Wednesday Devotions, Psalm 37

On Strike, 1891
Sir Hubert von Herkomer

Today's Text: Psalm 37, selected verses

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

I got troubles, yes I do. I got troubles, how 'bout you? 

Yeah, we all have troubles. At times it may seem like yours are the worst on the block, but this is rarely true.

Two of my children have very serious problems and two more have minor problems. 

In the aftermath of a 2009 job loss, I've been sued by a creditor and there's a judgement against me. I can no longer have a bank account; if so, it will be attached. My husband will soon be sued by his creditor. Within months--because we don't choose to file bankruptcy at this juncture--his wages will be attached. Our house payment just went up $30 because of higher taxes and a higher insurance rate. 

We have little family or friend support; we live a very unusual life that people don't quite understand. We're the only family in our church that homeschools, for one thing. And when you're impoverished, people stay away from you. They wonder if it will rub off on them, perhaps? People are afraid of what they don't understand.

The toilets are still not fixed, the lawn mower just broke, two drawers in the kitchen are broken, the car and van are extremely old and things go wrong with them fairly frequently, and the list goes on.

Yeah, I got troubles. But not because God doesn't love me. Not because he's forgotten me. He has a plan to prosper me spiritually. 

Keys to Surviving Troubles: 

1. Focus on the spiritual. If you don't have spiritual troubles, you're doing well. 

2. When your mind wants to grumble, give thanks instead. It starts as a mental exercise but quickly becomes a heart exercise. It changes you on the inside, for good.

3. Don't feel unloved because of troubles. God doesn't hate you. If you're a believer you're set for eternity. This life is like a vapor; hold it loosely. That includes your troubles--loosen your mental grip on them.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Even when things go from bad to worse, trust God. He'll use it for your good. A worsening of trouble is rarely a sign that God isn't listening. Troubles, in fact, help you loosen your grip on this world. And that's always a good thing. 

Dwell with him (stay very close), do good for others, and enjoy your spiritual safety. Delight in the Lord through song, Scripture, prayer. He will put his desires in your heart, and then grant them.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Give every aspect of your life over to the Lord--parenting, money, friends, marriage, jobs, family, possessions--give it all to him. Dwell not on your understanding, for it's terribly short-sighted and flawed. Make a list of what the world loves. Make sure you don't love any of it.  Live not as the world lives, and he will make you shine.

7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Fretting is a sin...the opposite of being still. Don't dwell on all the people who have it "better" than you. Make a blessing list instead, so you can be still. 

Remember these key verbs from the verses above: trust, dwell, delight, commit, wait

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret —it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Right now, I probably have reason to be angry and fretful.

Beth's arthritis-related eye inflammation did come back, though not as serious this time. She has to start on steroid drops again. The inflammation can come and go for years and years, especially when it starts this young. The doctor feels he can save her vision ( he's a famous ophthalmologist and all, but he's not God. Nevertheless, I choose to believe him.) He said the worst that might happen is that she'll get cataracts from repeated use of steroid drops. And cataracts are treatable.

She also has wandering eyes (strabismus) and will need glasses for astigmatism. (Unrelated to her arthritis) Glasses might take care of the strabismus, and if not, he'll try a patch. If necessary later, he will do surgery--something he's world-famous for.

Peter's OCD improved when we increased his Strattera dose to 18 mg. However, it's obvious now that the increase from 10 mg to 18 mg (both doses are lower than recommended for his weight) have caused mood swings. So, we need to go back to 10 mg. Hello OCD again. The OCD really bothered his spirit, but he wants to be free from this anger. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place. The anger is obviously unhealthy for the whole family.

My husband gets more and more angry with each new problem. His spirit is tormented. But he knows this life is a vapor. He'll return to relative peace once again. It's hard to see him so angry, but I can only pray in response, and listen quietly while he vents. Everybody processes life differently.

Whatever happens, don't hold on to anger. It may show up as a grief symptom, but process it quickly. Pray to be free of it.

Our hope is in eternity...in the Lord. Not here. Things will improve here, perhaps, but they'll just get tough again. Don't wait for things to "calm down". Live fully right now. Live like you've just inherited the land.

The rest of these verses are not in order, for brevity sake, and I've left many out.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

No matter how bad things get, you are indeed under the Lord's care. Through him, you will not wither. You will enjoy plenty.

23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

He is upholding you. You've not fallen, and you won't fall.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.[b]

He will provide. But maybe not in the usual ways...and that has to be okay with you. Trust him for your daily bread and be generous. Even the poor can be generous, if they know from Whom all things come.

34 Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Prayer Time: 

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for this Psalm. I thank you for upholding, delivering, saving. I thank you for the inheritance of the land. For the safe pasture. For the refuge. For the plenty.

Some readers are having horrible troubles as well. Help us all to trust, dwell, delight, commit, wait, and hope. Help us to refrain from anger and fretting. May we live in joyful hope, abiding in you. Help us to do good and be generous.

In your name I pray, Amen.

A Curious Thing About Prayer and Humility

 

I live with five other people, intimately. Much can be learned about human flaws through home observation. Each separate family is uniquely capable of shaping its members through divine appointment. 




What God has brought together, let man not separate. If we want to reach our highest potential in Christ, we'd do well to spend time with our families. It's therapy for free.


As we've prayed together more and more, I've noticed something important. To be humble is not natural. No one wants to acknowledge personal sin before God and man. We can pray very important things easily, but when it comes to a uniquely personal sin we're struggling with, we remain mum. Or we only mention it in private, before God. 


I'm discovering there's a reason the Bible says to confess our sins to each other. I never thought about it much before now, but this is huge. 


James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.



At any given time each person has a long-standing sin the Holy Spirit is working to eradicate--be it anger, ingratitude, idleness, harshness, etc. In our haughtiness, when we ignore the Holy Spirit, the sin persists for a long time. It's the thing we struggle with the most. It's the thing we're least likely to admit to anyone. But as sins go, it isn't necessarily something jaw-dropping, like adultery. 


It's our own Achilles Heal, if you will. It doesn't fit with the image we want to present. At times we fail to see ourselves as we really are, because we're so caught up in our image of ourselves. We know this Achilles Heal makes us an impostor. 


And who wants to be seen as an impostor?


We deceive ourselves into thinking we can take care of it. We try different things with wavering motivation, but always, we fail to eradicate it.


The Humility of God


Noticing this aspect of human nature, I had a discussion with my children about the humility of God. He came to us a helpless baby, though he was God. He let them nail him to a tree, though he was God. He died a slow, agonizing death, though he was God.


His example for us screams this word: Humility


After speaking with them about Jesus humbling himself, I explained how hard it is for us to humble ourselves and admit sin. Heads nodded in response. They get this. 


But if we love God, if we want to be his disciple, we must do this. We must choose humility as Jesus did...go low before our loved ones. Reveal who we really are, so God can make us new.


Peter's been struggling mightily and mumbling prayers begrudgingly lately. He really listened to my words. And then...he said it. Quickly, before he lost his nerve. 


Dear God, Help me with my anger.


Behold, He makes all things new. Hallelujah!

Monday Devotions, Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; 
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge. 
 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world. 
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 
     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, 
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens 
    and makes its circuit to the other; 
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 The law of the Lord is perfect, 
    refreshing the soul. 
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, 
    making wise the simple. 
 The precepts of the Lord are right, 
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes. 
 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Prayer Time:

My Dear Father, how I love you. You are worthy of praise. Thank you for the wondrous beauty to feast my eyes one. Thank you for your Word to feast my heart on. Thank you for your grace, for it humbles me. Your sacrifice, it saves me.

Forgive me for my sins, Father. Cleanse my heart. Thank you for making all things new. Make me your instrument of grace and love today. Bless me, after a poor night of sleep, as I take the children to the ophthalmologist to have Beth's eye inflammation checked. If the news is good, I praise You. If not, I still praise you, but please comfort us in our sorrow. Take away our fear. Give us the strength to trust in your plan for her life. 

Give us a good learning day; may your spirit prevail. May I, and all the friends reading, keep our eyes on you, whatever the day shall bring. May each friend find a blessing from you today. May we give thanks to you in all things.

In your name I pray, Amen.

Scripture source

Happy Mother's Day 2012

Mother and Child in a Boat, 1892
by Edmund Charles Tarbell

This is my twelfth Mother's Day. My children are so young that at least for now, it's not so much a day to be honored...though my Mother's Day pictures and yard-picked weedflowers are many. One picture was even painted on the floor with feet, not so long ago.


For those of us still in the trenches, where spilt milk knows no holiday, this day is hopefully one of renewed inspiration. 

For no work is harder than this, and no reward greater. Truth be told, we can never have what it takes to be perfect mothers. No mother does. 




So...what is a great mother? One whose sacrifice knows no bounds?  One who's gentle and quiet? One who's ever-present? One who believes in her children and makes them believe in themselves? 


No...though all these endeavors are wonderful. 


I think a great mother has two assets: her prayers, her Bible.


We can't control every emotion, every response. But we can pray and read. We can fill ourselves with Him, and give the gift of Him.





If they leave us wearing Him like a favored sweater, we've made an eternal contribution. Well done, good and faithful servant, the Lord will say.


I found a beautiful poem, but before you read that, I'll say a prayer for us all:


Dear Heavenly Father,


We thank you, Father, for the gift of children. What a precious journey, is motherhood. Thank you for every smile, every hug, every tiny foot to kiss.


Thank you for the heart molding, the soul shaping. May we remember to give the gift of You, Father, above all else. For without you, our children have nothing. May we fill ourselves with you, so we can pour You out. Give us strength, give us focus. May your loving grace prevail in our homes and hearts, each day.


Bless each friend, each reader here. May we pray for and encourage one another, through your Holy Spirit. 


In Your Son's name we pray, Amen

My Mother's Gift

From a large family I did grow,
Through my mom God I did know.
Though our cupboards were nearly bare,
What we had to others we did share.
It took a tin of flour to feed us each week,
Yet half she gave and then my mom’s faith did she keep.
Mom gave half of what she ownded to eat,
Still that tin of flour lasted us all week.
God provided us with food each day,
Giving thanks to God my mother would pray.
A family in need the church did say,
Again my mother gave some of our food away.
With our food to share to church we did go,
But there was something my mother did not know.
The family in need was my family I must say,
And once again God had provided a way.
The gift from my mom is more precious than Gold,
It can not be bought and it can not be sold.
She taught me God’s love each day,
And taught me how to kneel and pray.
This is the gift my mom gave to me,’
I will treasure it through out eternity.~ Lillian Smith ~
Stockton, California

photos found here

Punishment vs. Discipline

 Joseph Wright, American Artist (1756-1793)
The Wright Family

Sometimes the Lord allows us to have horrible parenting weeks. The longer I parent and pray, the more I see these weeks as an answer to prayer.


What? A horrible week is an answer to prayer? That's messed up.


It would seem so. 


This last week my son's temper sent objects flying against the wall. Doors slammed repeatedly. His shouting became as commonplace as the robin's song outside the window. 


Only the robin didn't send our bodies into fight-or-flight mode.


I had to get on my knees and plead, "Help, Lord! We can't live like this!" And sure enough, insight came to me. Valuable insight I wouldn't have gathered in a normal parenting week. 


Ahem. Normal being a relative term.


Have you ever contemplated the difference between discipline and punishment? Discipline comes from the root word disciple, which means to teach.


Punishment, on the other hand, is that which God and the courts administer. When you break a law you have a debt to pay to society, and that debt usually involves jail time, community service, or worse. Only God and the courts have the God-ordained authority to punish.


So...where does that leave parents? 


It leaves us with that all-important word disciple. God desires that we teach our children, not punish them. 


Do you find yourself harboring a punishment mentality? Do you want to "get back at them" for what they've done to you? Do you dole out knee-jerk responses based solely on your anger over being wronged? Either with words, or hasty slaps or spankings?


Then you may be guilty. You may have chosen punishment over discipline, and you've done nothing to teach your child. Although, as we've all experienced, humble apologies speak volumes to our children.


The best discipling comes from example, which is why Jesus rarely left his disciples during his earthly ministry. This is precisely why we homeschool: to facilitate a Jesus-style discipling of our children.


Now stay with me here. This isn't a liberal-mentality, anti-spanking post.


I'm not judging you for having a punishment mentality, believe me. My exhortation posts address my own flaws, first and foremost; they're self-preaching. While every parent is guilty of a punishment mentality at times, those of us with very challenging children are more vulnerable.


The message to the child is this: 


~ You don't belong here.
~ You're unworthy.
~ You're too much trouble.
~  I like the others better than you.
~  I wish you weren't here messing up my life.


And the consequences of these messages? More bad behavior from your child. It's as though your child gets worse to prove to himself what he already suspects: You don't love him.


And the truth is, retaliatory actions speak anything but love, so the child's conclusions aren't unreasonable, especially if you retaliate on a regular basis. 


Now, if a young child goes out into the street after you've told her to stop, you might give her a calculated little spanking on the bottom. That is negative discipline, not punishment. You're not trying to get her back. It's not eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth, in this case.


Negative discipline and punishment can be difficult to distinguish, but ultimately, your heart will tell you the difference. Were you trying to retaliate in anger and indignation, or were you trying to train? That's the question.


Positive discipline is giving more playtime outside, or another privilege, for a job well done. Negative discipline involves losing a privilege, or being sent to a time-out spot, or possibly, it's a controlled spanking. 


Most children need a combination of both positive and negative discipline, though with easy-going children, positive discipline is usually enough. 


Use if/then statements. If you clean your room in a timely manner, then you'll have more time to play. If you eat all your dinner, then you can have dessert.


When things get tense, try the two-choices tactic. You have two choices: you can obey me and pick up your toy right now, or you can go to your room. This tactic resolves most tense situations. 


For real fired-up situations, like I've dealt with all week, sending the child to their room is still the best solution. It gives your child's adrenalin, and your own, time to diminish. (My children, by the way, have sparse bedrooms. The toys are kept in the playroom.) 


Then, go in and pray with your child. After this you'll hopefully receive a heart-felt apology. 


Next, talk about anger management techniques. (You'll probably have to research these, if you don't already have literature on them.) 


Another thing to share with your child: It's not a sin to be angry. It's what we do in our anger, that can lead to sin.


We'll delve into this topic more as the Lord leads me, but right now, search your heart. Are you training or punishing?


If the answer grieves you, get on your knees and pray for the very self-control you desire from your child. Good parenting always starts with a good self-cleaning. 


When our hearts are right, their hearts will follow.