Is Jesus Your Best Friend...Or Just An Acquaintance?

      Do you have a best friend?  I do.  My best friend (besides my husband...and my daughter) is Robyn.  I have known her for 38 years.  She's in Arizona, and I'm in Indiana. So, needless to say, we don't see each other very much.  In fact, for 17 years we had lost track of one another, and it wasn't until I found her in a phone book while in the Phoenix airport nine years ago, that we reconnected.  Now I look forward to her emails and her phone calls--even messages/comments she puts on Facebook!  It makes me feel closer to her.  And that's important, because she's my best friend.
      During my quiet time recently, I started thinking about the difference between best friends and acquaintances.  Then I realized that for some Christians, Jesus is more of an acquaintance than a best friend. They know Him as their Savior, and they call on Him from time to time, but that's about it.  I speak from experience.  For many years, I would have to say that Jesus was more of an acquaintance to me than a best friend. But for several years now, I can honestly say that He truly has been my best friend.
      This has led me to make several observations, determining the difference between a "best friend" and an "acquaintance."  As you read the following observations, insert the name of your best friend.  Then, insert "Jesus" in place of "best friend." This may help you discover whether or not He truly is your best friend.

1. There is a noticeable difference between how you feel in the presence of an acquaintance and how you feel when you're around your best friend.
2. Best friends share the deepest things in their hearts with one another, while acquaintances stay on the "safe" superficial level.
3. You look forward to the time you get to spend with your best friend; whereas, there is no joyful anticipation when thinking about spending time with an acquaintance.
4. You purposely set aside time to spend with your best friend, and know that you can call him/her "on a whim." Not so true with an acquaintance.
5. You want to share your happiness, or your pain, with your best friend more than with anybody else, because you know that he/she will be totally focused on you and will be there for you.
6. You know your best friend so well, that you can count on knowing how he/she would think or respond in certain situations, and know that you can trust his/her counsel.

      When you meet someone for the first time, they are not immediately your best friend.  It takes time to cultivate a friendship, and even more time to develop a close one.  This is true of our relationship with Jesus. It takes time and effort to get to know Him, but it is time well-spent, and the rewards are amazing...

Straw, Sticks and Bricks

      One Sunday morning, I heard a sermon preached on this children’s story.  Interesting topic, I thought, but as I listened to the point being made, I realized that this story could teach us some important spiritual lessons.

      God tells us in His Word that He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).  We must realize, therefore, that we cannot go through this life with little or no effort on our part, because we have an enemy who is looking, at every turn, for the opportunity to destroy us.  And we cannot become so comfortable with our lives the way they are, that we become complacent in our thinking, for at any moment our lives could drastically change…

      My husband had been working at the same job for most of his adult life.  With his seniority, we felt that his job would be stable and secure until he decided to retire in about 5-8 years.  Then, after almost 26 years of service, he was informed that his plant would be closing and moving to Mexico within one year’s time!  With the economy the way it was, our first reaction could have been one of fear.  But we chose faith instead, because we know upon Whom we have built our foundation, and we believe in His promises!  His Word tells us over and over that He will take care of us, if we put our trust in Him.   We never know what tomorrow will hold, but we know that our future is in His hands.  My husband has since been laid off from his job, but God has been faithful to provide for all of our needs.

      Upon what foundation is your life built?  Your job?  Your marriage?  Your finances?  The problem with building your life upon these things is that they may not last.  The only foundation that will last is the one that is built on Jesus Christ, the Solid Rock.

Straw, Sticks and Bricks

A story is told of the three little pigs,

Who one day set out on their own.

They each built a house: one of straw, one of sticks,

And the third was with bricks hard as stone.

The pigs who built houses of sticks and of straw

Weren’t prepared for the danger ahead.

It came up to their door; then with nowhere to hide

When their houses collapsed, they both fled.

For the houses they built had no substance or strength;

When adversity came, all was lost.

They used what they had just so they could get by,

But they never considered the cost.

The wise pig, who had built his house out of bricks,

Made sure a foundation was laid.

He knew he was safe in a structure so strong,

So that nothing could made him afraid.

When the enemy huffed and he puffed at his house,

His fierceness just faded away.

So up on the roof to the chimney he went

To enter a different way.

But lo and behold! The wise pig was prepared,

For he’d already started a fire.

Descending the chimney, the wolf felt the heat,

And the consequences were dire.

When the enemy tries to encroach on your life,

Make sure your foundation is strong.

With a life built on Jesus, the Solid Rock,

The enemy will not stay around long.

If you find that the enemy tries to persist,

Here’s something else I have learned:

When he’s up against Jesus, he’s playing with fire,

And that’s the worst way to get burned!

(The reflection and poem are an excerpt from Lisa's book, My Heart Makes Its Home in a Faraway Land, available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com).

My Chains Are Gone; I've Been Set Free!

   

     Most of us have heard or sung the old familiar hymn, "Amazing Grace."  But there is an additional chorus now that has been attached to it, which caught my attention this morning.  As I heard the phrase:  "My chains are gone; I've been set free," I started thinking about chains.  In Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," it speaks of Jacob Marley wearing chains as he appears as a ghost to Ebenezer Scrooge.  Marley tells Scrooge that he is now wearing the chains that he forged in life, because of the decisions he made that were self-serving.  He was warning Scrooge not to make the same mistakes he made, so that he wouldn't succumb to the same fate.
     When we don't allow the Lord to have control of our lives, or communicate with Him in prayer, it's so easy to be weighed down by invisible chains.  Throughout the day, the enemy uses our weaknesses and our fears to forge these chains.  We don't even realize the chains are there, until we take our eyes off of our circumstances and turn them back to the Lord.  Once our focus is on Him, He has the ability to open our eyes to the chains that have been trying to subjugate us.
     The Lord has been showing me one way of breaking those chains:  by giving thanks in every circumstance.  Yes, it's based on Scripture:  "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Giving thanks won't necessarily change our circumstances, but it will change our perspective.  And with every prayer of thanks we utter, a chain link will break!  Let me give you a couple of examples...
     Our car wash business has been running for 14 months now.  Even though the Lord provides every week what we need for our employees' payroll, sometimes it cuts a little too close for comfort.  This can bring stress, which can lead to fear.  Then the enemy can use that fear to forge another chain link.  This morning, as I was writing the paychecks, I thanked the Lord that we have good employees.  Just then, I felt the peace that comes with the breaking of that chain link!  Then, I thought about the medical bills that I have to pay monthly, and I thanked the Lord that there were medical resources that were there to help me last December when I was hospitalized (not to mention in 2006 when I had a ruptured appendix, sepsis and pneumonia). Again, I felt a chain link break!
     Life is going to take us through a lot of uneasy situations. We just have to know how to deal with them. How we view (and handle) those situations will determine if we live a life of freedom, or if we live in bondage to our circumstances by the chains of the enemy. Whenever the stress of a situation starts to bring bondage to your life, take that moment to give God thanks.  Giving thanks to the Lord will break one chain link at a time. And when the chains are finally gone, you will be free!  "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  (John 8:36 NKJV)

"And My God Shall Supply All Your Need..."

     This morning, as I was getting ready for work, the thought came into my mind... It sure would be nice if I had a new...  I stopped short when I realized that it wasn't something that I really needed (or had the money for); it just would have been nice to have.  Sound familiar?  Immediately, the Lord reminded me of so many of the things I already have that I could be grateful for.  Funny how the desire for something you don't really need goes away when your mind turns in that direction.  It's like opening a treasure chest you forgot you had, only to discover that it is full of the Father's "good and perfect gifts," that He's consistently given to you through the years!
     When I start to think about what I really do need, and then wonder where the money is going to come from, it's so easy for fear to subtly enter my thoughts.  That's why I have found it is so vital to constantly "wait upon the Lord" (Isaiah 40:31)--or, as my pastor would say, "eagerly expect"--and keep my eyes fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).  Fear is dissolved when He quietly reminds me of all the times He has provided for me; even when, at times, it was at the last minute.
     As this song says... I don't deserve His kindness.  None of us do.  But that's who He is.  And I am grateful...

No Greater Love

I know I don't deserve His kindness;
I know I don't deserve His love.
I know, without a shadow of a doubt,
It was His sacrifice upon the cross
That turned my life around.
And I've never been more grateful
Than I am now...

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father;
Every blessing comes directly from His hand.
Every answer that I see
Proves again His love for me,
Even when the answer's not what I had planned.
Every need He has fulfilled through Christ my Savior,
By His grace and mercy from above.
He'll supply all of my needs--
Far beyond what I can see.
There is no greater love... no greater love!

L. Wimberly

Life Isn’t Fair, But God is Good

     The longer I live, the more I realize that I don't understand life.  We go through life believing that it should always be good and that we shouldn't have to go through one struggle after another.  But that's not the way life is.  Even Job, who experienced more loss than any of us will ever have to face, said in Job 2:10:  "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" 

     Have you ever heard a child say, "That's not fair!"  I have, on more than one occasion, responded to that remark:  "Life isn't fair."  We were never promised in the Bible that our life on this earth would be fair.  In fact, we are told just the opposite... "In the world you will have tribulation..." (John 16:33)  But Jesus goes on to say in the same verse: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace..." and "...but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  Jesus was preparing us, and He was reassuring us.  The key is to keep the reality of life in perspective and to trust God with every aspect of it.  

     I wrote this poem two years ago for one of our teenage boys in foster care.  It was written in a moment of frustration on my part, but sometimes that is when the truth is the most revealed.  Life is constantly changing, but God never changes (James 1:17)!  And His Word reminds us that though life may not seem fair at times, God is always good!

Life Isn’t Fair, But God is Good

I know that you say that life isn’t fair,

But whoever said life was a game?

You fight and you struggle with each passing day,

Always looking for someone to blame.

But whoever said that life would be fair?

Is it something you think you deserve?

For just when you think everything’s going well,

That’s the time life has thrown you a curve.

God never promised that life would be fair.

In fact, He said there would be pain.

For we are subject to this present world,

Where sin and injustice reign.

But God’s promised that He would be here with us,

Helping us through one day at a time.

He’s given us power to conquer this world,

By renewing and transforming our minds.

For when we believe we deserve so much more,

That’s a lie that the enemy brings.

We can’t let our hearts make their home in this world,

But set them on higher things.

I pray someday you’ll say that though life wasn’t fair,

You’ve regarded your life as you should.

And the wisdom you’ve gained will tell you one thing:

That through it all, God has been good.

Does Life Ever Overwhelm You?

     Sometimes it's easy to become overwhelmed with the cares of life.  This can apply to relationships or finances or even relationships because of finances.  Man may make up rules to suit him and then change them on a whim, but God remains constant.  He is constant in His love for us, constant in providing for us, constant in keeping the rules (laws) and promises He wrote thousands of years ago.  That's why the Bible is living and active.  It never changes.  So when we are overwhelmed by what's going on today in our lives, we can go to the Source, our living God, who already sees what is ahead of us today.  Holding on to the God who created us can give us the security and peace we need to get through this day. That is why Isaiah (26:3-4) says of the Lord, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (NKJV)  The trust our Father expects from us is the kind of trust that comes naturally to a little child toward his parent.
     I saw that kind of trust on the face of my 21 month-old granddaughter this past weekend. She knew, when her mother asked her what she wanted for lunch, that she would be fed. She didn't see the food, but she knew that her mother would feed her.  It never occurred to her to be afraid that she wouldn't get to eat, because her mother has consistently given her what she needs day after day.  If we really think about it, God does the same thing for us.
     King David said in Psalm 37:25-26, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.  He is ever merciful, and lends.  And his descendants are blessed." (NKJV)  I am learning to hold onto these verses. The problem that we as adults have is that we over-think things.  We (sometimes subconsciously) convince ourselves that God is not paying attention to our need.  Or we are in a hurry for God to answer, so we can feel more secure.  But what about the next time and the time after that?
     The answer lies in trusting the Lord in every situation and standing on His promises. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that He should lie."  He always keeps His promises. If you are overwhelmed or stressed, read His Word.  If you don't look at what He has promised through Scripture, don't be surprised if the stress stays.  In my quiet time this morning, the Lord reminded me that in His presence is "fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).  Since feeling overwhelmed and having fullness of joy cannot occupy the same space, I choose fullness of joy.  
     Which will you choose?

    

What Would We Do If We Didn't Have the Bible?

What would we do if we didn't have the Bible?
      Have you ever thought about that?  If the Word of God has spoken to you at any time (which, in my case, is every day), where would you be right now if you didn't have it to turn to?  Does it help you in your decision-making?  ("In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:6) Does it help you find peace when you're going through a tough situation?  ("No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13)  Is it the reason you are alive today?  For me, the answer would be "yes."
      Back when I was 21 years old, I had a "baby's" understanding of the Bible.  In fact, there was a particular verse in 1 Corinthians 3 that, through my misinterpretation of it, kept me from taking my own life. My life had fallen apart when my boyfriend of 2 years (and whom I thought I would marry) broke up with me.  I was beyond devastated.  I felt like I couldn't go on living.  Then this Scripture that I had read led me to believe that if I destroyed this temple (my body), God would destroy me (my soul), and I would spend eternity in Hell.  That's what stopped me.  Scripture had broken through to a mind that had become almost despondent.  Isn't it great that God can use our limited understanding of the Bible and make it turn out for our good?  But what if I hadn't had the Bible to turn to?
      That brings me to my point...
      How well do you know Scripture?  If your Bible was taken away, how much would you remember about what you have read?  It is not beyond the bounds of reality that one day the Bible could be banned. Each day we are getting closer to the Day of the Lord.  And with the way the world is heading, our Bibles might actually be taken away from us.  This is not something to be taken lightly.  It has already happened in other parts of the world, and it could very well happen here someday.
      I remember the mid-70's, when Bibles were being smuggled into Russia.  I would hear stories about what price Christians had to pay for their faith.  One man said that when they got hold of a Bible, they tore out the pages, giving each believer one page. Each person committed to memory the front and back of that page of Scripture, in case the page was found and taken away.  That way if there were no written pages left, they would still be able to accurately share the Word of God with each other.  Are you ready to be that radical?  If so, what are you doing today to get to know God's Word better and hide it in your heart? It's something to seriously think about--not just for you, but for the generation to come..
   

The Amazing Grace of God

      There are those among us who think that they have gone too far, or sunk too low, for God to forgive them.  They can't believe that God would even listen to them if they cried out to Him, because they feel so undeserving.  But who does deserve God's grace?  No one.  That's why it's called GRACE.  His grace reaches out to everyone, if they truly humble themselves before Him.  Let me tell you a story...
      There was a man--a king, in fact--named Manasseh.  His father's name was Hezekiah.  And even though King Hezekiah was a good king and did what was right in the sight of the Lord, his son, Manasseh, was quite the opposite.  Where Hezekiah did everything within his power (and he had a lot of power) to get rid of any trace of foreign gods and to cleanse the house of the Lord, Manasseh seemed to do whatever he could to tick God off!  2 Chronicles 33:2-9 spells out all the atrocities that Manasseh committed.  (I suggest you read it, so you can see just how far God's grace extends.)  Among the abominations he committed, Scripture says that "he even set a carved image, the idol of which he had made, in the house of God" (italics mine) and that "Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Chronicles 33:9).  Can a person really get any worse than this?  I don't think so.
      So... When neither Manasseh nor his people listened when the Lord spoke to them, the king of Assyria took Manasseh captive and carried him off to Babylon.  Now the Lord had his attention!  I think he had an "Aha!" moment, because during his captivity, he earnestly prayed to the Lord and humbled himself before the God of his fathers.  God immediately responded by receiving Manasseh's humble plea and returned him back to his people, because He saw a truly repentant heart.  That was indeed grace.  It was by taking that step of faith when crying out to God for forgiveness, that he then knew that the Lord was God (verse 13).  In the verses that follow, Manasseh walked in that faith and, for the rest of his days, did what was right in the sight of God.
      If God would do this for a man such as Manasseh, there is no sin that we can commit that the Lord will not forgive, if we come to Him with a humble, repentant heart.  And there is NOTHING that can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
      Do you know someone who thinks they are beyond the reach of God's love or forgiveness?  Share with them this little-known story from the Old Testament.  Share with them how, by God's amazing grace, you have been forgiven.  And share with them His unconditional love.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

What Is Your Purpose Here?

"Choose me!  Choose me!"
      The children on the playground were gathered around the two captains, each one waiting expectantly for his name to be called next.  Most of them didn't care which team they were on; they just wanted to be one of the first ones called.  Being one of the first to be chosen meant you were of more value than the rest.  If you were chosen last, it meant you were chosen by default.  One by one, the numbers dwindled, as two distinct teams were formed.  The children waited patiently until the last child was called.
      On more than one occasion, I was that last child.  I knew what it was like, firsthand, to be called only because there was no one else left.  I knew the humiliation of "not being good enough" to be on either team, and that had a huge effect on how I saw myself.
      Then one day when I was seventeen, I was chosen, but not by default.  I was the special one, but not because I was good enough.  In fact, being good enough was not part of His criteria for choosing me.  God chose me, because He loved me--and that was it!  There was nothing I could do to earn that love, nothing I had to prove.  He gave me back my self-esteem with the simple decision to trust Jesus Christ to be the Lord of my life.  He has since shown me, over these many years, that my life has a purpose.  If someone were to ask you right now what your purpose in this life is, what would you tell them...?

What Is Your Purpose Here?

By Lisa Marea Hare Wimberly

What is your purpose here;

Why have you been placed on this earth?

Do you know what God has intended for you

And why you were given birth?

You were created to worship the Lord;

He put in you a heart of praise.

He chose you from the beginning of time

To abide in Him all of your days.

But every day you make the choice,

To serve Him or go your own way.

For He has created in you a free will,

And He’ll never make you obey.

So today, what will your choice be?

His Word tells you what you must do.

Do what He says or do what you want;

The decision is all up to you.

If you choose to abide in Him,

Each day you will have your reward.

Life will hold more abundance than you’ve ever known,

When you give your heart to the Lord.

Does God Hear Us?

     Does God hear us?  For many, that's the million dollar question.  But for those who have put their trust in Christ Jesus, it's a given. I've been reading through 2 Chronicles, and one recurring theme I have found is that when the children of Judah cried out to the Lord, He heard their cry...and He answered them!  In chapter 13, while Israel turned away from the Lord God to serve other gods, King Abijah and Judah kept the command of the Lord. So when Judah cried out to the Lord, they knew He would be faithful to deliver them, even though they were surrounded by the enemy--an enemy twice their number!  And verse 18 says, "Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers."  They trusted God to hear and to respond to their cry.
     In chapter 14, when Asa was king of Judah, he also commanded Judah to seek the Lord God and to observe the law and the commandment.  And when Asa and Judah went to war against the Ethiopians and were outnumbered by them almost 2 to 1, Asa cried out to the Lord in verse 11, saying, "Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!" They placed it all in His hands.  And again, the Lord heard them and struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, until the Ethiopians were overthrown!  In chapter 16, it says that because they relied on the Lord, He delivered the Ethiopians into their hand.  "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." (verse 9)
     "Where is she going with this?" you might ask.  Here is the priceless answer:  When we find ourselves in a situation that is insurmountable, and we are afraid, we can cry out to the Lord.  Then He will hear us and respond, if we totally rely on Him.  "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:12-13)   That's a promise!  The enemy wants us to be afraid:  afraid that we won't have money to pay our bills, afraid that the one we love will abandon us, or even afraid that the doctor's diagnosis will be cancer... But as the Lord was on the side of the children of Judah, because they sought Him with all their hearts, He will be on our side if we do the same.  Trust in Him, "...casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)

Snowflakes

      I realize that we are no longer in the season where we can enjoy snowflakes and the blanket of white they leave behind, but curiosity led me to look up why no two snowflakes are alike. I have read that ice crystals form onto pollen or dust particles in the sky, when it is extremely cold outside.  I could talk about the crystallization of the snowflake, which causes the symmetrical pattern, but what I have found more interesting in my reading is that it's the changes in the environment (or atmosphere) that determine what it will look like when it reaches the earth.  The snowflake is influenced, in one way, by other snowflakes it comes into contact with as they also fall to the ground. 
      It seems to me that we have something in common with snowflakes.  God has created each one of us, building us cell by cell, as we grow throughout our life.  But unlike the snowflake, we have more dimensions to our individuality, namely, who we are on the inside. It is our environment that contributes to who we are--our families, our friends, even those with whom we come into contact on a day-to-day basis.  They "bump" us, like the snowflakes bump one another as they fall through the atmosphere.  When snowflakes fall, they change slightly as they bump into other snowflakes.  If God delights in the process it takes to make one snowflake uniquely different from another, how much more does our God delight in us!

Snowflakes

By Lisa Hare Wimberly

How delicate the snowflake,

So intricately formed.

It quickly disappears from sight

The moment it is warmed.

And, yet, God our Father

Will not make two the same.

He fashions each one differently,

As if it had a name.

He sees each one as special—

Six sides reflecting light.

With other snowflakes it becomes

A blanket pure and white.

And like the snowflake, God has made us

Special and unique.

Then, in a moment, we are gone,

For like snow, we are weak.

But we are each significant

However long our life.

For time does not dictate our worth

In God the Father’s eyes.

And like the little snowflake,

So delicate and free,

God treasures what His hand creates,

And He delights in me.

Do We Do Our Homework?

I was told many years ago, while I was taking a Bible Study course, that if we did not do our homework, we could not enter into discussion. I can see the importance of that statement now, because so many people talk about God without knowing the truth of God. How can they express what they believe is truth, without having done their homework? The only way to know God’s truth is to read and study his Word every day. If we want to share God’s Word with people, our responsibility is to know what God’s Word really says and not what “sounds right.” We will be held accountable for what we have taught others, because the teacher will be held more accountable than the student…

Hope

Just after my mother-in-law passed, a dear friend shared her heartache over a prodigal son.  That led me to pray for him day after day.  Then one day, the Lord showed me that when we pray for those we love, according to His will, we can have hope that He will answer our prayer.  But sometimes we have to wait and wait for the answer to come.  As we leave our child in His hands, we can rest in the hope that one day He will answer.  That day this poem emerged…

Hope

Hope looks beyond what we can see

And believes that the time will come

When the Lord will do what He’s promised to do,

And HIS perfect will shall be done.

It knows we’ll have everything we ask,

When we ask it in Jesus’ name.

But we can’t limit God to the time we have set,

Because our time and His aren’t the same.

So we wait and wait for His answer,

Until it seems we can’t wait anymore.

But hope is never impatient,

For it knows God has great things in store!

Even when things seem hopeless,

When we feel that He’s not heard our cry,

Hope reminds us His promises are true,

And His answer is very close by.

Hope brightens our outlook when all seems lost;

It gives us more peace when we pray.

It says, “Persevere, child, and don’t give up,

For God hears every word that you say.”

Our hope comes in knowing He hears us,

That He loves and cares for us all.

He just knows everything else that must take place first,

Before He answers our call.

Lisa Marea Hare Wimberly

September 8, 2011

Sometimes You Have to Say No...

Each morning, before I would go to the hospital to see Mama Bernice, I would pray for her healing.  That’s the normal and logical thing to do.  But one morning, the Lord spoke to my heart and showed me (yet again) that His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts.  What He said to me was pretty profound… and convicting.  Even though He wants us to be honest and bare our hearts to Him, He still has the last word.  He sees the Big Picture, while we see (and feel) what’s right in front of us.  He just wants us to trust Him and believe that His way is best, even when we don’t understand.  When we trust Him is when He gives us His peace.  And when we “let go,” we are free to receive His blessings.

The Lord gave me this poem that morning…

Sometimes You Have to Say No

When we come to You each day in prayer,

There is something we need to know:

Though we ask and believe with all our hearts,

Sometimes You have to say “no.”

It doesn't mean we’re not believing

Or we’re doubting what You can do.

It just means You see the “big picture”

Of what we are going through.

If we believe You’re all-powerful

And do miracles every day,

Then we have to believe You’re all-knowing

And trust You to show us YOUR way.

We may think that You’re not listening

To us as we desperately pray,

Or the faith that we have is just not enough

For You to answer OUR way.

It doesn't mean You don’t love us

Or that You don’t care what we’re going through.

It just means that You have a better plan

Than the plan that we've given to You.

Lord, help us to understand You

When You choose to tell us “no.”

And help us to trust that Your way is best,

Because from this Your blessings will flow.

Lisa Marea Hare Wimberly

August 9, 2011

Adam and Eve...

As I was reading in the book of Genesis recently, I made an interesting discovery that I had missed in the past.  In Genesis 2:15-16, it says that when God put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, He told them that “of every tree of the garden” they could freely eat, except for the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This I knew, along with anybody else who has read the beginning of Genesis.  What I noticed this time, however, was that they were also allowed to eat of the “tree of life,” but neither one seemed to have any interest in it.   They chose disobedience to God, which they knew would result in death, over obeying God, with the guarantee of living forever.  In fact, the main reason God drove Adam and Eve out of the       garden was so that they would not have the ability to also eat of the tree of life (3:22).

We are no different today.  We knowingly choose what we know deep down inside is not good for us.  We choose to succumb to temptation, only this time we can’t see the “serpent.”  Then we make excuses and blame other people or our circumstances, which is part of the enemy’s ploy.  Satan still deceives today, just as he did in the garden of Eden.

I started to be taken in by Satan’s deception by something that happened at our business recently.  It was affecting me emotionally, when I am usually pretty upbeat.  Praise God that I have a husband who, unlike Adam’s “helpmate,” turned my eyes back to the Lord, not to the flesh! He told me that even though we are living a life of obedience to God in our business, Satan is trying to get in there and stir things up!  I am grateful that I have His Word to remind me that what was true back then is still true now. God never changes (James 1:17).  As long as I am in His Word (the “tree of life”) daily, I have a constant reminder of that fact, and I have a way to get through the valleys that come into my life… one by one.

When You're Feeling Weary...

During that August in 2011, Mark and I went to the hospital every day to see Mama Bernice.  There were always at least 6-12 family members present whenever we were there–from at least 4 different states.  We supported one another and talked about what we would do if Mama was able to leave the hospital and go into a nursing home.  But talking about this was also very sad, because we knew that things would never be the same.  I found myself crying every day while I was there.

One day, while I was still at home, the Lord gave me this poem.  I felt so weary; my strength would leave me, because of the sadness and stress.  He reminded me that He was my strength and that He would get us through this. The insights He gave me while I wrote this poem were astounding!   For anyone going through a similar situation, this poem is for you…

When You’re Feeling Weary

When you’re feeling weary and just can’t go on,

When you feel like you’re ready to fall,

Just remember Whose road that you’re traveling on,

And it’s really not yours, after all.

It’s a path that God has prepared for you,

With His Truth to light up the way.

Our lamp is His Word, and it gives us hope

To make it through yet one more day.

Each step He will guide if you listen to Him

With His still, small voice breaking through.

He will clearly direct you which way to turn;

He’ll make known what He wants you to do.

You can go around obstacles, holding His hand,

Even ones that the enemy brings.

With His powerful love He’ll protect you,

And He’ll shelter you under His wings.

If you call upon Jesus and hold onto Him,

His Presence will carry you through.

He will give you the strength that you need to go on

On this path that He’s chosen for you.

Lisa Marea Hare Wimberly

Written August 9, 2011

Healing...

Why do we pray for healing? Is it so we can get back to our normal routine? Do we ever consider that God might have a higher purpose for what we are going through physically? Wouldn’t it be amazing to look at what we go through physically from His perspective? If we are indeed God’s children, and we want Him to have control of our lives, isn’t it then up to Him what He takes us through in order to bring about His perfect will? Jesus followed God’s will, even though it took Him to the cross. But look at what we have gained through Jesus’ death on the cross…

God's Promises

When I think about that August in 2011, I can’t help but feel like Elisha after Elijah was taken away into heaven.  Even though I so missed being able to have those rich, lively conversations with Mama Bernice, it was as if in her silence while in the hospital, she imparted to me a double portion of what God had given to her.  She had such a heart for writing poetry, but it seems that poetry has come to me more quickly and easily than it did to her.  And I have more than doubled the number of poems she wrote (at least, that we know of).  Still, she was my inspiration in everything I wrote during the days she was in the hospital.

“God’s Promises” was given to me as a reminder that the only way to get through that “dark night” was to hold onto Him and His promises.  If you have been going through a tough situation, I hope that this poem will speak to you.

God’s Promises

When you are sad or in despair,

When it seems there’s no hope in sight,

Remember God said He would always be there

To watch over you day and night.

“I’ll never leave you nor forsake you”

Were the words that came from His heart.

And by faith we know that His words are true

And that nothing could make Him depart.

He said if we cleave to Him in love,

He would deliver us and He’d protect us.

Through trouble and danger we would rise above,

As we trust in Him to direct us.

He said if we would keep our eyes on Him,

He would keep us in perfect peace.

And that if we confess to Him our sin,

Our bondage to sin would cease.

When the way is hard and we can’t go on,

He is there every step of the way.

He won’t let us walk through this world alone;

By our side He will always stay.

He has told us on Him we should cast our cares,

For He cares for us more than we know.

And when our burdens are more than we can bear,

He has promised to lighten our load.

We’ll hold on to His Word through this dark, dark night,

And on His promises we will stand.

We will walk by faith and not by sight

As we cling to His almighty hand.

Lisa Marea Hare Wimberly

Written August 3, 2011