Tamella K White

KNOW YOUR TRAVELING COMPANION: Redefining Hope

March 24, 2023April 1, 2023Leap of Faith

My first post of 2022 was “Hope for the New Year: Part One.” Part two never came. In fact, it took over a year for me to write again. Last year truly felt like being in a tiny boat in the middle of a raging sea trying to survive one giant wave after another as my skiff filled with water. I felt like all my bailing was just forestalling the inevitable moment when my boat slipped permanently beneath the tumult, taking all hope with it. Worse yet, slipping beneath the waves didn’t seem like such a bad idea?!

After ministering to the crowds, Jesus and the disciples got in their boat and set sail. Storms on the sea of Galilee can come out of nowhere and violently change the calm waters into a roiling tumult. The disciples found themselves in one of these dread-full storms. Many disciples were fishermen by trade and veterans of the sea. Storms were something they faced year in and year out. This must have been a killer storm because they completely melted down. They become so panicked that they woke Jesus up and accused Him of not caring that they were about to die!

Jesus’ response was “Why are you afraid you men of little faith?” Jesus rebuked the storm and a “perfect peacefulness” came over the sea. The disciple’s response? “What kind of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt 8:23-27)

Why did Jesus call the disciples ‘men of little faith’? Was it because they were afraid? Or was it because they didn’t rebuke the wind and the waves themselves? I dont think so. I think the real reason was because they didn’t turn to or trust Jesus for help in the first place. I can almost hear Jesus saying ‘Guys I was right here in the boat with you. When things got rough, all you had to do was wake me up and ask for help. Instead, you panicked and accused me of not caring. Do you know me at all?’ Whatever Jesus may have been thinking in that moment, it’s pretty clear that the disciples didn’t really know their traveling companion.

As I have looked over the events of last year, it has occurred to me that the storms weren’t my real problem. Like the disciples, my REAL problem was I didn’t fully know or trust the One with whom I travel. Would I need to be in a state of hypervigilance and panic if I recognized that Jesus is ALWAYS in my boat with me? If I truly understood the magnitude of His power to calm the storm and preserve my life would anxiety have drug me to the depths? If I rested secure in His love for me would the possibility of slipping beneath the waves even be an option? What would my seas look like if I recognized and truly trusted that all I have to do is ask Jesus to speak to the storm?

Just before He went to the cross, Jesus promised the disciples that though He was going away He would send a comforter, a companion, who would remain with and in us forever (John 14:16-17). On another occasion Jesus promises that He and the Father will make Their dwelling place in us (John 14:23). God is ALWAYS with us. Regardless of the storms raging around and over us, we need to know Who we are traveling with. We need to trust His presence and ask Him to release His power into our situation.

Being people of faith doesn’t mean we don’t experience fear in the storms. It sure doesn’t mean we take them on ourselves (see “Redefining Strength: Building on Solid Ground). Being people of faith means really getting to KNOW the One we are traveling with on an intimate basis. It means spending time in His presence, drinking in every word that He speaks. It means listening in the depths of our souls for that still small voice. It means recognizing Jesus is ALWAYS in the boat with us. He is ALWAYS willing and able to address the circumstances we are facing. Being people of faith means ASKING FOR HIS HELP and TRUSTING Him to act on our behalf. Knowing our traveling companion is the true foundation of unwavering, unbreakable hope.

REDEFINING STRENGTH: Building on Solid Ground

March 19, 2023April 10, 2023Leap of Faith

If you had told me that it would be over a year since my last post, I would not have believed you for a millisecond. For me, writing is essential. It’s not just a creative outlet, it’s a deeply important aspect of faith. It enables me to give voice to God’s presence in my life. It allows me to converse with Him and pour my heart out. The fact that I stopped writing for that long speaks to just how devastating last year was.

For most of last year, all I could was put my head down and try to walk through whatever happened next. I wasn’t up to the task. Last year utterly broke me. It shattered me in ways I didn’t think possible! I felt like I was drowning and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Honestly, there were days that I didn’t want want to stop it. I thought drowning would be preferable to struggling to stay afloat. In January of this year, I was diagnosed with PTSD.

I am a strong person. I have always counted my strength as an asset. Faith in Christ and my strength in the face of adversity formed the foundation on which I based my life and my hope. Last year made it abundantly clear that, as a foundation for life and hope, MY strength is little more than a self-aggrandizing delusion. Eventually everyone reaches the end of their capacity to withstand the pummeling and they hit the canvas.

Face down on the canvas, praying that someone would throw in the towel, I was forced to reevaluate everything I thought to be true about myself and the way I operate in faith. The conclusion I came to is that anchoring any part of my life or hope in my own strength is one of the worst forms of hubris imaginable. It’s ludicrous! There’s nothing wrong with a positive self-image. It’s just not a good foundation upon which to build your house. Aside from being fragile, our self-image is constantly in flux as we change and grow. That may be fine for the walls in our building, but if our foundation is in constant flux, our walls will never stand.

Piece by peice, God is putting my life and soul back together. Part of this process has been spending time studying 2 Corinthians 11 and 12. Chapter 11 catalogs the adversity Paul endured in service to Christ. It’s a morbidly impressive list. Paul got the crap kicked out of him and yet his response was “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness” (2 Cor 12:5). WOW! Later in this chapter, God makes it clear that human weakness is the channel through which His strength flows. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). By boasting in his weakness, Paul allowed the power of Christ to completely enfold him and dwell in him. I like the idea of the power of Christ enfolding me and dwelling in me. After all, my strategdy up to this point has been a complete failure, so why not! I’ve got nothing to lose.

Paul’s attitude turns the cultural value of self-sufficiency, and if I am completely honest, my attitude, completely on its head. Being pleased with my weakness is like living in a foreign country. However, as I have pondered the last year, I have concluded that having my life turned upside down, has given me the correct perspective from which to understand the heart of these chapters. I have come to believe that humility and an honest evaluation and acknowledgement of my weakness opens the pathway for God’s strength to manifest perfectly in my life. Operating from human strength is NOT an asset. It is a devastating deterrent! It blocks God from manifesting His power on my behalf. Acknowledging my weakness is the ONLY path to His strength and the ONLY way through adversity to victory.

Now that I understand that my choice is between my little raindrop of strength and His ocean of power, I will gladly drown in His power every time! If I have to die to self to be present with God, bring on the grave y’all! So, while I never want to go through a season like this EVER again, I am learning to sing the Lords song in a foreign land. I am learning to be “well pleased with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecution and with difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak in human strength, then I am strong; truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength” (2 Cor. 12:10 AMP). I now KNOW, in the depths of my soul, that a foundation based on anything except God’s strength is a false hope that leads to only to death, hell and destruction. If the price of a truly solid foundation is weakness, then let me be as weak as a new born babe!

HOPE for the NEW YEAR: Part 1

January 30, 2022March 19, 2023A COVID -19 Survival Guide

For me, 2022 hit like a sucker punch to the gut. By Jan 3^rd, my husband, daughter and I all had COVID. Three weeks later I found myself sitting beside my daughter’s hospital bed praying that she would recover from a COVID induced delirium. Few things are as terrifying a seeing your child incoherent and delusional, lying a hospital bed.

This is NOT how I would have chosen to start 2022. Like it or not, this is how it started. Now I have two choices. I can decide that 2022 will be a crappy year and lose myself to fear and depression. OR I can place my hope in the Lord and believe His promises.

I know the plans that I have for you says the Lord. Plans for good, not to harm you, plans for hope and a future of HOPE (Jer 29:11) All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28)

These are my go-to verses when the poop hits the fan. They have carried me through some of the darkest, most heartbreaking seasons of life. They anchor me to a steadfast hope. God has demonstrated over and over again that in EVERY circumstance, He can be fully trusted to work on our behalf!

Yet, as I watched my precious daughter slip into delirium, my hold on this anchor of hope became as tenuous and fragile as the tether my daughter had on reality. Both began to unravel. I watched her mental faculties deteriorate and I felt utterly helpless and hopeless. When I left my terrified, delusional daughter at the hospital alone, my heart broke. In utter desperation, I cried out to God. Then I came across Daniel 10:19

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

The angel of the Lord spoke these words to Daniel after he saw a vision of a mighty warrior coming against Israel. This vision caused overwhelming fear and anxiety in Daniel. “Yet no strength was left in me, for my normal appearance turned to a deathly pale, and I grew faint and weak with fright” (Dan 10:8). I could TOTALLY relate! I was overwhelmed, anxious, and filled with fear.

I clung desperately to Daniel 10:19. As I repeated it over and over, it reminded me WHY God has good plans for us and why He causes EVERYTHING to work for our good. It is because we are precious to Him! His love is limitless and extravagant. He defines, embodies, and expresses love perfectly. Amazingly, inexplicably, undeservedly, WE are the objects of His extravagant love! Because we are precious to Him, He has good plans for our future. He is so serious about these plans that He will cause all things to work for their fulfillment.

Our lives matter to God! What comfort and HOPE this brings! No matter what happens in this coming year, we can anchor ourselves in this hope! God is ALWAYS faithful! There is no shadow of turning in Him. His word does not fail or come back empty but accomplishes that for which He sent it (Is 55:11). He has GOOD plans for our future, and He will ensure that those plans are fulfilled. Grasp that HOPE with all your might and NEVER let go! Find peace! Be encouraged! Renew your strength! We are precious to Him, therefore we have hope in this new year!

Short Circuiting Resistance: Finding Rest for our Souls

September 28, 2021January 30, 2022Lessons with a Border Collie

Our 6 month old puppy Rocket, LOVES going wherever we go. However, from the beginning, he has strongly resisted wearing his leash. Once it’s on, he trots off happily to whatever activity we’ve planned. Unfortunately, the initial response is ALWAYS the same. ‘Don’t want it. Don’t want it! DON’T WANT IT!’ In his overzealous puppy brain, he thinks he is capable of being in COMPLETE control of himself. In spite of this delusion, he has come to learn that he will not be allowed to join us unless he has his collar and leash. So he BEGRUDGINGLY allows me to put it on him.

Rocket could certainly get to the park without his leash. However, a lot of not so good things could happen left to his own devices. He gets distracted and heads off in random directions. He goes into other peoples yards and does unsavory things. He charges full speed down to the path without any thought of cyclists, risking a disastrous collision. He could end up getting separated from us and get lost or taken. Worst of all he could get killed by a passing car. His collar and leash are necessary and loving means of leading, guiding and protecting him. Rockets leash is a lot like Jesus yoke.

As we were going through the daily dance of ‘I don’t want my collar’, it occurred to me that I can be a lot like Rocket when it comes to submitting to God. There are times I accept His lead begrudgingly. I learned long ago that resisting God is a BAD idea. Yet, I still find myself telling God ‘I got this. I’ll let you know when I need help.’ It hadn’t occurred to me that begrudging acceptance of His leadership is a subtle and dangerous form of resistance. The word resist means “to exert force in opposition.” Not a good thing spiritually speaking. Needless to say, when I respond this way I am as delusional as Rocket.

At it’s best, life tends to get complicated. With all the challenges, it can get burdensome and it’s just plain tiring doing it on my own. Even my best decisions can have unforeseen negative consequences. Try as I might, I just can’t ever see the WHOLE picture. No matter how strong and capable we may be, we aren’t designed to do life on our own. The stupidest part is, trying to is as delusional as Rocket trying to get to the park without his leash. We can do it, but it’s unnecessarily difficult and potentially dangerous. The good news is Jesus offers us an alternative to the difficulty and exhaustion of going it alone.

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matt 11:28-30.”

In her devotion “The Life You Long For”, Christy Nockles defines rest as trusting in God. If we truly trust that God loves us and wants the best for us; that He is not only capable, but totally willing to handle ANY circumstance or situation that comes our way; and that He passionately wants to enable us to become our BEST selves, then we can yoke ourselves to him confidently. When we allow ourselves to be yoked to Jesus, we can actually find REST for our weary souls!. For many of us, this pandemic is the longest period of sustained stress we have ever faced and it has been EXHAUSTING. We are in DESPERATE need of REST!

Willingly, joyfully, submitting to Jesus’ yoke can bring us the thing we need most in any season of life, REST! Jesus is a gentle and humble leader. Therefore we have no fear of exploitation or abuse. He promises to guide and teach us from His vast wellspring of wisdom. I can be at peace no matter what I face. When I have Him walking beside me through the furrows of life, I am assured that I will get where I need to go and experience restoration for my soul along the way. So it’s time to short circuit resistance. Day by day, I need to chose to take Jesus’ yoke, not begrudgingly but with excitement and celebration. Jack Cassidy expresses this perfectly in his song ”Let Go, Let God”. It’s how we find rest for our souls.

A MASTERPIECE IN MOTION: Walking in Step with our Shepherd

August 26, 2021September 21, 2021Lessons with a Border Collie

“Yahweh is my best friend and shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love. His paths take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where He restores and revives my life” (Psalm 23:1-3 TPT)

We recently got a Border Collie puppy. Living with a Border Collie for the first six months is like living with an undisciplined baby Einstein with the worlds worst case of ADHD. On the other hand well trained Border Collies are amazing companions. Border Collies were originally bred to help the shepherd care for sheep. If you have ever seen the working relationship between a shepherd and a well trained border collie, it’s a masterpiece in motion. To be effective, dog and shepherd have to have a deeply connected relationship.

Proper training for a border collie is important for everyone concerned. The best way to train a puppy, is to do walk-training. To walk-train, you put the puppy on a very short leash and have them walk beside you. If they rush in front, firmly pull on the leash and give them a command to return to their position. This teaches the dog that they are not the one calling the shots. Daily walks are IMPERATIVE.

The first time I put Rocket’s collar on, he FREAKED OUT. In between his bass on a fishing line temper tantrums, I coaxed him forward one step at a time. Our first “walk” was a whopping 20 feet. Each outing went better. Eventually, he was walking in step with me. The most amazing thing about walk training, is it changed his out-of-control puppy behavior, not just on our walk’s, but EVERYWHERE.

As I contemplated this training process, it occurred to me that there is a powerful spiritual gem hidden within. We NEED walk-training! We can only become our best selves when we learn to take our cues from our Shepherd. The more attentive and obedient we are, the better our lives work. When we submit to walk-training, EVERY aspect of our lives improves. When we develop a close relationship with Him and look to Him for leadership, we can have a meaningful and abundant life. It is the natural result of walking in step with Him!

Our Shepherd WANTS to walk with us. This was His desire from the beginning of creation. We will ALWAYS benefit from daily “walk-training”. Through it we develop an intimate relationship of trust with the Lover of our souls. Intimacy with Him restores and revives our lives!

In this season of chaos, it is even more IMPERATIVE to walk intimately and attentively with our Shepherd every day. His loving, wise and caring guidance are EXACTLY what we need to navigate these difficult times. When we submit to the leadership of our GOOD Shepherd, our lives become a masterpiece in motion.

SACRIFICIAL LOVE: A Celebration of Easter

April 2, 2021June 20, 2021Leap of Faith

What is love? For centuries people have sought an answer. Poets have extoled its virtues. Psychologists have studied it. Is it a feeling, an action, a choice to commit regardless of the consequences? Is it a biological imperative driven by chemical reactions? How we answer this question plays a critical role in how we live our lives.

When I was 20, I made a choice that deeply and directly affected my life, and the lives of three other people and indirectly effected several others. I was single, pregnant and completely on my own. When I discovered that I was pregnant there were two things I knew immediately and unequivocally. I would NOT have an abortion and I had exactly NOTHING to give this child. I couldn’t care for or feed myself on a regular basis, much less a child. In addition, I had a mountain of emotional baggage that made Everest look like a casual climb.

I prayed for guidance. The answer I got back was adoption. That was the hardest and the easiest choice of my ENTIRE life.

It was the hardest choice I have ever made, because even though she was unplanned, she was NOT unloved or unwanted. There was nothing I wanted MORE in life than a child and a loving, happy family. The further along I got, the more I loved the child that was growing inside me. Feeling her move, discovering her responses to everthing from music to food, forged a bond with her in my heart long before I saw her precious little face for the first time. Letting go of this beautiful, perfect little girl that had shared my body for 9 months, this baby that represented everything I hoped for and so deeply desired out of life, was the single most heartbreaking choice I have ever made. It wounded me in ways I am still trying to fully understand 36 years later.

At the same time, it was utterly simple. When they placed her in my arms for the first time, I realized just how profound a task raising this child would be. I would be responsible for every aspect of her care, nurture and development. That realization hit me like the comet that wiped out the dinosaurs. There was NO DOUBT in my mind or soul that I wasn’t up to the task, not even a little bit. So, I let her go to a couple that could give her all the things I could not.

What that taught me is that love, at its core, isn’t about my happiness. Love is other centered not self-centered. It’s about what is in the best interest of another, especially if that other doesn’t have the power to act on their own behalf. Over the years God has refined this understanding of love. I have come to believe that the essence of love is self-sacrifice. Love doesn’t sacrifice the object of its affection on the altar of personal happiness. It sacrifices itself for the benefit of that which is loved.

We are approaching the celebration of Easter, the greatest example of love in all of history. Jesus chose to lay aside His power and divinity and live in the muck and mess of life with us. He was “a man of deep sorrows who was no stranger to suffering and grief” (Isaiah 53:3 TPT). He gave up His personal happiness to bridge the chasm of sin that lay between us and God. He who never sinned, became sin and bore the penalty, so that we could experience reconciliation with God and live in God’s gracious lovingkindness and abundance. He sacrificed Himself to restore the brokenness our sin caused. He did this even though we despised and rejected Him. He sacrificed Himself for the benefit of that which He loved; us.

Love is more than a feeling, more than a biological imperative. It is more than an action or a commitment. It is the self-sacrifice of a sinless man hanging from a cross of shame, bearing the consequences of OUR sin so that we could live our best lives, even if it cost Him His own.

May this Easter season be the beginning of your experience of REAL love. May it be the restoration of whatever wounds you are carrying. May you come to know personally and intimately, the one who gave His life for you and me. Turn to Him. Invite Him into your life. Accept Him as Lord and Savior. If we accept this gift, we will come to understand what REAL love is and it will transform and restore every fiber of our beings now and for eternity.

KNOW HIM KNOW HOPE: a 2020-2021 Survival Guide

March 6, 2021January 30, 2022A COVID -19 Survival Guide

“I trust the next chapter because I know the Author.”

This simple declaration struck a chord deep within me. 2020 was awful and 2021 seems to be shaping up to be 2020-part duex. Worse yet, the face-to-face, soul-to-soul connections in our lives that give us reasons to celebrate and provide support and comfort when tragedy hits, continue to be curtailed if not eliminated altogether.

The reality of our current situation doesn’t mean we have to surrender to hopelessness. That is why that phrase resonates so deeply. It reflects a truth and a promise reiterated over and over in God’s word. Knowing Him means knowing hope. No matter what has, is or will happen, we can “trust the next chapter” if we know and trust the character and heart of the one writing our story.

Our Church is reading through the Bible together. Most of the individual stories are old familiar friends. However, there is something very powerful about reading them as a whole. Instead of separate stories that reflect individual events, these events become chapters in ONE ongoing story. Reading them this way has given me a MUCH deeper understanding and appreciation for the character of God.

Take the story of David and Bathsheba. David saw her bathing, lusted after her, brought her to his palace and impregnated her. He tried to cover his sin by bringing her husband Uriah home from war to sleep with her. Uriah didn’t comply. With the coverup thwarted, David had Uriah killed. Not David’s finest moment! Then the child conceived in this act of adultery died.

If we stopped there, we may be tempted to believe that God is easily angered, vengeful and wants to punish us for our sin and stupidity. But that isn’t the end of the story. After Uriah’s death and the death of his son, David is hit full force with his sinfulness. To his credit, he doesn’t try to excuse or justify his failure. Instead, he goes to God and pens one of the most heartfelt and sorrowful acknowledgements of sin and plea for forgiveness found in scripture.

“For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when you speak Your sentence and faultless in Your judgement. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew an upright and steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not from your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me” (PS 51:2-3, 10-11).

David marries Bathsheba. She gives birth to a second son, Solomon. Solomon was not David’s only or first born son. Yet it is the child of this mess of a relationship that God chooses to place on the throne of all Israel! Why? Because that is the Grace and steadfast loving kindness of our God!

David’s marriage to Bathsheba came about as the result of adultery and murder. Yet this was the relationship through which God would produce not only the next and wisest King of Israel, but the great, great, great…grandfather of Jesus Christ! It is through a relationship that started out in unimaginable sin that God eventually brought our Savior into the world!

God loves, cherishes and wants the best for His children. He doesn’t overlook our sin. He allows the consequences of our sin to be the teacher that prevents us from destroying our lives, by steering us away from sinning. When we repent, he faithfully forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He creates a clean heart in us and imparts His Spirit to us. He makes us a new creation in Christ. God takes the horror and damage that sin wrought in our lives and creates beauty from the ashes.

This is a picture of a God who loves us compassionately, steadfastly, loyally and unconditionally. He is a God who doesn’t give up on us no matter how hard we screw up! Our God causes our worst moments to be the catalyst for our greatest triumphs. This is His AMAZING Grace! This is the character of our God!

If God is willing to bring such glory out of such sin, why wouldn’t He protect, provide for and prosper us physically, emotionally and spiritually in the midst of circumstances not of our own making? In this time when we are left wondering what the next chapter will be, we CAN trust the loving kindness and Grace of the Author. Knowing Him truly means Knowing HOPE!

Suggested reading: 2 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Kings 2:1-15; Psalm 51

FINDING HOPE IN ADVERSITY

February 15, 2021September 13, 2021A COVID -19 Survival Guide, Leap of Faith

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. How can we sing the lords song in a foreign land? Psalm 137:1, 4.

COVID has created a lot of disruption and aversity in our lives. We are in a season of dissatisfaction and distraction and there is no real end in sight. If you are like me you are tired. Tired of COVID. Tired of face masks. Tired of restrictions. Tired of conflict. Tired of politics. Tired of social distancing. Just plain tired of it all. On top of being tired, I am grieving the loss of all the things COVID protocol has taken from us. COVID isn’t going away and we can’t get away from it. In a very real way, we are captive to it.

I doubt any of us were prepared for just how unrelenting this season would actually be. Most of us have sought distractions to take our minds off it. Healthy distraction can be a good thing. It provides some relief from adversity, especially adversity over which we have no control. Too much distraction or unhealthy distraction however, can negatively effect motivation and mood. Distraction may provide temporary relief, but it is like candy. It only satisfies while we’re consuming it and too much of it … not good!

In 605 B.C. Babylon conquered the Nation of Judah. This began a 70 year long season of adversity for the people of God. Jerusalem and the temple were sacked and destroyed. The Israelites were killed or carted off to captivity in Babylon. They lost their homes, possessions, loved ones and their freedom. It was devastating. (This gave me a bit of perspective on the season we are going though. It may be long but at least its not 70 years!)

Psalm 137 was written during the Babylonian captivity. It is the poignant outcry of people trying to deal with adversity in captivity. God’s people cried out “how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” In essence they were asking, how do we find satisfaction in long term adversity? How do we find joy and meaning in prolonged captivity? How do we find fulfillment when we have little to no control over our situation or our lives? They were asking the same questions we are asking today.

I found my answer to this question in the lives of Daniel and his friends; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

In the beginning of their captivity, they had virtually no control over their lives. Every aspect, from their education, to jobs, to how and who they would worship, was dictated by their captors. Even things as basic as what they ate, were decided for them. Yet, to a man, they determined that they would not defile themselves even if it cost them their lives.

Instead of just going along to get along or being ground down by the realities of their captivity, they choose to cast their lot with God. They chose to trust in, lean on and be obedient to God in all things, regardless of their situation. They sought His guidance and listened to His voice. They followed His plan and relied on His protection. In their 70 years of captivity God protected, prospered and raised them to positions of power and influence. By seeking God and allowing Him to reign in their lives, they were able to thrive in the adversity of foreign captivity. Their faithfulness even laid the foundation for the eventual return to Jerusalem.

In this season, we have the SAME OPPORTUNITY. When we follow their example, prolonged adversity gives us a unique opportunity. We get to trust in , lean on and be obedient to God in ways that would not be possible under any other circumstances. It gives us the opportunity to see God work powerfully on our behalf. When we choose to throw our lot in with God, prolonged adversity becomes an opportunity to grow! To grow closer to God. To grow stronger and more resilient. To gain experience and wisdom. To grow more Christlike.

As we continue through this long season of adversity, let’s follow the example of Daniel and his fellow captives. Let’s trust in God’s ability to bring us through whatever comes. No matter how long it lasts, GOD WILL bring us to the other side. Lean on Him for strength and rest and He will enable us to soar like Eagles. Be obedient to Him and to His word and He will bring blessing in the midst of our captivity.

Take comfort in the promise of Rom. 5:3-5. “ Exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardship, knowing that hardship produces patient endurance and endurance, proven character and spiritual maturity: and proven character produces hope and confident assurance. Such hope NEVER DISAPOINTS.”

Let this season of adversity be one in which we allow God to do His transformative work in us. Draw close to Him and take comfort in His steadfast love and care. Then we will know how to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. Who knows, we too may be laying a foundation of hope and blessing beyond imagining!

Recommended reading Psalm 137, Dan. Chapt. 1, 3:8-28, 6:18-28

THE PROMISE OF A NEW YEAR

January 10, 2021Leap of Faith

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as the promises of God are, in Christ they are all answered with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ our “Amen” ascends to God for His glory.”

The end of 2020 is something we have ALL been looking forward to with great anticipation. With all its chaos, stress and difficulty, 2020 couldn’t end soon enough. Yet with each new challenge, it seemed like 2020 would NEVER end. Well, 2021 is FINALLY here! The promise of a new year is always exciting. The possibilities a new year holds, makes the change in the calendar cause for celebration and hope. Coming out of the year we have had; the possibility of hope seems that much more exciting and vital.

Yet despite the change in the calendar, little else has actually changed. We are still dealing with COVID and all its myriad of physical, social and financial issues. Though last year’s tragedies have highlighted racial issues, we have yet to send the demon of racism back to the pit of hell from whence it came. We are still dealing with added stress in work, finances, marriage, family life and relationships in general and yet…

We cannot afford to abandon the promise of a new year!

Each new year holds promise because time itself is a gift from God. He gives us each year, and every year he gives us, is a year filled with the potential of what He can and WILL do in our lives. The hope of that potential is something we need to embrace ESPECIALLY after the year we have had.

One of the ways we can embrace this potential is to remind ourselves of the promises God has made to us. So, what are some of God’s promises to us?

God promises His presence. He promises that whatever we face, He will be with us. He will never under any circumstances desert us or leave us defenseless. As we walk through this coming year, we can be assured that He will be beside us guiding and protecting, comforting and consoling us. No matter what, He WILL bring us though.

Psalm 23:4

Heb. 13:5-6

Psalm 55: 22:

Isaiah 41:10-13

Isaiah 43: 1,2

Psalm 46:1-3

Psalm 18:2

Psalm 55:22

Psalm 9:9

God promises to bring GOOD out of every situation we face, even the worst. Whatever crap life throws at us, God will use it to grow a garden of beauty and repose in our lives. He desires to give us a life of abundance, regardless of the situations around us.

Rom 8:28

Jer. 29:11

John 10:10

2 Thes. 2:16-17

Deut 30:9, 19-20

1 Kings 8:56

Psalm 23:2-3, 5

God promises to care for us. He will provide for us always. He promises to ease our burden and bring us a peace that transcends circumstance.

1 Peter 5:6,7

Matt 6:25,26

Phil 4:6

Matt 11:28-30

John 14:27

Isaiah 57:19

Psalm 85:8

Phil 4:7

Psalm 128:

God KEEPS His promises

Num 23:19

2 Peter 3:9

2 Cor. 1:20

This coming year is overflowing with potential because God gave it to us and He is with us! If God is for us, who or what can stand against us? NOTHING!! So, embrace the promise of the new year. It’s real! We have His word on it!

CHANGING PERSPECTIVE: a 2020 Survival Guide

December 26, 2020January 30, 2022A COVID -19 Survival Guide

For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future Jer 29:11 NIV

In March it seemed that 2020 had come prepared to do battle. Now in December it seems that it wasn’t a battle that 2020 had in mind. In addition to a Global pandemic and the financial and social adversity that it caused, we’ve had wild fires in Australia, the Western United States and Canada, locust swarms in Africa, earthquakes in Turkey and Puerto Rico, a super typhoon in the South Pacific, massive flooding in Vietnam, Cambodia and the Sudan, and a massive explosion in Beirut. Not to mention the individual challenges each of us has faced this year. In the US, the murder of George Floyd lit the fuse of social outrage and racial conflict. Throw in a less than typical presidential election and it seems clear that 2020 is in FULL ON SIEGE MODE!

I will take even the most intense battle over a siege ANY DAY! The unrelenting stress of an enemy continually at the gate is like being caught in a grinding stone. Each turn of the stone wears us down a little more, until all that remains is the helpless, hopeless dust of our former selves. A siege cuts us off from each other and our resources. A prolonged siege can actually steal our capacity to embrace hope, because we lose the ability to see any way out.

During Israel’s war with Aram, Elisha repeatedly thwarted Aram’s success in battle by prophesying about Aram’s battle plans. This so enraged the king of Aram that he wanted Elisha dead. So, he sent a powerful army by night to lay siege to the city of Dothan where Elisha lived. When Elisha and his servant awoke, they were met with the sight of a large army encircling the city. Elisha ’s servant was in a state of panic bordering on despair. Elisha however, was as cool as a cucumber.

Both men were facing the same threat, but they had very different responses. Why?

The difference came from their individual perspectives. The servant was focused on the problem. From his perspective they faced a lethal danger with no defense and no way out. He saw no way to successfully stand against this aggressor. As a result, he was overwhelmed and lost hope.

Elisha’s focus however, wasn’t on the enemy. His hope and trust were centered in God. Elisha told his servant “Do not be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:17). Elisha could see what his servant could not. He saw the army of the Almighty, with chariots of fire, absolutely filling the mountains between them and the army of Aram. Elisha’s servant was unable to embrace hope because his focus and trust were in the wrong place.

What we focus on and who we trust in makes ALL the difference. There is no denying that 2020 is beyond challenging. The problems are real. The difficulties keep piling up with no clear end in sight. If we keep our focus on the problems, we could easily fall into hopelessness and despair. What we need most in the midst of this siege, is a change of perspective. How we end this year will affect how our new year begins. AS this year is coming to a close let’s end it looking to the one who holds the future. His plans for us are good! He is giving us a future of hope!