Search Me

One morning this past week, during my quiet time with the Lord, I read John 2:24-25 from the New Living Translation (NLT). When I study the Word, I usually use the New King James Version. But I enjoy the NLT for reading because I sense the Lord speaking to me personally.

But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people.
No one needed to tell him about human nature,
for he knew what was in each person’s heart.
John 2:24-25, NLT

“Jesus didn’t trust them,” and “he knew what was in each person’s heart,” moved me to tears. I turned to Psalm 139:23-24 and made these two verses my prayer.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23-24, NLT

While I focused on these verses, I thought of common problem areas many of us battle such as anxiety, doubt, insecurity, pride, and selfishness. If you’re like me, you may struggle in one or more of these at times. Let’s look at what God’s Word says about each of these sins. I hope you’ll take time to review these verses for yourself. I’ll summarize them here.

Anxiety—Proverbs 3:5-6 is a familiar part of Scripture. We are to trust in the Lord and not depend on our understanding. When we seek His will, He will guide us to the right path.

Doubt—The verse mentioned above applies to doubt too. But we can also look to Romans 10:17. Our faith grows from hearing the Good News about Christ. The more we get into the Word of God, meditate on it, and follow it, the less doubt we’ll battle.

Insecurity—A great verse here is Galatians 2:20. Jesus died for us and now He lives in us. When we trust in Him, we understand who we are in Christ and how much He loves us. If He is always with us, why do we feel unqualified or uncertain?

Pride—Here’s a verse that can put us in our place. Galatians 6:3 tells us not to think too highly of ourselves. We aren’t all that important.

Selfishness—Philippians 2:3-4 makes this clear by telling us not to be selfish, but to think of others as better than ourselves. Do we follow Jesus’s example by taking an interest in people around us and what they need and want?

Are any of these problem areas for you? My hope is that you will pray, ask the Lord to search your heart, and ask Him to show you anything that offends Him, so you can follow His lead.

O God, You know what’s in my heart. You know everything about me. Search me, Lord, and show me, convict me Holy Spirit, of all that’s within me that offends You. When I try to walk alone or go my own wayward way, help me instead to follow Your leading and go forward in faith in You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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Are You Weary or Soaring?

On a trip to the Oregon coast, my husband and I watched as a bald eagle swooped down, snatched a young bird from a cliff, and carried it off in his talons. As symbols of strength, freedom, and victory, eagles are powerful both in flight and with their vision. They fly at impressive heights and wait patiently for their prey. They also have excellent eyesight and focus with clarity.

Perhaps the imagery of power, patience, and focus is expressed in the following Scripture.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31, NIV

The New King James version reads, wait on the Lord. This is not a passive waiting but a faith-filled expectancy as we hope in Christ and what He is doing in our lives.

As we wait on the Lord and pray for Him to move in our situation, He renews our strength. That’s one way we grow in our faith walk with Christ.

Eagles soar without using much energy. They don’t tire or grow weary easily. If we keep our focus on Jesus, and what He endured for us, we won’t give up either.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:3, NIV

Jesus knows the obstacles we meet each day. He knows what’s happening around us and understands our turmoil, angst, and impatience. He gives us strength to overcome every obstacle in our path.

Covid-19 may have disrupted our lives and normalcy and caused us to feel perplexed and struck down. But according to 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, we are not crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed when we are in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV states—

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting
away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.

I believe Paul was saying we shouldn’t give up or give in to discouragement, for our spirit is being renewed each day. In the grand scheme of things, our troubles here are temporary, but our hope in Christ and eternal life are so much greater. As we place our hope and faith in Him, may we eagerly await our future joy together.

We can soar on eagle’s wings if we stay focused on Christ.

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Title photo by Sean McGee - Unsplash

Photos below by LuAnn K. Edwards.
Mama bird was not happy with Mr. Eagle!

My Story—Part Two

My story continues with part two—one year later. (See My Story—April 11, 2020.) My soon-to-be husband sang in a Southern Gospel quartet, and the group was singing at a church near our home one Saturday evening. My mom and I knew this would be a wonderful opportunity to invite Dad to church with us. We’d invited him several times over the year, but he believed it was nonsense to go to church so often. We felt certain he would want to hear Kenn sing, because Dad loved music. With all of us working hard to persuade him, he caved and agreed to go with us.

Dad enjoyed the singing, but the rest of the service was too much for him. An older gentleman stood to preach a quick message and held up a newborn baby with one hand as he walked back and forth at the front of the church. I guess Dad thought the preacher might drop the baby.

“I will never go to church with you again,” my dad said after we arrived home. “Those people are crazy!” He meant it, too.

The Lord had other plans. Although Dad said he wouldn’t go again, the following morning he dressed for church and attended with Mom and me.

I’m not sure if he received the Lord into his life that day or later. But once Dad committed his life to the Lord, he didn’t stop attending church or serving the Lord daily. In fact, when he retired from his regular job, the church became the place where he spent his days volunteering, doing everything he could do to serve the Lord. He served as the church’s clerk and in other capacities for thirty years, and he took to heart Psalm 100:2.

Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.

My earliest memory of him was sitting in his lap as a young child combing his hair. As I grew older, I remember him dancing and singing around the house and acting silly. I’m sure I didn’t think he was all that funny as a teenager, but as an adult, I loved his enthusiasm for life. Last week, when my husband told me I’m as silly as my dad was, it brought a smile to my face. I am like him.

In his sixties he took part in a video skit with his church’s music department. Dad was not a talented singer, but he liked to have fun. The skit ended with four men singing a song called “Moving on up to Glory.” The song was beautiful! However, they weren’t singing; it was a recording of the Cathedral Quartet. Dad and the other men were only lip syncing, but it appeared that these four tone-deaf men had become an overnight success. It was this same song that played in the background when Dad took his last breath. He moved on up to Glory to dance and praise the Lord as I held his hand ten years ago. I miss you, Daddy!

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.

Psalm 149:3, NIV

Father, I’m thankful for Christ’s death, resurrection, and new life in Him. I pray that each person who reads this blog post has received or will receive new life in Christ. Draw them to You, Lord. May each person surrender their hearts to You and make You the Lord of their lives. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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Photo of Bible by Rod Long - Unsplash

My Story

Other than God’s Word, there’s no better way to proclaim the miracle of the cross than to share our personal story of when Christ’s death and resurrection changed our lives. Here’s my story.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Psalm 23:4, ESV

Depression became my foe while alone in a hotel room. My friend had plans without me, which meant I spent the day with nothing to do. My depression felt like death. When I found a Bible in the drawer, I read Psalm 23 and hoped the words “for you are with me” were true. I prayed and asked God to help me get my life on the right track, because misery awaited me if I didn’t make essential changes.

I grew up believing I was a Christian—attended church, could quote the Ten Commandments, and believed in God. What more was there?

After graduating from high school, I headed the wrong way in life. I didn’t hang out with the “obedient kids,” which distressed my parents. For three years I tried to find myself and discovered I needed to focus more on the Lord.

Two months after praying in the hotel room, my mom and I started attending a nearby church. On our first visit, I decided I was where I needed to be, but fear held me back. What did God want from me? The church was beginning a series of evangelistic revival services, and we discussed whether we should attend. We were both terrified they might call us up to the front of the church. But we went anyway.

On the final night of the revival, something happened inside me. But during the prayer time at the end of the service, my mom looked at me and said, “If you go forward to pray, I’ll die of embarrassment!” I responded, “I’m not going up to the front of the church—don’t worry!” We both knew we needed to pray and accept Christ into our lives, but neither of us wanted to take the first step.

After a restless week because of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, I looked at Mom the following Sunday during prayer and said, “I have to go to the front, now!” She nodded, because the Holy Spirit had moved in her heart too. I hurried forward and met Jesus that day. He became my Lord and Savior. I realized that in my head I’d assumed I was a Christian because I believed in God, but I didn’t know Him in my heart. On that Sunday, Jesus became my everything, and I confessed Him as my Lord. I began a lifelong relationship with Him, and later in the week, my mom too, received Christ into her heart and life.

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9, ESV

Have you decided to follow Christ? Do you believe in your heart, and not just in your head, God raised Jesus from the dead? My prayer for you today is that your story is like my story and you, too, can say “Jesus is my Lord.”

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Photo by Thanti Nguyen - Unsplash