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Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us,
to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

One Sunday Morning, I was listening to my favorite minister on television. When I tell you the topic of his sermon, you will probably know who it is. He was speaking on the Lord’s “unprecedented favor” to His children. It really blessed my heart, boosted my faith and encouraged me in relation to my future. Afterward I was just sitting there meditating on the word he had spoken and talking with the Lord. I said, “Lord, I just thank You for unprecedented favor! You know that I have been going through some emotional upheaval and physical challenges lately. Would you please send something my way to encourage me?”

Later that evening I was doing a few things around the house when the phone rang. It was a friend that I had met the previous year on my cruise to Israel. She is from Arkansas, but we have been corresponding ever since. She said, “Do you want to go on another cruise?” Immediately my mind started spinning one hundred miles an hour about my financial limitations at this time. But before I could start any explanation as to why I couldn’t go she said, “It’s free!” You could have bowled me over with a feather! “What? Free?” She went on to explain that she had booked a cruise to the Bahamas with her husband and he decided he would rather take advantage of hunting season. Her words were, “So I decided that I’m going to give Nancy first dibs.” Now why would she do that? Although we have become friends, I would have thought she would have asked someone from her church or a family member. But she thought of me first! My Friends, that is the “unprecedented favor” of the Lord working through my friend Linda. I prayed for it, but I certainly didn’t expect it that fast! Our God is an awesome God!

Perhaps you may be thinking, “Why can’t something like that happen to me?” It can! God is your Father too. And He certainly doesn’t show partiality to His children. Start today! Believe that you have the “unprecedented favor” of the Lord operating in your life. And if you don’t really believe it now . . . say it until you do. Meditate on that verse in Ephesians until it brings the faith to believe. Don’t try to figure out how the Lord will bring it. I would never have thought about a trip to the Bahamas. But He knew I would love a cruise, fellowshipping with my friend Linda and He surprised me with it! Now make this your new confession of faith . . .

Lord, you are able to do exceedingly abundantly above
all that I ask or think.
I ask you today for unprecedented favor in my life!

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE GOAL

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By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus.
I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
Philippians 3:14
The Message Bible

As I was driving past a walking track this morning, I saw quite an unusual sight. The usual people were there…a lady in shorts and tennis shoes briskly walking around the track and an older man walking somewhat slower. But the unusual thing… the thing that caught my eye is this. Between the other two walkers was a young lady in a wheelchair. She was maneuvering it herself by rolling the wheels with her hands. No one was helping her. No one was even close to her. I’m sure the walkers passed her numerous times, but she seemed perfectly content to move at her own pace.

It must have taken a great deal of determination to even begin. I’m estimating the track to be about a quarter of a mile around. She couldn’t possibly have been thinking about how long the track was or the effort it would take to complete it. She must have fixed her eyes on the goal she had in mind and taken it one roll at a time.

It reminded me of the passage in Philippians 3 where Paul the Apostle says, (My paraphrase) “I don’t count myself to have arrived yet, but there’s one thing I am determined to do. Leaving the mistakes of the past behind, I will press on toward the future with Christ by my side. I will run this race of life to the end until I reach heaven my goal, and obtain the prize of eternal life!”

Paul faced a number of hardships and even handicaps in his walk with the Lord. He talks about being weak at times, hungry, persecuted and beaten, even shipwrecked. But always he kept his goal before him…to fight the good fight of faith and reach his heavenly home AND to take as many people with him as possible.

Do you sometimes feel like you are handicapped in this walk of life…at least compared to other people? Being a Christian and making right choices is not always a bed of roses. The Bible tells us that we will have temptations and trials in this life. But it also says that God will provide a way to escape them, so that we won’t be overwhelmed. The key to success is to keep our focus on the goal set before us. And when we finally reach that goal, it will be worth it all!

“Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.”
~ Jesus