Brave

October 17th, 2012 dsisler

I am not a brave person. I am easily frightened. I cannot watch horror movies or any television program with even hints of a scary segment. I dread the month of October because of the TV ads for scary Halloween shows. I wind up closing my eyes for most of the commercials in October.

I’ve been known to have nightmares about the strangest of things. I watched an episode of Leave it to Beaver when the boys purchased a baby alligator through the mail. It lived in their bathtub, until their parents found out about it. That night I dreamed of a large alligator chasing my family.

So I work very hard to keep images of anything scary from joining the brain cells in my head. If I do, I can guarantee a nightmare is close behind.
I don’t know why I am this way. It could be that I’ve been frightened far too many times when younger and simply don’t want to feel that way again. Or it could be that I am a scaredy-cat at heart. I fit that definition.
Whatever the case, I’m not brave.
But Scripture calls those in the service of the King to be brave.
In the Old Testament, warriors were given the status of being brave. 2 Chronicles 5:24 speaks of the heads of the Half-Tribe of Manasseh as being brave.
2 Chronicles 14:8 tells of Asa’s army and that they were brave fighting men.
We see in 1 Samuel 14:52, Saul took a mighty or brave man into his service as he saw them.
In 1 Samuel 16:18 (NIV), David was described by a servant. “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
Joshua was commanded to be “strong and courageous” on multiple occasions before leading Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18). He in turn told the men of Israel to be “strong and courageous” (Joshua 10:25).
In the New Testament we see some encouragement to be brave. As Jesus spoke to His Disciples, He said these words. “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 – NIV) The New Century Version translates “take heart” as “be brave.” Be brave when troubles surround you.
As Paul encouraged the Corinthian Church, he wrote these words. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – NIV)
We can take these words as advice for ourselves. Be brave and courageous when troubles come our way.
And here’s the good news. God is with us through it all. Regardless of what we’re going through, He will be there to strengthen, lead and surround us with His love. Just like the men of the Old Testament and the early believers, we can depend on victory because God is with us.
There is no reason to be afraid or fearful. Johns tells us that in 1 John 4:18 (NIV). “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drive out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” You see, God is love and when we are in Him, there is nothing to fear.
I am not saying that I will watch a frightening program…I’m 100% certain that I won’t. What I am saying is that when troubles come, I will look to God for His strength and I will face it boldly because my God is with me.
When speaking the Gospel, I will not back down. I will be fearless because my God is with me.
When I am being attacked for my faith and belief in God, I will be strong and courageous, because my God is with me.
Will you join me? Are you willing to speak and live boldly for the cause of Christ? I pray that you are. I pray that collectively, with God’s help, we can take back what Satan has stolen. I pray that others will see Jesus shining through us as we go about our day-to-day lives. I pray that God will honor our efforts as we share His Gospel with those we speak with.
Be bold. Be courageous. Be brave. Be fearless. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b – NIV)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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The Banana Tree

October 16th, 2012 dsisler

Have you ever seen a banana tree in bloom? I must admit, I never knew how bananas landed on a produce shelf. Not until I went to SE Asia and saw this amazing process.

There is a huge flower that grows on a banana tree. As each layer of the flower pulls back, there is a bunch of bananas growing beneath it. At the tip of each banana is yet another flowering bloom. I was so enthralled by this scene from nature.
And what’s more, banana leaf salad is very popular is SE Asia. I am saddened that I did not have a chance to try such an exotic addition to a salad.
This is exactly how God revealed His plan to mankind. Layer by layer, He showed man how His plan worked.
First, God created man and woman, Adam and Eve. It was perfect until the fall. Sin entered the picture and the rest of God’s plan was put into action.
God called Abram to follow Him in obedience. Abram had no idea what he was getting into, but he had trust and faith in God.
Then Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and his twelve sons would make up the twelve tribes of Israel.
Throughout their history, the Hebrew nation was shown aspects of God. His love. His protection. His discipline. His redemption.
And then, God was silent.
Suddenly, God broke that silence as He revealed the next portion of His plan.
Jesus.
Jesus lived among men. He showed mankind how to draw closer to God. God’s plan would take Jesus to the cross for the forgiveness of all sin.
But then as God’s plan continued, Jesus would raise from the dead so that we might have the opportunity to live forever in heaven.
But God’s plan was not complete. There were a few more details to reveal.
The Church was established. And in God’s remarkable plan, His Church was made available for every person on earth. No one was excluded.
God’s plan, revealed little by little, is theperfect plan. So why did He choose to reveal His plan in this manner? We may never know, but I believe Elihu shared the perfect explanation to Job. “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” (Job 37:5 – NIV)
There comes a point when we simply cannot understand why God does what He does. We must accept His ways and trust that He knows what He is doing and that He is in control.
But we can also live in Christian confidence that the mysteries of Christ have been revealed. Ephesians 3:3-11 speaks of this revelation.
And there are other passages that speak to this as well. “Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made know through the prophetic writing by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27 – NIV)
And also, Colossians 1:25-27 (NIV). “I have become its (the Church) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
God’s plan was revealed little by little so that we might get His message. That we would have hope and forgiveness and salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ.
And here is yet another way God is still revealing Himself. Through His Holy Word. Scripture continually reveals a bit of God’s character to me as I study it. Layer by layer, I gain new insight into God on a daily basis. I am so thankful for these words that are so readily available to me.
I pray that you have accepted this plan. God’s plan. I pray that if you haven’t, this writing might encourage you to check out all that God has planned in advance for you. If you do accept God’s plan, I can tell you for certain that a future filled with hope and assurance is far better than living this life without these benefits.
If you have already accepted God’s plan, I pray that you will continue to gain knowledge and wisdom by studying God’s Word to see what new revelations He has in store for you. It is an amazing journey and one that is most rewarding.
I am so thankful to have seen a banana tree in bloom. To see how God put it all together to reveal such a fine fruit for our enjoyment. I am also thankful that He used this beautiful flower to reveal just a little more of Himself to me. I pray that you will never look at a banana again without thinking of this revelation. I know I never will.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Seeking

October 15th, 2012 dsisler
I went with my daughters and my grandchildren to a pumpkin farm yesterday. It was a beautiful day…just a touch too warm, but the sun was shining and the skies were clear.

Of course, there were a lot of people there because of this and it was crowded everywhere we went. Except the pumpkin fields. They were large enough to handle the hundreds of people who decided to choose this day to find a pumpkin.

My granddaughter, Joy searched the open field. She looked and looked for the perfect pumpkin for herself. It was a long process. It had to be big. It had to be round. It had to have a stem. It had to be free of dirt. It had to be perfect.
I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Luke 19:10 (NIV). “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
The good news here is that Jesus didn’t look for the “perfect” lost. There is no such thing! Jesus came to find any and all who were lost. And He even went out of His way to be with those who were not perfect.
On one occasion, Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law why He and His disciples associated with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ response was, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31 – NIV)
You see, Jesus knew who needed His gift of forgiveness. The sinners of the world. And I know for a fact that if Jesus had come for the “perfect” of this world, I would not be included in that group.
And Scripture goes on to prove exactly what Jesus’ mission was. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, thought for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8 – NIV)
God’s love for each of us is so great, that He was willing to allow His only Son to die and take on all of our sins. And what does this verse tell us about ourselves? That we were powerless. We were ungodly. We were sinners. The exact people that Jesus came to seek and save.
God does not want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) tells us this. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
When I am stubborn and hold on to sin that God dislikes, I am thankful for God’s patience. He doesn’t want me to continue in that sin and He wants me to come to repentance. So He waits. He waits for me to come to my senses and know that there is no joy outside of Christ. Oh how much more I love God because of His love for me and His patience with me.
Are you living outside of Christ’s love? If so, why not come to the understanding that you are exactly who Jesus is seeking. You are the one He came to save. Come into His loving arms and accept the forgiveness and salvation He alone can offer. I’d love to talk to you about that if you’re willing. Send me an email and we can begin the conversation.
If you are living inside of Christ’s love, praise Him yet again for His willingness to love you to pieces and His desire to forgive. Strive to live a holy life. Be a reflection of Jesus for others to see. If you are struggling with this, send me an email. I’d love to chat about it.
Well, Joy finally found her perfect pumpkin. And a perfect pumpkin for her brother, Percy and her soon-to-be baby sister, Leslieanna. It was worth all the efforts to see the smile on her face. To see the excitement those pumpkins brought to my beautiful grandchildren at finding the perfect pumpkin.
It gave me a glimpse into God’s heart. A tiny glimpse into how He must feel when a sinner comes to accept Jesus as their Savior. A Savior who came to “seek and to save what was lost.”
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Ordinary

October 14th, 2012 dsisler

I have enjoyed creating food art or food garnishes for years. So when I got the opportunity to see a live demonstration of a true artist at work on my recent SE Asia trip, I took the time to watch. It was exciting to see how they could take a piece of ordinary fruit or vegetable and create a masterpiece from it.

A pumalo (citrus fruit a little larger than a grapefruit and quite delicious) was torn apart to create a dog.
A watermelon was carved to create a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Additions to a pineapple gave the appearance of an exotic bird.
And who wouldn’t love a flower formed from a carrot? Or a bird made from a tomato?

Yes, these were masterpieces. Works of art. Beauty created from ordinary items.
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom. I know. I’ve seen it. I know. I am an example of how He does what He does.
Do you remember the song Ordinary People by Danniebelle Hall? The lyrics tell the greater story of those who are willing to do God’s will. Here are the lyrics to the chorus.
Just ordinary people,
God uses ordinary people.
He chooses people just like me and you
Who are willing to do as He commands.
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you;
Because little becomes much as you place it in the Master’s hand.[i]
We see great examples of this throughout Scripture. Noah who was willing to build an ark (Genesis 6:9-9:17). Deborah who was willing to lead Israel into battle (Judges 4-5). David who was willing to face a giant (1 Samuel 17). Mary who willingly gave birth to the Messiah (Matthew 1:18:25 and Luke 2:1-20). And then there is the young man, of whom the song speaks, who was willing to share his lunch with Jesus (John 6:1-15).
I love the last line of this song. “Little becomes much as you place it in the Master’s hand.” What are you willing to place in the Master’s Hand? Regardless of what it is, be prepared for something great to come of it. Because my God is bigger and greater than I can even imagine. And He wants to work through us to further His Kingdom.
Now it may not be huge to us, like building an ark or bringing down a giant with a small stone, but it could be His gentle working through your life to plant seeds of God’s grace along your journey. It could be a smile that brings joy to a homeless person. It could be lending a sympathetic ear to someone who just needs someone to listen. To those you touch, it is huge.
There is a small verse in Philippians that says, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13 – NIV) God is working through us for His good purpose.
And then there is the passage in Nehemiah. “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of God.” (Nehemiah 6:15-16 – NIV) No small feat, the walls of Jerusalem were complete in 52 days. But it was God working through those who were willing to do His work that accomplished the task. And those around Jerusalem took note of it.
So we can confidently stand and willingly give ourselves to do God’s work. God will do amazing things through people who are willing to give Him their all. Who are willing to make them Lord of their lives.

For me, I’ve given God my blog. I’ve given Him my head (knowledge), my heart (compassion), and my hands (writing) for Him to use however He sees fit. It’s been amazing to me how this little thing has grown. How many people spend time reading my words, understanding my message, and then acting upon that message. It may be a little thing to me, but God is using this blog to spread His message throughout the world. 

Are you willing to place your “little” in the Master’s Hands? If so, you’ll be joining the multitudes who have done so and have seen God’s mighty work because of their willingness to do so. Come on, why not join us?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

[i]Ordinary People, Danniebelle Hall
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Bean Soup Project

October 13th, 2012 dsisler

I volunteer with a group of ladies to provide events for women at my local church. These annual events are filled with fun activities, shopping, a little bit of pampering, and of course food. It is such a joy to see the many women who attend these events and to hear the laughter, the chatting, and the fun they have with friends and family.

This year I thought it would be good to add a service project of some sort. I didn’t know what, but I felt it might just be a great addition to this event, especially since our church strives to be an externally focused church.
With Fiesta Night as a theme, we decided to prepare Mexican soup mixes to give to local families in our community at Christmas. I found the recipe, calculated how much soup ingredients to purchase for 1,000 bags of soup mix, and then left the project in capable hands while I went on a two week vacation, followed by a two week service trip.
While I was away, ingredients were purchased (pounds and pounds and even more pounds of beans), soup seasoning packets were prepared, and other items gathered to pull this project together. I must say a big thank you to Kim and Jodie for all the work they did in order to make it the success it was.
Yes it was a success. The women who attended the event last night were thrilled to be able to do something for others. That room was busy during the entire event. People raved about how good it was to do something for others. And even when the beans ran out, they asked to be called when more beans were purchased so that the project could be finished.
It brought joy to my heart! Yes, the women enjoyed all the fun the evening offered, but they also thought of others. Others less fortunate. And they also were willing to do something about it. Prepare soup mixes.
God filled His Word with examples of those who shared with other less fortunate. We should see these examples and know that we are to do the same.
Acts 9:36 (NIV) speaks of Tabitha. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.” Her life mission was to help others. When she died, the poor felt helpless. But Peter entered the scene and miraculously brought her back to life. Once again, the poor of her community would be blessed by this woman.
When Paul was accepted by the other Apostles, they asked him to “remember the poor, the very thing he was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:10 – NIV) Paul knew the importance of providing for the poor. He was concerned for their souls, but he was also concerned for their physical well-being.
The early church showed this same compassion. In Acts 2:44-45 (NIV), we see their response to the needy. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”
In 1 John 3:17 (NIV), John shares why we should give. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” God’s love cannot be seen in those who do not give to those in need. I don’t know about you, but I want God’s love to shine through me. That means we must share with those in need.
There are other passages of Scripture that command us to be kind, compassionate, and generous.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 – NIV)
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (1 Timothy 6:18 – NIV)
And in Ephesians 4:28 (NIV), Paul encourages those who had been stealing to find something useful to do with their hands so “that he may have something useful to share with those in need.”
So you see we are to care for those less fortunate than ourselves. It might be difficult in our world today, but still, we must make an effort to find our own plan of action for this group of people. And as in all things, we must do so in love.
The bean soup project was a success. But I ask you, how is your local church reaching out to the poor of your community? If nothing, why not step up and start something. If there is already a program, why not join the cause. Get involved. You will find that you will be blessed far more than expected.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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  • About Me

    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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