Lent 2025, Let the Promise Journey Begin

March 5, 2025 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Our world is filled with chaos and turmoil. Keeping our eyes on Jesus will give us wisdom and discernment for navigating the waters of life that seem to swirl constantly around us. Habakkuk 3:17-19 provides a window into the hope we have in God.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty, Does your world resemble this picture?
¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Is your resolve set in the Lord?
¹⁹The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
    He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    able to tread upon the heights. Are you willing to trust in Him?

Promise: God promises He will be my strength and joy and enable me to endure life’s trials.

If you had a chance to profess your faith and trust in God, would your words be similar to the prophet Habakkuk’s? He had learned that God alone would be His joy and strength in hard times. He knew he could count upon God to be there and give him the surefootedness of a deer when things got hard or steep. This confession of faith came after struggling with God, questioning Him and seeking to understand his world, faith and God’s actions or inactions. Doesn’t that describe each one of us? We say, why God did you allow such and such to take place? Why is this happening to me? Our answer, like Habakkuk’s comes down to trust and faith in Almighty God. Isaiah 55:8 “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither ar e you ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Just like Habakkuk, we have to acknowledge and trust in the sovereignty of God and depend upon His strength. May your resolve be empowered today as you step out and trust God in every trial you are facing.

From this promise we see: trusting God brings joy, God is our Savior, God is Sovereign, and God provides what we need to be able to endure or rise above the trials of life.

Questions for myself in this Lenten time of reflection. How is my trust in God growing? What joy from God am I experiencing in the trials of life I am currently facing?

God’s Word is deep and provides many other places where we can find similar assurances to this promise in Habakkuk. We are ‘slow’ learners and God knows we need things repeated to have them stick to our character. Here are some verses with related truths: 1 Chronicles 29:12, Psalm 18:46, Isaiah 43:11, John 10:29, Romans 5:1-5 and James 1:2-4.

Let us journey together the next 6 weeks and emerge steeped in His promises!

Linda

Realigned Focus during Adversity

February 16, 2024 nofearlindaLeave a comment

How do you deal with Nay Sayers or those that would desire to cast doubt on your faith? Believe it or not, the psalmist David had the same issues when he wrote Psalm 3. He did not want to listen his many foes who were telling him God was not going to rescue him or do anything to help him solve his problems. This was written when he was struggling with his son Absalom who was trying to take over David’s throne and kill him. David talked to the Lord about this, laying it before Him. Then, he set about remembering the times God had rescued him!

O Lord, I have so many enemies;
so many are against me.
²So many are saying,
“God will never rescue him!” Interlude

³But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
⁴I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

⁵I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.
⁶I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
    who surround me on every side.

⁷Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people. Interlude

David’s conclusion, after remembering who God is and what He had done for him during his lifetime, was that God holds the victory. Victory comes from Him. He can defeat any foe as He is sovereign. David was reminded that God will bring victory and blessing.

David is our example for how to react to those who would discourage our faith saying it is worthless, that God will not help us. We too can change our focus from the Nay Sayers to Jesus. The right perspective will bring us to Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have a permanent advocate in Jesus. He intercedes for us and sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Romans 8:27 “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Focusing on Jesus will put everything in perspective as it did for King David.

Let thanks be on you tongue and praises in your heart as you look to Jesus. Thank you Jesus.

Linda

1st Sunday of Lent, 2022

March 6, 2022March 6, 2022 nofearlindaLeave a comment

As you attend church today, meditate on the first 6 verses of Psalm 139. They are precious and reveal much about who we are and who God is. He is to be praised.

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

May you realize today that God knows you, all about you. Can you even imagine such knowledge? When you couple Psalm 139 with Nahum 1:9 The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,

and Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³    he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

you get a picture of our loving God who knows and cares for YOU.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Linda

A Pleasing Walk, Can you do it?

February 25, 2021 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Colossians 1:9-10a gives us some insight into the heart of the Apostle Paul. He is being intentional with his prayers for the Colossian Christians as he has something specific in mind. “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:” It is totally in Paul’s mind and on his heart that the Colossian Christians live lives that are worthy of their calling as servants of Jesus Christ and that their lives would be pleasing to Him. To achieve a life that is worthy and pleasing to God one must have a knowledge of God’s will and an understanding of spiritual things.

How does one achieve such things? Scriptures tell us to seek to know God. Job said in Job 5:8 “As for me, I would seek God,
and to God would I commit my cause,” Psalm 14:2 “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Knowing God and what He desires of us, helps in discerning God’s will for our lives. That means knowing and following His commandments,1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” We also must seek to abide in Him, John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Paul knew that a walk without Jesus is futile and will accomplish nothing. So he encourages them and us to keep abiding in Jesus, to draw near to Him, to be steeped and guided by prayer, to stay in God’s Word and above all else seek to know Him more each day.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know and understand the things of God with spiritual wisdom which helps me to walk daily in a way that pleases Him.

Linda

The Cross = oneness and giftedness in Christ!

March 19, 2020April 16, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Ephesians 4:4-7 is a beautiful passage to be cherished by believers. We are all called to be a part of God’s family and share in what we have in Christ, and yet God sees us as individuals with different needs.

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. ⁷However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”

God, the creator, who is Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient is our Heavenly Father. He is in everything we do, everywhere we go and in every action we take. We are to be in His presence daily, walking with Him and letting His Holy Spirit guide and direct us. I love the fact that we are individuals before God. He gave us special gifts through Christ when we became believers. Each one of us is seen as useful and productive for the kingdom and are given gifts so we can successfully work and live for Him.

Do you feel isolated or a part of the body of Christ? Are you connected in meaningful ways to other believers? What about your gifts? Are you using your God given talents to accomplish work for the Lord? Lent is a time of reflection. Ponder what your gifts may be, read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 to seek clarity about gifts, think about the things you do for others in Jesus’ name- what brings you the most joy and peace? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we are one in Christ, specially gifted through His grace.

May you be lifted up as you pray and meditate on the power of God’s family in your life and your gifts. Be encouraged as God has special gifts for each of us though the grace of Christ!

Linda

Seeing the Savior is life changing, just ask the shepherds

December 18, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Luke 2:15-20 “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The shepherds had a glorious encounter with angels that prompted them to go and seek the child born in Bethlehem. Their second encounter that day was seeing their Lord and Savior in the flesh, the one that had come to earth to save mankind. Luke 2:11 was the glorious message they had received, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” People were amazed when they heard their message and Mary treasured what they said and stored it away in her heart. They all had personally encountered the Savior, Jesus.

God showed the world their Savior and proclaimed his work on earth even at this humble beginning. God reached down and rescued sinners from the penalty of death and hell that our sin deserves. We cannot save ourselves from sin because we are dead in our sin. God had a plan from eternity past to save His children fully from sin- from the penalty, power and presence of sin. He sent His Son to live the perfect life we cannot live and die in our place for our sin. Savior Jesus took all the punishment for our sin and saves us completely. Romans 5:8 reminds us of God’s motivation for sending His Son and our true condition, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I love the explanation of why and how God did what He did in Titus 3:4-7^“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Through faith we reap the benefits of His love, eternal life, His righteousness in our lives, the indwelling Holy Spirit, His grace, mercy, hope and become heirs with Christ. We know and serve an amazing Savior. Thank you Jesus.

What do you do with the message of Jesus the Messiah, Savior who is the Christ? Are you excited, awed and motivated to tell everyone of your Savior? As you go through your day, think about the message the shepherds received. Ask yourself, what am I doing about the Savior who is Christ the Lord? Am I telling others of His wonderful love, salvation, hope and eternal life? If not, why not? Christ is the reason for this season as His is the message of Hope for all mankind. Spread the word!

Linda

Enduring praise, is that what is on your lips today?

November 23, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Being a primary teacher for years, I love choral response readings. All the kids are chiming in together, listening to one another and speaking as one voice. Psalm 136 was used as a liturgy of praise. Let’s look at the first 3 verses.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
²Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
³Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

I love this repetition of reason for our complete trust in God, His steadfast love endures forever. What else in all creation endures forever? God alone is eternal. Therefore, we need to thank Him for His goodness and love, and that He is the Almighty God, above all other gods. He alone is to be our LORD.

I would encourage you today to repeat these lines with a sincere, prayer-filled heart and mind and see if it doesn’t bring His love right into your life. You can depend upon His steadfast love, no matter what. His enduring steadfast love is worthy of our thanks and praise.

Have a blessed day,

Linda

I AM ….the LORD

October 25, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

YHWH Multiple times in scripture God refers to himself as LORD. When the name Lord is written all in capital letters, it refers to the name ‘Yahweh’, YHWH which was so revered that it did not even say it aloud or write it completely as they left out the vowels. Another translation of this is Jehovah. In Exodus 3:14-15, Moses is called by God to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh and lead the people. Moses voices several concerns to God and asks, What do I say when the people ask who sent me? “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” ¹⁵God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” God refers to himself as I AM and also The LORD. God repeated His name in Exodus 6:2-3 “God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. ³I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” The people did not have the full revelation of God yet and did not fully know Him. The full revelation of God came with Jesus Christ.

David often refers to God as LORD in the Psalms. Psalm 91 has several verses that point out the complete trustworthiness of the LORD and how He loves and cares for those who love Him. Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” God is my refuge.

³Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge; God is my protector.
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵You will not fear the terror of night, God’s presence dispels fear.
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you God cares for me.
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹²they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; God desires our love.
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him; God is omnipresent.
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.” God has salvation plans for me.

Today meditate on the completeness of your LORD and how HE reaches down and touches you.

Linda

The Amazing Creator

August 20, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

God refers to himself as Creator in Isaiah 43:15 “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” In Isaiah 40:28 Isaiah speaks of the hope that this Creator brings to us, “Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.” This Creator of heaven and earth, the one who made us and everything in the universe wants to be our King. Isaiah’s passage tell us this creator is eternal, has unlimited energy and power, is not subject to human weaknesses like being tired, weary or falling away and His knowledge is beyond end.

Have you ever spent time gazing at God’s creation? Those things that we make reflect on our abilities, ingenuity, creativity, dexterity, resources and perseverance. How much more so with God and His creation of the universe. It speaks of His majesty, unlimited knowledge, sense of humor and creativity, grandeur and power. Psalm 19:1-2 puts it so eloquently, “The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.”

I hope you have had some time this summer to go out and about in God’s grand creation. Did you reflect on the Creator as you gazed at His marvelous creation all around you? As summer wanes and we head into the busy fall season with school and multiple activities, I pray you will take some time to think about how awesome our God is and all He has created for you to enjoy. All creation, including you, is made to bring glory and honor to God, the Creator. Let us strive today to bring glory to Him in what we say and do.

Linda

It was given in a word, her name.

May 3, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

One of the most touching post-resurrection appearances of Jesus was when He appeared to Mary in the garden. It is recounted in John 20:14-18. She was at the tomb, had seen the angels and heard them say that Jesus was not there but risen. However, she was so overcome with grief it had yet to truly register with her brain. They (the angels) said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

This scene touches me as it only took Jesus saying her name for her to recognize Him. In John 10:27 Jesus told the disciples that the ones who know Him will recognize His voice and follow Him ” My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Mary knew immediately that it was her Lord saying her name. She was instantly comforted and wanted to touch Him. He cautioned her not to touch him, but to go and tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord! Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Mary needed to have the Savior’s touch. He touched her with His voice and He gave her the reassurance that all would be well. He confirmed he was risen, was the Messiah and that He was alive. He showed her that there was eternal Hope in Him! She got all of that from Jesus saying her name. What do you need Jesus to say to you today? Do you need Him to call you by name, give you a word of encouragement, a word of guidance, or simply a word of Hope? He can say and do it all- if you just ask Him. Seek Him and He will be found, today!

Linda