Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 17, 2023

A Journey Worth Taking

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find.” Matthew 7:14 (NIV)

I could offer you a piece of chocolate cake, but you’d never know how delish it is unless you taste it. I could paint a masterpiece, but you’d never know how beautiful it was unless you saw it. I could conduct a symphony, but you’d never know how sweet the melody sounds unless you listen. I could grow a field of orchids, but you’d never know their fragrant aroma unless you smelled them. I could give you my fav blanket, but you’d never know how it comforts unless you touched it.

Taste, see, hear, smell and touch – the five senses of our lives. Without them life would be bland, colorless and yes boring. Embrace them and life is vibrant – the way God created us to experience everything He created.

Now, I can describe them all for you, but God desires that we each have a first hand encounter with Him. If you want to taste His goodness then you’ve got to trust what He offers. If you want to see His beauty then you’ve got to read His word. If you want to hear His voice then you’ve got to draw close. If you want to smell the fragrant aroma of His Praise then you’ve got to grow where you’re planted. If you want to feel the comfort He brings then you’ve got to curl up in His lap.

Five senses that transform ordinary into extraordinary. The relationship that invigorates our lives. The journey that’s worth taking – every single day. Don’t settle for someone else’s five – grab your own and experience God fully.

“Father, how awesome to know that You can be found in every part of my being. Help me to know You intimately and enjoy the fruit of sweet fellowship.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 15, 2023

Redemption Relies On God

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind.” (Colossians 2:16-18, ESV)

 “Godly women don’t wear pants, only long dresses to the ankles are acceptable.”

“You can’t be a Christian and wear makeup.”

“A woman of God should not cut her hair.”

“I thought you were a Christian, why are you tanning your body, don’t you know that’s a sin?”

Have you ever heard statements like these? I certainly have.

You may have as well.

If you prefer not to wear makeup and never cut your hair – that’s fine.  But if you’re doing it because you think it will make God love you more – that’s legalism.  Basically, meaning you’re relying on the efforts of yourself (mankind) to earn holiness (redemption).

But redemption relies on God alone, not mankind.  He gave us a way to redeem our sins through his son, Jesus.

In Psalms 34:22 we’re reminded “The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

Paul was stressing this point again and again to the church in Colossae.  It had only been about 60 years since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus had taken place.  Yet people were falling back into their old patterns of thinking. Creating rituals that people had to follow.  New believers were being led to falsely believe that they had to follow along with these manmade rules of their day in order to be “saved.”

If you’ve committed sins you regret, they can all be forgiven and redeemed through the blood of Jesus.

Once you have confessed your sin to the Lord and chosen to believe in Jesus as your Savior – you are saved.  That’s it.  The problem comes when the enemy tries to attack your mind with reminders of the past.  Sometimes feelings of guilt or inferiority creep in (condemnation).

Instead of feeding those negative feelings – we should speak the truth to ourselves. Some call it “self-talk”, others may refer to it as “taking your thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

For example, Romans 8:1 (ESV) tells us – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s the truth of God’s Word – the final authority. If you’re feeling condemnation over a situation that you’ve given to Jesus – then that is coming from the enemy of your soul – Satan.

When we live our lives by God’s truth – He can redeem anything we’ve done wrong.

“Father thank You that we can be saved through Your son Jesus.  Teach us how to walk in the freedom that truth brings today.”

 

For His Glory

Laura Holmes (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 14, 2023

What’s Love Got To Do With It

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.” James 2:8 (ESV)

What the world needs now is love, sweet love it’s the only thing there’s just too little of…..I remember hearing this song as a little girl.  It sounded ever so sweet.  And love at that tender age didn’t appear lacking.  Life was simple then…..when love evolved around our parents and family.

Fast forward to our teen years and young adulthood, we learned quickly the shortage of love was ever increasing.  Bullying, peer pressure, fake friendships and lost “puppy” loves left us empty and wondering what’s love got to do with it.

Want to know the secret to “real” love?  It’s found in giving.  Yes, you got it – while we are always desiring the receiving end, real love sacrificially and generously gives.  Without holding back or looking out for what’s in it for me.

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” echoes from the heart of One who demonstrates His love so beautifully.  Jesus came to serve…to give…..the perfect love which endured humiliation, suffering and death despite our tendencies to be self absorbed, and indulgent. Daily He surrounds us with His unconditional love setting the example of what love has to do with it.

When we choose to love others as self, we become their best cheerleader.  We don’t covet their achievements or seek to compare self with them.  We love selflessly seeking their best rather than choosing the preferred for self.  We guard our words.  We become intentional listeners and gracious investors in the lives of others.

So you see love has everything to do with how we imitate Jesus to our world.  A world that’s desperately searching for the “real” thing.  A world accustomed to broken flawed relationships.  A world afraid to trust or hope in the impossible. A world consumed with self and convinced everyone else is too. A world Jesus gave His life for despite our inability to love perfectly in return.

So sweet friend if you’re wondering what’s love got to do with it…then glance toward a rugged cross.  Hear the resounding pounds of nails piercing His hands.  Envision the crown of thorns crushing His head.  Glimpse the drops of blood trickling down.  Listen closely for His final words – It is finished – love defined in a way foreign to our human comprehension.

When we get even a small understanding of Jesus’ love, we realize loving our neighbor isn’t really hard. It’s simply recognizing that love has everything to do with the way we reflect Jesus to our world.

“Father, it is ever so easy to get caught up in self and desire what works best for us without regard to others.  Help us to remember Your selfless, unconditional love and choose intentionally to love our world  the way You do.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 13, 2023

Defined By Scars

“But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our peace was laid upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

There’s a Christian pop song that was really popular a few years ago—it’s one with a powerful Biblical message and a beautiful melody, the kind you can play on repeat for hours. The song is Scars by I Am They (after you read this, take a listen here). I’m not going to ruin the musical story for you, because, like a great movie, there’s a tear-provoking lyrical twist.

I actually haven’t heard the song in a while but was reminded of it by a simple turn of phrase used by my pastor in a sermon I recently heard. And the whole concept struck my spirit in a fresh way, washing me over once again with the amazing grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Friend, this world is hard on us. Although we were created in the image of God, originally meant to live with Him in perfection, walking with Him in holy purity, that all changed real fast when the father of lies crept onto the scene. After sin entered the world, we were not only separated from our relationship with God, but everything (us included) started falling apart. Every one of us is born into sin, missing the mark of righteousness and falling short of the life intended for us in the Garden. And in this lifetime of selfish, flesh-satisfying decisions, we earn scars. Sometimes they’re physical, large or small and at various stages of healing, but they can be easily seen by others. Often, however, our scars are internal, invisible to casual onlookers. These unseen scars can be significantly more devastating than the visible ones. They may have come to be by our own choices—trying to satisfy that God-shaped hole in our soul in various ultimately destructive ways. And there are the deep, life-altering scars inflicted on us by others through no fault of our own.

The worst part is that we tend to define ourselves by these scars—they can easily become who we are, influencing our daily thinking, emotions, and behavior. Some people boast about their scars, whether it’s to gain sympathy or just to give credence to the anger and bitterness through which they see life.

Internal or external, our scars are born in pain. But our lives do not have to be defined by that pain or by the life we lived that may have caused those inflictions.

Jesus, fully God and fully Man, lived the perfect, holy life we could not live. And through His death on the cross made a way of reconciliation with God—exchanging His righteousness for our unrighteousness. The justice God required of us was paid in full…and through His resurrection, He was victorious over sin and death!

Friend, to this day and for eternity, Jesus Christ bears the scars of this Beautiful Exchange. And by His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). When we accept this gift of mercy (not getting what we do deserve) and grace (getting what we don’t deserve), we are made new! We are washed as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18), becoming a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our sins are forgiven and cast into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). And, although our physical scars may remain until our bodies are glorified, the internal scars no longer have to define us. Once you surrender to Jesus as Lord, it is by HIS scars you are defined. What does that mean—how does your self-definition change exactly? You become righteous, holy, royalty, a fellow heir with Christ, God’s possession, a child of God, and a friend of Jesus. And there is “now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). When you accept the power found in the scars of Jesus, your scars become powerless over you.

So, by whose scars will you define yourself? If you’re tired of the labels you’ve put on yourself because of where you’ve been or what you’ve done, give them over to Jesus…accept His scars and be free in Him.

“Jesus, thank You for Your scars. Scars that forever maimed You and forever healed me.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 10, 2023

Comforted To Be A Comforter

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

For years, I was unable to grieve well and as a result, I was unable to comfort well. I mistakenly thought that minimizing my own suffering was admirable — when in truth, I was denying not only my need to grieve but God’s promise to comfort me in my troubles. Without experiencing God’s comfort, I was ill-equipped to comfort others. I would use the same platitudes I spoke to myself when trying to “comfort” others who were in pain. When someone is suffering, quoting Romans 8:28 can feel more like a weapon than a salve. Truth, without compassion.

We cannot enter the grief of others until we enter our own grief and receive the comfort God promises. At times, I struggle with loving myself enough to believe that I even deserve God’s comfort. And honestly, I don’t. But because of who He is—a loving, merciful and compassionate Father, He has promised to comfort us. And, God keeps His promises.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27-28). Loving yourself requires learning to grieve well—recognizing and not minimizing our pain and accepting the comfort God promises. Only when we love ourselves, will we be able to love others well. Only when we allow ourselves to grieve, will we be able to comfort others with the same comfort we have received from God.

“Lord, draw us to love you more—with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Enable us to love others and love ourselves well. Teach us to turn to you for comfort in our suffering because you promise to comfort us and so that we can be instruments of your comfort in the lives of others.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 8, 2023

Wise Translator

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders: make the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 4:5

In my junior year at my Christian high school, I made friends with the Japanese exchange student in our class. She was sweet and soft-spoken, and we enjoyed getting to know each other despite a very difficult language barrier. Fortunately, she had a digital pocket translator. One time, someone was sharing who they had a crush on in our class with her and she started laughing as she searched for the right word to describe that person. When she typed the word from her language into that little device and showed us what it said in English, it read, “praying mantis.” I still haven’t stopped laughing about that. I didn’t even know they had praying mantises in Japan!

Traditionally, the Junior class made t-shirts with the school’s theme every year as a fundraiser for our senior trip. Our class asked this friend to translate the verse for the year into her language on the front of the shirt: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15, NKJV) The key phrase she translated was “walk circumspectly.” In order to find the characters she could understand in her language, she had to use her pocket translator. My friend did not know the Lord, but she was in an atmosphere where the students around her had a tremendous opportunity to show Him to her.

Walking in wisdom towards outsiders and making the most of every opportunity has everything to do with walking circumspectly like that parallel verse from Ephesians 5:15 says. But what does it mean to walk circumspectly? Webster defines it like this: “careful to consider all circumstances and outcomes, prudent.” There’s a level of diplomacy even involved in walking circumspectly. Scripture teaches us that we are Christ’s ambassadors to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are cautioned, certainly, in Psalm 1 not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of sinners,” but here in Colossians 4:5, we are also reminded to “be wise in the way we act toward outsiders” and “make the most of every opportunity.”

Jesus made the most of every opportunity by inviting sinners to follow Him into abundant, everlasting life. Like a much better version of that pocket translator my Japanese friend held, Jesus translated His message into a language outsiders could understand. Rowdy fishermen, thieving tax collectors, prostitutes, hypocrites, and highly contagious sick people are just SOME of the outsiders Jesus welcomed inside by translating His message of repentance and hope into a language they could understand.

How are we walking in wisdom with people outside of God’s Kingdom? Are we shouting at them in a language they can’t possibly understand? Or are we asking God to give us wisdom on how to translate His message into a language they can understand without losing its meaning and integrity?

Let’s walk in wisdom with outsiders, asking God to help us translate His message into a language they can understand. He’s done it before, and He can do it now.

“Lord, help us to walk in wisdom with outsiders. Use us as living letters to translate Your message into a language those we interact with can understand.”

 For His Glory,

 

Emily P. Meyer (www.emilypmeyer.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 7, 2023

Good Ole Days

“So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17:7

I am once again reading through the Bible in the year in chronological order. Currently, I’m still within the chapters of Exodus, as Moses recounts the incredible saga of how the Lord delivers His people from over 400 years of bondage in the land of Egypt. But, in all transparency, this portion of the narrative never fails to convict me. Thanks to Hollywood renditions, believers and unbelievers alike are familiar with how, after 10 terrifying and deadly plagues upon Egypt, Pharoah finally relented to Moses’ plea to “let my people go”—the more than two million Israelites loaded up with their neighbors’ gold and walked away from horrific slavery and suffering.

The now-free men, women, and children are stopped at the Red Sea when Pharoah—who had changed his mind, despite the death and destruction brought on by the plagues of God—and his army gave chase. But God. The Red Sea parted, the Israelites walked through it, and then the Egyptians were all drowned when they tried to follow (Exodus 14-15). The people celebrated and wrote a song of praise…but just a few weeks later, they were grumbling to God and Moses as they walked toward the Promised Land. “Remember when we ate our fill?” they cried (Exodus 16:3). “Life was so good back in Egypt!” Um, in reality, they were beaten, terrorized, and worked to death—Pharoah even murdered all the baby Israelite baby boys to quell their population. And even after their miraculous survival of the plagues, their enriching exodus, walking on dry land through a sea, and actually being led day and night by God’s presence in a pillar of smoke and fire, respectively, they still grumbled and complained to God. Not only that, but they looked back at their bondage and mistreatment with some seriously rose-colored glasses, longing for the good ole days of enslavement.

And over the next few months, this cycle continued over and over. Despite a miracle of provision just happening, the people would grumble, gripe and complain. Then (in great patience, mercy, and love) God would miraculously show His power and provision again. Whether it was providing water from a rock, giving these non-fighters victory in battle, or raining down food from heaven, the people received mind-blowing grace from the Lord one day and forgot about it the next. What’s more astounding is that, even while being a literal walking miracle, these people turned their minds and hearts to a broken, miserable past from which they were delivered.

Cue the conviction. I read through these chapters time and time again with self-righteous mockery. The narrative in my head sounds something like, “I cannot believe those ungrateful idiots! How could they possibly experience God’s amazing provision just to turn around and gripe to Him about their circumstances? And they seriously pined for their “good ole days” of enslavement?”

Ouch. These chapters of Exodus might as well be a mirror. I was once enslaved to sin, but through the work of Jesus (not anything I did), I was set free and set off in a different direction toward the Promised Land (heaven). I am a walking miracle, having been redeemed by Christ and reconciled to God (Romans 5:10). Yet I still tend to gripe and complain. Over the past 25 years as a Christian, the Lord has shown me innumerable miracles—protection, provision, restoration, mercy…inexpressible grace. I even have the very presence of the Lord with me day and night, as the Holy Spirit lives in me! Sure, after each recognized gift of God, I am thankful, singing His praises! But then the sun rises again, and—somehow—I find myself whining about my circumstances again. What’s worse, though, are those times when I heed the hissing in my ear from the enemy: “Remember the good ole’ days, when you went out partying with your friends—wasn’t that so fun? Remember when you could talk and act however you wanted? Your money and time were all yours. You were so free back then!” Similar to the Israelites, though, my perceived “good ole days of freedom” were not so good. It consisted of pain, misery, selfishness, and enslavement to pursuing anything to fill the God-shaped hole in my soul.

The words from Exodus remind me of my own desert-wandering attitude, giving me the opportunity to repent and shift my perspective. To keep my eyes on the Lord and who He is and all He’s done for me, not on my circumstances or some glamorized version of my past. But friend, that is the beauty of the entire Bible! Each page, from Genesis to Revelation, reveals to us who Jesus is—and who we are in Him. Again, I encourage you to dive in, recognize the miracles of our gracious God (including you!), and learn from His Word how to walk not in grumbling and complaints, but in Joy and Peace.

“Lord, thank You for the reminder that we are prone to wander—in thought, word, and action. May we keep our eyes on You as we walk toward our ultimate Home.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Freedom, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 6, 2023

Best Decision Ever

“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go limping between two different opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.”  I Kings 18:21 (ESV)

Choices…choices…choices.  From the moment we wake in the morning choices begin to roll.  We make a decision to get out of bed.  Part of that choice is what time we get up.  We choose what we are going to wear to work.  We decide what’s for breakfast.  We choose to shower, brush our teeth, etc.  I think we all get the picture.  And we haven’t even left our home yet. Some of those decisions were no brainers – simple everyday tasks we perform on command.  Other choices were intentional and required thought.  Some choices are definitely easier than others, but for people who struggle to make any decisions all choices are heavy weights.

Totally landed there myself on many occasions.  One pivotal wavering moment in my early adult years could have easily landed me in a wrong direction.  One foot was in step with the world and one foot was in step with God. Needless to say, I wavered constantly. My allegiance was divided on every angle. Decisions were ever hard to make.  Why?  Because I knew the truth; I just wasn’t choosing to live it.

Sounds a lot like the Israelites who found themselves entertaining allegiance to Baal.  Dangling loosely in the world’s culture and gods versus standing firm in devotion to their God.  Elijah doesn’t sugarcoat his knowledge of their limping, double-minded opinions.  I Kings 18 unfolds the showdown of Baal versus God at Mount Carmel.  Elijah’s game plan was strategic to disclose who was the one, true God. Two bulls were slain and laid on separate altars.  “You call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord and the God who answers by fire he is God,” commanded Elijah to the prophets of Baal.

Now these Baal followers probably thought the win would be a no-brainer.  Their god was known as presiding over fire. An easy feat for sure; however, despite calling on Baal to consume the altar nothing happened.  No response or fire descended from their god.  Calmly Elijah invited the people to draw near.  Purposefully, he took twelve stones (one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel) and built the altar. Placing the wood and bull strategically on the altar, Elijah instructed the altar to be doused three times in water.

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back,” echoed Elijah.  And God didn’t disappoint; He consumed the entire altar with fire (bull, stones, dust and water).  End result, the people fell on their faces and proclaimed the Lord is God. The limping back and forth transitioned into confident trust in the one true God.

Sweet friends, if we find ourselves attempting to cling to the world and to our God, we will be consumed with unrest.  No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  The struggle is real and one will always outweigh the other even if we never intended to move in that direction.  Let’s guard our hearts against allowing other gods to drift in and steal our allegiance.  Let’s choose today who we will serve and cling to our One True God!

“Father, help us to intentionally choose to follow hard after You.  Believing and trusting in You day by day.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 3, 2023

When Words Fall Short

“I (God) am angry with you (Eliphaz) and your two friends for you have not spoken the truth about Me, as my servant Job has.” Job 42:7b (HCSB)

We’ve probably all found ourselves in pivotal moments when we simply just didn’t know what to say. Someone we love experiences a heartbreaking loss. A family member or close friend passes away. A friend loses their job. A couple’s marriage disintegrates right before our eyes. A prodigal wanders further and further away heaping on devastating consequences. An illness or tragedy attacks those in our circle. Could be we are faced with the one whose choices haven’t served them well. All moments when we are searching for the right words and the right response.

Wonder if Job’s friends felt the same way. Devastation, heartbreak and extreme loss characterized Job’s life as Satan targeted him with blows from every angle. Within moments he lost his children, servants, livestock, and if that wasn’t enough he was stricken with boils from head to toe. Extreme losses. A man of perfect integrity (Job 1:8), Job became a moving target for Satan’s attacks. When his friends learned of his heartache, they left their homes with the intent to comfort Job.

And that sweet friends is where our story lands – after long dialogues and great dissertations, Job’s comfort is short-lived. His friends can’t explain the tragic events plaguing Job. They can’t wrap their minds around it so instead of comfort, they resort to judgment and accusations. They paint a false narrative of who God is and how He has interacted with Job’s life.

Have to be honest here – we’ve probably all landed there. When the suffering of this world seems larger than life, we attempt to come up with some way to rationalize it. We search for words to say – a way to explain what is so much higher than our own understanding. Like Job’s friends, our initial intentions are to comfort, but in the longevity of suffering, we may bend towards judgment and a misrepresentation of God. Don’t want to land in that place.

Before a single word escapes our lips, we would be wise to pray and seek God’s wisdom. Doesn’t mean He is going to give us the answer to someone’s suffering, but we can be confident He will guide us in what to say and when to say it. God will show us key scriptures to remind them of His faithfulness, promises and love for them. He will teach us how to listen deeply and allow others to give voice to their pain without fear of judgment. And sometimes the greatest gift we bring is just being present with them in the midst of their pain.

“Father, You are our ever-present help. You are faithful and true. Longsuffering and full of grace. Help us to reflect Your character to those overwhelmed by sorrow and remind them of Your great love.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 2, 2023

Completely Helpless

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:6 (NLT)

There was a time when my younger son screamed about everything. When I say scream, I mean it sounded like he was auditioning for the victim in a horror film. Granted, stepping on a Lego is painful, but there is absolutely no reason to scream when you lose your pencil or can’t get your sock on straight.

The screaming left every last nerve in my body frayed. I finally warned Kaden that if he kept screaming about everything, we might not come when he really needed us.

A couple of days later, I came in the house from getting some orange juice out of the refrigerator in the garage when I heard screaming. I was tempted to ignore the screaming and vacuum the sunroom like I planned. Something (or someone) blocked me from going about my business so I reluctantly checked on Kaden first.

I turned the corner and froze in fear. Kaden balanced precariously at the top of the stairs dangling over the banister. He was in a plank position with his belly on the banister. His feet hung over the stairs while his head fought gravity over the hard floor fifteen feet below. His strength began to fail him, tipping his feet higher and higher. He couldn’t get himself back on his feet since his palms were facing the wrong way. His arms were shaking with the effort of trying to hold on.

I raced up the stairs and pulled him away from the banister. As I held him in my arms, he cried over and over, “Thank you for saving me!”

Just as Kaden was helpless on the banister, we are helpless in our sin. Our pride and rebellion mire us in the quicksand of sin, pulling us down deeper as we struggle to break free in our own strength. We need a Savior to rescue us in our helpless state. Christ came at just the right time.

We may have trusted Christ for salvation one day in the past, but do we entrust Him with our needs each day?

“Thank You, Lord, for coming at just the right time to rescue me from my sin. I entrust You in all my helplessness with my daily needs.”

For His Glory

Tammy Randlett (http://staletoast.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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