04292023 Comfort

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of all comfort. Because God knows all things, He knows the struggles of His children. Because God loves His children, He desires to comfort them.

Paul and his companions were in a difficult time. They “were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears” (II Corinthians 7:5). The result of this multi-pronged oppression was that Paul and the others were “cast down,” depressed.

Did God know? Of course He did. Did God care? Of course He did. Did God do anything about it? Of course He did. “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (II Corinthians 7:6).

The comforting event was the arrival of Titus and the report that he brought. Let’s not be confused, though. Titus didn’t plan the visit on his own. Titus did not know the impact his visit would have. Titus probably was not even aware of the current struggle of Paul.

Was it just coincidence that Titus showed up? I think not. God sent him. Notice that Paul does not attribute the comfort to Titus’s volition, but to God’s purposeful action. “God … comforted us.”

Was this isolated comfort just for Paul because he was depressed? No. Actually, this particular incident was representative of the consistent action of God. Paul says about God that He “comforteth those that are cast down.” It is the regular action of His compassionate knowledge and of His loving heart.

Are you cast down? Or maybe it’s some other struggle for you currently. Whatever it is, you can rest assured that God knows. You can be confident that God cares. You can count on His compassionate understanding of your weakness. You should not be surprised when God intervenes to encourage and support you. That’s what He does, and He is good at it.

Perhaps you are not currently in a time of particular struggle. Perhaps then, rather than receiving comfort from God, it is God’s intention that you be a Titus to someone who is hurting. You never know what a difference your actions will make, even when they seem small. May God open your eyes and prompt your heart to be a Titus to the person in need within your context.

Thank God for His comfort when we need it, and thank God that He uses us to do His work of bringing comfort to others, sometimes even when we never intended or planned it. Thank God for His loving, compassionate heart and for His knowledge of our deepest needs. God is good.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04222023 Habit

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who delivers. God is with us in all situations, and no situation is too hard for Him to handle.

I was recently noting how often the titles of David's psalms identify the situation he was in at the time. When he fled from Absalom his son (3). Concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite (7). In the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul (18). When he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed (34). When Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone into Bathsheba (51). When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech (52). When the Ziphims came and said to Saul, doth not David hide himself with us? (54). When the Philistines took him in Gath (56). When he fled from Saul in the cave (57). When Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him (59). When he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand (60). When he was in the wilderness of Judah (63). When he was in the cave (142).

David was in some difficult places in his life. Just a few verses from these psalms reveal that his enemies were numerous (3:1), there was no one to deliver him (7:2), others said that even God could not help him (3:2), death threatened (18:5), and his spirit was overwhelmed within him (142:3).

Probably the most interesting thing to me about noticing the psalm titles was the realization that calling out to God was a habit with David. We have all these different instances in which the precise situation was recorded; these particular psalms were written as prayers in those difficult situations. We have quite a list of specific times when David cried out to God, but the psalms listed above are not the only times David did so. We could read many other psalms in which David also cried out for help, although the specific situation is not recorded in a title. Nevertheless, each of those additional psalms also reflect David's habit of crying to God.

Notice the typical things that David said when he cried to God. “Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God (3:7). “Hear my prayer, O God” (54:2) “Be merciful unto me, O God (56:1). “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God” (59:1). “Bring my soul out of prison” (142:7). No matter what the trouble was, David's habitual state was to seek help from God.

Habitually, these psalms often end in a similar way. When David cries out for help. it is absolutely normal for him to expect God to give it, and David intends to praise God in response. “I will praise the LORD” (7:17). “I will praise thee forever” (52:9). “I will freely sacrifice unto thee” (54:6). “I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning” (59:16). “That I may praise thy name” (142:7).

So David habitually cried to God in times of trouble, whether or not the psalm identifies the situation. David habitually said that He would praise God for deliverance. Did David follow through with his intentions? He sure did! In fact, the situations described in psalms 18 and 34 are precisely that. So some of David’s times of praise are also identified by situation. Are these the only psalms of praise? Definitely not! Just like David has many psalms for help that do not identify the specific situation, so he has many psalms of praise that do not identify the specific situation. So, yes, his praise is also habitual.

What type of praise does David give? “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great” (18:35). “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles” (34:17).

What is your current “when”? When cancer comes? When the government gets ugly? When your children struggle? When new believers stray? When trusted leaders compromise? When the finances fall apart? Whatever your “when,” you can turn confidently to the God who can help, and you can have every expectation of being able to praise Him for that help. May God help each of us to grow in making both our dependent cries and our grateful praise habits of life.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04152023 Plain Birds

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who has perfect design. I am currently assisting an elementary teacher in our Christian school with teaching basic bird identification to her students. The designs God has created for birds are often colorful, sometimes very intricate, and jaw-droppingly varied.

One thing quickly noted about birds is that the males are more colorful and more boldly designed than the females. My mind imagines the female students raising a protest, “That's not fair!” (If you are unfamiliar with bird design and would like some examples, look up the wood duck, rose-breasted grosbeak, red-winged blackbird, and house finch.)

Why did God make female birds so plain? I'm not a biologist, so I don't know what the “experts” would say, but I know what my logical brain thinks. The female bird has to sit on the nest for weeks, waiting for the eggs to hatch, and then she must tend to the little birds until they leave the nest. If she were brightly colored, she would be a sitting duck (or finch, etc.) for predators, boldly declaring her presence and endangering herself and her young. God gave the female birds their design for their own protection so they can safely and successfully do the jobs He gave them to do.

I am reminded that He does the same for people. God designs us exactly as He wants us to be so that we can do the jobs He has for us. That is true in terms of male and female biology and gender-specific traits, but it is also true for personal characteristics, talents, and personality. I'm certain the Bible has a great deal to reveal about this, but I thought of three specific examples.

When God called Moses at the burning bush, Moses bemoaned his poor speaking skills. In response, God reminded Moses, “Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11). God gives or withholds abilities based on His plan. Moses was able to do everything that God asked him to do.

When the disciples saw the man blind from birth, they questioned who had sinned that had caused this condition. Jesus assured them that the man’s physical condition was not the result of sin. “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). This man’s physical limitation was divinely designed as a venue for displaying the mighty works of God.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh, and his writings reveal that he apparently had some unpleasant characteristics both physically and in his speaking ability. Nevertheless, he was able to serve God in a tremendous way, and his weaknesses provided the platform for God's strength to shine through. Meanwhile, God gave Paul all the grace he needed to do all that He asked him to do. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. … For when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Corinthians 12:9-10).

In our own lives, these same principles hold true. God designed each one of us, and He made each one of us in exactly the way He wants us to be. Like Moses, we will be able to do anything that God intends for us to do, in spite of our perceived weaknesses. Like the blind man, our lives with their deficiencies can be used to bring glory to God. Like Paul, we can do great service for God when we rely on His inexhaustible grace and when it is His strength that does the work rather than our own.

So are we plain sparrows? Cardinals with muted colors? Mallards lacking the flashy colors of our mates? God made us as we are by design, and His design is specifically fashioned precisely so that we can do the jobs He has designed for us to do. The plainness may actually be the factor that allows us to successfully fulfill our role.

Thank God for His wisdom, as He sometimes chooses for us things that He knows are right, even though we would not have chosen them. Thank God for His strength that shines forth in our weakness. Thank God for His grace that enables us to do what we humanly cannot do. Thank God that He can use the frailest vessels to display His great works. Glory to the God who does it all through us.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA 

04082023 Risen Savior

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our risen Savior! Our hope rests in the resurrection.

I was thinking about the great “if” of I Corinthians 15. “If there be no resurrection of the dead” (v. 13). Thank God that this “if” is not true. Because the “if” is not true, all the ramifications of the “if” are also not true. Since the “if” is false, Christ is not still dead (v. 13). Since the “if” is false, our preaching is not vain (v. 14). Since the “if” is false, our faith is not vain (v. 14). Since the “if” is false, we are not false witnesses (v. 15). Since the “if” is false, we are not still in our sins (v. 17). Since the “if” is false, we are not the most miserable of men (v. 19).

All the opposites are then true. Our Savior lives. The message of our preaching is vibrant and powerful. Our faith is solid and dependable. Our message is true. Our sins are forgiven. We have of all men the most reason to rejoice.

May you rejoice in our risen Savior, and may you see others come to know the hope and certainty of the gospel of Christ. Happy Resurrection Day!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04012023 Everlasting

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the everlasting God. To an extent, it is entirely logical that any being designated as God should be everlasting, but the eternality of God is far more than just a technicality or expectation. It is also very practical.

This morning I read Deuteronomy 33:27. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” I noted two similar ideas. God is eternal, and His arms are everlasting. The repetition adds emphasis.

Why does it matter that God is eternal? Why does it matter that His arms are everlasting? This verse is included in the blessing that Moses gave to the tribe of Asher. The surrounding verses speak of extraordinary strength, of divine help, of safety, and of bountiful blessing.

God gave those benefits to Israel in the time of Moses. But Moses would soon die, and Israel would continue to need the same types of divine help after the passing of Moses. They would need that divine help for conquering the land (Joshua). They would need that divine help for fighting off enemies (Jehoshaphat). They would need that divine help when invading armies threatened and besieged them (Hezekiah). They would need that divine help to protect them in captivity (Esther, Daniel) and to return them to their land (Ezra, Nehemiah).

The children of Israel were not the first ones to need such help. Adam was the first man to need it. Noah needed it. The patriarchs needed it. Joseph needed it. The children of Israel needed it to escape Egyptian slavery. Neither were the children of Israel the last ones to need divine help. The apostles needed it. Paul and his companions needed it. The persecuted church needed it.

The need for divine help extends beyond the time encompassed in the Scriptures, however. Every Christian in the two millennia since the closing of the Scriptures has also needed divine help. This extends right up into the current day. Sometimes it is difficult for us to envision the types of situations faced by Christians in previous eras, but we are aware of the type of help that we need in our present day. This help is needed on national levels, at church levels, within families, and certainly by individuals.

The fact that God is eternal and that His arms are everlasting means that He can provide the same type of help that He gave to Israel during the conquest to everyone from Adam through the present day. What God did in the past, He can continue to do. Every type of situation that He handled in the past is still under His ability to manage.

This is not true for anyone else. Moses wasn't always there for those people. King David was not always there for his people. Even with his lengthy ministry, the prophet Jeremiah was not always there. The apostle Paul was not always available to those churches. Each of these men died, and the people who were under their care remained under the eternal care of God.

One of the frustrations of government is that leaders are temporary. We may become very excited about a new governor or president or other official and the policies that he promises to implement. We may look forward expectantly to reforms and to new programs. But how often has it happened that a ruler left office before he was able to implement the things he had promised? Often millions of dollars are spent to overhaul a program. Then the party in power changes, and the new party spends millions of dollars to undo what had not even reached implementation stages and to develop their own version of the same program.

This type of problem never occurs with God, because His rule never ends. There is no disruption of power. There is no reversal of His policies. There is no waste of resources, and there is no perennial winding of the path and changing of direction. Because God is eternal, He can continue to work His plan even when the development of that plan is played out over centuries or even millennia. Because of this, God could orchestrate everything needed for the birth of His Son, and because of this, God can orchestrate everything needed for the second coming of His Son and for the events of the end of the world. And everything in between.

It matters that God is eternal, because it means that He can still offer the same help today and because it means that His long-term plans continue faithfully toward their fulfillment. It also matters what type of God this eternal God is. The verse from Deuteronomy calls the eternal God a refuge, and it describes His everlasting arms as being underneath to uphold weak and needy people.

This is who God still is for us today. He is still a refuge, just as He has always been a refuge for His people. His arms still uphold the weak, the frail, and the feeble, just as they have always done. We can rest in the care of this eternal God, and we can throw our weight and our burdens into His unfailing arms. What a blessing it is to belong to and to serve a God that is everlasting. May the everlasting God uphold you this week and do the work in you and through you that only He can do.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA