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Building A House On A Strong Foundation

August 17, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

We are building a house. We decided not to do the traditional wood, brick and mortar. We’re using steel. We have steel beams, steel studs, steel roof and steel siding. We are putting together a home that has already been through the fire and poured out to become stronger for it. Our foundation is made of concrete poured on top of hundreds of steel rods which reinforce the stability and strength of the concrete. Without a firm foundation, the steel girders and posts would not stand alone. A few Oklahoma wind gusts would level our house. Instead it is secured with thousands of steel bolts driven deep into the concrete. Likewise, Christians are secured to Christ as the foundation of His church. The church is strengthened by the indwelling power of God. We merely stand bolted to Him.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

God uses us to build His kingdom. We are His church. We are a portion of the beams, the walls, the siding. Jesus is our foundation, just as our house’s foundation is cement poured into a foundation of more steel rods. I think sometimes, me? I am the church for whom Jesus gave His life? I am the walls, the siding, the beams, the roof? Yes, and just as the materials used to build our house were put through the fire and tempered to make the strongest steel, the Lord gives us His power through His Spirit to withstand the trials of life…not that we can boast faith, wisdom or strength, no. Our endurance is because of the power the Lord gives us as we persevere and look to Him in faith.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,” 1 Corinthians 3:16

When storms come, we are secured in our faith. When death pays its visit, we are secured by the blood of the Lamb and assured of eternal life with God where it cannot be taken away. Because the Spirit of God makes His dwelling place within us, He strengthens us greater than any steel beam could ever be strengthened.

Do you ever feel worthless in the kingdom of God? Ever wonder whether what you do or don’t do matters in the scheme of things? It matters. You matter. Jesus gave His life to ensure it matters. You are a part of His church. Open the windows of your life and let others see Jesus in you–the spirit who lives within you. Let people see the fruit the Spirit gives you. Peace, love, joy, kindness, gentleness, self-control and hope. When storms buffet and threaten your faith and commitment, remember your foundation is secure in Christ. No one and nothing is stronger than He.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

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I Don’t Know How You Feel

July 12, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

We cannot know for certain how another person feels–the depth of their pain…their emptiness, loss or fear. We may think we know how a person feels when we see them under fire, trial, or difficulty. We may have had some similar situation in which we felt a specific heartache or crisis. However, unless we are the other person, we cannot know the loneliness, the grief, the anxiety, or doubt another has.  We cannot know their brokenness or experience their suffering.

Likewise we cannot know how deep their faith is based on their tears or depression. They may be trusting in God and clinging to Him with all that is within them in order to keep from totally falling apart. We cannot know what ”falling apart” looks like–the end of another’s rope to us may be the knots the LORD has tied around their wrists to keep them from slipping in the mire of circumstance. We cannot know another’s heart.

That’s why sometimes our impulsive words like “you just need to trust in the Lord”, sound so hollow and trite.

Yes…we all know we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”, but we do not all know when Christ designates the strength to meet the problem or trial we face. We who care would do well to exercise discernment and restraint when we seek to comfort or minister, or advise another in need.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Proverbs 25:11

Words that have helped me in trying times are:

“I am so sorry. I wish I had answers.”

“I don’t know how you feel right now, but I care that you hurt.”

“I can’t know the confusion and betrayal you feel right now, but I will pray for you during this time. Please hang on to that.”

“I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to deal with this, but please know that I care and will be here if you need someone to just sit with you. No need to talk. No explanations needed. Just someone in the room.”

“Do you care if I pray for you?”

Sometimes just a hug, and pat on the arm, or squeeze of an elbow is all a person needs to know someone cares and feels their pain. The best cards are blank cards with appropriate pictures and a handwritten, “I care” inside with a phone number.

PRAYER:  LORD, give us wisdom to discern the words another needs to hear as a soothing balm. Help us be sensitive to another’s pain and heartache so we treat others with kindness, love and gentleness. And, if there is someone in need of comfort, direction, or peace who read these words today, I pray You have mercy upon them and pour out Your abundant grace that they may know You are God and that You care for them. 

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

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Backstage Pass

July 6, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Most of us have a favorite musician or celebrity we have dreamed of meeting one day, but few of us are lucky enough to secure a backstage pass which would give us that kind of access or a behind-the-scenes look into all that goes into a successful concert or stage production.  We only get to enjoy a limited view as fans and, with the rising cost of tickets, an expensive view at that. 

As Christians we don’t need a backstage pass to gain an audience with the omnipotent, omnipresent, all-knowing God of the universe.  All we need do is accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  We may not always be able to see what God is doing to answer our prayers for provision or redeeming grace in the lives of those we love, but we have full access to talk with Him, the promises of His Word to give us hope, and the assurance that He is working all things together for good in the lives of those who love Him.

As you pray today for those you love, have faith that even though you don’t have a backstage pass that allows you to see what God is doing behind the scenes, you have full access to the One who hears and answers your prayers.  You don’t need to know all the details, but you do need to trust God to work them out in His own way and according to His timetable.  Don’t worry that you cannot see His hand at work, but trust His heart as you rest in His presence.  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”[1] 

[1] Words and Lyrics by Helen Lemmel

 Copyright © 2011 by Dee Dee Wike.  All rights reserved.  www.deedeewike.com

 

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Bible Verses About Hope

May 26, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

Below are some Bible verses about hope.  Sometimes Christians have doubts. Sometimes we face overwhelming situations.  They are so beyond our ability to cope, we may find ourselves unable to trust in anything or anyone to get us through the next breath.  These have been verses which kept me through some very difficult times in my own life. If you have some verses which give you hope, feel free to add them in the comment box.

We have a trustworthy hope:

“For You have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:5

“No one who hopes in You will ever be put to shame,”  Psalm 25:3a

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,” Hebrews 6:19

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5

“But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” Hebrews 3:6

““And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.” Psalm 39:7

“For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.” Psalm 38:15

Assurance for our hope is Christ:

“Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”  Hebrews 7:25

“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Romans 5:10

When we question our eternal security:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1

“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.” 1 John 2:12 

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

[Emphasis in scripture passages is mine. hariette petersen, selahVtoday]

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What Is The World Coming To?

March 25, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

People wonder.

In light of the recent crop of wars popping up in the Middle-East nations, people wonder.

With the speculations of Apocalypse, Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, people wonder.

Yesterday, I read about the burning of 69 churches in Ethiopia, 30 Christian homes, a Christian orphanage, a Christian office building, and more.  Blatant sin is touted as okay by NFL greats, million-dollar actors, and yes, everyday average people.  Christians succumb to sexual immorality.  Society accepts and tolerates more and more sin as the new norm: “addiction”.

Indeed…what IS the world coming to?  That was a question posed on a friend’s Facebook status wall tonight.  I was first out of the gate to answer:  “An End.”

Others chimed in with similar gloom and doom.   One recalled a childhood saying: ”to hell in a handbasket, whatever that means.”

The forthcoming reply:  Handbaskets were for picnics.  So it means that it’s going to hell and no one cares.”

Then there was the clarion shout, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”

Longings.  Sighs.  “I’m ready.”

Finally, a self-described “contrarian” voice of profundity admonished:

“…It’s coming to a glorious rebirth! I’ve never quite understood why we Christians allow the temporal brokenness and sinfulness of the present order to overshadow the promise of all things made new.” Paul Littleton

A pin dropped and I heard it.  Pow!  Thud!  What is the world coming to?  Rebirth.  A new Jerusalem.  Peace.  Goodness and Glory.  Majesty!  A kaleidoscope of colorful beauty!  Wonder of wonders!

Praise when the voice is weakest.

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2

Hope when the world is blackest. 

“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5

What is the world coming to?  A new dawning.  A glorious new day.

Prayer:  Oh, Lord, whatever the world does, we know those who trust in You will see a new earth filled with your glory and majesty.  As the world rebels against your will and way, and false prophets rise up to confuse and lead others astray, we know You will not abandon the children who stand firm in their faith in You.  We praise You, exalt You, and rest in You, oh Lord our King and Redeemer.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

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Jesus is Our Rock of Refuge

March 8, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

When it comes to God’s creation, I know very little, but stand in awe of its intricate complexities.  When I snapped the photo of this boulder on top of Mt. Scott in Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains, I was amazed at the various hues and colors that clung to its surface.  It seems like a gigantic piece of abstract art.

My granddaughter said it looked like God took a paintbrush and slung it, splattering paint in splotches.  It does look like that.  But it’s not something slopped on; it is methodically placed.  Only a Creator could do it.  Each color is applied in tiny raised dots about the size of a straight-pin head.  Each dot is made up of even smaller dots in a circular form with a cavity in the center.  Remember, now.  The entire dot composed of other dots is only the size of a pinhead.  These little dots are then grouped in hundreds of thousands of dots which form larger splotches such as those you see in this photo.

The most recent splotches are lemon-green.  I’m told it is a fungus, lichen to be exact.  I’m guessing the darkest colors are the oldest, but I think the pink-purple dots were formed the year before.  Then there are blue-grey, darker grey, browns, adobe colors, charcoal and black.  It is an amazing sight to ponder and meditate upon.

It seems like the entire surface of this boulder was formed by compiling and layering those teensey, tiny dots.  Year after year, more are applied. The marvel of the colors is that each individual color is hard as the rock itself.  I tried to pick off the green, but couldn’t.  It was part of the rock–each locked onto the other, without regard to color preference.  It makes me think of how God holds us to Himself.  Each of us who know His Son Jesus is fused into the heart of God and nothing can separate us from His love.

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:5-8

This boulder is alot like the Rock upon which Christians base their faith in eternal life.  All people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and rely on Him for saving grace through His atonement, are Christians.  But not all Christians are the same.  We are each distinctively different.  The Lord manifests His presence through our individual gifts, talents, personalities and knowledge–just as each color on this rock has varying dots to form the splotches of stone.  Just as some hues are deeper in color, some Christians are deeper in spiritual growth. 

All Christians base their faith upon the Rock–Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone of faith.  What matters is not the color of our skin, the depth of our spirituality, the length of our infusing, or the degree of understanding in our attachment.  What matters is that we are part of the Rock–the Everlasting Rock of Ages. 

PRAYER:  We praise You, O Most High God.  We thank You for Your steadfast power and mercy.  Keep us ever mindful of our resting place in You, our Refuge and our Hope.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

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A Living Hope

February 27, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you. — 1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV

Without a doubt, spring is my favorite season of the year.  It thrills me to see the brittle golden grass of winter transformed blade by blade into a lush carpet of glorious green!  The flowering trees in my neighborhood are full of buds just waiting for God’s baton to cue their blooming.  The songbirds are nesting and singing praise to the Creator who has sheltered them through the cold winter months.  As the gloomy darkness of winter gives way to the sunshine of spring, not only is my garden filled with flowers emerging from a long winter’s nap beneath the frozen earth, but my heart is filled anew with hope and the assurance that the same God who orchestrates the seasons is in control of even my worst days.

The beauty and new life of spring remind me of God’s most glorious work of all — the salvation of sinful man.  God, the giver of life, sacrificed the life of His only Son in order that we might be given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.  Scripture tells us that Christ died for all (2 Corinthians 5:15) and that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (vs. 17)!

As you plant flower and vegetable seeds in your garden this spring, keep in mind the words Jesus spoke before His crucifixion:  “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).  Consider Christ’s great sacrifice in your behalf and the living hope that is yours through His resurrection.  Then sow seeds of hope in the lives of those who don’t know Him by sharing His love and telling of the marvelous things He has done for you.

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DO WORDS OFFER HOPE?

September 27, 2010
Filed In Daily Devotionals

My four-year-old granddaughter couldn’t resist the mud-puddle as we walked across the parking lot. I told her to walk around it, but she stepped into it and splattered dirty water onto her sister’s legs and mine. As you can imagine, her impulsiveness didn’t bring her the joy she’d thought it would. She’d hoped for giggles and exclamations of excitement akin to that she felt inside. She didn’t stop to consider the feelings of others as she enjoyed her romp in the water.

Sometimes we cannot help but get a bit of mud upon our legs as we wade through the mud-puddles of life.  However, I think the way to avoid the splatter is more than avoiding the puddle.  It’s walking cautiously, with purpose, with wisdom. We do not get that from insisting upon our own way and splattering another with our opinions.  Peter reminds us how vital that is:

“But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.” 1 Peter 3:15

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to the power of words. Do my words share the depth of my heart or the shallowness of my mind?  Sometimes I believe it is the latter. I don’t want it to be that way. I want the joy I have in my Savior to show. I want the peace He bestows upon me to flow through me and into the lives of others. I want the confidence I have in the Word of God to dispel the doubt others have in their circumstances and difficulty. I want to hear–truly hear, what another is saying when they speak. I want to understand why they feel the need to be brusque, to be insensitive to others.  I want to counter hopelessness with Hope–a Hope far greater than anything this earth affords. If we find ourselves unable to talk without complaining, dialogue without irritation, then it is best we keep silent and avoid splashing others by our steps–and useless words.   

PRAYER:  Lord, keep me mindful of the biting affect my words can have. Keep my mind stayed upon You and the hope I have in knowing You. Let my words bring healing and encouragement in a world quick to stomp out the Light of Your goodness and love.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010

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