I Just Came to Talk with You

A friend called me a few weeks ago to suggest that we have lunch one day soon. Yesterday was the day, and we met for a pleasant brunch. I expected that she needed something. She might want me to listen as she vented about something that had upset her. (I say, “Well, maybe this or this was the reason.) She might want to borrow money, my tools, or the car. (I always say no, but she still tries!) She might want advice about something. (I say, “You could try such-and-such.) To my surprise and delight, she didn't ask me for anything, even when I questioned her about her agenda. She just came to talk with me. How refreshing!

I wonder if God finds it refreshing when we come to Him without a “gimme” agenda, when we don't whine or beg or ask about anything. He won't be surprised, of course, but maybe delighted? The late Dottie Rambo, gospel song writer and singer, said, “I didn't come here to ask You for anything. I just came to talk with You, Lord.” How refreshing for Him—and for us!

MaryMartha

Where Is God?



A street in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture.

As I read the reports and view the pictures of the tragic loss and suffering in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami along with fear of nuclear danger, I am stunned. To see buildings and vehicles swirling inland on the rushing flood and to know that in the wreckage are hundreds of human bodies is almost incomprehensible.
Where is God? If one is among those who are overwhelmed by the disaster, that might well be the question.

It certainly may feel at such a time of anguish that God has forsaken us. David, the psalmist and “a man after God's own heart,” cried out in his deep distress, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1, 2) Here was a godly man who did not “deserve” the trauma in his life, but circumstances closed in on him until he felt that he had been abandoned by his God. But he had not been left alone; he would see the light again and feel hope once more.

Even Jesus, being made one of us, suffered that crushing sense of loss. On the Cross, he too cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) He had not been left alone either, but would rise again in triumph three days hence. Can it be that this experience of feeling abandoned is not uncommon to the human condition, and that we must wait through it if we would see what is on the other side? May God give me grace, should my turn come, to affirm boldly, “He has not abandoned me.”

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo:  AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi  3/14/11

Living in Hope

If seed catalogs come, can spring be far behind? (Apologies to Shelley, the English poet, who asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”)

On a regular basis, I have been receiving catalogs from the mail-order seed and plant nurseries who entice me with their bright pictures of fully-developed fruits and flowers. It will be months before I can plant anything outside, and many more months—in some cases, years—before my produce will look like the pictures. Ah, but there's hope! That's what the companies are believing I will feel when I look at their offerings.

Hope is an essential ingredient in the spiritual realm as well. With eternity in Jesus' presence ahead of us—what the Apostle calls “our blessed hope”—we have every reason for hope. In fact, hope is one of the three things that endure throughout all of earthly life, eventually coming to fruition in sight. Such a long view might be less than encouraging were it not for its continual operation. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 10:18, 19)

That anchor of hope holds us steady through whatever the stormy seasons of life and around us. We access the real presence of God, even though we are not yet able to view Him. We are continually enlivened by knowing what will someday be ours to see clearly!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
 
Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Joy to the World!



"Behold I stand at the door
and knock."



Of course, you think of Christmas when you hear someone sing “Joy to the World.” It is a wonderful Christmas hymn, but so much more! Too often we limit our appreciation of the song because certain associations have developed around it, either in our own experience or in our culture. “Joy to the Word” is one of the few Christmas hymns, or maybe the only one, that is not specifically about Jesus' birth. Is there any reason why it must be sung only at this season? No, it would be appropriate in March or July or October as well! (Although you might be called upon to do some explaining!)

Isaac Watts wrote this hymn, not particularly as a Christmas carol, but as a paraphrase of Psalm 98:4-9. Whereas the Psalmist did not understand in a personal way the Savior's coming, Watts definitely relates the words of the psalm to Jesus' life of ministry on earth. 

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;

Let men their songs employ,

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy. 

These two verses celebrate the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, dwelling with us to conquer sin and death and to bring the reality of God's kingdom to our hearts. The next verse is prophetic, looking ahead to Jesus' return in glory.

No more let sin and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

Then Jesus will rule with truth and grace, and His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy will be made manifest among all nations and to all people. 

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of love. 

The next time you hear this hymn, maybe a few more times before the New Year begins, pause a moment and repeat to yourself, “Yes, the Lord is come!” He is, but not just at Christmas, Immanuel, “God with us!”

MaryMartha

Art from www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/pictures

The Safest Place

A security camera
is watching!



Some months ago, I read an article about what is possibly the safest house in the world. The five-story residence sits high in the hills above Los Angeles with a 360° view of the surrounding area. Inside are thirty-two luxurious rooms, discreetly disguising the fact that the house is heavily fortified and super-secure. Six cars can park in the virtually impenetrable cave-like garage below the living areas. Should an intruder manage to breach the high-powered exterior security measures, there are two hidden panic rooms plus architecturally invisible safe cores. These are entire sections of the house that can be shut off from the rest of the building, and would provide safety from any outside threat: intruders, natural disaster and even nuclear, biological, or chemical attack.

This modern-day fortress can only provide a certain measure of peace of mind. The man/woman who is owner of this house is just as likely to have a heart attack as the next person. He/she is as susceptible to cancer, lung disease, or brain tumor as other people are. What then? The safest house in the world isn't really safe at all.

I believe in taking precautions that will help me be safe physically. Don't I have a basement equipped for waiting out a tornado? A fire extinguisher? Air bags in my car? Grab bars in the bathroom? But no effort of mine will be enough to give me spiritual safety. Psalm 23 is not yet worn out! Here is a verse of assurance: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Ps. 23:4) When we die certainly, but at other times too, when we pass through a dark place and experience the "dying" of something precious to us, we experience "the shadow of death." It is then that Jesus is right with us, not driving us through the valley, but leading us. His staff reassures and even rescues us, His rod protects us

The safest place? In His care. Whether we're in an elegant, fortified house or in a tiny apartment, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27-29)

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Loyal

The final post in a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"


The color blue stands for loyalty.
Whenever you see blue sky, think of
GOD"S FAITHFULNESS!



It would be the rare person who had never experienced a disappointment in one or more of their relationships. An employee does not follow through on the assignment or responsibility entrusted to him/her. A service provider turns out to be less than trustworthy. A friend proves unfaithful. Families may be fractured. Even a spouse who promised "till death do us part" sometimes changes his/her mind. We value loyalty—but we cannot always depend on it defining our relationships.



God is different! He is always right here, even if—sadly—we are not welcoming His presence. "Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute—you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, 'Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!' It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you." (Psalm 139:7-12 MSG) Surely when circumstances not of our own choosing lead us to the "underground" or into the dark, we can know that He is already there!



Children ran to Him to be blessed—and still do! He cares for the elderly; "even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4 NIV) He is especially watchful of orphans and widows and the disenfranchised who look to Him for their provision and protection. (See Psalm 68:5, 6)



"Since God assured us, 'I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,' we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:6 MSG) Christians may say, "The Lord has forsaken me, He has forgotten me." No, He responds, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49:15 NIV)

This characteristic of God is very precious!  He is unfailingly loyal!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://sxc.hu/

God Is Reasonable

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"


When I say that God is reasonable, that doesn't mean I can subject Him to examination and figure Him out. He is far, far beyond that! I have learned in practice the reality of " 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' " (Isaiah 55:8, 9) We cannot fit all of God into our tiny little frame of reference.

The story of Job shows us, though, that God is reasonable in that He can be reasoned with; things can be discussed with Him, arguments weighed, and conclusions reached. Notably, Moses and Abraham reasoned with God and He gave consideration to their pleas. This doesn't mean we always get the answer we would like. Job did not. He stormed at God, demanding to know why he was suffering such loss—his riches, his family, his friends, his health. And God did discuss the matter with Job, although the conclusion they came to was not exactly what Job was expecting. It was along the line of: "I am God! And just who do you think you are? What do you really know about anything?"

God is always working for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28) Many of our problems lie in not knowing what will be, in the end, best for us. We may say, "Well, God had a reason." Yes, perhaps that is true. He may have had a reason, and we were not given that understanding. Or often, just because we live in a broken world, bad and "senseless" things happen to good people. Contrariwise, because our world sometimes operates in an inverted fashion, good things happen to bad people! There may be no other reason.

When we come to those baffling times, we can trust God's goodness. He is just. He is also merciful. If we actually need to know the reason, God will give it—maybe now, maybe later. Because He is reasonable.

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Appreciative

But no training wheels for
her ride!

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality":

The other day my daughter and I were reminiscing about some of the things in her early childhood. "I remember learning to ride the little red bicycle," she told me. "I took off down the street, and you were running behind me screaming, "You did it! You did it!' " After many wobbly attempts, with my steadying the two-wheeler while she learned to find her  balance, she was on her own and I was so proud I cried!

Do you think the God who created us and loves us is any less appreciative when we accomplish something with His guidance and help? It's not that God can be likened to earthly parents, but instead we are fashioned after His likeness, and surely our pride and joy reflects His own. Some day, if we are faithful, He will point us out as trophies of His grace! “He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6, 7)

The praise belongs to God alone. The glory is His. And yet, sometimes even now I think I feel His satisfaction when He encourages me, "Yes, we did it, you and I together. We did it!"

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Empathetic

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality":

Empathy is different from sympathy. The latter is sharing the feelings of others, that is, "with them" in it. Empathy is experiencing as one's own the feelings of others. That is what God does, through His Son. "Therefore, it was necessary for him [Jesus] to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people." "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15)

While I was very ill, the thought of God's empathy was comforting to me. He knows what this is like! It's quite possible that Jesus did not ever have a sinus infection that kept Him from His work for two weeks. (But then again, we don't know that, for sure!) We presume He had a normal boyhood, with its stubbed toes and scabby knees. And we do know that as a grown-up, He got hungry, grew tired, and became emotional enough to weep. Is it absurd to think that He might have had a headache from too much sun sometimes or a case of the sniffles?

[If such a proposal is too much of a stretch for you, just ignore it.] It has been, however, a source of encouragement to me that Jesus understands our human frailties, for He faced them too. Without murmuring or blaming or evading, He became one of us. True, He has taken our sins away, removing the guilt of them completely, as depicted by driving the scapegoat into the wilderness during the time of Old Testament sacrifices. But I do not see the Scripture indicating that He took away our sorrows, our neediness, our suffering of various sorts. Isaiah 53 says that he carried our griefs and bore our sorrows. But He did not carry them just so that we won't have to. He bore them, endured them, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest. In fact, we are able to find peace in these various situations because as we carry them, we can be united in a special way to Jesus who carried them for us.

Of course, that is not all. I am not denying Divine healing power for the physical being as well as the spirit. But it is important to me to know that God is not just sorry for me when I'm down. He remembers being like me.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Retreat

Earlier this summer, I was able to spend a few days at my favorite "retreat" place. Although the Prairie Oasis is actually a bed-and-breakfast, it is very special to me as a place to rest and hear from God. So I wrote a bit of inelegant poetry about it:

The Beautiful P.O.

(may be sung to the tune of

"Where the Healing Waters Flow"

How the sister-campers smile

At the beautiful P.O.!

They are happy all the while

At the beautiful P.O.

Chorus- Where the healing breezes blow

At the beautiful P.O.

There is peace and rest and love

At the beautiful P.O.

What a lovely place to be,

At the beautiful P.O.!

Mind and spirit are set free

At the beautiful P.O.

Napping, reading, thinking, praying,

At the beautiful P. O.—

All this happens without our saying

At the beautiful P.O.

I wish for you a similar place of rest and spiritual attention!

MaryMartha

Art fom a snapshot I took last year.

Staying with It

Whew!

It is HOT in Kansas! Some lawns are turning a crispy brown, a few trees are shedding leaves prematurely, and wide cracks are appearing in soil banks. Some of us were discussing the heat, but we agreed that this was nothing like the summer of '80. That was the summer I moved here, and though the large city from which I came was very hot, I was almost convinced I'd made a mistake. That year we had temperatures of 100° or higher for 46 days, 18 of them in a row! By contrast, the summer of 2010 has had a dozen or so, with probably just a few more on the way. The schools were not yet air-conditioned then, and the little house in which I lived did not for awhile have AC either!

But what I'd have missed if I had not stayed with it! I established firm family ties which before had been shaky. I reared my family in a comparatively safe environment. I found exceptional professional people: doctor, dentist, attorney, auto mechanic, and pastor. I met and married the love of my life. I embarked on a satisfying career, lasting even into retirement years. I am fully convinced that God is involved in the choices we make, often more intimately involved than we realize. "The LORD directs the steps of the godly [not godlike, but God-fearing]. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) I've found it so.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Approachable

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality:

Before they sinned, Adam and Eve loved to hear the sound of God walking through the Garden. After the day's work was finished and they had eaten supper—I imagine—they went out into the cool shadows, unafraid, and talked with their Great Friend.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve did not alter God's intention to fellowship with His human creation. God did not change, but they did. God still loved them and yearned for the return of their love, but they were afraid to approach Him. And thus it has always been: sin separates us from God, although His desire for relationship with us remains the same. He is never far away, but the fact of our rebellious humanness—we are just like Adam—keeps us from acknowledging and enjoying His presence.

"Come close to God," His Word says, "and He will come close to you." (James 4:8) How do we achieve that? We depend on the new and living Way, Jesus Christ. Through His sacrificial life and death, we who were once far away are brought near to Him. (Ephesians 2:13) The writer to the Hebrews urged that we go so far as even to approach boldly. (4:16)

This is what the God wants! "Boldly" does not mean we come rudely or with pride. But we are to come confidently, much like the mothers who brought their little ones to Jesus for His blessing. Yes, God is the awesome Creator. He is the King to be honored and the Judge to be respected. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, eternal and everlasting. But He is, above all, Love, waiting for us to draw close to Him.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God's Endearing Qualities

One of a series on "God's endearing personality":

A lovely thing happened to me today. As one of my co-workers and I chatted about the past weekend, she told me she had attended a convention of her church's members. The theme of one afternoon's symposium concerned the endearing personality of God. What a sweet, uplifting thought! We usually get all theological when we consider what God is like. We speak of omniscience, omnipotence and the like, often neglecting to mention the qualities that draw us to Him—making Him dear and beloved.

From her notes, my friend shared that He is:

* approachable.
* empathetic
* appreciative
* generous
* impartial
* forgiving
* reasonable
* loyal

We think that each of these characteristics is worthy of being expanded into a topical study in the Scriptures. Would you like to accept that challenge too?

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Re-Framing

I have been listening to a CD on which the gospel singer declares that she had questions with answers she couldn't understand. I think that is probably true for all of us, and sometimes the questions don't seem to have answers at all. As we struggle with the things that perplex us, a wonderfully helpful verse from the Bible is this: "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." (Romasns12:2) Difficulty itself does not necessarily set us free, but reframing it—changing how we think about it—does liberate us. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

If you are in a hard place now, where can you find the truth that will change how you think and set you free? Many of us are convinced that the Word of God is ultimate truth, but often our traditional views and personal opinions cloud our understanding of it.

4 A Popular Notion: Jesus said whatever I ask for, the Heavenly Father will give to me. So I'm going to ask for a Lexus and a new tri-level house.

8 What the Word Teaches: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures." (James 4:3 NIV)

4 A Popular Notion: Didn't God say He would supply all my need? Well, I actually do need a _______ [new car, new house, new clothes, new spouse—you fill in the blank.]

8 What the Word Teaches: Yes, but the Apostle Paul—a remarkable Christian, after all—tells us, "Actually, I don't have the sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now how to be quite content. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little." (from Philippians 4:11, 12)

4 A Popular Notion: If I serve the Lord, I will have fewer troubles. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

8 What the Word Teaches: Jesus also said, "Here on earth you will have many trails and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

4 A Popular Notion: God obviously is pleased with my life because I have good health and financial success.

8 What the Word Teaches: It's quite possible to enjoy some of God's gifts without really having His blessing! Examples are Samson, Baalam, and any who "speak with the tongues of mean and of angels and have not love." (See I Corinthians 13)

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) This does not mean that every act and thought of ours is predetermined, and we have only to live mechanically what has already been established. What it does mean is that God has orchestrated our lives in such a way that we will come face to face with His reality. Quite often this comes to us through pain or loss, disappointment, difficulty or perplexity because it is when we are searching for answers that we look up—and there is God! Would we actually want to wish away the critical events that have caused us to search for Him? Although they may have seemed almost unbearable at the time, we can ask God to change the way we think and then we can see how fruitful those times really were!

MaryMartha

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture quotation marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Antidotes

Sometimes we need an antidote for something we have contacted or ingested: poison ivy or a bee sting, a medication to which we are allergic or just too much pizza! Doctors know, and many mothers too, know what will soothe the itchy skin or the upset stomach.

I have found a spiritual antidote as well. When I have contacted too much negative talk or encountered too many discouraging circumstances or remembered too many painful memories, the Word of God helps make things right.

But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. . . Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. . . So I tried to
understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. . . Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 2:2-5, 13-14, 16-19, 21, 23-26)

This antidote works even better than calamine lotion or Tums!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Connecting

I have just finished reading an article (Time magazine, May 31, 2010) on the communication phenomenon, Facebook. I use the term "communication" cautiously, because I have to wonder if seeing pictures of your cat or sharing with you what I'm having for dinner is really communication. But then, I must be wrong, for sometime in the next few weeks Facebook will officially acquire its 500 millionth active user, defined as someone with an account that they have accessed within the last 30 days. While serious career networking happens there, so does a lot of silly socializing. For many people, the article stated, the site is a second home and they spend many, many hours a day there.

We actually like to share, the young entrepreneurs believe. It is also hugely, hugely lucrative. (You didn't think this free, massively-interlaced network was created solely for the pleasure of the end-users, did you?) There is something to be said for openness with your friends, and each person must draw the line for him/herself when it comes to the bajillion readers and ad writers online.

While I pondered on what I was reading, I thought of how readily we can communicate with Jesus, our great Friend. Many times a day, I speak to Him.

Just listen to that wren singing. Isn't that thrilling?
Owww, help me, Jesus. (after ramming my toe into the chair leg)
Look! The orange lilies are blooming.
Thank you for the new shoes!
Please don't let the hail destroy my new roof.
Thank you for that note from Lorie.
Help me find my earring, balance my checkbook, go to sleep.

I am so glad for the ease of connecting with the one Who already knows all about me. And it's good to know that He is actually interested when I share the experiences of my daily life with Him!

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God on My Side

The persons responsible for my early religious instruction made sure that I understood it was my duty to align myself with God's purposes. I was not to concern myself too much with whose side God was on, but whether or not I was on God's side. (Perhaps referring to the statement attributed to Abraham Lincoln?) God doesn't have favorites, I was told; He loves everyone.

While all of this is true, what I failed to understand was that God really is on my side. This is not to say that He is on my side in a way that eliminates good for other people and their plans and programs. He is not particularly on my side as it relates to sports events, political elections, or bargain hunting. But He really, truly is on my side. He has my best interests at heart. He wants good things—but not necessarily just easy things—for me. He guards me, guides me, and provides for me. He watches out for me as a loving, careful father would watch out for his child. He has creative ways of bringing balance into my life.

We sometimes do not realize, in our endeavor to see God's love as all-inclusive, that His love is also very personal. He, in a particular way, suited just to me, loves me! The children's song I used to sing is really true!

I am so glad that my Father in heav'n
Tells of His love in the Book He has giv'n.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see;
This is the dearest that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

Oh, if there's only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the Great King,
This shall my song in eternity be:
"Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!"

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

--Philip P. Bliss, 1870

MaryMartha

I Know I'm Heard

Several recent events featured in online news items have provoked a huge response from readers. Many sites offer an opportunity for comments, and they receive literally thousands upon thousands. A few are sane and well-reasoned arguments, a great many have little substance, and some are ferocious, vulgar and rude. Then other readers comment on those comments, often resorting to name-calling and unprintable adjectives, represented by a series of symbols and a few well-placed letters so that anyone can tell what is meant without the words being kicked out by an automatic censoring system. I imagine said system can also check for libelous statements or threats. Surely no actual person is going to read all those 12,521 comments. (I'm not making that up.)

That's just it. Why rush to make one's opinion known when no one who really matters cares? There seems to be frenzied effort on the part of many to express what they think, even if it merely repeats what someone else has said. From my limited point of view, there is no discussion, no information added, no new ideas put forth, not even succinct summary offered—just repetitious rantings.

I like knowing that I have Someone who always listens to me. I may not present a good argument to God, but He listens anyway. I may even have a complaint, but I don't have to yell for Him to hear it. There are a great many prayers in the Scripture, asking God to hear. But a few declare that He does indeed hear. One of those verses gives Jesus' own words. Because He is our way to the Father, we can say as He did, "I know that You always hear me."

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer.

Even the news.

MaryMartha

Words of hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", by Joseph Scriven, 1855

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Changes

Today at a divisional meeting of the organization which employs me, my supervisor announced some reorganization of our workgroups. Hoping to reassure us she said, "And this won't change"—but then she added, "until it does." Doesn't this confirm what people in general believe: There is nothing as certain as change!

Changes are happening in our lives all the time, so gradually that we don't even pay attention on an everyday basis. We are aging just a little bit at a time, we are adjusting to a new family member or the loss of an older one, or we are challenged to learn a new job or leisure skill. It sometimes happens that all of a sudden we realize a great change has taken place almost without our being aware. "I'm nearly retirement age!" we marvel, or "I can't believe Grandma G has been gone a year," or "I thought I would never learn this, but it's simple now." We usually can accept this kind of change as being part of life. Living things change.

Often we find it harder to deal with the changes that come suddenly, with little or no prior warning. They may be quite small, really, but they upset our routine, require us to redirect our energies, and tax our composure. A detour requires us to change our usual route while a road is being repaired. A change in office or workstation means adjusting to other surroundings and perhaps other employees. The church's small group of which we are a member begins to meet at a different time. We break a finger or a tooth, pay more for postage stamps, or someone rearranges the furniture. Can we accept these too as being part of life? Facing these changes with equanimity helps us grow into the kind of persons who can face the greater challenges.

"Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me!" ("Abide with Me," Henry F. Lyte, 1847)

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Hold Onto the Lord

Recently I bought a CD of southern Gospel music, and I play it often in the morning while I'm preparing to go to work. Because I am not sitting right there listening, sometimes I don't get exactly right what the words of the song are. I was hearing, "Grab hold onto the Lord." I thought that was a bit strange, so I listened again carefully, and yes, that is what I heard. So I finally checked the liner notes, and found out that I was very badly mistaken! However, because I had listened to the music so many times while hearing the wrong words, that is still what comes to mind first. "Grab hold onto the Lord." But maybe that is not such a bad thing, after all. The concept is certainly true, although not very poetic!

Moses instructed the children of Israel—and it goes for us too—"You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life!" (Deuteronomy 13:4)

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/