Removing decay from our lives

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Hosea 7, 8, 9

Hosea 8:12 (NIV)

12 I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something alien.

Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Good morning!

I have a hard time visiting the dentist. It is on my top ten list of my least favorite things I do every six months. I’ve been blessed with healthy teeth for the most part. I’ve only had four fillings in my life, and each filling came about as a result of a pregnancy. I’ve had more than my fair share of orthodontia. I sported braces, head gear and rubber bands for five long years – all during junior high and high school. After five extractions and the surgical removal of four impacted wisdom teeth, the braces came off just six months before my wedding. The doctor begged me to wear a retainer, but I was far too vain for that. Over the years, my teeth have slowly shifted to a modified, imperfect alignment.

The dentist’s job is to identify and manage tooth decay. He does this by probing each tooth with a sharp instrument designed to locate weak spots in the enamel. He scrapes plaque build up and identifies areas of gingivitis along the gum beds. The exam can be torture, especially for someone like me. I tend to produce an awful lot of plaque. It’s a hard thing to expose my weaknesses to the dentist. After he completes the initial examination, a dental hygienist begins the process of cleaning my teeth. This sometimes takes up to an hour. The removal of built-up plaque is painful. The cold spray of the water makes each tooth ache. I brush and floss twice a day, so I often find myself wondering how this can build up so quickly. Once the torture ends, I leave the dentist office with a clean and shiny smile, happy to have survived yet another office visit.

The removal of sin and decay in our lives is a painful process. God’s Word is the probe that locates and identifies the sin that causes eternal decay in our lives. When His Word exposes our sin for what it truly is, the experience can be quite embarrassing. Hosea spoke God’s Word to His people, but they thought it had to be meant for someone other than them. After all, they were keeping their daily checkups with God. While going through their daily rituals and sacrifices, it wasn’t enough to keep the build up of sin and decay away. It would take more than just a daily habit to change their hearts and heal the sin that had eroded their lives.

The Pharisees could not accept a Savior who spent His days eating with tax collectors and sinners. Why would Jesus associate with them? The Lord heard the Pharisees’ words and replied, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Like a double-edged sword, the Word of God is intended to identify the decay in our hearts. We deceive ourselves when we believe that our daily ritual worship is something precious to God. He expects to see a healthy change emerge as a result of our daily worship and praise. Only He can break the hardened shell covering our hearts by the power of His redeeming love. God wants us to have mercy, compassion, feeling, and a genuine sense of caring for the world around us. We are all His children, and He expects us to love each other in the same way He loves every one of us.

Once the dentist eliminates the decay from our teeth, we celebrate a clean mouth and a fresh, healthy start once again. When God’s Word identifies and removes the sinful decay in our hearts, we become the grateful beneficiaries of a new life, a fresh start, and a softened, merciful heart.

God’s Word is not just for your neighbor. His Word is meant for you and me today. Won’t you open the Book and allow Christ to remove the decay and stains that have built up in your heart for far too long?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a good scrubbing! God can scrape out the decay and buildup of sin in your life. He can remove it if you will let Him. The Word of God speaks! Won’t you let the Savior of the world spend some time probing your heart this morning?

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© 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.

Casual sin

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Hosea 4, 5, 6

Hosea 6:1-3 (NIV)

1 “Come; let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us that we may live in His presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains; like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Good morning!

I was trying to count up the number of times I sinned yesterday and I think I lost track somewhere in between yelling at my husband, indulging in a three-minute pity party, and becoming not so patient with two very busy grandchildren. Casual sin creeps up like the river levels after a snowy winter meltdown. Am I really sorry for allowing those pesky feelings to override a common sense of right and wrong? I know there is a sweeter girl deep down inside, but sometimes, I lose sight of her. You might say I failed miserably at the “Fruit of the Spirit” challenge. Have you taken it lately? How would you rate yourself in the areas: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Do you springboard into the pool of casual sin often?

Hosea begged His people to stop misbehaving and take a serious look at how much harm they were bringing upon themselves and each other. It wasn’t so much what they were doing; their apathetic attitude and thoughtless disregard for repetitive sins seemed to be the greater issue. Hosea expressed grave concern over casual repentance. We mess up and say we’re sorry. We assume God will simply wipe the slate clean, over and over again. Do we really mean it? Was I sorry yesterday when I became emotional and testy? Do I deserve complete forgiveness when I approach sinful behavior by justifying my actions? Of course, I’m tired. It’s been a crazy week in our family. God surely understands and forgives my irrational outbursts. Should He? Maybe I should think twice before opening my mouth.

Oh, my dear friends, it is so easy to sin. We do it so often, we don’t even think about it. We take our Ten Commandment Checklist and check them off, one by one. We think we’ve got ourselves under control until we realize we have to give up control completely in order for God to take over and keep us safe from casual sin. I know God forgives me for those occasional outbursts when I’m truly sorry and seeking His mercy and grace. I hope my family will forgive me. We must not become so desensitized that we no longer recognize our sin for what it truly is and how it grieves the heart of our heavenly Father. Forgiveness is a perfect gift, and yet it came at such a great price.

The cycle of casual sin needs to end. With Christ’s help, we can break free from those little things that seem to add up during a twenty-four hour time slot. Come and let us return to the Lord today.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: Help to break the pattern of casual sin in your life. Like Hosea’s kin, we are drowning in the muck of repetitive, casual sin. Ask Jesus to help you become acutely aware of the little things that separate you from a holy and perfect Father. He will help you to overcome, and offer complete forgiveness IF you are truly sorry.

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© 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.

Loving the unlovable

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Hosea 1, 2, 3

Hosea 1:2 (NIV)

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”

Good morning!

Weddings are such fun! Filled with anticipation for a bright and happy future, the bride and groom promise to love, cherish and be faithful to each other every day for the rest of their lives. The vows roll off their tongues with every good intention. They make promises; only to struggle in keeping them. We want to believe that when we promise to love our spouse “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, and in sickness or in health,” we will actually receive better, richer and healthy. The ideal is what we want, but we don’t always get the ideal.

Hosea honored the Lord’s instruction by taking a wife who refused to be faithful. Gomer had many lovers, but no real sense of commitment to any of them. Her ability to trust Hosea completely had been shattered somewhere along life’s path. Deep down inside, Gomer was afraid if she trusted Hosea enough to give him her whole heart he would hurt her, just like every other person had done in her life. It was easier not to commit completely to anyone, especially her spouse.

Have you ever been hurt by someone you trusted and loved? We struggle to give our whole heart, holding back for fear of being abandoned. We wonder how someone could promise to love us forever, only to turn away when better turned to worse, riches turned to poverty, and health faded into sickness. God told Hosea his family life would not be easy. The wife he would take would be unfaithful. The children he would raise might not be his. And yet, God expected Hosea to forgive and love Gomer, in spite of her unfaithfulness.

In the human realm, it seems almost impossible to forgive repeatedly; to trust someone who has hurt you over and over again. Our judicial docket is full of domestic cases. Our judges listen to the many irreconcilable differences between couples who, at one time, promised to be there for each other forever. Inflicting pain and seeking revenge seem to be the only way to respond to the sins of a repeat offender. Have you ever tried to forgive the unforgivable?

The life of Hosea illustrates God’s love for His children. Over and over again, we have fallen into seasons of unfaithfulness. We make promises to the Lord and don’t keep them. We say we love Him and promise to follow Him every step of the way, but when it gets hard, we turn away. We blame Him for the trouble in our lives. We shake a holy fist at the Lord God Almighty, cursing Him with our lips, and hardening our hearts. We put up defenses and make excuses. And yet, He never stops loving us. His hope is that we will trust Him enough to take His hand, seek forgiveness, and allow Him to shelter us in His love. Just like Hosea, God gives us the choice whether to return or continue in unfaithful living.

Jesus Christ understands the heart of Gomer. He knows what it is like to be hurt and rejected. He came to rescue you and me from the things that keep us from trusting the Father completely. By the gift of grace and mercy, we can be restored to faithfulness. God’s love remains for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. He will never leave or forsake you. Trusting God completely means letting go of what you’ve experienced in the past, and allowing His Holy Spirit to do the saving work in your life. Will you open your heart to the only One who can heal your heart today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: God to give you a greater measure of faithfulness today. Your life may not be playing out the way you had hoped, but He has the power to help you forgive the unforgivable and love the unlovable. Ask Him to help you today. I’ll be there waiting to pray with you at the altar of Faith Church this morning. Come join me!

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© 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.

Desolate sanctuary

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Daniel 10, 11, 12; Psalm 119:49-72

Daniel 9:17-19 (NIV)

[Daniel prayed]: “Now, our God, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Good morning!

Daniel’s prayers are powerful. He had such a strong relationship with the Lord, it is no wonder Daniel could understand and interpret dreams and see the visions of God. How I long to apply the lessons learned from the life example of this special man of God.

There is no doubt that Daniel knew God hears and answers his every prayer. Where does that kind of confidence come from? Do you ever wonder whether the Lord is hearing you? Many people become discouraged in prayer because they do not see the answer immediately. Some prayers take a lifetime to answer, and there are many prayers that may not be resolved in our lifetime. For instance, look at how long the faithful have prayed for Christ’s second coming. He is coming again, as Scripture promises - there is no doubt of it. The time seems near, and yet, God’s timing is not our timing. His perfect plan will be revealed when He chooses. And for those of us who are anxiously waiting to see Him again, sometimes we wonder, “Why not now?” Generations have pondered the same thing. Some people have even tried to pinpoint the day and hour of Christ’s return. Jesus himself said that no one would know the day or hour of His coming. He instructed the believers to be ready, to keep their lamps lit, and to pray, watch and wait. This is just one example of a prayer that has not yet been fulfilled.

I have asked God the question, “Why me, Lord?” Have you ever asked God why something has happened in your life? Maybe you’ve suffered some sort of abuse as a child. Someone you loved and trusted left you after promising they would stay with you forever. Maybe you’ve lost a parent or child or grandchild to death and the grief has been so overwhelming, you couldn’t help but ask God why He would allow this. Illnesses, injuries, and unplanned, sudden tragedies leave us asking God, “Why me?” Sometimes God reveals His answer to us immediately, and sometimes His answer takes years to discover. We can become stubborn and hard of hearing when God reveals His answer to us and it is not what we really want to hear. Have you ever ignored the voice of the Lord when His answer was not the one you expected to hear? I asked a big “why me” question that continued for almost forty-one years. Bad things happen to good people, and sometimes bad things happen to innocent little children. I wondered and waited, stewed and steamed about something that hurt me deeply when I was a kid. It wasn’t until our grandson Jett came to live with us for a short time in 2004 that I finally began to understand “why me.” We have a very special bond. Jett and I understand each other and that makes our relationship unique. Had I not had personal life experience to draw from, I would have not had the sensitivity and camaraderie with this precious one of God. I imagine Jett and I will always be close knit, simply because of one shared experience forty-one years apart in time. God answered my why question when He gave me this precious little boy to love.

Daniel never beat around the bush when it came to confessing sin. He made it the centerpiece of every conversation. Daniel put himself in the place of his people. He asked God to look with favor upon His desolate sanctuary. There are times when I feel like a desolate sanctuary, empty and dark, filled with shame and wondering if this pain will ever end. When we daily confess our sin, it’s like sloughing off the dry skin that blocks our pores from breathing every time we bathe. It is a spiritual cleansing, opening ourselves up to the healing power and grace of God. Think about confessing your sin every time you shower. It is a visual for what you are ridding yourself of spiritually – the dirt and grime that keeps you from feeling clean and redeemed. Like a child begging for a handout from the bank of Mom and Dad, sometimes we get in such a hurry to ask God for the things we want that we forget to ask Him for the most important thing of all – His forgiveness. We must come before the Lord in perfect humility, knowing He is the only One who has the power to redeem us for everlasting life.

Take a closer look at the prayers of Daniel today. If you are feeling like a desolate sanctuary, step into the shower of God’s grace and love. Confess your sin, and ask Him for the forgiveness you so desperately need. He hears and answers every prayer you pray. Sometimes the answer is immediate. Many prayers take years before we see the end result. We may never know some of the answers to our prayers in this life. Trust God in all things, no matter what your circumstance, knowing He knows your heart, hears your cries for help, and answers your every prayer.

It is time to come clean and offer the Lord your whole heart. Won’t you join me in prayer today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a cleansing shower of grace and mercy from above. Like Daniel, we can confess our sin and ask for redemption, knowing God hears and answers our every prayer. God takes the desolate sanctuary in each of us and revives it for Kingdom work. Are you willing to allow Him to clean up your life, once and for all?

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© 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.

Soul security

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Daniel 7, 8, 9

Daniel 2:19b-23 (NIV)

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. 21 He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells in Him. 23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Good morning!

There are times when being a visionary is like living in a nightmare. Have you ever tried to see the good in a pitiful set of circumstances? Have you ever clung to the hope that there will be a better day, even when there is no concrete evidence to support your thesis? Are you an eternal optimist, much to the dismay of those around you?

Daniel was a true visionary. He, along with thousands others, found themselves held in captivity in Babylon. He was surrounded by the pagan belief system of the Babylonian empire, serving their kings for sixty years. This would have been more than enough to discourage even the most positive person. Still, Daniel refused to live in fear and despair. He knew, without a doubt, despite any circumstance or situation, God was holy and faithful. His plan for salvation would work itself out in God’s timing and in God’s way. Daniel trusted in the “soul security” of Almighty God.

Soul security is a gift of God and this comforts me every day. Like a revolving bank card with unlimited resources, I can draw from the Lord’s savings account and immediately receive His peace that passes all understanding, even when life seems hopeless. God’s reservoir of love never dries up or runs out when you claim His sovereignty over your life. Admitting that God is sovereign means that you are willing to let go of your desire to control the outcome. Trusting God’s sovereignty is surrendering your free will to the will of the Father, not just in some things, but in all things. We can learn a lot from the faithfulness of Daniel. He refused to dwell in the present. He was forward thinking, always hopeful, and willing to allow the Lord to reveal His bigger picture to him.

Daniel was a dreamer. Many of the dreams I have had throughout my life I cannot recall in full. So many of them made so little sense, and what I remember most are the scariest parts. Daniel’s dreams were like living nightmares. God revealed glimpses of great mysteries and the “distant future” to Daniel and he was willing to listen, see and write what he saw. Daniel praised God for the gift of vision. He said, “[God] reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; you have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Would you be willing to dream the dreams of Daniel? How much faith does it take to see beyond the pain and suffering of a world that continues to struggle? We experience the ravages of disease, and suffering every day. We only need to walk as far as a hospital emergency room to see someone suffering extreme pain. We encounter the ravages of natural disasters – earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, drought, extreme temperatures, and global warming. The fish in the sea, birds of the air, our livestock and even human beings die from exposure to these elements. Daniel’s world was not any different from ours. He saw how the human condition manifested itself in the hearts of a pagan world. In the visions, he saw God’s plan revealed. Absolutely nothing shook Daniel’s faith. He knew Almighty God would win the day. The battle for souls would be won. Daniel saw the plan of salvation revealed and he clung to faith in God alone.

There is soul security waiting for you at the foot of the cross today. Open your heart to God’s sovereignty in the redemptive love of Jesus Christ. If you will just let go long enough to grab onto to the hand of the Lord, He will fill you with insurmountable hope, no matter who you are or what your life’s circumstance may be.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a little soul security to carry you through life’s circumstances. You can be a visionary too, just like Daniel. Are you willing to place your total trust in the sovereignty of God?

___________________________________________

© 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.

Climbing faith mountain

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Daniel 4, 5, 6

Mark 5:30-34 (NIV)

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding around you,” His disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Good morning!

I’ve learned a lot about faith walking simply by observing my children and grandchildren through the years. What may come naturally to an innocent heart seems to fade as time and experience falls upon those who are well-seasoned in the journey of daily living. Where does faith fade and pessimism rise? How can a child trust so completely while parents shake their heads in utter disbelief? What does it take for true faith to take flight in the hearts of those who trust Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord?

I’ve listened with interest to the prayers of my grandchildren Joshua and Emily this week. On Saturday night, their mommy and daddy tucked them into bed with kisses and hugs, promising they would be there when they awoke to the morning sunlight. When morning came, mommy and daddy were not in their bedroom. They were at the hospital, where mommy found herself struggling to climb up a faith mountain. The grand children were glad to see me, and “Nanny” is always happy to hug her sweet babies. But oh, how I longed to give them back their parents! Sometimes life just isn’t fair at all, but God is good all the time, and on this fresh, new Sunday morning, there was no fear across the faces of my dear ones. We held hands while Joshua and Emily asked Jesus to make mommy better, and then they asked me to fix their breakfast! It was done – one simple little prayer spoken from the mouths of tiny babes. I saw faith take flight as their prayer was released into the earth’s atmosphere. The answers came before their simple requests were made. It was just that fast. And it is an amazing thing to watch how tiny steps of faith unfold along the spiritual hiking trail.

All our Rachel ever wanted was to have a large family, with lots and lots of babies. I don’t remember how many dollies Rachel raised in her childhood, yet there were many she holds dear to her even today. Little Emily sleeps with Rachel’s first doll, a blond baby with sweet little dimples named “Honey.” Emily shows as much affection for that doll as Rachel did when she was a child. I wonder if nurturing passes from mother to child as their dollies are passed from generation to generation. Rachel fought hard to have her children. If you have never suffered with endometriosis, you may not fully understand the lengths Rachel went through to conceive and bring forth new life. She had four surgeries to remove endometrial scar tissue while she was a teenager, long before she ever married. Rachel developed a strong stomach and a high pain threshold, refusing to live in fear. There is no way I could have done what she went through have children. I learned more about building a gutsy faith muscle by watching how my daughter works out spiritually each day. She is one strong woman, that child of mine. And when I grow up, I want to be just like her.

In the first set of biopsies, Rachel’s physician talked to us about what endometrial scar tissue looks like when it is left inside a woman’s womb. He said he could see Rachel’s endometriosis resembling thick cords running through and around her cervical lining. Because of Rachel’s previous surgeries, I was convinced the doctor would be cutting through a great deal of scar tissue to excise the cancerous womb from her body. I hugged the stuffing out of Rachel’s oncologist, who had not known our daughter until now. She had not seen or lived with what we had experienced for years and years. I did a happy dance when her oncologist told us that other than the cancer which was contained in the cervix, her womb looked perfectly healthy, with no scarring anywhere! Only the Lord Jesus Christ can cut through the thick scars imprinted upon our lives and remove them with just one touch from His miraculous, healing hand.

Last night, when Rachel returned from recovery, she rolled her head toward me and said, “All gone?” It was my privilege to lean over my baby’s hospital bed and whisper the good news, “There is no more cancer, honey. It’s all gone.” I could sense the presence of Christ holding my baby girl in His arms and saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Three incredible little people have graced our lives because of the faith-filled determination of a family who chooses to live life trusting in Jesus Christ. Rachel and Dave have been truly blessed! There is no greater joy than the gift of new life. Yesterday, we experienced His precious gift again.

I read the words to a Hallmark® card yesterday as I opened our daily mail. I have no idea who wrote this tender verse but I would suspect it was a person of great faith. The card simply says, “I’m strong enough to rise above most any troubled time… Today may be a mountain, but I was born to climb.” Jesus calls us to climb a faith mountain for Him each day. When we pray, we place our total trust in the One who changes everything. We ask God for the things we can only hope for and evidence of things not yet seen. We know He has the power and authority to do it and we claim it all in His precious name. Power flows out and peace flows in like the rush of the ocean at evening tide. Our prayers were heard and answered before the words were ever spoken. Thank you Jesus! Help us climb a faith mountain as we place our total trust in you.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: greater faith! Ask Him to teach you how to climb the faith mountain in your life. A simple prayer prayed in faith always works! When we stop trusting in our own abilities and begin trusting in the only One who can make the difference, everything shifts and His power is released. We are born climbers. Won’t you join me for a hike up faith mountain 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.

When the bleeding won't stop

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Daniel 1, 2, 3; Psalm 119:25-48 (NIV)

Jeremiah 31:16-17 (NIV)

16 This is what the Lord says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord. “They will return from the land of the enemy,

17 so there is hope for your future,” declares the Lord. “Your children will return to their own land.”

Mark 5:24-29 (NIV)

24 So Jesus went with them. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

Good morning!

If you are a parent, you’ve probably made a couple of emergency room runs with children who have injured some part of their body after a sports injury or fall. “Stitches” has become a household word at the Spaulding home. Our three-year-old granddaughter Emily calls them “itches.” We sport our scars, like trophies sitting in a lighted display case. “Yeah, I got this scar was when I ran into my friend Billy at football practice. You should see the mark I left on him. It was cool!” Or, you may hear your baby say with clinched teeth and a brave face, “I’m okay, Mom. It doesn’t hurt all that much.”

Accidents happen. Our babies fall down and get hurt. We spent a couple of memorable hours in the emergency room with our young son David when he went cruising into the corner of a table at a Christian daycare center. He hit his head, just above the right eye. Arriving to pick David up, we saw his teacher was sitting on the floor in a blood stained shirt, rocking our David in her arms. Kneeling all around her were David’s classmates and friends. With hands folded and eyes closed, they were praying for David’s owwee to stop bleeding and get better. We took a closer look at his blood-stained face. David’s eyebrow was laid open and hanging down below his eyelid. There was no doubt about it – this kid was going to need “itches” and he had ten of them that day.

Sometimes the bleeding just won’t stop without the touch of a physician’s healing hand. That woman who stood in the crowd waiting for the Lord to pass by, was risking her very life to see Him. She was ceremonially unclean, having a hemorrhage that lasted for twelve years. Shunned and abandoned by her family and friends, she sought the help of every medical professional she could find. No matter what home remedy she tried, the bleeding would not stop. In quiet desperation, she knew her only hope of survival was to reach out and touch the Master Healer. Only He could stop her bleeding once and for all. It was a risk worth taking; a now or never decision. When Jesus passed by, all she could do was reach out and touch the hem of His garment. And in that holy moment of extreme faith, her health was fully restored and she was made completely whole.

Every human being experiences suffering and pain at some point in life. It is a part of the journey. When we bleed out, the life we once knew begins to slip through our fingers. We feel exhausted, isolated and alone. We lose our focus, and we may lose hope. No matter how hard we try, we cannot seem to fix it, mend it, or make the bleeding stop.

If you find yourself suffering with an open wound today, there is hope at the foot of the cross. You may have been hemorrhaging for years, grieving a loss or some pain that has never completely healed; or you may be experiencing an illness or injury that refuses to mend on its own. When we cannot control the flow, it is time to turn to the great physician for help. The master healer can take every hurt and heal it, with just one touch of His holy hand.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the bleeding to stop, once and for all. Ask Jesus to heal you today. Reach out and touch the hem of His garment, and experience His peace, as you place your total faith in Him. God promises to dry our tears and restore our lives to wholeness. Are you ready to be made whole?

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© 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.

Measuring perfection

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Ezekiel 40, 41, 42 (NIV)

Ezekiel 42:15; 20 (NIV)

15 When [God] had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, He led [Ezekiel] out by the east gate and measured the area all around.

20 So [God] measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Good morning!

My father carried a tape measure in his pocket. He was a perfectionist with everything he did. I’ve never met anyone quite as meticulous as my dad. We couldn’t just “hang” a picture on the wall. It had to be perfectly symmetrical with the height and width of the wall. Furniture was centered perfectly. My mother said she never moved the sofa herself to vacuum because it was so heavy. I think it had more to do with my father’s opinion of where the sofa was repositioned on the wall. He moved it for her while she cleaned the carpet, and then, with his trusty tape measure, realigned the sofa in just the right spot.

I love to scrapbook. Like everything else in my life, I believe true art should celebrate its imperfections. I can be pretty fast at the Saturday scrapbooking crops I attend. Sometimes, I compete with my girlfriends just to see how many pages I can finish in one eight-hour sitting. It is not uncommon for me to compile a small album in one fell swoop, journaling excluded. Some of my friends spend weeks just getting one page perfectly formed. I just slap on the stickers and go! I’ve learned from experience that I can never get a scrapbook page to be absolutely perfect. It is a work in progress. I’m telling a life story, a continuing saga, and that always leaves room for change and growth.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Ezekiel to follow the Lord around, studying God’s handiwork? The Lord is perfecting His temple. Every length, every corner, every decoration was in perfect harmony and consistent with God’s master plan. He is the author and designer of His creation. I know He expects perfection from me, and one day, I will reach His goal for my life as He perfects me in His love. I’m not there yet – not even close. I know one day the imperfect pages of my life’s work will someday become His perfect work of art in me.

How do we measure perfection in life? We look to the Father, the author and perfecter of our faith. We see His glory revealed through the life, death and resurrection of His only Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. I am His work in progress. He is not finished with my heart just yet.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: holiness of heart. More than anything else, I long to stand before my Father perfected in Christ’s love without His covering, we fall short of the mark. God expects perfection from you and me. I pray that in that holy moment, He will change us from imperfection to His perfection. Until then, we move forward by faith.

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© 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.

Genetic defect

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Ezekiel 38, 39; Psalm 118 119:1-24 (NIV)

Psalm 119:147-149 (NIV)

147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your Word.

148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promises.

149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your law.

Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)

22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Good morning!

I sat in numb silence, listening to the most horrifying words I think I’ve ever heard. “The doctor said that I have a rare cancer, caused from a genetic defect. It is hereditary.” Like a broken, repetitive record, I’ve played this conversation over and over again in my mind. How I wish it were not so.

Jeff and I have been parents for twenty-eight years. There is nothing that has brought greater joy into our lives than the relationship we share with our three children. We love them so. There isn’t anything we would rather have than to see our children living healthy and happy lives. What parent would not want to give their child the very best of everything? If we could simply pluck the sun, moon and stars from the sky and place them in the hands of our sparkling-eyed babies, wouldn’t we try? Our children had a bedroom ceiling full of stars and planets when they were little. We bought them at the five and dime store one Saturday morning. At night, when the lights were off, the galaxy would come alive, producing a beautiful, pale reflection of itself across the bedroom sky. Just like those stars, our children are beautiful, shining reflections of our love.

Most parents could never imagine passing something along to their children that might actually hurt them. We go out of our way to protect and shield our kids from harm. A genetic defect is simply not acceptable to me. And yet, no matter how hard we try not to, we inadvertently pass our imperfections along. How many bad habits have my children picked up by simply observing me? If I tell them not to misbehave, and then disobey my own instruction, I’ve set the bar at hypocrisy. Medical researchers have proven that many of the addictions and compulsions we face can be traced through our genealogy. Problematic health issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, birth defects, and yes, even cancer, can be passed from one generational line to the next. We are predisposed to an imperfect heritage, and that makes it easy for us to say things like, “we are byproducts of our parents. We simply can’t help ourselves. It’s how we’re made. We have no choice in the matter.” The ills of our kin seem to follow us, like the bad breath we taste after ingesting a spicy meal. It revisits us over and over again. Is there nothing we can do to break the cycle? Can a genetic defect be fully cured?

The sin of Adam follows humanity throughout the ages. From generation to generation, we have managed to pass those slimy imperfections and sin along to our children, their children, and their children’s children. Paul reminds us that while sin entered the world through one man, with death the resulting consequence, how much more did God’s grace and the gift of life that comes by Jesus Christ, overflow to many! (Romans 5:12-15 NIV). The healing power of Jesus Christ is the anecdote to our genetic defect. When we recognize our need for healing and restoration, the Lord of life is waiting to free us from the sins that separate us from God. Genetic defects are covered by God’s grace through the power of Christ’s cleansing blood. When we ask Jesus to save us, He keeps His promise.

If I could give my children the sun, moon and stars, I would do it in a heartbeat. The only gift I have to offer, and the only gift worth giving, is the awesome love my Jesus has given to me. I pass it along to them today, praying they will find peace and wholeness, especially when a genetic defect rears its ugly head. There is perfect peace, especially when we struggle with an imperfect life. Cry out to Jesus, and live!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the anecdote to your genetic defect. You may have been predisposed to some pretty rotten things, and if you are struggling to survive, there is hope for you! Let the grace of God through the love of Christ, cover your sin, heal your heart, and give you His peace today. All you have to do is ask Him.

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© 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.

The valley of dry bones

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Ezekiel 35, 36, 37 (NIV)

Ezekiel 37:1-6 (NIV)

1 The hand of the Lord was upon [Ezekiel], and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Good morning!

Getting my body out of bed is not always easy. I admit that I have old, dry bones. They fight me, especially in the early morning. Stiff and brittle, sometimes my fingers hurt as I move them across the keyboard. If I sit just a little too long, my legs feel like rubber underneath me. Do you experience shin splints or body aches that radiate from the joints connecting your bones together? If I squat down to retrieve something from the floor, my knees often sound like a popcorn popper over a hot flame. The bone density scan I have every three years tells the story. If my flesh were gone, those bones would resemble the ones Ezekiel saw with his own eyes in the valley of the shadow of death.

What is it like to walk through the valley of dry bones? Ezekiel must have shuddered in fear and despair. A dark and lonely place where no signs of life could possibly exist; a land where the remains of people long gone lay brittle and broken on the dry desert floor. The possibility that anyone could breathe life into these fragmented, disintegrated bone chips was beyond the prophet’s imagination. When God asked Ezekiel if these bones could live again, Ezekiel answered God with the only answer he could muster: “Lord, you alone know.”

Everyone suffers with dry, brittle bones at some point in their life. Maybe you have a physical illness or infirmity that is sapping the life from your body. A stressful time at home or work has taken the last ounce of energy you have, and your heart feels bitter and broken. You may want to give it up, believing there is no reason to go on. You have no more tears to cry. Your heart has become brittle and hard, like the bones lying on the desert floor. Are you walking through the valley of the shadow of death? Has all your hope faded away?

There are moments when we can feel trapped in the valley with no way to escape. Sometimes what we see with our physical eyes leads us to believe nothing more can be done. Thank God He has the wisdom and power to see and act beyond what we dub as a hopeless, helpless matter. With one breath, God can blow life-giving air into what we thought was dead. Healing can occur even in the valley of dry bones. There is no problem, health issue, or situation beyond the reach and restoration of our God.

The Lord gave Ezekiel hope for the future of Israel through his vision. There is hope for the hardest heart, healing for every broken life. There are some things we cannot fix, no matter how hard we try. But God can do all things. He has the power and authority to breathe everlasting life into a lost soul.

If you find yourself walking in the valley of dry bones today, look up and ask God for His healing breath over your life. He gives abundant and everlasting life to those who will repent and believe.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: healing for your dry and brittle bones. The breath of God changes everything.

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© 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.

Weeping willow

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Ezekiel 33, 34; Psalm 117

Psalm 117 (NIV)

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.

2 For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Ezekiel 17:5-6 (NIV)

5 [Ezekiel] took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, 6 and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.

Good evening!

An ornamental weeping willow tree proudly stood in the middle of the circle drive where I played as a child. It was a beautiful hybrid mix, resembling a Chinese Peking and a European White. Standing in its majestic form, the shelter underneath the slender, graceful branches made for a wonderful playhouse. The children in our neighborhood gathered there to play board games, do homework, and dream. The root system of a weeping willow lends itself to toughness. This tree has a tenacity for living a long, long time. It was my hiding place, a secret space where I often experienced the love and shelter of God.

Michael was my dear playmate and friend. He lived just across the street from our house. When we were five and three years old respectively, Michael asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes, and I practiced our wedding march every day in the costume wedding gown my mother had ordered from the Sears catalog. When Michael was eight years old, he began to fall down on the playground at school. His speech became slurry. A concerned teacher contacted Michael’s parents. Later that week, Michael was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a malignant brain tumor. The doctors successfully removed the growth but Michael suffered some irreparable brain damage as a result. He missed almost a year of school. When he was well enough to return, his disability necessitated that he attend special school. A bright yellow school bus would stop every morning to pick Michael up at his home. Unfortunately, the bus was too long to make a turn around the large weeping willow in the circle drive. With the neighborhood’s blessing, the City took the tree down so that Michael’s bus could easily fetch him for school each day.

That willow tree would have grown back had it not been for the layers of asphalt poured over its root system. It seemed like such a small sacrifice at the time, to help a dear friend in need. Still, the children in our neighborhood missed seeing our willow tree every day. We knew it was there, watching us from above as we played games in the circle drive. We were very thankful that our friend Michael had survived his illness. Michael’s physical infirmities never got in the way of his sweet, loving spirit. He was an earth angel to all of us.

The branches of a beautiful weeping willow blew softly in the breeze by the lake that sits in front of my office building. Staring at its timeless, intrinsic beauty, I was reminded of the love God has for you and me. A faithful and constant friend, God shelters you like the tender branches of the weeping willow. His root system is strong, nourishing and protecting His children day by day. He is the tree of life, extending faithfulness and everlasting love to all who call upon His name. Like our weeping willow tree, God even allowed Himself to be cut down just to save a dying soul. We may not always see Him, yet we know He is there, holding our hands and offering hope to the hopeless.

Come and enjoy the love of God tonight. Won’t you come and play underneath the weeping willow?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: His loving arms to hold you. He is a strong tower, and He will shelter you and carry you through every infirmity you face in life.

___________________________________________

© 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.