Happy Monday.

“Count your blessings, Name them one by one;

Count your blessings, See what God hath done;

Count your blessings, Name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, See what God hath done.”

– from the hymn “Count Your Blessings”

Are you counting your blessings as the hymn suggests? The British evangelist Rodney “Gipsy” Smith said of this hymn, “Men sing it. Boys whistle it. Mothers rock babies as they sing it.”

This past Thanksgiving, I found myself so glad to have a season set aside to concentrate on being grateful. This has come very easily to me this past week.

The changing of the seasons happens ever so slowly in Texas. Our trees are still at the height of fall color. While driving in the area this week, I have gasped at the burnt oranges, reds, and golds and have realized once again that the firmament shows God’s handiwork. I could not help but to say over and over, “Thank you, Lord, for the beauty You made for us to enjoy.” I think God smiled because our praise pleases Him. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. – Psalm 69:30-31

Then I asked myself, “Why not see that beauty every day, even in things that I might not really call beautiful? It all comes from His hand!” Just as it did for Paul and Silas when they sang praises in the midnight hour, it will open our prison doors—doors of worry, care, and discontent.

Look for the beauty. It works! Try it!

“I Am Thankful”

“For the spouse who complains that dinner is late,

Because it means he is at home with me.

For the teen who complains of chores,

Because it means he isn’t out on the streets.

For the clothes that are a little snug,

Because it means I have enough to eat.

For the lawn that needs mowing, the windows that need cleaning,

Because it means I have a home.

For the complaints I hear about government,

Because it means I have freedom of speech.

For the lady behind me who sings off key,

Because it means I can hear.

For the alarm that goes off too early,

Because it means I am alive!”

– Author Unknown

Every negative usually has a positive, and it can be found easily if we will just look. Be thankful.

by Beverly Hyles

From the Mondays with Beverly blog. Reprinted with permission.

As we arrived home from the grocery store, my children and I began to unload my car. My two youngest children helped with the lighter bags while my oldest son was antsy to pick up the heavier items such as the milk and the soda cans. We walked into the house with groceries and were almost finished unloading the car. My oldest son began to close the car door but paused as he saw one more thing that needed to be put away—a forty-count pack of water bottles.

I looked at him and asked, “Are you going to try and get that?”

He replied, “No! Can you carry it, Mom? It’s too heavy!”

I always appreciate having extra help carrying all of the groceries into the house. I do not always have my “little helpers” there to assist with carrying the groceries. On those occasions, I often attempt to carry all of the groceries in at once with one hand, leaving my other hand empty to unlock the door to the house. I have not always been successful at this. I recall one time when a new jar of Jif peanut butter broke through the bottom of the bag. The bag had split open, and that heavy jar slammed onto the top of my foot. Once, a gallon of milk broke through the bag and hit the ground—milk exploded everywhere!

If we carry too many heavy groceries at one time, we may drop something or the bags may break, spilling their contents. I am glad that I do not need to carry my grocery bags for a very long time. Surely, they would become heavy, and I would grow tired.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. In our Christian lives, we carry “grocery bags” of burdens. Just as grocery bags have different items—some lighter and some heavier—burdens in our lives can weigh us down as well. I will not list any specific burdens because we all have different ones that we carry. We can try to carry all of these burdens at one time day after day. Eventually, our burdens will become heavy. We will then falter, lose strength, and grow weary.

The Bible says in Matthew 11:30, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. We have a God Who can help us carry our burdens. He wants to help us. Will we be the lady who carries her “groceries” around in one hand, stumbling and failing in weariness? Instead, let us say, “Can you carry it, God? It’s too heavy!” When life gets too heavy, we can cast it ALL on Him. He wants to help us to carry it all so that we are free to serve Him more!

by Mandy Harper

During the month of November, the ladies of our church did a monthly Bible journal on “Thanksgiving” together. Each day, we read a verse of Scripture and then wrote down 10 things for which we are thankful. At first I thought, “Oh, this will be easy.” However, we had to choose 10 things we had not previously listed on another day. It is not hard to think of things that cause us to be thankful, but trying not to repeat what we had already chosen was challenging! Still, this project gave me a different perspective—one that reminds me to notice blessings I might have overlooked.

For instance, maybe I had experienced a bad day. I tried to think of one good thing specifically that I could write down from that day. While this may seem silly, here is an example. Traffic is so bad in our little town, so one day, I actually wrote that I was thankful for the small breaks in traffic that allowed me to make a turn. Throughout the month, I found myself jotting down names of those who had filled me with gratitude. Some days, I wrote about things such as God’s faithfulness and His grace. Best of all, I was able to write down specific prayers He answered.

My friend’s father, who is battling cancer and undergoing treatment, recently told my friend that he has been enjoying the sunrises and sunsets. As simple as it may seem, he is enjoying living. When my friend shared this story with me, I said, “He’s enjoying what most of us take for granted.”

We know sunsets and sunrises can be beautiful; and we know that there will always be more for us to view. However, how often do we fail to stop and give thanks for the sun’s rising and setting? While it is easy to be thankful for the sunshine after it has rained for a week straight, it is easy to forget to be thankful for the sun when it keeps shining. What about those sunsets that give us those few moments of beauty, even though it means night is coming? Are we thankful in those fleeting moments?

Sometimes, the night is long, seemingly with no sunrise in sight. We can still be thankful that the Lord allowed us to enjoy the sunshine and to experience the sunset; and we can trust that He will let us see the sun rise again tomorrow. It can be so easy to take the small things for granted because so much is at our fingertips in today’s world. We often overlook the value of good health, even though it all can change in an instant. Do we give thanks that, no matter what befalls us, God never fails us? The Bible says, From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3)

May we all live in a continual state of thankfulness by paying attention to the unchanging blessings God has given us. Let us enjoy this life, appreciate the sunsets and sunrises, and praise the Lord through it all and for it all!

by Taylor Hill

Editor’s Note: This writer approached me recently concerning her desire to spend time in the presence of seasoned Christians in order to glean their wisdom and to put these interactions into article form for Christian Ladies Fellowship. This is the fourth of several interviews that she has written with the intent to help and motivate a younger generation of Christian ladies to examine how much more of their lives can they give to God. I know each reader will be encouraged through these unique interviews by Abigail Medford.

An Interview with Linda Crews

In II Timothy 1, Paul speaks candidly to Timothy, reminding him of his heritage. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands…Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. (I Timothy 1: 5-6, 13-14) Then, in II Timothy 2:2, Paul continues this thought, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. I recently had the opportunity to interview Linda Crews, and I realized very quickly that her testimony was the embodiment of these verses. Throughout her life, she has taken the heritage of faithfulness that was passed down to her and has diligently stir[red] up the gift of God, [held] fast the form of sound words, kept that good thing which was committed unto her, and committed that heritage to others.

Where did Linda Crews learn faithfulness? She explained that she was given wonderful examples: her parents, her friends, and her pastors. Her parents were dedicated Christians and active members of their church in Green Cove Springs, Florida. She remembers vividly that her father, a railroad worker for almost fifty years, read the Bible to them each night before bed and that her mother faithfully put little Bible verse cards around the dinner table for the family to recite each day. When she was a teenager, they invited Dr. Lester Roloff to their home for Sunday dinner. Later, at the age of sixteen, Linda Crews was saved during a Sunday night service while he preached. Her parents also sent her to church camps and supported her as she attended Bible college at Tennessee Temple, where she would meet her husband. Years afterward, when she returned to Florida as a single mother of two young children, they provided her with a place to live and allowed her to use their car to take her children to Christian school.

She also had the example of her friends at church and her pastors, Dr. Tom Neal, then Dr. Greg Neal. When she moved back to Florida, her first priority was finding a good church home and Christian school. The school at Clay Baptist Temple (now Immanuel Baptist Church) allowed her children to enroll, even though she could not pay the normal tuition rate. After she joined the church, she became friends with many wonderful ladies who encouraged her and lifted her up as she juggled the hardships of working and raising her children. She was also blessed to continue to learn every week through the preaching and teaching from the pulpit.

What did Linda Crews do with this God-given heritage? She has spent her entire life committing it to others. The first ministry she joined was the nursery, an area in which she still serves today. Next, she joined the choir, where her beautiful soprano voice is a blessing every Sunday. She sang in various special music groups. She was a Sunday School teacher’s assistant, then taught her own elementary class for several years. She faithfully participates in soulwinning and outreach ministries. She raised her two children and gave them to the Lord.

After her daughter passed away unexpectedly in 1999, she poured herself even more into the ministry. Upon hearing that there was a nursing home that needed a pianist for their Sunday afternoon services, she volunteered to help. For the next two decades, she played the piano and wholeheartedly served the residents and workers there.

Through her faithfulness, Linda Crews has received many wonderful blessings. She has learned to walk closer to God. She has countless friends whom she has been able to serve alongside. Every week, she gets to see her son sit on the platform as an assistant pastor of the same church that she joined in 1988. His family is involved in every ministry the church offers. Her grandchildren have attended the same Christian school that allowed their father to enroll so many years ago. She is also encouraged to see a younger generation coming behind her, ready to faithfully live for God.

Although her Christian life has not been one of ease, Linda Crews was motivated to persevere because of her desire for her life to bring glory to God. She offered the following advice to any Christian woman who is thinking of quitting. She recommended first talking to God about it. Her favorite verse is Isaiah 26:3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. In her life, she has found that if she goes to God first with her struggles, she usually does not have to tell anyone else about it. Next, she advised to listen carefully to the messages at church, because the Holy Spirit will provide needed encouragement through that. Lastly, she advised to consider who quitting will affect, which in her case, would be her beloved family and friends.

After the end of the pandemic, when the nursing home where she had been serving began to allow services again, Linda Crews was asked if she was still able to come play the piano. Mostly due to the taxing schedule on her health, she declined, but she told me proudly that she had left that piano bench in good hands. There was a young teenage girl who was excited to take her place. As she said these words, I could not help but think of the incredible inheritance that young pianist has been given. She will fill a role that was occupied for more than twenty years by a champion of the faith, an incredible Christian woman who, against the tide of difficult circumstances and heartache, held strong to the heritage of unfeigned faith that was given to her and who passed it on to those around her in every way she could.

As Christian ladies, we are all in the same position as that young pianist. Someone has given each of us a heritage of faith. Will we be faithful, as Linda Crews has been, to pass it on to others?

by Abigail Medford

One summer when I was a little girl, I was playing inside with three other children when a thunderstorm rolled across the skies above us. In Florida, afternoon thunderstorms are common, but this particular storm was huge. Even though we were inside, the wind was whipping, and the thunder was booming. As the youngest, I was exceptionally scared. My older sister and her friend made up a song to calm me. They put a tune to the Bible verse which says, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Soon I found myself not so afraid; the storm shortly passed, and the skies grew sunny again.

This verse, even for the young child, holds so much wisdom. In the decades since that storm, I have had many times in my life when I have been afraid. When my husband and I started dating, I was afraid of getting hurt. During that time, God led me to another powerful verse. II Timothy 1:7 says, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I was able to cling to that verse and remember that the fear I was feeling was not from God.

Other times, my fear was so big that I turned to Psalm 56:3. I was reminded of this truth: What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Four years ago, on September 1, I went to the doctor for what was supposed to be my thirty-five-week ultrasound for my son. When they did the ultrasound, they immediately realized there was a problem. My fluid was dangerously low, and my son (whose growth we had been monitoring) was not growing as he needed to be. I was sent directly to the hospital to deliver my son. I was filled with fear as I wondered if I would even hear him cry when he was born; I was worried about whether or not he would be okay. At that time, I was grateful for Psalm 56:3. My son was born crying and then was rushed to the NICU where he stayed for nineteen days. He is now a happy, healthy, and rotten kindergartener. Every year, however, I find myself revisiting that time when I did not know if he would make it. I then remember how God calmed my fears through a frightful time.

I have thought often of that little tune put to a verse which holds so much power. I am so glad we have a God Who tells us, “You don’t have to be afraid; but if you are, you can trust in Me.” I am so glad I serve a God I can trust with my fears. I can trust in Him while I also give Him my fears. I can trust that He will do what is best for me, no matter how big the storm.

by Vicki Voorhis

Happy Monday. “Precious mem’ries, how they linger, How they ever flood my soul;…” – lyrics from the hymn “Precious Memories” by John B. F. Wright

We are entering the holiday season. It is a time of remembering past celebrations and making new memories.

It was my delight to have such a time recently as family came to visit, including a two-year-old great grandson. What fun! There is proof in my house that Jayke was here—fingerprints where there have not been any for a long time! A special memory was made on a Saturday morning as three of my children, their spouses, and several grandchildren met for brunch and family time. Shopping, of course, was part of my daughters’ and granddaughters’ visit (females, you know)!

We spent a delightful day at the Dallas Arboretum. It is a beautifully manicured garden of acres and acres of different plants and flowers. During this season, they also had thousands of pumpkins in all colors and sizes. The splash of color was dazzling, and I certainly saw God’s fingerprints in the beauty of the day.

As we were about to leave the loveliness, my attention was drawn to an elderly couple pushing a wheelchair which carried an adult woman who appeared disabled. She was making distracting sounds and appeared to have tremors. I wondered to myself, “Is she their child? Has she been in this condition all of her life?” What I saw in the eyes of her parents was joy in helping her to live her life by allowing her to experience the beauty of creation as they lovingly called her “Honey.”

As I recall this special scene, I realize that it has made an indelible imprint on my life. Spiritually, I was disabled from birth, crippled by a “fall.” I am blessed with a Heavenly Father Who loves me unconditionally. He surrounds me with beauty and wants me to have an abundant life. As King David said, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers…What is man, that thou art mindful of him? In spite of how undeserving I am, God’s fingerprints surround me.

My prayer has become, “Don’t let me miss it! Let me be always mindful of Him!”

“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

– Thomas O. Chisholm

Friend, please don’t miss it!

 by Beverly Hyles

From the Mondays with Beverly blog. Reprinted with permission.

Mark 14:3-9

In 2000, my husband and I graduated from Bible college, got married just a few months later, and started working as full-time staff at a church only one day after returning from our honeymoon. Filled with all those white-picket-fence dreams of newlyweds, we thought we would spend the rest of our days serving God in the full-time ministry. However, after less than two years, God drastically changed our course. He sent us back to David’s hometown on the other side of the country. While we had to get secular jobs and continued to serve as laypeople in David’s home church, we considered this a minor setback, as we avidly searched for a position in full-time church work.

For many years, God kept closing every possible door to us going back out into the ministry. We battled much discouragement, not understanding why God would keep us from serving Him full-time when we felt we had prepared ourselves. Why would He not give us a place to serve when we were so willing and equipped?

Several years passed. We bought a house and started our family. David decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. He said to me one day, “I’m not going to look anymore. I’m just going to be happy providing for my family and serving as a layman in the church. If God needs me for more, He knows where to find me.”

It took me several years longer to share my husband’s feelings on this. I kept thinking, “Why would God let us waste so much time going to Bible college if He didn’t intend for us to use what we learned?” In one of my low moments, David said to me, “If Bible college was just so that you and I could find each other, I can be completely happy with that. I know it was God’s will for me to go. I know it was God’s will to marry you. It was NOT a waste!”

Eight years after we left the full-time ministry, I was asked to work on staff at our church. At first, I thought how unfair it was to my husband, me in the full-time ministry while he was working a secular job! I felt bad for him and expressed this to him. He said, “Tracie, you realize that my job enables you to do this. I have a part in the ministry if I can be the provider so you are able to serve in the ministry.” Oh, those super spiritual husbands!

As time passed, my job evolved from just a receptionist and secretary to many other duties. I was able to help and counsel young, college-aged ladies. I had the opportunity to start and build a ladies Sunday School class. Then, I was given the tools to start and still to manage Christian Ladies Fellowship. I am able to use a skill that I enjoy—writing—on almost a daily basis for the sake of the ministry.

David expresses his admiration of my ministry work. He fully supports my efforts and works long, hard hours to provide for our family. He is faithful layman and deacon in our church who serves where he can when he can. Recently, my teenage son had to write a paper for his literature class. The assignment was to write about someone who had made a difference in his life. He wrote about his dad. When his teacher shared it with me, I read it and cried. Then, David read it and cried. My son wrote many wonderful things, but these words stuck with me the most: “He taught me to love Christ with all my heart. He taught me that Jesus should always be the center of my life,…”

This was a stark reminder of how sometimes what we may think is a waste is useful in God’s eyes. Those years of Bible college were meant to bring two people together because God wanted them to be the parents of two special kids who needed to be raised by only them. He had a little boy who He planned for me to be his mother and for David to be his father and especially, his hero.

Two thousand years ago, a unnamed woman had a precious alabaster box of ointment of spikenard. Some speculate that this box of ointment would have cost nearly a year’s worth of wages in that time. This box was made of the same material used in building Solomon’s temple. It was filled with spikenard, also mentioned in the book of Song of Solomon as a symbol of great love—the best of the best.

This woman brought the best of what she had, perhaps her most valuable possession, to Jesus. There, she broke the box and poured the ointment over the Master’s head. Those who witnessed this objected to the wastefulness of this woman. They loudly condemned her actions, saying she should have sold it to feed the poor instead of anointing Jesus. The Bible says they murmured against her.

Then, Jesus told them to leave her alone. He considered it a worthy investment and not at all wasteful. Jesus declared that wherever the Gospel was preached, this woman’s act of total devotion would be shared as a memorial to her.

What man thinks is a waste can be what God considers a worthy investment. He sees our faithfulness—even when we cannot understand what He is doing or see what the future holds—as worthy. Our legacy is built when we give our hearts and lives to Him to use as He will. Regardless if we walk an unfamiliar road or cannot see the big picture quite yet, He is always worthy of our best.

Faithfulness is never a waste but a worthy investment. Our God Who gave His Son for our redemption deserves our faith, our love, and our best. Following God’s will is NEVER a waste!

by Tracie S. Burns

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. – Psalm 27:10

I was reflecting recently about the blessing of the family of God. I honestly have no idea where I would be today without my church. God has given me this gift whose love, kindness, and selfless sacrifice have proven over and over again that the people of God are the greatest family.

I grew up in a broken home, endured the difficulties of being part of a blended family, and then suffered through the grief of losing my mother to cancer when I was just 11 years old. Shortly after this, I was rejected and abandoned by my stepfather and taken in by my aunt and uncle, who helped to get me into church in those early teen years. Eventually, they no longer wanted me living in their home. Due to various personal and family issues, arrangements were made to send me to live in a girls’ home several states away.

Just one day before I was to leave, a lady in our church invited me to live in her home, “adopting” me as part of her family and becoming my church “mom.” My church family, at that point, literally became the only family I had. While God ministered to me through this family, enduring all I had experienced while growing up was a heavy burden I carried for many years. Psalm 27:10 was a good reminder to me that, though my earthly family had left or abandoned me, God was always with me. He knew what I needed. He was and always is working behind the scenes, orchestrating the events in my life to get me to where I needed to be.

Christian lady, He has and is doing the same for you, too.

God later blessed me with an amazing husband and the shocker of a lifetime—twin daughters! I did not know how to keep a single tiny human alive, much less two at the same time! I felt panic, like many new moms do, as I was handed two tiny babies to care for on my own. Reality really began to sink in after I left the hospital and realized I had no idea what I was doing. I certainly needed God and appreciated the help of my church family.

Unfortunately, how easy it is to become accustomed to the blessings of God. So often, His blessings are taken for granted and are even expected. I have always been thankful for my church family, but God helped to renew that love for me just a few years ago. My husband was in the Navy when we met. We were blessed to be stationed in Jacksonville for about four years after we got married. However, just three and a half months after the Lord blessed us with our twin girls, we were reassigned to Norfolk, Virginia. To say I was surprised and disappointed by this decision is an understatement!

Once we received the orders, we determined that we were going to make the best of our time there. We joined a local Baptist church in the area and got involved in every ministry we could. However, as is typically the case when making those well-laid plans, things began to derail. It was one of those familiar times in life when it seemed everything was stacked against me. I was a first-time mom to newborn twins, barely getting any sleep, and facing a move away from everything safe and familiar. Just imagine the vast and overwhelming emotions I experienced. However, this was just the first of many trials God allowed me to endure in the coming months.

The night we arrived in Virginia, a tornado hit nearby. My husband and I, our babies, both of my husband’s sisters, and my 70-pound dog all crammed into a tiny half-bath for safety. That should have been a sign of what more was to come.

A week later—on Friday the 13th no less—I fell down an entire flight of steep stairs in our townhome. I am fairly certain that I broke at least one rib and my tailbone, yet life goes on. Because all the bedrooms were upstairs, I had no choice but to carry my two babies up and down those stairs daily while recovering.

The following week, my husband received the news that he would be leaving in just a couple of weeks. Contrary to what we had been told when we originally received his Navy orders, my husband was sent out on a ship and was gone almost our entire time stationed there. We had almost no communication while he was gone, except for a few emails when schedules and connectivity permitted. On rare occasions, we had a quick, time-limited phone call. This season was marked by a deep sense of loneliness for me—a loneliness compounded by one challenge after another.

At one point, our first child—our dog—became ill and almost died. I spent hours at the pet hospital, not knowing if she would survive. I had to send my husband an email to tell him that she probably would pass away before he returned.

As if that were not enough, three months after moving away, my pastor’s mother, my former pastor’s wife and dear friend, passed away unexpectedly. She had spent so much time in my teen and young adult years nurturing and teaching me how to be a Christian lady. Her death came as a shock, and I grieved her deeply.

Then, one evening after putting the girls to bed, I was looking forward to some time to myself. I was planning to clean and relax a little. Then, rain began seeping through the windows and pouring through the ceiling onto our dining room table, walls, and floors.

Soon after, I faced the worst case of strep I had ever experienced, while my girls struggled with sicknesses and allergic reactions. Family traveled from out of town to assist, yet each visit ended with someone ill or injured—fevers, stomach bugs, even rotator cuff injuries. My help became those who needed help.

My health continued to decline. Living with lupus meant my joints were in agony from getting up and down with my babies and climbing the steep stairs in our home. Then came gallbladder attacks that left me paralyzed on the floor for 30 minutes at a time—alone trying to care for my babies.

During our last few months in Virginia, I underwent gallbladder surgery, then another just weeks later to repair a hernia resulting from the surgeon’s mistake. Thankfully, I was able to spend a few months in Florida with my church “mom,” where I could recover and finally get the help I desperately needed.

While enduring all these things, I did not have the help or guidance of my husband. Most of these situations required quick action; I could not send him an email and wait around for an answer. I no longer had my church family nearby—the gift God had given me to help me through so many previous trials in my life. While we were in a good church, being new, I was not close to anyone yet. I was missing the deep relationships I had cultivated with those back in Florida.

In that season, all I truly had was God. I spent many hours in tears, but I also relearned that I could not survive without time in His Word and in prayer—not a bad place to be. I would never want to relive those experiences, and I will likely never return to Virginia. Yet through those months of struggle, God reminded me that He is all I need.

Isaiah 41:10 says, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. When those you love most are taken in death or those who should love you most forsake you, God promises to strengthen and sustain you. He even provides “family” to help you along your path. When plans derail, when fears come, when your physical strength fails, when you feel inadequate, helpless, broken, and all alone, God is there. He shows up for His children again and again through the people He has placed in your life and through His Word.

After everything God has allowed in my life, I can testify that He truly is all we need.

by Alyssa King

This morning, I read in Luke 21:1-4, And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

While it is understood that this story teaches it is not the amount of the gift that matters but the sacrifice involved, I was struck instead by another phrase in this passage. Verse one begins with the words, And he looked up and saw… I noticed the fact that Jesus was watching. As the rich men cast in their gifts into the treasury, he watched as this poor widow cast in her two mites.

Let us think of all the times it seems that we do things when no one is watching. However, God sees. When we are staying up late or getting up early to do all the things to care for our families, God sees. When we take the time to care for those who do not seem to appreciate it, God sees. When we spend time in prayer, God sees. The Bible talks about praying in secret because our Father Who sees in secret will reward openly, but, sometimes, we do not always see that reward right away. Even so, we can know that God sees our desires, knows our needs, and hears those prayers. He sees the time and energy we invest in those things that seem to not matter to anyone else. God sees our tears of sadness, frustration, and even exhaustion! God also sees the victories of which no one else knows! What an encouraging thought that, even when we feel unnoticed and unappreciated, God always sees. As we drop in our two mites of prayer, of service, of sacrifice, or of love, let us remember He stands right there, watching us and ready to bless us as we faithfully serve Him every day.

by Vicki Voorhis

One morning as I was reading in the book of Matthew, I came across a familiar Bible story that I had read several times before. Matthew 14:28-31 says, And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

The word immediately caught my eye. Jesus immediately saved Peter from sinking down into the water. Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat and to begin walking toward Jesus on the water. However, with the winds and the waves crashing all around him, Peter’s focus was drawn to the storm that was transpiring. As he began to sink, Jesus immediately helped Peter.

When we placed our faith and trust in Jesus, He immediately—at that exact moment—saved us from our sin. When we grieve a loss, we can call on the Lord; and He will immediately be there to comfort us. When we do not know how we are going to make it through another day, we can rest assured in the fact that we serve a God Who immediately is there to keep us upright. Not when He gets a chance, and not when He has time on His calendar; but immediately, He is there!

Friend, I hope this will be a reminder to us all that Jesus Who immediately stretched forth His hand that day to catch Peter is the same Jesus we serve.

For the unsaved lady: He is ready for you to call on Him today to save you from your sins. Eternal life can be yours immediately!

For the Christian lady who has lost focus, has taken her eyes off Him, and is sinking into her problems: He will catch you immediately when you call on Him.

How easy it is to become distracted in this life. However, I am thankful we serve a Saviour Who never fails, is never distracted, and has no limitations to keep Him from being there for His children—immediately.

“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.”

– Helen Howarth Lemmel

by Mandy Harper

Happy Monday. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. – II Corinthians 4:17-18

“This too shall pass,” is the phrase that comes to my mind while reading this passage. Whatever “this” is, it is only for a time. However, when the tough times come, we often cry, “How long?”

At this time, I am awaiting the results of medical tests for someone I love. I want them now! In this day of “instant everything,” we want a quick fix. One of the verses to which I have clung since I was a teenager is Psalm 37:7. It begins, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:… In these years since I first claimed that verse, one would think that I surely have learned patience. No, sorry, but I have not. My clock does not seem to beat on God’s timetable. However, His time is always perfect.

Joseph, my favorite Bible character, must be the one—at least to me—who exemplifies what it means to “rest” and “wait patiently.” God’s plan from Joseph’s boyhood was to get him to Egypt where he would save the known world at that time from starvation. Think of the many pitfalls, trials, and deceptions he endured. I want to say, “Joseph, why didn’t you just throw in the towel?!” Joseph never read in James 1:3, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. In spite of this, he lived this verse. What a man!

Perhaps today you feel that God has forgotten you, and the time is dragging on for the foreseeable future. May I remind you that His timer is set; and when it goes off, the answer will come.

Charles Spurgeon asked, “Will not the Lord’s time be better than your time?”

Jim Elliot was a missionary who was savagely killed years ago in Ecuador. Elisabeth Elliot, his wife, once said, “We must learn to move according to the timetable of the Timeless One, and to be at peace.” Living this way, she ultimately saw the very man who slew her husband gloriously saved.

Another quote credited to Spurgeon is this: “By his wisdom, he [God] orders his delays so that they prove to be far better than our hurries.”

The psalmist said in Psalm 40:1, I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Keep in mind today that God is in no hurry because His plan and His timing will ensure that “This too shall pass.”

by Beverly Hyles

From the Mondays with Beverly blog. Reprinted with permission.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. – I Corinthians 15:58

This verse touched my heart this morning in a special way. At this time in my life and at my age, I sometimes feel as if I do not have the energy to continue pushing forward, especially when it comes to things that I do for God. I know there is no age limit when it comes to serving the Lord and doing what I need to do as a Christian, but these days, I occasionally consider that there must be something less stressful, less involved, and less time consuming for me to do. I am talking about something in which I do not need to put so much time, effort, energy or physical activity!

Honestly, though, the work of the Lord was never intended for the lazy person. It was never intended for those who are faint of heart. What we do for the Lord is important, no matter how we feel about it.

At this time in our church, we are looking forward to starting our King’s Kids program again. I have been working with the four-year-old and five-year-old children in our church for approximately four years now, and every year is an adventure. Each year also requires extra effort and hard work; and this year will be no exception. When it comes around to this time of year, I question whether or not I want to continue to do it. I am not getting any younger, and running around after four-year-old and five-year-old children every Wednesday night can be quite taxing on my physical being. Those who work with children will understand what I am saying!

It is when I feel this way that I always stop myself to remember. I think about the ministry that my husband and I had in Indiana years ago, before he was ever a pastor. We were junior church workers, teen department workers, Vacation Bible School workers, bus workers, and soulwinners. I think about all of the young people who are now mothers and fathers with children of their own! I see them still involved in church, running bus routes, or working in junior church or in the teen ministry. Some are even pastors! They are scattered all over the world and are still serving the Lord! I see evidence of how all of the hard work and time we invested in these “little lives and minds” many years ago was not in vain!

I am in no way elevating myself or my husband because, ultimately, it is God’s hand at work in the lives of His children that brings these blessings to the surface. However, it warms my heart to see all of those whom I loved so dearly back then still following the Lord today.

Now let us come back to the present day. With each year that passes, I have the opportunity to work with new children. Each year, I get to see those I have taught previously move on to grow more and more in the Lord as they learn from other teachers and workers who God uses to mold their minds with the Bible.

As I see these little ones every week at church, watch them as they interact with others, and see how they carry themselves as young people, I stop to remind myself that I had a part in their lives! Running around after them every Wednesday night, making them listen and obey, and having them repeat Scripture over and over again until they could repeat it back to me correctly—as frustrating as it was at times—was NOT in vain!

Oh, I know I am not the only person who will help to mold these little ones into what they need to be for God—their parents have the majority of this burden on their shoulders—but what a great privilege it is to be a part of it!

I just want to encourage any lady reading this who may be considering leaving a ministry in which she has worked for a long time. Stick with it. Learn to be steadfast (firmly fixed), unmovable (not subject to change), and always abounding (providing a plentiful supply). We should abound with energy, dedication, and grace in the work God has given us to do. The future blessings that await us far outweigh the present inconveniences! Our work is NOT in vain!

by April Hernandez