WORD of the Day

A farmer who lived near London during World War II wrote to the Scripture Gift Mission requesting prayer that no bombs would fall on his small farm. He enclosed a five-shilling offering. He explained that his harvest had been awful, and he didn’t have enough money to bring in water for the parched crops. He could not afford another setback without losing his farm. The secretary of the mission wrote back and said he could not ask that his farm be spared but instead would pray that God’s will would be done.

Soon afterward the largest bomb in the German arsenal hit the man’s farm. The impact was so big that it unearthed a spring. The spring not only amply watered his farm, but also enabled him to share water with his neighbors. And the next year, he enjoyed an abundant harvest. He sent a fifty-pound check to the mission as a thanksgiving offering.

Thank God for unexpected blessings.

Lord, thank You for Your power to work for my good even in the worst of events. I trust You fully to take care of me. Amen.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

{Thank you, dear Janet, for sending this my way!!!}

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This past weekend, the children and I drove to Mississippi to see James, and my mom, and our new church for Mother’s Day.  (((For those of you who know me and my issues personally… did you catch the fact that the words “I” and “DROVE” and “to Mississippi” were in the same sentence?))) For the rest of you, my sweet online friends, there’s something I guess it’s time for you to know… I hate to drive.  That’s right. I said it. Hi. My name is Jennifer. And I hate to drive.  I have a terrible sense of direction, and am prone to the fear of wrecks, especially when turning left.  I will happily drive an entire block, if necessary, in order to avoid turning left.  On top of that, I avoid driving in the rain and the dark at all costs.  I prefer to drive only on nice, sunny, blue-sky-cloudless days.  I know… I have issues.

But… I missed my husband and my mom so I did what any good wife and daughter would do… I prayed a lot, packed the car, checked the kids out of school, and drove to MS.  Seriously – I’ve only done this twice before in my entire life.  It was a banner day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and we had a wonderful trip.  All glory to the Lord and a lot of thanks to Gloria  – my GPS – who, besides Jesus, my salvation, James, my children and my family, was the best gift I’ve ever received!  (I love how she tells me when to change lanes, when to turn, when to exit, and when to continue on so many miles. Since I’m not really adventurous or independent, I don’t mind taking directions from her at all!)

We planned on staying through the weekend and returning on Monday.  But along with Monday morning, came rain.  As it passed through MS and into TN, it seemed that we would drive right along with the weather.  Kind of like the rain cloud that hovered over Eeyore.  Normally I would have considered staying at my Mom’s one more day.  But both children were arleady missing Monday’s school, and we needed to get Nathan back by 3pm for the 1st day of Sping Football practice… so I really didn’t have that choice.  On Monday, giving in to fear was not an option.

I’ve been doing battle with fear a lot lately, and by God’s strength and grace, I’m winning more often than losing these days!  So before I handed myself over to fear, I started quoting Philippians 4:13 and 2 Timothy 1:7 and praying for strength.  We ate our breakfast, packed up our car and were just about ready to leave when Abigail noticed that my front left tire looked a little low.  I never even think about noticing those things. 

My sweet mom called a local tire place and arranged for us to have it checked before we left town. What a blessing…because the tire had a nail in it.  We could have had a flat tire – in the rain – somewhere between there and here – and who knows what would have happened.  But we didn’t.  God miraculously went before us, revealed the need, and helped us take care of it.  When we stopped back by my moms before we left town, she hugged me and said, “See, God took care of you then, and He’s going to take care of you the whole way home.”  She was so right!

Actually, because of the tire incident and the often blinding rain, I felt closer to the Lord than I did while driving in the beautiful sunny weather.  Hmmm… sounds like a familiar life lesson…

As we were driving through Memphis, the rain was so blinding that I could hardly see the car in front of me.  The children were watching a movie (with headphones) and I had some soft worship music going, and was having an intimate time with the Lord when I noticed that many cars had pulled to the side to wait out the rain.  I asked the Lord what I should do, and I {almost audibly} heard Him say to me, “Keep pressing through.  Keep going.  Focus on what is in front of you.  Don’t try to pass anyone.  Just keep presssing through this storm.”

So that’s just what I did.  I drove.  I pressed through the blinding rain, focusing my eyes on the tail lights of the car in front of me, and kept going.  And as I was pressing through that literal storm, the Lord gave me a beautiful example of what He wants from me in the present circumstances of my own life.

Sometimes, God calls us to pull over and wait out the storm.  When we do that, we get to rest safely for a while until the weather clears enough for us to get back on the road.  Those are special seasons in our lives.

But sometimes, God calls us to press through the storm.  To keep on keeping on.  To NOT look around and be dismayed (Isa. 41:10), but to keep putting one foot in front of the other (or to keep one foot on the gas pedal, as in my case), and to keep moving forward.  The way may be slow and slippery, but if the Lord calls us to press on, He will help us keep going! 

Seasons of pressing on are just as special in the make up of our lives.  In fact, they may be more precious that the seasons of rest because these seasons of pressing on build something in us that seasons of rest just don’t give us.  They build Trust, Confidence in God, Practice in Obedience, a Sharp Eye, an Alert Mind, and a Desperation for the Help of the Lord.  We need Him, seek Him, and He is found by us.  He shows UP and shows OFF all He desires to do in and through us as we keep pressing on.

Since pressing through the storm on Monday, the strangest thing has happened… I’m driving around town with more confidence than I’ve ever had in my entire life.  I’m pulling out in traffic and actually turning left – and at night – and I’m doing it without that constant sick feeling in the pit of my stomach!   I’m even pulling into parking spaces with much more boldness and authority!  Can somebody give me an A men!?

I know that my driving “issues” may seem ridiculous to some to many ok… to most of you, but I hope you can see past the silly example to the truth of what I’m trying to say.  My family is in a season of pressing through the storm, not resting during it.  Many around us are in that same season.  You may be too.  And if you are, I want to encourage you to do what the Lord instructed me to do during a day that could have been filled with panic and fear: Keep pressing on!  Keep pressing through!  Keep going. Focus on what is in front of you. Don’t try to pass anyone. Just keep presssing through this storm!

In pressing through that storm, the Lord equipped me, strengthened me, and helped me conquer a group of fears that have held me back for way too long!  My family, friends, and I are all the better for it.  The same will be true for you.  If God calls you to Press On, you CAN do it!  You can do it with His Strength and Presence that strengthes you!  I know you can do it… because that’s just what His Word tells us.

Do you need to Press On today?  I’m praying for you right now, thanking God for His Strength and Victory He will pour over you as He leads you to press on…

“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”  Isaiah 41:10 (Amp)

“I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13

Hi sweet friends~

I was doing a little research today when I came upon this verse and felt compelled to share it with you. It speaks for itself, so I won’t even try to comment. I will just pray that the Lord uses it for His glory in each reader’s life. He loves us so much! To Him be the Glory and Power and Light that shines over, in, and through us…

Every once in a while, this circles through e-mail.  I came across it recently and was reminded of what a “cool” thing this is about God’s Word.  There’s so much more about God’s Word than we’ll ever begin to comprehend on this planet.  But praise Him, one of these days, we will, when we see Him Face to face.

A: Psalms 119

Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?

A: Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?

A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about God’s perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find God’s perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word!

Psalms 118:8

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Now isn’t that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?