Psalm 91:1-2

February 28th, 2016 dsisler

 

What a beautiful morning in Colorado! The sun is shining. The temperatures are soaring (for February). The mountains are covered with a fresh blanket of snow. What beauty God has created for our enjoyment.

 

???????????????????????????????I don’t know what you woke up to this morning. Perhaps it’s a good day or it just might not be a great day. So today, I encourage you with the psalmist’s words from Psalm 91. I pray that you will find your rest and trust in God and God alone.

 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2 – NIV)

 

Warning!

 

My new car has a system in place to warn me that I’m nearly running out of gas. Now, most cars have some sort of warning, like a little light, but the makers of my vehicle want to ensure I know when my gas tank is low.

 

At first I get a little gas pump light. This comes on when I have about 30 miles until my tank is empty.

 

If I don’t stop almost immediately, that number (30) is replaced with dashes.

 

And if I again don’t stop immediately, the bar that tells me how much gas is in my tank begins to flash.

 

This all happens within a few miles of knowing that I need gas. It hasn’t happened every time I’ve needed gas, but a few times I’ve been warned, perhaps excessively, to put gas in my tank!

 

As we look through Scripture, there are warnings for us to look at and to pay attention to. There may not be a triple warning system in place, but when God says it once, He means it. Let’s take a look at some of them.

 

What I’m going to point out here are headings above a verse or passage of Scripture, which then go on to tell of what we are to be aware of and what danger we might confront.

 

Warning against adultery

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.” (Proverbs 5:1-4 – NIV)

 

Warnings against folly

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared b the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” (Proverbs 6:1-5 – NIV)

 

Warning against hypocrisy

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to the disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:1-3 – NIV; see also Mark12:38-40; Luke 12:1-12 and Luke 20:45-47)

 

Warnings from Israel’s history

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud that they all pass through the sea…Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert…These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-13 – NIV)

 

Warnings against idolatry

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteous and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 – NIV)

 

Warning against idleness

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6 – NIV)

 

Warning to pay attention

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1 – NIV)

 

Warning against unbelief

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12 – NIV)

 

Warning against becoming spiritually stagnant

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, thought by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”(Hebrews 5:11-14 – NIV)

 

Warning

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” (Hebrews 12:14-16 – NIV)

 

Warning against Antichrists

“I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1 John 2:18-27 – NIV)

 

Quite a few warnings listed throughout Scripture…and these are just a few. But what I see here is how urgent these messages are. We must be warned (perhaps multiple times), but then we must listen and take the warnings to heart.

 

My favorite warning is the one from Hebrews 2:1 (NIV). “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Here we find the triple warning lights going off. “More.” “Careful.” “Attention.” Don’t miss it. What are we to “pay more careful attention” to? What we have heard or learned. And why are we to “pay more careful attention?” So that we don’t drift away.

 

There are good reasons for warnings. My car’s warning system is there for my well-being. God’s Word includes the most important warnings for spiritual living. Now it is up to us to heed the warnings. Are you willing to do so?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Critical Steps Schedule

February 27th, 2016 dsisler

 

If you recall, during the month of January the church I attend and where I’m employed remodeled our worship auditorium. There was a lot to do in a short amount of time. So we began praying for the project on a daily basis.

 

???????????????????????????????One of our prayers was that the critical steps schedule would be maintained. The way this type of schedule works is that certain things must be done on a project before the next item could be started. For instance, the paint of the walls had to be finished before the carpet could be laid. This was just one step in this critical steps schedule.

 

How blessed we were and are at the end of the project to see that this critical steps schedule was indeed maintained and that no real issues popped up along the way. Yay God!

 

So what about our relationship with God? Is there a critical steps schedule? I believe there are a few that need to take place before we can advance our relationship with Him.

 

Believe. This must be the first step on our faith journey. Here’s what you need to believe: That Scripture is God’s inherent Word (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16); that Jesus is God’s Son, sent to be the Messiah, the Savior of mankind (John 3:15-16; 1 John 5:1 and 5:5; Romans 3:22); and that Jesus was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and rose to life to prove victory over death (Luke 24:46-47; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

 

Repent. Repentance means to turn completely around. To go the opposite direction of our original path. So for a believer, we must put to death the sinful nature in order for the spiritual nature to be visible (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19).

 

Confess. You’ve heard Peter’s great confession of our Lord before. Here it is again. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:16 – NIV). We must confess who Jesus is and then we must proclaim it (Matthew 16:16; 2 Timothy 2:19).

 

Baptism. Jesus teaches that baptism is part of the salvation plan and was Himself baptized. Peter preached it on the day of Pentecost. Paul also was baptized and preached baptism (Matthew 3:13; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 9:18; Galatians 3:27).

 

Live. Once our critical steps schedule has been met, it’s time to get to work. We must live lives that bring honor, glory and praise to God who has freely lavished grace upon us. There are plenty of passages that lead us in this direction, but I’m just giving you two lists here (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:19).

 

Tell. If in fact we have the greatest news mankind has ever heard, why do we keep silent? Why isn’t His message on the tip of our tongues constantly? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I know that Scripture tells me to share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47).

 

This is just a start, but at least you’ll be able to begin this journey by following this critical steps schedule. So what’s your next step?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Little Bits of Love

February 26th, 2016 dsisler

 

Last weekend when my grandkids came for a visit, I had several activities for them to do. I bought Play-Doh. Oh my, what fun they had with that! Joy’s was nice a neat and she created some fun things. Percy and Leslieanna on the other hand made mounds of colors…Leslieanna ended up with all of her Play-Doh, plus a large amount of Percy’s.

 

An activity that this trio enjoys is batting balloons around the house. I’ve created “paddles” from paper plates and tongue depressors. Then blow up some balloons and let them have fun. The giggles that follow are priceless.

 

cookiesWe also baked cookies…the kind that you purchase in the packages at your local grocery store and put on baking sheets. One batch had a chick hatching from an egg, while the other batch was chocolate chip cookies with bits of pink chips in them.

 

Once baked, we all enjoyed these cookies, but Percy’s comment was extra special. He said that the pink chips were little bits of love. Awwww. What a great kid!

 

Those little bits of love reminded me of how God shows up in my life each day. It might be a beautiful sunrise or snow covered mountains or peace in a difficult situation or the gentle touch from a friend. There are countless ways I hear God saying, “I love you.”

 

Now I must admit there are days that I am so focused or too busy or a little weary to notice all the little bits of love that God spatters throughout my day.

 

So today, I will be cognizant of the little bits of love God is blessing me with. Maybe you need to do the same. Let’s remember to look for…

 

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 – NIV) When we are focused on these things, we will see the little bits of love that God is showering upon us.

 

Do you feel the love?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Get Yourself Ready Lesson 4

February 25th, 2016 dsisler

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:3-7 – NIV)

 

sunrise 1-28-15How blessed we are to have these beautiful words of encouragement from Peter. In this short section, we are reminded of who we are, what God has done for us, the promise of a fabulous future and the means by which we are able to face trials and suffering in this world.

 

We are blessed. But are we blessed when face all kinds of trials?

 

You might recall Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:10-12. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 

I believe we can all agree; trials and suffering for Jesus’ sake brings blessings upon our lives.

 

So what blessings do we receive through suffering when our lives are lined up with God’s Word? Let’s look at the blessings bestowed upon us as we walk through suffering or trials for Jesus’ sake.

 

First, we see that our inheritance is in heaven. Hope fills our lives as we think and believe and ponder heaven. We’ve all heard the beautiful descriptions of what heaven will be like. But in reality, the best part of heaven is knowing that our heavenly Father and Jesus are there. A glimpse of Jesus will cause all the pain from this world to diminish…to disappear. And in this blessed promise we find great hope and rejoicing.

 

Another blessing we receive through trials and suffering is the refining of our faith. As we walk through these trials, our faith is put to the test. Our faith is put through the refining process.

 

“Peter likens the proof or the trial of our faith to the refining of gold. Both gold and silver were refined and purified by fire. Gold and silver would be subjected to various intensities of heat until all their dross (lead or impurities) was consumed. If the silver did not release its dross, then it would be rejected as reprobate silver. Hence, the analogy of purifying gold and silver came to be used with the purification of the children of God.”[i]

 

Gold was the most precious thing on earth that Peter could think of. Once gold is put through the refining processes, it is even more valuable. There is nothing more valuable than gold.

 

At the end of the refining process, genuine gold or silver are the end products. So as it is with gold and silver, the end product of this refining process for us is faith that has been proven genuine.

 

When our faith has been proven genuine through suffering and trials, then we can build upon that faith. Peter shares these words in 2 Peter 1:5-8 for us to have a deeper understanding of how our faith is to continue in the growth process. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive.”

 

There is so much packed into these verses and we will look at them more later in this study, but as part of our faith journey, we must “make every effort” in each of these areas. And as we do so, we will be effective and productive through this process. And think of facing a trial or suffering without these qualities. We might retaliate. Show hatred. Say or do cruel things. But with these qualities continually growing in our lives, we are able to face trials and suffering in the same way Jesus did.

 

You studied the steps that Jesus took this week from 1 Peter 2:22-25. Do you recall what they were?

 

  • He committed no sin
  • No deceit was found in His mouth
  • He didn’t retaliate when insults were made
  • He made no threats when suffering
  • He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly

 

Easier said than done, right? But as our faith is refined and made genuine, we will want to be more like Jesus.

 

And finally, in this passage we see that our refined faith will result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus returns. We may struggle with these words, but let’s take a closer look at their meaning.

 

We face trials and suffering. Our faith is refined and deepened and grows. And then we head on to heaven. Jesus meets us and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21 – NIV) Well done.

 

Now we all know that we are going to make huge blunders, but this verse isn’t talking about those mishaps. This verse is pointing directly to our faith. Our faith. As our faith deepens and grows and produces good fruit, when Jesus returns, we will hear His words of affirmation. That is why Jesus will praise us. That is why we can share in His glory. That why He presents us to God as His faithful servants. Because of our refined faith.

 

When we come out on the other side of a trial or suffering, our faith must be stronger. Our faith must be deeper. Our faith must be refined. That’s what our faith walk is all about. We may not be perfect on the other of all these various trials, but we know that we can trust God to keep His promises as we are going through the test.

 

As you learned this week, we will face trials and sufferings. You also learned from 1 Peter 3:13-17 some important things for us to do while going through the refining process. I want to remind you of these precious words of encouragement from Peter.

 

  • Remember, you are blessed
  • Don’t fear what your persecutors fear
  • Set apart Christ as Lord in your heart
  • Always be prepared to give an answer
  • Hold on to the hope
  • Be gentle and respectful
  • Keep a clear conscience
  • Be on your best behavior
  • Do good

 

As a final thought, let’s remember some of Jesus’ words of encouragement He shared with His disciples and then some encouragement from the apostle Paul.

 

“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)

 

“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b – NIV)

 

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17a – NIV)

 

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…If God is for us, who can be against us?…In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:18; 31; 37 – NIV)

 

I pray that you will find great comfort in these words. With God in our corner, Jesus’ victory over this world and the Holy Spirit as our guide, we will be able to face our trials and sufferings with confidence. God has given us the tools. Let’s pick them up, learn how to use them and then know that our faith will be more genuine on the other side of this present suffering.

 

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 – NIV)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] 1 Peter: How to Stand Firm When Tested, Precept Upon Precept, Kay Arthur, Precept Ministries International, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2013, page 38.

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The Search

February 24th, 2016 dsisler

 

I’ve spent a while searching for a specific video this morning. I would have thought it would be easy to find, but nope, not finding what I am looking for. It’s been frustrating. It’s been discouraging. It’s been a time-waster.

 

???????????????????????????????Yesterday, my husband was preparing for our upcoming trip to Ohio for my son’s wedding. He thought everything he needed was in one location. He was wrong. He searched quite a long time for two memory cards. Hours later, he found them.

 

How often do we do the same thing when it comes to the important things in our day-to-day lives? I would say far too many times. We search for relief. We search for happiness. We search for popularity. We search for purpose. We search for someone. We search for anything and everything. We search for truth.

 

If you feel as if this searching scene has brought you to the end of your rope, might I suggest that it’s time to stop searching? Might I suggest that you can find everything you need in Jesus?

 

Jesus spoke these words in John 14:6 (NIV). “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

If you are searching for the path to take, Jesus is the Way.

 

If you are searching for real answers to life’s tough questions, Jesus is the Truth.

 

If you are searching for real meaning, Jesus is the Life.

 

There’s no need to search any further. Stop right here with Jesus. In Him you will find everything you’ve been searching for.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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    "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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