That I may see the good of thy chosen, That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. – Psalm 106:5

Human nature is not drawn to seeing the good in others. Ninety percent of the news is not sharing all the good things humanity is doing. Ninety percent of conversations is not centered around the good things we know about others. Our flesh likes to hear the negatives about other people because it often makes us feel better about ourselves. 

Seeing …the good of thy chosen… is a learned mindset. It comes with training and diligence of mind. A professor in college said me that, any time someone would tell him something bad about another person, he would immediately think of as many good things as he could about that individual. While his disciplined action was a kindness toward the other person, meaning the negativity would stop with him, he mainly did it so that his own mind would not become poisoned with pride or negativity. 

…see the good of thy chosen… by remembering that we all need grace. Verse 6 of this psalm says, We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. The psalmist was sharing that sin was abounding in his nation, but he did not look down on his fellow citizens or exalt himself above them. He said, We have sinned… While our natural, human response to another’s faults is to be harsh, the Bible reminds us that someone else’s public iniquity is no worse than our private iniquity. 

…see the good of thy chosen… by praying for others. In verse 4, the psalmist asks the Lord to remember his people. Any time we think of another Christian’s faults, we should combat those thoughts with prayer for that Christian. 

It takes diligence and training of the mind to focus on the good. It is so encouraging when people overlook our faults and focus on the good. How often do we do the same for others? Are we willing and disciplined enough to …see the good of thy chosen…?

by Elizabeth Myers

As I was reading the Christmas story in Luke 2 for at least the hundredth time in my life this month, I noticed a set of verses I had not really noticed in the past. In Luke 2:16-19, the Bible says about the shepherds, And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

I was struck by the different reactions of these people. When the shepherds heard the news of Jesus’ arrival, …they came with haste,… They ran as fast as they could. I wondered if they left their sheep or if they were herding them in front of them as they made their way through the streets of Bethlehem. Either way, they were in a hurry to see this newborn King. After they had met this King, they were in a hurry to tell everyone about it.

Unfortunately, the news that the shepherds told was not met with the same response that the shepherds had when the angel of the Lord had brought them the news. When the shepherds told of Jesus, the Bible tells us that the people …wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Their reaction could be likened to when we say, “Hm, that’s interesting.” They did not have that same urgency to meet the Saviour. They heard the most incredible news that had ever been shared, and they did nothing. They did not rush to the manger; at least, the Bible does not record it if they did. They just stayed in their homes. Maybe they thought, “Wow! A baby was born in a stable and was announced by angels!” However, they did not do anything about the news.

Another response to all that was occurring was Mary’s response. The Bible records for us that …Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Mary took to heart all that had happened. She had been there for the initial announcement of the coming of this Christ Child. She rode on that long road to Bethlehem. To her, all that was happening may have seemed to be a dream. After the shepherds visited, we see recorded for the first time, But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. She held on to all that was happening. She gave attention to remembering these things and kept thinking about them. It was not just an afterthought.

I think that Christ’s birth often can become an afterthought during the Christmas season, even to Christians. After all, there are cookies to bake, meals to plan, presents to buy and then wrap, and trees to decorate. Our family tradition, as is the tradition of many others I know, has always been to read the Christmas story found in Luke 2 before we open presents. We usually tried to do this in a separate room from the presents, but I know that when I was a child at least, it was something we did so we could get to the presents. After we listened to the Christmas story and my dad prayed, I thought, “I’m glad Jesus was born. Now can we get to the part of Christmas I’m really looking forward to—the presents?” I was like those townspeople in Bethlehem. I heard a miraculous story and thought, “That’s amazing! So, what’s next?

Instead, we all should strive to be like Mary and not think of Christ’s coming only during the Christmas season but, instead, dwell on it all year long. Let us ponder these things in our hearts all 365 days of the year: a Saviour came to save us from our sins!

by Vicki Voorhis

I was four years old when I rode my first rollercoaster. It all happened at an amusement park in Southern California called Knott’s Berry Farm. The coaster was called Montezuma’s Revenge (which also has another hilarious meaning). That rollercoaster was giant, fast, and went upside-down twice! It started from a dead standstill, shot forward into a full loop, stopped at the top of a steep ramp, then repeated the whole thing backwards! I had stood under the little sign with a bright yellow line to measure a rider’s height so many times, and because my little, curly, blonde head did not reach the line, I was told I could not ride.

I had dreamed of riding that rollercoaster! I actually had dreams from which I woke up and was flooded with disappointment that the experience was not real. My mom was totally baffled at the fact that I was completely void of fear. I would stand on the asphalt walkway under the giant loopy-de-loop as the coaster went whizzing by, passengers screaming in fear and delight, and I felt only jealous anticipation. Mom tried to talk me out of it, thinking my naïve self had no idea for what I was asking! She thought that once I rode it, I would become so terrified that I would never ride a rollercoaster again.

One day, I finally met the required height to ride! I was literally jumping up and down in line, my mother and her worried frown looking on at my frivolity. She was still apprehensive, but she had made a promise (not realizing how serious I was) that as soon as I was tall enough, we would ride it together.

Quickly our turn to embark had arrived, and I clambered into my seat and buckled all of the belts before my mom could even assist me. My mom said, “Now, if you get scared, just reach over and grab my hand. I’m right next to you, and you have nothing to be scared of.” I looked at her as if she were speaking another language and yelled above the noise of the other passengers securing their own seatbelts, “Mom, I’m not scared! I have wanted to do this my entire life! This is the best day ever!” She did not look convinced, but I was too distracted by my excitement to care.

There was a momentary pause after everyone was secured, then the coaster took off like a shot! My mouth flew open in a silent scream of joy as we whirled through the giant loop and up the ramp. There we hung for a small moment, just enough time to realize we were about to shoot backwards, and off we went again! Rolling through the loop, I felt exhilaration and joy; all I could think was how to convince Mom to let me get back in line for another ride!

The coaster rattled to a stop at the station, and Mom turned her concerned face toward me to gage my reaction. I yelled, “Let’s go again!” I grabbed her hand in my tiny one and leapt out onto the platform toward the exit.

“Are you okay? You weren’t scared?” she said as she followed me toward the turnstiles for the ride line. She was probably thinking of my brother, who at six years of age still would not even discuss riding anything faster than the carousel.

“No, Mommy. It was even more fun than I thought it would be! You rode it lots of times, and you loved it. I knew I would, too!” I think that might have been the day when my mom realized she would need to do more tempering fearlessness than calming fears in her daughter. Shortly after, I was able to talk my scaredy-cat older brother into riding Montezuma’s Revenge and conquering his fear of rollercoasters forever! To this day, I have never said “no” to a rollercoaster!

As children of God, how much more of life could we enjoy if we had that kind of fearlessness when facing challenges in our Christian lives! Our Heavenly Father has been there before us; He understands the challenges we will face. He would not let us ride the rollercoasters of life if He did not think we were ready for them. He would not allow us to climb in and face those upside-down moments if we were not “tall” enough in our Christian lives to face the unknown.

I wonder how many times God’s people have turned away from that unknown, scary challenge. They never buckled up for the ride and trusted God to keep them safe. They never said “yes” to sing in the choir, help in the nursery, teach a Sunday school class, work on a bus route, learn to be a soulwinner, or take a stand for Christ in a godless workplace or school. They never took the ride of their lives because they would not even get in line.

Sadly, they may have missed the joy that comes after the ride starts. They never had the chance to sing for the Lord with God’s people, sing “Jesus Loves Me” with a curious toddler, watch a child learn for the first time about Jesus, see a bus kid’s eyes light up when he hears “I love you,” know the joy of watching a sinner ask Jesus to save him, or be a light for Christ in the darkness. Not only that, but their brothers or sisters in Christ also never saw their fearless step of faith into the unknown and missed hearing from them, “I did it! So can you!” Their fellow Christians never had the opportunity to be encouraged to step out themselves because there was no example to follow.

Do not miss out on the ride of your life! He is right there with you and will be there all of the way. You have thrills, excitement, and your own “best day ever” waiting ahead. Just get in line and trust the One Who has gone before you. You never know who is waiting at the exit, wondering if you made it so that he also might get in line to take a ride into faith and discover the joys of taking the ride of his life, too!

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. ~ Deuteronomy 28:1-2

by Tracie S. Burns

Christmas is the season of miracles, but for me, it became a season of grief in 2022. Shortly before Thanksgiving, after years of infertility, I had a surprise pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. A moment of great joy shattered before I had time to process it. When the Christmas season came that year, it only exasperated my hurt and confusion. All around me, people were celebrating the miracle birth of Jesus, and all I could think about was why God had not kept my baby’s heart beating. Why could He give Mary a miracle child but take away mine? I knew He had the power to keep my baby alive, yet He had chosen not to.

I continued going through the motions—going to church and serving and reading my Bible—but my heart was not in it. I had so many days when I just cried out to God, begging for answers that never seemed to come. Then one morning, I heard Him speak.

It was the weekend before Christmas. I sat down for my usual devotional time, flipping the pages of my Bible until I came to that day’s Scripture: Luke 2. My eyes skimmed over the familiar passage, not fully reading the words on the page. Then, I came to a verse that made me stop. Luke 2:11 read, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. The words …unto you… jumped out at me, hitting me like a wakeup call. It was as if God were reaching down to answer all my questions from the weeks before with a simple truth: I gave you mine.

In tears, I realized that my arms were not as empty as I had thought. Jesus had filled them long before the trials of infertility came into my life. Even though I did not have a baby to cherish this Christmas, I could cherish the Son of God. I clung to the reminder of God’s gift to me and decided there were a few things I could do to celebrate JESUS during this hard season.

Just pray. Prayer became my lifeline. After reading this verse, my prayers changed. Instead of being angry and filled with questions, I asked God for strength to accept His will, even if it meant I may never have children on earth. Every time I began to spiral into endless questions, I would quiet myself with prayer.

Encourage myself. I quickly realized that if I did not find a way to encourage myself, I would wallow in self-pity for hours. So, when this happened, I went to the Bible, revisiting favorite verses such as Philippians 4:8. I read passages about characters I admired like Queen Esther or Daniel. On the days it was too hard to focus on Scripture, I reached out to godly friends and leaned on them to remind me of God’s promises.

Seek joy. During this season, it was so hard to find joy the way I had before. Life had lost the magic “glow” it contained before this great loss. I had to pause purposely during my day and seek small things that brought me joy. I had to take note of the beautiful world God created for me and lean on my family and friends to draw that joy to the surface. Slowly, I found joy again, and it began to brighten the darkest moments.

Utter praise. Turning my complaints into praise went a long way toward drawing me closer to Jesus. I started a gratitude journal and made myself write down ten things I was thankful for every day. Having a focus of praise helped me develop a more positive outlook during grief.

Stay close. Above all else, I determined to stay as close to Jesus as possible. Just as a mother clings to her child for as long as she can, I chose to cling to Christ. This meant making Him the focus instead of my grief. Every single day, I made time to prioritize Him by drawing closer to His Word and surrounding myself with people who would challenge me to strengthen my relationship with Him.

This Christmas season looks very different. I am in the throes of motherhood, finally holding a miracle baby that God allowed into my arms. Even so, I find myself revisiting this passage and the decision I made a few years ago. Every time I look at my son, I remember Jesus. I am determined to keep Him at the center of every moment. While I cannot introduce my baby to an earthly sibling, I can introduce him to the One Who filled my arms long before he was born. I can teach him how to pray, stay encouraged in God’s Word, seek joy, utter praise, and stay close to Him all his days. There is no greater gift I can give him. Then, one day when I step into Heaven, I will get to look into the eyes of my Saviour, Who holds the baby I lost and the one I have gained, and echo back: “I gave you mine, too.”

by Victoria Roberts

The Christmas season can be such a joy-filled time of year with the decorations, the songs, the time spent with family, the gifts, and a calming sense of peace and hope. However, it can also be an ugly time of year filled with ingratitude, pushing and shoving, griping and complaining, and an overwhelming sense of hustle and bustle. The difference between these two experiences is simple: Christ. A beautiful Christmas is one in which Christ is the center.

The Christmas presents take a back seat to His presence. The first Christmas was celebrated in a stable—basically a barn filled with animals and hay. On His birthday, our Saviour, the King of kings, was not arrayed in royal apparel.. Instead, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, the bands normally used to cover the dead. There were no shiny decorations or delicious feasts to enjoy, but there was great joy for the great Hope born that day. Christ’s presence was all that was needed; it was all that mattered.

You cannot have Christmas without Christ. Without Christ, all you have is “mas.” In Spanish, the word más means more. Without Christ, all that is left is more: more chaos, more depression, and more aggravation. The world is always looking for more, but at what expense? In this case—in most cases, if we are honest—Christ is the expense. We can become so distracted by the gifts, the decorations, the food, and the festivities that we neglect the reason for Christmas. Some have even gone so far as to actually cross out the “Christ” in Christmas to celebrate “Xmas.”

As we are in the heart of the Christmas season, let us take a step back to remember its true reason. The King of kings left His home in Heaven, was born a lowly child, lived a sinless life, and shed His own blood for our souls. He was born to die.

This Christmas, I hope you will receive the greatest gift of all—eternal life through Jesus Christ. If you have already received that gift, I hope you will share it with someone else. Most of all, I pray that we never forget to keep Christ in CHRISTmas.

by Crystal Collingsworth

Judges 5:16 – …For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of the heart.

What a powerful statement and such a great truth is found here! We always seem to stop and really think about things when we are going through a trial or right after we have gone through a trial. We want to know why it happened so that we can avoid the need to go through it again.

I looked up the word searchings in the concordance, and it simply means “to search out, examination, enumeration, deliberation, finding out.” That in itself is enough to ponder for a while, but I just knew there must be more. I looked up the word searching in the dictionary, and I was right! This word entails so much more. I will get to that in a minute.

First, what were the children of Israel examining? Over what were they deliberating? What were they searching out? It is the heart! However, what about the heart were they searching out exactly? In this verse, they were searching out the feelings, the will, the wisdom or the mind of the heart. That is what the word heart means in this verse. There was great examination and deliberation of the inner feelings and the will of the heart occurring BECAUSE or as a result of the divisions of Reuben.

Remember that I said there was more to the word searching? Let me share a little more of that now. When we examine or deliberate over our feelings or the will of our hearts, we should take the following into consideration.

• To look into – I picture here someone using a magnifying glass to get a really good look at something up close. Remember science class in school? Remember using the microscope to look at slides containing blood drops or other liquids? The microscope magnified that liquid so that we could see every fiber! Why am I so reluctant to look just as closely at the intentions of my heart?
• To look over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something – I do this with many things in life, but not so much with my heart. I am so careful to select just the right tomatoes at the store, looking them over in my hand and making sure they are not too soft or too hard. Even in my business, I am so careful to choose just the right paint or wood so that my products are of good quality. Why am I not just as careful with the intentions of my heart?
• To penetrate in order to find intention – This one really hit me hard! When something is not working right in our homes or with our vehicles, we will do whatever it takes to fix the problem. Sometimes we spend an enormous amount of time and money to get to the bottom of the situation and get it fixed. We need our appliances and vehicles to run smoothly so we can run our errands, get to church, etc. If we let the problem continue without correction, it only gets worse. Why am I so unwilling to do the same when it comes to the intentions of my heart?
• To make painstaking investigation or examination – Sometimes it hurts to find out what went wrong. When the air conditioner, dishwasher, and refrigerator in my house all stopped working at the same time and needed to be replaced, it hurt financially, but they needed to be repaired. Why are we so hesitant to perform a close examination of our hearts? Many times, it is because we will not like what we find there. We might bring to light that the intentions of our hearts were not as Christian-centered as we thought.

God tells us that we should be careful with what we allow in our hearts, so we should take the time to search and examine the intentions of our hearts on a regular basis to keep them clean and right before God.

by April Hernandez

James 5:8 says, Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. My family and I always take road trips every year. We enjoy going to Albuquerque to see my husband’s family. This trip is almost twenty-eight hours one way, and coming from Florida, it takes us a whole day and a half of driving to get there. Between the time we leave home and the time we arrive, there are several different emotions and struggles that we all experience. There are frequent bathroom breaks being made and constant questions being asked. Hardly a second passes when we do not hear, “Are we there yet?” I can even remember a time when I fed my son Animal Crackers for a ten-hour span just to keep him content and happy. As Mom, I must keep all of the tiny people happy in the backseat, or Dad is going to need to pull over the car. During that travel time in between, it is very easy for all of us to get impatient and tired.

I think of the children of Israel and how it took forty years to get to the Promised Land. Through their wandering, even though they followed the man of God, they also complained about how God provided for them, grew impatient, and even disobeyed God. God still continued to forgive them time and time again. He also continued to make provision for and give protection to them.

How many times in our own lives do we wander and get impatient, not just on road trips, but in our own Christian lives? The Bible says, Be ye also patient;… God wants us to be patient. We can get impatient with ourselves, our families, our friends, our jobs, and yes, even with God. That verse goes on to say, …stablish your hearts:… The word stablish means to build or strengthen. Spending time in God’s Word will help us strengthen our hearts. This helps us grow our faith in God and our dependence on Him. So many times in our Christian lives we decide to get in a hurry, and then our impatience leads us to disobey. We should have just waited on God and His timing. Often times during life’s circumstances we grow tired of waiting, and we ask God, “Are we there yet?”

The rest of that verse goes on to say, …for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. We already know from the verse that we must be patient and strengthen our hearts, but now we see the reason: …for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. As Christians, let us be patient and strengthen our hearts because the Lord is coming back to take us home. We do not know when He is coming back, but He certainly is. This time of waiting on God is the perfect opportunity for us to spend time with Him and to grow in our Christian lives. It is through fellowship with Him that we can learn patience, build our trust in God, and have a closer relationship with Him.

There may be some who are going through something and are continuing to ask God, “Are we there yet?” It is not our job to question when we are going to get there, but to Be ye also patient… Let us remember to be patient on life’s road trips!

by Mandy Harper

I was reading the other day in John 4, and while just expecting the familiar story of the Samaritan woman at the well, a truth popped out at me that I had never pondered previously. Verse 2 read, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) Then, I noticed verse 8: (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) I considered, along with these verses, other passages in which the disciple Andrew asked a little boy for his lunch. This act led to the feeding of the 5,000 and to Jesus sending His disciples out two-by-two to preach throughout the cities. I thought about how much Jesus was able to achieve in those three and a half years of His ministry. A part of those accomplishments was the result of having disciples to help bear the load of the work. Jesus did not need to take time away from teaching and healing to baptize because the disciples were willing to do it. Jesus was able to wait at the well because His disciples had gone to get bread. I know that Jesus as God was not obligated to use people, but Jesus allowed Himself to be limited by the ability of a man to be in only one place at a time.

What if each church member were to decide to be to his pastor what those disciples were to Jesus? What if we were to make sure the little fires were put out so that the pastor did not even need to think about them? I cannot preach a sermon, but I can make sure a visitor feels welcome. I can volunteer to help in the nursery so that the pastor does not need to worry about whether the toddlers are the ones watching the babies! Our church recently began a “Sunday School Revolution,” starting many new classes that meet all over the Jacksonville area in an effort to minister to more people and to give them the opportunity to get the help they need. I may not be the teacher, but I can invite someone to come and be taught from God’s Word. I can bring breakfast, pass out flyers, help set up the classroom, greet the visitors, and so much more. We all can find ways to help bear the load for our pastor and to participate in the ministry.

We all know that our homes work more smoothly when everyone pitches in to help. That does not mean the children are leading the home, but that they are supporting the parents so that they can focus on what is most important. Also, the children become personally invested in the success of the home when they have participated in the day-to-day work of it.

A good reminder of this truth can be found in Acts 6, when the Grecians were worried about the Hebrew widows being neglected. The disciples solved the issue, not by leaving their own duties to do so, but by finding deacons who could render the care the widows needed. The disciples were able to perform the work God had for them successfully because the deacons were willing to help bear the load of the work of the church.

While as Christian ladies we cannot fill the role of a deacon or the pastor, we can fill a vital role in the church specifically mentioned over and over in the Bible: the servant. We not only will be helping to bear the load but also will be bringing honor to Christ’s name by our willingness to serve. Imagine what a church could accomplish for God if each member were to decide he is going to get behind the pastor by serving as much as he can, helping to bear the load for the cause of Christ!

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. – Matthew 23:11

by Vicki Voorhis

Psalm 27:14 – Wait on the LORD: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

When we are waiting on something that we really want to happen, we sometimes get impatient. People say that patience is a virtue. Many people tell us to wait on God’s timing. That is easier said than done.

Early on in my marriage, I knew I wanted children quickly. My husband and I were not getting any younger, and everyone else our age already had several children of their own. We both desperately wanted to start our family. As the weeks and months turned into years, we waited for our family to begin. We sought counselling with our pastor, as well as with medical professionals. I was not always patient. I was not always understanding, and unfortunately, I was not always happy for others when I heard of their pregnancies.

One day, I looked in the mirror and did not like what I saw. It was the image of a woman who had become bitter. I resented the other women who I knew that were having babies left and right, and I started feeling sorry for myself. After having my last little pity party, I brushed myself off and was determined to start fresh.

I was a fairly new Christian at the time, so I did the only thing I knew how to do: work for God. My husband and I started going out with our church for every soulwinning time they had, which was three times a week. We poured our lives into leading others to Christ. We went to the Philippines on a missions trip and our group was able to lead over 10,000 precious souls to Christ there. We worked on a bus route. As the route grew, we were able to lead many of the riders and their parents to Christ. We taught bus kids in Sunday school. I went to women’s prayer meetings and Bible studies. I was soaking up everything I could get out of the Christian life. Yet, I still wanted children. We had people all over the world praying for us to be able to have just one if that was all God was willing to give to us.

In the midst of my waiting on God’s timing for something I wanted, I was being rooted and grounded in the life that God wanted for me. As I was waiting, God was strengthening me in my Christian walk. Through the waiting, He was molding and making me into the person that He wanted me to be and into the mother that I needed to be for my children. I read the account of Hannah many, many times through that long wait for God to answer my prayers. I begged, pleaded, and cried many, many tears. However, God is faithful!

I have learned that waiting on the Lord’s timing is an important part of the Christian life. If God had not given me the strength that He promises in Psalm 27:14 to wait on His timing, I would not have learned all of the things that He taught me during that time. By waiting on His timing, God was able to instill in me the priceless lessons onto which I held and now can pass on to my children. Waiting on God’s timing is, sometimes, the hardest thing to do; however, it is always the best thing to do.

by Jennifer Bassler

Recently, I had what we will call “the privilege” of helping my husband to study for an exam that he was scheduled to take. In years past, I had helped him study for various college classes. We were newly married while he was still studying for his bachelor’s degree, and wanting to be a helpful and supportive wife, I took on the role of “study buddy.” Many long nights were spent reciting vocabulary definitions for English, reading aloud the QuickBooks manual for Accounting, or creating nonsensical, yet effective, mnemonic devices for various Bible classes. However, this recent exam was rather different. This exam was about bugs!

While helping him study, the teacher portion of my brain said, “She canst not teach what she doth not know.” (Sometimes, my “inner teacher” speaks in dramatic, Old English dialogue.) Therefore, I determined that, while he was in entomology classes, I would sit in the hotel room and read over the material myself. I saw the most disgusting photos of wriggling, slimy, and gooey insects, including the waste-filled environments they inhabit. I am absolutely not a fan of bugs, yet here I was studying, in grotesque detail, every trait and habit of thousands of species of insects.   

As I was reading about certain insects like the honeybee or the butterfly, I reminisced of my elementary years when the teacher would describe, in the simplest of terms, the life cycle of the butterfly or the roles that different bees would play. We, like many children, grew up thinking that most insects followed the same pattern as the butterfly and the bee: egg to larva; larva to pupa; pupa to adult. Worker bees make honey, and queen bees lay eggs. However, I soon found out that this oversimplification of insect habits was actually a far more intriguing subject.

As I read about the termite, I realized that this was a very unique insect. I will refrain from explaining many of the aforementioned grotesque details, but the termite life possesses qualities that resemble the Christian walk. As I read and made these correlations, I was reminded of the Bible verse, Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (Proverbs 6:6) We see many times in the Bible where God references His creation and shows forth principles and wisdom for us to learn. Here are some things I learned from God’s creation, the termite.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. – I Corinthians 12:12

Typically, one termite mound can consist of tens or hundreds of thousands of termites. Usually, there is only one main queen; only 2% to 15% are soldiers; and a staggering 85% to 98% are workers. This reminded me of the church. While we may have one pastor and a handful of deacons or staff members, we are all part of the colony. Although each may be different, we all have a job that we can and must do.

The termite has a complex life cycle. It begins as an egg but then goes through several changes and stages before becoming an adult. These changes occur in correlation to the colony’s needs. For example, if a colony is located in an area where there are large populations of other insects that could potentially threaten the colony, more termites will morph into soldier termites to defend the colony. If more food gathering is required, more termites will morph into workers to gather and feed the colony. (Again, I will not digress to share the somewhat disturbing details of feeding the colony.) As a church, God prepares us for what He has planned for us. If a church needs a pianist, perhaps an opportunity will become available for one of its members to take piano lessons. As a young lady gets married, perhaps there will be other married ladies in the church to provide her an example or some encouragement. Just as that termite will become what it needs to be to fulfill its role, we as church members ought to be asking God to prepare us to be used in His ministry.

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. – I Corinthians 12:18

Our elementary view of an insect states that once an insect becomes an adult, it is assigned a role, or a purpose, for its existence, and it fulfills that role until its death. As seen with the termite, this is not necessarily the case. The “only-one-role” mentality does not exist within this insect’s community. Whatever benefits the colony, this is the role the termite adopts. As the termite assumes the tasks of the role needed, it is equipped with physiological changes that enable the termite to fulfill its role in the colony.

Many times, we as humans see ourselves in terms of our roles: mother, daughter, administrator, teacher, doctor, wife, choir member, soulwinner, etc. While not a bad thing, I do not believe this is how God views us. He sees us as His children to whom He has given a series of tasks. When thinking of Eve, for example, I do not believe He says, “That is Cain, Abel and Seth’s mother.” I believe it is more like, “That is Eve, my daughter and my servant. I’ve given her the tasks that go along with raising her sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth.”

When we say, “I am a mother. My role is that of a mother,” what we are really saying is, “I fulfill the tasks associated with feeding, teaching, caring for, guiding, housing, leading, and raising a child.” When we say, “I am a teacher. My role is that of a teacher,” what we are really saying is, “I fulfill the tasks associated with instructing, evaluating, assessing, and inspiring a student to learn.” God has given us this life for us to fulfill a part of His great plan. However, no matter what roles we currently play (and every person plays multiple roles), a role is not merely a title we hold. It is simply a series of tasks we have been assigned.

But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ­– I Corinthians 12:20-22

I like to imagine that God, in His infinite wisdom, is in Heaven doling out tasks to each Christian every moment of every day. After a certain time, He sends a new task for us to do. Perhaps, a mother is watching her child walk across a platform to receive his diploma and to begin a new chapter in his life. Perhaps, a missionary family begins deputation, or a teacher is called to teach a new or unfamiliar class. This is the time that God is handing them a new task. Although they may feel incapable of completing this task, He has fully equipped them to do it. Rather than rejecting the task under the pretense that this is not the role that we currently fill, we ought to embrace and endeavor to complete the task with God’s help.

The termite does not aspire to become the queen of the mound, nor does it shy away from taking up the task of a soldier. It simply performs the tasks that God has created, prepared, and equipped it to do for the benefit of the colony. While we may attempt to plan our lives, or we envision ideas of grandeur for our perfect role in God’s plan, we must yield to His preparation and complete the tasks He has placed before us. 

A middle-aged woman seeking advice once said, “I’m at a crossroads in my life. I don’t know what to do. This is not how I envisioned it would be at this point in life.  What do I do?” The wise man responded with, “Just do the next right thing.” 

Whatever task God has handed to us, let us determine just to do it. Let us fulfill the tasks that comprise the roles we play in God’s plan. In doing so, we fulfill not only His will for our “colony”, the body of Christ, but also His plan for our lives.

by Krystal Salm

EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) have very important jobs. They are the ones who are sent out based upon emergency calls; they offer help to those who are often at risk of dying. As soulwinners, we must approach the lost as an EMT approaches his job. The Biblical emergency call has been made in Mark 16:15: …Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. We have the ability to help those who are at risk of dying and going to Hell.

An EMT does not choose who they will help. Regardless of whether a person is rich or poor, black or white, fat or thin, a drug addict or a prostitute, clean or dirty, an atheist or a Muslim, an EMT must be ready to offer life-saving help to anyone in need. We, too, must have that same attitude concerning the lost! We must never be guilty of not witnessing to someone based on his background, appearance, or walk of life. We have a job to do, and we must be willing to do it. Mark 16:15 reminds us that the call is to go to every creature, not just to the ones who look and smell nice or who could benefit our churches.

EMTs see their patients at their worst yet never hesitate to help them. As soulwinners, we must do the same! When we knock on those doors, the people who answer are literally on death’s doorstep; their souls are hanging in the balance between Heaven and Hell, and we can share the life-saving Power needed to save them.  Just as an EMT rushes to get people to the doctor, we must rush to get people to the Great Physician. We may be the only hope that the lost will have of being brought from death unto life.

What good would an EMT be if he never offered any treatment? An EMT does not just show up at a patient’s door, give him directions to the hospital, and then leave. He would probably lose his job if he did! An EMT offers life-saving help.  Far too many soulwinners are guilty of knocking on doors and simply giving the residents a tract with directions to the hospital (church) and instructions from the doctor (Gospel message) instead of offering life-saving help. The call is to preach the gospel, not just to invite. We must take every opportunity to offer Biblical life-support!

Just as in a hospital, not everyone will accept life-support, but we must at least offer it. It is a person’s decision to accept or refuse it, but it is our responsibility to offer it. Not only should we invite people to church, but we also must be witnesses! We may not be able to “rescue” every person, but we must try. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment brought about by those who will not accept “rescue,” we can rejoice over each and every one who receives Christ! Luke 15:10 says, Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Let us be witnessing EMTs for Christ!

by Crystal Collingsworth

This past summer, I told my husband that, instead of paying for a lawn service, I would be happy to mow our yard myself. I am always looking for excuses to be outside. Plus, I definitely could use the exercise, and we would be saving money. Best of all, my husband could watch our children inside while I enjoyed peace and quiet while mowing outside. It was a win-win-win-win!

As it turns out, mowing the lawn every week in the hot Florida sun was not the relaxing exercise I had persuaded myself it would be. However, I still would say that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. One of those unexpected benefits was the time I spent “learning” my yard.

This summer, as I walked up and down over every square inch of my lawn, I saw there was so much more to it than I had realized: an extra shady corner where only one type of weed will grow; a particularly thick area of grass; a small mound too small even to notice from far away; a bare spot; a place where stink bugs like to congregate; and a patch of tiny purple wildflowers that brought back vivid memories of my childhood yard. Every time I mowed, I noticed something new. As it turned out, enjoying my yard from the comfort of my chair and actually walking through it were two vastly different things.

This summer, I also started rereading the book of Psalms. I think, perhaps, this is the book of the Bible I have read the most in my life. Yet, as I read it this time, I was amazed by it all over again. Some passages I recognized as “extra special” because those were the verses I had actually walked through myself. I saw promises I had claimed while I was in college. Truths emerged that had carried me through a dark time. I ruminated on phrases that had challenged me when I was backsliding. I reread my scribbled notes in the margins that reminded me of answers to prayer. Still, during this summer’s reread, verses surfaced that I previously had never seen in that way. Promises arose that were extra special because of a situation I was dealing with at that time. I discovered words of comfort that I had not needed before that particular day. For example, I was feeling nervous about an impending hurricane when I opened my Bible and the Holy Spirit directed my eye to Psalm 36:5-6: Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. For many years, I had relished the beauty of those verses from the comfort of my chair but had never truly known them until I needed to walk through them.

It is awe-inspiring to know God has crafted His Word so that verses we have seen and read all our lives will come alive to us just when we need to walk through them. How comforting it is to know that there is still so much yet to discover as we traverse the garden of Truth in His Word!

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!… – Romans 11:33

by Abigail Medford