07312021 Looking at God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our great God. No matter what happens in life, and no matter what other people are like, God remains great. Always.

Not all days in life are created equal. Not all weeks or months or years are created equal. By that I mean that we go through spells of various lengths in which life seems to be either more blessed than normal or more difficult than normal. Perhaps not to an extreme extent, but it does seem that the past few weeks have been more challenging for me. This week I ran around after work every day to various offices, trying to resolve an issue that had come up. With God's help, I was finally able to do that on Friday, but it seemed that my week was filled with extra pressure and frustration.

I felt the frustration, and I felt the fatigue of my body, and I knew I needed help from God. I found myself turning once again to the Psalms, which are so filled with help and truth. I began returning home after these fruitless errands and immersing myself in the Psalms. Since many of my favorites are in the 60s, that's where I started. One day I read all the 60s, another day all the 70s, and so on. God's Word did not disappoint. God's Word calmed my spirit, and what I especially noticed was that God was exalted.

As I read, my eyes were repeatedly turned to the greatness of my God. I saw that the help of God is far beyond what any man can give. “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man” (60:11). I saw that no matter where I am and how difficult the situation is, God can give help. I am weak and small, but God is strong and tall. “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (61:2).

I saw that I can trust Him always. “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah” (62:8). I saw the immensity of His love and care. “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee” (63:3). I saw that when God does something, God does it right. Man makes a mess of things, but God's work is excellent. “And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing” (64:9).

I saw that God's works are amazing. “By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea” (65:5). I saw that even when life, which is directed by God, throws at us its worst, God still is able to show His great deliverance. “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” (66:12).

I saw that God is worthy of universal praise. “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee” (67:3). I saw how amazing God is in comparison to anyone else. “To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice” (68:33). I saw that God is the God of answers, and that His answers are motivated by His great heart. “Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies” (69:16).

These verses are just a sampling of the ministry that God gave to my heart through these psalms that revealed His greatness. I needed to be refocused on God. I needed my heart to be bolstered and my mind cleansed with truth. These psalms did that in a great way. The circumstances of life did not disappear, but my gaze was no longer filled with the circumstances, but with the God who is greater than them all.

I'm so thankful that God directed me toward these passages and encouraged me to spend time in them even when I simply wanted to collapse and do nothing. Sometimes I foolishly reject doing what I know in my heart is the only thing that will help, because I think I'm just too tired or too frustrated. It's a daily battle, isn't it? Life’s challenges are fresh every day, which means that every day we need God's help revealed through His Word - and some days we need extra doses. God never changes, and His truth is always sufficient. He Himself is always great.

May you be constantly reminded of God's greatness this week, and may He meet every need of your heart.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

07242021 Biblical Perspective

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of truth. It is a wonderful consolation to realize that God has all truth about everything. There is peace and stability in that realization.

On Sunday my mom fell and has (apparently) fractured her sternum. My sister, who is a nurse, is caring for her and had some initial concerns about the seriousness of this trauma. Thankfully, Mom is improving over the past several days. The recovery could take some time, but things are looking more encouraging.

My point is not to share the news about my mom or to raise concern on her behalf; rather, it is to share something about how the situation made me react. My mom is 80 years old and not in the best health. This could have been the final straw. This situation caused me to think more in depth about something I had already been pondering for other reasons – death.

In particular, I wanted to have a biblical perspective about death. Sometimes my job is monotonous enough that I can think about other things, and this week I tried to recall Scriptures that could guide my thinking and calm my spirit. Other verses came to me in the middle of the night, and I compiled a list of verses to consider. Here’s my big point: realizing that God has truth about death brought me comfort. Even the beginning process of recalling those verses brought me comfort. Further considering those truths brought me comfort.

I also realized that this is only part of the impact. The truth is that everything about life and death is covered in God’s Word. For whatever the current challenge is, God has truth. His truth comforts and stabilizes and guides. His truth gives hope. It is truly wonderful to have this foundation that can keep us in every scenario.

If you want the full study, let me know and I can provide it for you, but I thought I would share a few of the truths here in the hope they can encourage you also.

Dying is part of life. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). A Christian does not have to inordinately fight death or refuse to accept it.

God controls life and death. “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Samuel 2:6). Individuals can be assured that the time of their own death or that of a loved one is within the power and control of God.

Sorrow is normal and elicits a human response. “A time to weep... a time to mourn” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Jesus Himself was affected by the death of His cousin John and responded to the event.

Peace is possible both before and after someone’s death. When Elijah was about to die, Elisha was repeatedly confronted by others who seemed disturbed at the impending event, but Elisha himself was at peace, even though he probably stood to lose the most. “And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace” (2 Kings 2:3&5).

Comfort is possible, but must be chosen. Comfort is a divine provision. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation” (1 Corinthians 1:3-4). Christians have the capacity to offer comfort to each other, especially by reminding each other of the eternal state of believers. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). There are people who do not choose to be comforted. This happened to Jacob after he believed Joseph had been killed. Jacob’s long-term sorrow caused difficulties for the rest of his family, ultimately threatening their livelihood, because his intense sorrow hindered his willingness to make necessary decisions.

Not all deaths are equal. God does not have the same plan for each individual. When Peter questioned John's future, “Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me” (John 21:22). Not only was John's lifespan very different from Peter’s, but James and John were brothers and both apostles included in Jesus’ inner circle; James died within a few years of this incident, but John lived to be an old man.

Not all sorrow is equal. The extent of sorrow will vary depending on the relationship to the one who has passed. “And they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born” (Zechariah 12:10).

Death is not the end. “Willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Death is actually a victory for the Christian. (1 Corinthians 15:52-54).

Reunions will happen. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

God has a perspective regarding death. Death is often a tool in the hand of God to accomplish even greater things. “This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God” (John 21:19). In reality, everything in our lives from beginning to end should be for our Savior. “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). This perspective allows us to accept God's plan whether or not it makes sense or seems right to us.

May God give you encouragement and comfort this week by directing your thoughts toward His truth for whatever situation you face.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

07172021 Unexpected Deliverance

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of the impossible. That is an incredible thought, that God can do what man can’t imagine as possible.

Lesson #47. There are trials we think we can't get through, but God can bring us through anyway. Our trials are not always as hopeless as we think. The final verse of the book of Job reads, “So Job died, being old and full of days” (42:17).

This conclusion is not what Job expected. Through the dark days of his trial, he never thought he would live to see old age. He never thought he would recover from his illness. He probably never expected to again see prosperity, financial blessing, restoration with family and friends, or a new set of children. Quite to the contrary, Job had firmly believed his days were numbered and would end in pain.

Job had often revealed his expectations. He didn’t see the point in continuing to fight when the end seemed certain. “What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?” (6:11). Job thought that his life was quickly drawing to an end, and he had no hope of recovery. “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope” (7:6). “Mine eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not” (7:7b-8). “I loathe it … my days are vanity” (7:16). “My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me” (17:1).

Job was wrong. He did not die of his illness. He did not even battle the effects of his illness for the rest of his life. He did return to days of joy. His friends did still see him for many more years. His grave would remain empty for quite some time, while he returned to an unexpected life of prosperity. God was able to accomplish an outcome that was beyond Job's expectation.

In the midst of a trial, it is only God who knows what the outcome will be. Esther and all her people seemed doomed to death through genocide. Esther was presented with the challenge of appealing to the king. She did not know what would happen. As she prepared to take her life into her hands by going unbidden to the king, she stated, “if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). God gave Esther favor with the king, and God magnificently delivered the entire nation.

Under penalty of death, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were commanded to bow down to an idol. Because they could not obey this edict, they remained standing and risked their lives. When the king confronted them before casting them into the blazing furnace, they expressed their conviction that God was able to deliver them. They did not know if He would deliver them, however, evidenced by their admission, “but if not” (Daniel 3:18). They faced the possibility that their obedience might result in death, but God miraculously intervened and delivered them.

Paul was on a ship with 275 other people. They were in the midst of a horrific storm, and they did not expect to escape. They had already given up trying to steer the ship. They had thrown the cargo overboard, and they had even discarded the tackling of the ship. All hope of being saved was abandoned. Because of God's promise to him, Paul was the only one who expected to survive. He told the others, “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25). 275 people had no hope of survival, but God delivered every one of them.

These are just three more examples (out of many) that illustrate God’s ability to deliver even in the most desperate and impossible situations. The truth is that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). There is no night so dark that God cannot bring light. There is no pit so deep that God cannot lift someone up. There is no pain so sharp that God cannot heal. There is no impending disaster that God cannot avert. There is no power in heaven or earth that can defeat God.

Even when humans see no hope and no possibility of deliverance, God is not limited. He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). We might acknowledge God’s power but still think we are doomed because of our own weakness. Not so. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). The strength of God can supersede the weakness of man.

Will God give deliverance in every trial here on this earth? Will every situation be resolved with temporal release? No. Hebrews 11:36-40 reveals that some deliverance will be achieved only in eternity. But what is God’s normal? “After that ye have suffered a while” (1 Peter 5:10). “Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations” (1 Peter 1:6). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment” (2 Corinthians 4:17). “He hath smitten, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1). “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place” (Psalm 118:5).

We can be in the most intense and impossible situation imaginable. “Though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” (Psalm 46:2). Even there, we can hope in God’s ability to deliver. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). While acknowledging that God’s plan might not include deliverance (“but if not”), we can be confident that He is able to deliver, even when our human eyes see no possible solution. Job died as an old man. God is able to do the unexpected!

What a triumphant ending to a wonderful book. Thanks for accompanying me on my journey. I have so much enjoyed going through it again, and many times God’s truth has met needs in my own heart. I’m a little sad to come to the conclusion of this study, but thankful that the rest of God’s Word also contains wonderful truth. May God show Himself strong in your lives this week, even accomplishing what seems impossible.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

07102021 Restored Blessing

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of the abundant heart. God loves His children so much, and He is careful to show His favor and pleasure in many ways.

Lesson #46. After a time, God renews His visible blessing on those who please Him, although that blessing may not be in like fashion to previous blessing. “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, ... Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. ... And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations” (42:10-16).

Remember how Job's story started? He was a man greatly blessed of God. He had seven sons and three daughters. He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. He was “the greatest of all the men of the east” (1:3). Even Satan acknowledged God's extraordinary blessing of this man. Satan said that God had greatly protected Job and had “blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land” (1:10).

When Satan’s attack came, Job lost all of these visible blessings. He lost his children. He lost his animals and servants, which meant the loss of his income. He lost his reputation. He lost his health. Job lost everything. The Bible does not indicate definitively how long Job’s trial lasted, but it appears to have been several months. These months were difficult in the extreme, and there was no indication of any end in sight. Nevertheless, God did end the suffering.

Not only did God relieve Job’s physical pain, but He gave renewed blessing. In Job's case, God’s renewed visible blessing fell into the same categories as the previous visible blessing. Job had lost his children, and God gave new children. Job had lost his animals, and God provided replacement animals. Job had lost his servants, and although the passage does not explicitly state so, it seems obvious that God also restored a contingent of servants. Job had lost his wealth, but God supplied a new nest egg of riches. Job had lost his reputation, but God proved Job's renewed reputation when his family and friends again gathered. Job had lost his health, and God restored his health.

Not only did God restore each of these blessings in kind, but in many cases, He did so in abundance. Job’s latter days were more blessed than his beginning. Job ended up with twice as much as he had previously. The numbers of animals are specifically listed, but it would seem likely that Job's liquid wealth was also doubled. These increased possessions are amazing in themselves, but they become more amazing when we stop to consider that Job had to restart from scratch. Job was not in a position where a reduced number of animals needed to reproduce in order to rebuild his flocks and herds. He had nothing left with which to start over. For most grown men, which Job was, this complete reversal of fortune would have prevented them from ever again reaching prosperity, and often not even stability. In addition to the doubled possessions, God gave Job triple generations to enjoy. In addition to new sons and daughters, he also had grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Again, for a grown man, we would not expect this particular restoration to be possible.

Job’s post-trial blessings were not limited to possessions, finances, and family. It must have been a precious day when all the acquaintances who had abandoned Job in his time of need now lined up with gifts of money in their hands and restoration of friendship in their hearts. I believe the best blessings of all were the spiritual blessings that God gave Job. In his walk with God, Job was never the same man again. He had learned precious and invaluable lessons that would bolster and enlighten his spirit for the remainder of his days. I believe he enjoyed an increased sweetness and closeness in his relationship with God. All of these various blessings combine to demonstrate one outstanding conclusion, that God was well-pleased with Job.

Not always does God restore the same kind of blessing or the same quantity of blessing, as He did in Job’s case. When His children walk with Him through dark valleys, however, God is always pleased. When God is pleased, He expresses that pleasure. That might not be in visible blessings. Wealth might not be restored. Children might not be replaced. Health may never be the same again.

The wonderful thing is that God’s immaterial blessings far exceed His material blessings. Quite honestly, a trial might end only in death, but in reality, this is the greatest blessing of all, to close one’s eyes in pain in this broken world and to open them in eternal peace and bliss in heaven. Perhaps God’s post-trial blessings will be primarily spiritual; through the trial He works such maturity that one’s relationship with God becomes exceedingly precious. After a time of suffering, a believer might find himself equipped to minister to others with effectiveness that he never previously imagined (2 Corinthians 1:4). He may find completely new ministries. He might see doors opened and contacts made that will surprise him.

If we will faithfully walk with God, earnestly seeking Him and trusting Him in the midst of our trial, I believe we can see the same conclusion that Job saw, that our latter days will be more blessed than our beginning. Whether God’s renewed expressions of blessing are material or spiritual, the important thing is what lies behind those blessings. Either way, they are the provision of God. Either way, they are the outward expressions of God’s heart. Either way, they are God’s way of reassuring His precious children and of telling them, “I am pleased with you.” What could be better than knowing that?

May God’s favor shine on you this week, and may you see various levels of His blessing.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

07032021 Humble Realization

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who is infinitely greater than we are. He knows what we cannot know, and He does what we cannot do.

Lesson #45. Humility before God is the proper response in times of suffering. Suffering is never easy. Neither is suffering desirable. From a human perspective, suffering often seems wrong, and its purpose is rarely understood by those who are going through it. Each of these statements was true of Job's situation. These common human responses influenced the way Job spoke throughout the book.

Job's final words come after God had powerfully revealed Himself to Job. In these final words, Job reaches an important conclusion of humility. This conclusion is based on several eye-opening truths that Job had absorbed through God's direct revelation.

First, Job recognized God’s sovereignty and His unstoppable plan. God had revealed Himself as the mighty controller of every aspect of the world, from creation to the weather to the animal kingdom. Job acknowledged, “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee” (42:2). Job realized that God does anything He pleases. God's plan cannot be stopped. Therefore, whatever happens is within God's plan.

Second, Job recognized his own lack of comprehension. Job had uttered humanly-reasoned words that lacked a genuine foundation of accuracy. Quite simply, Job did not know what he was saying as he discoursed about his suffering. Job admitted this shortcoming in 42:3, when he said, “Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.”

Third, Job recognized first-hand how amazing God was. He had seen truth about God emerge in ways that he had never previously experienced. Job expressed his new vision this way: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (42:5). Job's eyes had been opened to see the beauty and fullness of God's character.

These three statements of important truth that Job had learned led to a conclusion for Job, which he introduces with the word “wherefore” in verse 6. Because he now understood these truths about God's sovereignty, God's greatness, and his own ignorance, Job responded in humility. “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (42:6).

Job acts on his conclusion in two ways. First, he retracts. (Translated “abhor,” when used intransitively, as it appears to be in this case, since “myself” is in italics, it means “to disappear and melt away.” The other common meaning is “to reject.” It is likely his words that he hates, not himself.) Job takes back his assertions, his arguments, his complaints, his human understanding. In essence, if Job had it all to do over again, knowing what he knows now, his words would be very limited. A few statements would remain, such as his desire to bless God, his determination to retain his integrity, and his confidence in his Redeemer. Some words would be worth keeping, but most of his words would be gone.

If God is sovereign, Job realized that His plan cannot be wrong and cannot happen in error. All the chapters containing Job’s statements about his integrity and the undeserved nature of his suffering dissolve in this admission.

If God has understanding that Job cannot approach, Job realized that God’s purposes can far exceed his limited ability to perceive them. All the chapters containing Job's self-defense dissipate, as he simply realizes his inability to understand everything that he had been striving so hard to process and explain.

If God is unsurpassably great in ways that Job has now seen with increased clarity, Job realized that there is no one to compare with God. The greatness of God that Job has now seen essentially makes every other component of life irrelevant. When God filled Job’s vision, the trial itself no longer mattered. All the chapters containing Job’s complaints and desperation disappear.

Job second action is to repent. He sighs and has sorrow over his failures in word and in spirit. He humbly places himself in a position to accept only what God says. As humans, we so thoroughly understand the human angst and confusion that Job experienced. In our minds, we might not believe there is any need for him to repent. What did he do that was so wrong? While we might evaluate that Job came through with flying colors, Job clearly sensed the need to repent. This was not a minor thing for him. He references dust and ashes. This is a genuine, heartfelt repentance that acknowledges his errors in both word and attitude, errors that, although they were not intentional or willful, did in fact happen.

There must come a point in all suffering that we reach this same conclusion. Perhaps, like Job, we have sincerely endeavored to seek God and to continue doing the right thing in our frail humanity. However, we will never do that perfectly. Like Job, we will speak things that we do not understand. Like Job, the implications of our statements will at times exalt ourselves above God. Like Job, we will sometimes overlook the amazing character of the God who is standing at our side.

When we realize our deviation from truth, and when we realize the implications of our thoughts and words, we can do only what Job did, which is to retract and repent. We must take back anything that we said or thought against Him and any doubt that has controlled us. Our only conclusion can be, “God, you are right, and I am wrong. You understand, and I do not. I place myself at Your mercy and discernment to do what You know is right.”

When we respond with this humility, something wonderful happens. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). Peter quotes this same Old Testament verse and follows it with these words, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6). God's response to humility is to pour out His grace. Grace is what we need so much when we are in extended and unexplained suffering. We can reach this point of humility without the trial ending and without understanding why it is happening. When we do, we will receive the grace of God to continue through to the end. What a wonderful provision of God!

May this gracious God give you all the grace you need this week both to respond to Him and to face whatever life (by His decree) brings. With His grace, we can keep walking forward!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA