Saturday, June 23, 2007

Praying through pain to praise!

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 35, 36, 37; Psalm 99

Job 36:15 (NIV)

15 But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction.

Job: 36:24-26a (NIV)

24 Remember to extol His work, which men have praised in song. 25 All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. 26 How great is God – beyond our understanding!

James 5:13-16 (NIV)

13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Good morning!

It is hard to be happy when you are hurting. I’ve found that to be so very true in my life. Last month, I stood near the bedside of my daughter Rachel as she and her husband Dave gave birth to their third child, a son named Andrew Joseph. I’m always amazed at Rachel’s determination to get through as much of her labor as possible without medication. I’m afraid I wasn’t so brave when I was birthing my babies.

I remember the day I arrived at the hospital to deliver our daughter Rachel. It was one of the hottest days of the year. We were living in Dallas, Texas, and in the summer of 1979, we began breaking heat records with weeks of unending all-time high temperatures of over 100°F. I waddled into labor and delivery that morning in a pool of sweat. The thermometer outside the hospital was registering 110°. I was miserable, being three weeks overdue (almost ten months pregnant), and my unhappy attitude was a reflection of this unfortunate circumstance. It’s a funny thing when you go to seminary – all of a sudden, every clergy student realizes they can get into the hospitals to visit at any time of the day or night to pray over the sick and infirm without being stopped by security. On this sizzling summer day, while I labored to deliver our daughter, there was au unending stream of seminarians outside in the hospital corridor just waiting for a chance to come inside our room to pray for me. God love ‘em! They would show up in between my three minute contractions while I was panting and puking, and I would try to smile and be sweet, but you know, it just wasn’t meant to be. After several long-winded visits by Jeff’s friends, I motioned for my husband to draw near to me and hold my hand. As he leaned over the bed, I grabbed his dress tie and pulled his sweet little face down toward my sweaty forehead. With eyes affixed on his and with as much love as I could possibly muster, I told my loving spouse through gritted teeth that if he let one more minister into my room, I was going to kill them both. For the safety of all clergy everywhere, Jeff promptly posted a no visitor sign on my door. And later that evening as the clergy stood and prayed outside in the waiting room, Jeff and I gave birth to our 8 pound 7 ounce baby daughter, Rachel Maria.

Any woman who has ever given birth knows the true meaning of being delivered in their suffering. God speaks to us smack dab in the middle of our affliction. We see Him clearly in the midst of adversity and pain. Elihu reminds Job to pray and praise the Lord, especially when the pain is unbearable. God’s greatness is beyond human comprehension – we cannot understand it. He glories in our praises, and honors us when we choose to praise Him, especially when we suffer through times of physical weakness and pain.

One thing I’ve learned about the power of prayer is that it works! There were a lot of righteous men outside my hospital room that day, praying for the new life to come. We had a beautiful, healthy baby girl that night. Last month, after a difficult and stressful pregnancy, our daughter Rachel delivered a healthy baby boy. How I praise God for His mercy and grace, in the midst of suffering and pain.

Last night, Jeff and I sat in the movie theatre, enjoying the new film, Evan Almighty. This is a great show – be sure to take your entire family to the theatre to see it! I found it interesting that the prayer of one willing civil servant to help change the world was the turning point that made all the difference for his entire community. Lives were saved and lessons learned because one person asked God to help them change the world. When we pray and praise, especially in times of suffering and pain, we become human conduits, unleashing the amazing power of God all over the world.

Take a lesson from our friend Job today, and remember to pray and praise the Lord, always, in every circumstance, every day of your life. Miracles do happen, and they begin at the foot of the cross, where our Lord’s horrific suffering became the reality for humanity’s delivery from sin and death forever.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: someone to pray hard! Maybe that someone should be you. Have you dropped to your knees this morning and offered your humble prayer to the Lord?

________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Friday, June 22, 2007

The mediator

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 32, 33, 34

Job 33:23-28 (NIV)

23 Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,

24 to be gracious to him and say, Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him –

25 then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.

26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God’s face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.

27 Then he comes to men and says, I sinned and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved.

28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.

Good morning!

I got a splinter yesterday in my ring finger. Even though I was able to remove it, every time I move this appendage over the keyboard today, I am made acutely aware that it was once there! Have you ever felt the sharp sting of a splinter long after it has been removed?

Job was revisiting his splintered life. Once a whole and healthy man, privileged to live in a household full of love and hope, Job had experienced the blessings of God in a mighty way. As the life he once knew began to splinter away, Job found himself sinking in utter despair. He grieved the deaths of his children and continued to suffer an illness that would not let him go. Job is caught up in the sting of a thorn that has pierced his heart to the core and pinned him to the ground.

Young Elihu had listened intently to Job’s pleas for help and the ineffectual offerings spoken by his three so-called friends. He was smart enough to wait until his elders had finished speaking, and young enough to know how to speak the truth without fear. Elihu reminded Job that God speaks, even in utter silence. He can reach us through dreams, visions in the night, and even in the pain and suffering of a long, unending illness. Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you late at night, while you are lying in bed resting? Does He succeed in getting your attention through sickness and pain? What do you think the Lord was trying to convey to Job’s heart?

A young prophet spoke eloquently of a coming mediator, a human and divine splinter remover. He would be one out of a thousand who could demonstrate to the world the great love God has for His creation. He would be the difference between life everlasting and death. He would heal the broken and splintered hearts of humanity by shedding his blood for all of us. He would bear the splinters of our sin in His body, as He carried our cross to Golgotha and willingly became our sacrificial lamb. Through His suffering, death and resurrection, we can live in relationship with Him today. Can you imagine having such a mediator taking on your splinters willingly, lovingly, and without holding a grudge?


This mediator is our splinter remover. Because of Him, we no longer have to stay in the pit of despair. We can live in the light of His love, the One who came to set us free. Elihu knew the mediator. Do you know Him? He is the one who can permanently remove the splinters in your life today.


Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the mediator to remove the painful splinters that separate you from the Father above. Ask Him to take the sins that have pierced your life and remove them from you, once and for all. Jesus Christ, the great mediator, is waiting to heal your heart today. Will you ask Him?

________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

A little heart-to-heart with the Lord

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 29, 30, 31

Job 31:35-37 (NIV)

35 Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense – let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put His indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give Him an account of my every step; like a prince I would approach Him.

Good morning!

Do you ever spend time having a little heart-to-heart conversation with the Lord? My heart-to-heart talks with God do not mirror Job’s. He must have been a holy man, someone near and dear to God’s heart. I wish I could pray the prayers of Job. When I begin to take a serious look at my mistakes, they overwhelm me. Job never tried to secretly hide his sins away from the public’s eye. He was ready and willing to confess any infraction that would have offended God. Job continued to search his heart, and found himself begging the Lord for just one recollection of one failed moment that he could tag as the result of his early pain and suffering. I should have taken Job’s suffering. He certainly didn’t deserve it.

Was Job being punished? And if he was being punished, what was his crime? As I look back through my 30 years of marriage to Jeff, the time we spent at seminary and in the various churches we have served in Texas and Missouri, there were moments when we truly felt like we were being punished. I remember the time when Jeff contracted hepatitis in seminary. Rachel was only four months old when Jeff became a patient in a Dallas, Texas hospital, 50 miles from our home. He was sicker than I’ve ever seen him. That year felt like a never-ending punishment to me – we were 750 miles away from our family and friends. He was 22 years old. I didn’t understand why this was happening, and I don’t presume to understand it now. I can tell you, after having lived through it, our compassions for the sick and suffering was magnified by our own personal experience. We understand how it feels because we have experienced it in our life.

I remember a conversation I had with a well-intentioned church member not long after our son David was born. He and I had ongoing health issues that would require surgical intervention to fix, short of an instantaneous healing by the Lord. We were struggling to figure out how to deal with these new difficulties. Our parishioner basically told me that if I had more faith, I wouldn’t be having these problems. Don’t you wonder how Job felt when his friends told him basically the same thing?

There is no rhyme or reason to the tragedies we experience along life’s walk. Good people get hurt every single day; some of them are walking saints, and they struggle, just like you and I, with adversity and pain. Does this mean that God is punishing them for some sin they may have committed and not confessed? I hardly think so. I have friends who are bitter because they blame God for their life’s pain. There was a time long ago when I shook a holy fist at the Lord. The amazing thing about God’s love and grace is that He allows us to express our anger and pain – He listens to us as we cry out to Him for help. Whenever I feel totally abandoned and overwhelmed in grief, that is when God holds me in His arms and He refuses to let go. The Father could have let me walk away from Him in disillusionment and bitterness, but His plan for my life included a season to struggle and wrestle with the things of faith. He calls each of us to look beyond our past and present circumstances and choose whether or not we will love Him in spite of those trying moments.

Sometimes when I become angry with my children, I might say, “I still love you, but I don’t like you very much right now.” The Lord of life allows me to say the same thing to Him, and He forgives me when I deserve it the least. I can shake a holy fist at God, until I find myself standing at the foot of the cross and recognize just how much He suffered to save my life. Every drop of His blood was spilt so that we could finally be free from the pain and despair that comes from separation and sin. Can you imagine the kind of love the Lord God Almighty has for you? Isn’t it amazing that He would die just for your salvation? It places the struggles we endure here on earth in a proper perspective. We are only here for a short time, and it is through the adversities of life that we truly begin to see the Lord’s face. When we choose to say “I love you” no matter what may come and trust Him to lead us, we begin to scrape the surface of what agape love truly means.

Do you need to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Lord today? Jesus is waiting for you to come home to Him. Don’t hold back. Give Him everything you’ve got. Let Him have your pain, your tears, your hurt, your anger, your bitterness, your messed up life. Give it all to Him. He can give you a newness of life that will totally transform the way you walk and talk and live and love. There is life abundant in Christ Jesus, my Savior and Lord. He will not leave you or forsake you, even when you find yourself suffering like His servant Job.

Have a heart-to-heart with the Lord today. You will be glad you did.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: courage to give the Lord your life. He will take our every wound and cover it with His blood, once and for all. There is an indescribable peace that comes from knowing the Lord is with you, especially in the tough stuff. He offers you a new life today. Won’t you ask Him to be your Savior?

________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Wise Guys

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 25, 26, 27, 28

Job 28:28 (NIV)
And he said to man, “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

James 1:5 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.


Good morning!

Every time I enroll for a new Bible class at Lindenwood University, I look forward to receiving the course syllabus and ordering the text books online. As I review the materials prior to the first class, I find myself asking the questions: What will I learn from this course of study? When will I complete the assigned tasks? Who will I meet while taking this course? Where will this newly gleaned knowledge take me? So why am I doing this? The answer is always the same. I am seeking a greater wisdom and understanding in my daily walk with the Lord. With a grateful heart, I am gladly pursuing His call with a passion! I expect to hear the still, small voice of God as I read the assigned readings, and through the words of my instructors and fellow students. I pray that the end result will be the blessings of increased wisdom and understanding of His will for my life.

Job keeps asking the question, “Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?” (Job 28:20 NIV) These are the kinds of questions that keep me awake at night. Solomon prayed for it, Job suffered through it, Isaiah preached it, and Jesus lived it. The beginning of wisdom begins with a healthy fear of God.

Humans have been trying to figure out the way of the Almighty ever since Adam and Eve walked in the garden long ago. Job’s friends, also affectionately known as the wise guys, thought they had the Great I Am figured out. Eliphaz believed he had achieved ultimate wisdom, through his personal observations of how God deals with the world. Bildad relied upon the life examples of his ancestors. He believed if he applied lessons already learned in past generations, that he would also walk in true wisdom and understanding, Zophar claimed that only the wise guys, like himself, could truly know what God is like. Had Job’s three friends found true wisdom and understanding? Did they have the Lord God Almighty's number?

Job’s response to his self-righteous friends begins and ends with complete trust. Wisdom is borne from knowing that God is far greater and more knowledgeable than he could ever hope to be. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God who gives life and takes the living back into his eternal arms. Rather than try to barter with God, Job recognizes his need to simply trust Him. This is especially important when Job’s limited human insights might keep him from seeing the bigger picture. Job believed that the evidence of understanding is displayed through a disciplined life, committed to seeking truth and turning away from the evils of this world.

There are times in life when we all fall into the trap of being wise guys. The older I get, the more I realize that I do not understand the ways of the Lord. I may never understand Him completely in this life, no matter how hard I study. The least I can do is to relinquish my will and limited vision and choose to trust Him completely with my life. The evidence of understanding will follow as I turn away from the sins that separate me from Him. Thank God for Jesus Christ! He is my mentor, teacher and kinsman redeemer. I look to Him daily for greater wisdom and understanding.

My prayer for you today is that you will find yourselves caught up in the gift of greater wisdom and understanding, as you seek to grow daily in the grace and love of God. Being a wise guy can be hazardous to your spiritual health. Relinquish your control today to the Lord. Won’t you give Him your heart? All wisdom, glory, honor and power be unto you, O Lord, my rock, my fortress and my redeemer. Amen!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: greater wisdom and understanding. It can only come from the Lord, the giver of abundant life. Open your Bibles this morning, and ask the Lord of all to give you greater wisdom, as you study His Word today.
________________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Exercising your faith muscle

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 22, 23, 24

Job 23:8-10 (NIV)

8 “But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. 9 When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him. 10 But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Good morning!

I had forgotten how long a city block can be, especially when I’m walking and not riding in an air-conditioned automobile. When I worked in downtown St. Louis many years ago, I used to walk for exercise during my lunch hours. I wore a pedometer on my skirt band and would log the miles as I took a lunch time sprint. I could do 2.5 miles in about 40 minutes, and that was pushing it in a skirt and jacket. I learned if I was going to take a hike at lunch, I needed a change of clothes for the afternoon. One of my favorite places to walk was the arch grounds near the river. The sidewalks were level and wide, and much of the area was tree-lined, so it seemed to be a bit cooler than on the hard concrete of those long city blocks.

Last Saturday morning, I was up early as I walked the city sidewalks with thousands of my brothers and sisters (approximately 66,000 of them) who had come downtown to walk and run in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I love seeing the faces of the survivors at this race. Their holy glow speaks louder than the constant chatter I am surrounded by. I smiled at one radiant survivor, being pushed along in her wheelchair by her cute little granddaughter. She had very little hair left from the treatments she was receiving. She looked weak, yet resilient. As the tune “I Will Survive” played over the intercom at the starting gate, this woman of faith was celebrating her very existence. She had made it to the starting gate, and was happy to be there. The look on this survivor’s face reminds me once again, that every human heart can experience amazing freedom, especially when we are pushing ourselves to live!

The survivors were exercising their faith muscles on Saturday. One little eight-year-old girl walked with a prosthetic leg in the race. I wondered if she knew just how much faith she was sharing by choosing to take a stroll that day. When we purposefully elect to exercise our faith and put a little muscle behind it, life happens in the most miraculous way! We can be a source of encouragement to the ones who cannot see the top of their mountain because the valley is so low. Through our actions and reactions, we can be a source of encouragement to each other, extending our hands to a brother or sister who needs a lift up and out of the trench they seem to be stuck in. Is your faith muscle in good working condition today, or is it weakened by lack of hope?

Job was looking for the Lord to the east and west, the north and south. He couldn’t find Him anywhere. Yet, through faith, Job knew God was there. He wasn’t sure exactly how his life would end, but he knew that God knew and that was enough to keep him out there, seeking the Lord’s face. Job had the assurance that can only come through a deep and abiding relationship with his Savior. No matter what the test, he would shine like gold before the Lord at the finish line.

Jesus Christ stands at the finish line of our life with His arms outstretched, waiting to receive us. For all who believe He is the only Son of the Great I Am, and call upon His name for forgiveness of sin and grace, we can begin a new race with Him at our side! Our finish line becomes the starting gate to an eternal life shared in the light of His amazing mercy, grace and love.

As the survivors crossed the finish line on Saturday, they were greeted by the loud and boisterous cheers of the crowd. They received roses and hugs from those awaiting their arrival. Job knew that at the end of his race, he would be greeted by the God he had come to love, and he would hear the applause and the shouts of his children who had gone on before him.

This morning, I am choosing to exercise my faith muscle. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt there is more to this life than what I can see with my physical eyes. I know the Lord Jesus Christ is standing at the finish line, reaching out to me in love. When life gets especially difficult, I pray that I may have the confidence of Job, knowing God has not abandoned me to be shattered and scattered in the wind and rain. He is here! He is alive! And that is more than enough to help me get out bed and stretch my faith muscle today.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the faith of Job! When we are struggling to survive, remember that faith is the certainty of all things hoped for, evidence of things yet to be seen. Cry out to Jesus today, and live!

________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, June 18, 2007

My Redeemer Lives!

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 19, 20, 21

Job 19:25-27 (NIV)

25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.

26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

27 I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Good morning!

What an amazing faith Job had! Still trusting God despite his numerous losses, Job continues to bless the Lord, even in the pit of his despair. He believed that God was punishing him, and even though he could not understand why, Job trusted God enough to be his Redeemer. No matter what happens, Job knows that his Redeemer will rescue him and he is not afraid to say it. How much faith does it take to move a mountain? The amazing faith of Job could have shattered the earth to its core. His Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, will stand upon the earth, and Job knows he will see Him, even when his own flesh fails. How do you find that kind of faith? Scripture teaches us that extreme faith is borne from extreme adversity, and Job knew adversity full well.

Throughout the Old Testament, we learn that a Redeemer is a family member who pays the price for a slave’s freedom, or chooses to care of a widow in her great need, also known as a kinsman Redeemer. Job trusted God to be his kinsman Redeemer, even after losing everything precious and meaningful to him. Could you trust God that much, when your life is absolutely falling apart? What if you lost your child or a spouse – could you trust God to be your kinsman Redeemer even in the midst of your grief? Could you trust Him to redeem you as you experience an illness that leaves you permanently scarred and disabled? Are you willing to cry out in faith, knowing in spite of it all, that your Redeemer lives?

Friday evening, I watched in awe as Dove and Grammy Award winner Nicole C. Mullen took the main stage at the Women of Faith Conference in Saint Louis, Missouri. I’ve listened to her music for years; yet, never had the opportunity until Friday night to see her perform live. In 2001, Nicole received two Dove awards, for Song of the Year, entitled Redeemer, and Songwriter of the Year. If you have not heard Nicole sing “Redeemer,” you are missing out on something very special. I would encourage you to listen to the song online, or you may order a copy of Redeemer: The Best of Nicole C. Mullen (Word, 2006) from your local Christian bookstore.

In this amazing testimony of mercy and grace, Nicole sings praise and thanksgiving to her kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ. “He lives to take away my shame, and He lives forever! I’ll proclaim that the payment for my sin was the precious life He gave. But now He is alive and there is an empty grave! I know my Redeemer lives!” Do these words speak of the Savior you know and love this morning?

Great faith is borne from great adversity. Job displayed great faith throughout his life. He honored the Lord when life was good. When life became a painful, lonely existence, Job continued to trust in the promises of his Redeemer. It is the same faith we carry in our hearts today, knowing no matter what happens, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, lives! He lives! He has washed our sin away through the spilling of His blood at Calvary. He hung and died there, for you. If you had been the only one on earth who needed redemption, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, would have come back just for you. Even when our flesh fails us, we can know without a doubt, that we will see our Redeemer and He will not leave or forsake us, even to the death. Through Jesus Christ, we have the promise of everlasting life in His holy presence.

So how strong is your faith this morning? Will you stand up today and sing, I know my Redeemer lives!”

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: assurance to know without a doubt that your Redeemer lives! He lives to set you free from the sin that separates you from God. Cry out to Jesus this morning. Not only will He hear you; He will save you and redeem you through the power of His blood. It’s a guarantee you can count on. We have His Word on it!

________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Walking with a heart limp

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Job 16, 17, 18

Job 17:11 (NIV)
[Job said] 11 “My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
[Paul said] 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

John 16:33 (NIV)
[Jesus said] 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.


Good morning!

Every year, I look forward to hearing from published author and renowned speaker Patsy Clairmont at the Women of Faith Conference. I like Patsy because she is short and sassy; someone I’d like to emulate when I grow up. She has a wit and charm about her that is a true gift of grace from God. If you’ve ever read any of Patsy’s books, you will know that she is a living, breathing, walking, talking miracle! Patsy was healed from an illness known as severe agoraphobia [the fear of open spaces.] This humble woman, who spent many years locked in seclusion within the confines of her home, now travels the globe with the Women of Faith team, spreading the Gospel message of Jesus Christ by speaking to thousands of people each week. Patsy’s message spoke to my heart this weekend, as she eloquently explained how the joy and healing she experiences through faith in Jesus Christ helps her navigate the valleys of life.

Job was walking with a heart limp through his valley of grief and despair. His bones were brittle and frail as the boils and sores caused from his physical infirmity continued to eat away at his flesh. Overwhelmed by immense physical and emotional pain, Job was more than ready to give up the fight. His three best friends were growing tired of listening to Job's unending rant. In a moment of sheer exasperation, Bildad exclaims: “When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk.” (Job 18:2 NIV). Do the people in your life ever get tired of listening to you complain?

In her book Dancing Bones: Living Lively in the Valley, Clairmont describes walking in the valleys of life with a heart limp. The faith that comes from knowing and loving Jesus Christ gives me hope and strength to walk in the valleys of my life. I’m not getting any younger, and I can promise you that my physical body is definitely on the downhill slide. Because I know a greater tomorrow is on its way, my heart is filled with a joyful exuberance that can only come through experiencing new life in Jesus Christ. Whenever I find myself stuck in a valley rut, I reposition myself so I can look up! There are some things in this world that we may never see clearly or understand. Knowing this suffering is a temporary situation, I hold onto the hope of Christ, weaving my way along the uneven path. My Lord is there, right beside me, every step of the way. Sometimes, I can feel Him holding my hand. Do you know what it is like to hold the nail-scarred hand of your Savior?

Jesus said we could expect trouble in this world – the good news is that He has already overcome it! Christ offers hope for all who are walking with a heart limp in the valleys of life.

Won’t you ask Jesus to take your hand and walk with you today? He has the power to heal your pain and calm your fears once and for all. Come join me in worship at Faith Church. Together, we can lift up our hands and hearts to the Lord. When Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed! It’s time to lose the limp!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: the peace of Christ to rest upon your heart today. There is great joy, knowing you don’t have to walk through the valleys of your life all alone. Ask Jesus to set you free! He will do it, if you will let Him. Will you let Him?
________________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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