Above the Fruited Plains

October 19th, 2012 dsisler

Through my local church, we have been reading and praying a book by David Butts, 40 Days of Prayer for America: Desperate for Change. It has been an eye-opening book for me, especially after coming back from a service trip to SE Asia where we prayed continually for that area of the world.

As I read through Mr. Butts’ writings, I’m finding myself pulled into his stories and his direction toward God. And I wonder how I have managed to walk up to a voting station in the past without a period of prayer before going.
Yes, this is an election year. No, this is not a blog post about how you should vote. But it is a call to action. There are still nineteen days until Election Day. There is still plenty of time to pray for our nation. To pray for our leaders. To pray for the citizens of America to return to God as a nation. There is still time for God to do His mighty work within our country.
We should at least be willing to try!
So here are my suggestions for you. If you can get a copy of Mr. Butts’ book, do so. He will encourage you to focus on very specific areas of prayer. If you are on Facebook, there is a 40 Days of Prayer page where you will find some great ways to pray for America. Or, on their website, you can download daily prayers or subscribe to daily emails.
But this is just one man’s tool to pray for America. God has His own tools in Scripture to lead us in praying for our nation. Let’s begin with God’s command for Israel.
After the temple was complete, God appeared to Solomon and shared these words with him. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 – NIV) God is willing to heal our land, but we must do our part. Humble prayers are the perfect place to start.
Paul urged Timothy to pray for the “kings and all those in authority” in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV). But the reasoning behind it is also mentioned in this section of Scripture. “That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” I will allow Scripture to speak for itself.
I also believe that as we live godly and holy lives, we will be good citizens of our nation. By following God’s commands and His words, we are able to be the right kind of people America needs. People full of grace. People who show kindness to strangers and the poor. People who love their enemies.
And Titus 3:1-2 (NIV) adds a few more words of encouragement. “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.”
Good countries are made up of good citizens. Titus 3:14 (NIV) adds another element. “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.”
I certainly am not willing to live an unproductive life. I pray that you feel the same.
So, what I’ve come up with is that we must humble ourselves before God, pray for our nation and leaders, and be good citizens. To be honest, this is just the skeleton. As you study Scripture, you will find other things to add to this list. And I would encourage you to do so.
Don’t let another day go by where America is not in your prayers. Hand it over to God. Allow Him to do mighty things with people who are willing to humble themselves before Him.
I’m going to close with the lyrics to the tune, America the Beautiful. I pray that you’ll find beauty in this land we call home. Beauty in her landscape, but also in her people.
America the Beautiful
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea![i]
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

[i] Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Melody by Samuel Ward, 1910
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The Dragon

October 18th, 2012 dsisler

With all the writing I have done over the past few years, my husband thought that a product he saw on a television advertisement would be a perfect gift for me. It is the Dragon Naturally Speaking system and I must admit it is pretty cool.

When I started using it, some wrong words replaced the words I had actually spoken, but after a while, the system learned my speech patterns and began to type what I was saying.
I began to feel like someone right out of a Sci-fi movie. My computer was really following my voice commands. It is even fun to play with!
The Dragon system reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 10. Jesus shares a little analogy of a shepherd and his flock, but then goes on to say, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 – NIV) As we get to know Jesus on a personal level, we begin to know His words. We begin to understand His patterns. We begin to follow Him more closely.
And how do we get to know Jesus? Through His words in Scripture. Reading, studying, understanding, and then implementing His commands lead us to a fuller knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s through this knowledge that we can then grow a relationship with Him.
Peter quoted Moses as he spoke of listening to Jesus’ words in Acts 3. Moses said that if we don’t listen to God’s “prophet” (Jesus), we will be cut off. Are you listening to everything Jesus says? Is notlistening to Jesus worth being cut off from God? I don’t think so.
On one occasion, Jesus’ voice was loud and clear when He answered the question, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commands.”(Matthew 22:36-40 – NIV)
There are some pretty hefty words in this response. Yes, I know these are the first things I must do to know Jesus. To know His heart is to love His Father and love others. But there are times when I am “double-minded and unstable” (James 1:8 – NIV). There are times when I am selfish and I don’t want to love my neighbors.
I must then listen again to Jesus’ voice. Hear His message. Put His words into practice. Know the very nature of Jesus.
And you know what? These are just two commands! If I can’t get them right, how will I ever get the rest of them? Well, the answer to that is the Holy Spirit God sent to us to be a Helper. For those times when I want to block out Jesus’ voice, God’s Spirit is there to recite them over and over to me until I get it.
Occasionally the Dragon system gets my voice commands and words completely wrong and if I don’t correct at the time it happens, there’s a pretty good chance that when I return to that document I might not know what I really wanted to say. I’ve learned that it’s important to make that change immediately.
If we can learn to do this when we are missing Jesus’ voice, we have a greater chance of not falling into temptation and sin. When we get it all wrong, get back into God’s Word and listen to what Jesus has to say.
There is a tiny verse in the Book of Mark that I recently found. It fills my heart with joy. “The large crowd listened to him (Jesus) with delight.” (Mark 12:37b – NIV)
Do you listen to Jesus with delight? I pray that hearing Jesus’ voice is one of your greatest joys. For me, it certainly is!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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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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  • 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 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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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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