His Strength Sustains Me

Psalm 144:1-2

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.

In sorrow, grief, battles in life—God offers hope.

As I write this, I'm thinking about the people of the Ukraine who are truly in battle for their country, their homes, and their lives. Their horrific situation weighs on me. I have friends with family serving as missionaries there, and we pray for them and seek God's protection on their behalf.

Life for the last few years has been more than difficult, we've found our world turned upside down. My family has lost three loved ones in three months. With sorrow in our hearts, we mourn. Yet while we mourn, we know God has his hands wrapped around our hearts with His comfort and peace.

This week as I drove to my sister's home a song came on the radio. This is How I Fight my Battles by Chris Tomlin took me to a place I needed. The words reminded me that I'm surrounded by the God who loves me more than I understand. At that moment God's hope filled me, and his strength sustained me.

Romans 8:28 reminds me of the hope I have as a believer in Jesus. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." No matter what happens, God's love stays the same. He knows the outcome and sees what's next. Faith in God sees me through the heartache and brings me hope.

Pray with me for the people of the Ukraine and the folks who are hurting.

Goodness: Victory is Mine

2 Peter 1:4-5a

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness…

Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The large box jutted over the end of the cart making it difficult for the woman to see where she was going. She managed to maneuver the awkward package to her car. With the trunk flipped open, she struggled to lift the box. A gentleman walked up to her and asked if she needed any help. At first she said no, but he encouraged her to allow his help. He placed the package in her car without difficulty. When she thanked him, he said it was his pleasure. He had just returned from the war and witnessed so much distress and evil, that he wanted to come home and do good. As she pulled away from this gracious stranger, she watched him approach another person in need.

The soldier fought in a physical war where he witnessed evil, destruction, and despair. I've not been in a battle with guns and warfare, but each day a spiritual war swirls around me. Satan and his army attempt sneak attacks and outright assaults. He wants me to make bad choices and ignore good. He lurks around waiting for me to wear down so that I might lose my patience, criticize others, or just give up on my walk with Jesus. But Satan does not win the war of good and evil because Jesus, like the soldier, carries my load. As I think about the new year approaching, I choose to do good. I put on my gospel armor and prepare for the battle of life. You see, I love Jesus and he loves me. Without him I lose the battle, but with him the victory is mine.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

What battles do you face?

What Am I Wearing Today?

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Working at a public college, I see all kinds of people. Every day I cross paths with folks I don't know; young people just starting their adult lives, weary parents taking classes and working, veterans of the military and veterans of life. I receive many smiles, but I also see sadness and a lot of stress. As I walk my path I'm reminded that everyone of these people has a story.

I read a quote recently that went something like this, If we could look into everyone's eyes, we'd see that each person is wrestling with a challenge. Everyone has their own experience with life and may be facing a battle this very day. I love Paul's reminder to the Colossians and to me. As I get dressed every morning I want to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Sometimes I'm the one in the battle, but even so, I still need to gather these weapons of beauty and make the day better for those I meet. It's a challenge, but with the Holy Spirit's help, it can be done. Will you help me spread kindness? Praise God for the  loving and caring spirits who've ministered to me.

Be Kind