God is Good...All the Time?

Scene 1: A happy-go-lucky Irishman sitting in his fields of ripe, golden wheat with a huge smile on his face.  The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue with white, puffy clouds lazing around, and birds are chirping gaily.  It is the perfect day.  "God, You are just absolutely amazing!  This day is perfect, my fields are ready to be harvested, and I feel so happy to be alive!  Life is grand, and God, You are so good to me!  Yep, God is good."  He nods his head in affirmation of what he just said as he looks about his beautiful wheat once again.  "Yes, God is good, all the time!"

Scene 2:  The puffy white clouds have tuned black and menacing, while the sun no longer shines.  The wind begins to pick up dangerously as storm clouds threaten to unleash their fury.  The happy-go-lucky Irishman now has a furrow between his brow as he gazes up into the sky and then back at his wheat.  Harvesting was to begin tomorrow. Thunder roars, startling the Irishman.  He runs for cover as the clouds suddenly open up and let loose torrents of pouring, gushing rain.  He ducks into his barn, soaked to the skin.  Worry lines increase on his forehead.  What had happened to his perfect day?  Stark fear springs into his eyes as he hears an unwelcome sound.  He prays his ears deceive him.  But no, his eyes confirm it.  It was hail.  "No, oh no, my wheat.  God, why are You doing this?!  What happened to doing what is best for me?  Don't You understand, that wheat is my livelihood!  What will I feed my family with if I haven't any money?  God, You're supposed to be good all the time!  No, please no.  God, if You truly do what is best for me, stop this hail before it completely destroys my crop!  God?  God!"



Just what is a fair-weather friend?  Someone who is not steadfast; able to be relied upon only when things are going well, much like the Irishman in the story.  When everything was going according to his plan, he trusted and relied upon God.  Yes, God was good then.  But as soon as things didn't go according to the man's plan, he lashed out at God.

"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

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The Life of a Slanderer

"It is one thing to lie to others.  It is still another matter to lie about others.  This involves slander.  To tell lies about other people is to cause them grave injury.  The Devil himself is the master of slander.  He encourages his disciples to engage in gossip, backbiting, and slander.  To steal a person's good name may be more harmful to the person than to steal their property.

"God is so concerned about slander and lying about others that He included a prohibition against it in His Ten Commandments: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor' (Exodus 20:16).

"The prohibition includes more than falsely accusing someone in a law court.  The responsibility in Israel to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in a law court was taken very seriously.  If perjury was committed in the courts, the penalties ranged all the way to the death penalty.

"Justice cannot be maintained in the land unless the courts can be certain of the honesty of witnesses.  But on a more daily basis, injurious lies can take the form of slander.  Let us consider briefly the meaning and force of the verb 'to slander.'  To slander someone is to tell lies about him, lies the injure him.  Slander involves making an unjust accusation.  We have all felt the sting of being slandered.  It is one thing to suffer injury for sins of which we are guilty.  It is another thing to be punished for something we did not do.  No one enjoys the pain of false accusation.

"I labor the point of slander's being an injurious lie because it is one of the chief works of the Devil against God's people.  To slander a person is to injure that person's reputation.  Our reputations, our 'good names,' are important to our lives.  Life is difficult enough without trying to operate with an evil reputation."1

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." -Psalm 34:13

"He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool." -Proverbs 10:18

Slander is an ugly word.  Slander.  What do we think of when we hear the word?  Insult.  Smear.  Character assassination.  A once good name thrown in the mud.  Hatred.  Lies.  Cruelty.  Pride and jealousy.  Resentment.  Disgrace.  Tarnish.  Slander.

Slander is much like the cruelty seen in the classrooms of public-schooled kids.  Snooty high school girls picking on the one lonely outcast because of jealousy.  Rumors of character-slight.  Lies spread so that someone else looks bad and is discredited from teenage society [i.e. pride: a promotion of self].  From kindergarten to high school, kids sure know how to slander.  Another word is backbite.  Slander is much like grabbing a knife and stabbing someone in the back.  Most times slander will hurt much more than a protruding knife will.  Words have force.  Words have power.  And if used for evil, words cause wounds much deeper than a blade can go.

But it isn't just public-schooled kids who know how to be cruel.  Think about it.  Pride is a sin in everyone's life, and because pride only wants the promotion of self—for self to look better than everyone else—it is only a logical follow-up that the cruel words of slander and degradation will pursue.  Not just the world and its people, but Christians as well, our own friends and families even!  The life of a sibling is constantly filled with jealous lies about a sister and hateful, stinging words of degradation to a brother.  The same is said of life amongst friends. In an instant someone whom you thought loved and trusted you turns into a conniving, slanderous, roaring lion, seeking to devour.


"Lie not to one another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." -Colossians 3:9-10

Lying creates a vast majority of tension and even hatred between people.  The guilty party who does the slandering, miserable are they!   "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified" (1 Thessalonians 4:6).  As for the innocent to whom the slander is against, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).

For those of us who have had to deal with friends or family creating rumors behind our backs, loving that person is a hard thing to do. Sometimes it seems impossible even.  Why would they do such a thing when they were once a good friend?  Why would they pretend to love us, and in the next instant stab us in the back?  These are difficult questions to answer.  Perhaps some kind of jealousy and resentment on their part.  Maybe they were never really the person we thought them to be in the first place.

It still hurts.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgive them?

Why should they be forgiven when they have spread lies about me, hurt me, caused strife between us, ruined friendships, created division, and slandered my once good name?  They don't deserve my forgiveness!

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." -1 Peter 3:8-12

As we have seen many times, the tongue can be the unruliest member of our body (James 3:6-18).  First of all the sin of envy, jealousy, or hatred causes unrest in the heart, which then proceeds in slander, lies, and evil words from our fire-of-a-tongue.  There is no other cause for this, except pride and self-love.  Self-love is angered when we think another person looks better than us in front of other people.  Pride is miffed when someone else is better than we are.  Therefore, the tongue begins to wag, degradation causes catastrophe, and before we know it, the situation is out of hand and people are hurt because of our slander.  Our pride and self-love can't stand for someone else to be in the limelight.  "I can do better than that!"  Self says.  "I am better than that!"

Unfortunately our personal pride is strong.  Pride is happily uplifted when someone else is degraded.  We think that it makes us look good when we make others look bad.  However, we don't realize that no one likes a slanderer.  No one lasts long in a friendship with slander.  A true friend is one "that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor" (-Psalm 15:3).  A true friend dies to self, and that means he will not care whether another person looks better than him in front of others or not.  It is only those with evil intentions of heart who will spread the rumors, start the gossip, and create the lies.  A mean word is like a cruel slap in the face.  It stings, it burns, it causes embarrassment, but the one who looks the fool is the one who did the slapping.

The Lord abhors the lies of a slanderer.  "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer" (Psalm 101:5).  Instead, He demands a loving heart.  "To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing meekness unto all men" (-Titus 3:2).

The effects of slander are very dangerous.  Therefore it is our duty to beware of the trap we all so easily fall into.  Whether it is a look, a glance, a whisper, a cutting remark, it is to be removed far from us.  Slander creates more problems than we know what to do with.  Slander is the treacherous enemy of friends and family alike.  It separates the very best of friends and the closest brothers and sisters, if it is loosed.  Slander destroys, whereas love creates.  While slander is forgivable, first of all it must be repented of.  Our tongues must be guarded by the Word of God, and the sins of envy, jealousy, pride, and self-love—which causes slander—must be isolated from our heart.  No good thing comes from the maliciousness of slander.  It is a life of wounds and friction.  And it is not a life worth living.

"A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends." -Proverbs 16:28

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." -Proverbs 18:8

"Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer the strife ceaseth." -Proverbs 26:20

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." -Proverbs 26:22 (Repeated from Proverbs 18:8)





Footnote 1.  R.C. Sproul, Pleasing God: Overcome the obstacles that keep you from honoring God, pg. 196-197, 199; Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois, 1988.

"Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living."

"Many waters cannot quench love, 

neither can the floods drown it: 

If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, 

it would utterly be contemned."  ~Song of Solomon 8:7

I have always loved this verse, partly because I hope that one day when I am married this will be the description of the love between my husband and I.  "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it."  The flow of the music in these words are mystically romantic, at least to a girl with extreme romantic inclinations.  Like me.  However, in our "girlish romantic inclinations" many times we can distort the view of true biblical love.  We develop a false misconception of happily ever afters, goosebumps and shivers down the spine, sentimentally romantic candlelight and flowers, irrationality, and...you know...all those things girls love.  Basically the belief that when two people fall head-over-heels there is nothing but happiness and passion and bliss and eternal peace is, quite frankly, the idea that has brainwashed our minds by romantic novels and Hollywood.

But don't get me wrong, there is happiness and passion and bliss in true love.  There are happily ever afters, goosebumps and shivers down the spine, sentimentally romantic candlelight and flowers, and so forth in true love and marriage, in a biblical, God-defined way.  We cannot automatically dismiss the love-making as off-limits to Christians as something irreligious, and make love into some hard-core lack-of-feeling mentality.  Definitely not.  God delights in love and marriage.  The Bible speaks many times on the aspect of love between a man and a woman, and even the romantic details that follow (Song of Solomon is an perfect example).

Nevertheless, girls are emotional.  Very emotional, very dramatic, very romantically inclined, and they we love every aspect of those wishy-washy feelings of love.  Why? We are women.  When a movie ends in a very happily ever after we get a feeling of gleesome "Oh I can't wait until that happens to me!"  Trust me, girls are oftentimes hard to understand, even for me being one of them, especially when it comes to our romantic tendencies.  Unfortunately we would sometimes rather live in a romance fantasy than the real world.

There is a destructive force of evil conforming the minds of young people today regarding love and marriage.  Not only are they encouraged to wait to get married until later in life, but when they do get "involved" there is a lot of fantasy regarding intimate relationships between young men and women, and it is initiated by Hollywood as a flirtatious and selfish type of love.  However, this is totally contrary to the biblical definition of true love.  

This post is not specifically targeting the differences between the world's version of love versus the Bible's, important though the subject matter may be.  Instead, I see most of all a disturbing amount of longing and sighing amongst girls wishing and hoping and praying for the right man to come along, especially Christian young women.  Perhaps it is because we are trying to live according to God's standards, which includes courtship and marriage, so we are often unhappy with our situation in life as we wait for "the one."  We may know what true love is, and we may be waiting expectantly for it, but sometimes we are so downright discouraged that we become discontent with our lot in life.

"Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." -Jim Elliot

I come across the above quote one day in a book and it cause me to pause and wonder.  Jim Elliot was writing to his fiancee Elizabeth (who would later become his wife), and it surprised me that he would have such a surrendering attitude.  At that time they were both separated by many miles, and it was rare when they were able to see each other.  Yet still Jim Elliot wrote those words to her.  He understood how hard it was to surrender his life completely to God in every area, especially when it was concerning his love life.  More than anything he wanted to marry his beloved.  Nevertheless he understood that a person's intense longings must not slay the appetite of their living, or it will waste their life.

Because girls are eccentrically romantic we tend to look to the feelings that make us feel good.  In doing this we do not realize how easly we sow the seeds of discontentment.  Whether we are still waiting, or whether we know who God has intended for us, we all can have the same problem.  Our longings will absolutely destroy the moments we have for living a life dedicated to God—out of marriage or in marriage.  If we succumb to  disastrous feelings of longing that we cannot control, how will we ever be satisfied with what God has given us?

Trust me, I now that waiting and hoping is no easy task.  God gave every woman an inner desire to be loved by a man, but that is not a license for not living our lives.  In each of our lives—no matter our age or station—we can all invest in the families that God has placed us in, and develop the gifts He has blessed us with.  All too soon we will be starting families of our own, if it is God's will.  One day we will be enjoying an incredible amount of happiness as the man God has for us woos and wins us.  Then our womanly desires will be completed in an even fuller sense.

But until then, we are complete in Christ.  We have His love.  We are His part of His bride.  More than anything else, we are to be satisfied in Him.

And then one day we will be united in holy matrimony, and experience something grand and marvelous beyond our wildest dreams—biblical romance at its fullest.  In my opinion, that is far better than what the world has to offer.

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; 
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
Commit thy way unto the LORD; 
trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." ~Psalm 37:4-5

Thankful in Thought and Love

I would have to say that I am most thankful for love.

Because love can cover just about everything.  It was love that sent our Savior to the cross to pay for our sins.  It is love that unites family and friends together—knit in harmony.  It is love that is the greatest of all virtues (1 Cor.13).  It is love that says "I love you and I'm willing to deny myself for you" (John 15:13).  It is true love that is not just a feeling but a commitment.  It is love that God gives everyday in His mercy, grace, and forgiveness, in giving us life and health and raiment and shelter.  I'd say that love ranks tops on my list.

It is hard for me to fathom the depth of love.  And when I say love, I'm not talking about this modern Grecian-version of love that happens between a guy and girl at first sight—you know, the head-over-heels type.  Of course there will be romance and all that goo in courtship and marriage (c'mon, every girl likes it!), but I am referring to: A father's tender embrace.  A mother's warm smile.  A sister's giggle.  A blossoming friendship.  A brother's silly joke.  A gathering of thankful hearts.  Worship and praise to God.  A baby's cherub dimpled grin.  Commitment.  Encouragement.  Faithfulness.  Devotion.  Inspiration.  Joy.  And many other such blessings.  The simple yet most profound things of life.

Thanksgiving is most definitely a time of praise and thanksgiving to the Creator, even though every day ought to be the same.  Now is a time when we sit back and thank God for all of the blessings He has imparted to His humble subjects.  Because the truth is, He has done so much for us and we barely even recognize His presence in our lives.  Many times we take God for...heaven forbid...granted.  How in the world could such lowly people, basically scum in God's sight because of our sin, take the Most Holy One for granted when He has done so much for us?

In fact, it is very easy.  We get caught up in our own little worlds of selfishness and pride, and forget that it was God who made us, God who gives us breath each day, and God who could take away everything we hold dear in a heartbeat.  Simply because He is God, completely sovereign, and He has every right to do what He deems best.  Simply because He is God.  And that is why I am most thankful for love because I see love in the grace of God that He would give us even a tiny morsel of bread, or a glimmer of light in darkened lives, or forgiveness amidst our sin.  Or so much more that we don't even deserve.

It was love that shaped our individual lives.  It is love that continues to shape our lives according to His will and plan.  It is love that I hold most dear, and I believe that love sums up our entire lives.  Love is salvation and sanctification all rolled into one.

May y'all have more than just a blessed Thanksgiving—may it be full of the richest and deepest love imaginable.  May God shine His love upon you and your families, and rain down many blessings upon each individual.  Remember that it is love that keeps us going, so I believe it is our duty to love in return.  And not just an ordinary type of love either.  An incredible, sacrificing, amazing, forgiving, inspirational, joyful, heroic love.  And let us rejoice in the goodness of God, because of His love.

"But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: 

let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: 

let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee." -Psalm 5:11

Bite Your Tongue

Something else I have to be reminded of is to hold my tongue.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue:

and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

-Proverbs 18:21

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

and in her tongue is the law of kindness." 

-Proverbs 31:26

This is a weakness of mine, because, though I may be somewhat of a reserved person, I still tend to blurt out unnecessary things and hurtful things.  Even those type of things that are irritating to the ears of another person because they reek of boredom or nonsense.

I probably should write at least one chapter in my book on the power of the tongue for good or for bad.  With siblings it is especially difficult to keep a watchful eye over our tongue because we are so used to saying whatever comes to our mind, and usually it is not what is acceptable (Rom.12:1).

"A fool uttereth all his mind:

but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards." 

-Proverbs 29:11

I love the book of Proverbs for all of its wisdom.  Its insight of exhortation to the people of God is profound and absolutely priceless.

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: 

and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

-Proverbs 17:28

There is so much perspicacity on one subject alone.  From the verse above we see that even a fool is wise if he has control over his tongue.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: 

but grievous words stir up anger.  

The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: 

but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness." 

-Proverbs 15:1-2

In all of our relationships (i.e. husband, wife, father mother, child, sibling, coworker, boss, pastor, relative, friend, etc.) there is an important key to maintaining a tongue of that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil.4:13).  Oftentimes it is a troublesome task not to just blurt out as fast as out brain thinks (which can be scary in some of our cases).  More often than not this is how relationships are damaged because we are habitually prone to say hurtful things to degrade others and promote self.  From experience I can say that the hurtful words of our mouth injures not only others, but ourselves.  We fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal.5:16-17) when we give in to our fallen desire "to be as gods."  To achieve this, and to reconcile our own mind to the fact, we first have to make sure no one else is in the god-seat.  Dare we assume to take the place of God Almighty?  God forbid us.

We as Christians are called to be the salt and light of the earth, but if we fail in the small things, what right have we to expect the bigger blessings from God?  Too frequently we automatically expect the best things from God when we are not willing to be faithful in what we have already been given (Matt.25:14-29).  And besides, our witness to the world is shattered if we are not willing to submit every area of our lives to the sovereignty of God.  He will acquire our ultimate obedience anyway, for He is GOD (isn't there such power in His name alone?).

Just another thought for the day. Think about it. And bite your tongue.

Just How Close Death Can Come [or] A Tale of A Tornado

It was 1:00 A.M.  Sweet, dreamless slumber was roughly interrupted as Daddy woke up everyone in
the house.  Foggy-brained and sleepy-eyed, we kids followed him, almost blindly we groped though the lighted house.  Yawns that could not be suppressed almost split our faces.  Not until Daddy's pressing "Hurry, no time!" did we actually begin to understand the urgency.  Earlier that day the weather forecast had warned of the late-night upcoming storms, even an issued tornado warning.  Daddy had stayed up that night to keep an eye on the imminent storm while the rest of us went to bed, very unaware that we would soon be shaken abruptly awake from sleep.  Nervous, hurried, and even scared, we all grabbed pillows frantically and followed Daddy and Mama to their spacious closet.  There we all (excepting Daddy who was keeping a constant eye outside) huddled down together.  A big possibility of a tornado heading our way was the weather forecast's message.  The weather radar on Daddy's phone confirmed this.  The atmosphere was tense and our apprehensive chatter did nothing to calm jittery nerves.  Beside me sat Reb, and I put my hand affectionately upon his head.  Clara Mae, just in front of me, had her pillow held tightly over her head.  Her lips were white with fear as her seven-year-old brain mulled over one thing: tornado.  Her slender little body quivered and trembled. Liberty, who's sleep had been so rudely broken up, cried, more from sleepiness than fright.  The older ones, if they felt any fear, did not show it much.  With my knees pulled up to my chest, I looked from one family member to another.  Truth be told, I was crazy with fear inside.  I did not show it because I did not know for sure whether the tornado would actually hit us.  But fear nevertheless coursed through my body, making me feel cold and hot at the same time.  A mattress resting outside the door lay in wait for Daddy to throw over us just in case the tornado came.  Dread rose in my throat as I thought about that specific detail.  What if Daddy didn't make cover trying to save us?

A terrible realization hit me.  What if our house was beset by the raging tornado and we all perished?  Put rather bluntly, what if we all died and did not live to see another day?  The thought upset me.  No one wants to die, no matter how much faith they may have in Christ or how much they may want to escape life's problems.  In the bleakest moment, no one wants to die.  Although death is inevitable for everyone eventually, we all will try everything in our power to delay the inevitable.  I felt that I, at sixteen—almost seventeen—years old, had no right to die.  My whole life was ahead of me.  There was so much I wanted to do and experience in life.  Or what about little Liberty, who had even more life ahead of her, only almost two years old?  "It's not fair!" my heart cried as practically certain death seemed to stare me in the face.  Perhaps I was a bit hysterical and imaginative, but that is what fear does to one.  Someone looking at me from the outside would not have guessed my inner struggle.  Perhaps from the outside I was cool, calm, and collected, but inside I was scared, shaking, and stiffened with fear.  But what am I to judge who should and should not die?  Only God has that authority.

Then the thought hit me.  I had not spoken one prayer to the Master of the [seemingly] uncontrollable storm.  As a matter of fact, He had every bit of control over it.  I wanted to cry.  My first thought should have been a prayer to the Lord, but instead I had been assailed by doubts and fears.  As I looked from face to worried face, the only thought that flowed through my brain was "God, save us. Lord, protect us. God, save us."  As much as my flesh didn't want to admit it, God held our lives in His hand, as well as the direction of the storm.  I had no real reason to be frightened, for He would do everything according to His will, whether our lives would be surrendered for His glory or not.  We may not know what tomorrow brings, but we can know that it is always completely in His hands.

The Aftermath

To sum up a long and descriptive story, the tornado did not come within a mile of our house.  However, as the next day came, we learned that it had reached the outskirts of Barnesville, a small town about five miles from us.  That sobered me.  Just how close can death come and just barely miss the target?  My record experience is five miles.  And it was all by the grace of God that my family and I escaped.  I was sobered beyond anything that I had ever experienced.

A tornado's wrath is extreme and horrific.  When I awoke at 10:00 A.M. the next morning after a long and eventful night, I cannot begin to describe how thrilled and excited I was to see the blazing spring sun shining brightly through the window.  As I basked in the sunlight for a moment I stopped to give God thanks for His mercy, grace, and the blessing of a new day.  I'll admit that usually I take my life for granted—all the busyness and daily routines—even my time with my family.  But the night of April 27 was sort of an epoch in my life, making me realize that life is fleeting, truly fleeting in the sense that we do not have much time on earth.  Every day God gives us is an immeasurable blessing, one we should not throw away lightly.

We also learned later in the day of April 28 that a couple was killed in the storm's path right outside of Barnesville.  Other tragedies have occurred throughout the entire South.  Those who have lost loved ones need our heartfelt prayers to the Almighty.  May we all have the courage to say, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away: blessed be the name of the Lord!"


Tales of Tragedy here and here. 

You can listen to Covenant Commission's radio broadcast the Just and Unjust Alike.

Springtime Once Again...

Spring came early this year for peachy Georgia.  February and now March have turned out to be full of sunshine and rain—perfect springtime!  Yesterday and today were exceptionally gorgeous days, so I took the outstretched opportunity to take invigorating walks, snap a couple of pictures (we have flowers blooming!), watch the lazy clouds float by, sniff the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers, listen to the gay-glad songs of spring birds, and see the grass beginning to turn green once again.  Life seems almost ideal once spring comes around.  Bliss, happiness, and perfectness don't seem like the right words.  Maybe I'd better let my pictures say the right words for me.  How does that saying go...a picture is worth a thousand words...?

A sure sign that spring is here to stay!

A little bouquet of flowers my sweet sisters made for me

  I have been enjoying these past few weeks immensely...yes, even through the sniffles.  When the wind blows in a sing-song type of voice I feel practically perfectly happy!  Praise God for His amazing grace that gives such bliss to poor sinners such as we!  Thankfully we have a Creator who always has our good in mind; therefore we needn't worry or fret or doubt.  We must simply trust and have faith, whether our day is joyful and glorious, or a little on the gloomy, rainy side (in which we need to put forth a harder effort in love, patience, meekness, and kindness.)  Life will really be much smoother and happier if only we would trust God with each and every step, no matter what.

"Thy Will Be Done"

I've decided not to get married.

At least not yet.

My charming little sister Clara once told me, "I'm glad you're not married.  I hope you never get married...at least not yet."  Boy did I feel loved!  As much as a young woman cannot wait to get married, right then and there I didn't want to.  I often long for the day when I will have a home of my own to care for, children to nurture, and a husband to love.  But if I miss the golden years at home, what will I gain in the future marriage years?  If I take these years for granted, who is to say I won't do the same later on?


Let's just say it's not easy accepting someone else's will other than our own.  We're selfish, and usually we will admit it in a not-so-subtle way.  We want what we want, and sometimes we will do anything to get our way.  We are kind of like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum because he wants something.  He will scream and kick his little legs, and do just about anything to get his way.  If his mother is too soft and lenient, she will eventually give in to his whims, instead of administering the whipping he really deserves.  We are that way with God many times.  We'll fight back because we want our way.  Why is it so hard to say "Thy will be done"?

“A great many Christians actually seem to think that all their Father in heaven wants is a chance to make them miserable, and to take away all their blessings, and they imagine, poor souls, that if they hold on to things in their own will, they can hinder Him from doing this. I am shamed to write the words, and yet we must face a fact, which is making wretched hundreds of lives.

"A Christian lady who had this feeling, was once expressing to a friend how impossible she found it to say, 'Thy will be done,' and how afraid she should be to do it.  She was the mother of one little boy, who was the heir to a great fortune, and the idol of her heart.

"After she had stated her difficulties fully, her friend said, 'Suppose your little Charley should come running to you tomorrow and say, 'Mother, I have made up my mind to let you have your own way with me from this time forward.  I am always going to obey you, and I want you to do just whatever you think best with me.  I know you love me, and I am going to trust myself to your love.'  How would you feel toward him?  Would you say to yourself, 'Ah, now I shall take away all his pleasures, and fill his life with every hard and disagreeable thing I can find.  I will compel him to do just the things that are the most difficult for him to do and will give him all sorts of impossible commands.'  'Oh, no, no, no!' exclaimed the indignant mother.  'You know I would not.  You know I would hug him to my heart and cover him with kisses, and would hasten to fill his life with all that was sweetest and best.'   'And are you more tender and more loving than God?' asked her friend.  'Ah, no,' was the reply, 'I see my mistake, and I will not be afraid of saying 'Thy will be done, to my Heavenly Father, any more than I would want my Charley to be afraid of saying it to me.'"  (Excerpted from The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith)

There's not just one aspect of life we are afraid of committing wholly to God.  We are scared over the smallest things.  We want a good and happy life, but we also want the things we want.  What we don't realize is that we will have the best life when we submit to God's will.  Most people have a false conception of God's will.  God is angry at wickedness, but He is loving and just toward those who follow and serve Him in obedience.  He isn't out to get us, or to take away every earthly and spiritual blessing.  Amazingly enough, He only wants what is best for us. (1 Peter 5:7; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:9)  We miss out on the best years of our lives by worrying about unnecessary things.  If we would only trust God, how much happier and blessed we would be!

We can't just submit one area of our life to God; we have to give him everything, including our hopes, dreams, and expectations for the future.  It's not an unachievable feat.  Just think of how much more peace we could have.  All those worry wrinkles would disappear.

Look at submission this way.  We find it hard to submit to our parents.  As we get older, we want more responsibility and freedom from authority. (That's our human rebelliousness working.)  If we are unwilling to accept God's will, we will most assuredly be unwilling to accept human authority.  If a young woman in the home will not accept her father's authority, she will not accept her husband's later on in life.  She may think that a different life would be better, but if we are not faithful in small things, we certainly will not be faithful in the bigger ones.  If we antagonize our siblings, we'll antagonize our children.   If we disrespect our parents, how could we be ready for a faithful commitment to marriage with a partner we are to respect "till death" do us part?   We would blow it, just like we did in our teenage years.

If we find it hard to accept human authority, how much more harder it is to accept God's will!  But why?  Why do we have such a problem?  All we are doing is making each situation difficult.  It does not have to be that way.  When we realize that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and that God wants only what is best for us (because everything is to bring Him glory -Revelation 4:11), then we can begin to say without hesitance "Thy will be done."

Yes, I plan on getting married someday (if it is the Lord's will.)  However, for now I'll accept God's plan for commitment in the home and accept whatever He brings my way.  We have a cheerful heart only when we submit to God's will.  I'll be content in the home.

Preacher's Kid

There is a lot of pressure on preacher’s kids.  (Face it—we're oddballs.)  We are supposed to act different, talk different, think different, watch different movies, listen to different music, wear different clothes, have different friends and families, read different books, and so on.  It all comes down to behavior.  Sometimes we may be referred to as weird.  On the other hand, if we don't live up to our expectations, we're scoffed at even more for not being a representative of Christ.  Suddenly, we're ironic.  Perhaps there isn't any truth to this Christian business after all.  Isn't that a truce broken in our Salt and Light mandate? (Matthew 5:13-16)

Being any kind of Christian in a humanistic world is hard.  I'm not talking about wishy-washy hypocritical Christians who proclaim good works in the streets and practice sin in their homes.  They may write a bestseller book with a big cheesy smile on the cover, but it doesn't mean they are right, honest, or Christ-like (Matthew 7:15, 21-23). Recognition by the secular world does not mean they accept Christianity.  In fact, Jesus said that we would be persecuted and reviled for His sake.  (Matthew 5:11; 10:22)  If the world didn't accept its Saviour when He came, why should it accept His disciples?

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."  ~Matthew 10:16

Yes, I'm a preacher's kid.  In addition, I am also a young woman living in a secular world.  I feel the pressure hitting me like a ton of bricks.  But I'm no different from y'all.  There's only one thing that makes me different from the world's young people.  Yep, you guessed it.  I'm a preacher's kid.

No, I'm not ashamed of my heritage.  My father is a pastor, my grandpa is a pastor, and one of my great-great-great-grandfathers was a pastor.  There are even more scattered throughout our ancestors.  The point is this: my life has been intertwined with God in the midst of it.  I'm a preacher's kid of a preacher's kid.  Where's the shame in that?  I'm proud of it.

The only thing I regret is my poor ability for handling certain situations.  I've stuck my foot in my mouth, I've stood back and followed the crowd, I've not been a leader, and I've spurted some pretty crazy ideas. (Just ask my mom.)  Right now I wish I had charged full ahead into my insecurities...but I didn't.  There have been many times I've wished to go back and redo my life.  Of course, we always wish for the impossible.

Although I may not be where I wish to be, I'd say I've come a long way in some areas.  Two years ago I never would have imagined this blog, my writing, our traipse through Georgia, the beginning of Covenant Baptist Church and Covenant Commission, the birth of Liberty (my baby sister), my 16th birthday (two years ago it seemed like forever), the crazy ups and downs of life...hey, even my photography!  Life is peculiar sometimes, isn't it? 

However, I could really better myself.  I may be swept up into the pressure of being a preacher's kid sometimes, but I don't have to be.  What I am can be a good thing.

Every aspect of this world has tribulation.  We may be hit with tragedy, trial, sorrow, or pain, but Christ foretold that these things would happen.

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  ~John 16:33

 Isn't that comforting?

"What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us?"  ~Romans 8:31

The world’s opinion should not matter to us.  Why should we care about the opinions of those who reject our Saviour and faith?

While we are to be God's witnesses for the gospel, the world just hardens their hearts against us.  From history, we can learn that tribulation worketh patience (Romans 5:3).  From the lives of the martyrs we see glory and fortitude and everlasting life.  They received their crown with the words "well done, thou good and faithful servant" for their service in the kingdom.  What is our persecution compared to theirs?  True, mental stress can be just as horrible as physical pain, but have we ever suffered starvation in a cold, damp dungeon, or felt the flames rise higher and higher around our legs?  Nor have we been tortured for Christ's sake in a country wholly hostile to Jesus.  Think again when all seems lost.  We live freely (for the most part anyway), breathe the clean air every day, walk wherever we please unconstrained, and worship God wherever we will.  How long our freedoms will last, God only knows.  For now we ought to be profoundly thankful that we live, and move, and have our being, for it is all through Jesus Christ. 
Anyway, Paul's words should give us comfort: 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  ~Romans 8:18  

That is saying a lot, considering all that Paul went through - beatings, a stoning, being left for dead, thrown into prison, and eventually beheaded—all for Christ's sake.  Surely we can bear our burdens easier when we really give it some thought.

So, I may be a preacher's kid with all its peculiar pressures, but I've found out that life is much better when I have a positive outlook.   Who cares if I'm a little bizarre?  I'm a preacher's kid, what do you expect?

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place."  ~2Corinthians 2:14

There is nothing sweeter than Scripture for a troubled heart.  God really is good.  But He is also just.  He destroys the wicked and cannot tolerate sin, yet He is faithful to those who love Him.  His words to us are sweeter than honey. (Psalm 19:7-11)  I believe He would rather see a smile on our faces and joyfully praising Him than to have a "woe is me" mentality.

I'm sure preachers kids can relate.  It's awfully hard to live up to high expectations when our nature is sinful.  Sometimes we are given bad names because of what we are.  The bad names really come from preachers kids who don't fulfill their God-given duty.  I may fail many times, but I don't like being categorized in that lot.   Sometimes it seems like we have to endure more than we can handle.  However, Jesus said we will not be tempted with more than we are able.  Hallelujah! Through Christ, we will conquer over all!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither heath, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate s from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  ~Romans 8:35

Poor As Church Mice

Living in this economically, socially, ecclesiastical, and civilly failing nation, life is hard.  Food and gas prices rocketing more than this generation has seen, Barak Obama's presidential election, moral anarchy, the bouncing stock market, our enormous debt and the money being printed without any security, thousands of jobless Americans, and many other countless problems occurring in the U.S.  Why don't we give up?  After all, the way things keep reoccurring, we're going to end up being a third-world nation with a Muslim dictator who forces our every move.  Why don't we find someplace to hide - somewhere where we can burrow our heads in the sand and never be forced to move?  Sound like an idea?  Okay, let's go! Where to...Scotland or...

Wait a minute.  We certainly cannot hide from God's omnipresence.  Jonah already learned that lesson for us.  If we can't hide or run away, surely there is something else we can do.

I love America, my beautiful homeland country.  But (small as it may be) I am so tired of hearing about our problems.  Sometimes I can pretend nothing is really happening...and I live my normal crazy life.  However, every once in a while "what-ifs" jumble about in my head.  If you want to feel deeply melancholy, start delving into America's numerous problems.

I don't want to focus on pain or sorrow or tribulation.  Life is plenty full of that.  Imagining what America used to be is even worse.  After everything our Founding Fathers did for us, this is what we've done to repay them.  Some gratitude.

Terrible things could occur that I don't even want to think about; things that make me shudder with dread.   We're faced with the issue anyway.  But for once, let's look at the bright side of things.  Optimistically, I prefer joy and happiness over gloom and despair.  As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time and season for everything.

Although life can be gloomy, troublesome, and downright hard, let's attempt to smile at our gloom, laugh at despair, and love during the hard times.  What is worth more than love, and a sparkling smile on a rainy day?  We can be the comfort of those who have given up all hope.  Through our lives Christ can be shown.  That takes real courage.

I've never known what "being rich" is like.  We all can be poor economically.   But what do true riches entail?  Many times life seems to defeat us with problems, but we can still be rich in the factual sense.  Remember when Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19: 23-24)  Perhaps that is why the poor and needy are always (most of the time anyway) reliant upon God because they have not riches to worship.  There is a reason for everything.

Being rich in God's grace, mercy, and love is worth more than all the jewels the world can produce.  As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4,  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  Here is proof that we need spiritual food.  Getting enough to eat everyday cannot sustain us.  We need the nectar of God's love.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."  ~Matthew 5:6

We as Christians in the Church are the Bride, the Beloved of Christ.  Therefore we should trust Him in every aspect of life for He holds tomorrow in His hand.  He gives and He takes away, yet blessed be His holy name!  While we are to do our part as salt and light in this world, God directs the hearts of men.  He is our sustainer, so, "cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  ~Psalm 55:22

Although we might be "poor and needy; yet the LORD thinketh upon me; make no tarrying, O my God."  ~Psalm 40:17

David said in Psalm 37:25,  "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

God sees America's problems.  He sees our personal problems.  And He cares!  Although America has turned her back upon the God of her fathers, He still cares for His own people.  Astonished though we may be, He still loves us with a deep and profound love.  That alone should put a song in our hearts.

"O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thoughts afar off.  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether."  ~Psalm 139:1-4  If God is acquainted with all our ways, don't you think He could possibly have a plan?  I know He does, which is why I determine to trust Him.  This world isn't getting any better yet, nor are we getting any richer, but God holds tomorrow - though we may not know what it brings.

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience."  ~Romans 5:3

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"  ~Romans 8:35

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)  If we therefore know, live it joyfully in every way!  Laugh a little, dance a while, and determine to live faithfully according to God’s Word.  Scripture is clear: if we love God we will obey Him.  Then we will reap rewards and blessings. (such as peace from this troubled world?)  But if we disobey and continue to disobey (as America has done) God will rain curses down upon us that could flatten any nation.  Even this unsinkable America.

When we are weak, then Christ can work through our weakness to display His strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) Therefore we can live life fully and steadfastly, abounding in His work, for our labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58) Don't we serve an amazing God? 

Overcoming Obstacles

"And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once, and posses it [the Promised Land]; for we are well able to overcome it."  ~Numbers 13:30

"But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we...the land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."  ~Numbers 13:13-33

"And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceedingly good land.  If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into the land, and give it us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.  Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not."  ~Numbers 14:6-9

Joshua and Caleb are two of my favorite Bible characters, "Heroes of the Faith."  They displayed faith in God, courage, strength, fortitude, and a willingness to do whatever the Lord said.  I'm sure they had the look of brave soldiers.  I can see them now, swords in hand, deep voices shouting for the children of Israel to follow them into the Promised Land, for the Lord was with them!  Joshua and Caleb were mighty men, valiant men, men of strength and honor.  No man in the whole Israelite camp was like unto them.

Joshua and Caleb were men after God's own heart.  Their hearts were willing to serve, to love, to follow their Lord to the ends of the earth if need be.  God needed their type of men.  If all the men in the Israelite camp had been like Joshua and Caleb, there wouldn't have been any groaners or complainers, and the children of Israel could have entered the Promised Land the first time.  Unfortunately for them, things didn't turn out so well...

"And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!"

Okay, they wanted to die in the wilderness?  God would grant their request.

"Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against Me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun."  ~Numbers 14:29,30

All the Israelites of that generation, aged twenty years and older, would die in the forty-year-wandering-in-the-wilderness period.   Their children would inherit the land.  But, there were two who would survive...

Joshua and Caleb had been faithful.  They believed God would be with them and would help them overcome every obstacle; therefore God would give them their reward.  He would allow them to enter the Promised Land, the only survivors of that generation.

But the other ten spies who brought back an evil report, God punished them for their unbelief and disobedience.

"Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD."  ~Numbers 14:37

How does this story apply to us today?  Very good question.  I'm glad you asked. (now you may wish you didn't.)

I'm going to be honest and blunt.  America has become as terrible and wicked as uncivilized and ungodly lands.  True, we may still have more freedom than other countries, yes, and more opportunities, but how long do you think it will all last?  We're already a socialized nation.  We've already turned away from God.  We see it everyday: murder, idolatry, lust, stealing, infidelity, greed, dishonesty, covetousness, adultery, fornication, strife, heresies, drunkenness, uncleanness, etc.  If we were still blessed by God, do you think we would see these things everyday?  They sound more like curses to me.  I'm afraid God's hand is slowly but truly leaving us.  What then can we do?  

Are we Christians supposed to stay hidden in the shadows where no one can see us, waiting desperately until we die so we can escape the trouble of this life? Or maybe come out of the shadows and join in the world's wicked revelings because "there isn't anything we can do!"?   Most emphatically no.

Joshua and Caleb stayed true to the Lord, even when everyone else forsook Him.  They stood up proudly.  Why, even their very lives were threatened!

"But all the congregation bade stone them [Joshua and Caleb] with stones."  ~Numbers 14:10a

However, even in the midst of danger, strife, and unbelief, they remained faithful, trusting that God would help them overcome every obstacle.  Will we do the same?  Will we rise up as proud servants of the Most High, or will we cower in darkness, with our heads buried in the sand?

Remember, the ten spies were punished with death for their unbelief.  The unbelieving children of Israel were punished as well.  They wouldn't live to see the fulfillment of God's promises.

If we continue in sin today, think of how much more our children will have to endure.  Will we leave behind a legacy of sin, or of trust in God?  Many things depend upon us right now.

Think of the President of the United States.  The choices and decisions he makes will affect the whole country, good or bad.  The same abides with our congressmen, senators, representatives, governors, and mayors.  Where are they leading us?

But, think on this for a moment: the men we have in leadership today were placed there by "we the people."   "We" voted.   "We" place men in office.   "We" are responsible.  The men in office are supposed to be noble, "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." (Exodus 18:21a)  Do we place such a caliber of men there in that position?   Taking a look at our congressmen today, my answer would be no.

Do we no longer love our country?  Where is our patriotic zeal and courage?  Where is our religious zeal?  Do we no longer trust God?

If we would dare to be a Joshua, if we would dare to be a Caleb, astonishing things would transpire.  Perhaps, just perhaps, God might use us, and start a revival in this land.

I weep for my country,

which has fallen so low; 

I weep tears of sorrow,

these tears I now show.

O God where are You?

is my desperate cry;

Why have You forsaken us?

Please come to us nigh!

This country is falling,

oh how we need Your hand!

We the people are crumbling,

soon we'll be sand.

Unless we have Your help,

unless we see Your face;

we'll be lost forever,

 and we'll have lost the race.

Rise up America!

Rise up people strong!

For God will come again,

if we'll admit we're wrong.

Peace will come again someday,

but one thing we must do:

clasp our hands in humbleness,

turn to Him and pray.