Don't back down when facing giants

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgement You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD." Isaiah 54:17

Have you ever read chapter seventeen of 1 Samuel?  If you haven't I strongly recommend that you do so.  It is the amazing account of the shepherd boy David going up against the giant Goliath. An entire army of soldiers were terrified of Goliath, but David, a youth, was not, because he knew where he got his courage and strength.  In verses 34-36 he tells King Saul "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." And in verse 37 he explains why he has the courage he does: "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine."

You see, David knew it was the LORD who protected and did battle for him. Further on in the chapter after King Saul had tried to clothe David in the armor of his soldiers, David quickly realized they were not useful to him, and took them off. (verses 38 and 39) He then prepared himself with the tools he had used when guarding his father's sheep; his staff, five smooth stones form the brook, and his sling. (vs 40)  But most importantly as he went and stood before Goliath, who "disdained him, for he was only  youth." (vs 43) David stood firm and told the giant why he would have victory over him. "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's and He will give you into our hands." (verses 45-47 italics added for emphasis)

As I write this, my husband who is still recovering from a nasty fall, is watching Fox news and the reports of historic flooding in Michigan and other problems that are currently plaguing our nation, and the world. It seems that every day some new crisis arises. At the same time I am listening to "See a Victory by Elevation Worship https://youtu.be/jEK6_rz26z0. Now I don't know all the spiritual state of being of those who report the news, or the singers in this group. God alone does. But what I do know is the news on the television can be upsetting, but this song helps me not to be overcome by the ginormous amount of bad news. It empower me to the battle of life we are currently engaged in.  The lyrics remind me that the battle belongs to the LORD and that there is power in the mighty name of Jesus. Quite honestly, I need every implement of courage in my hand that I am able to hold.  For David it was five smooth stones, his staff and his sling.  For me, it is a daily saturation of God's word as I study, praise songs that help me keep my focus fixed on the LORD's face, and prayer, oh so much prayer.

We're living in a pretty crazy time right now. But we're not the first set of believers to do so.  Every generation faces giants.  The question is, are we going to back down and run or stand firm?

I choose to stand firm.  Feet firmly planted in the hope, the knowledge, the peace and confidence, that God is in control and I can trust Him.

I pray you will find the same strength.

May God receive all the glory.

Peace in the midst of chaos

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength." Isaiah 26:3&4


I was so excited. The water filling my washing machine was finally flowing freely. Something had been blocking the cold water line for some time, but today it was filling without a problem. Gleefully I put in a full load and walked away, rejoicing that with this load, I had managed to finish the last of my laundry for the week.

I then went to get something to eat for my husband who is recovering from a nasty fall. He's been home from the hospital for less than a week. The vertebrae in his neck have been fused and, by God's grace, he was not killed or paralyzed. He isn't going to be able to be as active as he's been in the past for awhile though. The lift chair (a gift from a friend) has become the place where he will spend a great deal of time until his neck heals and he regains his strength.  We have a long road ahead of us, but we are adjusting to our new normal.

As I headed into the kitchen, the news on the TV droned on the about all that's going on with the Corona virus pandemic.  I adjusted my attitude as the news anchors discussed the quarantines that are being lifted in some states and not in others, and all the other less than cheerful bits of information. Closing the refrigerator door, I noticed water on the floor.  At first I thought maybe something had spilled.

When I looked closer I realized it was flowing freely from the laundry room, and rapidly headed towards the dining room.

My washing machine was filling to overflowing.

Rushing over to it I pushed the button to make it stop, but nothing happened. I then lifted the lid in hopes of making the water stop, but to no avail. My canvas tennis shoes soaked because of the amount of water on the floor, I finally managed to get the water turned off behind the washer.  All the while water is heading towards the dining room and the laminate floor. Quickly dashing to the bathroom, without slipping and breaking MY neck, I grabbed towels and blocked the flow of water from reaching the dining room.  I then got the squeegee and began pushing water out the back door.  Dale apologized for not being able to do more to help, and called our landlord, who is also our pastor and friend, and lives a half mile down the dirt road from us. He quickly arrived to help, and said he would secure us a new washing machine as quickly as possible.

As he was leaving, he asked if we'd gotten notice from PG&E (our power company). When I said no, he made a face that was a mixture between apologetic and pained. The power will be shut off tomorrow for several hours so the power company can make repairs to their lines.

And then I laughed.

Seriously.  I laughed, and I am laughing now as I am typing this.

Not that any of this is funny, but there is a certain ridiculousness about all of it, that makes me laugh.

It's like the enemy of our souls is doing everything he can to throw discouragement in our pathway, but he's failing...and that makes me laugh with joy.

Have I faced moments of discouragement and fear? Absolutely!  It's been a rather difficult year on many levels.  This is just another jagged place that we'll get through.

But the thing that is most amazing to me in this, is how these last two things (the washer and water and no power tomorrow) have simply made me laugh, rather than cry.  There is something enormously comforting knowing that NONE of this happens without God's knowledge or permission.  It's almost like He and I are sharing the most intimate joke about how futile it is for the enemy to keep trying to steal my joy.

You see, my joy is not based on circumstances.  If it were, my life would have been turned upside down years ago.

My joy is based solely on the hope I have in Jesus Christ.

He has promised He will never leave or forsake me and I believe Him.  I don't always understand why things are happening, but I know that there is a purpose and a plan in everything God does.
He never says "Oops!"

As I told Steve (our pastor/landlord) as he was leaving the house, I always look for the picture behind the window. I know there is more here than what we see.


God is still at work. He's in control. Good can come out of even the most frustrating or troubling circumstances. My kitchen floor is SUPER clean now. (lots of water can make that happen).  My heart is cheerful (always a good thing).

And I had something to share with others about how awesome God is, which is always the best thing.

May your troubles be light, and at the very least, may they leave you light hearted and cheerful.
Have confidence in God's plan. You too can have peace in the midst of chaos.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance

 a poem by Amy D. Torres 

When the peace that I've been feeling is suddenly slammed against the wall,

as I get my bearings, on the Lord Jesus's name I call .

The raging tempest of the storm

makes for wild and rolling seas, 

but rather than try to stand on my own, 

I fall quickly to my knees.

"I need You Lord,  please help me!",

is the cry I speak.

He is the only solution,  

the only answer I will seek.

And at the time the howling winds

are shrieking at their fiercest,

deep within my soul I hear God's voice 

reminding me of His nearness. 

"Do not be afraid,  My child. I will never leave you.

There's nothing you encounter 

that I won't see you through.

You trust Me when there's light around

you can trust Me in the dark.

Nothing the enemy throws at you

will ever diminish the spark

of the flame of faith I'm growing in you,

I will make it brightly burn.

There's nothing you ever need to do,

My grace you cannot earn.

You can rest within the tempest squalls, they rise and fall at My command.  

Be reassured and comforted child-

Nothing will ever snatch you from my hand.

                             ~°~°~

Psalm 56:3 "Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You."

#thevelveteengrandma #blessedbeyondmeasure #prayerispower