Promises

December 12th, 2012 dsisler

Promises are important. Keeping promises are even more important. I don’t think anyone can say otherwise. Promises we make to our children and grandchildren show our integrity when we fulfill them.

 

In the beginning, as God made promises to Abraham and Jacob, He proved over and over that He would keep the promises made.

 

The promise of a son. The promise of land. The promise of great nations. The promise of wealth. These were all fulfilled within the lifetimes of these men. But the promise of the Messiah would take generations before fulfillment.

 

In the book, “A Newcomer’s Guide to the Bible,” the author has this to say about God’s promises.

 

“Just because what He promises seems impossible, that does not preclude it from happening.”[i]

 

The promises God made to these men far exceeded their imaginations. Some were quite possibly outrageous to them. But in the midst of their disbelief, God fulfilled the promises and kept His promises to each of them.

 

Another statement that caught my eye says this about trust and faith.

 

“To truly trust God, we must be willing to maintain our trust even when what He says exceeds our comprehension. That is the essence of faith.”[ii]

 

We sometimes struggle with the same feelings that Abraham and Jacob felt. We disbelieve the promises of God. Surely He doesn’t intend to bless me in such a way because of my sinful behavior.

 

But guess what? He does! So what are some of the promises God has given to us? Let’s look at just a few.

 

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) reminds us of God’s promises. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

 

All that we need spiritually is provided to us through God. Through God’s Holy Spirit we are able to live good lives and escape Satan’s snares.

 

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) assures us of God’s provision. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

 

With this promise, we are able to offer all of our concerns to God. It is His desire to be engaged in each part of our lives. As we share our needs with Him, He will meet them.

 

Which leads me to Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV). “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

 

He wants to carry our burdens for us. And with that comes the promise of rest.

 

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV), we are promised grace…all-sufficient grace and strength. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

 

What powerful words for believers! In all times, in all situations, day in and day out, God is all we need. His grace is all we need.

 

You and I know there are many more promises in God’s Word for us. When we take the time to search for them, we can rejoice in the fact that He loves us more than we could possibly imagine. He wants us to receive His promises.

 

Of course at this time of year I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the greatest fulfilled promise of all…Jesus. How thankful we should be because of God’s integrity in fulfilling His promises.

 

Today I ask that you take the time to thank God for His fulfilled promises in your life. I pray that you’ll never take them for granted and that He would continually receive the glory for all that you’ve received.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] A Newcomer’s Guide to the Bible, Michael C. Armour, College Press Publishing Company, Joplin, MO, 1999, p. 49

[ii] A Newcomer’s Guide to the Bible, Michael C. Armour, College Press Publishing Company, Joplin, MO, 1999, p. 49

 

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Christmas Golden Puffs

December 11th, 2012 dsisler

Many years ago, I lead a group of ladies in a home Bible study. It was one of my favorite groups and times of my life. Preparation to lead the Bible study was more than rewarding. I was and still am, blessed far more than the ladies I lead.

 

Preparations of my home and the dining room for guests meant that my house would be clean for at least one day of the week…with three young children that was an added blessing. Preparation of a breakfast food was fun too. I usually found new recipes to try on this group. They were my guinea pigs.

 

Another element to this study that I thoroughly enjoyed was the presence of my cousin Dawn. We knew one another in a family setting as children. I’d seen her grow into a wonderful Christian woman. But in this group, studying the Bible, we grew as sisters in Christ, and that was very exciting for me.

 

One morning for this group, I prepared Golden Christmas Puffs. It was a family recipe. One my Grandma Ike made for us on many occasions. And it thrilled me to share this family treasure with my cousin.

 

When she arrived, I picked up the platter of these yummy confections and exclaimed, “Look what I made!”

 

She replied with, “Yeah, I see.”

 

She clearly must have forgotten these delicious donuts. So again, I exclaimed. “They are Golden Christmas Puffs. Grandma Ike used to make them for us all the time.”

 

Dawn looked at me and said, “Grandma never made them for us.” We laughed it off, of course, but this was an awkward situation to be certain.

 

Sometimes we make preparations in our lives that work out perfectly. Other times, we should have just skipped the preparation.

 

But the one thing that will never be wasted time is when we prepare our hearts. Prepare our hearts for God’s entrance, God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s heart to replace our own.

 

How do we prepare our hearts? Here are some steps to take to come to that place.

 

Open Your Heart

Acknowledge your weakness. Understand that you cannot prepare your heart on your own. God must be in the midst of this preparation. We see several passages in the Book of Psalm that leads us in this direction.

 

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” (Psalm 84:5 – NIV)

 

“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and see him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2 – NIV)

 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 – NIV)

 

A few other passages you might want to read are Psalm 26:2, Psalm 27:14, and Psalm 73:26.

 

Ready Your Heart

After you’ve accepted the fact that you need help with preparing your heart, it’s time to ready your heart. We must ready our hearts through prayer and Bible meditation.

 

Through Prayer

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2 – NIV)

 

Through Bible Meditation

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 – NIV)

 

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 – NIV)

 

Accept God’s Heart

God’s heart is filled with grace, love, mercy and holiness. It is pure, steadfast, and undivided. These are characteristics we must be willing to accept as we allow our hearts to be affected by God’s heart.

 

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 – NIV)

 

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.” (Psalm 57:7 – NIV)

 

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11 – NIV)

 

Enjoy a Grateful Heart

As our hearts are turned to God and the preparation is complete, we are able to come before Him with grateful hearts. Hearts filled with rejoicing. Hearts filled with thanksgiving.

 

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” (Psalm 9:1 – NIV)

 

“I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5 – NIV)

 

“Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!” (Psalm 64:10 – NIV)

 

I would have loved the hand-written copy of this recipe from my Grandma Ike’s recipe box, but it has been lost through the years. The memories, however, remain strong and as my grandchildren grow older this treat will show up at family gathering to make even more memories.

 

Golden Christmas Puffs are a special treat for my family when I prepare them. I’d love to share the recipe with you! I’ll be adding a new page to my website that will include old family recipes and recipes that we have enjoyed through the years. If you have a chance, please take the time to visit that page. I guarantee you’ll enjoy each recipe as much as we have.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Through It All

December 10th, 2012 dsisler

Life has a way of turning sour. Illness creeps in. Financial burdens mount. Hopelessness overwhelms. Turmoil swirls. Death invades. Heartache envelopes.

 

Life has been tough for so many these past few years. I’ve been searching for work nearly 2 ½ years myself. It hasn’t been easy.

 

I’m so blessed to have a husband with a wonderful, secure job. It’s allowed me to work on my writing and bless others by volunteering my time more than I ever could if were working. Of course, I’ve continued to search for that elusive job…but to date, still have found nothing.

 

I know you’ve heard this phrase before. “God will not give you more than you can handle.” It’s the catch-all phrase folks love to use for whatever situation they find themselves in. They’ll share this if they encounter someone with a burden or hardship. Perhaps for someone going through the grief process. Or even in searching for a job.

 

But I’d like to share a passage from 2 Corinthians that contradicts this phrase. I believe this passage points us in the direction God would have us go and it gives us a better understanding of how we should deal with any struggle.

 

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-11 – NIV)

 

Did you catch it? Paul said that what he had encountered was far beyond his ability to endure. Doesn’t sound like the phrase above, does it?

 

But the great part of this passage is that Paul learned a great lesson through it all. That he was to depend upon God, not himself. It is a lesson that we need to learn as well.

 

And Paul would never underestimate the power of prayer from his group of prayer warriors. When their prayers were answered, praise could be given to God for His gracious favor. What a great example for us to follow.

 

Perhaps the phrase, “God will not give you more than you can handle” comes from the passage of Scripture about temptation.

 

We find this passage in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:11 – NIV)

 

There it is…“beyond what you can bear.” And if you’ll notice, God shows up in this area of our lives too. He is willing to help us as we are dependent upon Him instead of ourselves.

 

Perhaps this is a hard lesson for us to learn because some of you reading this blog have been through some horrible experiences. Some are dealing with pain as you read this and wonder how you’ll ever survive it. It really is beyond what you are able to handle.

 

God is your answer.

 

I’m not writing this to discourage you. I’m sharing this important message to encourage you. Encourage you to run to Jesus and let Him take it. All of it.

 

God’s grace is all-sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

We find strength in Jesus when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:10).

 

In the midst of my situation, I’ve learned to lean upon God more. I’ve learned to be less dependent upon myself. I’ve learned to run to God with my troubles. It’s been a rewarding 2 ½ years and I’ve grown spiritually because of my experience.

 

I’m reminded of an old song from the 70’s, “Through It All.”[i] Maybe you’ll find some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone through it all. God is beside you.

 

I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own.

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.

 Chorus:
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

 

Perhaps it’s time for you to come to the same conclusion.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] Through it All, Words and Music by Andrae Crouch, copyright 1971, Manna Music, Inc.

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Something Terrible!

December 9th, 2012 dsisler

I returned from SE Asia on a Friday evening in October. My husband was working the night shift, so my oldest daughter, Candace, picked me up from the airport. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, stopped by to see my husband, and then headed home.

 

We chatted about my journey and then randomly, she stopped me and exclaimed, “Mom, something terrible happened while you were away!”

 

I was a little concerned to say the least. I figured if something had happened to anyone in my family, I would have heard about it before this point. My husband had already told me about a driver change in NASCAR that I wouldn’t be particularly happy with.

 

What news would possibly cause this type of reaction from her? So I asked. “What happened?”

 

“Andy Williams died!”

 

My eyes filled with tears. I was speechless. She probably shouldn’t have shared this news with me while I was driving.

 

I had the opportunity to see Andy Williams in concert while I was in college…okay so here’s that story.

 

I was a music major and was required to attend a certain amount of concerts throughout the year. My brother-in-law was the night manager for a parking garage near a downtown theater. Tickets were available to my brother-in-law, so I was able to go to concerts that I normally would not have.

 

I enjoyed the Andy Williams concert and grew to appreciate his music throughout my life. And of course, Andy Williams was linked with Christmas, so that made him much more appealing to me.

 

I always thought I would see Andy Williams in concert again, but it never happened. And now, it never will.

 

I missed it. The opportunity to see my favorite vocalist.

 

I wonder how many other opportunities I’ve missed. Opportunities that really mattered. Times when I could and should have shared the Gospel with someone. Times when I could have made a difference in someone’s life. Times when my words or actions may have brought someone to a different conclusion.

 

We learn from Scripture that we are to be ready for such opportunities. Paul shared words of encouragement to a fellow believer named Titus.  Paul showed Titus that we are to be ready to do something good when the opportunity arises. We find these words in this small book.

 

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” (Titus 3:1-2 – NIV)

 

Paul shared this same idea with others as well. Take a look at these three passages.

 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10 – NIV)

 

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 – NIV)

 

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6 – NIV)

 

We cannot allow any opportunity to become missed opportunities. We are called to “make the most of every opportunity.”

 

If we have an opening to share God’s message, we must be ready. If we have an occasion for doing a good thing for someone, we must be ready. If the time arises for us to be anything for God, we must be ready.

 

So what do you say? No more missed opportunities?

 

And, according to Andy Williams, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year”[i] to begin sharing with others. If your community is like mine, there are Christmas trees in your church lobby, your local mall, or other businesses covered with names on tags.

 

Perhaps they are names of young children whose parents are unemployed. Maybe they are single parents who struggle month-to-month with regular bills. Or they could even be elderly folk in a nursing home.

 

Each of these tags represent someone who may not have a wonderful Christmas this year. Who may be lonely. Who just might need a little boost to get through this season.

 

Well here it is…your opportunity. Are you ready to do something? To make the most of every opportunity placed before you? Why not join in to make a difference in someone’s life?

 

I believe it’s time for us to be more observant. More alert to the situations around us. Let’s be mindful of the opportunities God is placing before. Then let’s be ready to spring into action.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” 1963, Edward Pola and George Wyle, Recorded and released Andy Williams, 1963.

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Good Morning, Lord!

December 8th, 2012 dsisler

If you’ve been reading my blog or if you know me just a little, you know I am an early riser. Sometimes it’s because my husband has to get up to go to work, but most times it’s because I have some of my best thoughts from 4-7 a.m.

 

Perhaps King David was an early riser as well. There are several verses that lead me to this conclusion.

 

He mentions his morning routine in Psalm 5:3 (NIV). “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

 

King David mentions singing in the morning in Psalm 59:16 (NIV). “I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

 

King David speaks of satisfaction in the morning in Psalm 90:14 (NIV) “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

 

King David can’t wait to hear of God’s unfailing love in the morning in Psalm 143:8 (NIV) “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul.”

 

Although King David enjoyed his mornings with God, he had his fair share of sleepless nights. Some were filled with despair (Psalm 6:6; Psalm 77:2; Psalm 90:6), but others were filled with glorious thoughts of God.

 

“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:7 – NIV)

 

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” (Psalm 63:6 – NIV)

 

“In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law.” (Psalm 119:55 – NIV)

 

“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” (Psalm 119:148 – NIV)

 

I know sleepless nights because of distress. I know exactly how King David felt in the passages above. I’m sure you’ve been there as well.

 

Nights filled with worry, fear, distress, anxiousness, grief, pain, and doubt. During the day, these feelings can be masked or even pushed aside. But at night, oh my they can seem to overwhelm us.

 

I much prefer morning!

 

However, unless we’ve known such sleepless nights, we’d never appreciate the wonder and glory we experience as we offer these emotions to God. As we offer our troubles to God, He is willing to give us something in return. His peace (John 14:27).

 

By accepting His peace, we then can awaken as King David did and we will be able to sing, rejoice, and praise God for what He has done! We can awaken and say, “Good morning, Lord!”

 

What are we to do with sleepless nights then? Let’s remember what King David did in those circumstances. He praised God. He accepted counsel and instruction. He remembered God and His Name. He meditated on God’s promises.

 

These are much better things to think of instead of the worries of our lives!

 

I know there are some reading this today who are struggling. For you, I can only share Jesus’ words. “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 – NIV)

 

Another passage that shows how much you are cared for can be found in 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

 

Isn’t it time for you to get some rest?

 

I don’t fight my sleeplessness any more. I’ve learned to embrace it. Instead of worrying about not getting enough sleep, I spend that time remembering God and all that He’s done in my life. I prepare for my day with prayer time. I think of all the promises God has given. I listen to His counsel and instruction.

 

Good morning, Lord!

 

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 Jacksonville, Florida.

  • 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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