Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who knows the future. He
knew every detail of our persons and of our lives before we even existed.
"Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all
my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there
was none of them" (Psalm 139:16). We have no idea how our lives will turn
out, but God knows.
I was recently reminded of this truth by a trio of teenage
girls who sang special music at my church. As far as I know, I only ever heard
this song once before in my life, and that was at my commissioning service just
before I left for Mexico. The words include "All I ever want to be is what
you want of me, Lord. I give my life to You, and all my hopes and dreams and
plans I place within Your hands, Lord. Here am I, Lord, use me; take my life
and mold me."
Twenty-four years later, I am struck by how very appropriate
those words were back then. As a young lady setting out to serve God, I was
giving Him myself and desiring to be used by Him. That song had the right
words. I had no idea, however, what those words of dedication would mean for
me. To surrender to God all one's hopes and dreams and plans, to surrender to
be only what He wants one to be - that is somewhat easy to say, but when the
hopes and dreams and plans get derailed and when God wants something different
than what one thought he was going to be - that's when submission takes on
deeper significance.
All people have hopes and dreams and plans, and that is
especially true for missionaries. The job requires that kind of personality,
with passion and goals and striving for the sake of the gospel, but those goals
have to be placed in God's hands for Him to manipulate and change as He desires,
or to bring to fruition if that is His will.
As I heard the girls sing those words, I realized how much
my hopes and dreams and plans had changed from the first time I heard that
song. Yes, I accomplished some of my desires during my brief years in Mexico, but
I'm nowhere close to where I thought at that time that my life would end up.
There have been many changes and events, much good and much difficult.
I asked myself the question: Knowing what I now know about
how God changed those plans, would I still say those same words today? Would I
still surrender it all to God? The longer life goes, the more fervently
positive I believe my answer is. I have seen the mastery of God's work and the
perfection in His plan. There is no better path than surrendering all to God.
So whether we say those actual words or not, they have to be the tone of our
heart. And we have to keep saying them. Those are not just "teenager"
words; they are young person words, middle-aged person words, and retired
person words. Throughout life, we have to keep saying, "All my hopes and
dreams and plans I place within Your hands, Lord." The most important
thing to us must continue to be the desire to be exactly what God wants us to
be so that He can work out His plan in and through us, even if it looks nothing
like what we always dreamed about and worked for.
I compiled an imaginary (and very busy) missionary list of
plans; I'm sure none of you fit this list exactly, but you probably see
reflections of yourself represented. An ideal missionary's dreams might include
getting married to a dedicated spouse, having six children, (at least three of
whom will pursue missions), finishing deputation in two years, learning the
language in six months, starting one church every term, serving at least six
terms, enjoying safety and protection, having good health for tireless service,
seeing 1000 converts, publishing a dozen books, starting a Bible institute and
camp ministry and orphanage, establishing a coalition or group that will
multiply itself and outlast the missionary, and ministering on every inhabited
continent.
I don't think any of those are bad goals. They evidence a
heart that wants to accomplish something meaningful for God. But when we give
God (not just once, but continually) our hopes and dreams and plans, when we
ask Him to mold us into exactly what He wants us to be, then we can be
satisfied with singleness, childlessness, delays, health struggles, political
turmoil, struggling ministries, slow progress, changes of direction, and
thwarted plans.
I think of missionaries whose passion was great, but who
were content to settle into ministries or times of ministry when they were in
service roles - running a mission home or school, keeping the books, ordering
supplies, translating, doing construction, etc. Maybe that wasn't what they
really wanted to do, but they faithfully did what God put in front of them.
They were "faithful in that which is least" and so found favor with
God. God makes some vessels unto honor and some for less honorable purposes,
but they all fulfill His purposes if they are willing to let the Potter make
the decisions. (Romans 9:20-21).
Can I challenge you with two things? First, consider those
words - "all my hopes and dreams and plans I place within Your hands"
- as they relate to the past. As you reflect on how God either changed or
blessed your plans, thank Him for His amazing work. Second, pray those words
anew today. Your dreams and plans are different now than they were five or ten
or twenty years ago. I think your soul will be blessed as you verbalize to God
that all your plans are still submitted to Him, and that you are willing for
Him to change any one of them if that is what will bring Him glory. God knows
all, and He knows best.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Saturday, November 23, 2019
11232019 Jesus Led Me All the Way
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our superintending God. Recently my thoughts were prompted in this direction when we sang the following hymn in church.
"Someday life's journey will be o'er/ And I shall reach that distant shore./ I'll sing while ent'ring Heaven's door,/ 'Jesus led me all the way.'
Jesus led me all the way,/ Led me step by step each day;/ I will tell the saints and angels/ As I lay my burdens down,/ 'Jesus led me all the way.'
If God should let me there review/ The winding paths of earth I knew,/ It would be proven clear and true/ Jesus led me all the way."
As we sang, especially that second verse about the "winding paths of earth," I thought that I could never have imagined all the twists of the many steps on my path. As young people, we are naive. We have this idea that God's will is one unchangeable thing - that we will graduate college and then find a job or ministry that will take us through the rest of our lives. I suppose some people have ambitions and see each job as preparation for the next job, but even then, they have a career path that stretches out like one unified and orchestrated road.
In many ways it would be nice to have that continuity, stability, and familiarity. It would be nice to continue in one place long enough to see long-term results and visible growth and to establish lasting relationships. That might happen for a few people, but I don't think it's very typical. Personally, when I enter a job (or ministry, in particular), I have the idea that I will do it until I die or am too old to continue. That isn't the path God has chosen for me.
Like many of you, my life has been a series of unexpected changes. I knew my first job out of college was just temporary until God directed me to the mission field. When I went to Mexico, I expected that to be my life work, but it lasted only three-and-a-half years. God then unexpectedly led me back to college to get my teaching degree. The next step was logical. He led me to a good school that I loved and where I expected to spend the rest of my life, but after six-and-a-half years, that door decisively closed against all my efforts to hold it open. At age forty, I was starting over, but it took over a year-and-a-half of waiting before a new path opened. Finally, I found a new school where surely I would teach until I retired. But, no. In an unexpected and puzzling move, God closed that door after only one year.
I've been in a secular job for seven years since then, and I don't completely understand that, although I do see it as God's clear leading. In essence, God has changed the entire focus of my ministry from full-time, vocational ministry to free-time, volunteer ministry. I still serve Him in various ways as He directs, but nothing like what I expected my life to be. I was recently contemplating the twists of my life's course, and I realized that as God clearly led in the past into teaching, He has just as clearly led me out of teaching and in other directions.
We don't always know the "why" of the changes. The changes may not be our preference. But whether it be a new church, new ministry partner, new location, new country, new type of ministry, new mission board, or new whatever else, we can know that God is guiding and superintending.
God does guide. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:24). "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6). When God takes us in a new direction, He isn't making a mistake.
God gives us answers when we seek Him. During one of my transition times, I took a brief trip designed to obtain answers to several specific questions about my future direction. I prayed for God's guidance, and He gave it, although not with any of the answers I was hoping for. His answers were clear, however, and my prayers for guidance were definitely answered. Clear answers from God are far more important than our preferred answers, and my gratitude for His unmistakable guidance prompted the following poem.
Praise to the God of Answers
No answer that God does not know -/ No mystery is beyond His ken./ For He has planned each course just so,/ Both what will come and what has been./ Oh, praise to God who knows it all./ In gratitude I humbly fall.
This knowing God can also show/ His answers unto seeking men/ So they can know the path to go./ He lets them know what, where, and when./ Oh, praise to God who shows to me./ My thanks to Him each day shall be.
His answers are worked out also./ Effective power He will send/ To do what from His mind did flow./ His plans succeed once and again./ Oh, praise to God who works it out./ My feet can follow without doubt.
If your life has taken multiple turns, you can know that God directed each one. If you are in a time of transition, even if it's the tenth one of your ministry, you can rest assured that God is superintending. If a change unexpectedly arises in the near future, then also can have confidence that God knew all about it and worked to bring it about. Will you understand? Maybe not. Will it be your preference? Maybe not that either. But can you trust and follow the God who directed? Absolutely. And some day you will look back and gratefully declare, "Jesus led me all the way."
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of our superintending God. Recently my thoughts were prompted in this direction when we sang the following hymn in church.
"Someday life's journey will be o'er/ And I shall reach that distant shore./ I'll sing while ent'ring Heaven's door,/ 'Jesus led me all the way.'
Jesus led me all the way,/ Led me step by step each day;/ I will tell the saints and angels/ As I lay my burdens down,/ 'Jesus led me all the way.'
If God should let me there review/ The winding paths of earth I knew,/ It would be proven clear and true/ Jesus led me all the way."
As we sang, especially that second verse about the "winding paths of earth," I thought that I could never have imagined all the twists of the many steps on my path. As young people, we are naive. We have this idea that God's will is one unchangeable thing - that we will graduate college and then find a job or ministry that will take us through the rest of our lives. I suppose some people have ambitions and see each job as preparation for the next job, but even then, they have a career path that stretches out like one unified and orchestrated road.
In many ways it would be nice to have that continuity, stability, and familiarity. It would be nice to continue in one place long enough to see long-term results and visible growth and to establish lasting relationships. That might happen for a few people, but I don't think it's very typical. Personally, when I enter a job (or ministry, in particular), I have the idea that I will do it until I die or am too old to continue. That isn't the path God has chosen for me.
Like many of you, my life has been a series of unexpected changes. I knew my first job out of college was just temporary until God directed me to the mission field. When I went to Mexico, I expected that to be my life work, but it lasted only three-and-a-half years. God then unexpectedly led me back to college to get my teaching degree. The next step was logical. He led me to a good school that I loved and where I expected to spend the rest of my life, but after six-and-a-half years, that door decisively closed against all my efforts to hold it open. At age forty, I was starting over, but it took over a year-and-a-half of waiting before a new path opened. Finally, I found a new school where surely I would teach until I retired. But, no. In an unexpected and puzzling move, God closed that door after only one year.
I've been in a secular job for seven years since then, and I don't completely understand that, although I do see it as God's clear leading. In essence, God has changed the entire focus of my ministry from full-time, vocational ministry to free-time, volunteer ministry. I still serve Him in various ways as He directs, but nothing like what I expected my life to be. I was recently contemplating the twists of my life's course, and I realized that as God clearly led in the past into teaching, He has just as clearly led me out of teaching and in other directions.
We don't always know the "why" of the changes. The changes may not be our preference. But whether it be a new church, new ministry partner, new location, new country, new type of ministry, new mission board, or new whatever else, we can know that God is guiding and superintending.
God does guide. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:24). "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6). When God takes us in a new direction, He isn't making a mistake.
God gives us answers when we seek Him. During one of my transition times, I took a brief trip designed to obtain answers to several specific questions about my future direction. I prayed for God's guidance, and He gave it, although not with any of the answers I was hoping for. His answers were clear, however, and my prayers for guidance were definitely answered. Clear answers from God are far more important than our preferred answers, and my gratitude for His unmistakable guidance prompted the following poem.
Praise to the God of Answers
No answer that God does not know -/ No mystery is beyond His ken./ For He has planned each course just so,/ Both what will come and what has been./ Oh, praise to God who knows it all./ In gratitude I humbly fall.
This knowing God can also show/ His answers unto seeking men/ So they can know the path to go./ He lets them know what, where, and when./ Oh, praise to God who shows to me./ My thanks to Him each day shall be.
His answers are worked out also./ Effective power He will send/ To do what from His mind did flow./ His plans succeed once and again./ Oh, praise to God who works it out./ My feet can follow without doubt.
If your life has taken multiple turns, you can know that God directed each one. If you are in a time of transition, even if it's the tenth one of your ministry, you can rest assured that God is superintending. If a change unexpectedly arises in the near future, then also can have confidence that God knew all about it and worked to bring it about. Will you understand? Maybe not. Will it be your preference? Maybe not that either. But can you trust and follow the God who directed? Absolutely. And some day you will look back and gratefully declare, "Jesus led me all the way."
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 16, 2019
11162019 God our Strength
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God of strength. The God who is and has all strength gives strength to His people. And, boy, do we need it!
Sometimes a day or week looms before us, and we know before we start that it will be extra challenging. Maybe we don't even want to get out of bed! It may be that church challenges are so great that we almost don't want to go, dreading the weight that will accompany the service and the interactions with people. A meeting with a government official may seem daunting. A special challenge of one of our children may threaten to break our hearts as we feel powerless to help. Whatever the difficulty, our frail human strength is not nearly enough. I'm reminded of the words of the song, "When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father's full giving is only begun."
That's the kind of strength David needed in Psalm 59. This time he is writing about when Saul sent people to watch his house to kill him. Wouldn't that take the strength right out of you? Knowing that soldiers were on guard around your house with orders not to come back without your head? Instead of dissolving into a puddle, David waited on God.
He said, "Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence" (v. 9). David knew his own strength was insufficient, and he looked to God as his defense. He asked God to scatter his enemies by His power (v. 11) so that they would wander without satisfaction and without achieving their goal (vs. 14-15).
Even before the answer came, David was confident in God's strength. He closes the psalm with a repeated intention to praise God for His strength and His defense. David keeps using the word "sing."
"But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy" (vs. 16-17).
God did exercise His strength, and God did deliver David - again and again. As He does with us. We don't even know all the jams that God gets us out of, but if we were to stop and think about the ones we do know about, we would be awed by God's strength. He has been a defense for us many times and has exercised His strength when we had none of our own.
Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is reflective of the strong defense David refers to in this psalm.
"Did we in our own strength confide,/ Our striving would be losing;/ Were not the right Man on our side,/ The Man of God's own choosing:/ Dost ask who that may be?/ Christ Jesus, it is He;/ Lord Sabaoth, His name,/ From age to age the same,/ And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,/ Should threaten to undo us,/ We will not fear, for God hath willed/ His truth to triumph through us:/ The Prince of Darkness grim,/ We tremble not for him;/ His rage we can endure,/ For lo, his doom is sure,/ One little word shall fell him."
Yes, the enemies we face are real. The battles are fierce. But we don't need to win in our own strength, nor could we. God, however, is strong enough to win every battle! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of the God of strength. The God who is and has all strength gives strength to His people. And, boy, do we need it!
Sometimes a day or week looms before us, and we know before we start that it will be extra challenging. Maybe we don't even want to get out of bed! It may be that church challenges are so great that we almost don't want to go, dreading the weight that will accompany the service and the interactions with people. A meeting with a government official may seem daunting. A special challenge of one of our children may threaten to break our hearts as we feel powerless to help. Whatever the difficulty, our frail human strength is not nearly enough. I'm reminded of the words of the song, "When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father's full giving is only begun."
That's the kind of strength David needed in Psalm 59. This time he is writing about when Saul sent people to watch his house to kill him. Wouldn't that take the strength right out of you? Knowing that soldiers were on guard around your house with orders not to come back without your head? Instead of dissolving into a puddle, David waited on God.
He said, "Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence" (v. 9). David knew his own strength was insufficient, and he looked to God as his defense. He asked God to scatter his enemies by His power (v. 11) so that they would wander without satisfaction and without achieving their goal (vs. 14-15).
Even before the answer came, David was confident in God's strength. He closes the psalm with a repeated intention to praise God for His strength and His defense. David keeps using the word "sing."
"But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy" (vs. 16-17).
God did exercise His strength, and God did deliver David - again and again. As He does with us. We don't even know all the jams that God gets us out of, but if we were to stop and think about the ones we do know about, we would be awed by God's strength. He has been a defense for us many times and has exercised His strength when we had none of our own.
Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is reflective of the strong defense David refers to in this psalm.
"Did we in our own strength confide,/ Our striving would be losing;/ Were not the right Man on our side,/ The Man of God's own choosing:/ Dost ask who that may be?/ Christ Jesus, it is He;/ Lord Sabaoth, His name,/ From age to age the same,/ And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,/ Should threaten to undo us,/ We will not fear, for God hath willed/ His truth to triumph through us:/ The Prince of Darkness grim,/ We tremble not for him;/ His rage we can endure,/ For lo, his doom is sure,/ One little word shall fell him."
Yes, the enemies we face are real. The battles are fierce. But we don't need to win in our own strength, nor could we. God, however, is strong enough to win every battle! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 9, 2019
11092019 Overpast Calamities
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our omnipotent God! Nothing is too hard for Him.
David wrote, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm 57:1-2). Calamities have to do with something rushing upon or falling upon someone; while it can be as "mild" as mischief, naughtiness, and noise, it can also extend to the level of ruin.
David faced lots of calamities. This particular one was hiding in a cave while fleeing from Saul. David also faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. He faced an impossibly dangerous betrothal requirement, risky missions, years of exile, and numerous battles. He faced ongoing imminent threats from his father-in-law, the unwilling dissolution of his marriage, and the capture of his family. He faced hunger, thirst, and deprivation. He faced political opposition, civil war, hard-headed subordinates, and a threatening revolt by his own son. He lost an child in infancy, had one son killed by another son, and later had a long-estranged son killed against his command. I'm sure the list could go on.
So what calamities have unexpectedly rushed on you or have crushingly fallen on you? Do these difficulties seem impossible to bear and even threaten ruin? Whatever you face is no harder for God to handle than it was for Him to handle David's calamities. In spite of all that happened in David's lifetime, we must remember that David lived a long life, had a lengthy reign as king, united the kingdom, and brought it to an era of peace. I would say God delivered him.
In Psalm 57, David says he will make his refuge in God until his current calamities were overpast. He knew they would end. They always did. Some calamities lasted longer than others, but they all ended. While the Old Testament contains examples of temporary trials, the New Testament repeatedly states that our trials are but for a season.
In the meanwhile, we can take refuge in God - specifically in the shadow of His wings. This is a precious picture of protection. Not only is the protecting mother bird fierce and tenacious, but there is also the idea of warmth, closeness, and nurturing. God can hold you close and safe for as long as the calamity endures.
There is one more thing I love that David says in these verses. He gives another description of the God in whom he takes refuge: the God that performs all things for him. There is comfort in knowing that God is the one who does it all. When the deliverance comes, it comes by God's hand. While the trial endures, it is God that upholds and protects. In fact, even the trial itself does not fall outside God's control. When we face calamity, it is only because God has ordained it to accomplish His purposes.
Certainly, God does not prohibit us from taking appropriate, wise steps to address our calamities. We cannot trust in ourselves, however. Isn't it true that most of the time we don't even know what to do? Even if we did think of a solution, we wouldn't have the ability or the finances to make it happen. How much better to take refuge in God, the one who performs all things for us. He will hold us safe and carry us through until the calamity passes over. He alone will get the credit for the deliverance, and God can bring the deliverance no matter how impossible the calamity appears. He is omnipotent.
"In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face/ While the storms howl above me, and there's no hiding place./ 'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry./ Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more/ Till the clouds roll forever from the sky./ Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand./ Keep me safe till the storm passes by."
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of our omnipotent God! Nothing is too hard for Him.
David wrote, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm 57:1-2). Calamities have to do with something rushing upon or falling upon someone; while it can be as "mild" as mischief, naughtiness, and noise, it can also extend to the level of ruin.
David faced lots of calamities. This particular one was hiding in a cave while fleeing from Saul. David also faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. He faced an impossibly dangerous betrothal requirement, risky missions, years of exile, and numerous battles. He faced ongoing imminent threats from his father-in-law, the unwilling dissolution of his marriage, and the capture of his family. He faced hunger, thirst, and deprivation. He faced political opposition, civil war, hard-headed subordinates, and a threatening revolt by his own son. He lost an child in infancy, had one son killed by another son, and later had a long-estranged son killed against his command. I'm sure the list could go on.
So what calamities have unexpectedly rushed on you or have crushingly fallen on you? Do these difficulties seem impossible to bear and even threaten ruin? Whatever you face is no harder for God to handle than it was for Him to handle David's calamities. In spite of all that happened in David's lifetime, we must remember that David lived a long life, had a lengthy reign as king, united the kingdom, and brought it to an era of peace. I would say God delivered him.
In Psalm 57, David says he will make his refuge in God until his current calamities were overpast. He knew they would end. They always did. Some calamities lasted longer than others, but they all ended. While the Old Testament contains examples of temporary trials, the New Testament repeatedly states that our trials are but for a season.
In the meanwhile, we can take refuge in God - specifically in the shadow of His wings. This is a precious picture of protection. Not only is the protecting mother bird fierce and tenacious, but there is also the idea of warmth, closeness, and nurturing. God can hold you close and safe for as long as the calamity endures.
There is one more thing I love that David says in these verses. He gives another description of the God in whom he takes refuge: the God that performs all things for him. There is comfort in knowing that God is the one who does it all. When the deliverance comes, it comes by God's hand. While the trial endures, it is God that upholds and protects. In fact, even the trial itself does not fall outside God's control. When we face calamity, it is only because God has ordained it to accomplish His purposes.
Certainly, God does not prohibit us from taking appropriate, wise steps to address our calamities. We cannot trust in ourselves, however. Isn't it true that most of the time we don't even know what to do? Even if we did think of a solution, we wouldn't have the ability or the finances to make it happen. How much better to take refuge in God, the one who performs all things for us. He will hold us safe and carry us through until the calamity passes over. He alone will get the credit for the deliverance, and God can bring the deliverance no matter how impossible the calamity appears. He is omnipotent.
"In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face/ While the storms howl above me, and there's no hiding place./ 'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry./ Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more/ Till the clouds roll forever from the sky./ Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand./ Keep me safe till the storm passes by."
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 2, 2019
10022019 God Is For Me
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our trustworthy God. It's nice when we have people we can trust, but it is far more significant to have a God we can trust.
David was often in need during his tumultuous life, and he knew God to be his source of trust. Psalm 56 was written when the Philistines had taken him in Gath (I Samuel 19-21). David had narrowly escaped the hand of Saul, who had tried to kill him in his bed. When Jonathan warned David of serious danger, David fled to Gath, perhaps thinking he could be incognito there. When he was recognized as a great warrior, he ended up acting like a madman in order to escape. He had jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
In Psalm 56, David describes his scenario, saying that man was threatening to swallow him up (vs. 1&2). His many enemies were fighting and oppressing him daily (vs. 1-2). He was afraid (v. 3). People twisted his words against him (v. 5) and conspired together to take him down (v. 6).
In the midst of this trying time, threatened with death whether he stayed in exile or returned back home, David trusted in God. "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me" (v. 11). He also expresses his trust in vs. 3 and 4. His trust in God was pretty complete. He trusted enough that he was no longer afraid of his fate by man.
Why was David able to trust this way? For one thing, he knew that God knew all about his situation. "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not all in thy book?" (v. 8). Not a bit of his danger or struggle was unknown to God. David did not have to worry that perhaps God had forgotten about him or had lost sight of him for the moment.
Beyond that, it mattered how God thought about David when He did notice his struggle. David expresses this beautifully. "When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me" (v. 9). He was confident that God was on his side. He could have that confidence because of the promises God had made toward him and of the vows that existed between them (v. 12). David was serving God - doing God's mission - and that put God on His side.
We may not have the same specific promises from God, but we have the same God. He still sees us in every situation. He knows all the dangers and fears. He knows all the wanderings and tears. When we are on a mission for Him, living our lives in His service, we have placed ourselves on His side, and God is for us, too!
"This I know; for God is for me." When God is for us, the circumstances don't really matter. The opposition is not so daunting. The betrayal or forgetfulness of others isn't quite so serious. Circumstances do get difficult, opposition does come, and others do let us down, but God's trustworthy support overrides all that.
Are you facing a situation in which others are not for you right now? Maybe the governments or other leaders in the area where you are trying to work. Maybe the people you are trying to reach, needy people who don't want your answers. Maybe converts or even fledging leaders within the ministry. Perhaps those back home - friends, family, home church, supporting churches, even mission board - are either not communicating support or are creating friction. It's hard to see those rifts and hard to feel the abandonment, but remember that there is One who sees all, who understands all, and who is on your side as you serve Him. He is worth more than all other sources of support combined.
What is the result when God is for us and when He honors our trust in Him? There will be reasons to praise Him (vs. 10&12). God often delivers us from the threat (vs. 9&13). Not only does that involve keeping us from death - ultimate defeat in the life circumstance - but it also involves the important spiritual and personal component of keeping us from falling under the burden. "For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling?" (v. 13).
That's the wonderful thing about trusting God. He deals with souls as well as with circumstances. He can save us on the inside as well as on the outside. It truly is a comfort to know that a God who can do those things is on our side! May you know His presence and deliverance this week as you place your trust in Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of our trustworthy God. It's nice when we have people we can trust, but it is far more significant to have a God we can trust.
David was often in need during his tumultuous life, and he knew God to be his source of trust. Psalm 56 was written when the Philistines had taken him in Gath (I Samuel 19-21). David had narrowly escaped the hand of Saul, who had tried to kill him in his bed. When Jonathan warned David of serious danger, David fled to Gath, perhaps thinking he could be incognito there. When he was recognized as a great warrior, he ended up acting like a madman in order to escape. He had jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
In Psalm 56, David describes his scenario, saying that man was threatening to swallow him up (vs. 1&2). His many enemies were fighting and oppressing him daily (vs. 1-2). He was afraid (v. 3). People twisted his words against him (v. 5) and conspired together to take him down (v. 6).
In the midst of this trying time, threatened with death whether he stayed in exile or returned back home, David trusted in God. "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me" (v. 11). He also expresses his trust in vs. 3 and 4. His trust in God was pretty complete. He trusted enough that he was no longer afraid of his fate by man.
Why was David able to trust this way? For one thing, he knew that God knew all about his situation. "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not all in thy book?" (v. 8). Not a bit of his danger or struggle was unknown to God. David did not have to worry that perhaps God had forgotten about him or had lost sight of him for the moment.
Beyond that, it mattered how God thought about David when He did notice his struggle. David expresses this beautifully. "When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me" (v. 9). He was confident that God was on his side. He could have that confidence because of the promises God had made toward him and of the vows that existed between them (v. 12). David was serving God - doing God's mission - and that put God on His side.
We may not have the same specific promises from God, but we have the same God. He still sees us in every situation. He knows all the dangers and fears. He knows all the wanderings and tears. When we are on a mission for Him, living our lives in His service, we have placed ourselves on His side, and God is for us, too!
"This I know; for God is for me." When God is for us, the circumstances don't really matter. The opposition is not so daunting. The betrayal or forgetfulness of others isn't quite so serious. Circumstances do get difficult, opposition does come, and others do let us down, but God's trustworthy support overrides all that.
Are you facing a situation in which others are not for you right now? Maybe the governments or other leaders in the area where you are trying to work. Maybe the people you are trying to reach, needy people who don't want your answers. Maybe converts or even fledging leaders within the ministry. Perhaps those back home - friends, family, home church, supporting churches, even mission board - are either not communicating support or are creating friction. It's hard to see those rifts and hard to feel the abandonment, but remember that there is One who sees all, who understands all, and who is on your side as you serve Him. He is worth more than all other sources of support combined.
What is the result when God is for us and when He honors our trust in Him? There will be reasons to praise Him (vs. 10&12). God often delivers us from the threat (vs. 9&13). Not only does that involve keeping us from death - ultimate defeat in the life circumstance - but it also involves the important spiritual and personal component of keeping us from falling under the burden. "For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling?" (v. 13).
That's the wonderful thing about trusting God. He deals with souls as well as with circumstances. He can save us on the inside as well as on the outside. It truly is a comfort to know that a God who can do those things is on our side! May you know His presence and deliverance this week as you place your trust in Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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