End of a Journey

Today marks the end of a turbulent journey. So many of you have been praying for my daughter and my family as we traversed a world of brain surgeries, complicated recoveries, and radiation. The seven weeks of radiation therapy ended today. Words are so inadequate to express our burgeoning excitement this week as we counted down the days with each trip to the cancer center. Three words kept repeating in my mind.

We are done.

God has carried us through this trial in amazing ways. You may be sitting there, shaking your head and wondering how you could ever get through such an experience. I used to wonder the same thing. But we did. All I can tell you is that our God is so good. He will give you whatever you need to get through whatever trial sits in front of you right now.

Leslie is now on the road to full recovery. Now she can be a fifteen year old again. She can focus on catching up in school and growing back her beautiful hair. We are so very grateful this day has come, and I keep saying we are ready to celebrate.

Because we are. No more doctor appointments. Just periodic check ups. God told me before all this started that she would be okay. And she is. Instead of praying, “God, fix this,” my prayers are now, “prepare me for whatever’s coming.” I trust him completely with my future and that of my family.

Like I said, words just can’t encompass this amazing journey. Thank you so much for praying us through. We’ve especially felt your prayers the last two weeks. We reached that midway point and found ourselves waning. Your prayers kept us going and brought us to the finish line. God even woke Leslie up this week on the three days her appointments were early.

Three more words. God is good.

How many pilgrims, still passing through these Red Seas and Jordans of earthly affliction, will be enable in the retrospect of eternity to say—full of the memories of God’s great goodness—“We went through the flood on foot, there—there, in these dark experiences, with the surging waves on every side, deep calling to deep, Jordan, as when Israel crossed it, in ‘the time of the overflowing” (flood), yet, ‘there did we rejoice in Him!’” —Dr. Macduff, excerpt from Streams in the Desert, February 6.

We are rejoicing in Him. I pray you are too.

S.U.M. Blog in Top 100!

Just found out today that our blog Spiritually Unequal Marriage is one of a hundred blogs voted as most encouraging and inspiring over at Internet Cafe Devotions. We fell under the "My Cup of Tea" category. What's so special about this is that our readers took the time to nominate the blog. And to be among so many wonderful blogs and bloggers!

I give all that credit and glory right back to God. He's the one who's made the ministry grow and reach those who need it. I'm simply grateful to be a part of it.

The Call to Fight

In my journey through the Bible, God’s showing me a constant thread of struggle and perseverance. From Jacob to Joseph to Moses and the Israelites.

In Genesis 32, Jacob is faced with a potential disaster. His brother Esau is coming with 400 men, and Jacob fears the worst. He even prepares for the confrontation by dividing his people and possessions into two camps. In verses 9-12 he revisits God’s promise of prosperity.

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

Jacob has struggled with God enough in the past to stop this time and remember God’s promise before reacting. He even reminds God of it. Back in Genesis 28 Jacob reached a turning point by claiming his faith as his own (see verses 20-22). And now, by revisiting God’s promise, Jacob’s faith is re-enforced.

Then there’s Joseph.

Read the rest at S.U.M.

God's Umbrella

One morning an interesting thought struck me. All our trials and sufferings fall under the umbrella of God’s protection, but beneath that covering they diverge into two areas: consequences and circumstances.

Consequences are the result of our poor choices. Sometime we just make mistakes. It’s inevitable. Sometimes God allows us to experience them in order to learn from our mistake so that we can make better choices next time. We don’t like being in this place, but we learn and grow. And our character is strengthened.

Circumstances describes those events that upon first glance seem to come out of the blue and can even seem unfair (think of Job). We did not cause the difficult situation by making poor choices and we have little to no control over it. They just happen. God allows these times to mold us, to teach us vital understanding, emotions, and spiritual lessons, which He will call upon in the future. This is when massive connections are forged between past, present, and future. These are the experiences that God often uses to minister to others and bring comfort (see 2Cor. 1).

Both sides converge together in a metaphorical handle in the shape of obedience and trust. In the middle (at the shaft) both feel the same to us, and sometimes we are unsure which side we are on. Spending time with God and in his Word is even more vital at these times.

In the end, the results are the same no matter which side we’re on, and we’ll inevitably be on both sides at various times. But we have the promise that God works for our good regardless of whether the situation is due to consequences or circumstances (Romans 8:28). We can choose to stay under the umbrella and learn what God is teaching, or stray and get extremely wet, downtrodden, and lost.

So if you’re in the rain, run back under God’s umbrella. It’s the best place to find God’s grace, mercy, and unconditional love.

God's Promises: Abraham Believed

The best way I know of getting closer to God and getting to know him better is to read God’s Word daily. Abraham came to know the God of Israel well enough to be called “friend.” This year I’m returning to reading the Bible in a year* to glean more nuggets about God and to know him better. I’m already finding myself journaling about what the Holy Spirit reveals and would love to share those with you.

Here’s what I gleaned this past week:

Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham called to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In verse 5, Abraham tells the servants to wait. “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (emphasis mine).

Abraham is portrayed as a man of great faith and a friend of God. Either he was lying to conceal what he intended to do, preventing the servants from interfering and scaring Isaac, or he truly believed he and his son would return. Though my human tendency is to believe the first, my faith calls me to believe the last.

Abraham trusted God’s first promise that He would make a great nation from Abraham’s offspring. Even though the current circumstances seemed to contradict God’s promise, Abraham continued to trust God’s plan and was obedient. Abraham knew God well enough to know that He wouldn’t go back on his promise.

Then there’s verse eight. “Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.” This line is prophetic. Abraham not only spoke of the current sacrifice, but He was also giving a picture of the final sacrifice. The Lamb of God—Jesus. God’s promise for us and our loved ones today.

So often God sets examples in which He builds upon and uses as reference points. He knows how limited and doubting we can be in our faith, especially when it comes to praying long term for our unbelieving spouses. Thus He gives us connecting points to use to propel our hearts to belief. These are the points we need to return to continually to remember God’s promises. Again, look at Abraham and Sarah and how long they waited. Yet they had the memory of God’s visit and promise to return to again and again as a reminder. And God kept his promise.

For Abraham, God was truly enough—he trusted God completely and believed.

Praying and believing like Abraham,
Dineen

*A one-year reading plan can be found in the Upper Room and Our Journey (WalkInTheWord) devotionals. Many Bibles have a plan in the back index or you can use Google to find a plan that works best for you.