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It comes naturally enough. We are talking with a friend or neighbor, and they tell us a tale of trouble. Their house flooded or they’re facing a medical situation, or a legal issue, or a myriad of other problems. Eager to help, we share the name of someone we know, urging, “call them – they’re amazing and can help you!” We refer them to our connections, knowing they’ll be blessed…I wonder why it can be so hard for us to do that with the greatest resource we can possess: our friendship with Jesus?

He doesn’t get stretched thin, that if we share him with someone else, he won’t be available to us anymore, and yet, we can be reluctant. Why?

Is it fear? 1 John 4:18 reminds us, “perfect love casts out fear.”
Is it shame? in Matthew 10:32 Jesus said, “Whoever confesses me before the world, I will confess him before my Father in heaven.”
Is it doubt? Listen to this:
Matthew 14 shares the story of Jesus making his disciples get into a boat to go out on a lake. He was praying alone while the boat was far out in the lake, in the dark of night, being buffeted by a strong storm.
Why would he do that? Didn’t he care? He absolutely cared. This was an opportunity to show them, not just tell them, that he truly was who he said he was.

“He walked out on the water and when the disciples saw him, they were terrified. But he called out to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Courageously, Peter demanded, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water,” and Jesus invited him to come. So Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water, coming towards Jesus. But when he took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith; why did you doubt?”
They climbed into the boat and the wind died down, and all who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!””

He had allowed a hard situation for them to go through, that they would see with their own eyes the power of this One who claimed to be the Son of God, verifying it as truth.

We who know Jesus have a treasure of tremendous worth. He asks that we tell others who need his love and forgiveness and compassion, as well. For them to come to know the sweet joy of salvation and discover what a gift he is not only for this time on earth, but for all eternity.

Our world is groaning under the weight of the curse of sin. People are scared, lonely and uncertain, afraid of the storms around them and desperate for an answer.

Let’s share with confidence that they, too, may come to know him, “whom to know is life itself.”

It doesn’t have to be hard. Its as simple as:
“Let me tell you about Jesus. He has the power to calm your soul through any storm in life. He loves you and has a wonderful plan for you that goes far beyond what you can imagine. His gift is free to anyone who admits they’re a sinner
and accepts his salvation by faith. Would you like to know him?”

Jesus, the Savior of men’s souls.
Jesus, the One who died that we might be set free.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who has a purpose for every storm he allows in our lives, that he might show his sufficiency and love.

If no one comes to know Jesus because of our testimony, let it be from their own rejection of the truth, not because we didn’t have the courage to share.

Jesus. The best referral we have to offer anyone, regardless of what they face. Let’s tell others, while we can. ❤️🙏

Life can be hard. Trials and heartaches, disappointments and uncertainty can trail behind us like a nagging shadow, casting it’s dismal gloom into our very souls. But rather than focusing on the impotent shadows, we must turn our gaze to the bright light that cast those shadows, recognizing that God allows difficulties in our lives to show His perfect sovereignty and remind us of our constant need of Him.

At the end of our lives, standing before Almighty God, I believe one of our greatest disappointments will be the missed opportunities to build our faith deeper on the perfect foundation that is Jesus Christ, surrendering to Him all that we think is so crucial to our happiness and fulfillment, and not fully trusting in His perfect, righteous, loving sovereignty.

But it isn’t too late! If we draw breath, we still have time! Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart!

I pray that God creates in His own an ever deepening well of hope that we may draw from when the brittle dryness of the hard circumstances of Life comes our way, so that rather than feeble doubt or weakened faith, we have a strengthened certainty and a prevailing Trust in the provision, protection and overarching purposes of our perfect, loving Savior.  We must push doubt away, fall to our knees with confidence that our seedlings of faith in the form of prayer to Him is of great value to God’s heart. 

And we must burrow further into His Word where precious jewels are hidden, a reward for those who tirelessly seek them with a heart that won’t give up the pursuit; for that is where the choicest sustenances lay, the richest feast that can feed a soul through the fiercest of droughts.

Marvel and find delight in the life giving words of our Heavenly Father who has entrusted them to any and all who seek Him, for our edification and reproof, enlightenment and encouragement, transformation and strength until the Day comes when our faith will no longer be needed, for it will at last, thanks be to Jesus, become sight! 🙌🏼🙏🏻🌿

There is a place off the map, 

A sweet step back in time, 

Where white sheets blow 

In the wind, on the line. 

Dogs chase sticks, 

While kids go a fishin’,

Grandma stays busy

Making rolls in the kitchen.

Grandpa tends the garden, 

He grows all sorts of things; 

Shares squash with the neighbors

Who share back a sack of beans. 

Time stands still 

Where the grasses grow tall;

The world seems biggest 

When a town seems small. 

Tar boils form

In patches on the roads;

Poked by kids with sticks, 

Who hold races with brown toads. 

Cats and kittens wander,

Lazily they roam,

Sometimes taking hours 

Before they wander home.

Rope swings nestle 

In the tallest trees;

Sweet flowers beckon 

The buzzing bumblebees. 

Rhubarb and a berry patch

Grow thick in the back yard; 

Mama fries her chicken in-

And makes her pies from lard. 

In the front porch rockers

Young and old alike take naps; 

Aprons tossed aside,

In the breeze they flap. 

Fresh baked cookies 

Welcome passers by;

Lemonade & visiting 

Seem to make time fly.

Kids ride bikes, some take hikes, 

Some go do their chores;

Some climb trees, and skin their knees, 

Or shoot marbles on dirt floors. 

Ring the bell to summon them

From wherever they may roam – 

It’s time to wash and eat – 

Hurry up & come back home! 

Dinner around the table 

Weaves strong memories; 

Love is shown in this home

With laughter & stories. 

Hand wash all the dishes,

Then by the sink they dry;

Mama gets fresh plates 

While Grandma cuts up pie. 

Dad brews a pot of coffee,

Mama sips her tea;

Grandma dozes in her chair 

An afghan on her knee. 

On the floor, by the hearth

The dogs lay near the fire;

Topics of the world discussed- 

And the local gossip wire. 

Fresh air all day, hard work and play

Make everyone so sleepy;

Crawl under the quilt, No shame, no guilt

Sleep all night long, deeply. 

There is a place off the map

A sweet step back in time;

I’d take you there- except that now,

It’s only in my mind. 

Dear Lord, I want my life to count as an offering of worship to You. Please use me in the ways You desire, and help keep me determined in my pursuit of You. I ask for a pliant heart, but a firm step; a commitment to do what is right, and compassion for those also walking this journey of Life.

Help me be strong, but soft; patient, yet passionate; tender, yet tenacious. Help me spill over with love and forgiveness, since I’ve been forgiven much. Help me stay steady in trial, hopeful in hurt and anchored in Trust of You and Your plan.

Keep me from wandering and wasting my time; let my days belong to You – please, glorify Yourself in this life of mine as I surrender to You.

May obedience be stamped across my heart, fear be driven from my mind and Your Spirit’s fruit be evidence of a heart steadfast in YOU. May Your wisdom be in my mind and on my lips, with a readiness to share in love.

May I sing with the angels of Your goodness; let my sleep be peaceful and protected, knowing You are utterly in control of All things. Help me impart wisdom, hope, truth, grace and help toward others who seek it; may laughter and goodwill ease the weary who come to find shelter in our home, and may they find rest, refreshment and delight as we share and rejoice in Your bounty, favor, grace, and the joys of Your salvation!

Give me boldness to proclaim Your truth, and courage to do it without fear. May I find my contentment in Your calling, my joy in Your companionship and my treasure in Your truth. Help me follow You wholeheartedly, and let my heart be wholly Yours.

Keep me pure from wicked desires that would turn my heart away from following You. May I be quick to obey Your Holy Spirit’s promptings, and willing to wait on Your timing in ALL things.

Let the radiance of Your Son be reflected in my actions and attitude; permit me only that which will make me more like Him, and help me to honor You.

I pray that I may bring a smile to Your face as I surrender my hopes, wishes and dreams, and align them with Yours.

Help me pray for those who have not yet found the salvation offered in Jesus, and at the end of my days, please grant me the privilege of knowing that YOU used my life in ways that blessed others and brought You the glory You deserve, so that I might hear those words I long to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant…”

May I spend whatever time I have left living a fragrant life ~ gentle, steadfast, trusting ~ and all out for You. In the matchless name of Your precious son, Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Decision-making can be hard. And waiting for clarity from God on what to do can be hard, too. Even when we are trusting God for His best, we may pray and ask God to make something clear to us, but still wrestle with leaving it wholly in His hands. Such was the case with our daughter.

She was moving along in a process of waiting, praying and asking for prayer for discernment and direction over something that would radically alter her world, and she didn’t want to ‘make a mistake.’  She thoroughly researched all the ramifications that would result from her decision, sought Godly counsel, and set aside daily time with God to seek His will. She was about as purposeful as one can be in desiring to present herself as a vessel for God’s use, but she still lacked the answer of specifically what she should do.

Long talks with friends and family helped her feel supported, but she was no closer to knowing whether to move forward, feeling trapped by an approaching conversation that would perhaps demand her response.  She did what any smart girl would do in that situation and called her mom. 

I say that quite jokingly, because to be honest, I was in no position to offer her any further clarity about what to do, but it did concern me greatly that she wasn’t sleeping well. “I wake a lot in the night, and am restless and can’t sleep,” she confided. “I pray all the time, telling God that I want to honor Him in my life and asking Him to give me direction and tell me what to do. I’m so tired. I haven’t slept straight through a night for weeks. I just need some advice, Mom.” 

I’d been praying as she’d talked, pleading for some nugget of wisdom to share with my precious girl who was so earnest in her desire to please God. Surely He would shower us with an avalanche of arrows, pointing exactly which path she should take, or at least a pillar of fire to light up the way? Nope. Nada. Nothing. Sigh.

“Well, honey,” I bravely began, all while praying madly for that nugget of brilliant insight, “it worries me that you’re not sleeping. Maybe you need to spray your pillow with Lavender essential oil and drink some herbal tea in the evening to help you get drowsy.” (Honestly, Sarah?? That’s the best you can give her?! Good grief. ‘Please Lord, help me.’)

“And you know, it occurs to me that you’re doing all the right things, praying, seeking counsel, researching the pros and cons studiously and laying this before God. But then you seem to be asking Him to guide you right now, when honestly, you don’t need to know the answer just yet.” 

I raised my eyebrows. Hey, that seemed to be some good counsel right there; God gave me a bit more. 

“In fact, you know, God often doesn’t give us all the information neatly up front, but in His own time. You don’t have to make this decision today. You have a good week or so before you’re presented with some more information – and who knows but that what you learn then could help make this decision for you. You may find you discover some things in the next weeks that will give you clear direction. God can arrange any myriad of things that will bring you what you need to know.” 

I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to say a bit more of what He was putting on my heart to share. “So do you think that maybe you’re asking the right question, with the right motive, but wanting an answer before God’s ready to show you? He is pleased with your heart that desires to please Him. He knows that you need His guidance and that this is a big deal; so now we have to trust Him.

Leave your situation in His able hands and release yourself from demanding an immediate answer. And let yourself rest.”

I heard a sniffle from the other end of the phone. I took a deep breath.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to be praying for you to get a night of delicious sleep, for you to really sense a freedom from what you perceive as urgent, and an ability to leave this in God’s hands. In fact, I’m going to text my prayer team ladies and ask them to be praying, too.” 

After we disconnected I felt God telling me not to text my prayer warrior friends and pondered this. He brought to mind that a couple of days earlier I’d brought my own heart to Him as I’d struggled with questioning if God would respond to my prayers. I’d confessed doubt that my bringing petitions to Him was enough to move His heart. The Bible says that the “Prayers of the righteous avail much,” but lately I’d questioned if I fit into that category, since it had seemed that many of my prayers seemed to go unanswered, and I’d been discouraged earlier that week when I approached God about it. You know how it feels when sometimes there are ‘spiritual giants’ around you who seem to have it all together and rarely struggle with doubt? I’d been in contact with several of those lately and feeling that I lacked. 

I hung my head. “Okay, Lord; I won’t text the ladies. Please let our daughter sleep deeply tonight, and all the way through. And let the fact that it’s just me and her that are praying for this mini miracle build our trust more deeply in You.” 

I couldn’t wait till morning. Would she sleep? Would she let me know? She wasn’t aware of my own grappling heart about my own inadequacy as a Pray-er before our Heavenly Father; I hadn’t wanted to trouble her heart with my own struggle.  

Her text came at 9:43 my time, “Slept through the whole night for the first time in a month! Feel so so refreshed!” The raised hand emoji’s reflected my own elation!

I wept. I had asked God to make our faith deeper by answering this simple need, to have it affirmed that our prayers – hers and mine – were heard by our loving Father and availed much. 

Tears poured as my heart soared! 

I praised God in verse, in song, out loud and in prayer. I was jubilant to realize that God’s response was not only to show us that He cares, but also that we can trust Him fully, for Every. Last. Need. Talk about a faith builder! 

We all can fall into doubt. Hard circumstances, heartache, plenty of chaos and confusion surround us, and at times it can seem that God’s just not paying much attention. But the truth is that He knows, and His love and sovereignty are firmly in place. He just asks that we come to Him with all that is on our hearts, and then, for our simple trust.

Some of my favorite verses are, “You (Oh God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” And, “God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” 

I ended up sharing with my daughter what I myself had grappled with. I wanted her to have the joy of seeing how God had worked in both our hearts through His kindness and grace. Her response was perfect, “I absolutely love that, Mom! And so appreciate you sharing that part with me.”

When we are willing to be vulnerable and share the honest truth that we all struggle, I believe God is glorified. He doesn’t ask us to have all the answers. He asks us to come running to the One who does, and throw ourselves on His perfect sufficiency and love, trusting Him to provide all we need, and worshipping Him with gratefulness and adoration as He supplies all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19 Isn’t that a precious promise?! Indeed, it is.

I pray that you are blessed and encouraged today to cling ever closer to our loving Father, who loves us lavishly. ~