My Redeemer Lives

 

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. ~ I Corinthians 15:19

I thought of this verse yesterday as I had a few quiet moments to myself in the truck. 

This summer is knocking us for a loop.  None of our cows bred this year… so money we were counting on making from calf sells isn’t coming.  Our pastures are mostly dust…. the hay meadow that last year made 40 bales… this year made 5.   

If in this life only we have hope….

My garden is burning up.  Last year the produce stand was open into August… I had to shut it down last week because everything is dead or dying or being eaten by grasshoppers.  And pantry shelves that are normally full of things I’ve canned this time of year are still half empty.

If in this life only we have hope…

Gas and diesel prices are killing us.  It takes almost two full paychecks to pay the gas card each month.

If in this life only we have hope….

But, praise the Lord, our hope in God is not in this life only… I will go to sleep tonight and sleep fine because I know my Redeemer lives. 

If the bills don’t get paid… He still lives.

If we live on peas and Spam… He still lives.

If we have to walk everywhere…. He still lives.

No we’re not to that point… and I pray we never get there… but if we ever do it won’t change who He is.

I think our modern American church has done christians a huge disservice.  We hear that if we love God bad things won’t happen to us.  Prosperity, prosperity, prosperity….

But Jesus said “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

God loved Paul and look what all he went through… He loved Job… He loved John…. and we think if God loves us we shouldn’t have to go through anything?  Really??

As long as we are in the world we’re going to have trials… but He has overcome this world.  Our hope is not in this life only… He lives and we will live, too.  We are looking for that city.

Or we should be…

Our focus has become so ME centered… I want it now… what will Jesus do for me now.  We’ve lost sight of our goal.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away ~ I Peter 1:24

This life is so fleeting… this is not all there is. If we live to be a 100 and have suffering all our days… how does that compare to an eternity with Jesus? 

And yet He loves us so much that even in these present trials we have hope. Even in the midst of pain there is joy.  Even in confusion we have peace.  When it seems like nothing is stable we can stand planted on that solid rock.

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God ~ Job 19:25-26

Honestly, what else matters?

Sycamine Trees

We had a great camp meeting this year.  I wanted to write about it earlier but what I thought was going to be a slow relaxing week turned out to be not so much!! So for the last several days I’ve just been meditating on the word that we heard… letting it sink down into my soul and do it’s work.

The message that I keep coming back to was from Luke 17:6 “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

What sycamine trees do you have in your life?  What is holding you back in your walk with God?  What is keeping you from just totally selling out to Him?

To often instead of totally rooting sin out of our lives we just try to prune in back some.  We think we can handle it, use will power if you will… prune it back, beat it down and walk on with God. 

But the thing is, even if you cut that tree off at the ground the roots are still there.

From my Bible commentary: Now, look at this tree - its ample girth, its wide-spread arms branching off from the parent trunk only a few feet from the ground; then examine its enormous roots, as thick, as numerous, and as wide-spread into the deep soil below as the branches extend into the air above the very best type of invincible steadfastness.

The roots are still alive.  The temptation is still there, it’s still a struggle.  Maybe not a constant struggle, but as long as those roots are still alive they will continue to send up shoots that you will have to constantly be on the look out for to prune back.

Or…. we can do what Jesus said.  He didn’t say prune it back, He said “say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea.”

Speak to that sin, pluck it out by the roots and plant it in the sea.  As someone  at  church brought out, planting it in the sea doesn’t just get it under the blood of Jesus…. that salty sea water kills it.  It’s not just gone and forgiven, it’s dead!

I know for myself to often I’m guilty of trying to do it under my own steam instead of resting in Jesus and allowing Him to do the work for me.  And it’s exhausting!!  What I think is “I’ve got this one Lord, thanks for the offer but I can handle it”, but in reality I’m just not ready to let go yet.

And what I’ve found is that when I try to handle it myself I’m just pruning it back.  Sooner or later that old tree will shoot back up again.  It’s time to stop pruning  and start plucking out by the roots!!

My Daily Prayer

 

Dear Lord.  So far today I've done all right. 
I have not gossiped. 
I have not lost my temper, lied or cheated.
I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent.
I am very thankful for that.
But in a few minutes, Lord, I am going to get out of bed,
and from that moment on I am going to need a lot more help.

~ Anon

Why I’m In Love With Dave Ramsey

 

A few months ago I started Financial Peace University.  At the time I really didn’t think I needed the class.  We were on a plan to pay off debt and had already made a dent in it.  While we never had just loads of money… we always had enough to do the things we wanted to do.  So I got a stomach ache every Friday when I paid bills… they were always paid in full and usually on time… so what’s a little stomach ache!!!

Fast forward to now… I am SO glad I took the class!! 

For the first time ever, we have an emergency fund!  No more panic when something unexpected pops up… and it always does. 

We have a budget… and it’s not near as hard as I thought it’d be!!  So all those extras… insurance, taxes, car repairs, CHRISTMAS!… are budgeted for with money set aside every month.  Now instead of scrimping and borrowing and panicking when it’s time to get the oil changed or buy a birthday present we can just go get the cash that we’ve been budgeting!   How freeing is that!?

We have an accelerated debt payoff plan.  And because everything else is budgeted for the plan is easy to stick to!  It’s so cool to see that total debt balance falling each month.

Dave also walked us through how to invest and make our money work FOR us!  We’re not there yet, but someday that will be really cool!!

My favorite part of the plan though is that the focus is not on “let’s see how much money we can get and spoil ourselves with.”  Instead it’s all about “let’s see how much money we can get to use for God’s kingdom and help others.”  The first item on the budget each month is tithes/giving and he never loses that focus.  The videos are full of testimonials from people who have followed the plan and now are in a position to really help others.  How cool would it be to be able to give someone $10,000 to go back to school, or buy a car for someone who was in a real bind!?!?

We still have a ways to go, but that’s my goal!

 

Wow!!!

I didn't intend to post tonight... and intended my next post to be about something totally different... BUT, church was Really Good tonight and I just had to share.

I got preached to big time.... Jen, you would have loved it!!.... Who are you telling about Jesus? Is you're light shining to the world or do you hide that you're a Christian? What has God placed on your heart to do that you're not doing?

And, what really resonated with me because I have been there.... "What the world is dying for, searching for, hungry for, would give anything to find.... you're wanting to throw away" Wow!!! It's so true. I've been in that place where it seemed like living this life was too hard. Satan will try to deceive us and say that what we need is out "there" somewhere... when all along we have the answer and the truth that everyone out "there" is searching for.

I'm so thankful tonight that I have that answer... that I know the Truth. And that I have a pastor who is not afraid to step on toes and speak that hard truth.

Friday’s Testimony

 

Ok, it’s been a while and I have a lot on my mind… but not a lot of time, which is why it’s been a while!  But I do want to share how once again God has provided just what we need.

I know we aren’t the only ones struggling to pay for gas lately, but this month’s gas card bill was CRAZY! So last week I paid almost Brian’s entire check on that one card… just so we wouldn’t have to pay a late fee… it barely made a dent in the month’s balance. All week I’ve know that today’s check would have to go entirely on the gas card, and we’d stuck back some extra we’d gotten from another job to help, too.  While I’ve been thankful for that extra, it’s still a strain because, obviously, we have other bills to pay than just that one!

We got Brian’s check today… and praise God!!… it was $1 more than the balance we owed on the card!!  That may not seem like much of a praise but this check was quite a bit more than he’s been earning lately.  I shouldn’t still be surprised, but it always amazes me when God provides just exactly what we need at just the right time!

I have more to share, but that’s all you get for now.  

Coming soon…  why I’m in love with Dave Ramsey!!

 

Wake Up Oh Sleeper

 

I woke up this morning thinking about this song.

And this verse… Matthew 21:44… go read it!

We heard a great message on breaking up your fallow ground Saturday night… I’ve realized I’ve become way to complacent lately.  I’ve become content with just doing my daily bible study…. daily prayer… attending church… it’s time to arise and shake myself, Isaiah 52:1-2.