I can’t let this year end and not say it. It’s been a hell of a year.
Is this going to be a depressing post? I hope not. Hear me out.
It started with… death.
Death of a friend’s father.
Then a 2nd friend’s father.
Then a 3rd friend’s father.
Then a tragic loss of a another friend’s family.
Then one of my long-time friends after a long illness.
Then another friend’s father.
Then another.
Why do I bring this up? Because when I think of this past year, it has been defined by these losses. You know how at the end of every year you see those celebrity lists of famous people who have passed on? I saw one of those today and it annoyed me. None of our real-life friends and families are on those TV lists. And it’s ok to be mad about it. It’s ok to grieve our loss. It’s ok to hurt. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to be ticked at the world for not stopping to take notice.
When I first experienced great loss, I hated the world & I hated God. I was SO SO SO MAD at Him. I thought He didn’t care. I thought He was a liar. I thought He was deaf & dumb. I didn’t think I could ever trust Him or love Him ever again.
I was young and it messed with me for a long time. I hated God & lost interest in life.
I had so many questions. And so, so many regrets. I thought: If only I had spent more time with them. I never told them. If I could just have 5 minutes more. Did I tell them that I loved them? Did I hug them enough? What was the last thing I said to them? Did they know I loved them? I’m forgetting the sound of their voice!!! NO! God! Please don’t let me forget their voice!
Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…
It took a long, long time for me to heal. A long time for me to come back to God and recognize & feel His love. It’s one thing to lose someone to old age… it’s another to lose a loved one by tragedy or illness unexpectedly. It hurts more. It takes longer to heal & the scar is much worse. When you have a deep cut, the nerves get damaged. You lose feeling for a long time… sometimes years… and that's what it’s like when you experience great loss. But slowly, your feeling starts to come back & those nerves begin to heal. And the scars fade… with time. Not that you stop missing your loved ones… even when the healing comes, you still miss them. That never changes.
Do you have physical scars that hurt sometimes? I know I do. When I see a lot of blood or see someone else get injured… my scar starts to ache. Seeing all my friends go through their losses this year… has been like that. Experiencing losses of my own this year, has made that old scar hurt again. Those questions replay in my mind & heart. It’s hard to understand & hard to move on.
The love of friends helped bring me out of my depression & grief all those many years ago. You have to allow yourself to be around people and be loved… and love again.
It is through love that we are repaired & heal.
I realize now that God was using others to heal my broken heart and reach out to me. Give it a try… and let Him bear your chains. It was for life that God sacrificed His only Son. It was for life and love. It was for your life and your love. I know, it’s hard to believe right now. It may take years, but I assure you, He’ll prove Himself to you again. Your wailing will be turned into dancing.
Isaiah 26:19
But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.
We will see our loved ones again. We will be reunited. No more lonely holidays, no more tears of sadness… we will shout for joy and rejoice in the everlasting life of the Lord Jesus together. We will shout & jump & DANCE.
So what am I praying for 2010?? I’m praying for this next year to be a year of LIFE. I pray that for each of you reading this. I pray your wounds begin to heal. Let me know if you have anything you want me to specifically be praying for you about… otherwise I pray you have a Merry Christmas & feel God’s love surrounding you.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to this earth to bear my chains & walk to Calvary for the life of me. For the eternal life of us all.
Bring on 2010. Let’s do it.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Like a Bee
Last night I got into a discussion about life. Roomies are good for that a lot of times... my roomie, Tara Lynn, is really good at it.
It started by me expressing my concerns and feelings about my job and life in general. It's been a rough year... in a lot of ways. But TL always has great words of encouragement to help me through the times when I'm tired and ready to throw in the towel. That's what friends do. We encourage one another and lift each other up.
We talked about God's plan. Talked about how we don't understand it. Part of growing up is realizing that you don't have to know or understand the big picture because God does... and He's the one who knows the best plan for you, your life, and your future... because why? Oh, yeah... because PS: He's the only one who knows the future. The problem is learning to trust God with stuff can be a very difficult thing... a daily struggle at times. But I believe that God has a specific purpose and plan not only for my life but for others lives. He has a plan and a purpose in every living thing.
I have to believe that if God has wired bees to have and fulfill a specific purpose, then He probably has wired me and you for a specific purpose too. I read the following excerpt in "Our Daily Bread" from RBC Ministries the other day & wanted to share it on my blog here:
It started by me expressing my concerns and feelings about my job and life in general. It's been a rough year... in a lot of ways. But TL always has great words of encouragement to help me through the times when I'm tired and ready to throw in the towel. That's what friends do. We encourage one another and lift each other up.
We talked about God's plan. Talked about how we don't understand it. Part of growing up is realizing that you don't have to know or understand the big picture because God does... and He's the one who knows the best plan for you, your life, and your future... because why? Oh, yeah... because PS: He's the only one who knows the future. The problem is learning to trust God with stuff can be a very difficult thing... a daily struggle at times. But I believe that God has a specific purpose and plan not only for my life but for others lives. He has a plan and a purpose in every living thing.
I have to believe that if God has wired bees to have and fulfill a specific purpose, then He probably has wired me and you for a specific purpose too. I read the following excerpt in "Our Daily Bread" from RBC Ministries the other day & wanted to share it on my blog here:
The honeybee has one of the most highly developed social structures in the animal kingdom. At the heart of the hive, which may house as many as 80,000 bees, is the queen. Without her, the colony has no future. But the 80,000 don't just sit around watching their queen. Each bee has a specialized duty to fulfill.
The forager bees encounter the perils of the outside word to collect food. The guard bees protect the hive from intruders. The undertakers are responsible for removing dead bodies from the hive. The water collectors bring in moisture to regulate humidity. The plasterers make a kind of cement to repair the hive. And the fanners station themselves at the entrance and fan the scent outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety and specialization of the worker bees seem endless.
In a similar way, the Lord has given special gifts and tasks to all His people...
God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 1 Corinthians 12:18
For more thoughts about God's plan for our lives, see the Rubik's Cube Lesson.
The forager bees encounter the perils of the outside word to collect food. The guard bees protect the hive from intruders. The undertakers are responsible for removing dead bodies from the hive. The water collectors bring in moisture to regulate humidity. The plasterers make a kind of cement to repair the hive. And the fanners station themselves at the entrance and fan the scent outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety and specialization of the worker bees seem endless.
In a similar way, the Lord has given special gifts and tasks to all His people...
God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 1 Corinthians 12:18
For more thoughts about God's plan for our lives, see the Rubik's Cube Lesson.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
in loving memory of Billy Anderson...
Today I slept in. I stayed up too late. And my neighbor across the street likes to have loud parties until 4:00 am. Before I popped the earplugs in my ears last night, I turned my phone off. When I finally got around to waking up today, I checked my phone and saw I'd missed a message from my friend's wife, Nikki. She was informing friends & family that the doctors where telling her to call them to come to Billy's side. Having been in the hospital with a mysterious illness for nearly 2 years... it's been a long, hard battle for Billy... and his family.
Many of my friends have experienced so much loss this year & I've cried hard tears... more than I have in about 15 years combined. But as Thessalonians says, we do not grieve or mourn like those who have no hope. I am comforted by the fact that I will see Billy and all my friends again and we will all spend eternity with Jesus. I look forward to heaven more & more. And I look forward to seeing Billy's bright eyes & big smile greeting me as I walk through those gates.
Please be praying for Nikki, Billy's daughters, and the entire family.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
Isaiah 40:31
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Nikki and Billy
Today Billy's pain ended and he walked through the gates of heaven. I'm glad to know he was greeted by friends today... I'm sure Tim greeted him with a hug. And I'm especially glad to know that he's face-to-face with Jesus.
Many of my friends have experienced so much loss this year & I've cried hard tears... more than I have in about 15 years combined. But as Thessalonians says, we do not grieve or mourn like those who have no hope. I am comforted by the fact that I will see Billy and all my friends again and we will all spend eternity with Jesus. I look forward to heaven more & more. And I look forward to seeing Billy's bright eyes & big smile greeting me as I walk through those gates.
Please be praying for Nikki, Billy's daughters, and the entire family.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
Isaiah 40:31
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Remembering Sept 11, 2001
If you're wondering where I've been, I've been spending more of my online time on Twitter. Between work & life, it's hard to find time to blog these days. However, today being the 8-year anniversary of 9/11, I'm taking time to honor those lost on that horrific day.
I've recently read statements from some public school teachers that trying to teach kids about 9/11 in schools today is like trying to teach them about the Civil War. The kids don't remember because they're too young, most of them have no personal impact nor memory of it.
I have some friends in their early-twenties who admittedly don't remember much about 9/11 either. Again, they were too young 8 years ago to really understand the tragedy of what was going on.
As for me, I had just graduated from college in May 2001 and was busy working at a local company in Tulsa. I do remember Sept 11, 2001. I had arrived at work as usual that morning. I started to make my daily calls to customers and clients. At the time, I worked with churches helping them with their websites. I decided to call my customers in New York because it was almost 9am EST. The first church I called (located in downtown NYC) said: "Hello? Kristin, we can't talk to you right now... we don't know what's happening... but we're being evacuated! I think the city is being attacked!" CLICK.
I was left listening to the dead line & thinking: What? New York City is being attacked? I turned around and called out to my manager & co-workers: "Anyone know what's going on in New York?" Someone responded: "Yeah, a plane accidentally hit one of the World Trade Center towers."
Me: "Accidentally? No, sorry, but planes don't accidentally fly into buildings like the World Trade Center. That's nuts."
The next thing I know, my phone was ringing. It was my mom.
Mom: "Kristin, do you know what's going on in New York? Two planes have flown into the WTC buildings in downtown NYC."
Me: "Yeah, I just heard about it. One of my churches is down there and..."
Mom: "Kristin, Donnie was in one of those towers."
Me: "What...?" and my heart skipped a beat... and the room started spinning.
My friends, Donnie & Andrea, were married while we were still in college. They're the type of couple who you meet and you instantly love. You just need to spend a few minutes with them to see that they were made for each other and will be together forever. We met our freshman year. We spent a lot of time together... Donnie, Andrea, Stacey, & me. These are "salt of the earth" people... people you'd like to know all your life. They were my closest friends at the time... and I still love them very much.
Donnie, who worked for Morgan Stanley, had been sent to NYC for some training. He was in the South tower of the WTC the morning of 9/11. He'd called Andrea to tell her he was okay... before the towers fell. When my mom called me on 9/11 to tell me that Donnie was in one of the towers, I couldn't believe it. I remember spending the evening with Andrea. I remember watching the news coverage with Stacey, Andrea, and some of Andrea's family. I remember us waiting for Donnie's call. I remember Andrea screaming at the TV: "Why do you keep showing that? I don't ever want to see those planes again! I don't want to keep watching the towers fall! Stop showing it! It's terrible!"
We all waited to see what would happen next.
Donnie was one of the lucky ones who made it out alive on 9/11. I remember hugging him when he made it home days later. I remember wanting to ask him about it, but being afraid to. I remember the relief of having him back in Tulsa. Seems like yesterday...
I remember watching the scenes of the planes & towers for days. I remember the photos. I remember the "jumpers". I remember watching the families on the news who were desperate to know of their loved ones whereabouts... begging and pleading people to contact them if they'd seen them... not wanting to believe their loved ones were dead. I remember watching the denial and pain in people faces. I remember adults sobbing. I remember the stories that began to emerge of heroism and courage. I remember "Let's roll." I remember the quiet. I remember the eeriness of not knowing what would happen next. I remember the pictures of the guilty Muslim foreign terrorists. I remember the security videos released days later showing the terrorists checking in for their flights. I remember praying more than I'd ever prayed before. I remember my grandmother suggesting I join the military. I remember the songs. I remember the conversations. I remember the waving American flags. I remember President Bush. I remember the tears. I remember God's peace. I remember the names & faces of those lost in the attacks on 9/11 flashing across the TV screen.
I remember. I will always remember. And I will never forget.
This vid is powerful & difficult to watch... but we must never forget the horror of those attacks.
This vid is a little over an hour... a documentary called "The Falling Man".
I've recently read statements from some public school teachers that trying to teach kids about 9/11 in schools today is like trying to teach them about the Civil War. The kids don't remember because they're too young, most of them have no personal impact nor memory of it.
I have some friends in their early-twenties who admittedly don't remember much about 9/11 either. Again, they were too young 8 years ago to really understand the tragedy of what was going on.
As for me, I had just graduated from college in May 2001 and was busy working at a local company in Tulsa. I do remember Sept 11, 2001. I had arrived at work as usual that morning. I started to make my daily calls to customers and clients. At the time, I worked with churches helping them with their websites. I decided to call my customers in New York because it was almost 9am EST. The first church I called (located in downtown NYC) said: "Hello? Kristin, we can't talk to you right now... we don't know what's happening... but we're being evacuated! I think the city is being attacked!" CLICK.
I was left listening to the dead line & thinking: What? New York City is being attacked? I turned around and called out to my manager & co-workers: "Anyone know what's going on in New York?" Someone responded: "Yeah, a plane accidentally hit one of the World Trade Center towers."
Me: "Accidentally? No, sorry, but planes don't accidentally fly into buildings like the World Trade Center. That's nuts."
The next thing I know, my phone was ringing. It was my mom.
Mom: "Kristin, do you know what's going on in New York? Two planes have flown into the WTC buildings in downtown NYC."
Me: "Yeah, I just heard about it. One of my churches is down there and..."
Mom: "Kristin, Donnie was in one of those towers."
Me: "What...?" and my heart skipped a beat... and the room started spinning.
My friends, Donnie & Andrea, were married while we were still in college. They're the type of couple who you meet and you instantly love. You just need to spend a few minutes with them to see that they were made for each other and will be together forever. We met our freshman year. We spent a lot of time together... Donnie, Andrea, Stacey, & me. These are "salt of the earth" people... people you'd like to know all your life. They were my closest friends at the time... and I still love them very much.
Donnie, who worked for Morgan Stanley, had been sent to NYC for some training. He was in the South tower of the WTC the morning of 9/11. He'd called Andrea to tell her he was okay... before the towers fell. When my mom called me on 9/11 to tell me that Donnie was in one of the towers, I couldn't believe it. I remember spending the evening with Andrea. I remember watching the news coverage with Stacey, Andrea, and some of Andrea's family. I remember us waiting for Donnie's call. I remember Andrea screaming at the TV: "Why do you keep showing that? I don't ever want to see those planes again! I don't want to keep watching the towers fall! Stop showing it! It's terrible!"
We all waited to see what would happen next.
Donnie was one of the lucky ones who made it out alive on 9/11. I remember hugging him when he made it home days later. I remember wanting to ask him about it, but being afraid to. I remember the relief of having him back in Tulsa. Seems like yesterday...
I remember watching the scenes of the planes & towers for days. I remember the photos. I remember the "jumpers". I remember watching the families on the news who were desperate to know of their loved ones whereabouts... begging and pleading people to contact them if they'd seen them... not wanting to believe their loved ones were dead. I remember watching the denial and pain in people faces. I remember adults sobbing. I remember the stories that began to emerge of heroism and courage. I remember "Let's roll." I remember the quiet. I remember the eeriness of not knowing what would happen next. I remember the pictures of the guilty Muslim foreign terrorists. I remember the security videos released days later showing the terrorists checking in for their flights. I remember praying more than I'd ever prayed before. I remember my grandmother suggesting I join the military. I remember the songs. I remember the conversations. I remember the waving American flags. I remember President Bush. I remember the tears. I remember God's peace. I remember the names & faces of those lost in the attacks on 9/11 flashing across the TV screen.
I remember. I will always remember. And I will never forget.
This vid is powerful & difficult to watch... but we must never forget the horror of those attacks.
This vid is a little over an hour... a documentary called "The Falling Man".
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Beautiful Ending
just bought this song... love it.
BarlowGirl
Beautiful Ending lyrics
Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
BarlowGirl
Beautiful Ending lyrics
Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
Sunday, July 26, 2009
fun CO pics!
Spent some time in CO recently. Loved it. It was great to spend some quality time with some quality friends!
It's a Wonderful Life
I'm thinking of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" today. Yeah, I know, Christmas in July. But that's ok- I love that it's a story about life & what it's really all about.
If you haven’t figured it out yet— life is about relationships and how you treat others.
Your relationship with the grocery clerk.
Do you smile at them & ask how they are doing?
Your relationship with the video store girl.
Do you take time out & stop to hear her latest story?
Your relationship with your waiter.
Do you treat him with the respect and tip well?
Your relationship with you family.
Do you call them just to say “I love you”?
Your relationship with your co-workers.
Do you strive to do your best work and get along even when you don’t feel like it? Even if they treat you awful?
Your relationship with friends.
Are you someone they can count on and trust?
Your relationship with God.
Do you take time out to talk to Him & then stop to let Him talk back to you? Do you listen?
Notice that I didn’t list these in any particular order. I did that on purpose. I hope that you are treating the waiter just the same as you would your friends.
But I have to say- I would hope that your relationship with God doesn’t rank last on your list.
Luke 6:27-49 would be a good excerpt for you to read today. If you don’t have time, let me list a handful of the verses for you:
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
43 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
If you haven’t figured it out yet— life is about relationships and how you treat others.
Your relationship with the grocery clerk.
Do you smile at them & ask how they are doing?
Your relationship with the video store girl.
Do you take time out & stop to hear her latest story?
Your relationship with your waiter.
Do you treat him with the respect and tip well?
Your relationship with you family.
Do you call them just to say “I love you”?
Your relationship with your co-workers.
Do you strive to do your best work and get along even when you don’t feel like it? Even if they treat you awful?
Your relationship with friends.
Are you someone they can count on and trust?
Your relationship with God.
Do you take time out to talk to Him & then stop to let Him talk back to you? Do you listen?
Notice that I didn’t list these in any particular order. I did that on purpose. I hope that you are treating the waiter just the same as you would your friends.
But I have to say- I would hope that your relationship with God doesn’t rank last on your list.
Luke 6:27-49 would be a good excerpt for you to read today. If you don’t have time, let me list a handful of the verses for you:
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
43 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
nothing left but God
Hope everyone had a happy & safe 4th of July!
I have this little devotional book I read every once in awhile. This morning I read something that I felt like sharing on my blog. So here it is:
"Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said:
Are you in a position where all self-sufficiency is gone? As you turn your eyes on the Lord and put your hope in Him, you have God's reassuring promise that you need nothing more.
{excerpt from April 2009 Daily Bread publication}
"Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said:
"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'
"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " 2 Chronicles 20:3-17
In today's Bible reading, the people of Judah were in trouble. They admitted their lack of power and wisdome to conquer their foes. All they had left was God! But King Jehoshaphat and the people saw this as reason for hope, not despair. "Our eyes are upon You," they declared to God. And their hope was not disaapointed as He fulfilled His promise: "The battle is not yours, but God's."
{excerpt from April 2009 Daily Bread publication}
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
