I just stumbled across
http://en.thinkexist.com/
They have a compendium of quotes that might come in handy for the writers among us.
Yours for worthy words,
Hester
Saturday, October 30, 2010
When I Find My Drafts
My goal was to post several more articles about fear. I took my drafts with me on our trip to bury my father-in-law in Arkansas. I looked at the drafts in the van, but when I tried to find them the day after we got home a week ago, the folder I had them in no longer contained them. Things were so hectic, I can't recall what I did with them. Several searches later, I am still empty-handed; somehow I've hidden them from myself! As soon as I find them, I will resume the series on fear.
Perplexed,
Hester
Perplexed,
Hester
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sabbatical
My father-in-law passed away yesterday. We spent hours with him and Mom in the hospital. Now we're busy with making arrangements for two services, one locally, and one in a different state where he will be buried.
So I'm taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks.
In the name of Him to whom we must give account,
Hester
So I'm taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks.
In the name of Him to whom we must give account,
Hester
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Fear, Part 2
In His peace,
Hester
Monday, October 11, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
FEAR, Part 1
A couple of years ago, at the urging of a dear friend, I began a Bible study on the topic of fear. There is so much written in God's holy Word about fear and faith. It's been a never-ending study. Here, I share with you some of my findings.
Fear dogs the feet of most of us. I would say, "all of us," but I allow I haven't met everyone in the world. There may be that lone individual who has never been afraid of anything.
Admittedly, fear tempts most of us to sin. The psalmist says, "Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11) The way to keep from sinning when we are fearful is to have a thorough knowledge of God's Word. Drawing upon this storehouse, we are able to recall he many attributes of the Lord. We remember that in His power, He created all things; that He parted the Red Sea - allowing the Israelites could pass through on dry ground and then closed it up, drowning Pharoah and the whole Egyptian army; that He miraculously fed Elijah in the wilderness; that on many occasions He supernaturally intervened to conquer the enemies of Israel; and - the best of all - that He raised his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. When we meditate on those truths, our own fears shrink. A sovereign God that mighty, that powerful surely can handle our piddlin' fears. It helps us trust Him.
Those who have learned to trust their Maker are able to turn a deaf ear to their own fears. How do they do that? It's because they know who is in control of everything: the Lord of Hosts, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
Several years back, when I was a new Christian, I developed a little game. Anytime I encountered a sin, I would try to classify it. There are three categories of sin, according to 1 John 2:16: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. After playing my game for a few months, I realized that all the sins I could think of would fit into one super-category - Pride. (I'm not omniscient, but I suspect this is true across the board.)
Pride is what got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. Pride got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden. Pride prevented the Israelites from entering Canaan. They all said, in essence, "I don't like the way God has arranged things. I know better than Him. I want His position." That is pride.
Lust of the eyes can be traced back to pride. When we lust after something denied to us by the Lord, such as a new dress that's not in our budget, then we are saying, "I don't have to be content. I can have what I want when I want it. Phooey on Your Word that tells me godliness with contentment is great gain, that tells me to die to self, that tells me to exercise self-control." Once again we are overriding the Almighty. That is pride.
Lust of the flesh can be traced back to pride. When I lust after something I shouldn't have, for instance my neighbor's husband, I'm really saying, "Phooey on your rules, God. You say I should be content with my own husband, that I shouldn't covet my neighbor's spouse. But I say I know better." Or - another example - that sugary piece of cake or cookies that will pull down my immune system, thus disabling me from serving my Lord fruitfully and to capacity. "It's my body. I can do with it as I please. I don't have to be a good steward of my body. I am above the natural laws you have put into place. I will not suffer undue consequences." When I do that, I put myself in God's place. A place I don't belong, can't honestly occupy. That is pride.
So how is fear related to pride? "Surely this is an exception in Hester's game," you might say.
Is it?
I maintain that fear can also be prideful.
Follow me here. Fear says, "Something bad is going to happen." Or perhaps it already is happening. Fear quakes. Fear lacks faith. Fear only sees the circumstances. Fear says, "God cannot or will not take care of me."
Fear is pride in disguise. Fear puts self on the throne. Fear wants God to do things differently - namely my way. But the Lord is sovereign, whether we want Him to be or not. He has ordained the events of our lives, for His glory and for our good. For us to fret against that is sinful.
I'm going to leave you at this point to ponder these things. I hope to follow up this article with at least two others, which will discuss more of the passages I researched, explore the ways we as women sin in our fear, and offer suggestions and extra-Biblical resources for dealing with our fear.
In the meantime, how about your telling me of a way that you have dealt with fear in your life? I look forward to hearing from you.
In the name of the Prince of Peace,
Hester
Fear dogs the feet of most of us. I would say, "all of us," but I allow I haven't met everyone in the world. There may be that lone individual who has never been afraid of anything.
Admittedly, fear tempts most of us to sin. The psalmist says, "Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11) The way to keep from sinning when we are fearful is to have a thorough knowledge of God's Word. Drawing upon this storehouse, we are able to recall he many attributes of the Lord. We remember that in His power, He created all things; that He parted the Red Sea - allowing the Israelites could pass through on dry ground and then closed it up, drowning Pharoah and the whole Egyptian army; that He miraculously fed Elijah in the wilderness; that on many occasions He supernaturally intervened to conquer the enemies of Israel; and - the best of all - that He raised his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. When we meditate on those truths, our own fears shrink. A sovereign God that mighty, that powerful surely can handle our piddlin' fears. It helps us trust Him.
Those who have learned to trust their Maker are able to turn a deaf ear to their own fears. How do they do that? It's because they know who is in control of everything: the Lord of Hosts, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
Several years back, when I was a new Christian, I developed a little game. Anytime I encountered a sin, I would try to classify it. There are three categories of sin, according to 1 John 2:16: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. After playing my game for a few months, I realized that all the sins I could think of would fit into one super-category - Pride. (I'm not omniscient, but I suspect this is true across the board.)
Pride is what got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. Pride got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden. Pride prevented the Israelites from entering Canaan. They all said, in essence, "I don't like the way God has arranged things. I know better than Him. I want His position." That is pride.
Lust of the eyes can be traced back to pride. When we lust after something denied to us by the Lord, such as a new dress that's not in our budget, then we are saying, "I don't have to be content. I can have what I want when I want it. Phooey on Your Word that tells me godliness with contentment is great gain, that tells me to die to self, that tells me to exercise self-control." Once again we are overriding the Almighty. That is pride.
Lust of the flesh can be traced back to pride. When I lust after something I shouldn't have, for instance my neighbor's husband, I'm really saying, "Phooey on your rules, God. You say I should be content with my own husband, that I shouldn't covet my neighbor's spouse. But I say I know better." Or - another example - that sugary piece of cake or cookies that will pull down my immune system, thus disabling me from serving my Lord fruitfully and to capacity. "It's my body. I can do with it as I please. I don't have to be a good steward of my body. I am above the natural laws you have put into place. I will not suffer undue consequences." When I do that, I put myself in God's place. A place I don't belong, can't honestly occupy. That is pride.
So how is fear related to pride? "Surely this is an exception in Hester's game," you might say.
Is it?
I maintain that fear can also be prideful.
Follow me here. Fear says, "Something bad is going to happen." Or perhaps it already is happening. Fear quakes. Fear lacks faith. Fear only sees the circumstances. Fear says, "God cannot or will not take care of me."
Fear is pride in disguise. Fear puts self on the throne. Fear wants God to do things differently - namely my way. But the Lord is sovereign, whether we want Him to be or not. He has ordained the events of our lives, for His glory and for our good. For us to fret against that is sinful.
I'm going to leave you at this point to ponder these things. I hope to follow up this article with at least two others, which will discuss more of the passages I researched, explore the ways we as women sin in our fear, and offer suggestions and extra-Biblical resources for dealing with our fear.
In the meantime, how about your telling me of a way that you have dealt with fear in your life? I look forward to hearing from you.
In the name of the Prince of Peace,
Hester
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Savior Leads Me
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
I ran across this comforting hymn a couple of days ago.
"All the Way My Saviour Leads Me"
Fanny J. Crosby and Robert Lowry
All the way my Saviour leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Saviour leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see.
All the way my Saviour leads me;
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.
What a comfort to know He always walks beside His children! I especially like the lines that refer to the Rock's gushing spring. It's a vibrant picture of abundant joy, whose source is the Rock, our mighty, generous, gracious Lord. The joy does not arise from within our withered, pitifully weak souls, cannot be mustered by our incompetent hands, but can only come by our being connected in a lively way to the Source. Hallelujah!
And because of that connection, our immortal spirits will fly to be with Him for an eternity of endless day. These undeserved blessings which He pours upon those who love Him call forth songs of praise on our part - now, in happy anticipation, and then, when we see Him face to face. Can you hardly wait?
Safely abiding under His wings,
Hester
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thankful for . . . .
51. Returning health and increasing energy and rosy cheeks and toes after many months of being deathly ill! Praise you, gracious Father!
52. All the people who have helped make number 52 possible.
53. The ability to serve others after a long hiatus. What joy I find in being His hands and voice!
54. The precious breath given each of us at birth, so tenuous, so fragile and gossamer... and the way the Lord sustains life.
55. The people with which He surrounds me - the difficult ones as well as the lovelies. They are all made in His image, and each life is precious in His sight, each to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their station in life.
56. Industrious daughters who cheerfully go about their chores.
57. Innovative sons who use what is at hand to fix things.
58. A steady husband who leans hard on the Lord so others can lean on Him too.
59. Winter clothes! Especially my purple turtleneck, which I thought I had lost.
60. Ceiling fans and windows - which can be opened on temperate days, and closed on cold days!
Thank you, dear Father, for these numerous blessings! You are too good to us! But I'm so thankful.
Your daughter,
Hester
52. All the people who have helped make number 52 possible.
53. The ability to serve others after a long hiatus. What joy I find in being His hands and voice!
54. The precious breath given each of us at birth, so tenuous, so fragile and gossamer... and the way the Lord sustains life.
55. The people with which He surrounds me - the difficult ones as well as the lovelies. They are all made in His image, and each life is precious in His sight, each to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their station in life.
56. Industrious daughters who cheerfully go about their chores.
57. Innovative sons who use what is at hand to fix things.
58. A steady husband who leans hard on the Lord so others can lean on Him too.
59. Winter clothes! Especially my purple turtleneck, which I thought I had lost.
60. Ceiling fans and windows - which can be opened on temperate days, and closed on cold days!
Thank you, dear Father, for these numerous blessings! You are too good to us! But I'm so thankful.
Your daughter,
Hester
Friday, October 1, 2010
No Small Thing
Are you a mom of small children? Do you think that what you are doing doesn't count for the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are the mundane tasks of cleaning house, preparing meals for your family, changing odiferous diapers getting you down? Will your efforts to train up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord pay off? Does something else "out there" - some other career - seem more appealing to you just now? Steady now! You couldn't be doing anything more important than training up soldiers for the Lord.
Please watch this video by Sarah Mae of "Like a Warm Cup of Coffee," and be encouraged, sister.
Sarah Mae encourages those of you who feel insignificant in the Lord's kingdom as you work at home with your young children. Yes, ladies, you are doing big things for Him. Don't be disheartened. Be faithful in the small things, and He will make you ruler over much.
If this doesn't apply to you, but you know a woman who would be encouraged by this, please forward the link to them.
For the Kingdom's sake,
Hester
Please watch this video by Sarah Mae of "Like a Warm Cup of Coffee," and be encouraged, sister.
Sarah Mae encourages those of you who feel insignificant in the Lord's kingdom as you work at home with your young children. Yes, ladies, you are doing big things for Him. Don't be disheartened. Be faithful in the small things, and He will make you ruler over much.
If this doesn't apply to you, but you know a woman who would be encouraged by this, please forward the link to them.
For the Kingdom's sake,
Hester
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