07242020 Songs, Verses, and Prayers

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who communicates. That may sound a little odd at first, but think how precious that is. God communicates with us! And it is a two-way street. Not only does He talk to us, but He welcomes us to talk to Him. Anytime. Any place. About anything.

In these crazy days, communication with God is absolutely essential. I have found myself doing one of three things as constantly as possible: singing, thinking about verses, and praying. Often one morphs into another.

These activities are necessary to keep my heart and spirit and mind and emotions under control. Without the hope and stability of those activities, I think I would lose my mind or have some kind of breakdown. And that is no exaggeration.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2).

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3).

Here is one of the hymns that has been on my mind that also illustrates this truth.

There's a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I've a peace that has come here to stay!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding rapture divine;

He never leaves me lonely, whispers, oh, so kind:

"I will never leave thee" - Jesus is mine.

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,

When peace sweetly came to my heart;

Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,

Blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,

While here on His footstool I roam;

But He's coming to take me some glorious day,

Over there to my heavenly home!

May "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, ... keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" this week. May He give you special times communicating with Him.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

07182020 Thankful

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of blessing. God has not stopped His blessing, even in these challenging days. He is still pouring out His love and compassion in practical and gracious ways on all mankind, and particularly on His children. That is His character.

Our response to the blessings of God should be thankfulness. This is not an easy practice, especially in hard times, but it is both necessary and beneficial. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

One year my pastor preached this verse just before Thanksgiving. I had been scrambling in my mind to come up with something to say in case I was asked to share at Thanksgiving dinner, but every time I came up with a potential object of thankfulness, I found some reason to reject it. The truth was that I was not thankful for anything, but God wanted me to be thankful in everything. The problem wasn't that I didn't have blessings; it was that my spirit was not thankful. I had a little wrestling match with God, which He won, as I chose to be thankful even in what was an extremely difficult season of life.

That is not the only time I ever wrestled with that issue. I remember once in college when I must have been complaining about all the hard things of life, (which at that time, weren't really that bad, but they seemed so to an 18-year-old). Someone encouraged me to make a list - I think of ten things - that I was thankful for. Once I got into the spirit, I couldn't stop, and I believe my list extended into the hundreds, and it took me a few days to have time to record them all. And that was only focusing on "positive" things, when in reality we are to be thankful even in the difficulties, knowing that they are part of God's divine plan.

During another challenging season of life, when I was really struggling with negative thinking, I developed what I called my "thankful game." I would do it at different points in the day, often at the beginning and end of the day or whenever I felt my thoughts going in the wrong direction. My mental instruction to myself was, "Quick! Give me five things you're thankful for!"

I usually focused on one aspect of life and gave five related things. If I were to do the "game" at this moment, I would include the following: 1) I'm thankful that God has protected my health. 2) I'm thankful that I have been able to continue working. 3) I'm thankful that God is in control of this whole mess. 4). I'm thankful that this trial will end. 5) I'm thankful for the spiritual sensitivity God has worked in me through this time.

A final example. One of my milestone birthdays fell during one of the hardest seasons of my life. Everything was in upheaval. It was only two months after I had been involuntarily separated from my job, my ministry, my church, my support, my independence, and nearly everything familiar in life. I actually wasn't troubled by the big number of my birthday; I was very troubled by feeling alone and forgotten and cut off from everyone.

On that day, God brought me to Psalm 103. "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I viewed this psalm as my birthday gifts, things I could be thankful for even if no one else remembered me or gave me anything. The psalm is a beautiful collection of God's blessings, all of which are worthy of thanks: forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, tender mercies, good and satisfying provision, renewal, righteous judgment, revelation of God, graciousness, longsuffering, compassion, understanding of our weakness, faithfulness.

God is good to us - always. Even in the hardest of times, He is always with us, always working, always providing. God's character never changes; we can get lost in thankfulness just for who God is. We can certainly be thankful for how God contrasts with the people and situations and chaos of our world. We can be thankful for God's help in navigating the challenges of life, and that He never leaves us on our own to figure it all out.

With all these times in my life when God has confronted me with this truth, I have it down by now, right? Wrong! Why did this concept come to me today, except that I needed to again be reminded. No matter what life looks like, I need to thank God. I definitely need to thank Him for the blessings, and with His help, I need to thank Him also for the things that I don't yet see as blessings.

In these challenging days, I pray that you will be able to see God's goodness and blessing. Even now, may you begin to see the wonderful things that God is accomplishing in the midst of fear, chaos, and upheaval. May you see His greatness in a fallen world. God bless you, my sisters.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

07112020 God's Consolations

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our comforting God. When life is difficult, stressful, or painful, humans long for comfort. They want a kind word, a tender touch, an understanding friend. God does those things so well.

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul" (Psalm 94:19).

The unidentified psalmist felt that he was at the point of no return, on the brink of falling, possibly even death. It was God who protected and upheld him. In his overwhelmed state, the psalmist was comforted by God.

The word "comforts" means "compassion" or "solace," and it could also be translated "consolations." The word is used only five times in Scripture, and those five references give us a precious picture of the compassionate comfort of our God.

In Job 15:11, the term refers to gently spoken words. These words are designed to bring comfort. This is someone saying the right thing at the right time in the right tone of voice. Such kindness indicates sensitivity and tenderness.

In Job 21:2, the intent is again designed to bring comfort. Job says he wants his friends to give comfort or consolation by listening to him and by letting him talk without attacking him. Such a practice acknowledges the pain of the speaker. It places importance on the one who is hurting by allowing him to talk of his pain without having to jump in and make the listener the focus.

In Isaiah 66:11, Jerusalem is compared to a baby that is taking comfort from his mother's breasts as he nurses. This intimate interaction can calm a crying child, can put him in his "happy place," can make him forget whatever scared or upset him. The need may not even have been hunger, but the close cuddling and satisfying sustenance bring calmness and rest while dispelling the negative input.

In Jeremiah 16:7, the term refers to a drink offered to someone in the time of bereavement for their parents. The drink itself isn't that special, isn't magical. Rather, it's the compassionate heart that prompts the offer. It is the acknowledgement of the pain and the intentional action that wants to do something, however small, to express kindness in a time of pain.

In Psalm 94:19, the consolations quiet and delight when previously there were multiplied anxious thoughts. This speaks of pleasure or amusement; this is, God's consolations take a situation that is sad or unpleasant, and they distract away from that. They give comfort as the unpleasant is taken away or forgotten, being replaced by something pleasant and light.

God's consolations come in times of sorrow, trial, disquiet, or grief. They are gentle, reassuring, considerate, compassionate, solicitous, intimate, nourishing, deliberate, and supportive. And God gives these consolations at times when they are particularly needed for the purpose of calming and drawing the focus away from the trouble.

May God tenderly comfort you in whatever pain or sorrow you are facing. May the gentle assurance of His love lift your heart and spirit, allowing you to love and minister, even if you thought you were on the brink of falling. May God enable you to show true comfort to those who are hurting around you, so that they too can rejoice and find hope in God.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

07042020 Dog Sleds

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings, my sisters.

Today I want to share the story of a "nobody" missionary who quietly served God in a remote place. Egerton Young ministered to the Cree and Saulteaux Indians in the frozen wilderness of Canada. His book, titled "By Canoe and Dog Train," reflects the reality of the only available means of transportation - canoe in the summertime and dog sled in the wintertime. This young, newlywed pastor faced opposition when he was called in 1868 to leave his flourishing church, but he was convinced of God's guidance.

Young's life was often in danger, rarely from savage natives, but sometimes from animal attacks, and frequently from the brutal conditions of his life and travel. The author himself states, "To fulfill [missionary] work, some of the greatest hardships and suffering have been endured, and some of the grandest trophies have been won." His hardships included the challenges of travel to various Indian groups, time away from his family, poor diet and living conditions, and even the loss of one of his babies due to the brutal conditions.

Young also saw great rewards. God used Him greatly to reach remote tribes, bring them to the knowledge of salvation, and teach them how to live according to the Bible. I share three examples of the evidence of changed lives.

The first deals with an Indian custom of "having a great feast at the beginning of the New Year." The Christian Indians turned this into a great display of Christian love and fellowship. Various types of food were gathered for weeks beforehand, and the men planned and pledged to make sure there was enough. "When the great day arrived, the men quickly removed the seats out of the church and put up long tables. Great boilers of tea were made ready, and every preparation was completed for a good time. But, before a mouthful was eaten by any of the eight hundred or thousand persons present, the chief asked me for a pencil and a piece of writing paper. Then, standing on a box or bench, he would shout out, 'How many of our people are aged or sick or afflicted and cannot be with us today?' As one name after another was mentioned, he rapidly wrote them down. ... When it was certain that none had been overlooked, they asked me for all the old newspapers and packing paper I could give them. Soon loving hands were busily engaged in cutting off large pieces of different kinds of meat and arranging them with the large flat cakes in generous bundles. ... Large bundles containing an assortment of everything at the feast would be made for all the names on the paper. Then the chief would call the young men ... as many of the fleet runners as there were bundles, gave each his load, and indicated the person to whom he was to give it. Then he would add, 'Give them our New Year's greetings and sympathy and tell them we are sorry they cannot be with us today.' ... Here, before a mouthful was eaten by the healthy and vigorous ones, large generous bundles that would last for days were sent off to the aged, infirm, and wounded ones."

The second took place during a church service with the Indians. "I was very astounded one day by the entrance of an old Indian called Tapastanum. Rattling his ornaments and crying, 'Ho! Ho!' he trotted into the church and gravely kissed several of the men and women. As the Christian Indians seemed to tolerate the interruption, I felt that I could. At the invitation of Big Tom, he sat down and listened to me. He was grotesquely dressed and had a good-sized looking glass hanging on his breast, kept in its place by a string hung around his neck. To help him listen, he lit his big pipe and smoked through the rest of the service. I spoke to the people afterwards about the conduct of this man, which was so opposite to their quiet, respectful demeanor in the house of God. Their expressive, charitable answer was, 'Such were we once, as ignorant as Tapastanum is now. Let us have patience with him, and perhaps he, too, will soon decide to give his heart to God. Let him come; he will get quiet when he gets the light.'"

The third had to do with the treaties the Indians were compelled to make with the government. Each group was to elect a "chief to represent them in making a treaty and discussing difficulties if they arose." Being chosen was a great honor, involving money and presents and a silver medal to wear, as well as interacting with important people. "After many councils, the people came to the almost unanimous conclusion that Big Tom should be their chief. ... Instead of seizing the proffered honors with enthusiasm, his face became very grave." He asked for a day to think it over. The next morning, Big Tom spoke: "'Long ago, when the missionaries came and preached to us, for a time we refused to listen to them. ... When I got the assurance in my heart that I was a child of God and had a soul that should live forever, I found that in working out its salvation I had something great to live for. To do this was the great object of my life. By and by, I married, and as my family increased and grew around me, I found I had another object for which to live. To help them along in the way to heaven, as well as to work for their comfort here, was my second great work. After a while, the missionary gave me the charge of a class. I was to meet with them, and we were to talk together about our souls and God's love to us and do all we could to help each other to the better land. To do my duty as the leader was a great and important work. While attending to these duties, I found I had another object for which to live. ... I am thankful for your confidence in asking me to be your chief. I know it is a great honor, but I see it will have many responsibilities. Whoever has the position will have to attend to many other things than those which I have my mind set upon. So you must appoint someone else, for I cannot let anything else interfere with those three things.'"

This is what it is all about - seeing the Word of God transform lives - creating love and charity instead of selfishness, humbly showing compassion to those who do not yet know the truth, and establishing godly priorities that focus the life. May God help you this week to that same end, even if you are also serving in a small place and largely unknown.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com