Safe In His Hand

By Jeannine Sawall

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

It wasn’t too long ago that I was shopping with my nine-year-old son. We had parked the car, gotten out, and were walking toward the store through a busy parking lot. As we rounded the car and headed out into the busy thoroughfare, his hand reached up and linked with mine. I looked down at his little red head and smiled. I said to him, “Josh, I like holding your hand…how much longer do you think you will want to hold mine when we walk?”  He took a moment to ponder the question and responded, “I think when I’m ten, then I’ll be okay to walk by myself. When I’m ten, I will know how to be safe.”

His simple answer brought tears to my eyes. Not because the day when he felt he would be safe and didn’t need to hold my hand was coming sooner rather than later, but because he knew my hand was  there to provide safety and comfort. Walking in that busy parking lot with our hands linked meant he did not have to fear; his mom was there to protect him. He no longer had to be dismayed or worried, since I would not let him go where he would get hurt. I loved knowing he knew that!

It wasn’t too many days later, I came upon the verse in Isaiah and the Lord impressed upon me that He has His hand out, ready to protect me, to help me, to strengthen me…and all I have to do is rest in it. It was such a startling picture in my mind - - imagining my hand linked with God’s, knowing I did not have to be afraid of or worry about anything. Being assured that He is always there, offering that same love and concern I had offered to my child.

As much as we love and protect our children, doing whatever we can to make them feel loved, safe and secure, the Lord is there providing the same love, protection and care…only infinitely more than we can even imagine. He says do not  fear or be dismayed. He wants us to have that same sense of security in Him that our children have in us. Whatever you have going on in your life, reach out and grab the Father’s hand; He won’t let you go where His hand can’t safely keep you.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What in your life causes you to be dismayed or fearful?

2.  Do you trust the Father to keep you safely in His hand?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 121:7; Jude 1:24; Psalm 91:1-7

Jeannine is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in property management and is a part of the Special Events team for Oakwood’s We Women ministries.

God Knows

By Lisa Boyer

“What is the price of two sparrows - - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

Matthew 10:29 (NLT)

One day, probably a bad day (I don’t recall exactly), a friend and I were talking and we began discussing Matthew 10:29. I informed her that in spite of the many sermons I’d heard on that verse, I didn’t find it to be very comforting… “He may know, but in the end,” I said, “the sparrow’s still dead.” Maybe our sense of humor is a bit off, but at the time, we both found it very funny…or maybe we laughed because the reality of the statement could have made us cry…I’m not really sure.

Today, I changed my mind.

This morning, this same friend and I were chatting on Facebook about how hard life can be at times and she brought up the sparrow. I have to admit it brightened my day. I found myself thinking about it all morning and smiling…He may know, but in the end the sparrow’s still dead. He may know, but… that’s when it hit me - - it is  an encouraging verse! 

Now this verse reminds me that nothing is outside of God’s knowledge or ultimate control. Life happens, death happens, and God knows about all of it. I heard a statement once that said, God did not wake up this morning and say, “Whoa, I didn’t see that coming.”  He knows. He really  knows.

So hearing (or saying) “the sparrow is still dead” is now followed by a voice in my head that compassionately and emphatically states HE KNOWS. Not in that He knows and did nothing  or He knows and didn’t care  way, but in that He knows and He’s hurting right there with me  sort of way.

Life is hard, whether by our choices, the choices of others, or the effects of a broken world; even so, God knows. And not only does He know, He intimately cares. After all, “you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10: 31b).

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Have you been discouraged by the difficulties of life? Today, will you trust in God’s care and love for you, no matter what the circumstances?

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 6:26; Luke 12:6-7, 22-32

Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.

Imitation

By Tracy Smith

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

1 John 2:6 (NLT)

The first time I heard the country song Watching You,  by Rodney Atkins, it really hit home to me as a parent.  The song starts out with a dad and his four-year-old son driving along and when the dad has to hit the brakes, the boy spills his food and lets a four-letter word fly. When the dad asks where the son learned that word, the son replies with:

"I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad?
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you."

The song goes on to show the dad's reaction and give another nugget on the son and his imitations:

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin’ on my son’s Scooby-Doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin’ to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”  [1]

Of course, the son goes on to repeat the chorus quoted above, that he learned to pray from watching and imitating his dad. That song always reminds me that our children are watching and learning from us at all times. Luckily, like this song states, they don't just learn our bad habits, but our good ones too - - despite our "stupid selves!"

My next train of thought was that there is only one ONE person whom we can imitate and not learn any bad habits: Jesus. The Bible tells us to look to Jesus as our example and to imitate Him and those that imitate Him.  The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

I have to ask myself, when people look at me, do they see Jesus?

GOING DEEPER:

1.    When people look at you, do they see Jesus?

2.    If not, what can you do to change that?

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 16:24; John 13:15; Luke 6:40

[1] Rodney Atkins, Watching You; Curb Records 2006

Along with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and leads a great group of Junior High girls.

Nested Under His Wings

By Elin Henderson

“…I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.”

Psalms 61:4b (NKJV)

When we were young, one of my sisters received a set of intricately painted wooden Matryoskha, or “nesting dolls,” from a Russian friend. As you removed one doll shell and opened it, you found another identical, but slightly smaller, one inside. Each doll had another smaller doll inside, until you reached the last tiny doll, nested and hidden safe and sound in the center. 

I can’t help but think of these dolls when I read Psalms 61:2-4. The first part of the verse reminds us that there is a “rock that is higher than I.” This is a great comfort to us in our overwhelming lives. However, I never took the time to read beyond this to verses 3 and 4. For some, David’s imagery is comprised of separate word-pictures, but for me, I envision a connection: that rock is a shelter, that in that shelter is a tower, that tower is a tabernacle, and in that tabernacle are His wings of safety.

You may wonder what wings this passage is referring to? Some theologians would reference the fact that The Old Testament tabernacle had two rooms. One was the Holy Place that the priests entered daily. The other was the Holy of Holies that the High Priest entered only once a year to sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat to seek atonement for Israel’s sins of the past year. 

In the Holy of Holies, the most recognized wings were those of the two Cherubim. The wings of these two Cherubim covered the Mercy Seat. There was no safer place to be hidden than under the wings of the Cherubim on the Mercy Seat.

When we come to Him with overwhelmed hearts, consider envisioning the Matryoskha dolls: we can rest assured the He will nestle us under his wings, in the tabernacle, in the tower that is in the shelter that is on the rock. Now, that is what I call being nested in safety!

GOING DEEPER:

1. What changes for you when you recognize that we are indeed safely nestled under His wings…even when the outlook of your life might seem so overwhelming?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 57:1; Psalm 91:4; Psalm 17:18

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to eleven-year-old Callie and nine-year-old Elias.

The Comfort We Need

By Jennie Pierce

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” 

Romans 8:18

It’s the bittersweet reality of life. And, for a small rural high school tucked away in Colorado’s northeast corner, death has made no exception. As students weep, ache, and mourn, they ask the inevitable - - and most times the unanswerable - - “Why?”  Why a young sophomore boy whose future looked so bright and promising? Hallways teem with echoing cries as students seek comfort through hugs, talks, silence. “Really, God?  Really?”  Yes, I, too, dare ask the raw, bold question. In all the ugliness that life throws at us, how can there be hope or comfort?  ? 

It is in dark times like this, we need to remember that all is not as it should be. Since the Fall, all of creation - - mankind included - - is groaning. This groaning draws us, as humans, to desire and long for something MORE. And, in our weakness, when we find ourselves in utter desperation without words to pray to the Father, the Spirit, Himself, “intercedes for us with groans that [our] words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

Yes, even in despairing times, we can rejoice, knowing that one day, all will be as it should be.  Our God is at work “for the good of those who love Him” (v. 28) and when it seems all else is against us, He is still FOR us (v. 31)!  All will be as it should be someday because God has promised that He will finish it! Until that day, we do more than just survive. We thrive…because there IS hope, comfort and encouragement.  Those who are God’s have the pleasure of living in real love - - God’s love  - - the kind of love that cannot be taken away (v. 36).  And we continue to live in real victory! A victory powered by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. 

Elizabeth Elliot so poignantly reminds us that “pain is necessary to all of us… that out of the deepest pain [comes] the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God.”(1)  In the meantime, when we help, love, serve and encourage those around us, we are giving others a small taste of the glory that is coming! The way life was meant to be! Even come quickly, Lord Jesus.

GOING DEEPER:

1. Memorize Romans 8:18

2. Write down questions you may have about why there is pain in the world. Ask God to give you His thoughts and perspectives through His Word, the Bible.

FURTHER READING:

Romans 8:18-39

(1)  Elizabeth Elliott, http://dailychristianquote.com/dcqelliot.html (Jan. 2012)

Formerly at Oakwood Church, we share Jennie with a church in rural northeast Colorado, where she ministers with her husband/pastor and is the mother of two teenagers and a college student.  She is active in her church’s musical worship ministry and works as a para support at their local public school.

The Fitting

Becci Terrill

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:40

I recently did something I’ve never done before. In my 40’s, I’m finding my “garments” just weren’t fitting right, so when I walked by a well-known store and saw a “SALE” sign, I decided to try some on.  As I entered the fitting room, an attendant asked if I would like to have a fitting. I hesitated, as pride almost got the better of me, and then decided to take her up on her offer. The next ten minutes were so informative! Not only did she help me find the right size (I’m embarrassed to say how much I was off!), she also helped me find the right style for my body! What a difference the right choice can make! 

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience, and can laugh with me. As I thought about this example, however, I couldn’t help but wonder what other areas of my life needed a “fitting.” Had life and schedules changed so that Bible study, prayer and personal time with the Lord didn’t “fit” as well as they had at other times?  Were areas of service for the Lord “fitting” for my current season of life? I still needed all of these pieces in my life, but perhaps I needed an updated “fitting” to continue growing spiritually.

Just because I’ve always had devotions in the morning, doesn’t mean that’s the only time, or the best time, for this period of my life. What time of day would allow the most undisturbed fellowship with the Lord? Are there new areas where the Lord may want me to serve as He stretches me and I grow spiritually?

The young store attendant suggested that I come in for a fitting every six months, as everyone’s body changes. It sounds like a good idea for my spiritual life, too. Not to see IF spiritual activities fit, but what “fit” will allow a deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus and glorify Him with my life. 

Who knew such a visit could prompt valuable spiritual reflection?!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What area of your life isn’t “fitting” anymore? What adjustments need to be made for a proper “fit” and deeper relationship with the Lord?

2.  Consider what training and/or a spiritual mentor might play in your life, helping you discover how your unique design “fits” in service to the Lord. 

FURTHER READING:

Ruth 1-4

Becci is a wife and mom to two daughters. She is the Director of Ministry Partnerships at Shepherds Ministries in Union Grove and is the Special Events Coordinator for Oakwood's We Women Ministries.

A Purposeful Death

By Susan Klein

“I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly.” 

Galatians 2:21

I’ve been spending some time in the Old Testament lately, reading about the Israelites and their journey out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.  I am always amazed by the number of laws they were required to follow. I often wonder how anyone could possibly obey every single law, every single day?!! Well, we know they didn’t, which is why God required sacrifices from them to atone for their sins. Many still suffered consequences or punishment on top of their sacrifices. Moses didn’t get to enter the Promised Land because of one act (albeit self-exalting) of disobedience (Numbers 20:8-12). King Saul’s reign would be cut short because of one choice to disregard Samuel’s instruction from God (1 Samuel 13:8-14). It might almost seem a bit harsh, or unfair. But God is a just and perfect God, and He requires complete devotion and obedience from His people.

That said, He saw our human frailty and knew we could never keep all the laws in our own efforts. So, He graciously provided His Son to be the ultimate and only acceptable sacrifice, or payment for our sins. Why is it that we know this to be true in our minds, yet we persist, even today, in trying to earn our way into God’s grace? Do you ever set standards that you feel, if followed, qualify you to be righteous in God’s eyes? Consequently, when those standards aren’t met, are you laden with guilt because you feel you’ve let God down? Or, have you ever been guilty of imposing your own standards onto someone else? This is the very issue Paul was addressing with the Galatians. There was a bit of hypocrisy going on in regard to the law and grace. Some were teaching salvation through Christ, but in addition to also keeping certain laws. Paul sternly admonished that if they were still clinging to the law and trying to follow it, then Christ’s death was needless. They just weren’t grasping the concept of grace! And some of us today still struggle with that concept.

Though we would dare not utter the words, “Christ died needlessly,” we might inadvertently be displaying it in our actions. Let us not forget the purpose of Christ’s death, which was not only to pay for our sins, but also to declare us righteous, or justify us in God’s eyes. We don’t have to do anything else to earn that righteousness. It’s been (purposefully) done!

GOING DEEPER:

1. What personally-set standards might be hindering you (or someone else) from living in the freedom of God’s grace?

FURTHER READING:

Galatians 3:13-14, 21-22, 5:1

Susan is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also involved in inner city outreach.

I Don’t Get It

By Lexi Cole

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Psalm 37:5-6

I love what Julie Andrews says in The Sound of Music, “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.” It’s a cool picture and it’s relatable. There have been distinctive times in my life, and in the lives of people I love, when God has very specifically closed a door: answered “no” to a prayer, stopped an opportunity. It’s been incredible to see God reveal His perfect plan, to see the “window” that was better.

If I’m to be honest, though, I still struggle when God closes the door and there doesn’t seem to be a window in sight - - when an opportunity, job, situation, or decision doesn’t go the way we wanted and it doesn’t make sense. Recently, a dear friend of mine didn’t get a job opportunity. I firmly believe God has a plan, but I have to confess, I don’t get why He closed this door. My mind thinks about how perfect she would have been, about the incredible ministry she could have had in that role. I don’t get it. I know God is up to something, but He hasn’t revealed a “window” yet.

Here’s the thing: I know  there will be a window. I know God has a very specific plan for my precious friend, and His timing remains perfect, and more than we could ask or imagine. When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window. Not necessarily right away, not necessarily the timing we want. It’s ridiculous for me to require God to show me a window - - or see a new opportunity - - the moment He closes a door. That’s me not trusting Him. The verse today doesn’t say to commit and trust God when it all makes sense. We serve a God who is big enough to work in incredibly powerful ways in our lives…even when we don’t understand. God is still God. He is still in control. He works in ways that are far beyond our finite imaginations. When He closes a door and we’re left standing there saying “I don’t get it,” the reality is: He does, and His plan and His timing are still perfect…even when it doesn’t make sense to us.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Identify a situation in your life (or someone you love) where a door has been closed and a window hasn’t been revealed yet. Despite its difficulty, how are you trusting God?
2. What do you need to do as a next step for yourself (or a friend) to continue in trusting and committing to God’s timing and plan?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 37:3-7, 38-40; Isaiah 40:10-31

Lexi is finishing her final semester at Bethel University as an Elementary Education major, and is planning her wedding with her fiancé, Andrew. She serves with Children’s Ministries at Oakwood.

Trailblazer

By Elin Henderson

 “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”

 Psalm 85:15 (NKJV)

When I was a little girl living in New England, each winter my dad would drag us out on the annual Christmas tree hunt. He wasn’t the type that went in for those “lots” where the trees are all cut and come with a little stand. Not Him! We would have to trek through the winter wonderland, deep into the woods, to find the perfect tree. This often meant wading through deep fields of snow. My dad would go first and blaze the trail and we would all follow along. He did the main work and we just toddled along behind.

The trailblazer is the one who does most of the work. He selects the path and prepares the way, clearing out obstacles so that those who are following behind will not be overwhelmed. There are always remaining obstacles, but the ones he leaves are the ones he knows the followers can handle. The job of the follower is to follow the lead and keep to the pathway that the trailblazer has marked out. If the followers try to venture off on their own, they will find the going pretty tough. However, if they are content to follow the trailblazer and keep stepping where he steps, the journey becomes do-able.

In the same way that I would stick right behind my dad as we wandered through the snow, stepping where he stepped and keeping my eyes on him, so also I need stick right behind God, the great Trailblazer of our lives. He knows what lies before us and will do the hard work of deciding on the right path. Sometimes, there are bends in the path where we might lose sight of Him, but He is always there, a few steps ahead, making the way clear and beckoning us to follow. 

So whether our life journey takes us through the harshest wilderness, the thickest forests, the deepest snowbanks, or the driest deserts, our Trailblazer always goes before us making the path passable.  Our job is to walk in His footsteps and stick on His pathway!

                  

GOING DEEPER:

1. How does knowing that God is our Trailblazer help us as we come upon what we would perceive as obstacles along the way?  What about when the trail goes into areas we would prefer to avoid? 

                                                           

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 77:19; Psalm 17:5; Psalm 16:11

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to eleven-year-old Callie and nine-year-old Elias.

Can’t Get Over You

By Lisa Boyer

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, 

slow to anger and rich in love.”

Psalm 145:8

“Can’t Get Over You” (1) by Anthem Lights has been playing on the Christian radio station and it just moves me to worship God! It begins with, “I love the way You love like no other. It's got nothing to do with anything that I do. Time and time again, You forgive me, so this time I choose to stay here with you.” My emotions just rise up within me as they sing, “I can’t get over You. I can’t get over You. I just can’t get over You. I can’t get over the way Your love stays the same, oh Lord. Even through the good and the bad times, You stay the same, so my song will remain.” The lines “I don’t wanna lose this moment; Your love has covered me. And now I can’t get over you!” just sum up my feelings about worshipping my God!

I’d been seeing God’s hand of protection all over me the past few months and it was easy to get lost in the words of that song. But then life threw me a curveball and things in my life spun out of control. The song came on the radio and I felt nothing. I waited for the chorus, which usually produces an outburst of loud singing, but still there was nothing. The emotions attached to the song were just gone.

Flippantly I thought, hmmm, apparently I can get over Him…and that thought scared me. Was I really over Him? I knew the circumstances I was in were hard, but could I really get over my amazement of who God is that easily? Was my relationship with Him no deeper than that? I thought that song had been a declaration of faith for me, but was it really just emotional? Now, with the emotions gone, would I make that same declaration? Bottom line, could I or couldn’t I get over Him?

I wasn’t feeling it at that moment, but I sang along anyway, “I can’t get over you. I just can’t get over you.” Circumstances may have stolen the emotion behind it, but they weren’t going to change my commitment!

I’m not over Him. I won’t get over Him. I just CAN’T get over Him!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you find your emotions control your worship? Today, will you reflect on everything your loving God has done for you and worship Him regardless of how you feel?

2.  What is your declaration of faith?

FURTHER READING:

Acts 16:23-32; Romans 5:5-8; Ephesians 2:7-9

(1) © 2011 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing / Oomoo Music (BMI)

Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.

Lay It Down
By Jen Wollner

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
1 John 3:16

A tsunami in Indonesia…hurricane in New Orleans…earthquake in Haiti.

Each of these events were destructive and devastating…homes demolished, lives lost, dreams stolen, hope shattered. But, one silver lining in each of these events was the way that people from around the world came together to help those who were suffering. Billions of dollars in aid were generously donated and countless hours of manpower joyfully sacrificed to rescue survivors and rebuild these three areas of the world. It’s amazing how so many individuals are willing to step up to provide for those who are in the most desperate of need…even for those whom they will never meet face-to-face.

Overall, we’re very willing to put time or money aside to help a large-scale need, especially one that gets a lot of press. But, what about smaller needs and those not so well-publicized? Are we willing to take a few minutes out of our day to help a neighbor shovel her driveway? Will we sacrifice time and money to take a meal to a family in the midst of a medical crisis? What about the woman in our Bible study who’s walking through a valley…will we find a way to encourage her in her pain?

These kinds of needs are harder to spot…they won’t be broadcast on the local news or advertised in the papers. We have to be paying attention to find these opportunities and we have to cultivate relationships with those around us in order to know their needs. It takes time. It takes perseverance. It takes love. It takes laying down our very lives for someone else. Are we willing to intentionally invest in others? Will we leave a margin in our calendars and budgets to do so?

Meeting a need for someone thousands of miles away is a noble and worthy deed…and much needed, given the poverty and heartache around the world…but let’s not ignore the Lord’s prompting for us to walk across the room or the street, too. Let’s “be Jesus” to those He has put on the path of our daily lives!

GOING DEEPER:
1. Think of one person in your life in whom you could invest more time and energy. What would you need to sacrifice to build that relationship?

FURTHER READING:
John 15:13

Jen and her husband are busily parenting three children between the ages of eight and five. She serves on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.

Questions Without Answers

By Susan Klein

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 

Psalm 55:8

Every once in awhile, I stumble across a passage of Scripture that shakes me to the core! It causes me to question the things I’ve been taught and hold as truth. Just when I think I’ve come up with a valid explanation and have it all figured out, another verse shows up that rattles my understanding and causes me to question once again. Isn’t that the way of it: The more you learn, the more questions you come up with?

Stephen Curtis Chapman expresses these sentiments in the lyrics to his song, “God is God.”

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
”I just don’t know”

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move...

In our human and finite minds, we want to reason, to solve, and to strive to come up with the answers to all of life’s perplexities. But in reality, we can’t. We can’t explain why a God who expresses unfathomable mercy and love is the same God who wipes out a whole nation of people or sends an evil spirit to inhabit a king (1Samuel 16:14-15). We don’t have an explanation as to why He chooses to let some live to ripe old ages and some die as infants. But what we do know is this, that the Most High is sovereign.  He is God, and He can do as He pleases (Job 23:13).

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

Do I still have questions? Absolutely! Will I ever find answers? Only if He chooses to provide them. And if He doesn’t, I will cling to my faith, I will still choose to worship Him, and I will accept His will as sovereign, even if I don’t understand it, or like it.

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things
So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

For only God is God (1)

GOING DEEPER:

1. Are you someone who needs to have all her questions answered? Are you willing to surrender to the only One who possesses all the answers, even when He’s choosing to remain silent on the matter?

FURTHER READING:

Daniel 4:34-35; Psalm 71:14-16; Romans 9:14-16

(1)  Steven Curtis Chapman, “God is God,” Declaration, 2001, Sparrow Records.

Susan is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also involved in inner city outreach.

Just Bobbing Along

By Elin Henderson

 “For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens…”

 Psalms 57:10a (NKJV)

There is nothing quite as relaxing as lazily floating along on a raft soaking up the sun in a solitary pool or a quiet stretch of ocean, being rocked gently on the water’s surface. I am sure this conjures up a pleasant but distant memory for many of you currently trapped in winter’s cold grip.

Recently, my husband and I were listening to a message on the New Testament book of First Peter by A.W. Tozer (1) and he made a comment that has stuck with me. He said, “We are all afloat on the sea of God’s mercy.” In other words, we are all just bobbing along in constant dependence on God’s mercy to keep us afloat.  

Often, we fail to realize that it is only by His mercy that we get through each day. We are saved by mercy and maintained by mercy.  None of us can get by without it. Whether we recognize it or not, we are ALL afloat on the same sea of God’s mercy. Each day that an unsaved person lives and breathes, it is because he is afloat on this sea of mercy; God is graciously giving that person one more day to turn to Him. Each day that we, as believers, live and breathe, we do so while bobbing along on the same sea of God’s mercy. Even though He fully recognizes our faults and issues, He still loves us, accepts us, and is committed to working with us. 

This mental picture has helped me a lot recently. When I find myself getting frustrated with others, I remember, “Hey, we are all afloat on the same sea here. I need God’s mercy as much as that person does.”  When I become proud and think I have it all together, I am reminded that I am in need of His mercy just as much today as ever before. I am not floating along here on account of my own merit, but on account of His great mercy.

So as you face another winter morning, take a minute and imagine yourself on a secluded beach, floating along on the sea of God’s mercy and see if that helps you to bob along through your day!

                  

GOING DEEPER:

1. How can knowing this help us as we tell others, who don’t know Him, about Christ? How can we share with them the mercy that is keeping us and them daily afloat?

                                                           

FURTHER READING:

Psalms 33:2; Psalms 36:5; I Timothy 1:16

(1)     A.W. Tozer, Introduction to First Peter,  http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=6

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to eleven-year-old Callie and nine-year-old Elias.

Choose Power!

By Carolyn Hulliberger

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

I love it when God asks me to do something that challenges me.

I hate it when God asks me to do something that intimidates me.

Can you relate?

Recently, I was asked about being a Fresh Start writer. Ministering through Fresh Start is difficult for me, and something that I sort of “fell” into. You see, I’m a business major who loves to read.  Writing a devotional is something that I struggle with most of the time. There is a vulnerability to putting my own thoughts out there, not just to my fellow churchgoers, but to all of cyberspace through the blog and Facebook. At times, my insecurity “helps” me make excuses to not prioritize writing. After all, who am I to give reflection on being a Christ-follower? I’m certainly no “super-Christian” who has it all together (as if THAT exists)! And if the truth be told, I’ve cried my way through composing a few devotionals dealing with my own painful experiences, like my dad’s stroke and my own faith story.

In his two letters to his friend Timothy, the Apostle Paul offers encouragement to all of us committed to following Jesus, even when it’s hard. Paul knew that Timothy struggled with being young and a bit timid (Can we say “insecure”?). Paul called Timothy his “son,” and like any good dad, Paul imparted words of wisdom and counsel:

“…Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith….” (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

“…Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1)

“…Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity…Do not neglect your gift…Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”  (1 Timothy 4:12-15)

“As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of…” (2 Timothy 3:14)

Maybe you have an opportunity...teaching a class, committing to financial giving, becoming a foster/adoptive parent, taking a different job, the list is endless….

Will you consider it a challenge, or an intimidation?  Will it be timidity…or power, love and self-discipline?

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Think of a time when you felt anxious about an opportunity, but stepped up anyway. How did God work in the situation? 

FURTHER READING:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Along with caring for her husband, two children and the dog, Carolyn serves Oakwood Church in Student Ministries with an awesome group of junior high girls, and is the treasurer for Women’s Ministries. 

He’s Just Too Big?
By Lisa Boyer

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!”
Psalm 45:1-2

Have you ever heard it said, “God is so awesome and big; He couldn’t possibly care about me”? I’ve found that God is exactly the right size to be able to care about each and every one of us, all at the same time….

Just ask the fourth grader who was home alone and scared. She’ll tell you how her youth leader happened to call her to remind her about that week’s activities and then stayed on the phone with her for an hour and a half until her mom came home. That’s a God thing.

Just ask the mom who prayed with her kids and put them on the school bus. She’ll tell you how she got a call from the school telling her that her daughter needed to be rushed to the hospital with a sore on her wrist and a red streak running straight up her arm. It was blood poisoning. The immediate treatment saved her life. Her daughter was wearing long sleeves, and yet the teacher saw it anyway. That’s a God thing.

Just ask the woman driving on a four lane divided highway in heavy traffic on a rainy day. She’ll tell you how she lost control of her car while breaking for a red light and her car did a complete 360 without hitting anyone; even though there were cars in front of her, behind her and the lane next to her. It then came to a complete stop facing the right direction a few feet from the car in front of her as though it had never happened. That’s a God thing.

Just ask the parents expecting their third child. They’ll tell you how the doctors showed them the ultrasound pictures and explained that their unborn son was missing a part of his brain. They refused to have an abortion and prayed instead. He was born completely healthy. That’s a God thing.

Each of these stories proves how big God really is…and each is evidence of how much He personally and deeply cares for us every day.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you recall a time when you saw God’s hand of protection on your life? Will you take the time to share your experience with someone to encourage her faith?

FURTHER READING: 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Philippians 4:6; Psalm 139:5, 15-16

Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.

Blindsided
By Kari Lyles

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
John 9:39

I sheepishly rolled over to look at the clock that glowed 6 a.m. When I turned back over I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter and my heart begin to race. I knew I had to do it.

I walked to my closet, pulled my laptop from the shelf, crawled back under the covers, and started. My fingers clickety-clacked on the keys, tears streaming down my cheeks. I read it again and again, trying to make sure my heart was being poured out in love and not putting the receiver on the defensive. I pushed the “send” button.

Done!

I did it. I shared my heart and now the ball was in the receiver’s court. Surely she would take into account my feelings, see my side and feel convicted of behavior that had caused hurt. So, I waited.

And waited…

Every time my Blackberry binged with a new email, my heart raced a little. It binged for a whole week. (Kohls’ really does offer 15-30% off EVERY DAY!)

A response never came in the form of an email. But one came from my Lord… and I was blindsided.

As I sat down with my Bible, I had asked the Lord to give me wisdom to move forward. This is what I proceeded to read: “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’” I know that in the context of this passage, Jesus was referring to spiritual sight and the “blindness” of the seeing Pharisees. But in my specific situation, I am convinced that, in His kindness, He was using those words to show me His desire for me.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I not only was supposed to turn the other cheek in circumstances… but sometimes, even though I could see things were not right and that I was hurt, I needed to choose to become blind. OUCH!

Those words stung. I wanted to feel somehow that my email was justified and that it had been the right thing to do. Instead, I was being asked to become blind to it. To become like Christ. To love another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8).

A smile came to me and I knew that God was once again growing and molding me. Yes, I was still hurt…but if He chose to be “blind” to my many faults, I knew He would give me the grace to become blind to others.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What do you need to become “blind” to?
2. How does becoming “blind” actually help you to become more like Christ?

FURTHER READING:
John 9 –10

Kari is a wife and mother to two girls. She works as a regional sales manager at MAX-R in Sussex and is involved in Oakwood’s drama ministry.

Quick, Throw Me My SELF-Preserver!
By Elin Henderson

“…and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
2 Corinthians 5:15 (NASB)

Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on 1 John, Be Real, says the following, “‘Self Preservation’ is the first law of physical life, but ‘self-sacrifice’ is the first law of spiritual life.” (1) How often I find self-preservation to be the pervading song of my life! Things get a little rough, too many people need me, my responsibilities grow too large, and I am quick to say, “Hurry, throw me my self-preserver!!” Yet recently, the Lord has been challenging me to move beyond self-preservation and trust Him with a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Christ is the ultimate example of sacrifice and servanthood…not only in His death, but also in His life here on earth. Look through the Gospels at His life and you will find a life lived nonstop for others and for the Father. Crowds followed Him, people needed Him virtually 24/7, He had a group of disciples that He was helping to bring along spiritually…His plate was full! How did He do it? By constantly communing and abiding with His Father.

Yet in the busyness, we do see that the Father didn’t keep Him going beyond which He was able, but gave Him breaks and times of refreshment. Sometimes I fear that if I give myself fully to the Lord, I will just be run into the ground. That wasn’t the case with Christ and it won’t be what God does to us. Who knows us best? We think we know ourselves, but reality is that we are finite in our understanding. Only God truly knows our limits and our capacities. Psalm 139 tells us in verses 1 and 2 that He searches and knows us. In verses 13-16, the psalmist tells how God has known every fiber of his being from before conception until now. Christ found rest in the fact that His Father knew Him best, and from that confidence could give Himself fully to be used up.

Just as Christ lived a life of servanthood and sacrifice, those who desire to follow after Him must do the same, realizing that the road may be difficult. Within us, we might be screaming for self-preservation, but the safest and best place to be is fully available to our Father to use as He sees fit. He will guide us as we fully depend on Him.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you intentionally make yourself available to God each day? What might you be holding back?

FURTHER READING:
Philippians 2:5-8; John 15:1-8

(1) Wiersbe, Warren. The Bible Expository Commentary: Volume 2. Chariot Victor Publishing. Colorado Springs, CO. 2001. p. 511.

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband, Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambiquie, Africa.  Elin is mother to eleven-year old Callie and nine-year-old Elias.

Don’t Look Back!
By Carolyn Hulliberger

“…Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop…”
Genesis 19:17

Lot’s wife is a little-known but tragic figure in the Bible. One dark night she found herself caught in the crossfire of sin and redemption. The wife of Abraham’s nephew, she and her family lived in the wicked city of Sodom. God was angry with the city’s depravity and had vowed to destroy it. That was the bad news. The good news was that her family received a warning of the destruction to come by God’s representative. His specific instructions were: “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere…or you will be swept away!”

Can you imagine the fear? She is told to uproot her whole family with no time and no planning. Sodom was home…she had lived there many years; her daughters were engaged to men from this city…there were weddings to plan! But Sodom was the original “sin city” and God had had enough. How blessed Lot’s wife was to receive a reprieve from the judgment that God was handing down.

Lot’s wife did as instructed…to a point. She fled with her husband and two daughters, leaving before dawn and reaching a small town just as sulfur rained down on Sodom. She was safe! Then she did what she had been told NOT to do. Clinging to the past, she looked back at the city. And she became a pillar of salt.

It would be easy to point to Lot’s wife and judge her. But haven’t we all been stuck in a desperate place between needing to focus only on moving forward to where God wants to take us, and the overwhelming desire to go back to the familiar...even when it’s bad for us? Maybe your “Sodom” is an addiction, an unhealthy relationship, or moral compromises. This story illustrates that in those places we mustn’t turn back. All ties have to be severed. We can only be saved from the place of ruin by putting one step in front of the other to get away from it…and never looking back.

In Philippians chapter 3, the apostle Paul tells us the way we are supposed to take: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Lot’s wife missed out on the prize of freedom when she chose to remember what was behind her. Let’s not make the same mistake ourselves.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you find yourself in a personal “Sodom” place? Resolve today to move away from it and toward what God has in mind for you. Pray for strength and seek help, counsel and accountability.

FURTHER READING:
Genesis 19:1-29; Luke 9:62

In addition to loving her husband and two children, Carolyn serves at Oakwood Church leading a fabulous, beautiful, interesting group of junior high girls, and is treasurer for We Women’s Ministries.

Who Would Be Our Leader?

By Lisa Boyer

‘“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

When I tell my faith story, it usually isn’t about the day I accepted Jesus as my Savior. It’s about what God did in my life after that; it’s about His taking a broken little girl, showing her she was loved and planned for, and putting her heart back together.

A few years ago, I shared my story with the junior high girls in my small group. After I finished, I asked the girls if they had any questions. Hands flew up and after a question or two about my time in a foster home, one of the girls asked “When you said you wouldn’t have survived, what did you mean by that?”

The part of my testimony she was referring to was I read my Bible every day starting when I was 14. I not only knew about God, but I knew Him personally…my relationship with Him gave me hope when I couldn’t find any in life. If it hadn’t been for Him, I wouldn’t have survived. It was difficult to admit out loud, even after all those years, but after a brief pause I said, “I probably would have killed myself.”

I’ll never forget the question she asked next, “But then who would be our leader?” I sat there in stunned silence…unable to answer the question as another girl said, “I would have missed you. I wouldn’t have known you, but I would have known something was missing in my life.” 

Never could I have imagined during those dark moments in my life when I felt as though no one cared if I lived or died that someone in the future would have missed me. I couldn’t have imagined it, but God knew.

God knew my life wasn’t just the moment I was living in but it was also the future. In those dark moments, I chose to put my hope in God and He held my hand and walked me into the future - - the future He had planned for me.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Are you struggling with the circumstances of your life? Will you put your hope in God and let Him lead you today?

2.  Can you share the hope found in Jesus with someone today?

FURTHER READING:

Romans 8:34, 35; Proverbs 23:18, 19

Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.