Keep it Simple (Sabbatical Post)

January 16th, 2016 dsisler

 

I could have finished this line “keep it simple” with another word (KISS). I’m sure you’ve heard it before. But I’ve chosen not to. I’ve heard it more throughout my life than I’d care to mention and believe that it is an unnecessary addition to this phrase.

 

???????????????????????????????However, I have a little book on my shelf called Smart Women Keep it Simple by Annie Chapman and Maureen Rank. I’ve read it several times through the years…you can tell by the markings and the condition of the spine. But it has been years since I’ve read it.

 

So with my new, crazy schedule, perhaps it is the perfect time to pull this little gem off the shelf and re-read these words.

 

There are a couple of earmarked pages. Those stories or concepts that I wanted to return to visit. And as I read through one section, I was thankful for my forethought of wanting to remember this particular story.

 

It was of an older Russian woman who was a faithful believer of Christ. Multiple sclerosis had ravaged her body and she wasn’t able to do much, but what she accomplished was astonishing.

 

Each morning, her husband would prop her up on the couch, place a typewriter in front of her and with one finger, this devoted woman translated Christian books or the Bible into the Russian language.

 

The author of Smart Women Keep it Simple says, “Every other Christian in the city was watched by the secret police. But because she had been sick so long, the police took no interest in this woman, and she could work undetected.”[i]

 

And here’s another quote from the book. Corrie ten Boom was interviewing the husband of this Russian woman and this is what he said of his wife. “Not only does she translate these books, but she prays while she types. Sometimes it takes a long time for her fingers to hit the key, or for her to get the paper in the machine, but all the time she is praying for those whose books she is working on.”[ii]

 

What obstacles this woman overcame to be a servant of God. She lived in a country where being a Christian was illegal. Her body had betrayed her. However, nothing was able to stop her from doing what God called her to.

 

Annie Chapman goes on to say this about limitations. “Life puts limitations on us; no one is without them. But once we accept those limitations, God is free to use us in our weakness to glorify himself.”[iii]

 

If we view our limitations as to what we are able to do for God’s Kingdom, we are putting handcuffs on God. Our limitations must not be God’s limitations. Tweet this!

 

The Apostle Paul knew limitations. His thorn in the flesh kept him from becoming conceited, but it certainly did not keep him from fulfilling God’s plan through him. Paul came to the understanding that it was only through God’s grace that he was able to become powerful. Paul also understood that God was to be glorified in all that he did.

 

Take a look at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV). “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

What a wonderful way to look at the difficulties of our lives. Whether it is physical, emotional, financial, persecutions, hardships, insults, weaknesses or a busy schedule, as we allow God to work in our weakened lives, we will be strong.

 

We take the relying on ourselves and place it in God’s hands. Capable hands that are able to carry us through the difficulties, trusting that He will deliver us on the other side. And through it all, we must give Him the glory.

 

I know others have much more difficulties in their lives than I do. I’ve got it pretty good in comparison, I know that. But still, in the midst of my tough days, when I give it over to God, He is able to help me through it. And for that I am thankful.

 

So today as you’re going through the motions of this life, please stop to ask God to be in the middle of it. Ask Him to give you strength. Ask Him to get you through it. He has promised that He will. Accept that promise as your own and know how strong you really can be through Him.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] Smart Women Keep it Simple, Annie Chapman and Maureen Rank, Bethany House Publishers, 1992, pg. 153

[ii] Smart Women Keep it Simple, Annie Chapman and Maureen Rank, Bethany House Publishers, 1992, pg. 153 – As told in Tramp for the Lord, Corrie ten Boom with Jamie Buckingham, (Jove Books, 1976)

[iii] Smart Women Keep it Simple, Annie Chapman and Maureen Rank, Bethany House Publishers, 1992, pg. 153

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A Blessing (Sabbatical Post)

January 15th, 2016 dsisler

 

I’ve not thought much about sharing a blessing with those I come into contact with or praying a blessing on a home upon entering, but I’ve recently read of how it was (and is) an important element for the Israelite nation.

 

We see examples of blessings in the Old Testament. One you’ll recognize immediately is found in Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV).

 

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.”

 

Wouldn’t that be a wonderful greeting? Or maybe those final words spoken as you depart? Yes, I believe this would give great comfort to those who hear it.

 

Another example of a given blessing in the Old Testament was by King Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. This one is a bit longer, but there are some wonderful words in this section of Scripture.

 

“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

 

“May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.

 

“May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.

 

“And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.

 

“But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” (1 Kings 8:56-61 – NIV)

 

I love this section because we see how God does keep His promises and that God will never leave us, but it also tells us that we must do something as well. Verse 61 shows us that we must be committed to God, live by His decrees and obey His commands. After all He has done, this really is a little thing.

 

But these blessings don’t end with the Old Testament. Jesus mentions one in Luke 10. In this section, Jesus prepared the way for His arrival by a group who were sent out two-by-two. They were to go into the towns Jesus was preparing to go.

 

When they entered a house, Jesus told them to say, “Peace to this house.” (Luke 10:5 – NIV) Jesus offered further instruction on this phrase. “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:6 – NIV)

 

I believe this one is totally doable. What a blessing our friends, family and acquaintances would receive by our speaking this blessing. Even if we don’t enter into a home, as we are walking (prayer walking), we can pray this upon the homes we pass.

 

How are you blessing those you come in contact with? Do you practice this on a regular basis? If so, I’d love to hear about it. If you are willing to share, my ears are open!

 

I never thought of it this way, but I end each blog post with a blessing. A blessing for you. To you from me. Today will not be any different. I offer this blessing to all who read it and accept it.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“Too” (Sabbatical Post)

January 14th, 2016 dsisler

 

My grandson Percy turned two in February. Since learning to talk, there is one phrase that has remained the same. It hasn’t changed. There is no variation.

 

???????????????????????????????“Percy, I love you!” This statement could be spoken by any number of people in this little man’s life, but his reply is always the same. “Too.”

 

Percy’s love for those of us in his life can be seen in his smile, his excitement, his determination to be held, his jubilation, his bright eyes, his energy…all of these things are seen when he walks into a room and locks eyes with someone he loves.

 

I can see these same traits in God’s love for mankind (and for me personally). I read it throughout His Word. I see it in creation. I notice it when I’m in communion with Him. I know it when His grace covers me. I rely on it when I feel unlovely.

 

Today I offer you verses that speak of God’s love for us. Enjoy the riches of His love. Bask in the fact that you are loved. There is nothing like it!

 

“Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.” (Psalm 17:7 – NIV)

 

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5 – NIV)

 

“I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8b – NIV)

 

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5 – NIV)

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 – NIV)

 

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:5 – NIV)

 

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17b-19 – NIV)

 

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1a – NIV)

 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” (1 John 4:7a – NIV)

 

“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 1:21 – NIV)

 

As a result of God’s love for us, we in turn love Him. Perhaps these are verses you can repeat to God to tell Him of the love you have for Him!

 

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1 – NIV)

 

“I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:8 – NIV)

 

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” (Psalm 116:1 – NIV)

 

These verses are not an exhaustive list of the what is contained in God’s Word, but it’s a start. Dig deep. Look for the passages about God’s love and see if you too will agree that God’s love is indeed better than life!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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My Shield (Sabbatical Post)

January 13th, 2016 dsisler

 

My husband and I watch the television program Blue Bloods. In a recent episode, one of the detectives mentioned that in New York City they don’t call their police badge a badge. They call it a shield because they protect the citizens of the city.

 

DSCN0582While it gives me comfort knowing that there are those in this world who are willing to protect me, I know that my greatest shield is God and that it is only through Him that I have true protection.

 

And while I may find physical protection from these men and women in blue, my God is the only one who can protect my mind, my emotions, and my heart.

 

Let’s look at a few passages of Scripture to see how God can be our shield and how we are to use our shield.

 

Abraham was promised that God would be his shield in Genesis 15:1 (NIV). “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” What a promise! How wonderful that we can cling to that same promise because we find this idea throughout Scripture.

 

Moses told the Israelites of God’s shield in Deuteronomy 33:12 and 29 (NIV). “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders…Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword.” God loves us, therefore, we know He is our shield of protection.

 

David sang songs of praise to God on multiple occasions and there are a few that show us how God is our shield. Let’s look at them.

 

In 2 Samuel 22:3 (NIV), David said, “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.”

 

And in verse 31 of that same chapter he said, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31 – NIV)

 

 

Then we can turn to the Book of Psalm and see David’s use of this word. Psalm 3:3 (NIV) begins this journey. “But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”

 

Take a look at some of the other references in Psalms. Psalm 7:10; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 28:7; Psalm 33:20; Psalm 91:4; and Psalm 119:114.

 

We see this concept in the New Testament as well. Peter speaks of God’s power as being our shield in 1 Peter 1:5. “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 the salvation that is read to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 – NIV)

 

So what are we to do with this shield?

 

Prepare the shields

In Isaiah 21:5 (NIV), the officers were told to prepare their shields for battle. “Get up, you officers, oil the shields!”

 

And in Jeremiah 46:3 (NIV), we see another call to arms. “Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle!”

 

Just as those heading into Old Testament battles prepared their shields, we too must prepare our shields. Through faith, Bible study, prayer, and meditation. Read this quote from one of my favorite books. “A Bible at home does us no good unless we carry God’s teachings in our hearts and apply them when we are hit with a fiery dart.”[i]

 

Take up the shields

After preparation, we must take up our shield. We are under God’s protection, but we must do something. We must take up the shield prepared and provided for us.

 

Paul speaks of the shield of faith in Ephesians 6:16 (NIV). “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

 

This shield of faith will do us no good unless we pick it up and use it. However, when we use it in combination with God’s protective shield, the evil one is powerless against us!

 

By far, on the very tippy top of my favorite songs is Hillsong’s “Made Me Glad.” The words remind me of the protection I receive through God. So I’ll share it with you (yet again). Sing it today. Live it today. Believe it today.

 

“Made Me Glad”

 

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I’ll say of the Lord

You are my Shield, my Strength
My Portion Deliverer
My Shelter, Strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There’s none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I’ll say of the Lord

You are my Shield, my Strength
My Portion Deliverer
My Shelter, Strong tower
My very present help in time of need[ii]

 

Click here to hear Hillsong sing this glorious song…over and over again if you like.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, Debbie Williams, Howard Books, 2006, pg. 193.

[ii] Made Me Glad, Darlene Zschech, Hillsong, 2002

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Prayer Warriors? (Sabbatical Post)

January 12th, 2016 dsisler

 

I’m working through a Bible study on prayer right now. It’s actually the third time I’ve read through the book and the second time I’ve done it as a study, this time with a group that I’m leading. The book is called “Follow Me” by Randy Sprinkle and I know I’ve mentioned it before.

 

Follow MeI also have a book sitting here on my desk that is called “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion” by Debbie Williams. I have used this book as a Bible study on two occasions and pick it up often to read about a particular issue.

 

I’ll admit, my prayer life hasn’t always been where it should be and even now, there is room for improvement. But after seeing some statistics, I have found that I’m not alone.

 

In Mr. Sprinkle’s book, he shared a 2000 survey conducted by George Barna which showed that in America, the average daily prayer time was less than five minutes per day.[i]

 

While other spiritual activities such as Bible reading, church attendance, small group involvement, volunteerism, and Sunday school attendance has increased according to a more recent survey, prayer and evangelism did not reflect significant change since the 2000 survey.

 

The survey says, “Slightly more than four out of five adults (84%) claimed they had prayed in the past week. That has been the case since Barna began tracking the frequency of prayer in 1993.” You can read more by clicking here.

 

Wow…that is astonishing. Mr. Sprinkle puts it this way. “Two truths regarding prayer are obvious: 1) God’s Word urges us to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and 2) By and large, we don’t.”[ii]

 

Maybe we’ve become disillusioned by prayer. We ask for something and we don’t get it, therefore prayer doesn’t work.

 

Maybe we aren’t disciplined enough to pray. It’s just one more item to add to our long list of “to-do’s” and we don’t have time for it.

 

Maybe our brains are on overload and it becomes difficult to pray. Just too much information flowing in and out for us to settle down and have some quiet time with God.

 

Maybe we feel inadequate. Our prayers are not nearly as beautiful as “so-and-so’s,” so why try?

 

Are there more excuses? If you fall into the statistics above, why? What reasons are there for missing out on this time with God?

 

Mr. Sprinkle offers a couple of concepts that have changed my way of thinking on prayer. Let me share them with you and see if it makes a difference for you.

 

“Prayer, contrary to popular opinion, is not primarily asking God for things, but rather being with God.”[iii]

 

God desires to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to be your BFF! God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8) and Jesus talked about how He wants us to remain in Him (John 14:1-17). That is the relationship He wants with us. Prayer brings us to that relationship.

 

Here’s another quote. “Prayer is not incessant talking to God but unceasing walking with God.”[iv]

 

Jesus continually called the disciples to grow in faith. He does the same with us. We must trust God with everything in our lives. As our faith grows, so does our prayer time with God. That’s when we are walking with God.

 

There is much more I could share about prayer from these two books I’ve mentioned, but I would encourage you to read these books and then figure out how to create more communication with God in your life. But I would also encourage you to read through God’s Word and see what He has to say about prayer.

 

So, give up the excuses. If you came up with some others above, what steps can you take to remove those obstacles? It’s time to get our prayer life straightened out!

 

One more quote and then I’m finished. “Prayer is not an option, an ornament for the well-decorated Christian life. It is to be our life.”[v]

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 36.

[ii] Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 36.

[iii] Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 25.

[iv] Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 25.

[v] Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 36.

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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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