Arguing with God

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. – Now then let me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.’ - Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, ‘O Lord, why doth Thine anger burn against Thy people who Thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants to whom Thou didst swear by Thyself, and didst say to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” – So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.” Exodus 32:7, 10, 11, 14

We all seem to find time to argue with God. God always listens, that is certain. I’m sure He is sometimes sad at our arguments, sometimes amused, but always attentive to our hearts. Moses shows us a good example of an argument that was effective as he reminded God of His promises in his argument, he did not insist on the way Moses thought best or to glorify himself. Hummm, I wonder what I might learn from that?

Take care to understand His Word. Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene


PS: Praise: Leslie is growing stronger from chemo. Both Nancys growing stronger & more patient (one with chemo - the other recovering from serious head trauma). Pray for: Tim & Barb (need work & encouragement as they wait). Virgil’s family as they grieve his loss. Freddy (to come home & see his mom). Eddie & his family (brain surgery & possible stroke). Rachael (for hope & clarity of purpose). Adrian (life changes); Isaias (family safety & his mission work in Philippines). Haiti survivors. God’s grace on USA. Billy & Michelle (recovery). Wisdom for doctors caring for Doris, David, Poetry, Gary, Adrian and Jack. (Thanks to those who ask for prayer & for those who remember to update me on the fruit of our prayers.)

(( PS still working on recreating the database, sorry.))

In the Worst?

“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights....THEN Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol’” Johan 1:17-2:2
 What an amazing circumstance – what a realisation – what a prayer – what a result! This means no matter where you are right now, no matter how awful or difficult or hopeless it seems; first of all, you are not alone (no matter what it FEELS like) and second, help is right with you. What do you think stops us from calling out to Him for help?

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”
Isn’t that just GOD!!!?
Take care to understand His Word. Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene
PS: Praise: Leslie is growing stronger from chemo. Both Nancys growing stronger & more patient (one with chemo - the other recovering from serious head trauma). Pray for: Tim & Barb (need work & encouragement as they wait). Virgil’s family as they grieve his loss. Freddy (to come home & see his mom). Eddie & his family (brain surgery & possible stroke). Rachael (for hope & clarity of purpose). Adrian (life changes); Isaias (family safety & his mission work in Philippines). Haiti survivors. God’s grace on USA. Billy & Michelle (recovery). Wisdom for doctors caring for Doris, David, Poetry, Gary, Adrian and Jack. (Thanks to those who ask for prayer & for those who remember to update me on the fruit of our prayers.)  (The databases for the email right now have to be recreated, sorry, there are many of you writing now, I am alright, just a technical challenge, yet again...)

Bulldog

“Stern discipline is for him who forsakes the way; he who hates reproof will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, how much more the hearts of men!” Proverbs 15:10-11

“But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. And the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.” Jonah 1:3-4

When I was about 15, I visited a friend’s house one night. She left me sitting in their dining room. They had a little bulldog that I had befriended. He was tied up in the kitchen so I went to see him while I waited for her. When I bent down to pet him he jumped up and his teeth took hold of my left jaw and would not let go. I panicked and stood up with the dog’s teeth well buried in the flesh of my face, screaming for help. There seemed no way to get the animal to let go until my friend hit the dog. I had never experienced anything like it and it reminds me of how the Lord never lets US go once we give Him permission to have a hold on our lives. Now before someone takes offense, I do not liken the Lord to a dog, but the tenacity of this dog reminds me still of God’s tenacity for my heart!

Take care to understand His Word. Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Praise: Leslie is growing stronger from chemo. Both Nancys growing stronger & more patient(one with chemo - the other recovering from serious head trauma). Pray for: Tim & Barb (need work & encouragement as they wait). Virgil’s family as they grieve his loss. Freddy (to come home & see his mom). Eddie & his family (brain surgery & possible stroke). Rachael (for hope & clarity of purpose). Adrian (life changes); Isaias (family safety & his mission work in Philippines). Haiti survivors. God’s grace on USA. Billy & Michelle (recovery). Wisdom for doctors caring for Doris, David, Poetry, Gary, Adrian and Jack. (Thanks to those who ask for prayer & for those who remember to update me on the fruit of our prayers.)

I'm Listening....

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2


There is such a difference between listening and hearing. God listens always, but He waits to hear surrender and a desire for obedience to His wisdom. The barrier is a lack of trust that constrains all of us sometimes. That is why He offers to always hear our desire to start over again.

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” I John 1:8-10

Take care to understand His Word. Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Praise: Leslie is growing stronger from chemo. Both Nancys growing stronger & more patient(one with chemo - the other recovering from serious head trauma). Pray for: Tim & Barb (need work & encouragement as they wait). Virgil’s family as they grieve his loss. Freddy (to come home & see his mom). Eddie & his family (brain surgery & possible stroke). Rachael (for hope & clarity of purpose). Adrian (life changes); Isaias (family safety & his mission work in Philippines). Haiti survivors. God’s grace on USA. Billy & Michelle (recovery). Wisdom for doctors caring for Doris, David, Poetry, Gary, Adrian and Jack. (Thanks to those who ask for prayer & for those who remember to update me on the fruit of our prayers.)

Round About

“Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ And they said to Him, ‘Rabbit 9which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’” John 1:35-39a



These two disciples knew about John’s message of repentance, but may have been unsure of their next steps. John points them to Jesus for the answers, yet they were reluctant to actually ask the question on their hearts. Instead, when Jesus gave them a perfect opening, they asked something safe. And then what happened?


“They came therefore and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother, Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.” John 1: 35b-42a


A miracle of evangelism! Think about what that might mean for you today.


Take care to understand His Word. Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene


PS: Please pray for: Virgil passed away, pray for his family as they grieve. Eddie, brain surgery & possible stroke & his family. Leslie’s strength during chemo. Nancy (for patience, near-critical head injury), Rachael (for hope & clarity of purpose); Adrian (life changes); Barb & Tim (need satisfying work & encouragement as they wait). Isaias (family safety & his mission work in Philippines). Haiti survivors. God’s grace on USA. Billy & Michelle (recovery). Wisdom for doctors caring for Doris, David, Poetry, Gary, Adrian and Jack. (If you have updates on any of these prayers, please let me know so those who pray so faithfully can see His hand working.)