Teaching in public schools for 22 years opened my eyes to the reality of some kids’ pain. Father is in prison, or mom is on drugs, this girl possibly sex-trafficked, children come to school hungry, and on and on it goes.
One thing I will never forget is the girl in the Valvoline shirt. I spotted her in the cafeteria one day. What must it be like to be in Junior High and have nothing better to wear than a “Valvoline Oil Change” shirt and a shoddy skirt?
I remember how my mother always made sure I had nice clothes. I never remember being embarrassed by what I wore to school. How must this young teen feel?
Once, I had a 12-year-old student who always had the shabbiest clothes and shoes. We felt so bad for her. One year, before the start of school, someone bought her some cute new clothes and gave them to her anonymously. I don’t know what happened to them, but she never wore any of it. My guess is her mother sold them or took them back to the store for the money.
There are children and adults all around us who need kindness. They may not cross our path, but they aren’t far away. My prayer is that we will not shut out their cries for help, but be the ones who hear Jesus’ command and obey.
“…the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 ESV
“One thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”Albert Schweitzer
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
My thoughts: It is so easy to become consumed with the problems and concerns of our present life here on earth and neglect our time with our Lord. Let every day begin by setting our hearts and minds on the things of God through prayer and time in His Word.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” Psalm 18:30-33
A psalm of David when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
God reveals His greatness, power, omnipotence, and omnipresence.
In chapters 38 through 41, God speaks to Job, asking questions Job can’t answer.
“The Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said … where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” Job 38:1, 4
“Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?” v.34-35
My thoughts: The description of God in these four chapters can be difficult for some to accept. It’s easier for people (if they even believe in God at all) to think of Him as a fatherly figure who will listen to their prayers, someone to go to when they are desperate. They put God in a box to be opened only on Sundays (or when needed). The rest of the week, they go on their merry way, enjoying the things of the world. It makes them uncomfortable to make God more important than that. It makes them uncomfortable to contemplate God’s sovereignty or His hand in current events.
Others see Him as a genie in the sky who gives them the power to speak what they want into existence. Their faith becomes a tool to obtain their earthly desires. This is New Age thought and totally unbiblical. Almighty God is not at the beck and call of His creatures. The book of Job is a refutation of the new age teaching from WOF and NAR.
We learn to know God through His Word.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“Believers talk about trusting the Lord with their whole heart and refusing to lean on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5), but no one really knows what that means until circumstances cast them headfirst into a dark and painful place. If we give ourselves fully to God in those moments, we will obtain keepsakes of Him to treasure now and forever.” Pastor David Jeremiah
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
A day is coming when God Himself will redeem (vindicate) all of our suffering.
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
Job’s story is relatable to other believers who have suffered for reasons unknown to them.
Corrie ten Boom is one example. She hid Jews during the Holocaust and saved an estimated 800 people’s lives! The Nazis caught her and imprisoned her (along with her father and sister) in Ravensbrück Concentration Camp.
Corrie ten Boom is known for using the following verse to describe her feelings after she and her family were arrested by the Nazis.
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me…” Job 29:2
Did you know that although it is famous in world literature, Job is one of the least-read books of the Bible? To me, studying the book of Job is analogous to climbing Mt. Everest. And writing about it has been just as challenging. However, I have learned a lot while reading and studying Job, and over the next few days I want to share a few of the insights that seemed especially important to me.
The value of God’s wisdom is beyond our ability to comprehend.
“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? No mortal comprehends its worth …
It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold… it cannot be bought with pure gold.
Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? … God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. … he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Job 28:12-13, 15-17, 20, 24, and 28 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
More to come!
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
After church one Wednesday night, my daughter asked me to stop by her house because she had something to tell me. I knew right then I needed to brace myself. I had no idea what she wanted to tell me, but I had a feeling it was going to be something I wouldn’t like.
She sat me down on the couch and with all seriousness she said, “God has called me to be a missionary. I’m going to Africa. My heart practically stopped.
The witness in my spirit said this was of God, but the mother in me froze in fright. She wasn’t going with an established missionary society. She was just going alone. But first, she would be stopping off in Bangladesh. (I reminded myself to breathe.)
She Face-Timed me along the way. “Hi Mom, I’m at the airport in Istanbul!” (Breathe!)
“Hi Mom, I’m in Kisumu. A man just asked Helen how many cows he would need to pay to marry me! (Breathe!)
Then, COVID-19 hit, and all flights to America from Nairobi were canceled. I didn’t know it then, but it would be six months before I would see her again. I’m sure I needed God’s strength more than she did. You’ll understand if you’re a mother.
She had never lived far from me. I thought I could always protect her and keep her from harm. Now she was on the other side of the world. I was in for the greatest spiritual battle of my life – against fear.
I made a conscious decision to trust God and not cave in to fear. I fiercely fought against fear every day, refusing to let it in for even a minute. I refused to entertain thoughts of what could happen. I knew that if I didn’t trust the Lord to bring her home safe and sound, I would never make it.
God gave me the peace that passes understanding. I know that. It wasn’t by my own strength. It was the grace of God.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Clinging to the Lord and His precious promises, I wrote this poem, now a song. Listen below:
🎶 Your Love, Oh God
The Poem, My Prayer
Your love, O God, Will hold us near. It shields us from our darkest fears.
In times of darkness Where I can't see, Your loving eye Will watch for me.
When I can't see What lies ahead, I'll trust you, Lord, And what You've said.
Your promises Are my delight. They guide my way. They are my light.
With my whole heart I trust in you. Your loving hands Will see us through.
Your faithful love Forever watches My precious child In all Earth's places.
In Africa, playing cards with the boys before bedtime.
“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.‘” Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.” Psalm 56:3-4 NIV
The Lord kept her safe and brought her home again. It was the experience of a lifetime – for both of us!
Maybe you’re wondering, “How? How do I trust and not give in to fear? Here are some practical steps you can take:
Write down the Scripture verses that strengthen your faith.
Read them whenever doubt starts to creep in.
Ask God to give you more faith to believe His promises.
Thank God daily for being with you (and her) every step of the way.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:6-7
Comments: This is one of my favorite Bible verses. It is the key to conquering fear. Don’t focus on controlling fear. Focus, instead, on trusting the Lord. How? One way is to write down all the verses that build your faith and encourage you, like the one above. Do an in-depth study on what happens when we trust God. There are hundreds of verses! Psalms is a good place to start!
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
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