Tag: spiritual

Posted on

Wisdom and Waterfalls

James 1:6 (NIV)—But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

My husband and I walked the trail to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains, unsure of the exact location of the waterfall. We crossed a bridge at a smaller waterfall, but, for some reason, we didn’t believe this to be the waterfall we sought. We trudged farther along the trail. Our legs grew tired, the trail seemed to go on and on, and we wanted nothing more than to see this waterfall. Soon, we met with other hikers, who pointed us in the direction from which we’d come.

It’s funny the things we doubt for no particular reason. We wear ourselves out, and it’s as if we’ve been bowled over by a wave while trying to figure out the situation.

If only we’d asked God for wisdom before we began our task. Surely this would save us some stress.

But when we don’t believe at first, we can learn from the situation, find the joy our trial, and still seek wisdom from God. We may be tired, confused, or exasperated, but we can rest easy knowing we’ve put the situation into God’s hands.

Posted on

Wandering a Maze

Jeremiah 14:10 (NIV)—This is what the Lord says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”

It’s fall again! And one of my favorite harvest-time activities is wandering through a corn maze. My hubby and make a night of it—the maze followed by dinner at a local restaurant—or even a weekend break, exploring a new area for a couple of days. (I’ll use anything as an excuse for another adventure!)

We wander each and every path of the maze, searching for the checkpoints. Each trail offers a new adventure to unexplored paths and hours of fun. Sooner or later, the last checkpoint becomes elusive and we have to stop and consider the path we’ve followed and where we haven’t been.

Much the same, the people of Judah lost themselves in maze of their own sins. Even though they repented, they chose, over and over, the path of sin. Though they checked in with God, their efforts were half-hearted and they chose the path away from God’s covenant with them.

If only they’d stopped at a checkpoint and truly considered their position.

God sets out checkpoints to guide us on our journey with him. He gives us time to check in and ask, “What path do I take? Am I on your path?” The checkpoint may be a time of rest, of listening, of a new action, of a step toward God’s path, of solitude, of silence, or perhaps something else. No matter our place in our journey with God, God holds firm to his promises when we choose the path he sets before us.

Posted on

Between Heaven and Earth

Philippians 1:23–24 (NIV)—I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

In Iceland, the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates rise above the surface of the earth in Þingvellir National Park. I walked the boardwalk between the two continents, head swiveling back and forth while I adjusted camera settings, pointed, and clicked. I wanted to live in the moment and capture the memories, because when else would I have the opportunity to stand between the continents? Probably never, because Iceland is the only place on the earth where the tectonic plates sit above sea level.

There is another place we, as Christians, stand: between heaven and earth. We have the ultimate example of standing between heaven and earth in the Apostle Paul, who strove to live between his ministry on earth and his reward in heaven. He found joy and encouragement in the spreading of the Gospel and in his fellow believers. He filled others with joy and encouragement through his letters. His life pointed to Christ, despite the metaphorical earthquakes of imprisonment and possible death.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians shows that our chance to stand between heaven and earth has no bounds. We are to mimic Christ in all situations. We are to live with our lives pointed to heaven.

Posted on

Sheep in the Middle of the Road: Caution!

Jeremiah 8:4–6 (NIV)—“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return? Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.
Two sheep butting heads and one sitting in the grass in front of the pseudocraters in Iceland

Before traveling to Iceland, my husband and I watched a comical cartoon video about driving in Iceland. One of the most memorable parts was a car running into a sheep and the sheep toppling over the car. Another part of the video detailed the blind crests and curves, showing one car crashing into the back of another. The important message came through: use care when driving and know the rules of the road.

Charging headfirst into Iceland without this knowledge speaks of disaster waiting to happen, and I can reliably inform you that sheep do roam freely around every bend in Iceland and tourists do stop their vehicles in the middle of the road to catch of glimpse of the sheep and the scenery.

I can imagine Jeremiah 8 as a cautionary video montage of dead bodies lying in the sun, statues of gods falling on top of people, the leaves of fig trees withering, a mass of people clutching their stomachs from hunger, and the voice-over repeatedly saying, “Repent! Ask, ‘What have I done?’”

Yet the people of Judah ignored God, instead stopping in the middle of the road to gaze at their foreign idols, among their other sins. They did not truly know God’s law and did not ask him to explain.

As God’s people, we can ask God how we ran into a sheep in the middle of the road. God wants us to ask, “What have I done?” and to repent. For when we ask, when we study God’s word, when we meditate on it, we receive answers and can stand up again and return to walking God’s path.

A bend in Route 1 in Iceland with mountains on one side of the road
Posted on

Restoration: A Hope and a Future

The Kerid crater in Iceland
The Kerid crater in Iceland
Jeremiah 29:14 (ESV)—I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Thousands of years ago, a cone-shaped volcano, Kerið, erupted, emptying its reserve of magma. The volcano’s cone then collapsed into the empty space, forming today’s Kerið crater. Sometime after the collapse, the chamber filled with water, and not muddy, brown water, but aquamarine water, colored by the minerals in the rocks. This tourist attraction has an embankment with streaks of red from iron deposits, and moss grows along the slope.

At times, we may feel as if our own life has erupted and emptied its magma chamber. We feel depleted and empty, alone and sorrowful, dreadful and tired. The weight becomes too much to bear, and the collapse shakes us even more. The emptiness presses in, filling our souls with muddy, brown water. Trusting in God in this moment feels like lifting a large boulder. Impossible.

But it’s not impossible. God wants us to seek him and find him. Then, amid the chaos of life, God offers us restoration, an aquamarine light at the end of the tunnel, a beautiful painting in tones of red, a glimpse of life among the rocky soil. He offers us a hope and a future; he offers to bring us back from our exile.

Posted on

God Preserves Us

A mastodon skeleton at Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri
Psalm 121:7 (KJV)—The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

On an adventure to the Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri, I had the privilege to behold a mastodon skeleton that offered evidence of humans and American mastodons coexisting in eastern North America.

I look at the picture now and think of preservation. The archaeologists must have worked with great care in uncovering the bones. Then the bones had to be transported without damage. The process probably ended with the reconstruction of the skeleton.

Each and every step required care, the same care our Father dotes upon us.

When we feel as if our bones are being buried in the earth, God acts with the care of an archaeologist, preserving us. He cares for us, allowing us to cast our anxieties upon him (1 Peter 5:7). He guides us with his Word (Psalm 119:105). He does not forsake us (Psalm 37:28), and he restores us (Psalm 23:3).

With these promises, we can cry out, as Jeremiah did, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14, ESV).

Posted on

Sunset Promise: Light in the Darkness

Genesis 1:5 (ESV)—And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
A sunset over the ocean, with palm trees in the foreground, on the island of Maui

I am a sunset person. The sun rises far to early for me to jump out of my comfy bed while I’m on vacation—or at home, for that matter. I love the colors streaking across the sky, the rays peeking out from behind clouds, the awe of the moment as people gather to watch the spectacle of the sun sinking below the horizon.

The sunset promises light in the darkness. The darkness reveals more of God’s magnificent creation. The moon smiles down at us. The stars wink from their stage in the sky. Planets glow. All these are reminders of God’s power and the light he shines on us, even in our darkest hour.

A sunset over the ocean in Kihei, on the island of Maui
Posted on

Traveling With a Joyful Heart

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)—A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

When it comes to vacations, I am a planner. I schedule events on a calendar for each day of my travels. But at times I misjudge the distance from one place to the next, or I don’t plan enough time for an event, and suddenly my elaborate schedule crumbles. I internally berate myself for messing up the situation, arms crossed and shoulders slumped.

In a matter of moments, my joyful heart sinks into a pit of mire. The activity I once looked forward to threatens to derail my vacation. The mud in the pit slowly sucks away my ideal plans.

The easy answer is to wallow in the mud—and sometimes I do, as my story reveals. The better answer, though not always the easiest, is battling the mud and pulling myself back to joy. And such a battle requires the right tools, beginning with the Bible’s guidance.

A few of my go-to verses that remind me to seek joy come from Philippians 4:

Verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Verse 6: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These verses remind me to focus on the positive. They lift my spirit and allow me to finish my vacation with a spirit of joy.

I encourage you to highlight in your Bible and memorize a few verses that provide you the medicine of joy. Practice making these your go-to thoughts in your travels and in your everyday life.

Posted on

A Different Perspective of the Sea

Jeremiah 5:22 (ESV)—Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Last week I sat on the beach with my family, soaking up sun rays, boogie boarding for hours, and even stand-up paddleboarding. I reclined on my beach chair. I sat with my back to the waves with my niece, nephew, and sister, laughing as we tumbled, and spitting out the occasional mouthful of salt water. I felt rested and rejuvenated.

The ocean is about more than rest and fun, though, and this verse in Jeremiah adds to my perspective. The next time I walk on the sand, searching the water for rays, the next time I swim in the ocean, catching waves on a boogie board, and the next time I simply sit in the surf, watching the waves break, I’ll remember God’s power and stand in awe of the One who set the sands into place.

Posted on

Challenges From God: Following His Sometimes Awe-Inspiring, Sometimes Awkward, Sometimes Easy, Sometimes Frightening Plan

This photo shows the front of end of a kayak in a river rapid. The kayak tilts to one side. There are trees in the background.
When the river tips over our kayak, God remains with us and plans to rescue us.
Jeremiah 1:7–8 (NIV)—But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

When I travel, I avoid certain activities. Kayaking, because I’ve tried and failed at it twice. Ziplining, because I’m afraid of heights. Diving, because I can’t breath through a snorkel tube, let alone whatever breathing apparatus diving requires—not to mention I sink like a rock in water.

I choose whether to do these activities on the basis of my feelings, both physically and emotionally. By not doing them, I feel safe and calm, which is important to me.

Yet these challenges don’t compare to those to which God calls us. At times, God calls us to situations we’d rather ignore even though we’d rather feel safe and calm. Perhaps God calls us to reach out to a friend even though we’re socially awkward. Maybe he plants the seed of an overseas mission trip in our mind when we’re afraid of flying. Possibly he asks us to give more generously than our budget allows.

Scary? Yes!

Uncomfortable? Absolutely!

But God doesn’t call us to watch us squirm in discomfort. He calls us because he handcrafted a plan for us, a sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes awkward, sometimes easy, sometimes frightening plan. When God calls, and we answer yes, he promises us his presence. He stands with us, and he wants to rescue us in his time.