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He Knows My Name!

“He who overcomes . . . I will confess his NAME before My Father and before His angels.”
Rev. 3:5 NASB (emphasis mine)

hello_my_name_is_sticker-svgEntering the large, crowded sanctuary, my husband and I find a seat about halfway down the center aisle. It’s only minutes before the start of the worship service. People greet and hug one another as they take their seats. A lady comes and sits close to me, but only temporarily to visit with the family sitting in front of us. They laugh and chat, oblivious to my presence. As people walk up and down the aisle, there is little eye contact between us. They don’t know me, nor I them. I feel invisible. Lonely. Uncomfortable. No one knows my name.

As a military spouse, I am no stranger to frequent moves. Starting over is never easy. Much time, effort, and resolve is needed to familiarize oneself with the area and to establish new friendships.

Yet, even in those awkward and unpleasant times, God reminds me that I’m not alone nor forsaken. He understands how I feel. He cares. He’s right by my side. He knows my name!

Looking for a new church home; trying to make ends meet because your husband left you; beginning a new job; dealing with a debilitating disease; caring for aging parents; fighting depression; the list goes on and on. When you find yourself in those uneasy, distressful, sometimes painful, and often obscure moments, take heart. You are not alone. The God of the universe, Who created you in His image, He knows YOU!

He thinks of you more times than you can ever count – Psalm 139:17-18

He loves you greatly – Psalm 103:11; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10

He sustains you – Psalm 3:5

He lifts your head – Psalm 3:3

He never leaves you – Hebrews 13:5b

He is with you wherever you go – Joshua 1:9

He chose you – John 15:16

He comforts you – 2 Corinthians 1:5

He is your joy – John 15:11

He is your salvation, strength, and song– Isaiah 12:2

He engraves you on the palms of His hands – Isaiah 49:16

He gives you eternal life – John 17:3

[Digging deeper – take time to read the above Scriptures. If you don’t know Jesus personally, please email me. I’d love to introduce Him to you!]

Forever grateful,

Beverly <><

A Lament for our Country

“Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted.”
Psalm 55:1-2 NASB

woman-praying-300x187Did you know that over 60 of the Psalms are considered laments? That’s not a word we use very often today. A lament, according to Merriam-Webster, is to express sorrow, regret, or unhappiness about something. We see a true expression of this in Scripture, especially in the Psalms. There is no faking it with God – complaint, anger, doubt, and worry is spewed out. There’s a sense of wrestling with God, yet He is never blamed. Instead, confidence, praise and joy are found within each lament.

Here in the United States, our presidential election is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but the direction our country is headed grieves my soul. I find myself crying out to God for mercy and healing for our once great land. The fulfillment of Isaiah 5:20 (NASB) is becoming a reality:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Many of my prayers have become laments. Would you join me in crying out to the God of the universe to turn our hearts back to Him? But as with most laments within the Psalms, let us not forget to offer our declarations of praise and adoration to God Almighty. Let us not forget to request His help and intercession. Let us not forget to confess our own sins, as well as the sins of our country. Our God is still in control and in that we put our hope.

O God, in You and You alone I put my trust because there is no god but You. I know Your truths, power and salvation, yet many in our land are clueless of Your existence and ways. Whatever is right in their own eyes is their pursuit. Perversions and sexual immoralities are embraced as normal. Goodness is treated with suspicion and absolutes are deemed obsolete. Our country is such a deplorable mess. Help us, O God! Forgive us for turning our eyes away from You. Revive, restore, and heal us once again. Bring salvation to the leaders of this country. Our lives are in Your hands. All praise and honor and power be to You. Amen and Amen!

[Digging deeper – Psalms 11, 12, 56, 71, 85, and 90]

Confident in Him,

Beverly <><

Rejoicing In ALL Things – Even Cracked Eggs and Spilled Milk!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 NASB

beth_messTake a good look at today’s picture and see if you can tell what it is. It is a for real picture I recently received via text from my daughter Bethany. There’s close to a gallon of milk and two dozen eggs on the floor because the grocery bag ripped seconds before making it to the kitchen counter. What a mess!

Bethany’s morning had not gone well. She woke up sleep deprived due to her little girls not sleeping well during the night. The cupboards were bare so it was off to the store. Once there, she discovered she had left her grocery list at home. I had been receiving texts on and off from her all morning. Then came the picture of the fiasco. Our text conversation follows:

Bethany: Jesus take me home. Out of 2 dozen eggs only 5 survived.

Me:  What happened?

Bethany: The paper bag said, “Nope! Not today!” I was inches away from the counter. (frown face)

Me: Even if they are cracked you could still use them. At least soon or in baking.

Bethany: There were no cracks. They were all exploded except for five.

Can any of you relate??? If you have kids, I know you can. I hate to admit it, but I did chuckle a bit. Memories flooded my mind of similar days when raising my four children.

Now take a look at today’s Scripture verse. Rejoice . . . ALWAYS! Is that really possible? I’ll admit I fall short of that command at times. However, if you read the verse in its context, you’ll discover helps that make it easier to rejoice in the tough times. In verses 6-9, we’re encouraged to not be anxious, to lift our requests to God with thanksgiving, to dwell on the good things, and to practice the teachings of God taught to us by our spiritual leaders.

Next time you find your day not going as planned, stop and rejoice in the Lord. Give it to Him and let His peace fill you. I’m proud to say that my daughter chose to rejoice in the Lord even with milk and eggs all over the floor. Her last text said, “I made chocolate chip cookies to make the day better and praised God when they came out good!”

[Digging deeper – Ephesians 5:20. Philippians 4:4-9. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18]

Ever rejoicing,

Beverly <><