05312025 Good Hand of God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our enabling God. “Enabling” is not always a good term. Sometimes it is used of friends or family members who purposefully or inadvertently allow others to make damaging decisions. God, of course, never does that type of enabling, but He does purposefully help His children to follow through on good decisions.

As Ezra shared testimony about the rebuilding of the temple, he gave this acknowledgement regarding God’s work in it: “And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me” (Ezra 7:28).

Ezra led an amazing work, but Ezra was merely a willing servant. He was not the enabler of the work. The work that was accomplished, as Ezra rightly understood, was incredible. Who would have thought that such a thing could happen? “The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him” (v. 6). Artaxerxes released a portion of Israel to return, including the priests, Levites, and singers needed for worship (v. 7). He allowed anyone who wanted to go to Jerusalem to make the trip (v. 13).

The king wrote a letter which he sent along as a public decree of his support. In that decree, he declared Ezra’s mission to be authorized by the king (v. 14). He gave great offerings of silver and gold (v. 15-16) – gifts from the foreign government and citizens. These gifts allowed worship to resume quickly (v. 17), and there were no restrictions on how the money needed to be spent (v. 18). He sent vessels to use in worship (v. 19) and a blank check to purchase anything else that might be needed (v. 20). The king’s treasurers abroad were instructed to quickly grant to Ezra whatever he needed (v. 21-22).

Artaxerxes was not merely allowing the work to go on, he urged that it be done "diligently” according to God’s command (v. 23). Furthermore, he made it illegal to tax the servants of God (v. 24), and he gave Ezra authority to set up civil government (v. 25). He also threatened anyone who would oppose the work with banishment, imprisonment, or seizure of goods (v. 26).

Whatever prayer meeting went on prior to the king’s declaration must have been something! But surely Ezra and the other devoted servants could not have imagined such a robust response from the king. I would venture to say that God did “exceeding abundantly above all that [they could] ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

It was all God! God made the plan and conveyed the plan to Ezra. Then God gave Ezra all the practical help he needed to carry out the mission he had been given. God stretched out His good hand to enable Ezra.

Your mission is different from Ezra’s. It may seem vast and multi-faceted, requiring more strength, wisdom, and resources than you have. But God is the same. As He did with Ezra, so He can do with you. He can stretch out His good hand of blessing and enablement. He can provide all the resources. He can give you all the spiritual guidance as well as all the practical help to carry out His plan. I pray that He will do so and that you will be able to rejoice in His great work. May you be strengthened by His hand.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

05242025 Faithful God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our faithful God. God is determined to accomplish His will, and He does not abandon His plans.

I have a sister who is famous for starting things and then not finishing them. When my first sibling got married, this sister decided to make a quilt as a wedding present. She found the pattern she liked. She bought all the fabric, in the several colors and designs that would work together. She cut all the pieces, from large sections to tiny corners. That was twenty-five years ago. I don’t know if she still has the material, but I don’t think the quilt assembly was ever started.

That’s just one example of a project that she gave up on halfway through. Maybe I’m not much better. I can think of many instances in my own life in which I had a great idea for a Bible study or outreach ministry or even something practical. Many of those have fallen by the wayside because, once I got into them, I realized I didn’t have the energy to follow through, or I realized I had bitten off a much larger project than I could handle.

That’s how people are. Not always – but there are often things we start and cannot finish for whatever reason. Not so with God. “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24).

When God starts a “project,” He finishes it. It never becomes too hard or too big for Him. He never gets distracted by other things that might seem more interesting or more important. He doesn’t always finish something immediately, but that’s because gradual and even sporadic progress is often His effective plan.

What is it that God is faithful to finish? In reality, anything that He has said He will do or that He has set out to do. That is an encouraging thought as we consider the ministries to which He has called us. In this context, however, I think the specific objective is found in verse 23.

Paul prays that God will “sanctify you wholly” and that their “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s objective is for us to be like His Son, holy and blameless. In our human eyes, that is an impossible objective. Why should God waste His time on it? Oh, but it isn’t wasted time or energy or attention! God will do it! Praise God, there is a day coming when He will complete our sanctification and when He will present us blameless. God will not give up until that objective is achieved.

I think it is interesting to note that Paul describes this faithful, sanctifying God as “the very God of peace.” That is one of the amazing things about God. He is committed to actively seeking peace with mankind, and that filters down to the individual level. He wants us to be at peace with Him through salvation, but also to enjoy the highest level of daily peace by our wholesome fellowship with Him, which is greatly enhanced as our sanctification progresses.

May this God of peace help you to truly revel in the relationship you have with Him and in the knowledge that He is constantly and faithfully at work to increase both your sanctification and the resulting peace that comes from a closer walk with Him. And certainly, in the assurance that He is faithfully working in your obedient service to Him as well.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

05182025 God is Good

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our good God. This week God caused me to think about His goodness. Specifically, about what makes God good.

In brief, here is the background. I finally managed to arrange a much-needed vacation, which I expected to spend mostly outdoors. And it rained. And rained. And rained. I had prayed about this vacation from the beginning, then as it approached, and then each day. I asked God to let it work out and to be favorable for me. Rain was not my idea of favorable.

I pondered God’s response to my prayer. And my response to His response. I had feelings of disappointment and even something bordering on betrayal. Why had God let me down? Why did He not see fit to bless me with a favorable outworking of what I believed was His will for me? Did He not know how much this meant to my spirit and how much better it would be for me if I could have sunshine and nice days? Why did He not show His goodness to me at a time that it would have been special?

The answer that God gave me is that God is good not because He does for us what we deem to be good. He is good because … well, because He is good. It is His character. He cannot be anything but good.

“Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes” (Psalm 119:68).

Sometimes God will show His goodness by answering our prayers or by doing things that we consider to be good for us. But if He doesn’t, He is still good. I realized that I cannot think about God’s goodness primarily in what He does, that is, in specific actions. Rather, I must think about God’s goodness primarily in who He is.

God is good because He is faithful. God is good because He is righteous. God is good because He is holy, loving, compassionate, immutable, gracious, merciful, and so on. His combination of attributes makes Him good.

Because He is good, He will also do good. Those actions might not be what I want or expect. But I am not the only player in the situation. God does what is good for all. God sends rain to bless the earth. The rain this week improved our county’s drought level from severe drought to moderate drought. The drought has been an issue for a few years, and recently wildfires have occurred in surrounding areas. Just on that fact alone, I can say that God did what was good. He sent His blessing.

Then, of course, there is Romans 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” All things. So in some way God’s rain was good for me personally, probably beyond the benefit to the earth. If it caused me to think correctly about His goodness, then it was good for me. And if it gave me the opportunity to accept His answer without bitterness or anger or rebellion, then it was also good for me.

Would I have chosen rain this week? No. But I choose to believe the truth that God is good. May our good God bless you this week.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

05112025 Stabilizing God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who gives stability to life. That is true on a personal level, but it can be illustrated in other areas as well. The reason God can give stability is because of who He is. I can have confidence in His control over my small life, because He has shown that He has control over the largest cosmic events.

“Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name” (Amos 5:8).

The language of Amos is poetic, as he describes in creative ways some of the routine things that God does. First, God makes the seven stars (Pleiades) and Orion. Amos chooses some of the most commonly known stars and reminds us that God made them. Those stars are constant – we see them in the sky night after night, year after year, generation after generation. God made them, and God keeps them. They are on-going reminders that God is in control.

Second, God turns the shadow of night into morning, and when it is time, He makes the day dark with night. This is the most fundamental routine of our lives, and God oversees it. I’m glad we have both day and night. No one wants the night to last forever; Amos calls it the shadow of death. We are happy to see the sun rise and the world awaken. The older I get, the gladder I am that there is also a time that the day becomes dark. We need the night so that we can rest. Every time we go to bed in the dark and every time we wake up to a new day, it is a reminder that God is in control.

Third, God collects the waters of the sea through evaporation, and He pours those waters out on the earth through rain. This cycle is not as regular as that of day and night, but it is another masterful plan designed by God. What human mind would ever have designed this system of the water cycle? While we might not see this happen on a daily basis, the reality is that it is another factor that God is constantly controlling. When we walk outside on a dry day, water is evaporating – especially on a hot, sunny day. When we huddle indoors during a rainstorm, God is refreshing and replenishing the earth, giving it the water that it needs. In essence, every time it rains and every time the sun shines, God is giving us reminders that He is in control.

Yes, God is faithfully overseeing our universe, from the grandest level to the most personal. God keeps bringing the stars out each night, their rotation changing over the seasons, but constant and predictable. God keeps changing each night into day and each day into night. God keeps scooping up the water needed by the earth and then delivering that water in the form of rain. Our lives revolve around these “scientific” actions by God.

Ultimately, we can be comforted in knowing that the God who so effectively and predictably controls the grandest things can be trusted to effectively control all that pertains to us. He is powerful, faithful, and reliable. We can have stability under the care of such a God.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA 

05042025 May the Fourth

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of blessings and promises. Those of you familiar with American popular culture are probably aware that May Fourth, through a play on words, is referred to as Star Wars Day. I thought I would take that play on words in a different direction and share something about the Bible’s “may” the fourth.

"May” is a common helping verb, used in many contexts and with many possible subjects, but “may” is often used in the Bible to share God’s actions and intentions.

“May” the first is found in Genesis 1:20, and it speaks of God’s creative power and variety, specifically regarding the birds and fish. “Fowl that may fly above the earth.” Fish are okay. I eat them occasionally. Some people get “caught up” in trying to catch them. I’m not one of those people. I do enjoy birds, however. Off and on over the years, I have pursued birding – getting out into nature and enjoying the beauty and variety in God’s creation. There is the thrill of discovery and the fascination with what God has created in the avian world. (I’m up to 112 species so far for 2025.)

“May” the second is found in Genesis 3:2. While it is found in the context of Eve’s descent into the first sin, her statement tells of God’s bounty and blessing. “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.” God provided in a beautiful way for Adam and Eve, and He continues to do the same for us. Again, His variety is amazing. God could have made nothing but asparagus and limes, but He didn’t. He gave us steak, chicken, bacon, and haddock; wheat, corn, rye, and rice; strawberries, kiwi, bananas, and watermelon; carrots, green beans, peas, and broccoli. And so much more!

“May” the third is found in Genesis 8:17. It is God’s wonderful renewal of life given to Noah. After His judgment through the flood, God was starting over in a sense. “That they may breed abundantly in the earth.” The flood had destroyed nearly everything, but God’s plan and blessing on the earth were not finished. The plants would grow again. The animals would reproduce. The earth would return to a state of vibrancy, fullness, and provision.

“May” the fourth is found in Genesis 9:16. It is also following the flood, and it is one of the Bible’s greatest promises about the forgiveness and faithfulness of God. “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” The rainbow is a reminder to us as humans, but God says it is also a reminder to Him, (not that He needs one). It is a symbol of an everlasting covenant through which God continually has mercy even on a world as vile and sinful as ours has become.

This “may” the fourth is perhaps the Old Testament counterpart to II Peter 3:6-9. Peter speaks of the ancient world perishing when water overflowed it. He speaks of the coming judgment, although so far God has protected the heavens and the earth. Peter speaks of the perdition of ungodly men, which we know is elsewhere compared to the days of Noah. And then this great truth about the loving patience of God: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

In honor of May the Fourth, may God refresh your soul with the beauty of His creation. May He shower you with His blessings and provision. May He show you signs of renewal and new life in those of your ministry. May He strengthen you for your role in the task of rescuing men and women from judgment, bringing many into His family.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA