Month: January 2025

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NASB)

From time to time, we need to revisit the single most distressful period in our lives, because according to this scripture, those trials brought out the gold in our faith. There’s a period of testing that purifies our faith, the way gold is purified in a furnace. As we stand the test of faith through fire, we become transformed, and the fiery test turns into a testimony, bringing glory and honor to Jesus. 

In 2018, my late husband, Stephen,  received the diagnosis of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s an incurable disease which causes progressive weakness and atrophy in all the muscles of the body, while the mind remains perfectly intact. While caring for him at home, the ALS foundation assigned a nurse to check in with me once a week and help oversee his care. Each week, that nurse came to our home, she would order another machine to help in his home care. 

Just when I became trained and familiar with one machine, she would send another one the following week or two. She also sent a person to train me in the use of each machine. One machine was for breathing, one for suctioning, and another to give liquid tube feedings and medication through the stomach. While I was thankful to have help and supplies to care for him at home, rather than in a Nursing Facility, I still felt pretty overwhelmed and inadequate. 

I remember thinking at the time, that it was all too much, and I used to tell God “I don’t think I can do this, Lord,” but He always had the same three word answer, “Yes, you can.” 

Not only did I feel inadequate for the task, I felt like I was failing every test of virtue, often losing patience, faith and trust in God. I couldn’t see how anything good was coming out of the whole situation or what wisdom could be gained during that period. Years later, I came to know without a doubt, that God was there with me all along.

My years of working in health care, were in the field of neuromonitoring as a technologist, not a registered nurse, so my work experience was nothing compared to what was required of me, while taking care of Stephen. With each new challenge, I kept telling God, “Lord I cannot do this, it’s beyond my skills.” The Holy Spirit kept giving me that same answer, “Yes you can.” 

That year was quite an ordeal and I did adjust to all those machines and everything I needed to do. It was still a fiery trial of testing for both Stephen and myself, as the disease rapidly progressed, until he passed away in his sleep in 2019.

Peter wrote about times of extreme distress like this, in his epistle, saying that our faith is being tested as gold is tested, by fire. He told us to rejoice because we are sharing in the suffering of Christ. Jesus knows about all that we are going through, and we also get a tiny taste of what Jesus went through. 

Caregivers are pushed to the limit, sacrificing time and sleep, and yet, oddly, it always felt like the natural thing to do, while caring for a terminally ill loved one. Anyone who has ever been a caregiver can relate to what I am saying. 

Peter also wrote that we shouldn’t be surprised at the fiery trial which comes upon us, as though something strange were happening, but rather encourages us to rejoice that we share in Christ’s sufferings. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Besides Peter, Paul also wrote mysteriously about suffering, that we can know the power of his resurrection through participation in His sufferings. (Philippians 3:10)

We don’t realize in the moment, that the fiery trial is a way of sharing in Christ’s suffering, or that it is purifying our faith, like gold.

In hindsight, I know now that the Holy Spirit was coaching me all along, producing perseverance and strength in me. He is making all of us stronger and better people than we were before the trial. Our suffering also enables us to empathize with those who suffer in a similar way.

There’s a reason scripture says that God is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. In our distress and brokenness, we develop a unique closeness to Jesus. 

I may never fully understand the benefit of suffering, but I know that when I felt the most helpless and hopeless, and kept telling God, I don’t think I can’t do this, the Holy Spirit kept saying, “Yes, you can.” 

Through His resurrection power, I can and I did. We can do all things through Christ.

Lord, help all today who feel helpless or crushed in some way, thinking they cannot do anymore. Fill us with your resurrection power so that we can and will do all things through Christ. Amen

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

Isaiah 49:15-16. (NIV)

When Isaiah wrote this, the Israelites were facing imminent captivity by the Assyrian Empire. Their hopes were shattered and morale was at an all time low. 

Isaiah’s inspiring words assure the reader that God’s love is far more enduring than even a mother’s love. 

Isaiah tells us to “see” the engraving in the palms of His hands. He says this after using one of the tenderest of all images, that of a mother nursing her baby. Although rarely, some mothers may forget their child, the Lord will never forget us, and has engraved us in His hands.

Because He loves us with a parental love, God is committed to us, despite our shortcomings and failures. He chooses the imagery of a mother, who nurses the child she bore. We are God’s children, He made us, and no matter what, He loves us and engraved us in the palms of His hands. 

To engrave, pierce or cut into one’s hand is a strange way to express love, but it is a prophetic image, which foreshadows Jesus, 700 years before He came into the world.

An engraving correlates to a covenant. People have wedding bands engraved to symbolize the covenant of their marriage. The ten commandments were engraved in stone tablets, as a covenant between God and His people. 

God went a step further with the new covenant, which also involves an engraving, but not on wedding bands or stone tablets. Jesus came into our world with a human body, to tangibly reveal His Father’s love for us, far beyond words. With His body, He touched, hugged, consoled and looked into the eyes of the most forsaken people in society. His body which comforted others, with His physical touch, was the same body that became engraved by nails piercing His hands and feet. 

The tender words in today’s scripture  convey the message that God’s love is parental, unconditional, enduring, and transcends all of our human limitations and frailties. Love is best expressed by sacrifice, and Jesus loved us enough to permanently engrave us in His hands and feet forever.

Scripture ironically says that Jesus endured the cross, for the joy that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2)

It actually gave Him joy, knowing the greater good that would come from the cross, for centuries to come. 

The deep scars in His hands and feet remained on His body after His glorious resurrection. Thomas was offered the chance to touch those pierced engravings. Jesus could have erased His scars, but He chose to wear them forever. They are a permanent memorial and a reminder of the Father’s love for us.

Isaiah’s words reveal the unwavering love of God, who is in relentless pursuit of reconciling and restoring all people. We are forever engraved in Jesus’ hands and feet, as a memorial of the greatest expression of love and mercy, incomparable to any other love relationship in the world.

There are times in every believer’s life, when God seems far away, especially during some of the most trying circumstances. We may feel forgotten by God, and under siege by problems, tests and trials. Things will happen at times in all of our lives, that cause us to look up and ask, “Lord, are you still there ?” 

That’s when Jesus answers us, and says, “Look at my hands and my feet, you are engraved in Me forever.”

Lord, thank you for the memorial scars of your love for us. Remind us whenever we feel forgotten, to see that we are engraved in your hands and feet, because we are the beloved, highly valued children of our heavenly Father. Amen

“I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”

Job 19:25 (NIV)

When Job lost his children, all his crops, his livestock and everything he owned in one day, his response was, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth.” Job lost everything he had that was visible, and yet his faith and hope was anchored in the One who was invisible. God is only one invisible anchor in the world.

Job’s story teaches us that there is a kind of knowing that transcends the intellect. Knowing that our Redeemer lives, doesn’t require a degree or a higher education. No one could persuade or convince us, because it’s a revelation of grace and an assurance that resides deep within us. Through Jesus, it is possible to know and say with the same fortitude and conviction of Job,

“I know that my Redeemer lives.”

All good things are not limited to what we can see with our eyes. There are many benefits, which are very real to us, which are not visible.

Peace is not something we can touch or see, but we can definitely know it and feel its effect. We may see it reflected in someone’s demeanor, or have a sense in the eye of our storm, that God is with us. The bible refers to a kind of peace that passes all understanding. That means when everything looks like we should have no peace, we still do have peace. It is an invisible benefit, from an invisible God, but is beyond any human understanding.

The same goes for faith, hope, love and joy, which are not tangible things that we can hold in our hands or see with our eyes, and yet we personally know the effects of them in our lives, because within us dwells our soul and spirit. The soul and spirit knows what our bodies cannot see or touch.

Another invisible benefit given to us is guardian angels, who constantly look out for our physical safety and guide us toward salvation. Although we don’t see angels, they are a benefit given to help us during our life journey.

We experience the benefits of these invisible gifts and many more, each day, which makes a huge difference in how we cope with situations that put our faith to the test. If we are  depending only on what we can see, we will quickly become deceived and discouraged. 

I remember a simple moment of truth that occurred about a year ago. I went to a neighborhood concert alone, during the Christmas season. Afterward, I was walking back to the public garage, and noticed that all the people walking to that same garage, were couples. For a brief moment I felt a little strange being the only single person, walking alone. 

In my mind, I said to Jesus, “Lord, I know you’re with me, even though I can’t see you, and I also know that you’re all the man I need at this stage of my life, but in moments like these, I have to admit that it would be nice to have a man walking beside me.” 

I felt Jesus answer someplace within my soul or spirit, as He said, 

“I am walking beside you.” 

I realized that my desire for someone to walk beside me at that moment, was more for appearances, rather than a desire for a relationship. It started me thinking about how those invisible blessings compare to the visible ones. Couples may visibly appear united, but in reality they might be very divided, since appearances can be deceiving. The things that are visible are not always what they appear to be. 

Faith, hope, love, peace and joy, are the invisible benefits, that we can know, as we experience and illuminate their effects to others.

The more we learn of His invisible benefits, the more beautiful our invisible God becomes. May we always be able to say, by faith and not by sight, as Job said, 

“I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Lord, help us stay aware of the many invisible benefits of our faith in you. Remind us that you are always walking beside us. Amen

“David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today. Blessed is your good judgment and blessed are you yourself. Today you have prevented me from shedding blood and rescuing myself with my own hand.”

1 Samuel 25:32-33 (NAB)

Although David was anointed by the prophet, Samuel, to become the next king, the current king, Saul, was not willing to give up his throne. Instead, he set out to kill David, forcing him to live as a fugitive along with the men who were loyal to him. 

While David’s men were encamped in the wilderness of Carmel, they met some shepherds who were tending their master’s sheep. David and his men were protective and kind toward the shepherds, who worked for a very wealthy land owner. 

Nabal, the land owner, who had thousands of livestock in the area, had a reputation for being harsh and bad mannered. He was married to a woman named Abigail, described as intelligent and attractive. The custom of arranging marriages in those days, often resulted in mismatched couples like Nabal and Abigail. 

(1 Samuel 25:3)

Since David and his men were kind to Nabal’s shepherds, not knowing his reputation, he sent some men to ask Nabal for food to eat. Nabal’s response was extremely rude and disrespectful to the messengers, chasing them away saying, “Who is David that I should care about him?” 

David’s anger was triggered when he heard about Nabal’s response. He was living with multiple stressors at the time, trying to care for and protect the men who were loyal to him, living as fugitives, while dealing with the natural challenges of survival in the wilderness. 

Even though he was anointed and called to be the next king of Israel, that dream seemed far off. Between Saul’s many attempts to kill him and Nabal’s unprovoked meanness, David was pushed to a breaking point, and he impulsively reached for his sword as Nabal’s response tipped him over the edge. David and his men headed out to retaliate against Nabal. 

Abigail heard about what Nabal did and immediately had her servants prepare a package filled with loaves of bread, raisin cakes, figs, fruits and wine. She headed out to meet David first, to ask forgiveness for Nabal’s offenses, by bringing David a peace offering of food and wine for him and his men. 

David’s high calling to be the next king, was overshadowed by his frustrations of living as a fugitive. While waiting for certain doors to open in our lives, or for our dreams to be realized, it’s during the hardest times that we may gain the most valuable wisdom. The best character building lessons come during the tests and trials in the waiting stage of our journey. 

When Abigail met David, she dismounted from her donkey and bowed down before him, asking forgiveness for her foolish husband. Abigail had remarkable wisdom and patience, and her peace offering caused David to pause. Then she gently reminded him of his higher calling, and that his kingdom will be a lasting one. Abigail persuaded David to trust in God, and not tarnish his soul or taint his calling, by taking revenge and shedding blood.

She redirected David to his more noble nature, encouraging him to trust in the Lord, instead of acting on  impulse. Her gift of calming words brought peace and wisdom, and she prevented David from needlessly shedding blood. He was touched by her insight, and turned from his wrath. As a result, David rescued himself from himself. There will be times when everyone, in some way,  needs to rescue themself from themself.

God spoke to David through Abigail, to leave everything in His hands. Soon after, Nabal died of a stroke, Saul eventually died in battle, and David was finally crowned King of Israel. Abigail’s intelligence led her to trust in God, speak with wisdom and be a peacemaker. God blessed her later by making her a queen, when King David returned to Carmel and proposed marriage to her.

We may not be called to be kings or queens, but we are all called to be ambassadors for Christ and peacemakers in this world. Like Abigail, we are His messengers, certified by our baptism, to bring His peace to the world in whatever way we are called to do so. 

(2 Corinthians 5:20)

We will probably encounter many Nabals in our lifetime, and some will challenge our patience more than others. Like David, our dreams may be delayed or put on hold, by some unpleasant people or circumstances, but God will fulfill His plans and promises in His perfect timing. 

Abigail teaches us to look at the whole picture, reminding us that we all have a higher calling. The Holy Spirit leads us all to our more noble side, calling us to be peacemakers, as Jesus said, 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

(Matthew 5:8)

Lord, help us to see the bigger picture in every situation, and to focus on our higher, more noble calling, as your Spirit leads us in wisdom, to be His peacemakers in this world. Amen

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

1 John 5:4 (NIV)

My mother passed away seventeen years ago, peacefully in her sleep, at the age of 92. Three years ago, I learned that one of her dearest friends passed away at the age of 102. Although I learned of Elsa’s death too late to attend her funeral service, her family recorded the whole service on a You Tube video.

I watched the funeral video and as I listened to each of her relatives give a touching eulogy, it was obvious that she had a wonderful life, surrounded by family and friends, for her 102 years. In my personal memories of Elsa, I’ll never forget that she had numbers permanently stamped on her forearm. 

Elsa grew up in Europe, in a religious Jewish family, but she was sent to a concentration camp either in her teens or early twenties, during the Holocaust. She alone survived among her immediate family, who were all killed by the Nazis. I cannot recall the details of how she finally escaped, but somehow she safely emigrated to America, after the terrible suffering of her early life. 

Eventually, Elsa married, had a family and lived a long, fulfilling life here. In watching her family’s eulogies on You Tube, I found it unusual that not one of the eulogies ever made mention of her experience as a young woman, being in a concentration camp. 

After wondering about the possible reasons, I realized that her early life of suffering was not being ignored, but that the person she had become was so much more meaningful than the tragedy of her earlier life.

It made me aware that we all have  meaning in this world, and we are more than the sum of the tragedies we have overcome. 

Each eulogy described who she was to that particular family member and how much love she brought into their lives. I remember once visiting her in her home years ago, and she repeatedly told me how much she loved and missed my mother, who had passed away. She and my mother worked together for fifteen years, and remained close friends after retirement. 

I didn’t know Elsa as well as my mother did, but I could see that they both had the same resilient, positive attitude, with a very loving spirit. Elsa was there for my mother when my oldest brother, my mother’s first born son, died in a plane crash at the age of 35.

As I listened to the last and final eulogy, I imagined Elsa and my mother having a joyful reunion in heaven. People may go through unspeakable suffering in their lives, but through resilient faith, they become a pillar of strength and love for others. God is able to turn our mourning into joy, with unexplainable graces if we keep trusting in Him. 

Those numbers on her arm were a permanent reminder of the evil that exists in this world, but those numbers didn’t define her, because Elsa lived the rest of her life as an overcomer, not a victim. The person she became during her long life, overshadowed the loss and suffering in her youth. Everyone has the potential to become living examples of God’s lovingkindness, which overcomes evil. 

Elsa received the gift from God to live longer than a century. She overcame with faith, hope and love. She might have been a victim of hatred, but she didn’t succumb to hating. She didn’t live her life as a victim, but rose above it, being kind and loving. Elsa and my mother had totally different faith backgrounds, but they had one thing in common, being overcomers.

God gave each of us the potential to overcome our fear with faith, our despair with hope, mourning with joy, and chaos with peace. Paul wrote, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

(Romans 12:21)

Lord, help every reader to begin this new year as overcomers, filled with your Spirit, reflecting your love and kindness to others through all the days that you have granted us. Amen