He Still Loves Us

Isaiah 40 is a beautiful chapter that tells of the Creator's wondrous power and authority over all things. We are nothing in comparison to Him, we are so small and weak next to Him, and He has no logical reason to care for us in the least bit.

...And yet He does. He still cares, even when we don't care for Him. He still helps us up, when He knows we will just fall time and time again. He still watches over us, even when He knows there are times when we choose not to see Him. He still leads the way for us, even when we let go of His guiding hand sometimes. And He still loves us more than any other created being, even when we are ungrateful, ruthless, and selfish and won't love Him back in the way He so deserves.

That is the kind of God we are so fortunate to have. That is the kind of God we should ever so willingly desire and strive to serve each and every day of our lives. That is the God I long to someday meet face to face and fall down at His feet and worship forever and ever. "Oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be!"

“'To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?' says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. 'Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'" (Isaiah 40:25-26,28-31)

Have a blessed day!

~Courtney

Wait

 

Being patient can be hard. Sometimes it can be very hard to wait for an answer from God. But we know that when we wait patiently and hopefully for His reply to our diligent prayers, the answer is always more perfect and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.
        Here is a poem that tells how precious our waiting time is and how we can learn from it and grow closer to God while we wait for His will to be done:

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried; 
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied. 
I pleaded and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Wait." 

"Wait? You say 'wait'?" my indignant reply. 
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! 
Is your hand shortened? Or have You not heard? 
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming Your Word. 

"My future and all to which I relate 
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me to wait? 
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign, 
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign. 

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe, 
We need but to ask, and we shall receive. 
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: 
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply." 

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, 
As my Master replied again, "Wait." 
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, 
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?" 

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine, 
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign. 
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun. 
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run. 

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be. 
 You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me. 
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint. 
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint. 

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair; 
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there. 
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me 
When darkness and silence are all you can see. 

"You'd never experience the fullness of love 
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove. 
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start, 
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. 

"The glow of my comfort late into the night, 
The faith that I give when you walk without sight. 
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask 
From an infinite God who makes what you have last. 

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee, 
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee. 
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true, 
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you. 

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see 
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me. 
And though oft My answers seem terribly late, 
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

--Author Unknown 

Have a blessed day!

~Courtney

Stand Strong!

In a world that seems to pull Christians down and accuse us of being intolerant and prejeduce, while at the same time they drag our God's words through the mud, it can be quite disappointing at times. We often wonder why a God would let such things happen to good people in this once wonderful nation. He blessed us, but now this country isn't doing her fair share of blessing Him and giving Him the glory for all He has done for us. Just like the good Father that He is, we know there will be consequences for what the wicked people have done, and we know that although there are still good people in the world, we may still be part of the punishments that are yet to come.

Yeah... that sounded pretty depressing, didn't it? Well, I just want to say a few things today that might be a little encouragement to you. Sure, I'm afraid of what God might do to the people who disobey Him, but I have no reason to doubt that He will take care of His people. No matter what the evil people around us try to do to Christians, we shoudln't lose heart. Being tested makes us stronger. This is good training for us, a wonderful opportunity to prove our courage and love for Christ.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exeeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1)

"And he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Like Joshua and the children of Isreal, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, we also need to stand strong, especially when in hot water and put to the test:

"And the people said to Joshua, 'The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" (Joshua 24:24)

"If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

We are the light of the world, and we should never be ashamed of that! I love this verse: "For we are to God the frangrance of Christ among those who are being saved among those who are perishing." (Romans 1:16)

We must remember never to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, no matter the cost.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ...Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (1 Corinthians 15:58; 16:13)

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3)

And if we remain strong, we can boldly say, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

My thoughts may have been a bit jumbled today, but I hope you got my main point. Even if you're the last person on earth who stands for God's word and His truth, don't be afraid. Don't worry, because He will always be with you, no matter what.

Have a wonderful day!

~Courtney

By His Stripes We Are Healed

There is a passage I read every Sunday morning during the Lord's Supper in order to prepare my mind and keep my focus on what it's about. Isaiah 53 tells the prophecy about the sacrifice and sufferings Jesus was going to go through for the world, for us. Here are the first nine verses:


1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgement, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked-- but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.


Verses four and five are what really grab my attention. If you put "me"/"I" in the places where it says "we"/"our," it becomes more personal:
     Surely He has borne MY griefs and carried MY sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for MY transgressions, He was bruised for MY iniquities; the chastisement for MY peace was upon Him, and by His wounds I am healed!

His love for us is amazing! There is no greater love than that.  

Because He died, I don't have to; because He lives, I can!

"My chains are gone, I've been set free! My God, my Savior, has ransomed me; and like a flood His mercy rains unending love, amazing grace!"

"He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed."

I hope you have a blessed rest of the week!

~Courtney

Resolutions for 2013

Happy New Year!

Today is the beginning of a new year, oftentimes thought of as a new beginning. Everyday granted us is another chance to begin anew, but the start of a new year is always encouraging to become the person we weren't last year.

Many people make New Year's resolutions lists, and try to succeed in completing their goals, whether they are things they want to do, people they want to meet or get to know better, or improve their lives more than before. I always make a list, and although I may not accomplish everything I had intended to, I can say that each year I have grown closer to the Lord and some very wonderful Christian friends. I've been beyond blessed this past year, and am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to make new lasting friendships.

Last night (or early this morning, rather), I made a list of things I want to improve on in the coming year. I may make alternations or additions, but you'll get the gist of it. This is what I wrote down:

• Pray more
• Grow closer to God
• Become a servant as Christ was
• Encourage others more
• Have more faith in God's timing
• Become the kind of woman my future husband needs in a wife
• Always be a good example to those around me, especially my younger siblings and cousins
• No gossiping
• Smile more, sing more, be happier
• Eat healthier
• Use my talents/gifts for God's glory only

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world's delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
(Palmer Hartsough)

 What are some of your resolutions?

Patience In the New Year

As you know, tomorrow is the first day of the new year, 2013. And if you're like me, you're making a mental list in your mind of things you resolve to change and improve in your life in the coming year. I have many things I need to improve, and my spiritual life is always number one on my list. I need to pray more, speak less, be encouraging, be a helpful servant like Christ, and so on. One of my biggest weaknesses is being too impatient. I'm a hurry-it-along type of person, always wanting things to happen on time and in just the right way. I sometimes struggle with worrying about whether or not things will work out, but I have gotten better at having faith that God's plans are the best. I've always known He does what is best for each one of us, but I find that difficult to believe sometimes, especially when an answer is delayed. So this next year I am going to strive extra hard to have faith in His plans for me, trust that they are for my good, and patience for when some things seem to take longer than I had hoped. If you're having difficulties with these same things, here are some verses that I looked up last night to help out the impatient person in life (like me):

"Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass... Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him..." (Psalm 37:5,7)

"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14)

"In You, O LORD, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed... For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me." (Psalm 31:1,3)

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." (Psalm 62:5)

"Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God bless! Happy New Year!

~Courtney

Homemade Crescent Rolls

A very dear friend and neighbor of ours' mother recently passed away, so my mom wanted us to fix some food to take to them. Today she gave me the job of making crescent rolls from scratch, a recipe we just discovered a few days ago, and they are so fun and easy to make, and taste delicious!

I mixed the ingredients and let them rise, and just before I was going to start rolling out the dough, a friend of ours came over with her two grandchildren. The girl is almost four years old, and when she saw me getting out the flour and dough, she wanted to help. So I helped her wash her hands, put an apron around her, and stood her up on a little stool.

She thought the big blobs of dough were funny. She helped me roll out the dough into a circle, and then I cut the four flattened circles into triangles like a pizza. After I showed her how to roll the pieces into a crescent, she had it down pat immediately! Her rolls turned out just as good as mine.

I so enjoyed slowing down and teaching her how to do it. She learned something today, and we both helped to give our neighbors a little something to lighten their load. I'm so thankful for such a sweet little girl in my life to share giggles, floury hands, and good times with.

Here is the recipe, if you'd like to try it sometime:

1 1/2 C. milk
3/4 C. + 1 T. sugar
1 egg
1 T. salt
2 T. yeast 2 C. warm water
9-10 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. butter

Scald 1 1/2 cups milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup butter. Add 1-2 cups flour, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon salt. Let it cool enough to add yeast. Dissolve yeast first in 2 cups warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let yeast water sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly. Using fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in remainder of the 9-10 cups flour. Add 1-2 cups at a time, stirring it in carefully. When it gets stiff, stir with hands. Let rise until doubled in size. Divide into four equal-sized balls and cut into eights like a pizza, then roll like a crescent, from big end to point. Bake until done all the way through.

God bless!