12272025 Constantly Watching

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our gentle God, who tells us, “I am watching over you all the time.”

While certain groups of people are especially susceptible to loneliness, it can affect anyone. Loneliness is not exclusive to physical isolation; it can also occur when we feel a disconnect or lack of understanding from those around us. We can feel like we are alone in a particular aspect of life, going through a challenge that outsiders cannot quite comprehend. It is also true, even when one is happily married and in a supportive family, that those family members cannot be present and alert at every moment. There can be lonely and isolated moments during the busyness of the day and especially during the quiet slumber of the night. It is hard to be alone or to feel alone, but there is One whose presence and support are constant. God says . . .

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the LORD sustained me” (3:5).

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (4:8).

“I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons” (16:7).

“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” (18:28).

“Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me” (42:8).

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (55:16-17).

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits” (68:19).

“Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand” (73:23).

“He that keepeth thee will not slumber” (121:3).

God says, “You are never alone. When people’s lack of understanding leaves you feeling alone, I understand. When people cannot be physically with you, I am with you. When those who care about you are sleeping or involved in other matters, I am still alert to your situation. I am with you every day. I am with you at every part of the day. I am with you even in the darkest nights. At all of these times, I am watching over you, giving you light, holding you, and hearing you. You can always come to Me. You can always trust in Me. You can even sleep in peace as you rest in My care.”

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

12202025 Keep from Disastrous Fall

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our gentle, stabilizing, and sustaining God. His loving words say, “I’m not going to let you fall into disaster.”

There are times when it feels like life is about to fall apart. Perhaps better stated, there are times when I feel like I’m about to fall apart. Life becomes more than what I can handle. The pressure is intense. My spirit becomes worn and weary, and perhaps even my faith starts to stagger under the load. I recognize my own weakness and realize that I could collapse and fall. In fact, there are times that such a collapse seems inevitable and imminent. I think to myself, “I have followed God all these years and have walked the paths He has laid out for me. Always before I have pulled through the tough times, but this time I’m not so sure. It doesn’t look or feel good right now.” It seems like I am about to fall into oblivion and never recover. But, oh, there is glorious truth for such oppressive times! There is a God who has been faithful for all those years. He has given help and deliverance over and over again, and He has not gone anywhere. He has not lost His power. He wants me to continue and succeed, and this loving God gently says . . .

“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. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip” (18:35-36).

“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” (37:24).

“Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved” (66:9).

“When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up” (94:18).

“He will suffer thy foot to be moved” (121:3).

God says, “I am right here. I know what your path is like. I know how threatening and treacherous it seems. But I would not have asked you to walk this path if I were not going to help you through it. Even here, I am preparing the path and making it safer for you. Take My hand and let me guide you step by step. You might take a misstep here or there – you might stumble or slide a little. But if I am holding your hand, you are not going to plummet off the path. You will not fall irreparably. This path will come out exactly where and when I want it to, and when it does, we will emerge together. Walk with me.”

Merry Christmas! May God bless your ministry efforts during this week and bless you with peace and joy in remembering His greatest gift.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

12132025 God Gives Help

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our gentle Helper. Our gentle God declares: I will give you the help you need.

What good does it do to pray if God doesn’t respond with help? That’s like filling out the appropriate form and dropping it into a suggestion box that drops into a trash can or into a requisition box that is unmonitored. Or, to put it another way, it’s a lot like the people we know. They might care about our situation, but how many times have we heard them say, “I wish there were something I could do,” or “I don’t know what to say”? Sometimes when people offer to help, there honestly isn’t anything they can do, because the dynamics are outside of their control. That’s never true of God. He always knows what to do and say. His wisdom and power mean that He is always capable of intervening. His help is diverse; depending on the need, He can supply wisdom, grace, resources, rescue, relief, hope, and more. Because God cares, He responds to our prayers and to our needs with the appropriate help. God says . . .

“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters” (18:16).

“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret place of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (27:5).

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (33:18-19).

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (37:39).

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (50:15).

“The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies” (59:10).

“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (63:7).

“I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots” (81:6).

“The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (116:6-8).

“He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him” (145:19-20).

God says, “I’m not just full of empty words. My caring goes beyond glib reassurances. I know what solution you need. I know what support you need to hold you over until that solution is achieved. I know how to bring about the solution, and I have the power to do it. I am not ignoring or overlooking you, even if the help seems slow to arrive. I am holding you, and I am working out My answer and My plan. Don’t despair. You are in good hands.”

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

12062025 God Hears Anguished Prayers

 

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our loving and gentle God.  He is the God who tells us, “When you cry out in anguish, I pay attention and respond.”

It is certainly stabilizing and comforting to believe that God hears my prayers. It does seem, however, that not all prayers are equal. It is one thing to pray regarding the details of normal life: safety traveling, getting through a dentist appointment, blessing on meals, working out the details of an event, recovering from a minor illness, and so on. Those prayers matter. It is important for me to pray them, and it is meaningful that God hears and answers them. But there are other prayers that are on a completely different level. There are prayers at times that I am completely overwhelmed – when the situation is especially serious, dangerous, or oppressive. These could be an intense spiritual struggle, a severe health situation, a family crisis, a looming potential tragedy, or a decision or ruling with tremendous long-term impact. These prayers are far from routine, and they are sometimes squeezed out more in soul groaning than in actual words. At these desperate and serious times, there is nothing more important than knowing that God is listening. That He cares and answers and responds in these most difficult times of life. God says . . .

“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill” (3:4).

“The LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping” (6:8).

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him” (12:5).

“For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard” (22:24).

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (34:4).

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (34:6).

“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (34:15).

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles” (34:17).

“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God” (40:17).

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me” (77:1).

“Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder” (81:7).

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me” (86:7).

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him” (91:15).

“Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies” (106:44-45).

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses” (107:6).

“I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place” (118:5).

“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me” (120:1).

God says, “I hear your most desperate prayers. I hear you when all you can do is groan and cry. I hear you when you are in trouble, distress, and affliction. When your situation is unfathomably difficult and when you are helpless, I am here. Come to me. Talk to me. Tell me your burden – in words if you can, and in groaning of soul if that is all you can do. I want you to know that I am not unmoved by your anguish. I will support you and help you until the time that I choose to rescue you. There is not a situation that you face that is too difficult for Me. So come and tell Me, then rest in My care.”

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA