Verses from Mama

Hearing God speak one Bible verse at a time.

The June Bride – Keys to a Successful Relationship

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Jeremiah 2:2 & 5b “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved Me and followed Me through the desert, through a land not sown.’” “ . . . They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.”

Dear Kids:

“Oh, they say when you marry in June you’re a bride all your life, and the bridegroom who married in June gets a sweetheart for a wife.”

June Brides - The Keys to Successful RelationshipsThese lyrics from the popular 1954 movie, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, play on an ancient tradition. Most June brides of today are ignorant of the fact that this custom came from Roman times.

June Brides Derived From Roman Times

The month of June derived its named from the Roman goddess, Juno. Annually on June 1st worshipers celebrated this deity of marriage and childbirth, and it was believed that those who “tied the knot” during the month of June would experience prosperity and great happiness.

Likely, June brides of our day settle on the date based more on warm weather, flexible work schedules, and sunny vacation spots. But it would behoove every bride to consider what truly makes a healthy and prosperous marriage. All young couples enter life together dreaming of a happily ever after. I doubt there are any who suppose they will “fall out of love” when spring rolls into winter. Yet so often this is exactly what happens!

All Relationships Take Time and Effort

But marriage to an earthly partner is not the only union from which a strong and beautiful connection can fade away. Any relationship worth keeping takes time and effort. This is certainly true when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.

God, through the prophet Jeremiah, plays on the image of young love grown cold to describe His relationship with His people. The lessons learned here apply to our rapport with each other, whether in marriage or otherwise, as well as our rapport with the Lord.

During the honeymoon period the children of Israel had great devotion to the God of their fathers. They followed Him through the wilderness and experienced His great loving care, provision, and protection. But what happened?

Forgetfulness Damages Marriages

As with many marriages today things changed. The people forgot the miraculous escape from Egypt that God had orchestrated. They grew used to the fruitful Promised Land secured by their heavenly Bridegroom. They turned and walked away from all they once cherished to lust after unprofitable things. Even the leaders stopped seeking God and pursued foreign gods!

Jeremiah portrays the heartbreak felt by a jilted lover when the Lord pleads His case and questions the reasons for Judah’s unfaithfulness. These fickle people became dissatisfied and searched for someone and something else to fill their desires. Sadly the search was based on a lie. They forsook God, the fountain of living waters and were left with leaking cisterns.

“When you marry in June, you will be a bride all your life.” This is a worthy goal and hope that Juno, the fictional goddess of love and marriage, can’t produce. June brides are not always successful.

All flourishing marriages, including a vibrant relationship with the Lord, are sustained with attentiveness and by staying connected. So take a lesson from the people of Israel.

Keys to Successful Relationships:

Never forget your initial devotion.

Keep following despite difficulties.

Stay contented with the blessings you have.

Never forsake your first love.

If you do these things, no matter what month you start your relationship, you will have a much better shot at being a bride all your life!

Love,

Mama

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Hearing God’s Voice in the Storm

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Acts 27:25 “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.”

Dear Kids:

Photo courtesy of www.wallpapersbuzz.com

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could control everyone around us? Unfortunately there are times we are forced into difficult situations because of decisions made by someone else. While we may know the right thing to do we are powerless to act. Instead we are left at the mercy of another’s lack of wisdom. These circumstances may be frustrating, but we are not left alone as helpless victims of another’s insanity. God is still in control, and we can fully trust Him to accomplish His purposes.

Paul’s Stormy Trip to Rome

Paul was en route to Rome although he had warned the ship’s captain  it was too late in the season to set out to sea. The decision was made against Paul’s will. Now he, along with the rest of the crew, was in danger of losing his life.

The angry winds howled around the battered ship with fierce malice. The reeling vessel was barely held in place by a lone anchor dangling beneath the churning waves. On deck the captain and crew frantically tried to hold the ship together in the face of the hurricane by passing ropes underneath the straining hull. Thick darkness surrounded them and reached out inky fingers which tightened around the men’s terrified hearts, squeezing out their last ounces of courage. The crew had thrown all the supplies overboard to lighten the ship’s load. They, weakened by lack of food, were beginning to lose hope of survival.

God’s Voice in the Storm

Suddenly out of the gloom and darkness Paul heard a comforting voice. “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” Paul recognized that despite the captain’s bad decision, God’s plan could not be thwarted. He repeated these words of comfort to the fearful men, and their courage returned. God stepped into the storm, delivered the crew, and Paul finished the task that God had for him.

Many times in life we are placed in difficult situations against our will. The bad decisions of others force us into places we never wanted to be, and we feel helpless to change the course of our life. Take courage! God’s perfect plan will never be thwarted by anything or anyone. If you listen, in the midst of the storm, you, like Paul, can hear His voice saying, “Keep up your courage, my loved one! Trust Me!”

Love,

Mama

 

An Important Missed Detail

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Luke 1:13 “But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Have you ever noticed how you can get so fixated on one thing that you miss something really important?

Exciting News for an Elderly Priest

Zechariah was an elderly priest. When his priestly division was on temple duty, his name was chosen by lot to burn incense before the Lord. During his service, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to him and proclaimed exciting news: his prayer had been answered! His wife, Elizabeth, would become pregnant with a son whom they were to name John.

The angel went on to explain that  the Holy Spirit would fill this boy from birth and would bring many of the Jewish people back to the Lord their God. In the spirit and power of Elijah, John would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous. This would all occur to make the people ready for the Messiah to come.

This news flabbergasted Zechariah. He and Elizabeth were very old and past the years of child-bearing. So he questioned the angel in disbelief. His mind was focused only on the seeming impossibility of a physical birth. Gabriel assured Zechariah that the words were true, but proclaimed that because of his unbelief he would not be able to speak until the child was born. Zechariah returned home after his job was done. Sure enough, as prophesied Elizabeth became pregnant.

Answered Prayer and an Important Missed Detail

I can only imagine how many years this couple had talked and prayed about having a child. Each passing month produced fresh disappointment and the decades rolled by. So when the angel gave Zechariah the incredible news of the soon coming birth, the tiny baby boy was all he could think about. It seemed impossible to him, though as a priest he must have known it was not impossible. Hadn’t he heard the stories of Abraham and Sarah and how God had given them a son in their old age?

The really impossible part was what God would do through this child! He would use him to soften the hard hearts of men and turn them back to God. Romans 3:10 states, “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. Yet, despite the impossibility of humans seeking after God, through John’s ministry hearts of stone would be softened to hearts of flesh to respond to the coming Messiah.

Zechariah Sees the Even Greater Miracle

It seems that during the nine months of silent waiting Zechariah had much time to think. When the long-awaited baby finally arrived, this joyful father sang a song of praise. But the theme of the lyrics was not about the impossibility of an older person giving birth. Instead this song focused on the really important part: God would redeem His people from their sin and rescue them from their enemies. This precious little child, John, would give the people the knowledge of salvation through God’s forgiveness, which would miraculously prepare their hearts for the coming Savior. His physical life would prepare others for spiritual life in Christ.

What are you fixated on this Christmas season? Could it be that the thing you have prayed for the most has blinded you to God’s even grander idea? Open your heart and mind so you don’t miss any important details of what God is doing and has done. What you find might surprise you!

Love,
Mama

Read Zachariah’s song of praise here.

How to Have a Real Home

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Zechariah 2:10 “’Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ declares the Lord.”

Real home, Cedarville, Ohio, Country Home for Sale

“We celebrate making home happen!” A short video shown at a recent real estate continuing education class advertised and explained this Ohio Association of Realtors® motto. Many people desire and work hard to own their own piece of land and build their dream home. But what constitutes a real home anyway?

Some would say the investment of the real property itself creates a home. Others say it is the particular four walls they paint their favorite colors and on which they hang their favorite pictures. Maybe it’s the comfy furniture . . . or the amount of acreage . . . or the barn in the backyard. And as we Realtors® say, the most important thing is . . . Location, Location, Location!!

But what good are all of these accouterments if the home is empty or love is absent? The essence of a real home is the relationships that are found there.

God’s people had gone home. They had spent seventy years living in a foreign country because of their sins, but now they had returned to their national country of birth. They worked hard to resettle the land and reestablish their society. Yet even as the walls of their houses and temple were being raised, there was something missing. The people’s relationship with God was still distant.

So the prophet Zechariah spoke God’s message of love. If the people would return to Him, then He would return to them. The daughters of Zion would sing for joy and be glad because the Lord was coming and would dwell in their midst. He would again choose Jerusalem as His holy city and in the future many nations would also join themselves to the Lord and be His people.

Without the Lord’s presence and promise of favor, the city, the houses, and even the Temple would not really be home for the nation of Israel. They would just be pieces of real estate!

Home is the center of family and society. But these are not defined with four walls, vaulted ceilings, and location! Even when families who love each other live together there is still something missing.

Like the children of Israel we also will never be truly at home until our relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of our lives. Then it doesn’t really matter what type, if any, real estate you own. All God’s children can always celebrate with joy because His presence is what makes a real home happen.

Love,
Mama

God’s Terms of Endearment

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Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.’” 

Dear Kids:

Dad and Sweet Abigail (otherwise known as Princess Cherry Blossom) – 2002

Have you ever noticed how people tend to give nicknames to those they love? Sweetheart, Darling, Precious, and Honey are some of these most common terms of endearment. Other times people craft fun or special names, which are meaningful and fitting for a certain individual. We have a number of those in our family. Just ask our sweet Abigail, whose older sister Emily dubbed her at birth Princess Cherry Blossom. Each pet name demonstrates how much we love the person so named.

God’s Terms of Endearment

God also has terms of endearment for those He loves. God’s people had gone through a very difficult period of time. They had spent years under the bondage of foreign nations. They brought this captivity on themselves because they turned away from God and broke His covenant with them. In wisdom God allowed them to be punished for their disloyalty by these foreign nations. But as with any good parent, God never stopped loving His children. He brought about their punishment for the purpose of getting their attention and drawing them back into relationship with Himself.

The prophet Zechariah delivered God’s call to repentance and promise of deliverance to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.’” The nation of Israel was special and loved, nicknamed the apple of God’s eye, and He was angry at the foreign nations. They had been called to punish His wayward people but they wanted to go beyond God’s intention. They planned to annihilate His special nation, and this was unacceptable!

God pledged that He would be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem and that His glory would fill the city. He would go after the enemy nations with a vengeance because no one could touch His loved ones without His permission.

God’s redeemed people are one in Christ

Today God loves those who belong to Him as much as He loves the nation of Israel. In fact, God sees all people who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, as His one redeemed people. Ephesians 2:13-14 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who made both groups (Jew and Gentiles) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. . .”

That means that we also acquire His special terms of endearment. We are deeply loved by Almighty God, and also called the “apple of His eye.” He is concerned about all that happens to us. He lovingly blesses us, disciplines us, provides for us, and protects us. No one can harm us without His permission. We are His and He is ours.

Have you grown up with a special nickname? Are you someone’s Honey, Sweetheart, Darling, or Princess Cherry Blossom? Regardless, if you are one of God’s children you are deeply loved. And those who touch you touch the “apple of His eye”.

Love,

Mama

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Help For Times of Loneliness

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Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Dear Kids,

Loneliness.

Even the sound of this word creates an unmistakable twinge in the pit of my stomach. It is a feeling I have felt many times over the years and one that we all have to deal with from time to time. As a child the feeling would sometimes come over me when I visited the ocean or a large lake. Looking out over the wide expanse my eye would catch a colorful buoy bobbing up and down in the water. Though I knew it was an inanimate object, something about it looked so small and lonesome bouncing around in an unforgiving sea.

Loneliness does not occur only when you are completely alone. It can happen even when surrounded by crowds of people. It can rear its ugly head in the midst of a marriage, a family, or a church. The need to be noticed, accepted, and loved is built into each human. Without these things we become like a buoy bobbing around in the world, doing our job but feeling very isolated.

Lonely times are not always bad

Often isolation causes the sufferer to reach out beyond their comfort zone to God and others. People may not always respond to our cries for help, but God longs to fill the void with a meaningful relationship that we were born wanting and needing.

My seventh grade year started a chain of lonely experiences. I had recently switched schools and I was forced to try to find connections in places where I was a newcomer. This was not easy for an introvert, and often I felt very alone. But it was during those times that I began to develop a deep friendship with my heavenly Father. Regularly, in the midst of my discomfort and loneliness, I found myself having conversations with the One who heard my every word and saw me in the midst of the unfamiliar crowd. The Lord became my greatest confidant, comforter, and encourager as I bobbed my way along in each new ocean I entered.

Each of you will also live through times of loneliness. You may be physically alone or, though surrounded by lot of people, feel that you don’t belong or are misunderstood. Take heart, you have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He promises to always be with you. He hears your cries. He understands your heart. And He knows your need for companionship because He made you with that desire.

You are never truly alone

Use times of solitude to reach out to Him and you will find He is very near. He will strengthen you. He will help you. He will uphold you with His mighty right hand. And in time, as you push past your comfort zone and extend yourself to others He will enrich you with other meaningful relationships that will satisfy and bless you. Life’s ocean may always be vast and foreboding, but unlike a lonesome buoy, with God as your Father you are never truly alone.

Love,

Mama

Dear Mama Bird: A Letter From Another Mama

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Job 38:41 “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment when its young cry to God and wander about without food?”

Dear Mama Bird:

I discovered your nest the other day when I opened our normally unused front door to let in some sunshine. Tucked into the hanging wreath was material you gathered to make a safe place for your babies. The four delicate blue eggs looked safe and secure in their warm home.

Over the past week I have watched your eggs hatch and produce four little babies. Each day these little ones look to you for nourishment. They always raise their heads when I open the door to peak into their world. I know they are looking for you and all you provide.

Mama Bird, enjoy these little ones while you can. There is coming a day when they will have all their feathers, spread their wings and fly away. This is a good thing and it is what you are raising them to do, but it will be a little hard when they finally leave. I know this quite well.

Nathan biking through Europe

Nathan biking through Europe . . . Another “bird” has left my nest!

Almost 21 years ago one of my babies was born. As a little guy he loved birds and got a lot of pleasure out of watching those like you build nests, sing in the treetops and soar through the sky. We used to call him “bird boy” until he informed us that he was actually a “birder.”

This summer my baby has flown far away to countries across the ocean. He has become a man. He and a friend are riding their bicycles across Europe, and my nest has one less now. This can be a time of anxiety, but I want to remind you not to be afraid.

Our heavenly Father is watching over all of our children. There is nowhere on earth where they are outside of His care. Not even the smallest of sparrows can fall to the ground without His noticing (Matthew 10:29). And He provides nourishment for raven chicks when they cry out for food (Job 38:41). He is attentive to every detail; you and I have nothing to fear.

So, Mama Bird, don’t worry about your babies. In just a short time they will fly away from your nest, but they will be well taken care of. Our heavenly Father watches over them with attentive loving care and they are safe in His hands.

Love,

Another Mama

Waiting On The Lord

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Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” 

Photo by Pranam Gurung on Unsplash

Life has a way of blinding us. Things that once seemed so clear lack clarity the next day. We tend to push ourselves through these difficult times, but sometimes the answer is just to wait!

The crisp air tingled on my face as I locked the house door and tramped down the snow-packed sidewalk to the van. Mindlessly I threw my bag into the middle seat, started the engine and headed toward our office to begin another routine workday. But this day as I drove down our long lane I was suddenly blinded by brilliant sunlight hitting the frost encrusted windshield. My visibility abruptly dropped to almost zero and our familiar gravel drive became obscure. Scrambling for my sunglasses I slowly crept forward, hoping to make it to the road without veering into a snowbank. Finally I made my turn and headed away from the sun, thankful to have traversed the difficult situation without any big problems.

Minutes after arriving at work I realized I had forgotten something I needed at the house. I turned around and headed back. I was frustrated that I would have to retrace my steps and deal with the visibility problem all over again. But to my surprise, though only a few minutes had passed, the sun had moved in the sky and my view of the lane was now perfectly clear.

How much is life like this? Sometimes in the midst of our routine we are dropped into a situation that is blinding at best. We feel lost as we try to move forward and yet don’t know how to find our way along a once familiar road. We squint and grab for our sunglasses trying to make sense of our circumstances, and yet the way ahead remains unclear. It is natural to tightly grip the steering wheel in these times and try to move forward despite our confusion, but often God just asks us to wait quietly.

Our all-wise Father knows the path we are taking and sees beyond the crisis of the moment. His vision of the circumstances is completely clear and He has a plan that He is working to fulfill in us and those around us. Instead of pressing forward and risking a dive into a snowbank, we are called to trust Him and wait patiently. In time the blinding sun will move as He reveals His will to us and our way will become clear again.

When your life has hit a stretch of blinding sun, hang in there. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart . . . .” In time your vision of the lane will clear and you will be back on the road again.

Love,

Mama .

An Auction Discovery – Bad News Or Good News?

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Numbers 32:23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord, and you may be sure your sins will find you out.”

There are always two perspectives to consider and two sides to every coin, so listen carefully because I have some bad news and some good news.

The bad news is that more often than not our indiscretions are remembered longer than we expect. Yesterday we held an auction containing some interesting primitive antique items. After the sale was over I walked around the Event Center to lock all the doors. While making my rounds a small brown card lying on a chair caught my eye. I stooped to pick it up. It was a reprimand written to a local dairy farmer for failing to comply with dairy regulations. The card was a notice to the farmer that his license for selling milk was being revoked. The year was 1939.

I can only imagine the embarrassment and hardship this brief notice must have created in the life of this farm family. But life goes on, and over time the violation and all it entailed were probably forgotten . . . until last Wednesday! Yesterday the infraction resurfaced, though I am sure the offending farmer never dreamed this small card advertising his oversight would show up again so many years later.

We may be intrigued by this piece of local trivia, but how many of us would like our decisions and actions of today brought to light many years later? Young people often post immature and inappropriate rants and photos on social media, never realizing that those foolish comments may come back to haunt them later. Potential employers and prospective marriage partners (or parents of prospective marriage partners) may judge you based on these indiscreet posts. These things never go away and you can be sure that even those written thoughts you think you’ve hidden will eventually be found out.

But there is some good news. When a person chooses to make wise decisions and do things in an appropriate manner, these will also trickle down to posterity. A stellar example today may become the turning point in the life of someone from a future generation. An act of kindness will make an impression on someone who will be encouraged to follow you example. A wise decision may help establish your future success. People are watching your every move.

So think long and hard before making decisions or acting unwisely: how you handle yourself today may somehow show up at auction eight decades later. And whether that’s bad news or good news depends on you!

Love,

Mama

Small Answers, Big Faith

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1 Chronicles 29:10b-11 “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”

Photo by Mark Jefferson Paraan on Unsplash

Faith is the key that unlocks the answers to our prayers. We must be so acquainted with the God of the universe that we genuinely believe who He is, understand His heart, and are confident that He rewards those who genuinely seek Him. When we desire to expand the boundaries of our faith in God, He often uses small answers to prayer to move us forward.

Saturday evening found me on the way to the grocery store. It was a stormy night but there were a few things I needed to purchase that couldn’t wait. The weather held until I arrived at the store, but while walking the aisles the torrent let loose. Thunder reverberated through the walls and a driving rain pelted the roof like machine gun fire. I waited in line with my loaded cart wondering how I was going to unload everything into the truck and make it home in a timely manner. The weather app didn’t offer much hope that the storm would clear away soon, but my feet were aching. I just wanted to go home and sit in front of the fire.

Earlier that morning I had read the beginning of King David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles. The descriptions of our great God had intrigued me. “Yours, O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth . . .” It came to me – as I stood dreading the next moments of running through the storm with a loaded cart while everything in the heavens rained down on my world – that my God even had power over the forces of nature.

“Lord,” I prayed, “I know that getting soaking wet is not a major disaster, but my feet hurt and I just want to go home. Please stop the rain – just until I load the packages and help me get home as quickly as possible!”

I paid for my things and went to the door. The rain continued to pour and I prepared myself with some excuse why God hadn’t seen fit to answer this pitiful request. As I got ready to run, a young man wearing a yellow rain poncho approached me and asked if he could watch my cart while I brought my car around. I thankfully took him up on the offer, darted to the truck and brought it under the protection of the store’s awning where the young man even helped me load. I gratefully thanked him, told him he was an answer to prayer (really!) and headed home.

I pondered the events at the store and became even bolder. “Lord, thank you for your answer, even better than I had hoped, but we don’t have a garage and I still have to get the items into the house. No one is home and I won’t have anyone to help me there. You know I have been trying to grow in faith, to believe that I will receive when I ask, so won’t you please stop the rain when I get home?”

The driving rain continued to batter the windshield and the wipers faithfully swept back and forth clearing my view of the road. Each time I wondered how to get my many packages down the long sidewalk and into the house I pushed the thoughts aside. I had asked the Lord to stop the rain and I was going to believe that He would. After all He had provided for me at the store, so surely He would finish the job.

The rain continued to push me along our road, but when I made the turn into our lane it suddenly stopped. I pulled into our puddling parking spot and carried all the bags along the sidewalk and into the kitchen. I was dry. The bags were dry. And I was home.

Getting home through a storm. Carrying groceries into the house. Why did God answer these insignificant prayers? I believe it is because He cares and even more than keeping me dry He wanted to expand the boundaries of my faith for the even bigger requests for which I am praying. Faith is the key that unlocks the answers to our prayers – and even that faith comes from Him! Sometimes our God answers the smallest of prayers in surprising ways in order to help us trust Him even more!

Love,

Mama