“I Love to Tell the Story” was one of my mom’s favorite hymns, as it has been for me as well. Every time I hear it, I am reminded of the moment I received the message of salvation. Recently, I heard someone say something to the effect of, “Have you shared your salvation story?” While I often share the story of salvation made available to all mankind itself, I realized I have not shared my own story as much.

My story is forever entwined with my mother’s story. I am eternally grateful that God places the right people in our lives at just the right time. When I was around two or three years old, I became a “bus kid.” Well, I was not a church bus kid like one may imagine, but I am the result of faithful outreach. A Christian couple came to visit my parents at our house every week—to the point that Mom knew exactly when to expect them! Anticipating their arrival, she would go hide in a back room so she would not have to interact with them. One day, she finally gave in and told them that they could take me to church. I am not certain how long I went to church nor how that relationship ended. Being an “Army brat,” I can only presume it was because our family moved to Dad’s next service station.

Fast forward about eight years, and we were stationed in Germany. Mom’s boss had been witnessing to her, consistently telling her how good God is. At that point in her life, Mom was desperately working with officials to try to get her mother out of Vietnam. One day, she found herself saying, “God, if You are there, help me get my mother out. If You do, I will serve You the rest of my life.” Within a few short months, God began working miracles and opening doors; and against all odds, my grandmother was able to join us in Germany!

During that season in my life, I distinctly recall attending a church with my parents. I still remember the narrow stairwell that led up to the sanctuary. At the end of one service, I walked down the aisle, then a man prayed over me. I had decided to get saved, although I never uttered a prayer or fully understood what was happening.

Sometime later—weeks or maybe months—I was reading my Bible alone in my room and came across this passage in Romans 10:9-10: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Lord planted a thought in my mind. I do not remember ever uttering a word when I had gone forward in that church. I knew about Jesus. I believed in my heart that He had died for me, but now I knew I needed to tell God I believed Him. I needed to use my mouth! So, as a 10-year-old, I sat on the floor next to my bed and simply said the words, “I believe.” While I may not remember the actual date of this miracle or even the exact details, this I know: God saved me! A vivid image of this moment that I will forever cherish became permanently etched into my memory.

Whenever I hear others tell their salvation story with details about the day, date, or location, I do not get jealous. I rejoice because I can still see the image of that small bedroom, and I know without a doubt that God met me there in a way that is uniquely my salvation story.

Whatever your situation, God gave you a salvation story that is uniquely yours. Do not forget to tell it to others! The fourth verse of “I Love to Tell the Story” is a great reminder that those who are saved still long to hear how God has worked in others’ lives.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.

And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,

‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

— Kate Hankey, 1866

by Melissa Caperton

Acts 9:36-39 – Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

I was reading in the book of Acts this morning and came across the passage which spoke about Tabitha, better known as Dorcas. I love reading about this wonderful lady! She was a woman who lived in Joppa who the Bible says …was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. I do not want to overthink this passage of Scripture, but it touched my heart as I read about her life. We know very little about her, but the few verses where she is mentioned talk about two characteristics in her life that God thought were important enough to mention.

She was full of good works.

Basically, she spent her life doing for others. She did not do these things for others so that she would be noticed for her good works. She did them because she was full of love for other people and wanted to be a help and a benefit to them.

She was full of compassion.

The concordance uses the word compassionateness. Basically, she was softhearted toward people. She was tender in her actions toward people. That does not mean she was disrespectful in her tenderheartedness, but that she was sincerely concerned for people and wanted to make their burdens lighter.

I think sometimes we can be so overwhelmed with all of the crazy things that people do in this world today that it is hard to look at others and be kind to them. It is even harder for us to spend our precious time, and even our money, on something that would be of benefit to someone else. We would much rather be doing for us and ours than doing something for someone else who probably will not appreciate it anyway. At the least, this is what the Devil whispers in our ears when the Holy Spirit tells us to be kind to someone else.

However, we know that Dorcas did not think twice about it because, as we see in verse 39, when Peter finally arrived in Joppa, the widows of the town gathered around him to show him the coats and garments that Dorcas had made for them when she was with them. They took the time to remember all of the good things she had done in her life.

No, it is not my goal in life to do things today so people will remember me tomorrow or in the future and praise me for the things I did for them. That is not how I want to be remembered; but I do want to be remembered as a person who was tenderhearted, kind, and fair. Most of all, I want to be remembered as a person who reflected Jesus Christ in my life.

Many people may never read the Bible or even see the inside of a church during their lifetimes, but if we as Christians are living as we should, they will see enough of Jesus’ love and compassion in us to say, “She lived what she believed.”

by April Hernandez

Stepping up into the fire engine for the first time, I could feel the anxiety and excitement. Putting on my seatbelt and looking over the steering wheel, I felt as though I were on top of the world; I was ready to conquer my first emergency vehicle driving course. How hard could it be to drive a fire engine? I watched in anticipation as all of the other students drove through the course of bright orange cones with ease and perfection. I assumed it would be a breeze and that I would be finished in no time. Turning off the air brakes and putting the vehicle into drive, I slowly started forward. It was easy and fun in the beginning.

If my memory serves me correctly, I was only allowed to hit up to eight cones. The first obstacle was driving straight into a spot and then backing up. This sounded pretty simple to me. However, I did not realize that the further I drove into the obstacle, the closer the cones became to each other. I did not look into my mirrors as I should have. Instead, I relied solely on my basic driving skills. By the time I finished the driving course, I had hit more cones than was allowed. All I could think of were those poor cones I hit.

I was allowed to repeat the course multiple times. I tried a second, third, and fourth time. By the fourth time, I was getting upset with myself, and my instructor was only going to give me one more chance. Then something happened. One of the students who took the course that day was a paramedic who had moved from another state and just needed to take the course to enable him to work in Florida. He was experienced in driving one of these vehicles and was very patient. He hopped into the passenger seat next to me and buckled in for the ride.

When I was feeling defeated, he said to me, “I’m going to help you get through this course, and you will pass this.” He continued to help me and basically said things such as “Slow down,” “Go right,” or “Go left.” He made sure I did not hit anything. I inched my way around the course as he kept telling me “Great job!” He told me when to turn, when to slow down, and when to stop completely. As I finished the last obstacle with much relief and joy, the instructor came over the radio and said, “Good job! You passed!”

That day, I realized I had plenty to learn. The fire engine was much different to drive than my little car was. Even though I knew how to drive, I still needed to learn the skills necessary to operate an emergency vehicle. I was extremely thankful I had someone who could instruct me through the course and help me with each obstacle I faced that day. He was one who had been in that driver seat before me and had learned the same skills that I needed.

As Christians, whether we have been saved for a long time or a short time, we all will face obstacles. Each obstacle we conquer on the path of life is just one in a series of obstacles. The longer we live, the harder the obstacles will become. When we face these obstacles with pride and assume that we will beat the obstacle course while only having basic skills, we probably will hit a few “cones” along the way. Most of us have Christian examples right in front of us who have been through similar obstacles and can help us. I am sure most people think similarly to how I think in this area. When going through an obstacle, we usually do not think of how it will help others along the way. I know that is not my first thought! Obstacles are not always a bad thing. They help us to learn and to grow while preparing us for the next obstacle.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:8, And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Jesus Christ has already been where we are. He understands. He is patient with us. He instructs us. He is ready to help us. When we face an obstacle that we previously have never experienced, we have a God Who …doth go before thee;… We have a God Who …will not fail thee,… He will help us get through new obstacles in which we have no experience. This is a great way to flourish in our Christian lives. No matter the obstacle, take the Lord with you, and you will make it through the obstacle course with flying colors!

by Mandy Harper

As a new Christian in my preteen years, I clearly remember the excitement of learning and growing in grace. I attended church faithfully and soaked up the preaching, teaching, and fellowship with the more mature Christians. I loved it! I felt hope blossoming in my heart and knew there was a clear difference in myself categorized by “before Christ” and “after Christ.” My future seemed bright since I had received Christ. Then, I hit a roadblock.

For the first time in my Christian life, when the Holy Spirit stirred inside me, I resisted. I had eagerly followed Christ but was now at an impasse because I did not want to go where He was leading. The issue on which He was shining His light was my unforgiveness. He wanted me to forgive, and I wanted no part in it. Sure, I was thankful to God for forgiving my sin, but I had been saved at nine years of age. Now at twelve years of age, I knew I was a sinner, but I thought my sins did not compare to the sin God was telling me I was to forgive. (Comparing only made me unwise and prideful!)

I had been born into a very dysfunctional, broken home, and the first decade of my life was dominated by physical and sexual abuse. I was still living with alcoholics, along with the emotional turmoil that was created in our home. I knew forgiving others was the right thing to do, but I reasoned that surely some things were too bad for even God to expect me to forgive. It was an internal argument with God in which I tried to inform Him just how bad it all was, as if He did not know already. Many years would pass before I would dig into the story of mistreated Hagar in Genesis 16. Like me, she was a victim with little to no power who said in verse 13, …Thou God seest me:…

Suddenly, it seemed as though every sermon was about forgiveness. Even every teen devotional and every ladies’ conference topic were a full-on assault of the Holy Spirit against my stubbornly held belief that some things were beyond forgiveness. It was at least beyond the human variety of forgiveness that I could offer.

Too many years have passed for me to be able to recall fully what finally defeated my willful opposition to Christ’s leading, but the accumulation of sermons and teachings and a direct, softly spoken pastor saying, “You need to forgive,” finally had its effect.

The first step of forgiveness was committed at an altar: I simply made the decision to do it. The New Testament word for forgiveness is aphiemi, literally meaning “to send away” or “to let go.” We say that term tritely—“Just let it go”—but we really can LET IT GO! It was not and has not been a one-and-done act. Resentment occurs when we feel something again. Resentment requires another conscious decision to let it go. The freedom found in forgiveness is almost a tangible, physical lightness. Forgiving others became Christianity 101 and was the prerequisite course for building my relationship with Christ.

Christianity involves forgiving the inexcusable. God did so when He forgave us and commands His followers to forgive also. Forgiving the inexcusable is an act of faith. It is trusting all matters of fairness and justice to God. Paul taught this when he said, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19) In this act of faith, the wounds are not healed instantly. However, we now have only the wound and not the additional burden of being our offender’s judge. Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in hindsight.

We will never know the blessing of forgiveness without whole-hearted, authentic, Christ-like forgiveness. What does Christ-like forgiveness look like? It is not self-serving. Though there is no doubt that we benefit from letting go, that is not the motive that prompted Christ’s forgiveness toward us and should not be our primary objective either. We must forgive out of obedience. Matthew 5:44 says, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

I wish I could say learning to forgive the offenders from my childhood made me an expert “forgiver.” The truth is sometimes the harder hurts to forgive are relatively small in comparison. Maybe the person who did the wrong was counted as being a close friend. We think, “I expected much better from them.” Maybe the particular wound was right in my soft spot. The opportunities to forgive will be presented to us throughout our lives, not always on our best days and not from where we expect to see an offense coming. Regardless of the details, we can obey and trust God through forgiveness.

“Forgiveness is not just an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Kayte McCoy

Have you ever come across a passage in the Bible that made you wonder why God takes such a strong stand on certain things?

Not that we will ever fully understand God, but Proverbs 25:2 says that …the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Obviously, God’s putting importance on something is enough to demand our obedience, but it can be helpful when we understand why.

The Bible proves that God puts a premium on obedience. In I Samuel 15:22, Samuel told Saul, …Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. This is a strong statement when considering that animal sacrifice was the path to atonement for sins during this time. In the same passage, rebellion is compared to witchcraft and stubbornness to idolatry. In the New Testament, Jesus made the statement, Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:14) A premium was put on obedience when I was growing up, which I accepted. However, it was not until I was a parent that I began to understand why it is so important.

As I was considering my children and the topic of obedience—especially obedience with a good attitude—I realized something. Perhaps God places such a high importance on obedience because obedience requires us to put faith in the one whom we are obeying. We know that Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him:… How are faith and obedience connected? Obedience does not require understanding. Obedience is doing what we were told even when we do not understand the “why.” According to my Bible app, the word “obey” is found more than 3,000 times in the Bible, sometimes multiple times in the same verse.

Obedience says, “I may not understand why God told me to do—fill in the blank—but I’m trusting that God knows why.” Obedience is closely connected to faith. Occasionally, I have told my children to do something and have been asked, “Why?” Many times, my response has been, “Because I said so.” This answer has sometimes been necessary due to the “why” being asked with a bad attitude. Other times, I chose not to explain the command because my children would not have been able to understand the reason for my instructions.

As a parent and as a teacher, I have the expectation that children will obey whether or not they understand the reason. Similarly, God deserves our complete obedience. Through obedience, we demonstrate our faith in Him. After all, James 2:17 says, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

As we obey God’s Word, we can do so with the faith that our Father always knows best.

by Vicki Voorhis

Matthew 25:14-30 tells of the well-known parable of the servants and the talents. Each talent represented opportunities from the master to be invested for gain. Two of the three servants accepted the talents, or opportunities, given by the master and invested them. They took a risk, put in the work, and exerted effort to make the most of these opportunities. The master rewarded them for their efforts. The third servant––whether out of abundance of caution, laziness, or fear of losing it––decided against investing his one talent. He instead buried it in the ground. He looked at that one talent as a “babysitting job” instead of as an opportunity to invest. In the end, he was duly chastised for wasting his talent. His actions became a waste of his master’s time, talent, and possible treasure. To put it simply, he wasted his opportunity.

I hate to see the tragedy of wasted opportunity. How easy it is to forget that great opportunities often come to us under the guise of hard work or a difficult task. God did not design the Christian life to be a life of drudgery. Instead, it is a life filled with opportunities. There are opportunities to serve in the ministry, to invest in future generations, and to tell others about Jesus Christ. What a tragedy it is to see these opportunities wasted! Instead of viewing them as a prospective investment like the first two servants did, we often see them as the third servant did: a babysitting job. 

What if everyone had the view of that third servant? Imagine if parents looked at their children and said, “Oh, I’d have such a great experience as an adult if I didn’t have to look after my kids.” Consider if teachers said, “Oh, I’d have such a great experience as a teacher if I didn’t have to deal with these students.” Think about if pastors looked at their congregations and said, “Oh, I’d have such a great experience as a pastor if it weren’t for having to mind my flock.” Imagine if a coach looked at his team and said, “Oh, I’d have such a great experience as a coach if it weren’t for having to babysit this team.” Consider if a team looked at its younger players and said, “Oh, we’d have such a great experience of a season if it weren’t for having to put up with these younger players.” Anyone who agrees with any of these statements should take care because this is exactly how the third servant viewed his talent. What a negative outlook this is!

If the people in these illustrations were honest with themselves, they would have to own up to reality. What those different “servants” are really saying is, “Oh, I’d have such a great experience if it weren’t for having the opportunity to invest in these people.” It sounds really bad when put into proper context like that! It reveals how selfish that mindset truly is. The “me-first” disease is a deadly one. The disease of putting “me first” has killed more opportunities than just about any other character flaw out there.

How do we combat this problem? It is quite simple really. Look back at the passage in Matthew 25:14-30. While the third servant was putting himself first, the first two servants were putting their master first. If Christians would start putting their Master first in their decision-making and in their daily living, what a difference it would make in the lives of others! Putting our selfish desires first and giving in to laziness results in wasted opportunities. Tragically, these wasted opportunities could result in more than just a buried talent. What if a soul never heard about Christ because we preferred to keep our knowledge of the Gospel buried instead of investing it in others? Putting the Master’s wants and wishes above our own will involve work. It takes effort to invest by taking a tiny opportunity and growing it into gain for the Master. We may ask ourselves, “Is it really worth it?”

I daresay that if we were to ask those two servants from the parable in Matthew 25, “Hey, guys, was it worth it?” they would break into smiles and say, “Imagine your Master returning after a long time of being away. He looks at what you’ve done for Him. He sees your work and investment. He notices that you didn’t waste any opportunity, didn’t give up, and kept going. Then, He looks into your eyes and says, ‘Well done.’ That is exactly what happened to us, and yes, it was worth it!”

Surely, we all want to hear “well done” someday. I hope this encourages us to put the Master first. I hope we make the most of every single opportunity that God gives us. I hope that today we will invest our talents to hear tomorrow’s “well done!”

by Beth Payton

Have you ever been to a restaurant at which the waiter or waitress has offered you dessert? Were you offended? Of course, you were not! Why not? You were not offended because it is their job to offer it to you. You already expected it to happen. Either you wanted dessert, or you did not. Maybe the offer made you at least think about it.

Did you know that a waitress does not pick and choose to whom she offers dessert? She is not interested in your race, your religion, your physical appearance, or your political associations. She merely offers dessert to everyone.

Let us say the waitress offered you dessert, but you told the waitress no. Do you think she was offended? Of course, she was not! Why not? She was not offended because her job is only to offer you dessert. She is not responsible for your response. If you want it, great; but if not, there are no hurt feelings. She does not go in the back room and cry, nor does she stop offering it to other customers.

God has commanded us to go and tell a lost world about what His Son did on the old, rugged cross—that through His shed blood, they can have remission of their sins and an eternal home in Heaven. Whether or not they receive Christ as their Saviour is out of our job description. We must simply offer them “dessert.”

Like a waitress, we must get in the habit of offering everyone dessert. As soulwinners, we must not allow ourselves to pick and choose who we think is worthy of the Gospel or who we think will be receptive to it. Everyone is worthy of the offer. Not everyone will be receptive to it, but we are not to worry about that. We just need to offer it to them.

If people decide to reject the salvation that we offer them, we must not allow ourselves to be offended. When people reject an offer for dessert, they are not rejecting the waitress offering the dessert but the dessert itself. When people reject salvation, they are not rejecting us but the salvation we are offering. Like a waitress, we should not be offended by the rejection, nor should we allow it to keep us from offering it to others.

On the flip side, people would be less likely to be offended by us offering them salvation if they expected that we were going to offer it to them. People should expect that if they meet a Christian, that Christian is going to offer them salvation. There are so few Christians who actually offer salvation that the majority of people are offended when we offer it. They do not expect it, so they see us as being fanatical and intrusive.

It is so sad and convicting to me that waitresses are more faithful to offer dessert than Christians are to offer salvation. If we would just get in the mindset that soulwinning is merely offering someone dessert, then I believe we would be more faithful to it and more successful at it. If we would just bear in mind that we are not responsible for the reception or rejection of it, perhaps we would be just as faithful as the waitress. From now on, I hope each of us will take every opportunity to just offer them dessert. 

by Crystal Collingsworth

Psalm 25:9 says, The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. The dictionary defines meek or meekness as “to be quiet, gentle and submissive.” As I read this verse, I noticed it does not say, “The loud will He guide,” or “the proud will He teach his way.” In general, it comes easy for us as humans to be proud. Yes, sometimes we even can be a loud people.

As a parent, I can attest that raising three children is not a quiet task. It can get very loud in my home at times with my children, whether they are playing, arguing over random things, or just talking. My husband and I must remind them to be quiet. I have said to my children often, “God gave us two ears to hear and just one mouth. This is so we can listen more.” I am so thankful the Lord gave us only one mouth! There have been times when I have given my children specific instruction, and instead of listening, they continue talking and being loud. I ask them, “Now, what did I tell you to do?” One usually tries to make up something and is completely wrong while the other admits that they only heard the beginning and ending of my instruction. If we want guidance in our lives from the Lord, we need to be quiet and listen.

I am one who gets very distracted, whether I am reading a book, studying, or even sitting in church while hearing the pastor preach. Yes, I am the one who yells “Squirrel!” when I see a squirrel. I try to get up before my children every morning so I can have my coffee and read my Bible in peace without any noises or distractions. If they happen to get up before me, I send them to their rooms so I can read my Bible. I just cannot have any distractions while I read my Bible. I always tell them, “If you want Mommy to be nice, you will let me read my Bible and drink my coffee first.” I need to get what I need from God’s Word in that quiet time with no noises, no TV, and no phone—just God’s Word is present. In that quiet time, I know that God can teach me, and He can take the time to show me what He wants to show me for that day.

God wants to guide us and lead us every day, but we need to remember to be quiet and listen for His voice. If we have all of these noises around us, I am afraid we will not hear the instructions fully. It would be almost the same as if our GPS were to show us the starting point and finishing point in our road trip but not the in-between roads. We would get lost!

I can remember when I started working on an ambulance. GPS was very new back then. It would sometimes take us the wrong way, and we would end up at the wrong address. Fortunately, we would always have our map book close by, and it would always lead us the right way.

The Bible says in Matthew 11:15, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. We have the Word of God, and all we must do is open it, hear it, and let God speak to us and change us. The Bible says, The meek will he guide…and the meek will he teach… Just as the map book never led us astray, we have the Map Book of life, and it will never fail us. If we walk in meekness and submit to follow God’s leading, He will guide us and teach us in the right way.

by Mandy Harper

I enjoy gathering with friends and family and playing board games! There is a game I have played in the past called The Chameleon. When playing this game, there is a category card laid out on the table for all to reference. It is a card with grids and columns with a word that fits into the category listed at the top of the card in each box. A pair of dice are rolled, one with letters and one with numbers. Everyone must then describe the same word on the topic card using only one word, but the only way for them to know what word to describe is by referencing the key card that is dealt to each person. Though most people playing will receive identical key cards, one player receives the chameleon card. The point of the game is to catch the chameleon. As each person gives an adjective, the chameleon must listen and piece together the clues to come up with a similar adjective when it is his turn to speak so he can evade detection.

Several months ago, I read Luke 16:15, and the game The Chameleon came to my memory. Luke 16:15 says, And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. We may be able to evade detection by those around us—our friends, our family, our ministry leaders, etc.—but a spiritual “chameleon” cannot hide from God.

I asked myself these questions after reading this verse: Are you the chameleon? Why do you read your Bible? Why are you faithful to church and church events? Why do you spend time in prayer? Why are you careful about the words you say? Why do you dress the way you dress? Why are you involved in various church ministries? Luke 16:15 says all of these good things are an abomination to God if in our hearts we have the wrong motivation to do these things. You can justify yourself before men, and they may be pleased; but is God pleased with you?

My challenge today is for you to ask yourself those same questions. Are you the chameleon? Are you living your life to please the Lord, or are you blending in with the crowd around you and doing just enough to avoid getting called out? In the game, everyone is dealt a card, and each player must act upon the card he is dealt. In life, however, you are not handed a card which seals your fate and condemns you to being the chameleon. It is a choice!

As David did, we must examine our hearts in this area. We must ask God to show us our faults and to convict us in areas where we are weak. Psalm 139:23-24 says, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. If we will humble ourselves, submit ourselves to God, and repent, God can use His Word and His Holy Spirit to do a work in our lives.

Let us find out why we believe what we believe and why we do what we do. For every “what” that we believe, we should have a biblical “why” to reinforce that belief. If we can make all that we do in the Christian life real and for the purpose of glorifying a God we truly love with all our hearts, our lives will reflect our surrendered hearts. We will dress right, we will talk right, we will treat others right, our speech will be right, and the list continues.

There is hope for the chameleon; but as the old saying goes, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Are you the chameleon?

by Alyssa King

Psalm 27 is my favorite chapter of the Bible. It is not dynamic like I Samuel 17 when David faced Goliath. It is not emotionally provoking like John 19 when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was brutally sacrificed for our sins. It is not mysterious and intriguing like Revelation 4. No, Psalm 27 is my favorite chapter of the Bible because it is personal to me.

At different stages in my life, I found verses throughout this passage that spoke to my heart. It edified my spirit and gave me just what I needed at that time. Through my tumultuous teen years, I clung to Psalm 27:10: When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

In my mid-twenties, I stumbled upon Psalm 27:4 and made it my life verse. It says, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. A friend of mine had this verse framed and hanging in her husband’s home office. While playing hide-and-seek with her son, I saw this verse hanging on the wall. Though I had never even contemplated leaving the Lord up to that time, I made this verse my own personal vow to God.

Throughout the years, Psalm 27 has been a very personal passage for me. As I traverse this life, I find myself turning to this Psalm anytime I am in trouble, am experiencing trials, or am unsure of what to do. While each situation is never the same, the words of this verse never change, and the Lord always finds a way to speak to me through this passage.

In my mid-thirties, I was faced with a situation for which I had absolutely no solution. Most of the time, I can think or plan myself out of any situation. However, this one had me at a loss. I stepped back and asked myself, “Okay—So, what do I do? What’s the plan? How do I move forward?” The answers did not come, but I knew where to find them—the Bible.

I opened the Bible app on my phone and began reading in Ephesians where I last left off in my New Testament reading. Nothing came to me. I scrolled to my place marker in the Old Testament in Nehemiah—still nothing. I re-read my Proverb of the day, Proverbs 8. I even went to my verse of the day widget and read Romans 15:4: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

All these passages are wonderfully perfect, but I still felt as though I had no resolution for my situation. Then, I scrolled to Psalm 27 and began reading. I will be honest by saying the first few verses really did not seem to jump out and scream, “HERE’S YOUR SOLUTION!” I read down to Psalm 27:7 which says, Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. By the time I got to this verse, I thought, “Yep. That’s why I’m here, Lord.” I was reading this Psalm like a grocery checklist and thinking, “Yep. Got that. Yep. That too. Don’t need that. That doesn’t apply here. Oh, got that one too. Next.”

By the time I was just a few verses from the end, I began to think, “Well, this isn’t giving me the answers I need either.” Then it happened. Psalm 27:13-14 said, I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. This whole time, I was looking for a neon sign with “Step 1,” “Step 2,” “Step 3,” etc., written on it, but what I needed to do was simply to wait. I thought, “Wait?!?! How can I do that? I don’t want to be in this situation anymore. I want to be done and to move on. I don’t think I can handle being in this situation one more minute!”

Then, I re-read Psalm 27:13: I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I realized that David had been in the same emotional place that I was in at that time. He also would have fainted, failed, fallen out, and given up UNLESS: …unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord…

That little word unless was my answer. That was the solution I was seeking: to wait on the Lord. When I felt as though I could not wait any longer, I was to look for the goodness of the Lord. The old chorus, “My Lord Knows the Way” came to my mind:

“Strength for today is mine all the way,

And all that I need for tomorrow;

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness—

All I have to do is follow.”

Even just seeking for a solution to the problem made me feel weaker. I needed to start seeing God’s goodness. Stop looking at the situation. Stop focusing on the problems. This only serves to destroy the strength God gives us. When feeling weak and wanting to give in, we must start reminding ourselves of the goodness of the Lord. It is only by keeping our eyes on God and focusing our minds on His goodness that we get strength to wait through the trials of life.

by Krystal Salm

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 second 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 Jan Roueche

A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:… – Proverbs 18:24

If there ever were someone who embodied this verse, my mother, Jan Roueche, is that person. For as long as I can remember, she has befriended everyone with whom she has come into contact. Many ladies in our church, whether they be young, old, rich, poor, seasoned Christians, or brand new babes in Christ, are found upon her expansive list of close friends. She confided in me recently that there were so many people who wanted to have lunch with her, and she did not know how she would be able to make time for all of them! While many would chalk this up to just her natural personality, I firmly believe that this ability is a God-given talent, while also being one that she has done much work to hone and develop. In a recent conversation with her, she gave me much insight into Christian friendship and into how God has blessed her in this area.

The ability to be a good friend comes from God.

My mom moved from Illinois to the small town of Green Cove Springs, Florida, when she was four years old. She was naturally quite shy, and this was only exacerbated by becoming an outsider in a small, close-knit town. While she felt that she had nothing to offer others, she enjoyed being around people, so she relegated herself to simply listening. When she got saved later in life, she gained a new confidence in who she was and how God had made her. As a new creature in Christ who was bought by His own blood and created in the very image of God, she understood her worth and importance. This knowledge emboldened her to talk to others and befriend them.

True Christian friendship is unselfish.

My mom explained that she spends much time in prayer for her friends. She makes the effort to learn their likes, their dislikes, their interests, and their burdens. When they tell her of an upcoming doctor’s appointment, she writes it on her calendar so that she can pray and follow up with them about it.  I can testify that she willingly takes the proverbial backseat in her friendships; she does not have to be in control or to do all the talking.

Everyone is worthy to be a friend.

After spending much of her adult life in a tiny church with few opportunities for friendships, my mom was exceedingly grateful to join her current church home. Within its large congregation is a thriving group of ladies who have amazed and inspired her. Although she certainly has some ladies to whom she is closer than others, she is a friend to all. She remembers what it was like to be friendless and does not want anyone else to feel that way. As she sees it, she is missing out if she restricts herself to a certain friend group because everyone has something to give her and to teach her.

At the close of our conversation, I asked my mom to pass on some advice to the Christian lady who desires to be more friendly but may struggle with shyness, with being introverted, or with making friends easily. These were her suggestions:

Pray for the friends that you do have. We should tell them that we are praying for them.

Pray that God would help you to be a good friend. Before a recent church service, my mom made a list of five people she wanted to talk to and be an encouragement to and prayed that God would help her to be able to reach each one. He answered that prayer, and she and her friends were blessed because of it. (I, unfortunately, was not on that list, and thus did not get a chance to speak at all with my mom at church that night!)

Pray that He would put you in the path of people who need a friend. She heard an assistant pastor at our church say, “You may not be outgoing, but the Holy Spirit is.” She believes this wholeheartedly!

Learn to listen intently. A person who is willing to truly listen to others, to show interest in their lives, and to empathize with them will always have friends. She is grateful now for her childhood experiences and for learning early in life to be content in simply listening.

Involve yourself in as many ministries as possible. The more ministries in which we participate means that we will be surrounded by more people. As a result, we will have more opportunities for friendship. Mom has gained many of her dearest friends by going soulwinning with them, by teaching alongside them, or by working in nursery next to them.

The Bible shows the necessity and the benefits of having friends who will help, encourage, and edify us as we serve the Lord. While David needed Jonathan as his friend, Jonathan also needed David. In the New Testament, Paul speaks extensively about his friends and how their companionships were vital to his success in the ministry. These quality relationships are obtainable for each of us if we make the purposeful effort to invest in the lives of those around us. God has provided so many opportunities, but it is up to us to take the steps necessary to reap the benefits of true Christian friendship.

By Abigail Medford

This week was a doozy.  All of my three children were sick, and while their illnesses were not horrible, it made them just sick enough to interrupt their sleep and to make them grumpy. My son was faced with an important person in his life moving away at the end of the week.  As a teacher, I was dealing with an upset parent of a student. All this culminated into this week of life feeling very heavy.

Sometimes, life’s trials are easily recognizable. There is the loss of a job or a loved one, a relationship that seems beyond repair, or a major, debilitating illness. Those big trials test our faith and require our trust in God’s grace. However, I have found many trials to be like the ones I experienced this week: all the little things that pile up to make life seem overwhelming.

Experiencing only one of these things would not be a huge deal.

• Sick kids? All kids get sick sometimes. 
• Dealing with a big disappointment? We can work through this.
• Someone is upset with us? This can be remedied.

Now, put them all together, and these little things start to add up. Any superwoman who thinks can handle “all the things” soon will discover her “kryptonite,” or her weaknesses.

When we started the week with news of the person moving away, I assured my son that God was in control and knew the “where” and “why.” Then, I continued on “dealing” with the disappointment. I once again had started off in my own strength and waited until I was totally overwhelmed before I got God involved. As the week evolved into more and more things adding up, I eventually ended up where I should have started: taking it all to God.  

Psalm 61:2 says, From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. In this chapter, David was crying unto God because his heart was overwhelmed. His words remind us where to go when life gets too heavy, …lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

I teach a high school typing class, and as part of my duties, I keep track the students’ typing speeds. Recently, the students asked me how fast I could type, and I told them that on a good day, I can type about 65 words per minute. On a good day, it can feel like Jesus is right beside us all day long. However, as most of us know, not every day is a good day. On those other days, we may feel like Job in Job 23:8-9, Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: It is so easy to get caught up in the everyday trials to the point where we feel like we cannot even find the way out. On those days, when the Rock seems impossible to find, we must ask God to lead us there.

That Rock is always there. Just like the beautiful vista seen from a mountain top, that view is always there, even when the way up is foggy and impossible to see. Sometimes, all we can do is follow the Guide until the fog of life clears, but we can trust that the way has not changed. When the fog lifts, and we are standing on the Rock that is higher, God can allow us to see above the fog of the trial to glimpse the beauty in God’s perfect plan.

Both types of trials, whether those big scary ones that we can easily recognize or those smaller ones that build up, require God’s help. Let us to put aside our strength and understanding in good times and in complicated moments, and let Him …lead us to the rock that is higher than I. 

by Vicki Voorhis