Today’s verse comes from In-N-Out’s milkshake cup. My California friends, who introduced me to In-N-Out, love the Neapolitan shake. You won’t see it listed on the menu. It’s considered part of the “secret” menu and made with all three regular shake flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
Today’s verse comes from In-N-Out Burger’s hamburger wrapper. I think it’s fitting because Rev. 3:20 sounds like Jesus wants to eat with us.
I wish I had known Jonathan. Scripture does not tell us much about this man, but when I think of him, I envy the friendship he shared with David. We know from 1 Samuel 18:1 that Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
Hopelessness is the deepest darkness. I know. People are dying. People are taking their own lives in despair.
… darkness was over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:2b),
Let’s zoom in on a snippet of a mutual friend’s experience…
Decades ago, young Ellen’s forehead and gums erupted frequently with large, painful boils. Itchy dandruff patches covered her scalp. Classmates taunted her, adding to her shame.
You’re thinking to yourself as you roll your eyes: not these same old verses again! Wait. Hear me out.
Repetition is good. I’m a slow learner and I’m forgetful. Nagging is annoying, but repetition isn’t nagging. Repetition is effective communication. Brain scientists believe seven repetitions help us remember almost anything. One form or another of the phrase “do not be afraid” in the Bible is repeated 365 times. One encouragement on fear for every day of the year!
“How are you doing in these uncertain times?” I asked this of some of my long-distance relatives by email at the beginning of the worldwide pandemic.
We all tend to experience less peace and have plans thwarted during troubling seasons.
In Texas this week, we have had an unusually long period of snow. We do occasionally get snow but it rarely sticks around more than a day or two. Today is the first day since the snow began falling that the temperature has risen above freezing. Icicles are falling, and the snow is finally melting.
Singer Danny Gokey recorded a song entitled “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.” This beautiful song gives me encouragement to keep going when I am tired or depressed. https://youtu.be/eUHRDCYnFfg
How had his world collapsed so quickly? Only days before, Jacob had lived a life of security, comfort and ease. Now he was running for his life in an unfamiliar land. Jacob’s brother wanted him dead. Jacob had lied and deceived his father.
I have two houseguests as of last night. They had been surviving without heat and electricity in the freezing temperature. I wanted to cook them a nice, hot breakfast this morning. As it turned out, a bowl of cold cereal would have been preferable. Rubbery eggs and ugly waffles, anyone?
An ambulance arrived at my house. My son, David, had had a seizure and had taken a pretty hard fall. He dislocated his shoulder and gashed his chin. Before loading my son into the ambulance, the paramedics informed us they would be cutting David’s sweatshirt off to care for his shoulder.
The sad houseplant looked like how I felt. Forgotten, parched, brittle and malnourished. I had been so busy these last few weeks with all the responsibilities of keeping a family fed, clothed, and content, that I’d neglected that plant. I rushed it to the sink like a heart attack victim to the ER. Refreshing water flowed, but the soil was so hard and dry that the life-giving liquid just ran off into the sink. No matter how heavy the flow or how long the water ran, it just poured off the surface, wasted and unappreciated. I finally placed the weary plant in a pan of water to soak and hoped that the leaves would rise, the color would return, and the plant would be vibrant again.
Mean words. Potty-talk. Critical comments. It was the beginning of a long summer, and I purposed to tackle the issue of the ugly mouth I heard coming from my children. For that summer, my children and I focused on the verse above. We memorized it. We talked about it. We defined words and explained concepts within it. We looked for it lived out in others. We noticed the opposite qualities lived out in others. And most importantly, we asked God to help us walk out this verse in our family relationships. That was hard for a big sister with a huge vocabulary that could slice and dice, and a little brother who had strong, fast arms, fists and feet!
I was desperate. Except it was really more like, “DESPERATE!!!!” My precious treasures were just toddlers.
In my desperation, I had been asking the Lord to be real specific in showing me how to teach my children…how to train them, how to grow their character, and mostly…how to nurture in them a deep love for Jesus. But I was clueless. There was nothing in me that was adequate for the task…and the task was huge, and I felt my children’s very lives hung in the balance! And right there, hearing the cry of my heart, God began to do exactly what our verse says: He taught me.
Are you hindered? I am…or at least I feel like it. A lot! Webster defines hindrances as things that impede, stop or prevent…to hold back, to delay action…to interfere with activity or progress. Yep. Seems like I live there!
I love this action verb, “walk.” In fact, I love a good walk…..one that awakens my senses and gets my blood pumping. I love a walk in the early morning hours when darkness becomes light and I can think through the day ahead. But the best kind of walks are those sweet evening walks with my beloved better half….how I love him and enjoy every moment in his presence. I particularly cherish time alone with him, hand in hand, discussing the day or our plans and dreams or our concerns for the children. That brief get-away sustains me, nourishes me. It reminds me of his love for me. It makes me feel secure and tenderly cared-for. It renews and refreshes my love for him, and my heart is open to his words, instructions and longings.
Endless summer days. Texas heat. Drought. We hadn’t seen rain for weeks. The grass struggled with its gray hue, and flowers remained wilted in spite of my effort of moving sprinklers around to keep them watered. I prayed daily for rain to come.
Between a pandemic and political and racial unrest, this past year created many opportunities for fear.
Recently, the Lord reminded me of King Jehoshaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles 20. Several countries came to fight against Judah. The king, in his fear, turned to the Lord and invited his country to do the same.
