Tag: trials

Eyes Up! God’s Word Speaks

 

I earnestly prayed, “Increase my faith,” and it seems in answer to my request, God ordered a stress test of trials and circumstance. 

I had a Bible reading plan in Psalms,  Proverbs, OT, and NT for each day’s reading. God spoke a similar message through each Book one day. 

I was given exhortation from His Word in Proverbs,  If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.  (1)

Then my reading in Jeremiah proved a similar message,

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”(2)

 “Is this encouragement? I wondered. It’s a if I could hear the stampede.

I turned to Proverbs 3 for some wisdom, My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loath His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights . . .

My NT reading for the morning in Hebrews 12: 2-4 brought me instruction in my dilemma,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

“Let go of it all, and focus on Me!” God spoke so clear to me.

Eyes up!” was God’s exhortation. 

Discipline is good. For my growth and renewed faith and strength, I must be taught through it. 

I was reminded: 

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (3)

“Eyes up!” 

God’s Word speaks right to the heart. 

“Let go of the garbage. Continue on your race unincumbered with all the loss and hurt. Let Me in . . . “

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (4)

Who will join me today and start a new day with a new skip in our step because in the process of the walk with Him, He increases our faith!

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. (5)

I can’t run this race without the Spirit of the Lord. I try on my own, but in my own strength, I’m worn down and fail.

With each new day, let’s run this race with lifted hands and strengthend knees, with a walk forward with increased faith and eyes up on the author and finisher of our faith,

Jesus!

 

 

 

 

(1) Proverbs 24:10
(2) Jeremiah 12:5
(3) Hebrews 12: 9-11
(4) Hebrews 12: 12,13

(5) Hebrews 12: 14,15

I will focus on what matters most

“Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God spoke to Joshua in His Word, and He speaks to me as well.

How about you?

I seek to look away from the distractions of this world and look to the One Who loves me, and you, (and every single human being on this planet, for that matter), with a perfect love, our Jesus, there is no fail.

Because God’s love never fails.

Join me?

Let’s join the choir to sing joyful songs of thanksgiving to our King. It’s time for a wedding song: Psalm 45:1,

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies . . .” A wedding song. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

There is a time for everything. Today, I will, you will, we will persevere and overcome as we humble ourselves and adore our King and give Him the glory due His name.

“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
    your foundations with lapis lazuli (Isaiah 54:11).

God will rebuild us. We can trust Him. He is faithful and true. The good theme is His Word:

I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones (Isaiah 54:12).

Will we hear the Word of the Lord? Will we let His Word encourage and heal?

All your children will be taught by the Lord,
    and great will be their peace (Isaiah 54:13).

I will . . .

believe God.

 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.

Terror will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.

If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender to you Isaiah 54: 11-15.

We can count on Him. Only God can make all things good for those who love him: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose Romans 8:28.

Today, I will point to Jesus. He’s all I need.

Jesus is the name above every name. The name we can count on. He keeps all His promises.

Let’s spend time each day knowing full well each and every promise He has given to us.

Promises by Anneliese Rypkema

The Greatest Graduation Speech Ever

“I would like to say that now that we have our degree, we will not run into problems that we can’t handle.

Truthfully, no matter the type of degree, the number of years of experience, no matter the location, support groups, family, or friendships,

there will always come a time when we just don’t know the answer. It’s inevitable.

So, I want to encourage you with a little anatomy lesson:

Did you know that there are 47 different structures that make up the human eye that all have a unique function?

Did you know that there are 6 extra-ocular muscles, 4 cranial nerves, and 1.2 million nerve fibers in each optic nerve?

Did you know that when light waves touch my eye, without even thinking about it, I blink. 

I blink to protect my eyes from too much exposure.

And when the amount of light changes, my pupillary-light response reacts without a thought, that only the right amount of light is allowed into my eye.

Did you know there are four of twelve cranial nerves that work specifically for the eye? They allow me to focus on an object, read it, and also move in different directions.

There are 9 different structures that all play a specific role in receiving light messages before they even get to the brain!

And not until those messages get to the occipital lobe of the brain that I’m able to interpret what I’m actually seeing.

The eyes receive millions of light waves and messages everyday, but my brain has a specific area that let’s only the important and significant messages through so that the brain doesn’t get over-stimulated.

Did you know that the God who told me to cast all my cares upon Him,

and told me He will never leave me nor forsake me,

and that I should be anxious for nothing,

was the very One who designed this whole system and hundreds like it so that we can live and move and breathe every second.

Did you know that He didn’t have to lift a finger and didn’t sweat a drop to think of it?

He just breathed on one man,

and He said that He knit us together and formed us in our mother’s womb before you were even a thought in her mind.

So, what are you worried about? 

What will you be worried about when you come up to those hurdles that are bound to cross you path?

Think of your eye and tell me, that your situation, your problem, your worry is too big for GOD who created you and the world you live in.”

 

This Best Graduation Speech was presented by Carolyn Rypkema at the Lamplighting Ceremony at PBAU, May 3, 2012.

I’m the proud mama, and not only that, May 3rd, the day of the greatest speech ever, was my birthday.

 

My dear Carolyn, the oldest daughter of our large family, I love you more than you will ever know. I am more proud of you than you can conceive in your very smart mind. I am so thankful of the unifying spirit within you, the encouraging spirit, the brave and courageous spirit  that you possess. You are an amazing person. 

I have failed as a mom so many times, but I have succeeded in one point, pointing you, and each my kids to the One Who Loves perfectly, the One Who knows everything, and the One Who never leaves us or forsakes us. 

Isn’t God amazing? Thank you Carolyn for reminding me through your wonderful graduation speech that God’s watching and keeping us under His careful and perfect eye.

He will continually guide each of us continually with His eye!

I love you forever,

mom

Adversity? '…that the works of God might be revealed' in us!

Small things can come into our day and suddenly everything else has to stop! What about if you get a grain of sand in your eye or a piece of dirt? The pain becomes our primary focus and no matter what is going on, it is priority to get it out!
Jesus passed by a man who was born blind from birth. The story is found in John 9:1-9: “His disciples asked Him, saying , “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” (John 9:3).
Today, I imagine taking this walk with Jesus. Watching Him pass by this man who was born blind… but He didn’t just ‘pass him by..’
“So then Jesus speaks these words: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4,5).
When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” (John 9:6).
He allowed… a painful trial, and a painful solution! An ‘anointing’ of spit and clay in the eye! Oh my!
John 9:7, ‘And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated , Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
‘So, he went and washed and came back seeing! (Exclation point, mine!)
Jesus said, “Go wash in the pool of Sent!”
Because of pain and great irritation, we can be sure that the blind man went straight to the pool he was sent to! Spit and clay rubbed in the eye! … So, oftentimes for us as well, pain sends us to – His Word!
“What’s going on?” We ask God! “How can this be?” “This is hard and painful!” we cry to God! Pain then brings us to open the pages in the plain black and boring cover only to discover…
Treasure of living water… He washes away all the dirt and suddenly we can see the Light of the world!
Jesus has said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3,)
This ‘blind man’s world was forever changed one day, because Jesus put some spit and clay in his eye and Sent him to a pool.  God is being glorified today as we read this story because…our  ‘darkness’ and ‘walk in this dark world’ can be forever changed as well-when the pain of it all…sends us to the Comfort and Power and Truth and Life and ‘Light’ of God’s word!
‘While it is day…’ He is working! ‘While it it day’…may we simply ‘trust and obey’. Even perhaps, He has allowed pain and even ‘spit and clay’ as a solution! But may we go to where He has Sent us…“This is my comfort in my affliction, Your word has given me life.” (Psalm 119:50).

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy . . .

 (Joel 2:28)

A song was written by a son, and today, it is prophesy to many a broken heart…today:

How long O Lord will You be silent? Will You forget me?
How long O Lord, will You be silent? Will You hide Your face from me?
I thought I knew You better than this. So why can’t I hear You?
I thought I knew You better than this, so I’m crying out to You.
“Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You, and take me to my face until I break – “I’m lost without You!”
I thought I knew You better than this, so why can’t I hear You? I thought I knew You better than this…
(Bridge) The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes. The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes…”Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You. Take me to my face, ‘till I break, I’m lost without You!
“But in this day, I will rejoice, knowing I will breathe again. But in this day I will rejoice, and I will love You more.” (Bring me to my knees, by Chris Rypkema)

He knows the pain you are feeling:

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted . . .(Isaiah 53:4,5)
He understands all suffering:
(Isaiah 53:5)” He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Jesus knows what a dark, cold night is: (Is. 53:7)”He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth.”
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told yoiu from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?”
“It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing;”
“He makes the judges of the earth useless.” (Is. 40:21-23).
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. There is no searching of His understanding. He give power to the weak, And to those who have no mighty He increases strength.”
“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;” (Isaiah 40:28-29).
“Even the youths shall faint and be weary...”( Is. 40:30),  “I thought I knew You better than this. So why can’t I hear You?
I thought I knew You better than this, so I’m crying out to You.
“Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You, and take me to my face until I break – “I’m lost without You!”
“And the young men shall utterly fall…” Is. 40: 30), “But those who …
wait on the LORD…”
Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 31).
Just as the sons and daughters prophesy: “But in this day, I will rejoice, knowing I will breathe again. But in this day I will rejoice, and I will love You more.”
Yes, even today: “But in this day, I will rejoice, knowing I will breathe again. But in this day I will rejoice, and I will love You more!”
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