shadow

Holes in the Darkness

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”Daniel 12:3, NIV

Scottish novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson spent much of his childhood bedridden due to a chronic lung disease. One evening, he watched a lamplighter light gas lamps on the street outside his bedroom window. When his nurse came into his room and found him with his face pressed up against the glass pane, she asked, “What intrigues you so?”  He replied, “I’m watching a man punch holes in the darkness.”

 

God punched a hole in the darkness at creation when He said, “Let there be light!” (Genesis 1:3).

 

Jesus punched a hole in the darkness when He came to earth and said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

 

Christ-followers punch holes in the darkness whenever we let our lights shine. “You are the light of the world … let your light shine” (Matthew 5:14, 16).

 

Years ago, I received a phone call from a distraught friend. Her three-year-old was afraid of the dark. All of their attempts to comfort their daughter had failed. “Please pray,” she said. “Every morning we find her asleep in the hall. I don’t know what to do.” We agreed to pray against her child’s spirit of fear and the next morning my friend called to say her daughter had slept through the night.

 

Later that day, I bought a package of glow-in-the-dark plastic stars and took them to their home. When we led her daughter into the pantry and shut the door, the stars lit up the small room. I told her to ask her daddy to put them on the ceiling above her bed, then she could look at them and know that Jesus watches over her and would keep her safely through the night.

 

Once again, she slept.

 

Days later, I received a note from her mother. “Every night our daughter wants to turn out the nightlight so that she can see the stars. She says, ‘I can still see them, Mommy!’ It’s been a good reminder for us that sometimes we can see God shining brightly in our circumstances and at other times we have to look for him a little harder, but he is always there.”

 

To glow in the dark, phosphorus stars need continuous exposure to light. Likewise, in order for our lights to shine, we must position ourselves regularly in the presence of the Light Giver. Then, when we step into someone’s darkness, we’ll witness God punch holes in it and fill their soul holes with light.

 

Blessings,

Starr

 

GOD’S PERFECT PROVISION – GOD’S PERFECT PEACE

Go-Go-Go.

Stress-stress-stress.

Do-do-do.

Worry-worry-worry.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be stilland know that I am GodI will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.”

II Corinthians 9:10

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

One day, after long weeks of crowded time schedules, worry, pressures, people, and everything in general, I sat down to write a Daily Dose of Encouragement. God spoke above all the racket in my life and  simply said, “Be still and know that I am God.” So I sat and listened as he reminded me of a lesson I desperately needed to remember.

A yearling squirrel sat no more than 8 feet away as I sat on my front porch writing a Daily Dose of Encouragement.  Timidly he approached the corn feeder eyeballing me every step of the way. At first, he only got close enough to nibble on the scattered kernels around the outskirts of the pile. Fearful of his human benefactor he longingly eyed the plentiful pile of corn just beyond his reach.

I sat frozen in place, hoping he’d think I wasn’t even there. But nothing changed. Even in his hunger he continued to sit in doubt. Finally, he inched over to the pile. Slowly, as he saw he could trust my presence, he moved into the full bounty we had put before him. Every once in a while he’d stop, look my way as if to say, “Are you going to hurt me? Did you put this here for me? Can I trust you?”

The more comfortable he became, the more I moved around and let him see my hands at work. I made louder breathing noises, moved my feet, rocked in my chair, and pounded on this keyboard.  Finally, he stopped eating and turned his whole body straight toward me. He looked directly into my face and just sat there quietly. It was as if he was saying “thank you”.  He sat close for so long that my back began to hurt and my dangling feet fell asleep. As the computer flashed a low battery warning, I eased from my chair and slowly walked into the house. The little one scampered away – filled to the brim on the provision given him.

Sometimes in our well doing we forget to just “be”.  Be still and pray…be still and listen for God’s voice.  Realize Who He is. Follow what His still small voice whispers in our heart. He is our benefactor – our provider of all good things.

In my time of intense stress, he used a tiny squirrel to say “slow down” – refocus on what is most important. He reminded me Who He is, and not to be anxious, because He will bring peace to our hearts as we take all our burdens to Him in prayer.

Until next time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

 

WALKING FAITH

EVERYDAY
REMEMBER THIS AND DO THIS
  1. GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS
  2. HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO
  3. I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM
  4. I CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS I CAN DO
  5. HIS WORD IS ACTIVE AND ALIVE IN ME
  6. I BELIEVE GOD
  1. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AND PUT ON
  2. PUT ON GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
  3. PUT ON PEACE BECAUSE OF THE GOOD NEWS
  4. FAITH
  5. SALVATION
  6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT – THE WORD OF GOD

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Eph. 6:15-16


Peace and Faith. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t manufacture either one of them. I know because I’ve tried. And you can’t fake them either. I know.

As I sat in the middle of the floor, heaving and weeping uncontrollably, Tommy said, “Mom, where’s your faith? He’s going to be alright! I thought you had this great faith – what’s wrong with you?” Still sitting there, as I had been for several hours, I shot back, “I know, but it still hurts, and I’m afraid of what might happen to him! I can have faith and still hurt, and be afraid, and cry and be sad all at the same time”, I argued.  And you can, and most of us do, for a little while. But if we have real faith, we will soon be calmed with God’s peace. A peace that passes all understanding, and makes no sense by human standards. A peace that comes when the light bulb comes on and we finally get it: God is in control and we can trust Him!

It was 1996 and we were going through one of the hardest trials I have ever experienced, before, or since. I am a Mama, and one of my sons was in danger. I was praying diligently, and studying God’s Word every day. I said to anyone who would listen that God was my strength and my hope. I said that I knew He would answer my prayer. Yes, it is very normal for a Mama to cry like mad in that situation. But for awhile there, I was inconsolable, acting as if I had no hope. But Tommy got my attention, because with God there is always hope! When we turn our eyes to Him, our Hope comes alive!

In my agony that day, I needed someone to come alongside me and bring God’s truth to my ears. And He sent Tommy. My daughter-in-law, Leigh was also there, and after getting my emotions a little more under control, I flattened myself across the floor, beneath our window that looks like a cross, and we prayed. And I remembered to Trust. And God heard that prayer. And peace started to flood my soul.

Faith is a deep belief that God is who He says He is, and can do what He says he can do. When a belief like that settles in, peace floods the soul. We will begin to walk in it and move forward again. Still sad maybe, still battling bouts of fear maybe, but also calm in the assurance that He really is God, and really is powerful enough to handle our crisis and our pain.

So, Faith and Peace are two more weapons God has given us to win in the war against the hater of our souls and haters of our family. So, let’s suit up today in shoes of peace, holding our shield of faith, and  hang on to our belt of His truth. We’re gonna need it tomorrow.

Until next time,

Your Traveling Companion,

Brenda

 

photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/umberto-30223