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I was reading over the comments from yesterday’s Twelfth Hour Answers and something dawned on me. I kept thinking about the word emergency. And suddenly, I saw something. If you creatively break the word down into its parts, you get “emerge and see.”
And that is exactly what happens in the story of Lazarus later in the book of John chapter 11.
We learned yesterday how Jesus weeps with us when we mourn a loss, even when His greater purpose is to bring a miracle of life into our dead circumstances. We see Him do this with Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. And we experience the same thing in our own lives when He suddenly shows up right when we think it’s too late for a dramatic change.
Now, we get to the rest of the story – the part where the emergency turns into the “emerge and see.” Read the rest of this entry »
Ever feel bewildered like Mary and Martha felt when they learned that Jesus didn’t come to heal their brother Lazarus as He had promised? (See John 11:1-32.) Ever felt like in that moment of utter disbelieve, your world just came crashing down? I have. In fact, I felt that way today.
Sitting at my kitchen table with a mountain of problems pushing at my peace of mind, I found myself teary-eyed and very much in the state of Martha. She couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t show up at her brother’s time of need. At the moment of crisis, Jesus was a no-show. When Jesus did finally make it to the house – four days after Lazarus had died and that was purposeful – Martha was beside herself. I can imagine her being grief-stricken yet too weary to demand anything of the Lord. Simply in need of an explanation, she offered, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs. 21, NIV). Read the rest of this entry »
I just now got back from my weekly Beth Moore Bible study with several close-knit girlfriends. We are studying Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman, and this lesson could not have come at a more vital time in my life, what with its emphasis on overcoming in the midst of personal and national crisis.
Tonight, we looked a lot at a particular Scripture passage. It’s the most often quoted verse in the book of Esther, and you can find it in Esther 4:14.
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?” (Amplified). Read the rest of this entry »
Several months ago, my roommate and I had a problem with ants. For about a week, we noticed a thin trail of little black ants scurrying up and down the walls in the kitchen. Then within days the trickle became a steady stream.
We did everything we could to rid them from the kitchen with sprays and sugar mixtures and even caulking up the cracks around the windowsill. But those ants kept returning with dogged determination.
Exasperated, I finally called the exterminator, who I affectionately referred to as the Terminantor. He had just the right formula to annihilate the whole nest inside the house and out. Within the span of a week, the entire ant colony had been wiped out, and peace returned to the home. Read the rest of this entry »
After experiencing chronic foot discomfort every morning for the last couple of months, I decided that my running shoes just might be the culprit.
I shared this information with my athletic friend Jana, and she told me all about this running shoe store where they find just the right shoe to correct any foot problems. She mentioned that it was highly likely I was running in ill-fitting shoes and that with a new, perfectly fitted version, I would be back to normal in no time.
Having the proper gear is important if you want to run without injury. Same goes for being suited properly if you want to run the race of faith without injury to your soul and spirit. Read the rest of this entry »
Taking a mini fall retreat today with a couple of my girlfriends and I am so excited!
It’s good to stop and breathe a little, to get away from the hustle and bustle and just relax in the presence of some God-loving gals and laugh a lot.
I hope that you are also taking time for a thoughtful break during this fall season. Life passes us by too quickly. God wants us to enjoy His beauty and His good gifts with friends who can encourage our walk with the Savior.
“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel” (Proverbs 27:9, NIV).
– Laura
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God” (Philippians 4:6, Amplified).
It’s amazing how we can become stressed out about things – even good things – when we continue to worry about them. Sometimes our excitement about new things can quickly shift to a fear of the unknown, or a new opportunity that we felt peaceful about originally is suddenly doomed to failure because we have decided to fret about it.
The funny thing is, sometimes we think all this worrying is prayer, particularly if we tell God about it. I used to think that. I would pour out my heart to God and wonder sometimes why I didn’t feel any better. Now I know it is because I simply decided to worry out loud to God. Read the rest of this entry »
