Reflections in The WORD

Latest Posts

Running on Empty

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.” ~ Psalm 140:13

This is the final verse of Psalm 140, which David wrote while Saul pursued him for 10-15 years trying to kill him. In most of the psalm, David calls out to God to rescue him and to punish his enemies. But in closing, David asserts a great truth: The righteous will win in the end.

Many of us might feel we have been pursued over the years: Pursued by a bad economy, pursued by poor health, pursued by mistakes from our past. We have asked God to help us, and he has… but we, like David, are still in the wilderness… running… hiding… trying to stay one step ahead… trying to stay afloat… trying to avoid defeat.

It’s been a long time, a long hard slog, and we feel discouraged. We know God has helped us. We know He has seen us through so far… but will it ever end? Will we be hiding in the wilderness forever?? Will our finances ever get straightened out? Will our health, or the health of a loved one, ever get better?? We know God has helped us… but when, when will it end?

In our text we have a vital message of encouragement:

“…the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy [God’s] name: the upright shall dwell in Thy [God’s] presence”

Notice the verbs: “shall give”, “shall dwell”, they are in the future tense. David is looking to the future!

David didn’t feel he could give thanks right then (though he certainly could have). And, in that moment, he didn’t feel he was dwelling in God’s presence (though he certainly was).

Similarly, when we feel overwhelmed by our situations we often feel far from God and it is hard to be thankful. But even in the midst of his likely frustration, David knew that God would lift him up in the end. In the end, the righteous would stand victorious: the righteous would win.

When Jesus was on the cross, it seemed to most that His budding ministry had come to a tragic end: that His pursuers had finally caught Him and in killing Him they had won. But they were wrong.

Though Jesus did die, it was not defeat but victory, because it is through His death that millions we gained salvation. Moreover, Jesus was resurrected from the dead and restored to His glorious throne in Heaven.

Let us give thanks, friends, though the issues of life press down upon us. Let us take courage: God will see us through. Perhaps it has been a long time… but the victory is coming… Hold on, don’t give up. We can still Give Thanks now and when it’s over we will GIVE THANKS again!!!

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” ~ Psalm 140:13

FEAR NOT: (If) Your Soul is Safe

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And FEAR NOT them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” ~ Matthew 10:28

FEAR NOT: (If) Your Soul is Safe

Overwhelmingly, our fears are focused on the physical. We worry about how our physical bodies are affected by circumstances. When the storm came, the disciples worried about drowning. When Jesus was arrested, they were worried about being beaten, imprisoned or even crucified. While in the wilderness journeying to “The Promised Land” the Hebrews worried about hunger, thirst and losing battles. They even worried about food variety.

We, of course, are no different. Our worries also center around our physical health and well being. However, Jesus challenges us (in our text) to take a more expansive view: We are more than just physical bodies: we also have a soul. Our physical bodies will last for a short time (~100 years at best), but our souls are eternal. Which one should we spend our time thinking about? Should we fear the destroyer(s) of our bodies (the devil, disease, or people)? Or the One who can destroy (torment, punish, banish) our souls?

Financial advisors always tell us to plan for the future, not to live just for the moment. Likewise, let us take an eternal view. We (our spirits) will be alive long, long after our bodies die. Our lives will be just a fleeting moment on the eternal time-scale. Let get our priorities right.

FEAR NOT, there is nothing that can happen to us, bodily, that even compares to what is in store for us spiritually.

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” ~ Psalm 118:6

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

Preparing for the Real Big Bang: Living On when Earth is Gone

Published by reflectionsintheword

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,” ~ 2 Peter 3:10-11

If all the material things, that we so love to accumulate, are going to be dissolved,
Then it is wiser to spend our time and effort accumulating spiritual treasure that will be preserved for eternity.

If the whole earth will be burned up,
Then we should start making arrangement for life in another home; specifically heaven (not mars that’s going to pass away too).

If the Lord is coming “like a thief in the night”
Then we should ourselves (as we would for regular/real thieves) so that we aren’t caught off-guard/unprepared.

If the whole planet earth will be destroyed,
Then it’s not so important to fight and strive over which part of it we own.

If everything is going to pass away,
Then we should spend more time warning everyone, especially those that we say that we love.

If we know a storm is coming, but we don’t know when,
Then it is wise to build our houses on The Rock called Jesus.

FEAR NOT: Love your Neighbor

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: FEAR NOT, but let your hands be strong.” ~ Zechariah 8:13

FEAR NOT: Love your Neighbor

The people of Israel/Judah had returned from captivity in Babylon; they were back in the land God had given to them. However, they were no longer an autonomous state: they were now part of the Medeo-Persian empire.

They were glad to be back home in their land, but they felt impotent: Would they be under the control of a foreign kingdom forever? Would God ever restore them to their former glory, as in the time of king David and king Solomon?

Over the years, they had become a laughingstock, a shame, a curse, because of their fall from glory. But, now, God promised to restore them. They would no longer be a curse among the heathen. Instead, they would become a blessing.

Our text gives us the key to the transformation from shame to blessing: WORK. “…but let your hands be strong”.

(Let us be clear, work does not earn salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9) but God has a work for every person to do (Ephesians 2:10) and work is a sign that salvation has come (James 2:14-26).)

What kind of work does God want us to do? A few verses below our text, God, speaking through Zechariah, said:

“These are the things that ye shall do; [1] Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; [2] execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And [3] let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and [4] love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.” ~ Zechariah 8:16-17

The four things listed can be summarized as, work on your relationships: work on how you treat each other. Or, as Jesus (quoting Scripture) reminded,

“…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” ~ Matthew 22:39b

Which, after loving God (Matthew 22:36-38). was the second greatest commandment.

It takes work, it takes effort to love each other. It takes work to be fair to each other, to treat each other justly/fairly. BUT this is how Believers, the People of God, become a blessing among the heathen. Jesus put it this way:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” ~ John 13:34-35

FEAR NOT, Believer, God will tun us into a blessing as we WORK on loving each other. And remember,

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” ~ Proverbs 10:12

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

Real Rest

Published by reflectionsintheword

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

Despite the advertisements, rest is not found in any vacation spot, neither is rest found after retirement, or when the kids go on their own. Absence of work does not equal rest. Many people in our modern world, with all its conveniences, have little or work no to do… yet there is no rest in their lives.

Rest can be defined as freedom from strife, freedom from anxiety. But, apart from God, there is no rest: man cannot free himself of strife and anxiety.

Whether rich, poor, or in-between, we labour and are weighed down by the cares of everyday life. Many a book has been written about the daily stresses of simply maintaining a lifestyle commensurate with our peers/neighbours: i.e., “keeping up with the Jones”. We know the mental anguish that arises from maintaining the persona we have developed, or of trying to make people “like” us, or of developing a career… and on and on.

Life is full of endless tasks that keep us going around in circles, despite our best efforts to free our selves and get out of “the rat race”.

However Scripture makes it clear that peace, rest, is only found in God. It is only when we look hold on to the Master of the storm that we will have the peace we need to stand strong in it.

It is only when we appreciate/value the love of our Creator that we can learn to love ourselves.

It is only when we run the race on God’s track that we will stop running in circles, that we will have a finish line worth reaching, that we will have a goal that does not move further away every time we get close to it (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Hebrews 12:1-3).

Cain could find no peace, because he rejected God’s way and chose his own. Instead of offering the right sacrifice, Cain chose his own way and was rejected. Without God’s acceptance, Cain had no peace (Genesis 4:5-7). And without peace, he could not love his brother… so he killed him (Genesis 4:8). And, Cain spent the rest of his life on the run, never knowing peace, living the rest of his life without God’s grace (Genesis 4:13-14).

Let us learn to not follow Cain’s example. Instead, let us turn our “eyes upon Jesus”, let us “look full in His wonderful face”. “And the things of earth” all the things that rob us of peace, all the things that cheat us of rest, that cause us to strive, that make us weary, “will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace”.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:7

Complexity Curtails Clarity: Trust in God

Published by reflectionsintheword

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” ~ Proverbs 14:12

The science of complexity studies systems that contain interacting components. If the interactions among these components are non-deterministic/intractable and/or the number of components is large, it becomes mathematically impossible to predict exactly the outcome of any changes in the system. Indeed, such systems are so intractable that statistical/probabilistic approaches must be used, i.e., complexity scientists can only tell us the probability/likelihood of a particular outcome.

Human life is one such complex system. It is so complex that individuals cannot be modeled mathematically with any reasonable success. Counterintuitively, it is easier to predict the likely behaviour of groups/populations than individuals. The life of any individual just has too many undefinable parts that interact in undefinable ways with each other.

Though science is just discovering this, God knew this from the day He created us. Consequently, He warns us in this text, and elsewhere, that our view of what is right is precarious: human beings are predisposed to bad judgment, because our minds are simply unable to keep track of everything that goes on in us and around us. Moreover, there are supernatural forces that try to influence our lives in ways we cannot detect (Ephesians 6:10-12). Scripture puts it this way:

“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away… For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12

Consequently, just as a blind man must be led, the only sensible choice for men is to seek the guidance of The One Who knows all and sees all: Jehovah. We just don’t have the capacity to figure out life on our own. Much that we give ourselves credit for was really due to God’s direction “behind the scenes”: e.g., Nebuchadnezzar thought he was responsible for his own greatness, but God showed him that wasn’t true (Daniel 4).

Let us then determine not to trust in our own weak minds. Instead, let us determine to trust in God, to seek His will, His way and His guidance. Let us accept His Word as true and order our lives accordingly.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-7

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” ~ Psalm 119:133

FEAR NOT: Awesome Experiences Await, Be Strong!!!

Published by reflectionsintheword

“Then said he unto me, FEAR NOT, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” ~ Daniel 10:12

“And said, O man greatly beloved, FEAR NOT: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.” ~ Daniel 10:19

FEAR NOT: Awesome Experiences Await, Be Strong

A few brief notes on our verses:

The words in our text were spoken by an angel sent from God to Daniel. The angel reassured Daniel (v. 12), and revealed that he was an answer to Daniel’s prayer “I am come for thy words”. Moreover, Daniel’s prayer was heard because Daniel had sought the Lord AND submitted himself to God in obedience.

If we, like Daniel, commit our lives completely to God: if we seek God daily, in His Word and in prayer, then we too will have awesome experiences with God.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” ~ Jeremiah 33:3

Fear robs us of strength, it weakens us, it saps our energy for the tasks ahead of us. When God instructs us to “FEAR NOT”, His intent is to strengthen us. God’s angel told Daniel that he was loved and because of that love Daniel could receive God’s peace and “be strong”.

We draw our strength from God, we gain peace of mind from God. And God bestows us with His strength and His peace BECAUSE He loves us.

Daniel was encouraged by God’s message through His angel; and so should we.

Strength then comes from trusting in God rather than ourselves. The strong, courageous man/woman is not the one who is ‘self-reliant‘. The strong, courageous man/woman is God-reliant.

God is merciful, He knows our frailty. When the prophet Elijah ran in fear from Jezebel, God took care of him and strengthened him; taking time to remind Elijah to trust in Him (1 Kings 19).

“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” ~ Psalm 103:13-14

FEAR NOT, Believer, God knows we are weak and He will be our STRENGTH if we put our trust in Him.

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

The Puzzle Pieces Fit Perfectly and the Picture is Beautiful… Just Wait (in Faith) and See (in Glory)

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

This is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture and I quote it to myself often! Especially on those days when things just seem to be running amok, and nothing is going as planned. Even though it may seem that things are not working out for my good, we have God’s Word that promises us that when we are called according to His purpose, or His will, He will work all things out for our benefit and blessing.

Seven years ago today, my wonderful godly father went home to be with Jesus. This verse got me through that trying time. And it is still getting me through as I am waiting for God to take my mother, who is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s, home to Himself.

It is difficult to see a loved one die or suffer with a disease that in our opinion they did not deserve. But I know, that I know, that I know, my God does ALL things well. He has a purpose for every single thing that He does, and our part as His child is to trust Him even when current circumstances may seem hopeless or unfair.

The circumstances of our lives are not controlled by anything or anyone other than God. There is no such thing as “fate”, “chance”, or “luck” for the child of God. Nothing touches our lives without first passing through His hand. And if He allows it in our life, He will give us the strength to endure it and come through the trial stronger in Him!

We will not know all the answers to why this or that happens to us on this earth, and we do not need to know the answers for we know that our wonderful Lord is too loving to be unkind and too wise to err.

How can we help but praise Him when we stop and consider all that He has accomplished on our behalf?

God sent His very own Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to suffer, bleed, and die for our sins. He raised Him back to life on the third day (John 19:28- 20:29), and gave us His indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) to comfort and guide us in this life. He has given us His Word with numerous promises in it to bring us through anything we encounter. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and He has told us in our verse for today, that all things will work out for our good when we follow Him.

What a glorious God we serve and what a blessed hope we possess through Jesus Christ!

Thank you my wonderful Lord Jesus for all that You have done for me. I love You so my Redeemer and give You all praise this day, Amen!

by Mary Heuss Nelson

FEAR NOT: Call God for Help

Published by reflectionsintheword

“Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, FEAR NOT.” ~ Lamentations 3:57

FEAR NOT: Call God for Help

Our text is part of the lamentations (an expression of deep sorrow/grief) of Jeremiah regarding the devastatingly brutal destruction of Judah (especially Jerusalem) by Babylon. even though Jeremiah had prophesied these events, he was like everyone else caught up in fear.

However, in this verse Jeremiah shows us from his experience how to move from “fear” to “fear not”. Specifically, we learn that we must first call upon God, “Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee…”.

Then (and only then) will He draw near to us saying, “fear not”.

God’s promises of care and protection are for God’s children. And, if we want God’s assurance, we must call on Him, we must look to Him. This is a very important principle taught to us throughout Scripture; here are two other examples:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” ~ Jeremiah 33:3

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” ~ Hebrews 11:6

One reason God allows trials in our lives is so that we will turn to Him. The entire, twenty-one chapter, Book of Judges relates how the Hebrews turned away from God; how God allowed them to experience trials through the oppression of rival kingdoms; and how the Hebrews turned back to God, calling to Him for help; and how God answered them, rescuing them from the grasp of their enemies. Without the trials, they forgot about God; and so would we.

In the depths of his suffering, Jeremiah could do nothing else but call upon God. And God answered him. God drew near to Jeremiah and reassured him, “fear not”.

In the depths of our trials, we must call on God too. God will answer us and God will comfort us.

In closing, we note that Jeremiah’s situation did not change: the Babylonian destruction continued despite Jeremiah’s call to God. God does not always take us out of our troubles when we call on Him. But He does give us the grace to endure. God does not always take us out of the fires and the floods of life, but He does promise to be with us to the end, “fear not”.

We live in a sinful, fallen world; therefore, we will never escape the effects of mankind’s sinfulness on our lives. But God will be with us, He will strengthen us, if we call on Him, “fear not”.

FEAR NOT, all who have called on THE LORD: He has drawn near to you: He is right by your side.

“I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” ~ Psalm 18:3

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.” ~ Psalm 55:16

“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” ~ Psalm 86:5

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” ~ Psalm 145:18

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

Teach Your Children about God before the World Does

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-9

When I was growing up, my parents and sisters and I talked much about the Lord Jesus in our home. As a child I was not as grateful for this training as I was when I became an adult. Mom and dad knew the importance of making sure their children read God’s Word the bible, and then discussed what we read with them.

Some of my fondest memories of my dad, who has been with the Lord for seven years now, are when we discussed different Scriptures. Even in my adult years I still talked a great deal about Jesus with my parents, their guidance was priceless!

My husband and I discussed the Bible with our son as he was being raised and now with our two little grandchildren! And we know it is important to God that we do this from our verses today.

Even the world acknowledges that what we learn as children sticks in our minds for life, so what is more important that making sure that little ones learn God’s Word and that it is in their hearts? Psalm 119:11 says,

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

God desires our hearts! When we talk about Him and to Him many times throughout our day, we are pondering Him in our hearts and this will help us to live our lives more closely in line with His Word. According to (Malachi 3:16) it is recorded in heaven every time we honor and talk about God.

It is all too easy to get caught up in the things of this life, get captured by the unimportant, and forget about God. That is precisely why He reminds us many times throughout His Word to keep our focus on Him. He is to be at the center of our lives, not on the sidelines! He is to be asked and obeyed about important decisions that we make, to be gone to when we need help, and to be praised often for all that He has done for us thus far.

No one will ever love us as much as God, so we know that He always has our best interests at heart. He deserves our time, attention, and love! O that we would talk about and live for Him at home, in public, when we rise up, and when we lie down! All the while loving Him, for He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Thank You Father God for loving me, for sending Jesus to shed His blood for my sins, and for always being with me. I love You so and give You all honor and praise this day, Amen!

by Mary Heuss Nelson