Author: Carolyn

I am a Christian, a sinner saved by God's amazing grace. Much like my life, my blog is a work in progress. The main objective I have for this blog is to "proclaim the praises" of the One who called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9)

Verse for the Day – 1 Peter 1:8

Carolyn
I’ve been thinking this week about the seen and the unseen.

It started when I woke up in a great deal of pain, which I knew was from my kidneys. I began to wonder if all the caffeine, sodas, less water, and general disregard for the right diet over the last year or so might be catching up to me. When the pain comes, suddenly it’s easy to wish I had done better in paying attention to what I knew needed care.

But the reality is, I can’t see my kidneys. When they don’t hurt, I feel normal. Sure, I know I have misshapen, diffusely calcified kidneys, but I don’t always act as though I do because I can’t see them! Only when I feel them did I start to believe and act again.

It reminded me of this verse in 1 Peter 1:8:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” (ESV)
 Sometimes our faith can be that way if we aren’t careful. We can’t physically see the unseen world, the battles around us, or our living God! But He is there, and that reality is more real than our own world!

Though we cannot see Him, we love Him. Though we do not now see him, we believe in Him and rejoice with joy! Can we be a people that love and rejoice in Him, even in what we cannot see?

And yet, He has given evidence of Himself as we see creation, as He reveals Himself in our conscience, and He shows Himself all around us working and acting, especially on behalf of those who love Him, believe Him, and draw near to Him.

This also reminds me of Thomas who would not believe unless he himself could see in Jesus’ hands the print of the nails and touch it, and put his hand in His side. The moment Jesus so graciously gave Thomas that opportunity, He replied in belief, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

PRAYER: Lord, please give us hearts and minds to believe You, the unseen but living, true God. Please increase our faith. Let us watch for You and see You, eyes on You, because just as You gave to Thomas, You are willing to reveal Yourself to us, too. May we see You and Your glory at work around us and rejoice with inexpressible joy, with a faith and love for You, even though we as yet cannot see fully. We love you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse for the Day – Habakkuk 3:17-19

Carolyn
This verse has kept coming to my mind the last week, so I’ll choose it today, even though it’s not the first one I would naturally have chosen for us.
It’s a hymn of faith, a song of rejoicing by Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 3:17-19:
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. (ESV)
These verses always remind me of our dear friend who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lived only 10 months, dying at age 44. These were the verses he quoted on his blog in the days before he could write and think clearly no more. He didn’t understand God’s plan – it felt like the description in verse 17 – and yet he chose to rejoice in God and praise Him. It was an incredible testimony of trust and faith in God when he couldn’t make sense of his circumstances.

But God knew and knows still. The high school he attended set up an endowed fund to annually give a gift to a student who would apply for this. Reading the letter we received this week from the first fellow, we saw just one way in which God used our friend’s life for His glory and others’ good. The high schooler writes, “I was a troublemaker kid in middle school, and didn’t care about God’s plan in my life. Halfway through my freshman year in high school, my dad challenged my family to read the Bible in honor of Jeff’s death. Reading God’s Word completely changed my life, and I became a true follower of Christ…”

It was reading God’s Word daily in the one year Bible that kept our friends strengthened by the power of God’s Word, too, as they walked through that season. Perhaps that’s an encouragement to us to read God’s Word daily and let His Spirit teach us.

It’s a reminder, too, though, that when circumstances are difficult, God is still at work, and we can always rejoice in Him. Perhaps our lives today don’t necessarily feel that extreme, without fig trees blossoming or food yielding, with no herd in the stalls, like these verses describe, which is why I might have passed them by. And yet, even days where we are discouraged a little could maybe feel this way.

So we are reminded with Habakkuk to nevertheless rejoice in the LORD and take joy in His salvation, no matter what comes. And I love Habakkuk’s declaration that the LORD God is his strength – this is his confidence – and will make his feet like deer’s feet – that’s stability and the ability to live in the heights, walking on high hills, even when life appears to be in the depths! The LORD God will strengthen those who trust in Him and whose confidence is in Him.

PRAYER: Lord, today, may we have confidence and faith in You, our Strength, whatever comes our way. Let us rejoice in You, the God of our salvation, as Jeff did, and see Your beauty around us and You at work, even in a dark world and when things are confusing. Help us to fix our eyes again on You, who strengthens us and gives us all that we need for each day. May we trust you more and sing a song of praise to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse for the Day – 2 Peter 1:3

Carolyn
Every day when I look for a verse, I’m amazed at how many there are! God’s Word does give us all we need for life and godliness. That’s then where I found today’s verse, in 2 Peter 1:3:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (ESV)
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you have given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness by your divine power and through the knowledge of You who has called us to Your own glory and excellence. We want full and abundant life and godliness in You; in fact, we don’t just want it, we have it in You. Let us grasp that which You have given to us. Let the knowledge of You, the One who called us by and for Your own glory and excellence, transform and purify us by the grace of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Verse for the Day – Jude 24-25

Carolyn

Jude 24-25: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” (NKJV)

God is able to keep us from stumbling. My Bible notes point out that we can’t really stumble unless we are already walking or running – as in a race, like we read in Hebrews 12:1-2 last week. Remember we are in a race. God can keep us from stumbling.

He can also present us faultless, without blame, and with great joy, before the presence of His glory. My Bible notes (The Nelson NKJV Study Bible) point out: “Faultless is a Greek word used of sacrificial animals that had no blemish and thus were fit to be offered to God. Only God can save us, cleanse us from our sins, and present us to Himself as faultless, for God is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (see Heb.12:2).” Again a reference to our verses last week – He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith, originating it and keeping it.

PRAYER: Lord, we praise You that You are able to keep us from stumbling. Help us to look to You for help in our race of faith. Praise You that You are able to present us faultless before You by the blood of Jesus and His righteousness. We say and affirm Jude 25 then, “To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

Verse for the Day – Isaiah 26:8

Carolyn

The words of this verse have been running through my head the last day or two.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” Isaiah 26:8 (NIV)

I’ve been thinking a lot about those two things. Walking in His ways, and His Name and renown.

In our culture, it can be hard to walk in His ways. So many things conspire against us. Some days you can almost feel the tidal wave sucking you under with the lies of our world. So many things that are against God are actually celebrated in our culture. It can come at you from every direction, and you must fight against it to believe otherwise.

We really can’t walk in the ways of the Lord if we don’t know truth and what those ways are. And we can’t know truth and His ways if we don’t know His Word. So stay in the Word.

Then what is the desire of our hearts? That’s a big question, isn’t it? Even if we think we know, we might not. Is the Lord’s name and renown (fame, widespread repute) our heart’s desire?

I think one of the most natural tendencies we have as humans is to be concerned with ourselves, to be self-absorbed, to think about our wants and needs and desires, to crave to be known, to matter, to have attention on us. I see it in myself often – pride and selfishness.

Yet the Lord can radically redirect that when we submit to Him. Rather than my own desires being first in my mind, He can become first in my mind. And as I seek Him and His ways, He redirects my passions and desires to those that truly satisfy and bring joy. Those are all found in Him! And somewhere along that path, walking in His ways, looking at Him, we see He is everything, and His Name and renown become the desire of our hearts. He will be at the center of our lives, on the throne.

You will often get mixed messages about these things, but look to God and His ways, and watch as He becomes your heart’s greatest desire – to make Him known – all for His great glory and your incredible satisfaction and joy.

PRAYER: Lord, may we walk in your ways by knowing them through your Word and following You in the power of Your Spirit. May we resist what isn’t true and give up selfish desires to see You, Your Name and renown, indeed become the desire of our hearts. We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.