Loneliness

Do you ever find yourself lonely? Physically, and spiritually? Over and over I have read comments and desperate pleas for advice from moms who find themselves struggling to cope with their current loneliness. The past year+ of shut downs and restrictions has amplified the isolation many of us are feeling, though I wonder how many were already familiar with loneliness.

Even before 2020, we may have had challenges of finding friends we “click” with. We may have struggled finding groups for our children to spend time with, or other moms we can talk to beyond a surface chit chat. And now, in our current upheaval of “normal,” we are seeing the Church being sifted and people choose whether or not they will hold fast to Scripture. I don’t know about you, but this has been the hardest part for me – seeing so many friends and acquaintances walk away from the Lord and embrace our culture’s wickedness. It’s heartbreaking, and while it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of friendships it does cause separation to one degree or another.

We can often find ourselves in seasons of loneliness. And it begs the question – what to do?

One morning I was reading 1 Kings and the chapters for the day were so fitting. Chapters 17-19 share some of Elijah’s life, and his work for the Lord. God used him to do miracles and save lives! He walked closely with the Lord and was obedient to Him. Yet he was lonely and hard-pressed, and finally begged God to just let him die. “It is enough!” he cried (19:4). “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (19:10).

Who else but the Lord can refresh us? He took Elijah out of his cave, and showed Himself to him. He told him what was to come, and then reassured him: “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have now bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (19:18). Elijah was not actually alone.

We need to remember this in regard to our own lives. We may feel lonely, and things can look bleak, but the Lord always saves a remnant. There are always other faithful believers who have not bowed to pagans, who will hold fast to Scripture and refuse to deny their Savior. They may not be in our neighborhoods, or even in our counties – but they exist, spread out where the Lord has placed them. We are in good company.

With that in mind, here are other actions I hope you will find helpful:

1. Read the Word and pray – We know this! Wallow not; be fed by His Word, then get up and do the next thing. Pray all day as you go about your tasks. You will find He is an ever present, close Companion.

2. Keep friendships in healthy perspective – The Lord is good to bring friends in due season. Sometimes those seasons don’t last long, sometimes they last decades. Sometimes friends overlap seasons, sometimes they don’t. Yet we can trust that He knows what He’s doing with us, and with our friends. Learn to cherish them but not hold them too closely. Friends are not our end-all; only He can satisfy as a Friend who knows us better than anyone else.

3. Get to know people – Holding friendships loosely doesn’t mean not having any at all, or not trying to build some! But instead of trying to find people that fit your criteria, work to get to know the people around you. Be a multi-generational friend, not an only-my-age friend. We learn from and can be edified by people of all ages and backgrounds. This may be a challenge right now, but I also encourage you to get together with people and build relationships. It’s a necessity! Go to church, get together with other believers to pray, host someone for dinner. Make it happen.

4. Journal – write everything out. I have kept a journal for close to two decades, and I can testify to how helpful it is. Putting all of your thoughts on paper can help you sort through them. Looking back may be cringy (it really is), but it is a testimony to God’s goodness for carrying you and growing you. It is a private space to pour your thoughts and emotions out to the Lord, and it brings maturity!

5. Read biographies of other Christians – there are so many! I recently finished Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn; highly recommend it. A Chance to Die is another great one; it’s a biography about Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot. Read about Gladys Aylward, missionary to China. Read Found Faithful by Elizabeth Skoglund, a compilation of stories about Charles Spurgeon, CS Lewis, Amy Carmichael, Ruth Bell Graham, Andrew Murray, and others. Reading about others who have gone before us is so encouraging and inspiring. They will remind you of the greatness of our God and leave you knowing you’re not alone in this marathon of faith!

Ultimately, we know that our loneliness and challenges are temporary. We endure for a moment in the grand scheme of things. Our God is forever on His throne, and darkness cannot overcome His light.

Even in your loneliness, keep your eyes firmly fixed on His Word. There you will find satisfaction for your soul. May we be the remnant, and the remnant that multiplies.

The Rescuer of Souls || Friday Magnify

 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

We drove over this bridge recently and I hurried to take photos to send to a friend. She moved away from most winter things - naturally I have to tease with a [blurry] photo of the snow she doesn’t get to see anymore. Looking the scene again later, I marveled. The current in this river is very strong, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at the surface. Some areas show the push and pull, but much of it remains placid and untouched.

Reading in Acts 2 this morning, God reminded me of how He works. Peter gave a sermon to a large group of people, many of whom were mocking and skeptical about Peter’s loyalty to Christ. They weren’t sure what to make of recent events (Jesus being crucified). It was a strange time. But here was Peter, having just received the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised, and he was preaching to the crowd. The whole crowd understood what he was saying, each in his own language. How could this be? What power was at work in him?

In his sermon, Peter walked the crowd through Scripture that most, if not all, would’ve been familiar with. He showed them how Jesus was the fulfillment of the law, and the only Way to be saved.

“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (vs.21).

The Jesus whom they had crucified is the One that God made King and Savior.

“When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (vs. 37)

Can you imagine the angst once they realized the truth? their own sin against the holy God?

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” (vs. 38-40).

We learn after these verses that about three thousand souls were saved that day. They saw their depravity and need for a Savior. Wow!

Christianity is the one religion that cannot be stopped. Why? Because it is the only truth. Worship of and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ - that will go on for eternity. God tells us in His Word that one day, all peoples and nations will bow before Him. And one day, sin will be gone for good and we will be left with perfection, worshiping our King.

Just like the river, under the bridge - God is always moving and always working in mighty ways. We may not see it; we may not know what He is up to, and how on Earth He is going to redeem humanity. It looks bleak, and it looks like we are losing the fight. But He is strong, powerful, independent. He does as He wants, and it is good. He is bringing people to Himself even now.

Take heart, friends. We serve the one true God who alone can save, who alone can rescue souls - and He is! Praise Him!

Cling to the Cross

This post has been in the works for what seems like forever. Thoughts have been plentiful, but the wisdom and ability to pull it all together has been a struggle. I can share thoughts, but if they are not governed by God’s Word they will do us no good!

It seems wise to set a foundation, and build upon it. This post will be an explanation and foundation of sorts for the posts to come. I have been praying that each one would be directed by the Lord, used for His glory (please, be praying the same!). Here we go.

We must understand that we are at war. We may have been able to ignore it because life has been easy and comfortable. But, we are at war. It’s not soldiers marching toward each other, at least not at this point; and even then, lines blur. The true war isn’t physical: it’s good versus evil. Truth versus lies. God against Satan. The bigger battle is spiritual.

Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Evil doesn’t play fair. Evil knows no bottom; there is no depth too deep for it to go. But as Christians, we don’t play by Satan’s “rules.” We follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth is not spread by cheating, manipulating, complaining, throwing punches, slandering, etc. We don’t get to play dirty.

All that’s going on in America shouldn’t really surprise us. As a people, we have been walking away from the Lord for decades. There comes a time when He removes His protection (see the Israelites) – and I believe this is where we are at. Our country has allowed evil to run rampant. We say homosexuality is fine; lying and cheating are normal; divorce comes with marriage; killing preborn babies is desirable. Did you know that abortion is now the leading cause of death in the USA? How much blood we have on our hands!

“What our nation calls feminism, God calls rebellion. What our nation calls religious diversity, God calls idolatry. What our nation calls reproductive rights, God calls murder. What our nation calls sexual orientation, God calls abomination. What our nation calls enlightenment, God calls darkness.
The only way for our nation to be healed is for her people to come into agreement with God’s Word, repent of wickedness and receive the gracious pardon of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- Rusty Thomas

We must repent!

We often think the Gospel is just for unbelievers, yet it is crucial to our daily lives as believers. We are not exempt from temptations, and when we give way to sin – we must forsake it. Sin is grievous, evil; so undesirable we should spit out any taste of it. Repent, friends! Turn from sins, little and big, and go back to your Heavenly Father. He is always faithful to forgive. We need to make things right with Him quickly, and move on!

We as a Church must get back to Scripture and sound doctrine. We must be unapologetic about it. There is no other Way. We will be hated by the world – Jesus tells us this:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

Again, this is a spiritual battle. People hate Jesus; therefore they hate His Church. I have found that this road, walking with Jesus, is a lonely one. Ironically, I know I’m not the only one – and this will be a later post.

But the intense loneliness, the challenge to discern good from almost-good, the persecution that may come – it is all worth it.

We are heading into rougher waters as a country, no doubt. Things will continue to get hard. But we are given one life, one day at a time and the Lord asks that we use it faithfully for Him. May we not be like those to whom He says, “I never knew you.” May we not think we are following Him if we choose not to read His Word and let it change our lives. We will either stand for Him or we won’t. Our children will see us cling to Him, or they’ll watch us try to cling to crumbling idols.

I am praying you and I will cling desperately to Him. I am burdened that as a whole, the Church has neglected discipleship and as a result many who thought they knew Him are finding that they don’t. There are also many who want to know Him, but don’t know how or where to start. This blog does not replace in-person discipleship, and there are many things I am not qualified to talk about. But I am praying that the Lord would use the words on this website to encourage you and point you to Himself. Upcoming posts will be aimed to do just that (like usual, but He has increased my determination ;)). We need to spur each other on; we have an ever-pressing need for strong, Godly women. May He make us so!

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.

The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Creation Exalts Him || Friday Magnify

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

“Mom, look!” my oldest exclaimed, looking out the car window.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Look at the sun, it’s moving and coming with us!”

The clouds were quickly covering the foggy sun and then briefly exposing it before covering it again. It was beautiful to watch, even for the short second I could turn my head.

Nature is so captivating. Every year my kids and I watch the leaves grow and die, the fields fill with hay and wild flowers and then turn into an empty expanse. We take note of the birds and squirrels - the regulars and the newbies that take up residence in our yard. We watch the tides rush in and flow out, and the mountain trails become lined with foliage or piles of snowflakes.

In every season, it seems as though Creation groans. Things are broken, a result of a fallen world. It makes me wonder what all of this would’ve looked like in Eden. Someday, we will know.

Despite the brokenness, nature exalts our King. Trees stretch high toward Heaven, birds make music that He hears, the rushing waters and delicate flowers show the care of their Creator. He could have left this world blank but He filled it with beauty, and it glorifies Him.

Many a man will refuse to praise Him. Man, who is made in His image. But Creation still magnifies our Lord and tells of His glory. We can see firsthand, if we are looking, that He is very present and involved. What an encouragement to see that even when men fail to give Him praise, nature around us still shouts His Name!

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And He has exalted the horn of His people,
The praise of all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
A people near to Him.

Praise the Lord!

I highly recommend this song from Seeds Family Worship. They sing through the first five verses, and it is a fun and effective way to memorize this passage with your kids!