Don't Miss Your Appointment

January 29, 2021

Ecclesiastes 3:1 and 3:11 There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Physically, we are in the season of winter. Some of us love winter, and some of us would rather skip straight from fall to spring. We don't care for the cold, perhaps even snowy weather, or we love it. Some of us just tolerate what the seasons bring; barren trees and long nights of winter, endless rainy days in April, scorching heat and humidity in summer, and the unpredictable weather and decay of fall. Sometimes, we want to rush through the seasons, and we forget to enjoy the blessings that can only be found in each season. I believe that as we deliberately STOP to see what God has created for us in this season, we will be blessed, and we will see things that can only be seen now.

Appointed means: 1) by, through, or as a result of an appointment (often in contrast with elected) 2) predetermined, arranged, set 3) furnished, equipped, provided with what is necessary. Just as there is a physical time predetermined for winter, God has arranged the time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven. I know we will all be encouraged if we let this truth get down into our hearts and minds. Those things that we are dealing with in our lives are happening now because it is their appointed time. NOW is the appointed time for what you are walking through. Trust that you are on a determined path and that He makes everything beautiful in its time.

May we surrender our time to the Lord and be sensitive to His Spirit. Let us be in the right place at the right time ready for what He has prepared for us. Don't miss your appointment set by your Father; the one who has etched your name in the palm of His hand.

Blessings Disguised as Troubles

January 8, 2021

This morning I was reminded of a blessing from the Lord from over 10 years ago. (When the Lord blesses you, write it down! Keep those memorial stones as a remembrance, so He can bless you repeatedly with the same blessings.) I reread what I had written all those years ago and was reminded of His very tender mercies toward me.

I was a single mother of two young daughters at the time. We had been invited by friends to go camping at Beaver's Bend, OK. This was not anything my girls had ever done, so the experience alone was a blessing. I checked the girls out of school early on a Friday which they thought was wonderful and we caravanned with the other families to our destination. It was a beautiful fall day and perfect for camping. We got there after lunch and had a great afternoon and night. The girls played in the woods that night with flashlights with the other kids. We made s'mores around the campfire. The girls were not accustomed to running around swinging on vines in the woods by flashlight, and I definitely did not have many opportunities to relax around a campfire engaged in adult conversations. It was such a fun reprieve. We woke up Saturday morning ready for more "camp like" adventures only to discover that I had a completely flat tire. We found the nail in the tire. Car troubles are never convenient and most always frustrating. A flat tire on our camping trip was not at all convenient for me and seemed overly frustrating. Well, our friends' husbands got the spare on and I set off to "drive to town" to see what I needed to do. As I was driving down that mountain to go to Broken Bow, I just started crying. I felt overwhelmed as I was telling the Lord that I knew He always took care of us, I trusted Him, etc. but I was wondering why this had to happen in this way. I was thinking about the money which was in very short supply, but mostly, I was wishing I had a husband that was helping with this.

Now, I must tell you all this: I was planning to get new tires in a couple of weeks. My parents were coming from NC to TX to visit, and I was going to let my dad choose the tires as I really knew nothing about tires. So I was thinking, Lord, could this have waited a couple of weeks? My friend's husband said I could get my flat tire patched, so I was mulling that choice over in my mind; get a temporary fix and wait until my dad, who knew what he was doing, could help me make a good decision to get the best tires for my money or go ahead and get new tires. I was hearing God say to get the new tires. Well, in less than 2 hours, I drove back up that mountain on a new set of tires that cost about $60 less than what I had paid for the last set of tires I had purchased. The guys "back at camp" could not believe the tires I had gotten for the price I had paid. They assured me that I had gotten very good tires for the price that I had paid.

I want to first give God thanks again as I did all those years ago for letting this happen in a completely safe way. We weren't on the road when it happened or out at night somewhere. There were plenty of guys around to help me take the tire off and put the spare on. My girls were oblivious to it all having a ball fishing with REAL worms while I was taking care of this. The situation didn't put anyone out of their way. Everyone, except me, continued on with what was planned for the day. Every detail was taken care of in the way that only God can.

I hear the same thing today that God was saying then: ACCELERATION I had a plan for my tires in a couple of weeks. God said, No, we are going to take care of this sooner than you thought. You may have some plans for some things that you know need your attention. Do not be surprised when He forces you to deal with something sooner than you had planned. TIMING What seemed like an inconvenient time to me actually turned out to be a great time. Do not reject His timing. It was a "suddenly." NO PATCHES God isn't in the business of patching things up. The Message translation of Isaiah 43:19 vividly reminds us of this. This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.

That November Saturday morning, I didn't know where I was headed. I was in unfamiliar territory. I had a need, but I didn't even know where to go. But, guess what? God did. Can anyone relate to that feeling? Actually, I can even today. I believe that most of us have needs today in some unfamiliar terrain. Evidently, I needed some new equipment to get there. That is what He has been doing for us. He has been giving us opportunities to become equipped for what lies ahead. Make certain you are allowing Him to make all things new and not just trying to patch up your "old stuff." He Himself is our Provision and our Preparation. Be ready!! The latter will be greater than the former.

The Mountains of the Lord

December 22, 2020

I love to visit the mountains. Fortunately, from where I live, I can make a day trip out of visiting the mountains. One of my favorite places, Valle Crucis, is located in the mountains. The mountains can look so different in each season, and the seasons seem more distinct there. They can offer respite in the heat of the summer, beautiful foliage to behold in the fall, blooms and many shades of green to announce new life in the spring, and beautiful serene blankets of snow in the winter. Every season is different.

I find it interesting that mountains are not mentioned in the bible until the flood. The ark, containing the fullness of the promise of a new world, "rested" on the mountains of Ararat. An interesting location for a boat to land, don't you think? In the mountains? Genesis 8:4-5 The ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. The water continually decreased until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. Notice that it was then 2.5 months later until the tops of the mountains became visible. How long did it take Noah and his family to realize that God had grounded their boat on a mountain? God does like to surprise us, doesn't He? He sometimes chooses places for us to settle that we often wouldn't choose for ourselves. This is where God chose to "begin again." It is where he even made a new covenant with Noah and His promise still stands true for us today. Genesis 9:8-17 Again God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “As for Me, I establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you. Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Then God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring a cloud over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the cloud; then I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow will appear in the cloud, and I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Even though mountains are not mentioned until the flood, after that, they seemingly become a place of much interest and activity of the Lord. Yahweh summons Moses to the top of a mountain and entrusts him with the ten commandments. Abraham is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice of his son, Isaac, and told to "offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Jehovah calls His people to the top of a mountain so they can get a good view of their Promised Land in Deuteronomy. David found shelter and protection from his enemies in the mountains. He also had much to say about the mountains in his psalms of praise of his God. Psalm 90:2 You have always been God—

long before the birth of the mountains, and Psalm 97:5 Mountains melt away like wax

in the presence of the Lord of all the earth. In humble reverence, Job tells us "It is God who removes the mountains." Our Lord Jesus spoke mightily from the mountains in his now well known "Sermon on the Mount." He chose the twelve apostles in the mountains. He was transfigured on a mountain. Christ frequently retreated to the mountains to be alone in prayer with His Father. Evidently, even satan himself knew the mountains offered an unrivaled vantage point. Matthew 4:8-9 Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.” Then coming full circle, in a pattern of perfect completion, in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Revelation 21:10 and 3-4 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Look! The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. They shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death.’ Neither shall there be any more sorrow nor crying nor pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Most of us are familiar with Matthew 17 in which we are told that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains. We are even boldly told that nothing will be impossible for us. What an amazing promise! Ever tried to "move a mountain" with your mustard seed faith? Ever tried to "claim" this promise over a seeming obstacle in your life? It's often a quick place to jump in hopes of bypassing painful and unwanted situations. However, it seems that our Almighty King does some of His most memorable and meaningful undertakings on those mountains. Unbeknownst to us, those mountains that we are attempting to move from here to there may be the very birthplace of new life, agreement, and alignment as they were for Noah. That mountain that seems to be the place of ultimate sacrifice as it was for Abraham may be the ONLY place for your obedience to introduce you to Jehovah Jireh, your very Provision. You may need to climb to the top of that mountain to experience the Shekinah Glory of the Lord as Moses did. Perhaps you need the view from the top of the mountain, above your circumstances, not mired down in them, to see His promised land for you. The mountain could actually be a hidden haven protecting you from worse enemies. Perhaps your current mountain is the place that will transform you into what you could never imagine. Your lone mountain where perhaps no one else is willing to go could be the place where the Lord is inviting you to lean hard into Him and learn more of His heart for you. It's quite possible that on that mountain you can clearly see the devilish ways of the world around you. We cannot always know the high purposes of our Creator; however, we can be certain just as Job and David were that He will remove your mountain when it has served His purposes. We don't have to wait for heaven as wonderful as that will be. He is here with us now, Emmanuel. He knows how to wipe away all your tears and He has already conquered death for us. Let the former things pass away and trust the new He has prepared for you. Look for each season of your mountain experience and know He created the mountains.