Taking Jesus At His Word

I just read an amazing story of faith in John 4:46-53:

And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
”The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
“Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

The verse that jumps out at me is "the man took Jesus at his word" (then he left and headed for home). This man's son was close to death! He had just begged Jesus to bring healing. Can't you just hear the urgency? "Please, Jesus, come with me! He's so sick. I'm so afraid. If only you would touch him, he would be healed..."
But Jesus didn't have to go to the man's house to heal the boy. He spoke it. "Your son will live," Jesus assured. And that was that. Right at that moment, the man's son was indeed healed.

The question is, do I take Jesus at his word? Do I trust that what he says is really true? And more importantly, do I act on it?

"Lord, I believe, help me with my doubts!" (Mark 9:24, The Message) These words were spoken by a man so much like me. He was the man who brought his mute son overcome by a demon that caused seizures. Jesus said, "Bring the boy here." They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure; he writhed on the ground and foamed at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?"
"Ever since he was a little boy. Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!"
Jesus said,"If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"
With that, Jesus spoke a word and healed the boy (Mark 9:17-27).

Lord, forgive me for my doubts. Help me to completely trust you. Today I will take you at your word. Amen!

Troubling Thoughts

Everyone has troubling thoughts. Depressing thoughts. Thoughts that take us down into a pit so deep we can't crawl out. That's why we are supposed to take our thoughts "captive" to Christ. If we don't, pshhhhhhhumph! Down we go.

So how do we get out of the pit if we have fallen?



David leads by example in Psalm 55:1-22:

Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me.  My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying…my heart is in anguish within me; Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm…'

… As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me…”

I love this prayer because it’s so real. More amazing, it’s written by a guy! A guy who’s in touch with his more sensitive side. David admits that his thoughts are troubled. He’s depressed, discouraged - downright “anguished.” I can relate. How many days have I gotten out of bed only to hear the enemy already whispering in my ear: “Why bother even facing the day? Nothing will change. Life is pointless. You are pointless…”

Oh that I had wings, I would fly away and rest. When depression overwhelms me, that’s exactly what I do. I go back to bed. I crawl under the covers, and let my imagination take me away. Sleep is the only place that I can escape from the pain. As a little girl, I fell asleep every night imagining I was somewhere else. I had a different family, a different father (one who was actually loving and kind). I lived in a beautiful, clean house, a mansion really! I was beautiful, confident, joyful.

God sustained me through a very difficult childhood by giving me the gift of imagination. But today, when I’m feeling depressed, I don’t want to “escape”; instead, I want to be healed. I want to face the day - morning, noon, and evening - with a fresh joy and peace. God’s word promises that if I cry out to God in my distress, he will rescue me from the enemies in my mind. Today I will take those anguishing thoughts to him in prayer.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” (psalm 55:22)

Anger or Forgiveness?

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Romans 12:14)

One of the most amazing stories of forgiveness in recent history is that of James Bain. On 12/17/09, after more than three decades in prison, this Florida man was set free following a DNA test that showed he did not kidnap and rape a 9-year-old boy in 1974.

"I'm not angry," said 54-year-old Bain, as he was getting ready to go home for the first time in 35 years. He was only 19 when he was convicted on charges of kidnapping, burglary and strong-arm rape for which he received a life sentence. "I got God in my head," he told reporters, "I knew one day he would reveal me."

The first thing Bain wanted to do when he left the courthouse was see his mom. He shed his button-down plaid shirt and put on a black T-shirt that read "Not Guilty" before walking outside to address the crowd. Someone handed him a cell phone — the first time he had ever used one. He said, "I'm going to see my mama."

This story amazes me because this innocent guy spent 35 years behind bars, yet came out saying, "I'm not angry."

Say what? I think if I were him, I would have had fire coming out of my ears. If I were his mom (and knew beyond a doubt that my son was innocent), I'm sure I would have!



But Bain didn't. In fact, he just says, "I got God in my head" ...

Lord, help me to have you in my head as much as this man did. No matter how much I am persecuted in this life, help me to walk away without anger. Help me to forgive those who knowingly (or unknowingly) seek to harm me. Amen

Where often are Heard ...Discouraging Words

Words. They can heal, encourage, uplift - or they can hurt and discourage. Yesterday's email from one of the head managers in my office was filled with words of the second kind. After I read them, my heart fell. Stress welled up within me. "Why are you so tense?" my coworker asked an hour later. "That email really got to me!"


Psalm 64 describes words as "deadly arrows." Suddenly, out of nowhere, they can penetrate our minds and hearts, completely crushing us! How can we survive such an attack? David has the answer: call out to God - with words!

"Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy....they sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent man. They shoot at him suddenly without fear....But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them...let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him."

Today I will call out to God when negative or critical word-arrows come at me. God will give me his armor to protect my head and heart.

Keeping Our Eyes On God

“I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” (Psalm 123:1)

We were headed home from a week-long sailing trip, and I wasn’t looking forward to the 4-hour flight from Mexico City to LA. The fact that I’m severely claustrophobic played a big role in my hesitation. We were seated in the 6th row of the plane, just behind the bulkhead that divides first class from the rest of us. Don graciously offered me the window seat, thinking a view might help. Somehow, having only two feet of space above my head (rather than four to five in the aisle) made a big difference – negative, I’m afraid. Nevertheless, I tried to make the best of it.

Deep breaths…relax…you can do this. I already felt a panic attack coming on, and we hadn’t even taken off yet. It didn’t help that there were at least 10 planes lined up single file on the runway waiting to depart. As we inched our way along, I looked out the hazy window covered in raindrops. Such strange weather for Mexico in July. After an eternity, we finally lurched forward into the cloudy, gray sky. The movement and lull of the engine put Don to sleep almost immediately.

I felt totally alone and alienated. Everything the flight attendant announced was either in Spanish - or English delivered in such a thick accent I couldn’t understand anyway. A small TV screen dropped down over our heads, but the shows playing were also in Spanish. A 2-year-old behind me started to fuss. This is going to be the longest evening of my life! I turned on my IPOD (loaded with worship music) and pushed the ear buds into my ears. For the next 3 ½ hours, I sat in that tiny, cramped space looking out the window and letting my mind and heart soar towards God.

Eventually, the sun began to set. The scene was so different than anything I’d ever seen before. I was above the clouds watching the sun descend below them. Little by little, beautiful purples and pinks smeared across an endless layer of cotton. It was amazing! I wished I could just step off the plane onto the fluffy carpet. Where are you heaven? Are you just beyond this beautiful path?



If only I could have remained in that perfect “spiritual” state of mind. Instead, I temporarily looked away. More Spanish TV. Don started wiggling because his legs were cramping. I wiggled and tried to stretch out (which only reminded me of how little room I actually had). Panic was on the horizon again. Poor Don. He wanted to slap me out of it. After all, he practically lives on airplanes. “You need to get some Valium next time!” I didn’t blame him for being irritated. I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. Focus, Mary, focus. Put your eyes back on God. Look out the window. Put the music back on…

Peace slowly slipped back into my skin. Finally, I felt the plane descend. Just then, the captain said something I didn’t understand. He repeated it in English: “LAX has asked us to circle for a while. We will land as soon as we can.” What did you say? Put this thing down on the ground right now! I watched the city lights below come in and out of my view. I wish I could say that I held on to my peace. No, instead, I ranted and raved and irritated my husband relentlessly. Eventually, the plane landed. I got off before Don did and didn’t bother looking back. I headed straight for customs. So what did I learn from this experience? #1: keep my eyes focused on God at all times. #2: get an isle seat if at all possible. #3: go back to #1 and do it again!

Lord, please help me keep my eyes focused on you in all circumstances. Amen

The Lord Is My Shepard

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3, NIV)

I love to look up Bible verses in different translations (or paraphrases) because each one offers a little something extra to think about.

Take this passage, for example:

(The Message) God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

(Amplified Bible) The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

(New Living Translation) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Each one adds a little something different to this familiar scripture. We all know that David was a Shepard boy who was later promoted to king. It was during his years caring for his flock that he developed his intimate relationship with God. David found his Good Shepard to be his All Sufficient One. Years later, One came who said, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10:14)


Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has a personal interest in each one of us. We can have implicit trust in Him, for He does not overlook even one need. How comforting to know that we have a shepherd who knows us by name and gave his very life to redeem us. Today I will rest in his loving care.

Joy Stealers

There I was, enjoying a glorious afternoon at the beach. Stretched out on my blanket, I watched the waves tumble and dance in the glistening sun. Off in the distance, my daughter and her two friends romped in the surf.

It felt so good to relax, especially after having maneuvered the maze-like streets of San Francisco, followed by nine miles of curvy highway—all the while battling three teenage girls in the backseat who insisted their rock music wasn’t quite loud enough.

Upon arrival, we celebrated with a splendid picnic lunch before the girls hurried out to play. They looked so young and free chasing the waves. I rolled over onto my stomach, closed my eyes and tunneled my toes deep into the sand. The ocean’s hypnotic rumble nearly lulled me to sleep.

All of a sudden, I heard the rustling of wrappers.
“Val “ I scolded. “The cookies are for later.”
I looked up, but to my surprise, it wasn’t my daughter. Instead, it was a hoard of hungry sea gulls. A gray one held half of my leftover turkey sandwich in his beak. Two more simultaneously carried off a whole can of Pringles. “Shew!” I yelled.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a rather scruffy-looking one trying to carry our bag of cookies. Apparently, it was too heavy. He dropped it a couple of feet away, continuing to peck at the foil packaging.

That was it. I snatched the bag away from him. "Take the rest if you must, but you can’t have my Snicker doodles!” I thrust the cookies under my blanket to hide them, but it was like a scene from a Hitchcock movie. The gulls had me surrounded. Peering at me with their black, beady eyes, they hopped through the sand pecking and groping for more.

“Get away!” I yelled. My arms flapped as I made threats. People around me were staring. That’s when it hit me. Just five minutes before, I was enjoying a small piece of heaven. Now all I could think about was murder, mayhem—getting my hands on a BB gun!

How did my countenance fall so quickly? This was not the first time I allowed thieves to come in and steal my joy. Fear, jealousy, resentment, guilt, these are all "sea gulls" in my life. When I’m not careful, they creep in and fill my mind with negativity. All of these emotions peck away at the peace and tranquility that God intended me to have.

Today, I will chase them away. I will bask in the warmth of the peace that only God can give.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Don't Be Anxious

One of the wise slogans of AA and Al-Anon is "One day at a time." Sometimes life's problems can be overwhelming, but God only asks us to live 24-hours at a time. When we worry about tomorrow, it accomplishes absolutely nothing. Worry can't add to the length of life; it can't change it's course; it can't solve one single problem. Jesus asked, "Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matthew 6:27)

Anxiety and fretting just show our lack of trust in the Lord. In effect, it's saying, "I don't believe God is big enough to handle my problem."

In Exodus 16, God told the children of Israel, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you." The people were instructed to go out each day and gather enough Manna for just that day's needs..." (except for the sixth day, when they gathered double for the Sabbath). The manna signified how God took care of them with each new sunrise.

I wish I could wake up each morning and pick up only the burdens I am asked to carry for the next 24 hours! If only I could leave tomorrow's burdens and yesterday's regrets in God's hands.

I will try to remember that worry does not empty tomorrow of its trials, it simply empties today of its joy.

Heavenly Father, help me to trust in you for all my needs today. Show me how to live in the present, each and every moment. If I am afraid, help me to turn my fears over to your loving care.

Life-Giving Water

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters… (Isaiah 55:1)

This morning I sat on my porch listening to the trickling water fountain that spills into our pond. Birds welcomed the new day with delight. A slight breeze moved through the trees, just enough to lightly brush across the birch leaves. It was a lovely moment. All the elements of nature worked together in harmony, but the water was definitely the focal point.

Whether it’s a fountain, waterfall, ocean waves, or even rain for that matter, something about the sound of water always makes me feel God’s presence.

In Revelation 1, John is given a glimpse of heaven. He saw someone “like the son of man” dressed in a robe. His head and hair were white like wool…and his eyes were like blazing fire…his voice was like the sound of rushing waters…”

Not only does his voice sound like rushing waters, Jesus told the woman at the well, “Whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. Indeed, the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Water gives life. Without it, all living things would die. God's very words give life too. I don’t know about you, but I want that refreshment. I want to drink it in every day.

God told Isaiah, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth, making it bud and flourish… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Lord, help me meditate on your life-giving word today. Let it soak into my soul so that I may grow. Amen

Small Sacrifices

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)


It was one of those lazy spring days when the smell of cut grass and fresh blossoms hit you the minute you walk outside.

During my lunch hour at work, I decided to sit in my car to eat my lunch. I was thoroughly enjoying my turkey sandwich, listening to the radio, of course with the window down. I looked down and saw a squirrel in the parking lot. Perched on his hind legs, he held his front paws together as if he were praying.

“Hi little fellow. What are you doing?” He just stood there, gazing at me with longing eyes.

I don’t usually feed stray critters… but that day I was in a rather generous mood. Before I could stop myself, I reached down and tore off a corner of my crust and tossed it out the window. My little friend picked it up and munched it in ecstasy. I have to admit, it was a squirrel’s perfect feast (whole-wheat bread with nuts and grain)

He looked so happy eating his food that I’d almost forgotten about my own. Together, we ate our lunches like old friends. When he was finished, I could swear that he smiled at me.

“You’re welcome,” I said with grin.

It wasn’t much of a sacrifice on my part, but that little crust of bread seemed to make his day. I thought about how truly blessed I am. Are there other simple things I can share with others that I’m overlooking?

Is there someone who could use a call? Can I do a quick errand? Lighten someone's workload? Send a cheerful card? It may not be much, but it could make a big difference to someone else.

Loving Father, show me today if there is someone you want me to reach out to and help. Give me your kindness, thoughtfulness and patience. Amen.

Weeding Out The Enemy

Spring is such a beautiful time of year. All the colorful flowers bursting forth everywhere. However, there is one downside to this season: weeds! The other day, I decided I’d had enough of the dastardly enemy growth spilling out over my walkways. It was war. I put on my work clothes and took up ammunition to fight back. Rake, shovel, hoe - I was ready.

I prodded and pulled and raked for hours, sweat dripping down my cheeks. Usually, I get discouraged when battling these foes because in the back of my mind, I know they’ll just pop back up in a few weeks.

But this year, I’m hopeful. I learned of a product I can use in my flowerbeds that prevents new weeds from germinating for up to three months. I went to the gardening store and purchased some of this preemergent herbicide and couldn't wait to sprinkle it around my yard.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could sprinkle a preemergent over our hearts and lives to prevent sin from popping back up? Jesus says in Matthew 12:43-45 that if we clean out old sin – banishing evil spirits, and ridding ourselves of the enemy’s strongholds – but neglect to fill our lives with God, we are leaving the door wide open for that sinful spirit to return with even more destructive force.

Getting rid of sin is only the first step. It’s like my day of weeding. Sure, we can clean out the flowerbeds of our lives by confessing our sins to Christ. But once we’ve done that, we need to take the next step: filling each day with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit so that the enemy’s invasive seeds can’t take root. Today, I will sprinkle God’s word on my heart. I will ask Him to lead me by His Holy Spirit.

“So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16)

Straight Paths

The other day, I was headed down a busy 6-lane street on my way to the post office. All of a sudden, my heart jumped as a mother duck started crossing the street with about 15 little babies dutifully tagging behind her. I saw that they made it safely to the center divider, but I was a wreck with worry. I quickly dropped off my letters and did a U-turn. As I pulled up to the light, there she was, retreating back from the direction she had started from. What was she thinking? Thank goodness traffic stopped for her!

I know that mother duck was doing her best, but she couldn’t foresee all the dangers that were waiting just beyond that center divider. Lucky for her, there were some sympathetic drivers on the road that morning.

Each day, we are like those wobbly baby ducks, following our Heavenly Father on the path He sets before us. Thankfully, He knows not only where we are going today, but He also knows what will happen tomorrow. No matter how scary it may seem, we can always be confident that He will lead us in the right direction.

Today I will go where He leads, trusting Him to supply courage, confidence, and resources at the right moment.

“I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” (Proverbs 4:11)

Honey In The Rock

I love this church song; if you know it sing along.

Honey in the Rock (author unknown)

Wonderful and marvelous is Jesus to me
Sweeter than the honey from the honeycomb is He
Jesus is real
He’ll never fail
I will serve him now and throughout all eternity

He tastes like honey in the rock
He tastes like honey in the rock
He tastes like honey in the rock

Oh taste and see, the Lord is good
He tastes like honey in the rock