Genesis 39:1-23
Through the life of Joseph, we can learn important principles about challenging times.
Difficulties will continue until God accomplishes His purpose. In Joseph's case, God' plan was to prepare him to rescue his family and the nation of Egypt from famine. In order to ready him for a position of great authority and responsibility, God placed Joseph in an important Egyptian household as a slave. Here, in hard circumstances, Joseph could learn the key lessons needed for the future. Not only did he acquire important skills but his faith and relationship with God were strengthened. God operates the same way today—He equips us to accomplish the work He has planned for us. (Ephesians 2:10)
We learn more in the dark than we do in the light. Besides discovering God's faithfulness, Joseph learned how to discern God's presence, to say no to temptation, and to handle high and low positions. The principles and truths we read in Scripture are not really ours until they get tested and tried.
What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the light. Joseph openly shared his faith and knowledge from God when he interpreted the Pharaoh's dreams. (Genesis 41:15-16) He did not let imprisonment stop him from helping others. (Genesis 40:1-23) What we learn in our trials is to be offered to those who are suffering.
None of us look for hard times, but they seem to find us regularly. Instead of fearing them, we can trust God and embrace His plan. God will use trials for His glory and our gain. (Job 23:10) We can count on it.
Mrs. P
God's Presence in Hard Times
Genesis 37:12-36
We are hurting, circumstances are outside our control, and we see no relief for the future. What can we be sure of?
God is with us in our troubles. God's presence through His Spirit comforts us because He knows us intimately. He gives us what we need—His love and strength, a sense of security, and the knowledge that we are not alone. Our Lord understands what it is like to suffer, to be rejected, or to lose a loved one. He comprehends the temptations and obstacles we face. He has assigned Himself the task of carrying His children's burdens (Psalm 68:19) and offers peace for our hurting hearts. The God who walks with us is not limited by anything, so we need not be afraid. (Matthew 19:26)
God has a purpose for allowing hard times.The story of Joseph clearly illustrates this truth. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but God planned that these years would prepare him to become Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph could not see God's purpose—and neither will we most of the time—but he knew God's character and trusted Him through his many trials. His faith was rewarded when he was able to rescue his family. (Genesis 45:1-8)
We are called to live a life of faith. That means believing God's promises even if our circumstances confound us. When troubles surround you, remember what is true. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and His good purposes will be carried out. (Philippians 2:13)
Mr.s P
We are hurting, circumstances are outside our control, and we see no relief for the future. What can we be sure of?
God is with us in our troubles. God's presence through His Spirit comforts us because He knows us intimately. He gives us what we need—His love and strength, a sense of security, and the knowledge that we are not alone. Our Lord understands what it is like to suffer, to be rejected, or to lose a loved one. He comprehends the temptations and obstacles we face. He has assigned Himself the task of carrying His children's burdens (Psalm 68:19) and offers peace for our hurting hearts. The God who walks with us is not limited by anything, so we need not be afraid. (Matthew 19:26)
God has a purpose for allowing hard times.The story of Joseph clearly illustrates this truth. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but God planned that these years would prepare him to become Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph could not see God's purpose—and neither will we most of the time—but he knew God's character and trusted Him through his many trials. His faith was rewarded when he was able to rescue his family. (Genesis 45:1-8)
We are called to live a life of faith. That means believing God's promises even if our circumstances confound us. When troubles surround you, remember what is true. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and His good purposes will be carried out. (Philippians 2:13)
Mr.s P
Our Work Versus Our Value
Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. When we go outside God's provision to meet these needs, we get into trouble.
Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work; it was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care for and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.
The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "As long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become workaholics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.
Our value must be centered in God, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even difficult times have purposes.
Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is God the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself why. You might discover that God may not be the central focus.
Mrs. P
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. When we go outside God's provision to meet these needs, we get into trouble.
Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work; it was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care for and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.
The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "As long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become workaholics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.
Our value must be centered in God, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even difficult times have purposes.
Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is God the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself why. You might discover that God may not be the central focus.
Mrs. P
How to Remain Fresh in your Spirit as You Age
Cars tell us something about their drivers. At the wheel of a speeding Spitfire is a stylish young man, new job, beautiful girl, lots of living ahead-or so he thinks. The Suburban's three kids are soccer bound. Old and reliable, the Studebaker's occupants are...well, older and reliable folks.
Our culture glorifies young, glamorous bodies. Be careful not to buy the idea that your best years are gone. More mature people are more useful to God's Kingdom. As long as the Lord keeps us here, He has a job for us.
Psalm 71
Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come (verse 18). This man was committed to using his golden years as a witness for Christ to the younger generation.
Octogenarian evangelist Raymond Riggs said his secret for staying young at heart included spending much time with young people. He and his wife volunteer to work with youth at camps and church, inviting them home for cookies, hot chocolate, and games. He talks with them a lot.
Riggs also ministers to old people as chaplain at a nursing home, and devotes lots of time to grandparenting. "It keeps us young," he said.
Psalm 92
Another encouraging passage for Studebakers is Psalm 92: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.
As we grow older, we can remain as fresh in our spirits as evergreens, inwardly thrive even in severe conditions, have an inner strength, majesty, poise about us, and continue bearing fruit in our old age.
As J. Oswald Sanders said, "It's attitude rather than arteries that determines the vitality of our maturing years."
But, what about the infirmities of age? Though we can reduce or retard frailty with proper exercise, rest, and nutrition, our bodies will suffer wear along the way-arteries clog, memories fail, joints stiffen, steps slow. But God's promises don't clog, fail, stiffen, or slow. So rely more on the Savior and less on self.
Isaiah 46 is a wonderful example for seniors: Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you (verse 4).
We may feel frail, yet God designed and created us-body, mind, and soul-and can care for us as we get gray. God can be trusted. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will take care of you and use you.
Facing mandatory retirement from missionary service at 70 after 40 years in China, Bertha Smith didn't want to leave, finally feeling qualified to serve. However, God assured her He had a plan to care for and use her.
Bertha returned home and then got invitations to tell her experiences. For 30 years, she inspired churches across America, challenged youth on college campuses, and mirrored Christ around the world-still going at nearly 100.
Look around. See what you can do. Find a need. Fill it. Though it seems small, "Little is much if God is in it." No matter your age, you can make a priceless contribution to God's plan. You're made to live forever, a timeless creation. And, you've never had as much experience as you have now nor walked with the Lord as long as you have now.
Keep your spirit strong. Remember what Pearl Buck said at age 84: "I am a far more useful person than I was fifty years ago…or even ten. I have learned so much since I was 70."
Like the Studebaker, we may have been odd and unpopular when we were younger, but now we're classics. Don't be afraid to honk your horn and step on the gas. You might just pass up that Spitfire.
Mrs. P
Our culture glorifies young, glamorous bodies. Be careful not to buy the idea that your best years are gone. More mature people are more useful to God's Kingdom. As long as the Lord keeps us here, He has a job for us.
Psalm 71
Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come (verse 18). This man was committed to using his golden years as a witness for Christ to the younger generation.
Octogenarian evangelist Raymond Riggs said his secret for staying young at heart included spending much time with young people. He and his wife volunteer to work with youth at camps and church, inviting them home for cookies, hot chocolate, and games. He talks with them a lot.
Riggs also ministers to old people as chaplain at a nursing home, and devotes lots of time to grandparenting. "It keeps us young," he said.
Psalm 92
Another encouraging passage for Studebakers is Psalm 92: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.
As we grow older, we can remain as fresh in our spirits as evergreens, inwardly thrive even in severe conditions, have an inner strength, majesty, poise about us, and continue bearing fruit in our old age.
As J. Oswald Sanders said, "It's attitude rather than arteries that determines the vitality of our maturing years."
But, what about the infirmities of age? Though we can reduce or retard frailty with proper exercise, rest, and nutrition, our bodies will suffer wear along the way-arteries clog, memories fail, joints stiffen, steps slow. But God's promises don't clog, fail, stiffen, or slow. So rely more on the Savior and less on self.
Isaiah 46 is a wonderful example for seniors: Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you (verse 4).
We may feel frail, yet God designed and created us-body, mind, and soul-and can care for us as we get gray. God can be trusted. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will take care of you and use you.
Facing mandatory retirement from missionary service at 70 after 40 years in China, Bertha Smith didn't want to leave, finally feeling qualified to serve. However, God assured her He had a plan to care for and use her.
Bertha returned home and then got invitations to tell her experiences. For 30 years, she inspired churches across America, challenged youth on college campuses, and mirrored Christ around the world-still going at nearly 100.
Look around. See what you can do. Find a need. Fill it. Though it seems small, "Little is much if God is in it." No matter your age, you can make a priceless contribution to God's plan. You're made to live forever, a timeless creation. And, you've never had as much experience as you have now nor walked with the Lord as long as you have now.
Keep your spirit strong. Remember what Pearl Buck said at age 84: "I am a far more useful person than I was fifty years ago…or even ten. I have learned so much since I was 70."
Like the Studebaker, we may have been odd and unpopular when we were younger, but now we're classics. Don't be afraid to honk your horn and step on the gas. You might just pass up that Spitfire.
Mrs. P
Exiting the Emotion Locomotive: God Can Heal All Our Wounds
Bipolar disorder is the third most common mood disorder after major depression and dysthymic disorder (morbid depression and anxiety with accompanying obsession). It affects about 1 percent of adults during their lifetime. Studies have indicated that bipolar depression is genetically inherited, occurring more commonly within families.
Symptoms typically begin during adolescence or early adulthood, and continue to recur throughout life, with both men and women equally likely to suffer. Without effective intervention, bipolar illness leads to suicide in nearly 20 percent of cases.
There are treatment options. But because bipolar disorder is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even some physicians, people with bipolar disorder may suffer needlessly for years... perhaps for their entire lives. Depression is not fully recognized by most health care insurance providers; most will pay only 50 percent of treatment costs for outpatient care, as well as limiting the number of visits.
I have come to believe that, at least to some extent, a young teenage girl I knew had been experiencing this bipolar train ride for all of her life; She lived in a perceived world of surreal highs and devastating lows. Very early on, this created for her a feeling of separation from others and from the world, a phenomenon she would later try to numb with drugs and alcohol.
This is, in fact, very common; an estimated 60 percent of all people with bipolar disorder have drug or alcohol dependence. It is my belief that fellowship-oriented substance abuse recovery groups are inhabited by an inordinate number of those who suffer not only from their very real addictions, but also varying levels of bipolar disease.
Shame a Factor
Sadly, shame also plays a factor with many of who don't want others to know about their secret suffering. Where does this irrational shame come from?
I can spout lots of technical jargon and use psychoanalytical language to describe some things science can understand and some things it does not. I'm supposed to have some understanding of neurotransmitters and receptor molecules, but all that cannot completely explain how people sometimes become lost to themselves and lost to the rest of us.
And I believe in unseen darkness and demons, too, and I'm not at all sure where one set of beliefs leaves off and the other takes up. All I know for sure is that God exists, that there is a world beyond what we can see and touch and feel, and that within that world evil exists, too.
And I believe that for some of us in obvious ways and probably all of us in more subtle ways the disease thrives and makes its home in more than just our flesh, and medicine alone rarely cures us.
For a few years this young teenage girl I knew recklessly tried to fulfill this false destiny with the most destructive of behaviors, and attempted to take her own life. But then... then something happened. She discovered that at the source of her aching emptiness lay a soul dying of loneliness. And, crying out to the God she had spent her whole life running away from, she discovered He had been there all along.
Returning to the Flock
Why are we so afraid to open ourselves to others, to uncover our wounds and let them see, let them touch? Why do we so often succumb to this shame that keeps us in bondage? I believe it is because we allow the shame to isolate us, to cut us off from others and therefore perpetuate the illusion of our being alone. Only by culling us from the flock, so to speak, can the enemy kill us.
And so, the lies draw us deeper into the deception of self-loathing. Christ - and those who truly share His nature - wait to welcome us Home. But lost in this darkest of places, on this seemingly unstoppable train barreling down the mountain, we simply have trouble believing we can ever jump to the safety of His arms.
How do we abandon ourselves to such trust? We must learn to reach out.
First, we need to seek professional help. The new generation of psychotropic drugs is far less dangerous and much more effective than those drugs used in the years past. We look for doctors who understand the multiplicity of this disease dynamic. These professionals, if they fully understand that drugs alone are not the ultimate answer, can give those suffering from depression a fighting chance, a helping hand out of the pit, thus enabling them to do the physical, emotional, and spiritual work necessary for long term recovery. Ultimately, those who battle this thing can re-engage with the world, with life... with Christ.
Then, we need a support system, a fellowship, a safe place for connecting with those who have lived some part of their lives suffering from the pain of similar wounds. We move beyond our comfort zone and, one day at a time, seek the healing face of Christ, often in the faces of strangers who are seeking their own recovery. This is a biblically sound principal, yet one sometimes looked down on by those in the Christian church.
These days, some of the people I work with both inside and outside the church walls have trouble with the whole "recovering" thing, as if true healing is somehow less miraculous when performed as a process rather than an event. But to me, nothing could be more beautiful or meaningful than a God who is willing to meet me on my knees every morning, and to walk with me one step at a time, this friend Jesus who seeks intimacy rather than waving a magic wand. And, by connecting with others suffering from similar hurts, we open ourselves to His deeply relational - and uniquely beautiful - healing.
Come Aboard
This Bipolar Express is indeed like a runaway train. Often, it is little more than a far-away whistle, a faint rumbling through the wooded night. But sometimes the brakes fail, and the black machine lunges forward, out of control. It is then we learn we cannot face this thing alone. We need help.
I encourage you to reach out. The ride can be scary. But there is always hope in Jesus...there is always healing for the broken spirit. Jesus never tells us that the journey will be without suffering. But He promises that, should we but dare to fall into His arms, we need never again travel alone.
Come aboard. Together, we're heading Home.
…A dedication to Jessica who is in my constant prayers.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
Symptoms typically begin during adolescence or early adulthood, and continue to recur throughout life, with both men and women equally likely to suffer. Without effective intervention, bipolar illness leads to suicide in nearly 20 percent of cases.
There are treatment options. But because bipolar disorder is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even some physicians, people with bipolar disorder may suffer needlessly for years... perhaps for their entire lives. Depression is not fully recognized by most health care insurance providers; most will pay only 50 percent of treatment costs for outpatient care, as well as limiting the number of visits.
I have come to believe that, at least to some extent, a young teenage girl I knew had been experiencing this bipolar train ride for all of her life; She lived in a perceived world of surreal highs and devastating lows. Very early on, this created for her a feeling of separation from others and from the world, a phenomenon she would later try to numb with drugs and alcohol.
This is, in fact, very common; an estimated 60 percent of all people with bipolar disorder have drug or alcohol dependence. It is my belief that fellowship-oriented substance abuse recovery groups are inhabited by an inordinate number of those who suffer not only from their very real addictions, but also varying levels of bipolar disease.
Shame a Factor
Sadly, shame also plays a factor with many of who don't want others to know about their secret suffering. Where does this irrational shame come from?
I can spout lots of technical jargon and use psychoanalytical language to describe some things science can understand and some things it does not. I'm supposed to have some understanding of neurotransmitters and receptor molecules, but all that cannot completely explain how people sometimes become lost to themselves and lost to the rest of us.
And I believe in unseen darkness and demons, too, and I'm not at all sure where one set of beliefs leaves off and the other takes up. All I know for sure is that God exists, that there is a world beyond what we can see and touch and feel, and that within that world evil exists, too.
And I believe that for some of us in obvious ways and probably all of us in more subtle ways the disease thrives and makes its home in more than just our flesh, and medicine alone rarely cures us.
For a few years this young teenage girl I knew recklessly tried to fulfill this false destiny with the most destructive of behaviors, and attempted to take her own life. But then... then something happened. She discovered that at the source of her aching emptiness lay a soul dying of loneliness. And, crying out to the God she had spent her whole life running away from, she discovered He had been there all along.
Returning to the Flock
Why are we so afraid to open ourselves to others, to uncover our wounds and let them see, let them touch? Why do we so often succumb to this shame that keeps us in bondage? I believe it is because we allow the shame to isolate us, to cut us off from others and therefore perpetuate the illusion of our being alone. Only by culling us from the flock, so to speak, can the enemy kill us.
And so, the lies draw us deeper into the deception of self-loathing. Christ - and those who truly share His nature - wait to welcome us Home. But lost in this darkest of places, on this seemingly unstoppable train barreling down the mountain, we simply have trouble believing we can ever jump to the safety of His arms.
How do we abandon ourselves to such trust? We must learn to reach out.
First, we need to seek professional help. The new generation of psychotropic drugs is far less dangerous and much more effective than those drugs used in the years past. We look for doctors who understand the multiplicity of this disease dynamic. These professionals, if they fully understand that drugs alone are not the ultimate answer, can give those suffering from depression a fighting chance, a helping hand out of the pit, thus enabling them to do the physical, emotional, and spiritual work necessary for long term recovery. Ultimately, those who battle this thing can re-engage with the world, with life... with Christ.
Then, we need a support system, a fellowship, a safe place for connecting with those who have lived some part of their lives suffering from the pain of similar wounds. We move beyond our comfort zone and, one day at a time, seek the healing face of Christ, often in the faces of strangers who are seeking their own recovery. This is a biblically sound principal, yet one sometimes looked down on by those in the Christian church.
These days, some of the people I work with both inside and outside the church walls have trouble with the whole "recovering" thing, as if true healing is somehow less miraculous when performed as a process rather than an event. But to me, nothing could be more beautiful or meaningful than a God who is willing to meet me on my knees every morning, and to walk with me one step at a time, this friend Jesus who seeks intimacy rather than waving a magic wand. And, by connecting with others suffering from similar hurts, we open ourselves to His deeply relational - and uniquely beautiful - healing.
Come Aboard
This Bipolar Express is indeed like a runaway train. Often, it is little more than a far-away whistle, a faint rumbling through the wooded night. But sometimes the brakes fail, and the black machine lunges forward, out of control. It is then we learn we cannot face this thing alone. We need help.
I encourage you to reach out. The ride can be scary. But there is always hope in Jesus...there is always healing for the broken spirit. Jesus never tells us that the journey will be without suffering. But He promises that, should we but dare to fall into His arms, we need never again travel alone.
Come aboard. Together, we're heading Home.
…A dedication to Jessica who is in my constant prayers.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
How to Pray for the Soul - Yours or Another's
For thoughtful people, how they pray for the soul is governed by how they believe God acts. So, for example, if they believe God changes people's souls so that they make new and right choices, then they will ask God to make those soul-changes through evangelism and nurture. But not everybody is thoughtful about the way they pray. They don't think about what view of God is behind their praying.
So what I suggest is that we learn first to pray for the soul from the way the Bible prays for the soul. If we do that, then our prayers will probably be good prayers, and in the process we will also learn about how God acts. Here is the way I pray for my soul. I use these prayers over and over again-for myself and my children and husband and all my beloved. This is the meat and potatoes of my prayer life.
The first thing my soul needs is an inclination to God and his word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his word and draw near to him. Where does that "want to" come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain."
Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened, so that when my inclination leads me to the word I see what is really there and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law."
Then I need for my heart to be enlightened with these "wonders." I need to perceive glory in them and not just interesting facts. Who enlightens the heart? God does. So Ephesians 1:18 teaches us to pray "That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened."
Then I am concerned that my heart is fragmented and that parts of it might remain in the dark while other parts are enlightened. So I long for my heart to be united for God. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? From God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, "O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name."
What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is that my heart will be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
But I don't just want to be happy in my own little private world with God. I want my happiness to be as full as possible for spreading and expanding for others. I want to be strong in joy. This will make me durable in the face of threats or adversity. Where does that strength and durability come from? It comes from God. So Ephesians 3:16 teaches us to pray, "That God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit inside us."
Finally, I want my strength in God to produce good deeds for others so that the glory of God will be seen in my life. Who produces these good deeds? God does. So Colossians 1:10 teaches us to pray, "That [we] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord . . . bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
All this I pray "in Jesus' name," because God gives these things to my soul only because Jesus died for me and removed the wrath of God so that the Father might "freely give me all things" (Romans 8:32).
To remember some of these prayers, I use an acronym-IOUS-almost every day in praying for those I love, asking God to give us an inclination to his Word and not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36), and to open our eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word (Psalm 119:18), and to have hearts united in the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11), and to be satisfied in his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14).
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
So what I suggest is that we learn first to pray for the soul from the way the Bible prays for the soul. If we do that, then our prayers will probably be good prayers, and in the process we will also learn about how God acts. Here is the way I pray for my soul. I use these prayers over and over again-for myself and my children and husband and all my beloved. This is the meat and potatoes of my prayer life.
The first thing my soul needs is an inclination to God and his word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his word and draw near to him. Where does that "want to" come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain."
Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened, so that when my inclination leads me to the word I see what is really there and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law."
Then I need for my heart to be enlightened with these "wonders." I need to perceive glory in them and not just interesting facts. Who enlightens the heart? God does. So Ephesians 1:18 teaches us to pray "That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened."
Then I am concerned that my heart is fragmented and that parts of it might remain in the dark while other parts are enlightened. So I long for my heart to be united for God. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? From God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, "O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name."
What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is that my heart will be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
But I don't just want to be happy in my own little private world with God. I want my happiness to be as full as possible for spreading and expanding for others. I want to be strong in joy. This will make me durable in the face of threats or adversity. Where does that strength and durability come from? It comes from God. So Ephesians 3:16 teaches us to pray, "That God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit inside us."
Finally, I want my strength in God to produce good deeds for others so that the glory of God will be seen in my life. Who produces these good deeds? God does. So Colossians 1:10 teaches us to pray, "That [we] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord . . . bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
All this I pray "in Jesus' name," because God gives these things to my soul only because Jesus died for me and removed the wrath of God so that the Father might "freely give me all things" (Romans 8:32).
To remember some of these prayers, I use an acronym-IOUS-almost every day in praying for those I love, asking God to give us an inclination to his Word and not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36), and to open our eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word (Psalm 119:18), and to have hearts united in the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11), and to be satisfied in his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14).
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
THE POWER OF THE BELIEVER
John 8:32 You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free
When I was a girl growing up in San Jose, CA my brother and I would visit our neighbor's house to share stories, candy and pop that we bought with the money we earned each weekend doing yard work around the neighborhood. The neighbor had a yappy little dog that scared the socks off me. When it came barking around the corner, my brother stood his ground, but I ran. Guess who the dog chased! I escaped to the top of our orange Datsun pickup truck while the little dog yapped at me from the ground.
Everyone except me could see that the little dog had no power over me except what I gave it. Furthermore, it had no inherent power to throw me up on the pickup; it was my belief that put me up there. That dog controlled me by using my mind, my emotions, my will, and my muscles, all of which were motivated by fear. Finally I gathered up my courage, jumped off the pickup, and kicked a small rock at the mutt. Lo and behold, it ran!
Satan is like that yappy little dog: deceiving people into fearing him more than God. His power is in the lie. He is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9), and consequently the whole world is under the influence of the evil one (1 John 5:19). He can do nothing about your position in Christ, but if he can deceive you into believing his lies about you and God, you will spend a lot of time on top of the pickup truck! You don't have to outshout him or outmuscle him to be free of his influence. You just have to outtruth him. Believe, declare, and act upon the truth of God's Word, and you will thwart Satan's strategy.
I have learned from the Scriptures and my experience that truth is the liberating agent. The power of Satan is in the lie, and the power of the believer is in knowing the truth. We are to pursue truth, not power.
Prayer:
Father God, when Satan is badgering and confusing me, remind me that Your Holy Spirit within me is greater than all the evil around me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
When I was a girl growing up in San Jose, CA my brother and I would visit our neighbor's house to share stories, candy and pop that we bought with the money we earned each weekend doing yard work around the neighborhood. The neighbor had a yappy little dog that scared the socks off me. When it came barking around the corner, my brother stood his ground, but I ran. Guess who the dog chased! I escaped to the top of our orange Datsun pickup truck while the little dog yapped at me from the ground.
Everyone except me could see that the little dog had no power over me except what I gave it. Furthermore, it had no inherent power to throw me up on the pickup; it was my belief that put me up there. That dog controlled me by using my mind, my emotions, my will, and my muscles, all of which were motivated by fear. Finally I gathered up my courage, jumped off the pickup, and kicked a small rock at the mutt. Lo and behold, it ran!
Satan is like that yappy little dog: deceiving people into fearing him more than God. His power is in the lie. He is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9), and consequently the whole world is under the influence of the evil one (1 John 5:19). He can do nothing about your position in Christ, but if he can deceive you into believing his lies about you and God, you will spend a lot of time on top of the pickup truck! You don't have to outshout him or outmuscle him to be free of his influence. You just have to outtruth him. Believe, declare, and act upon the truth of God's Word, and you will thwart Satan's strategy.
I have learned from the Scriptures and my experience that truth is the liberating agent. The power of Satan is in the lie, and the power of the believer is in knowing the truth. We are to pursue truth, not power.
Prayer:
Father God, when Satan is badgering and confusing me, remind me that Your Holy Spirit within me is greater than all the evil around me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
Our Concept of Happiness
This is my happy way of life: obeying your commandments. - Psalm 119:56
Philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, "The search for happiness is one of the chiefsources of unhappiness." Someone else once said, "There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want. And the other is getting it."
So for many people today who are searching for happiness, the cold hard truth is they will never quite find it. You look at all of these people in Hollywood - with all of the accomplishments, fame, and money - and so many of them live miserable and empty lives. They are searching for happiness in the wrong way. True happiness is always a byproduct of holiness. You get your life right with God and happiness will soon follow.
That is why the nonbeliever will never know true happiness. They will go after the devil's cheap counterfeits, but the counterfeits are shallow, because they possess no deep well from which to draw. The world's concept of happiness is dependent on good things happening. The believers concept of happiness depends on a good God.
Mrs. P
Philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, "The search for happiness is one of the chiefsources of unhappiness." Someone else once said, "There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want. And the other is getting it."
So for many people today who are searching for happiness, the cold hard truth is they will never quite find it. You look at all of these people in Hollywood - with all of the accomplishments, fame, and money - and so many of them live miserable and empty lives. They are searching for happiness in the wrong way. True happiness is always a byproduct of holiness. You get your life right with God and happiness will soon follow.
That is why the nonbeliever will never know true happiness. They will go after the devil's cheap counterfeits, but the counterfeits are shallow, because they possess no deep well from which to draw. The world's concept of happiness is dependent on good things happening. The believers concept of happiness depends on a good God.
Mrs. P
How to be a Wise Guy (and Gal) ... When Falling in Love
Falling in love is a dizzying experience. Once the spark of attraction catches flame, love quickly turns into a raging fire of unreasoned passion. Engulfed by its heat, couples sometimes sacrifice all sound judgment in the interest of bonding their relationship. The Song of Songs says, "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away" (8:7). Love, by its very nature, is extravagant.
We read recently about a man who hired a helicopter to drop 2,500 carnations and 10,000 love letters on the lawn of a woman he loved. Apparently the woman failed to share this man's affection and had him charged with littering. She told reporters "he had lost his mind."
Love really can cause some people to lose their heads. They become "crazy in love." They become compelled by the emotional force of love and forsake their analytical ability. It's a common danger. The compelling emotional force overrides our capacity to think clearly if we let it. That is why Scripture urges us to "be careful, then, how you live-not as unwise, but wise" (Eph. 5:15).
Have you thought much about wisdom -- the ability to reason with insight? You should. It is essential to the success of your relationships. Sure, the emotional side of love is vital, and you will need to stoke the fires of passion over the years, but don't neglect the cool calm of wisdom.
Wisdom is not about saying wise words or doing wise deeds. It is concerned with being, not doing. So how do you cultivate wisdom in marriage? Or, as Job asked, "Where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?" (28:12). The writer of Proverbs compared searching for wisdom to mining and said, "If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand" (2:4-5).
After nearly two decades of being married in my life, I am still on an expedition for more wisdom. Daily I seek to avoid being unwise, and have discovered two tools that are essential in my pursuit.
First of all, I have learned that wisdom only comes when humble. As Socrates said, "The wisest man is he who knows his own ignorance." Without humility partners fall victim to pride, and "when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). Be humble enough to ask for help. Learn how to ask a good question. According to Francis Bacon, "A prudent question is one-half of wisdom."
The second tool for mining wisdom in relationships stems from the first-ask God to share his wisdom with you (see James 1:5). Human wisdom on its own is inadequate (see 1 Cor. 1:19; 1:21; 3:18-19). We need the wisdom that comes from God, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 111:10; see also Prov. 9:10; Matt 12:42, 13:54; Acts 6:3).
So enjoy the dizzying emotions of love when they come, but never neglect the importance of wisdom in your relationships. It is a shared pursuit for soul mates, and it will bless your union.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
We read recently about a man who hired a helicopter to drop 2,500 carnations and 10,000 love letters on the lawn of a woman he loved. Apparently the woman failed to share this man's affection and had him charged with littering. She told reporters "he had lost his mind."
Love really can cause some people to lose their heads. They become "crazy in love." They become compelled by the emotional force of love and forsake their analytical ability. It's a common danger. The compelling emotional force overrides our capacity to think clearly if we let it. That is why Scripture urges us to "be careful, then, how you live-not as unwise, but wise" (Eph. 5:15).
Have you thought much about wisdom -- the ability to reason with insight? You should. It is essential to the success of your relationships. Sure, the emotional side of love is vital, and you will need to stoke the fires of passion over the years, but don't neglect the cool calm of wisdom.
Wisdom is not about saying wise words or doing wise deeds. It is concerned with being, not doing. So how do you cultivate wisdom in marriage? Or, as Job asked, "Where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?" (28:12). The writer of Proverbs compared searching for wisdom to mining and said, "If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand" (2:4-5).
After nearly two decades of being married in my life, I am still on an expedition for more wisdom. Daily I seek to avoid being unwise, and have discovered two tools that are essential in my pursuit.
First of all, I have learned that wisdom only comes when humble. As Socrates said, "The wisest man is he who knows his own ignorance." Without humility partners fall victim to pride, and "when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). Be humble enough to ask for help. Learn how to ask a good question. According to Francis Bacon, "A prudent question is one-half of wisdom."
The second tool for mining wisdom in relationships stems from the first-ask God to share his wisdom with you (see James 1:5). Human wisdom on its own is inadequate (see 1 Cor. 1:19; 1:21; 3:18-19). We need the wisdom that comes from God, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 111:10; see also Prov. 9:10; Matt 12:42, 13:54; Acts 6:3).
So enjoy the dizzying emotions of love when they come, but never neglect the importance of wisdom in your relationships. It is a shared pursuit for soul mates, and it will bless your union.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
The Best Part of Snuggling
The sun has just risen outside. Soft pits and pats against the window ... rain ... and I pull the blanket closer, sinking back into the couch. A hot cup of coffee rests at my elbow. It is my favorite time of the day.
In the new morning hour, I think back to other special mornings, nearly 16 years ago. Wrapped in my blue plush robe, rocking back and forth, it was many a quiet new morning sunrises when I would slowly sense the presence of another person. My son, a toddler of three, had padded into the living room, up next to my chair, with his small eyes fixed on me (Mommy loves you Zachery).
Wordlessly, in agreement that the peace of the morning was large enough for both of us, I would open my robe. Knowing what to do, he climbed onto my lap, and I pulled the robe around us, a snuggling of two. In many a early morning, so many years ago, we kept the peace together.
Snuggling ... it's hard to know the best part. Is it the new morning, the quiet, the soft touch of a hand on the shoulder? Is it protection, comfort, acknowledgement, relationship? Safety? Is it the promised assurance between human beings that what happens to you will happen to me because I share your heartbeat?
I was jarred to attention last week. I was asked to consider the first time I ever snuggled, my earliest snuggle of life, and the question brought me up short.
Was it inside the warm white blanket wrapped around me as I was laid into the arms of my mother in the hospital? Or was it later ... close against her as she nursed me, her firstborn? Maybe my father was the first to snuggle me, peering intently, measuring the smallest eyes and lips of a baby ... his ... held in the crook of his arm.
Maybe ... but the magic of science has opened the window on snuggling, and I think it must surely have been weeks, even months before my birth, when I knew I was safe, a knowing of safety available to all living beings even before they can explain it in words.
Surely, weeks before birth, wrapped into a bundle of baby, between my bursts of pushing and kicking against the walls of the womb ... surely there were quiet moments shared with my mother where we snuggled and dreamt. Already at this stage I had fine hair, teeth, and eyelash fringes around eyelids that opened and closed ... and opened again ... for infant eyes that looked around. When she spoke, I knew my mother's voice ... outside ... serenading me as I waited my time.
Certainly, even weeks earlier, when the womb was large enough for me to swim and stretch and turn somersaults, I took time to rest and sleep and snuggle. Inside my mother's quiet belly, worn out from my infant gymnastics, curling my toes, I would have stuck my thumb into my mouth and felt the safety of darkness ... protected and safe.
One thing is certain. I know I snuggled long before I made my first appearance under bright hospital lights. No matter what some want to claim I was back then ... a blob, a mass of cells, an embryo, a fetus ... a product of conception ... I was, without a doubt, a flourishing child of my parents, thriving and growing.
Today, cloaked in a battle of terminology, creating labels devoid of humanity, there are those who wish us to forget that we once snuggled in the womb. They will not have their way with me.
I claim my existence, refusing to be dehumanized at any stage of development. Supported by the miraculous development of four-dimensional ultrasound, doctors and parents can follow the development of babies like me. At eight weeks, I was fully formed, a human of one inch in length, every organ present, with a strong beating heart.
At nine weeks, my fingerprints were already engraved, and my fingers were ready to grasp an object placed in my palm.
At ten weeks, my body was sensitive to touch. I squinted and swallowed. I puckered my brow and frowned.
And then I smiled ... at eleven weeks. And if I could smile, it is certain that I smiled because I felt safe, snuggled inside, nurtured and protected ... my life ahead to be enjoyed and cherished.
So many years later, watching the dawn break outside my living room window, I follow the beads of rain that trickle down the glass. Another beautiful day outside, crisp and damp. The garden will sparkle when the sun breaks through the clouds. I take a sip of coffee and pull the blanket up under my chin.
If there really is a best thing to snuggling, this would have to be it ... revived by thoughts of long ago ... a bundle wrapped together, two of us sharing the morning ... the best thing of all surely being the promised assurance between human beings that what happens to you will happen to me ... because I share your heartbeat.
This is the thought that enters my mind whenever I lay my head upon my love Matthew's chest each night and listen to his heartbeat. It is such a beautiful noise.
This message is dedicated to the many committed educators who are not afraid to teach our children about their earliest days of life inside the womb. May these faithful teachers be encouraged and blessed in their work.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
In the new morning hour, I think back to other special mornings, nearly 16 years ago. Wrapped in my blue plush robe, rocking back and forth, it was many a quiet new morning sunrises when I would slowly sense the presence of another person. My son, a toddler of three, had padded into the living room, up next to my chair, with his small eyes fixed on me (Mommy loves you Zachery).
Wordlessly, in agreement that the peace of the morning was large enough for both of us, I would open my robe. Knowing what to do, he climbed onto my lap, and I pulled the robe around us, a snuggling of two. In many a early morning, so many years ago, we kept the peace together.
Snuggling ... it's hard to know the best part. Is it the new morning, the quiet, the soft touch of a hand on the shoulder? Is it protection, comfort, acknowledgement, relationship? Safety? Is it the promised assurance between human beings that what happens to you will happen to me because I share your heartbeat?
I was jarred to attention last week. I was asked to consider the first time I ever snuggled, my earliest snuggle of life, and the question brought me up short.
Was it inside the warm white blanket wrapped around me as I was laid into the arms of my mother in the hospital? Or was it later ... close against her as she nursed me, her firstborn? Maybe my father was the first to snuggle me, peering intently, measuring the smallest eyes and lips of a baby ... his ... held in the crook of his arm.
Maybe ... but the magic of science has opened the window on snuggling, and I think it must surely have been weeks, even months before my birth, when I knew I was safe, a knowing of safety available to all living beings even before they can explain it in words.
Surely, weeks before birth, wrapped into a bundle of baby, between my bursts of pushing and kicking against the walls of the womb ... surely there were quiet moments shared with my mother where we snuggled and dreamt. Already at this stage I had fine hair, teeth, and eyelash fringes around eyelids that opened and closed ... and opened again ... for infant eyes that looked around. When she spoke, I knew my mother's voice ... outside ... serenading me as I waited my time.
Certainly, even weeks earlier, when the womb was large enough for me to swim and stretch and turn somersaults, I took time to rest and sleep and snuggle. Inside my mother's quiet belly, worn out from my infant gymnastics, curling my toes, I would have stuck my thumb into my mouth and felt the safety of darkness ... protected and safe.
One thing is certain. I know I snuggled long before I made my first appearance under bright hospital lights. No matter what some want to claim I was back then ... a blob, a mass of cells, an embryo, a fetus ... a product of conception ... I was, without a doubt, a flourishing child of my parents, thriving and growing.
Today, cloaked in a battle of terminology, creating labels devoid of humanity, there are those who wish us to forget that we once snuggled in the womb. They will not have their way with me.
I claim my existence, refusing to be dehumanized at any stage of development. Supported by the miraculous development of four-dimensional ultrasound, doctors and parents can follow the development of babies like me. At eight weeks, I was fully formed, a human of one inch in length, every organ present, with a strong beating heart.
At nine weeks, my fingerprints were already engraved, and my fingers were ready to grasp an object placed in my palm.
At ten weeks, my body was sensitive to touch. I squinted and swallowed. I puckered my brow and frowned.
And then I smiled ... at eleven weeks. And if I could smile, it is certain that I smiled because I felt safe, snuggled inside, nurtured and protected ... my life ahead to be enjoyed and cherished.
So many years later, watching the dawn break outside my living room window, I follow the beads of rain that trickle down the glass. Another beautiful day outside, crisp and damp. The garden will sparkle when the sun breaks through the clouds. I take a sip of coffee and pull the blanket up under my chin.
If there really is a best thing to snuggling, this would have to be it ... revived by thoughts of long ago ... a bundle wrapped together, two of us sharing the morning ... the best thing of all surely being the promised assurance between human beings that what happens to you will happen to me ... because I share your heartbeat.
This is the thought that enters my mind whenever I lay my head upon my love Matthew's chest each night and listen to his heartbeat. It is such a beautiful noise.
This message is dedicated to the many committed educators who are not afraid to teach our children about their earliest days of life inside the womb. May these faithful teachers be encouraged and blessed in their work.
Sincerely,
Mrs. P
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