Pursuing Peace

 Recently I wrote in my journal, “Weary, the word that describes me right now. Not physically, but emotionally and spiritually.” There had been conflict between me and 2 young ladies I serve at work, and I could not understand why. I questioned myself. What had I done to make them angry? Was there something for which I needed to apologize and take ownership? Was this even about me? I had tried to reach them for answers, but they were not forthcoming. Situations like this wear on us. 

So, I reached for my Bible. In Psalm 63 I found David feeling soul thirsty. He was in a “dry and thirsty land.” His solution was to look to God in His sanctuary and remember His steadfast love. He praised Him and clung to Him. I remembered previous words of encouragement from Isaiah 40, so I flipped over there and again found, “Behold your God!” I read about His amazing power, knowledge, and wisdom. I read how the nations are like a drop in a bucket to Him and that He is still in control and that He never grows weary. And then those familiar words I love from verse 29, “He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength…but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” The notes in my Bible say this, “Renewed is to find endless supplies of fresh strength.” 

“LORD, this is what I need! Endless supplies of fresh strength.” What must I do to get it? Wait. Wait? Yes, wait. 

Wait means “to remain inactive until something happens. Continue as one in expectation. Be in readiness.”

Sit on our laurels, as the old saying goes? No, of course not. We wait by letting Him handle our struggles. We give it to Him and let Him take the lead on what to do next. We allow Him to pave the way so we can respond to life’s challenges in righteousness without running ahead of Him. Trying to control things wears us down. Let Him do what only He can do. 

The next day I found a verse related to these thoughts:

Psalm 34:14, “Turn away from evil and do good, 

seek peace and pursue it.”

When we are not peaceful, we grow weary. That is what had happened to me. I was not at peace with others, and it was exhausting! Of course, I had to look up the definition of peace (looking up words in a modern-day dictionary is a good Bible study habit). 

“Freedom of mind from commotion, annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession; 

tranquility; stillness/silence.” 

Peace must be sought. If I want an endless supply of strength, firstly, I must wait on God to act. Secondly, I seek peace. Peace with God. Peace with others. Peace with self. For me, a practical application of pursuing peace is limiting social media. Watching people bicker and degrade one another is not peaceful, and it drains my strength. What does pursuing peace look like for you? Maybe settling a conflict? Are you weary? Wait on God and seek peace.

joyce hague

PS – I did wait on God to pave the way for peace with the 2 young ladies mentioned above. He took the situation in hand and showed me what to do next. We are now at peace, and I am refreshed.

Can I Get a Witness?

 

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.

 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.

 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:1-3, ESV) 

 

Don’t you love a good, old-fashioned testimony service? It can be so exciting to hear stories of God's working in the lives of others. Some call them “God sightings.” I’ve heard Trish Cunningham talk about “paint on the trees”—little signs that God gives us that we are still on the right track, like the patches of color park rangers put on trees to help us when we’re out in the woods. Hearing others’ stories of God’s power and intervention gives me courage and helps me to trust God more in my own struggles. 

 According to Psalm 40, the very way we live our lives can be a testimony of God's goodness. We all have our own battles to fight. Maybe you have not had to deal with physical abuse or the loss of a loved one. You may not have had people talk about you or even been the gossiper yourself, but we all have our own "miry bog" of trouble and sorrow. Whatever God has helped you with, your joyful response, your "song of praise," can cause others to trust in God. 

 Jesus talked about this same idea in Matthew 5:16. He instructed His disciples, "Let your light shine before others so that  they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." 

 We don't tell of God's goodness to get attention to ourselves, and we don't do good things so we will be praised but so God will get glory.  When God gets the glory, others are drawn to Him, and He is what everyone needs. Let’s be bold to open up and tell of God’s work in our daily lives. Let’s do all the good we can in Jesus’ name.

--Sherry Poff

 

Just for Me

OK! Did you ever feel you were supposed to compose something for readers and yet you were writing it “just for me”? That is what this blog is. Come along and see if you need any of this encouragement.

 This is a topsy-turvy world! At least, I don’t think I have seen troubling changes come quite so suddenly to my happy landscape in my dear country that have produced fear, confusion, frustration, uncertainty, and even aggravation in areas we did not dream possible...or at least that I did not dream possible.

In the middle of all this, when I go to my prayer journal and see the many yellow highlights with “ANS ” over the request, the Holy Spirit says “See, Maylou.” Such a great visual reminder of God’s love for me! God does answer prayer. I just need to keep praying and trusting!

 So...here are a few thoughts that I am trying to incorporate AGAIN into my mind and heart.

 My recent memory verse that I have revived from years ago is Romans 8:38, 39.

 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Wow! That should be all I need, right? So, Maylou, are you totally persuaded that God is greater than all of these that are listed??

 Then today I read this warning in Hebrews 3:12 that I need to be careful that I do not have “an evil heart of unbelief.” This is hard! When there is so much going on in our dear America that I cannot change or help - except to pray or speak up when I can - I need to be certain that my heart is still believing the God who said that nothing can separate me from His love.

 You might have heard a very old story about a little boy who was in a play at church. His line was to be: “It is I; be not afraid.” Instead he said: “Lord, it’s me and I am scared to death.” : ) That is how we feel sometimes.

 The book of John in chapter six records an interesting story. The disciples hadgone out by  night in a boat to cross the sea. Jesus was not with them. As the winds blew and buffeted their boat, they were afraid. But Who came to calm them and reassure them? Those wonderful, unforgettable words they heard from Jesus as He was walking towards them on the water: “It  is I; be not afraid.”         

We MUST remember that we (that means me...Maylou) must keep our eyes focused on the One who can see us through any storm or situation.

 Praise Him today for His almighty power, love, comfort, and presence with us!

--Maylou Holladay

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

When I was a teenager, my mother was the assistant editor for the small-town weekly newspaper. She told me writing headlines was difficult. The headline had to be just so long, but not too long. It had to fit the capabilities of the linotype machine. It was intended to give the reader a hint of what information the article contained; there needed to be adequate specific details in this not-too-short, not-too-long headline. Back then, there was at least a pretense that what was printed was true, so the headline needed to be true, as well.

Today, there don’t seem to be any considerations of that sort. Opinion articles masquerade as “news;” and the news may or may not be true, but it is published, nevertheless. Tomorrow’s news may contradict today’s news. Of special annoyance to me is the common occurrence of a headline which gives an impression exactly the opposite of the “news” in the article. I often gripe about the dishonest (relative to the article) headlines to my long-suffering husband, who every day asks, “What’s new in the news?” (Generally, at that point, he gets an “opinion piece” from me regarding the news, lack of news, dishonest news, opinion-oriented news or useless news.)

If you spend any time reading the day’s headlines, you are likely to become discouraged or depressed, hopeless or frightened. This is not good for us. Whether the news is good or bad, it may still not be true. Regardless of what the outside world tells us, in our quest for truth we should always wonder, “What does God say?” 

I looked in God’s Word to find out, and made a list of wonderful headlines we could use every day to replace the negative ones put in front of our eyes each morning. Some of these are opinions – God’s. They are the most worthy and relevant opinions. Some are “news” – information of use to us. There are hundreds; you can make your own list of encouraging headlines relevant to your situation. I printed my list and hung it over my desk—above the dark headlines of the day.

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Ps. 24:1 

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that He has made.” Ps. 145:9

“He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.” Ps 96:13

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Ps. 119:105

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Jn 14:3

“I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth.” Jn. 14:16,17

“Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom and God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Mt. 6:31-33 

“We say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” Heb. 13:6 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Ps 23:4

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet 3:9

“God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, has made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” I Cor 5:21

Some of these are longer than the headlines of today’s news, but God’s love, shelter, comfort and strength are higher, wider, deeper and longer-lasting than anything our world offers.

--Lynda Shenefield

A Story is Not Just a Story

We all love stories of life experiences. We love to sit around the table with family and friends, or even those we’ve just met, and listen to events from their past. As a teenager, I remember sitting at a small table for the very German “coffee and cake” time at an elderly lady’s house. The Germans I knew rarely spoke about their memories from the war, but on this day, this precious woman was telling us about her childhood in the first half of the 1940s. I just sat there fascinated, asking questions and mostly listening. Stories take us to times and places we’ve never been, and in the telling of them, we are drawn in. We get a glimpse of the person sitting across from us, what has made them the person they are, and sometimes the stories inspire us in the way we live our lives as well. There are various types of life stories – the ones that make us laugh until we cry, the sad stories that grieve our hearts, and the tales of events gone incredibly right, where things turn out beautifully in the end.

Back in the fall, my middle school English students read the autobiography of Booker T. Washington. His book was full of tales of his past, unique experiences that shaped the man he became. He would often tell a story and then go on to say what he learned as a result of that experience. Following this book, I gave my students the assignment to interview a relative about an event in his or her life that in some way changed him or her. It could be a joyful event like the adoption of a child, something difficult like a wartime experience, or something sad like the loss of a loved one. But the interview was not just supposed to cover questions about the event itself, but also what life lesson had been learned from this event. When I read my students’ papers, some of them brought tears to my eyes as I encountered the joys, the challenges, and the heartaches of these precious relatives, but above all, as I saw how God had carried them through the events and what they learned as a result. It was clear to me that my students were impacted by these tales. Perhaps they’d heard the stories before, but so often, that’s where the stories stop – with the story itself; however, to hear what God did and how He changed the person involved is where the true gold of the story lies.

There was the story of the dad who battles debilitating migraines who has learned that earth does not hold all joy and whose longing for heaven has increased dramatically. I read about a mom who was diagnosed with cancer at age 16 and who learned to trust God through chemotherapy, fears, and missing out on all the typical teenage experiences. Tears came to my eyes as I read about a grandfather who was going to have to leave college due to lack of funds, when someone anonymously paid for his tuition. It was the next year at college that the grandfather gave his life to ministry and is still in the pastorate today as a result of the anonymous donor. One day he called up a former college friend who was dying, only to find out from that man’s wife that this friend had been the anonymous donor and had taken extra jobs to pay for this man’s tuition. The grandfather learned about generosity and God’s sovereignty. Another of my student’s wrote about his father who as a teenager got into an argument with his stepdad before school one day. His stepfather was tragically killed in a car accident that very day before he ever had a chance to make it right.  That dad told his son, my student, that he learned that you never know what a day holds and so you need to make things right quickly while you have the chance. These are just four of the thirty-five stories I read, but they all held stories and lessons in which God’s fingerprints were seen. I was encouraged and challenged in the reading of them.

We are quick sometimes to tell our stories, but are we also quick to point out what God taught us and how He changed us? These are the truths that the next generations need to hear. Tell your stories, moms and grandmothers. Let your children and grandchildren know how God has cared for your family. Tell your stories, Sunday School teachers, Awana, and youth group leaders. Many of the children in your groups will remember them and be encouraged by them for years to come. Tell your stories, women of all ages, one to another. May we hear how God has been faithful in your life so that we too can trust that He will be faithful in ours when we’re going through a difficult testing. After all, your story is not just a story; it is a display of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to “cause all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

So come on over. I’ll have coffee brewing and hot water for tea in the kettle. Tell me your story.

--Amy O'Rear

Little Clay Pots

A wallet…

A pill bottle…

A vase…

A plastic bottle…

A tin can…

A teapot…

A coffee cup…

A jump drive…

A CD…

An envelope…

A house…

A light bulb…

A size 10, 30-year-old woman’s body with brown hair and hazel eyes, good teeth, and muscles nicely toned…

Quick!  What do all of these things have in common?

All are CONTAINERS.  They collect and dispense.  They guard and display and advertise.  Some are mass-produced in quantity; some are individually and personally crafted.  Some are more disposable than others.  None are permanent.  We can refill, repair, recycle, renew or ultimately destroy, but they will all, in the final analysis, eventually be returned to dust.

What makes each of these items of particular value is that they do what they were designed to do.  The Bible talks a lot about “vessels” and especially earthen vessels—clay pots that have been made out of the most common substance in the world and fashioned into containers to hold things of great value.  

Some of these representations, like the clay pot, God uses in much more complicated pictures.

Look at the rituals God gave to the children of Israel in His plan for the Tabernacle and for the offerings that would be given there.  Everything was designed to be a  picture:

Of man and his sin, needing redemption;

Of the law which must be taught to remind the people that they could never meet its                 terms;

        Of the various offerings which were to be a picture of the coming Messiah who would                 give His life as ransom for all mankind.

In Leviticus 6 there are instructions about how the sin offering (representing the coming death of Christ) was to be prepared.  Verses 26-28 say this:  “The priest who offers the sacrifice may eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. . . .If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, it must be broken.”  And so we are to be reminded that the great, the real Sacrifice for sin would come in a human vessel of clay that would be broken.

(By the way, isn’t it interesting that the sin offering was to be eaten?  Can you see how the Communion Service—the Lord’s Table as we call it—involves eating the bread and the wine?  The sin offering is only valuable as it is voluntarily taken and recognized as a picture of Christ’s death.)

Aren’t you glad we no longer have to go through those rituals?  But think about the fact that a clay pot, which had once been used to hold that holy offering, could never again be used for anything else, lest the sacredness of that service be minimized!

Now think of that little clay pot in connection with II Corinthians 4:7:  “But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies.  So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.”

What makes a vessel valuable is that it is made by the Master Craftsman—each by an original, one-of-a-kind design and for a particular purpose.  We are those clay pots. Ephesians 2:10 says:  “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

We are different in appearance, in age, in composition, but all are designed by Him.  All have a place of usefulness.  Whatever we are like, He has designed us for a purpose.  All have been designed to do God’s Work.  We are His little clay pots, formed by His hands, according to His design and plan.  

                                                                                    ~~Jessie Sandberg and Faith Lamb 

Pursuit

 In the front of a Bible that I used for school chapels before the tornado demolished my room, I had this quotation from our own Kelly O’Rear: “No one drifts into intimacy with God.” I remember being so struck by that simple but profound truth as Kelly taught our GBA students that I was compelled to write it down. And I recall numerous times opening my Bible and seeing the statement. This winter the idea has stood out to me in my reading and meditating on Psalm 34.

We should be intentional in our pursuit of God. He promises to reward our relentless efforts to know him. In Psalm 34, David uses the idea of pursuit in a couple of ways. In verse three, he declares, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me.” Here David shows that he was active in his desire to know God—and God rewarded him. Not only did God hear David, but He “delivered [him] from all [his] fears.”

Later in this same Psalm, after noting that “young lions,” animals known for being predators, “lack and suffer hunger,” David says that “those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” David doesn’t say we can sit around and wait for God to bring good things our way; he says that we experience good things when we seek the LORD.

Once more in this psalm, David uses the verb “seek.” In verses eleven through fourteen, he aims to teach “the fear of the LORD.” The writer indicates in these verses that we can have a good and long life if we watch what we say and what we do. “Depart from evil and do good,” he says. “Seek peace and pursue it.” Seek and pursue.

How do we seek God? How do we pursue peace? It takes time, my friends. It takes making a plan. I must not wait until everything else is done. I can't just tack a Bible verse onto the end of my busy day before I fall exhausted into bed. I need a time and a place to be quiet and seek to know Him. Of course, I can seek His wisdom in the middle of my busy day as well, but that time spent alone on purpose is the basis for hearing His voice when I call out in desperation. 

When it comes down to it, most of us know what to do; we just need the resolve to act. It might be helpful to recruit a good friend to help you stay accountable. I am willing to be that friend, and I'm sure you can find others in our church who will also help. 

We must be purposeful in our desire for God and reach out to Him. Like a young lion seeking food—or that squirrel that returns again and again to your bird feeder—make knowing God an active pursuit.

--Sherry Poff