Mightier Than These

Psalm 93:3-4 > "The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore - the LORD above is mightier than these!" (NLT)

     The devastation of hurricanes lately have left us speechless. The flood waters that have claimed homes and taken lives are innumerable. Our hearts have grieved with those that have been in its path. Tears flowed as we thought of the loss of so many and for so many.
     I found myself glued to the TV watching to see where the hurricane was going to hit next. Praying that it would not be us and then feeling guilty because it would be someone else. I knew wherever it was going to land would be bad.
     Hurricane Irma scared me. She was big. It seemed as if her size was never ending! I couldn't help but be mesmerized by her size and intensity. She was strong. It was like she'd been caged and finally set free. Her waters seemed to devour land as if she were hungry in search of food. Yes, Irma scared me. She seemed powerful.
     God's Word has such sweet nuggets tucked inside that remind us of who He is and the strength He has. Although Irma was mighty, God is mightier. Let's not forget that either.

***Continue to pray for all those that have been affected by this active hurricane season.

In awe of Him,
Vonda


    

Not Even a Storm

Mark 5:15a > “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;”

     On the other side of the lake lived a man who was in need of deliverance. The disciples didn’t know about it, they were just going where Jesus said. Nothing was going to keep Him from where He was needed…not even a storm.

     The story that unfolds sounds calm. There is no hint of Jesus needing to be at a particular place. We would even think by reading the passages of Mark 4 that things fell into place and just happened. There’s not a hint of urgency or a mission. But we all know that things do not “just happen” when Jesus is involved. There’s always purpose. And most of the time there is someone with an urgent need.

     Jesus was teaching by the lake and a large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat while the crowd remained on shore listening. I can’t help but wonder how He was able to be heard. I suppose that if you really want to hear what someone has to say you pay attention and keep your focus on them. You learn to block out any noise other than the voice of the one you are trying to hear. It’s difficult but yet it can be done. I wonder if the children that were present (if any) just knew to be quiet and sit still? Did they want to hear Him, too? What a challenge that could be! But this was Jesus. A challenge wasn’t really a challenge for Him.

     The day was drawing to an end and it was time to go. Jesus said, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake” (Mark 4:35). It was His decision to leave; and it was His decision to where they would go. That’s very important to understand. First glance at reading the verse, it doesn’t stand out to be of importance. It sounds like an idea without a purpose. Kind of like a random thought. However, where Jesus wanted to go was very important; there was nothing random about it. There was a reason He wanted to go to the other side. His disciples just didn’t know what it was. So by boat, they went.

     During the journey, a fierce storm came upon them. (ESV Study Note on Mark 4:37: The Sea of Galilee is 696 feet below sea level, resulting in violent downdrafts and sudden storms.) High waves violently crashed into the boat and it began to fill with water. Fear had overtaken the disciples. It makes my heart race as I think about their situation. They were truly afraid they were going to drown. Each time the boat was engulfed by a wave, their fear escalated. Who could blame them? During the day a storm is bad enough but at night it’s so much worse!  

     As fear overtook the disciples, much needed rest had overtaken Jesus. The wind tossing the boat around and the crashing waves had not kept Him from sleeping. After all, He knew there was somewhere He needed to be and a storm was not going to keep Him from getting there. In fear for their lives the disciples woke Him up. Jesus rebuked the wind and spoke to the waves then everything was calm. It did not go unnoticed by the disciples that even the wind and waves obeyed Him.

     On the other side of the lake lived a man with an unclean spirit that lived among the tombs. He was a terror to society. No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. He’d often been bound with shackles and chains but had violently twisted the chains apart and broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day he cried out and cut himself with stones (Mark 5:1-6). If anyone was in desperate need of a Savior, this man certainly was! And Jesus knew it.

      John 6:44a > “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” 
When he saw Jesus get out of the boat from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. (Could the unclean spirit quite possibly have been overpowered by this man’s desperation for deliverance? Could that desperation cause him to run to Jesus and kneel? If the Father draws him it can!) Before Jesus told the unclean spirit to come out of the man it knew who He was. With a shriek, he began to scream at Him, “Why are You interfering with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg You, don’t torture me!” (NLT v.7) Jesus demanded what his name was and he replied, Legion, which meant there were many of them inside the man. (Can you imagine being held captive by that many?)

     How long had this man lived in such bondage? How long had he been able to truly live? Did he have family? Did they miss him? Had they written him off, so to speak? Did anyone even care? So many questions come to mind as my heart aches for this man. He lived alone among the tombs, among the dead, where there was no life. He spent his days and nights crying out and painfully cutting himself with sharp stones. He was in urgent need of deliverance. And Jesus wanted to deliver him. Not even a storm would keep Him from doing so.

     The unclean spirit kept begging Jesus not to send them out of the region. They didn’t want to leave. There was a large herd of pigs nearby feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them enter into the pigs. So He gave them permission. When they entered into the pigs the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned! Jesus and the now delivered man looked each other in the eyes. Can’t you just picture the look of adoration and gratitude on the man’s face from being set free? Feeling something he’d never thought he’d feel again? Can’t you just see the tears from freedom flowing? Can’t you just picture Jesus with His arms extended and His eyes filled with love? Can’t you see this man embracing the One who gave him new life?

     This is the place where a lump forms in my throat. The next time the man was seen, he was sitting with Jesus in his right mind; being tormented no more. Now he is able to live among the living and no longer among the dead. The other side of the lake had purpose. There was someone there in great need. And Jesus fully intended to go to him. Nothing was going to keep Him from that…not even a storm.

Jesus still feels that way, even today. Nothing will keep Him from delivering those in need. Not even a storm!

In awe of Him,

~ Vonda

***Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for coming to our rescue. For coming to where we are in our bondage to set us free and for being willing to meet us in our most ugliest of places. Lord, there have been times that I didn’t think freedom was possible and You proved me wrong and set me free. Oh how grateful I am, Lord. Help us to walk in that freedom and never allow it to shackle us again. Thank You, Lord, for Your great love. In which we cannot fathom. May we never forget that it is for freedom that You have set us free. ~Amen

A Sacrificial Love

Ephesians 5:25> “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church,  He gave up His life for her." 

     He tried to get out of the car with ease. It just wasn’t going to happen. His body hurts more when he sits for a period of time. It used to be for long periods of time, but now it’s even the short ones, too.

     He slowly stood tall and waited for his legs to follow along with the rest of him. Nothing on his body wanted to cooperate with each other; except for his mind. His mind knew what needed to happen and he was going to wait for the rest of his body to follow suit. It didn’t matter how long it was going to take.

     For the first time in a while, I could see the pain Raymond endures on a daily basis. But what hit me the hardest was…..what he was willing to endure for me. No matter the pain his body may be feeling, it’s what he would push through for me that broke my heart. I saw a sacrificial kind of love.

     One afternoon Raymond, mom, and I had decided to go pick up a few burgers. Raymond had volunteered to go inside and bring them back out to the car. The plan was to ride around a bit while eating our food. It sounded really good to me because that meant I could simply throw something on knowing no one would ever see me! I would never have to get out of the car. No getting ready.

     It was a good plan … until I watched Raymond try to get out of the car. He was in so much pain. He struggled to stand upright and even more to get his legs to move. It broke my heart. He grimaced but kept on. He was not going to let the pain stop him.  

     That’s the kind of man he is. He would do anything for me. He would endure anything for me. My heart ached. I wasn’t a “damsel in distress”. I was perfectly fine. I had on old sweat pants and an over-sized t-shirt. My hair was a mess and not an ounce of make-up was on my face. I looked quite frightening actually. Not to Raymond. To him I looked beautiful. To him I was worth going inside for. To him, I was worth the pain. (And so was my mom.) Wow…

     Guilt settled over me. How could I have let him go inside when I should have instead? How could I have let him suffer so much for me? It seemed incredibly selfish on my part. And yet, I still sat. Even feeling the guilt I felt. Why would I do that? Quite honestly, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

     Raymond can be a very determined man. And on that particular day he was determined to stick with the plan. No matter what it was going to cost him physically. Sounds like a great love story, doesn’t it? To me, it is. He doesn’t see me as someone capable of doing for themselves. He sees me as someone he wants to do things for; even if it causes him extra pain. He’s willing. He’s willing to sacrifice that pain for me.

     The following Sunday, our Pastor spoke on love. He even asked a question to the husbands: “Are you willing to sacrifice your life for her?” That question choked me up. I knew the answer. Raymond didn’t have to tell me if he would or not, I didn’t even have to guess. I already knew the answer. I looked over at him and kissed him on the shoulder. He tightened his grip on me just a little bit more.  

     He sacrifices for me every day. Some days seem more pronounced than others. Those are the days that are filled with much pain. And yet, he stays determined. He doesn’t waver. He’s on a mission; a mission of the heart that involves me. 

     Knowing all of that about Raymond made me see it more on a personal level about Jesus. Every day that He walked this earth He sacrificed His day for us. Every step He took in His ministry was a step closer to the cross. He did it willingly because His love for us is that deep.

     Jesus’ final walk to Golgotha was more pronounced than ever. It was filled with much pain. Yet He stayed determined. He didn’t waver. He was on a mission; a mission of the heart that involved all of us.

In awe of Him,

~Vonda

Dear Sovereign Father, what a gift You have given each of us. Such love that is still so hard to comprehend. Thank You, Lord, for taking those final steps to Golgotha; for enduring such pain with every movement. All because to You we were worth it.  

One Size Fits All

John 3:16> “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. (ESV)

I’ve tried on a lot of clothing that have said (and promised) “one-size fits all”. I’m not sure if the people who placed the label on the clothing knew what it was going to look like once it was put on. Perhaps they were just trying to avoid making different sizes to fit different people. I get the concept behind it. It saves money. Truthfully, the one-size fits all label can actually make you feel better, too. There’s nothing worse than trying to find the right size. It’s kind of nice wearing something that basically says, “I’m going to fit”. Being over-sized is kind of comfy. However, most of us aren’t looking for the “one-size fits all” on everything.

As women, shopping can be a part of our nature. We usually go shopping when we’re going on a trip. Finding that “something new” to wear gets our blood flowing! Not being able to find it in our size can make us feel miserable. And after hours (that’s right, hours!) of looking and trying things on, we can start to feel hopeless, too. It’s strange how a piece of clothing can change our outlook. It can set a mood on us that will make everyone around us just as miserable! We begin to dwell on how hideous we look. Somehow, our minds do not drift to the fact that just maybe we chose the wrong size. Maybe we should go one size bigger or possibly one size smaller. Maybe we don’t need to try that style. In our minds, the problem is with us and not the clothing.

Before you know it, the way we view our value starts to decline. In walks the enemy, Satan. Boy oh boy is he about to have fun! He takes a lie and convinces us that it is truth. He tells us that we’re too dumpy, too bony, too tall, or too short. Suddenly, those words start to sink in. We allow them to define us. The more we listen to his lies the further we go into the pit - a place that’s hard to get out of. It’s a dangerous place. It’s there that Satan, our enemy, wants the Word of God to not reach. He wants it erased from our minds and our hearts. It’s there he can hold us captive to the feelings of hopelessness. Our solution is to “prepare our minds for action” (1 Peter 1:13a) by taking “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b). We have to set our “mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). How we look in something should never be determined by the world. Billboards and magazines show us pictures of what the world considers perfect. If you’re viewed as perfect, then your value increases. Right?  Our thoughts should be on the things above, the things that have nothing to do with size.

Our thoughts should be on who Christ says we are. He says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), “His own special treasure” (Deuteronomy 7:6), the “apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10), “more than a conqueror” (Romans 8:37) and “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Knowing just a taste of how He feels about us should sabotage, completely destroy, Satan’s plan of hopelessness. When the enemy comes at us with our value we need to remind him that God says we are pretty valuable to Him. In fact, we need to remind him that God loved us so much that He sent His ONLY Son to leave His home and come down to earth to die for us. That alone should shut Satan up! We need to stand firm on those truths.

All of this beating ourselves up was simply because something didn’t fit. Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Yet it happens every day. It has happened to me more than I care to admit. I know that I’m not alone. Too many of us allow Satan access to our feelings. As Christians, you’d think by now that we’d recognize his schemes and avoid them. You’d think we would remember that we cannot rely on our feelings; they change too much. Our worth, our value, has never been based on how we feel. It’s always been based on who God says we are. And He thinks we’re pretty special.

There’s one place we can go that will always have our size. The cross. We will never have to try it on to see if it fits. We will never have to wonder how it makes us look. We will never be too tall, too short, too dumpy, or even too bony. It’s a perfect fit. Each and every time. Remind Satan of that truth!

In awe of Him,

~Vonda

**Heavenly Father, thank You Lord for loving us. We don't deserve such love and yet You do. Thank You Father for the value You place on each of us. Enough to die for. When Satan comes at us with lies please help us to remember what You say and not how he makes us feel. Help us to stand firm and remind him just how valuable we are to You. May we never forget that the Cross is the only place that will always have that perfect fit. It truly is a "one-size fits all". ~Amen

In Due Season ~ We Shall Reap

Galatians 6:9>And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (NKJ)

To grow weary “while doing good” is easy when it seems like doing good isn’t working. It’s as if a brick wall stands in the way of our getting through to the other side. We had good intentions. We meant well, after all. Shouldn’t that count for something? We just grew tired. We grew weary. It had become more than we expected.  Simply put, it became too hard.

Growth is a natural process. It's meaning is quite simple: to increase in size or substance. That’s a good thing, right? Absolutely! Especially when it comes to something that we want to see an increase in. For instance, like a garden (whether for food or perhaps enjoyment) and even an investment (whether for financial gain or personal interest). Both are wonderful examples.

What we don’t want to see an increase in is our inability to say or do the right thing. That seems to happen too often. That’s where our struggle starts and seems to keep us. We don’t mean to let Satan feed us with horrible lies. His tenacity for finding the right time for the right lie is overwhelming. It’s quite crafty. The patience he shows is clever. It’s a useful quality of his, that’s for sure.

For something to grow it needs to be fed. What we feed it is important. When we start to believe the Enemy’s lies, we rehearse them in our heads over and over again. Instead of fighting the lies with truth we yield to them. We begin to tell ourselves that the lies are true. Before you know it we’ve grown incredibly weary; our very demeanor becomes downtrodden. 

To become weary seems to attack our very soul at times. Its definition is: “exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness”. When we keep on trying to do the right things it’s easy to become weary. We tried to behave like everyone thought we should. We tried to be the spouse that everyone said we should be. We tried to be the parent that we were told to be. We even tried to be the person that was outlined for us to become. We failed. All of those things sounded good, really good! But we couldn’t do them. We failed. That’s when weariness sets in. We’ve forgotten that there was only One who was perfect; which certainly was not, nor is, us.

Weary has another meaning that I found to be intriguing. Merriam-Webster Dictionary has defined it also as: “bored or annoyed by something because you have seen it, heard it, done it, etc., many times or for a long time.” This definition is probably more realistic than we think. How often do we get bored and annoyed after repeatedly doing the same thing over and over? Especially when it seems like nothing has changed. It really does begin to feel as if it’s not worth doing. At this point your feelings become: It hasn't changed anything so what's the point? It's too boring to keep on doing with no results!

Giving up usually follows feeling weary. The feeling of not being good enough can become overwhelming. So we give up. Doing the right thing becomes unimportant. At this point we just want to survive; and we want to do it our way because it seems like the right way doesn’t work or perhaps takes too long. Repeatedly doing the right thing with no visible results causes us to give up as well.

It takes eyes focused on God to overcome weariness. Because our circumstances can appear so bleak we need to look beyond them to survive. Satan loves for us to see with our human eyes what is around us. He loves for us to see our biggest fears take place. Most of the time we do the work ourselves. We fall prey to his destruction. The way to look beyond what’s in front of us is to stay in God’s Word. It’s the best survival plan ever laid out there for His children!

Galatians 6:9>”And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (NKJ) And this is one of the best verses to begin with!

**Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. You have so graciously provided everything we need in it. Thank You Lord that when life starts to bring us down weariness doesn't have to set in. Help us to keep our eyes focused on You. But Lord, when weariness does begin to creep in, give us the strength to feed upon Your Word so that Your truth can cause us to grow. For in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Thank You Lord for being our life flow. ~Amen

In awe of Him,

~Vonda

*****

Whitewashed Tomb

Matthew 23:27> “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” (ESV)

Whitewashed tombs. Those words caused me to sit straight up in bed. No longer could I lay there. No longer could I hope for sleep. Those words haunted me; they were meant to be a warning. I had been treading on dangerous ground.

I had no idea that I was fast becoming that Pharisee that Jesus was talking about. Somehow, I had gotten way to comfortable “in” my surroundings. They knew where I stood and how I stood. And then they saw my behavior become different.  

It was subtle. I didn’t just boldly jump over the fence. I took baby steps that were unnoticed. Or, at least, I thought they were. There had been a small stirring inside me that kept saying, “Don’t go there.” I just didn’t heed the warning. I thought it was harmless.

Isn’t it funny (in a not-so-funny way) how we can stand boldly and profess Christ to some yet join in conversation with others that do not reflect what we profess? To say the very least it’s a double standard. It’s confusing to the world, to those watching us. (And they are watching us!) It grieves the Lord.

I watched a movie the other night that stuck with me throughout the night. There had been no sleep for me! I tossed and turned thinking about it. A young soldier who had come home from the war could not get his life together. He’d seen more than he had ever wanted to see. He couldn’t re-enter his life with his wife and child. This young soldier was mentally trapped. Misery was his friend. He became homeless and lived in his own war. Those around him saw a young man who should be celebrating to finally be home with his family. Until they saw that he couldn’t see what they saw. On the inside he was full of dead men’s bones. There was no life.

Although he saw a war around him, I’d lost sight of what was around me. He was trying to stay alive; and in a strange way, I guess I was, too. The common ground between us was neither of us saw what was really there. I know it was just a movie (although many who return from war do experience the same thing) but it truly stirred something inside me. I’d lost sight of my purpose as a follower of Jesus Christ. We are here to glorify the Lord. We are here to point a dying world to a living Savior. And I was failing.

My outward appearance seemed to match what my mouth professed to some. But on the inside, well that was a different story. What had been so vibrantly alive in me was dying. The boldness I once had was dwindling away. Compromise was setting in and was beginning to take over. Just how much could those closest to me see? I don’t know. I do know they saw some. And even that was too much.

Living for the Lord can be easy some days. Other days it can be a war! You know, one of those ‘sneak-attack’ kind. Where the enemy has sneaked in and attacked from the inside. Those tend to get me every time.

I’m so grateful that the Holy Spirit stirs a warning inside me. I’m so grateful that the Lord disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6)…

In awe of Him,

Vonda