Author

TerryLema

The Abundance of Your House

by TerryLema

Psalm 91 begins with the wonderful truth that “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” [HCSB]

That verse is so familiar. I know I have repeated it often when life got demanding and fearful and I needed a refuge and a fortress.

Then as I was searching for a Scripture the other day, the following one popped up in my search. It was not the one I was looking for, but it sure got my attention.

Psalm 36:7-9: “God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They are filled from the abundance of Your house; You let them drink from Your refreshing stream, for with You is life’s fountain. In Your light we will see light.” [HCSB]

We find so much more than a refuge and a fortress when we dwell in the “Shadow of the Almighty.” The Psalmist reminds us that we find God’s faithful love. It is a love that he defines as “so valuable.” I can sure attest to that. To know that God loves me sustains me through the roughest of times.

Even more we are filled with abundance. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so that we might have a life filled with abundance.  Part of that abundance is to be able to drink from life’s fountain and to abide in God’s light.

To those of the world, words such as refuge, fortress, and shadow carry a nuance of darkness. But to those in the refuge of God’s wings, they are light and abundance and faithful love!

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Times of Refreshing

by TerryLema

It is a Monday as I write this (but a Sunday as I send it). Bob is off to breakfast with a friend. The house is quiet. I am thinking about church yesterday.

I am so enjoying the perspective of Pastor Laura as she brings messages – some even from Scriptures that I brought messages. Her viewpoint of those passages is profoundly the same truth of the Gospel, but it has been touched by her life experiences, which are different from mine.

I realized this morning that after a little more than a decade of studying and arranging and thinking about what message to bring each Sunday, I am being blessed and refreshed by another’s illumination.

I have been taking notes as I listen on Sunday. My small Bible’s blank pages have already filled up and I am thinking of now bringing a notebook.  I have even “stolen” some of Pastor Laura’s thoughts to prompt devotions, as well as my praise to my LORD.

Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us to be “concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” [HCSB]

We need to go to church regularly. I could stay home on Sunday, put on a worship playlist, sing, praise, and read my Bible. But going to church on Sunday allows me to find a new illumination on Scripture, allows me to experience the love and good works others will encourage in me, and gives me a time of refreshing that I could not have if I skipped the “assembling.”

 

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A Remedy

by TerryLema

Sometimes I like to play puzzle-style games on my computer. I do it go keep my mind challenged. I do free online games, which often come with ads for interesting things between each game. You endure the ads to play the games for free.

Some of the ads make me laugh, as one did this morning. It said they found the “Remedy for Old Age” in an old book. Then they showed some obnoxious-looking piece of fruit or vegetable, which I am sure they want me to buy at a ridiculously high price.

I doubt very much that eating whatever they discovered is a remedy for old age. If we live long enough, all of us will experience “old age” in some way. I watched a video of a woman in her 90’s wowing a crowd doing gymnastics. The reason she was wowing the crowd is because most women in their 90’s aren’t doing gymnastics!

Old age doesn’t usually encompass marathons or gymnastics or climbing mountains. Those who can still perform at those levels are rare. Most of us in old age manage our daily routines, sometimes with difficulties or even through pain.  We just aren’t what we used to be.

EXCEPT. Except when it comes to thriving in the courts of God.  Psalm 92 promises: “The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: ‘The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.’” [vs 12-15 HCSB]

God promises that even in our “old age” we will bear fruit. Our lips, our lives, will declare His justice, His strength, His righteousness, His love, His faithfulness.

That may not be a remedy for old age, but it is so amazing to know that we can still be spiritually vital and thriving.

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Trust

by TerryLema

I was reading one of those Christian romance/mystery novels the other night and came across this quote by the author Susan Sleeman.  “It’s a lot easier to trust God with someone else’s life than your own.”

As Christians, trust is a main component of our walk with God. Probably the most well-known verse is found in Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding …” [HCSB]

That thought continues “…think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. Don’t consider yourself to be wise, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” [vs 6-7]

As Ms. Sleeman wrote in her novel, it is a lot easier to look at someone else’s life and decide what they need to do to trust God. It is a lot easier to give advice to others about their faith, than it often is to maintain our own in the midst of difficulties and confusing times.

Yet trusting God is fundamental to maintaining a healthy relationship with our Creator and Savior and LORD. Proverbs gives the command to trust in the LORD and not rely on our own wisdom. It reminds us to “think about Him in all [our] ways.”

When we fail to apply God’s standards to our ways, we move away from “right paths.” That often puts us on a confrontation with evil in our lives. The voice of the LORD diminishes because we do not want to hear that we are relying on our own understanding and being foolish in our evaluation of our own abilities.

The only way back when we find ourselves relying on ourselves is through repentance – an about-face and return to Him who loves us so.

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God Has Not Forgotten

by TerryLema

Have there been times in your life where it seems like God has forgotten you?  I know there have been times like that in mine.

There have been times when difficult circumstances arose which seemed to drown out the voice of the LORD. There have been losses that seem to overwhelm. Probably the most difficult time for me was shortly after moving to Idaho from California and leaving behind my entire family, including our youngest son who was 17 and a senior in high school.

For a solid year it felt as if God had forgotten me. Someone once called those experiences a “dark night of the soul.” I did not sense God’s presence. I did not hear His voice, no matter how much I tried. I felt forgotten by the Living God.

I wasn’t though. No matter what it felt like, no matter what my emotions were trying to proclaim as truth, the truth is, God cannot forget His own. During that time, I clung to two Scriptures.

One in Isaiah 49, where Zion claimed God had forgotten her. He responded, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” [vs 14b-16a HCSB]

The other Scripture is a promise from our Great Shepherd. “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” [John 10:29 HCSB]

A Bible teacher once told me that the picture Jesus drew with His words in this Scripture was His sheep resting in the palm of His hand with the Father’s Hand cupped over His.

No matter what the world proclaims, no matter what our emotions scream at us, God has not, cannot forget His own. Praise His Glorious Name.

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To His Glory

by TerryLema

I have spent the last couple days looking at the rewards that we will one day see if we remain faithful to our Christian walk and those “good deeds” that God has given us to do. Yesterday I wrote of the crowns that God has planned for His own.

Perhaps the most glorious thing about having a crown in heaven is what we get to do with them!

“Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, worship the One who lives forever and ever, cast their crowns before the throne, and say: Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.” [Revelation 4:9-11 HCSB]

Many commentators see the Church represented in the 24 elders in this passage. And whenever these elders (the church) hear those “living creatures” around God’s throne begin to give Him glory, they join in … casting their crowns before the thrones to honor the LORD.

Then they begin to join those living creatures in honoring and glorifying God, “You are worthy to receive glory, and honor and power ….”

The only reason we have a reward, whether that is our inheritance, rewards from eternal works we do now, or crowns, is because our LORD and Savior went to the cross. He took on our sins and their punishment. He drank our cup of rejection and judgment. His work there overcame death and all the loss associated with our sin.

Our crowns should be His and one day in thanksgiving we will take those crowns and lay them at His feet. What a sight that will be!

 

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Crowns

by TerryLema

I have a pink straw hat that I wear when I walk outside in the sunshine. Still, I have never been much of a “hat” person, not like the English Royalty! Head coverings for the English Royalty take on a life of their own. I love the pictures of the ladies wearing their enormous hats during the Derby.

Queen Elizabeth always seems to have a hat that exactly matches her outfits. Then there are the high events when the Queen sheds her hats and dons a crown. When I see those occasions, I usually wonder how she can even hold her head up – that royal crown must be so heavy.

God promises crowns for His own in the Scriptures.  There are five.

The Imperishable Crown: This is the reward for living a spirit-filled, disciplined life. [1 Corinthians 9:24-25]

The Crown of Rejoicing: The reward for evangelism and discipleship. [1Thessalonians 2:19]

The Crown of Righteousness: This is the reward for those who live obediently in anticipation of Christ’s return. [2Timothy 4:8]

The Crown of Glory: This is the crown for those who have served the church as elders. [1Peter 5:4]

The Crown of Life: Finally, this is the crown for those who have endured trials and hardships without denying Christ or giving up their faith. [Revelation 2:10]

Our God loves us lavishly now and will lavish gifts on His own when we stand in His presence. A soft word spoken about His love to someone who does not know Him will earn a crown. Standing firm in the trials of life and remaining faithful to Him will earn a crown. Living obediently while longing for His Coming will earn a crown.

I can’t wait to see you wearing a crown!

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Deeds

by TerryLema

A while back a home in our neighborhood caught fire. Our neighbor and his friend were driving by and saw the flames. They pounded on the door and could hear people inside, but no one would open the door. They finally kicked it in and found a teenager and three young children inside. They were able to get them and their little dog out safely.

The house sat there for quite some time afterwards. We thought they would tear it all down and start over, but apparently much of the house survived the fire. They began reconstruction by clearing out the rubble and determining what was still good and could be left for rebuilding.

In a way that reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about our work to build God’s church.

“For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.” [1 Corinthians 3:11-14 HCSB]

The Church Corporate has one foundation, Christ Jesus our Lord. We are to build on that foundation. One day when we gather at the Throne, our works will be judged to determine their quality. Each one of us has a choice of building materials. Eternal ones are represented by gold, silver, costly stones. Temporal ones by wood, hay, straw. Some will stand the test; others will be consumed.

I am sure that our heart’s motivation will be a key component of quality, along with the actual work itself. Rewards will be received by all those whose work survives. We must always look for God’s direction to build His Church His way and for His glory.

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Inheritance

by TerryLema

I received an inheritance once when my aunt died. She and my uncle had no children of their own and were like second parents to my brother and me. It was a blessing for our family at the time. We knew she did it out of love for us.

Our LORD has also promised us what Paul calls “the reward of an inheritance.”

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord.” [Colossians 3:23 HCSB]

Paul reminded us that when we do something, we are to do it as if we were doing it for the LORD Himself. Whatever that is … it could be teaching a Sunday School class or doing the dishes. It could be digging a ditch or writing a play.  The keys are “whatever” and doing it “for the LORD and not for men.”

God, in His great mercy and love gives us a down payment on that inheritance now.

 “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.  He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.” [Ephesians 1:13:15 HCSB]

The marvelous thing about the down payment of our inheritance (the Holy Spirit) is that it is the power of God’s Own Spirit that enables us to do all the “whatever’s … for the LORD and not for men” so that we might receive that “reward of an inheritance from the Lord.”

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Rewards

by TerryLema

My husband has worked outside most of his life. He talks about working on his grandfather’s farm when he was a boy. He joined the Marine Corps after high school (which is pretty much an outdoor activity). Then after the Marines, he went into underground construction. He loves being outside.

After a lifetime outdoors, he really hates being in the house. He constantly wants to get in the car and go … to the store, to a sporting shop, to check this out or check that out somewhere. With the price of gas, those activities are eating into our budget.

So, we made a pact, beginning with just two weekdays spent at home would get a reward of eating out at week’s end. (Eating out is one of his favorite things also, but with inflation … well, you get my drift.)

Recently he stayed home two full weekdays, so I let him pick the place. He had been hearing about a Chinese buffet in our area he wanted to try, so we headed there for our “reward.” It turned out to be the worst Chinese food we ever had. A very disappointing reward.

We will try a different reward-place this week, but that got me thinking about rewards we will receive as Christians.

The Scripture reminds us that there is a reward even just for seeking God.  “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.” [Hebrews 11:6 HCSB]

We are not in this Christian walk solely for rewards, but just like we love giving gifts to those we love, God out of His great love for His own loves to gift His children with “rewards.”

(More tomorrow)

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