Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who hears and responds to
His children. They are not left on their own to manage or muddle through. No,
God notices each situation they face, and He willingly and lovingly helps them.
"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and
strengthenedst me with strength in my soul" (Psalm 138:3).
Following are some observations regarding this verse. First,
troubles do come that make us cry out. Some of them are especially hard. All of
them are beyond our capacity to handle. Situations arise in which we need help
outside ourselves.
Second, the type of troubles described in this verse sap the
strength from our very souls. We feel crushed or deflated internally, beyond
the physical and mental ramifications.
Third, in those soul-sapping struggles, we must cry out to
Him. It's not hard to recognize how drained and needy we are. That becomes
obvious very quickly. It is such a simple, but sometimes forgotten, step to
remember to cry out for help when we recognize our need.
Fourth, God must first hear if He is going to answer. The
hearing is not mentioned in this verse, but it is an obvious prerequisite that
is mentioned often in Scripture. Our cries do not fall on deaf ears.
Fifth, God doesn't wait weeks, months, or years to respond.
He answers in the day we call. His answer may not immediately be worked out
experientially for us, but He has the answer, and He begins working to achieve
it.
Sixth, God does answer. His answer indicates that He
recognizes the need as real. Why would He give any answer if He dismissed our
cries as illegitimate? His acknowledgement of our problem and His response are
evidences of His love and care.
Seventh, the ultimate solution is not His only answer. While
we wait for that, God gives grace and endurance to help us. He gives us
strength in our weak souls. We might think we need money or health or a friend
or provision or an approved document. And we might need those things. But there
is a deeper need, which is internal strength. Faith and confidence to
resolutely and faithfully follow God. Calmness and peace as we endure. Because
the anticipated answer we seek may not come, or it may not come immediately. No
matter how or when God works out the solution, we must remain strong in our
faith and in our deepest being. God is the one who enables us to do that.
Strength in my soul from my Savior! What a precious gift!
What a necessary gift! This is what enables us (who are so weak) to support our
husbands, train our children, provide an example for those within our area of
ministry, and present a question-provoking testimony to those who don't yet
know our Savior. And it's not based on our own strength; it's all because of
Him.
"Jesus! What a friend for sinners!/ Jesus! Lover of my
soul;/ Friends may fail me, foes assail me,/ He, my Savior, makes me whole.
"Jesus! What a strength in weakness!/ Let me hide
myself in Him./ Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,/ He, my strength, my
victory wins.
"Jesus! What a help in sorrow!/ While the billows o'er
me roll./ Even when my heart is breaking,/ He, my comfort, helps my soul.
"Jesus! What a guide and keeper!/ While the tempest
still is high./ Storms about me, night o'ertakes me/ He, my pilot, hears my
cry.
"Hallelujah! What a Savior!/ Hallelujah! what a
Friend!/ Saving, helping, keeping, loving,/ He is with me to the end."
Cry out to Him. Wait for His answers. Rest in His strength.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Saturday, January 18, 2020
01182020 Already Answered
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our patient God. If He were not longsuffering, who could stand? Yet He knows our human frailty and struggles, and He bears long with us and continually reassures us.
I love the psalms of Asaph. He is so honestly and vulnerably human; he reveals the depths of his struggles and then talks himself back to truth. Psalm 77 is one of those encounters. Asaph was in a difficult time. He talks about "the day of my trouble" (v. 2), "my sore ran in the night, and ceased not" (v. 2), "my soul refused to be comforted" (v. 2), "my spirit was overwhelmed" (v. 3), "I am so troubled that I cannot speak" (v. 4), and inability to sleep (v. 4).
In this time of intense struggle, Asaph's mind was not idle. He was thinking, specifically about the past and how things used to be (v. 5). His soul was not idle. He was searching his inner depths, diligently seeking for answers (v. 6).
In this intense time of asking and searching, Asaph asked some hard questions. "Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" (vs. 7-9).
Wow. It is a rare Christian who has never been in a similar spot. When things get very rough, and when they continue that way for an extended time, we find ourselves asking those deep and dark questions. In essence, has God abandoned me? Won't He ever come back and help me again?
The questions are tied to the character of God: His mercy, His promises, His graciousness, His tender mercies. In order for God to abandon His children, His character would have to change. Is that possible? Emphatically, no. God does not change and cannot change. He continues to be merciful, gracious, and tender. He continues to keep His promises.
What, then, is the answer when we can't see God's character with our observations? We must, like Asaph, see God's character through the recorded history of His actions. In vs. 10-12, Asaph determines three times to remember ("the years of the right hand of the most High," "the works of the LORD," "thy wonders of old"); he also determines to meditate on God's works and to talk of His doings.
This determination starts an extended section in which Asaph remembers who God really is. He recalls the recorded ways of history in which God had shown His character. While I'm sure Asaph could have remembered God's past work in his own life, he looked back further. God was not just Asaph's God; God is bigger than that. So Asaph looked at the bigger picture of God.
There is no one as great as God (v. 13). He does wonders (v. 14). He has shown His strength to His people (v. 14). He redeemed Israel (v. 15). He exercised control over the waters (v. 16). He controlled the weather (v. 17). His power in nature made the earth tremble (v. 18). He controls the oceans in unfathomable ways (v. 19). He led Israel out of captivity (v. 20).
As Asaph considered these facts of reality and history, his questions were answered. Obviously, God is faithful to His people. Obviously, God works mightily on their behalf. God does show mercy. He does keep His promises. He is gracious, and He does show His tender mercies. The history of Israel and Israel's deliverance from Egypt, in particular, reveal all these things.
If God was that way for Israel, and if God doesn't change, then Asaph's conclusion (although he does not state it overtly) has to be that God is still that way for him. And our conclusion has to be the same. God has not changed. There may be dark spells in our lives, times when the blessing of God is hidden from our eyes, but He is the same God. We can trust Him and wait on Him. We can have confidence that He is working and will continue to work.
When we are in times of deep trouble and distress, we (like Asaph) ask questions that are already effectively answered. Our questions of doubt cannot be. If we would think and remember, which is what Asaph did, we would know that. In the depths of our hearts, we know the truth. We just have to remind ourselves and reattach ourselves to the reliable anchors of that unshakeable foundation.
God won't forget and He won't fail. He can't. No matter what is happening in your life and ministry, may you remember and cling to that truth. God bless you, my friends.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of our patient God. If He were not longsuffering, who could stand? Yet He knows our human frailty and struggles, and He bears long with us and continually reassures us.
I love the psalms of Asaph. He is so honestly and vulnerably human; he reveals the depths of his struggles and then talks himself back to truth. Psalm 77 is one of those encounters. Asaph was in a difficult time. He talks about "the day of my trouble" (v. 2), "my sore ran in the night, and ceased not" (v. 2), "my soul refused to be comforted" (v. 2), "my spirit was overwhelmed" (v. 3), "I am so troubled that I cannot speak" (v. 4), and inability to sleep (v. 4).
In this time of intense struggle, Asaph's mind was not idle. He was thinking, specifically about the past and how things used to be (v. 5). His soul was not idle. He was searching his inner depths, diligently seeking for answers (v. 6).
In this intense time of asking and searching, Asaph asked some hard questions. "Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" (vs. 7-9).
Wow. It is a rare Christian who has never been in a similar spot. When things get very rough, and when they continue that way for an extended time, we find ourselves asking those deep and dark questions. In essence, has God abandoned me? Won't He ever come back and help me again?
The questions are tied to the character of God: His mercy, His promises, His graciousness, His tender mercies. In order for God to abandon His children, His character would have to change. Is that possible? Emphatically, no. God does not change and cannot change. He continues to be merciful, gracious, and tender. He continues to keep His promises.
What, then, is the answer when we can't see God's character with our observations? We must, like Asaph, see God's character through the recorded history of His actions. In vs. 10-12, Asaph determines three times to remember ("the years of the right hand of the most High," "the works of the LORD," "thy wonders of old"); he also determines to meditate on God's works and to talk of His doings.
This determination starts an extended section in which Asaph remembers who God really is. He recalls the recorded ways of history in which God had shown His character. While I'm sure Asaph could have remembered God's past work in his own life, he looked back further. God was not just Asaph's God; God is bigger than that. So Asaph looked at the bigger picture of God.
There is no one as great as God (v. 13). He does wonders (v. 14). He has shown His strength to His people (v. 14). He redeemed Israel (v. 15). He exercised control over the waters (v. 16). He controlled the weather (v. 17). His power in nature made the earth tremble (v. 18). He controls the oceans in unfathomable ways (v. 19). He led Israel out of captivity (v. 20).
As Asaph considered these facts of reality and history, his questions were answered. Obviously, God is faithful to His people. Obviously, God works mightily on their behalf. God does show mercy. He does keep His promises. He is gracious, and He does show His tender mercies. The history of Israel and Israel's deliverance from Egypt, in particular, reveal all these things.
If God was that way for Israel, and if God doesn't change, then Asaph's conclusion (although he does not state it overtly) has to be that God is still that way for him. And our conclusion has to be the same. God has not changed. There may be dark spells in our lives, times when the blessing of God is hidden from our eyes, but He is the same God. We can trust Him and wait on Him. We can have confidence that He is working and will continue to work.
When we are in times of deep trouble and distress, we (like Asaph) ask questions that are already effectively answered. Our questions of doubt cannot be. If we would think and remember, which is what Asaph did, we would know that. In the depths of our hearts, we know the truth. We just have to remind ourselves and reattach ourselves to the reliable anchors of that unshakeable foundation.
God won't forget and He won't fail. He can't. No matter what is happening in your life and ministry, may you remember and cling to that truth. God bless you, my friends.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 11, 2020
01112020 Dogs and Cats
Dear Missionary Lady,
I just saw a recent study about happiness in pet owners. It revealed that 36% of dog owners report being happy and 18% of cat owners. I almost laughed, because that means 64% of dog owners and 82% of cat owners are NOT happy. That doesn't seem very strong in support of owning a pet. (It's 32% for non-pet owners.)
A little further research informed me that the response noted above was actually for "very happy," not just "happy." Still, it is clear that having a pet is not the ultimate way (or even an effective way) of achieving happiness. Happiness is somewhat open to personal interpretation, and it is definitely a temporary and changeable status.
Joy, on the other hand, is much more permanent and concrete. True joy is not found in circumstances or possessions, but in knowing, loving, and serving God. A quick survey of joy in the New Testament reveals joy found in the following. (I included only one reference for each, though many appear more than once.)
Jesus' birth (Luke 2:10)
renewed fellowship with Jesus (Luke 24:41)
realizing Jesus was risen (Matthew 28:8)
guidance toward finding God (Matthew 2:10)
hearing the Word of God (Matthew 13:20)
finding the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:44)
sins forgiven (Romans 5:11)
seeing the power of God (Luke 10:17)
salvation of sinners (Luke 15:7)
answered prayer (John 16:24)
fellowship of believers (Romans 15:32)
the love of fellow believers (Philemon 1:7)
mutual encouragement in the church (II Corinthians 7:13)
obedience of Christians under one's influence (Hebrews 13:17)
serving God well (Act 20:24)
sacrificial and useful service (Philippians 2:17)
suffering for the gospel (Luke 6:23)
maturity-producing trials (James 1:2)
receiving eternal reward (Matthew 25:21)
future presence with Christ (Jude 1:24)
The following hymn captures many of these ideas.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ As I journey on my way,/ Joy that fills the heart with praises,/ Every hour and every day.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy that triumphs over pain;/ Fills my soul with heaven's music,/ Till I join the glad refrain.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ As I walk alone with God;/ 'Tis the joy of Christ, my Savior,/ Who the path of suffering trod.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy amid the darkest night,/ For I've learned the wondrous secret,/ And I'm walking in the light.
"There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy that throbs within my heart;/ Every moment, every hour,/ As I draw upon His pow'r,/ There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart."
May you know God's joy in its fullness this week as you fellowship with Him and serve Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
I just saw a recent study about happiness in pet owners. It revealed that 36% of dog owners report being happy and 18% of cat owners. I almost laughed, because that means 64% of dog owners and 82% of cat owners are NOT happy. That doesn't seem very strong in support of owning a pet. (It's 32% for non-pet owners.)
A little further research informed me that the response noted above was actually for "very happy," not just "happy." Still, it is clear that having a pet is not the ultimate way (or even an effective way) of achieving happiness. Happiness is somewhat open to personal interpretation, and it is definitely a temporary and changeable status.
Joy, on the other hand, is much more permanent and concrete. True joy is not found in circumstances or possessions, but in knowing, loving, and serving God. A quick survey of joy in the New Testament reveals joy found in the following. (I included only one reference for each, though many appear more than once.)
Jesus' birth (Luke 2:10)
renewed fellowship with Jesus (Luke 24:41)
realizing Jesus was risen (Matthew 28:8)
guidance toward finding God (Matthew 2:10)
hearing the Word of God (Matthew 13:20)
finding the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:44)
sins forgiven (Romans 5:11)
seeing the power of God (Luke 10:17)
salvation of sinners (Luke 15:7)
answered prayer (John 16:24)
fellowship of believers (Romans 15:32)
the love of fellow believers (Philemon 1:7)
mutual encouragement in the church (II Corinthians 7:13)
obedience of Christians under one's influence (Hebrews 13:17)
serving God well (Act 20:24)
sacrificial and useful service (Philippians 2:17)
suffering for the gospel (Luke 6:23)
maturity-producing trials (James 1:2)
receiving eternal reward (Matthew 25:21)
future presence with Christ (Jude 1:24)
The following hymn captures many of these ideas.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ As I journey on my way,/ Joy that fills the heart with praises,/ Every hour and every day.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy that triumphs over pain;/ Fills my soul with heaven's music,/ Till I join the glad refrain.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ As I walk alone with God;/ 'Tis the joy of Christ, my Savior,/ Who the path of suffering trod.
"There is joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy amid the darkest night,/ For I've learned the wondrous secret,/ And I'm walking in the light.
"There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus,/ Joy that throbs within my heart;/ Every moment, every hour,/ As I draw upon His pow'r,/ There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart."
May you know God's joy in its fullness this week as you fellowship with Him and serve Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 4, 2020
01042020 I Need Thee
Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Savior! I hope that your new year is off to a good start.
I was thinking of this hymn, which is so appropriate not just for the beginning of a new year, but for every time, which is the point of the hymn - that we need God "every hour."
"I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;/ No tender voice like Thine can peace afford."
In whatever situation, His voice is the one we most need to hear. It brings just what we need in a way that nothing else and no one else can.
"I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;/ Temptations lose their pow'r when Thou art nigh."
In those situations where temptation strikes so strongly, sometimes in areas that we would hate to have anyone else even know about, He is with us to help us.
"I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;/ Come quickly and abide, or life is vain."
Truly, there is no point to living without Him! The joys would be empty and the pain would be unbearable and pointless.
"I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;/ And Thy rich promises in me fulfill."
The beauty of God's will! He has things for us to do, and with His help and presence, we can accomplish those things.
"I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;/ Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son."
Wow! Yes, this is the goal. To be like our holy Savior and to truly reflect Him. Only His work and presence can accomplish that.
"I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;/ Every hour I need Thee;/ Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee."
Each day, may we remember. We can't do any of this on our own - not even for a short time, and certainly not long term.
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Savior! I hope that your new year is off to a good start.
I was thinking of this hymn, which is so appropriate not just for the beginning of a new year, but for every time, which is the point of the hymn - that we need God "every hour."
"I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;/ No tender voice like Thine can peace afford."
In whatever situation, His voice is the one we most need to hear. It brings just what we need in a way that nothing else and no one else can.
"I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;/ Temptations lose their pow'r when Thou art nigh."
In those situations where temptation strikes so strongly, sometimes in areas that we would hate to have anyone else even know about, He is with us to help us.
"I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;/ Come quickly and abide, or life is vain."
Truly, there is no point to living without Him! The joys would be empty and the pain would be unbearable and pointless.
"I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;/ And Thy rich promises in me fulfill."
The beauty of God's will! He has things for us to do, and with His help and presence, we can accomplish those things.
"I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;/ Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son."
Wow! Yes, this is the goal. To be like our holy Savior and to truly reflect Him. Only His work and presence can accomplish that.
"I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;/ Every hour I need Thee;/ Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee."
Each day, may we remember. We can't do any of this on our own - not even for a short time, and certainly not long term.
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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