Assurance

Encouragement for Weary Souls

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

Dear Readers,

I have several friends who are navigating serious health issues with loved ones. Their journeys remind me of the challenging paths I walked with Mom and Dad in the final months of their lives. Yet the memories are also laced with Scripture passages that sustained me during those trying times. As I’ve shared them with my friends, I’ve recalled how powerful the promises of God are. I expect some, maybe many, of you are on an arduous journey of your own, so I decided to fashion this week’s post from the passages I not only clung to then but also return to when other difficult situations arise. It is my prayer that one or more of them will provide the hope you need in the days ahead. 

New Mercies

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23

I was often mentally, physically, and emotionally spent by the time nightfall arrived each day, but every morning, I would imagine the Lord had refilled my bucket overnight so that it was overflowing with His mercies for that day.  

Eyes Fixed

For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (2 Chronicles 20:12b).

There were so many decisions I needed to make regarding Mom and Dad’s care, some of them downright gut-wrenching. I thought of the decisions being the great horde coming against me, and I prayed Jehoshaphat’s prayer – Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are fixed on You – repeatedly, sometimes multiple times a day, seeking wisdom from the Lord.

Light and Momentary

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

When we’re in the midst of trying circumstances, the affliction doesn’t feel light or momentary, but for those who love the Lord, we know He’s working all things together for our good and is fitting us for our heavenly Home (Romans 8:28-30).

Weary

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

Sometimes the journey feels so long. You don’t know if you can keep going, at least not in the right spirit, without becoming frustrated or resentful. I asked people to pray that I wouldn’t become weary in doing good so I could honor my parents and God, who entrusted their care to me. I longed to reap the harvest of helping them finish their earthly lives with dignity.

Gentle Savior

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

We are blessed to have a gentle Savior who understands our frailties and offers rest for our souls. He has promised never to leave or forsake us (Matthew 28:20b).

Comfort Others

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

As citizens of Heaven sojourning in a world marred by sin, there will be instances when we or our loved ones don’t get the diagnosis or outcome we hope for. At such times, we can rest in the assurance that Jesus is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He comforts us so that we may comfort others and point them to the hope we’ve found in His steadfast love and faithfulness.

Ultimate Hope

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (Revelation 21:1-6a).

Whenever I read this passage, I want to shout, “Hallelujah! I can’t wait!” No more tears or death or mourning or crying or pain – that’s what God’s beloved children have to look forward to because He will indeed make all things new!

It will be four years next month since the Lord called Mom Home and two years in July since Dad joined her. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss them, but I wouldn’t wish them back from Paradise. Instead, I look forward to spending eternity with them in the presence of Jesus. Until then, I will cling to God’s promises and endeavor to keep my eyes fixed on Him. I pray you will do the same. May you find great hope in these and other passages.

Room to Learn

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

No matter how long we’ve walked with the Lord or partaken of sound Biblical teaching, we can always learn more.

I spent the past three days at my denomination’s annual Women’s Ministry Leadership Training conference – LT for short. Each year, I look forward to taking time away from my daily activities, to participate in stimulating workshops, listen to thought-provoking keynote presentations, and reconnect with friends from other parts of the country.

I come home tired but inspired, drenched with points to ponder and potential programs to implement, as if I’d been caught in a sudden summer downpour of experiences. And, true confession, I always pick up a few items at the bookstore to add to my to-be-read pile, regardless of how many unread titles it already contains!

This year is no different. Even though I’m still in the early stages of processing, I want to share a nugget or two with you.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Big Picture Perspective.” I know the Bible is one continuous, extraordinary story of God pursuing His people and being faithful to His promises even when His people are unfaithful to theirs. I’m also familiar with the four main parts of His great big story:

  • Creation – when God spoke everything into existence and declared it to be very good. There was perfect peace between God and His creatures and between the creatures themselves (Genesis 1 and 2).
  • Fall – the terrible instant when Adam and Eve reaped the consequences of their disobedience, consequences that would impact them, their offspring, and all of Creation, which has been groaning ever since (Genesis 3, Romans 8:19-23).
  • Redemption – when Jesus, the promised Messiah, came, lived a sinless life, and paid the debt we owed God so that He sees Jesus’ righteousness, not our filthy rags, when He looks at us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  • Consummation – when Jesus returns to make all things even better than before because there will no longer be the possibility of losing the perfect peace. No more pain, no more tears, no more death (Revelation 21:1-5).

I’ve often said death hurts because it wasn’t part of God’s good plan. Neither were sickness, injuries, conflict, chaos, or disorder. We can look at the way things were in the beginning and see why the brokenness in the world pains us. We were created for relationships and community. No wonder it hurts when we’re left out and isolated. We were created to tend the earth, which would easily flourish under our care. No wonder battling weeds and briers is so burdensome. We were created to live in a peaceful, well-ordered world. No wonder conflict and clutter are so unsettling.

So, what was one of my ah-ha moments at LT?

Creation not only informs our hurts, but it also informs our longings. It’s good to desire close, healthy relationships, pluck weeds from our flower gardens, keep the neighbor’s cat away from the bird feeders, paint, sing, dance, write, and perform for the glory of God. In fact, tending and beautifying all He’s entrusted to us is very good because He declared it so.

Reframing the contrast between the now and the beginning in a more positive way helps my heart focus on the glimpses of goodness God sprinkles throughout my days, to see that He is already making all things new bit by bit, including me.

We know God created the perfect beginning and has promised us a perfect ending. Between those two, we have the assurance that He is with us in the messy middle, transforming us more and more into the image of His Son while advancing His kingdom to the foreordained consummation we long for.

Lord, thank You that I will never fully plumb the depths of Your wisdom and ways, and for the opportunities to learn from my fellow finite sojourners until the day You call me Home!

Our Part

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Ephesians 1:3-4

Chosen

Like most children, my grandson Joshua had a wonderful imagination when he was little. I never knew from one visit to the next what scenario I might be stepping into, but he always had a story ready to enact, complete with props. Sometimes, he would hand me a lasso (one of the dog’s leashes), and we’d ride off to rustle up some cows. Then again, he would give me a plastic sword, and we would protect our ship (a large cardboard box) from pirates. One day, we even boarded a train (the sofa) and headed west to visit our South Dakota relatives. Regardless of the adventure, Joshua always made sure I had a role to play, announcing, “This is your part, Grammie!” as he handed me the appropriate accessory.

As touching as it was for Joshua to include me in his storylines, I am astounded when I think that God chose me before the foundation of the world to be part of His story (Ephesians 1:4). But that’s not all. He also:

  • Determined the specific time and place for me to live (Acts 17:26).
  • Prepared good works for me that I should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
  • Wrote all my days in His book before even one came to be (Psalm 139:16).
  • Is preparing a place for me so I can dwell with Him forever (John 14:1-3).

These things are true for every one of God’s children. Isn’t it amazing that the infinite God, who lacked nothing, chose to share the love and communion enjoyed by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Trinity and give us parts in His grand story?

Equipped

And, just as Joshua provided the trappings I needed to fulfill my various roles, God also equips us. He has given us:

  • His word, living and active, to teach, reprove, correct, and train us in righteousness (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16).
  • Different spiritual gifts for building up the Church (1 Corinthians 12).
  • His Spirit, to instruct and empower us (John 14:26; Ephesians 1:19-20).
  • His grace which is always sufficient (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9).
  • The promise of His presence so we’ll never be alone or forsaken (Matthew 28:20; Deuteronomy 31:8).

Sustained

Joshua is a teenager now, several inches taller than me, and still growing. Gone are the days of defending cardboard ships and boarding sofa trains, but I’m blessed to still have a part in Joshua’s life. Last week, he created a spreadsheet listing the botanical field trips we hope to take this year. Our adventures have evolved from imaginary to real as we explore God’s beautiful creation, discussing plants and animals.

As long as I’m alive, I pray I will always have a part to play in his story. And in God’s.

Aging brings about many changes, including questioning our purpose as roles shift and abilities decline. But, praise God, our identity in Christ – beloved children of the King – and our purpose – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever – never change, regardless of our age, though how we live out our identity and purpose most likely will.

Just as Scripture describes how God has chosen and equipped us, it assures us that the righteous will flourish and bear fruit even in old age (Psalm 92:12-15) and that God will be faithful to complete the good work He’s begun in us (Philippians 1:6).

May the knowledge that our Heavenly Father has called and outfitted us to fulfill the roles He’s ordained and the assurance that He will sustain us all our days fill us with joy as we seek to live lives that honor and glorify Him, all the way to the day He welcomes us Home!

Another New Year

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

There’s something about the beginning of a new year with blank calendars and planners yet to be filled in that inspires hope. Hope that comes with a fresh start. Hope that some of the disappointments and failures from the past year can be set aside or at least learned from.

As I’ve begun to write a few lines in my new daily journal each evening and add birthdays and anniversaries to my planner in anticipation of future celebrations, I’ve been reminded that the Bible, our ultimate source of hope, has a lot to say about new beginnings and fresh starts.

New Creatures

Regeneration begins with God, who promises to give us new hearts and spirits that long to please Him:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Though God immediately counts us righteous, redeemed by the blood of Christ and new creatures whose old natures have been crucified with Him, we won’t be wholly sanctified until God calls us Home. Thus, we’re to strive to put off our old selves, which belong to our former manner of life and are corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).

New Goals, New Perspective

Because we’re living in that in-between time, the now and not yet, there will be occasions when the old nature reemerges regardless of our best intentions and staunchest resolutions. When those times occur, instead of self-recrimination, we can turn to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians for encouragement to stay focused on the goal:  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).

I’m a goal-setter and a list-maker. Unfortunately, when I look back at a to-do list or a list of goals I set for myself, I’m prone to emphasize the things I haven’t accomplished instead of the ones I have and chastise myself for perceived failures. Satan, the accuser and father of lies, is all too ready to pile on, but when we hear the accusations, we can be sure it isn’t our heavenly Father who’s pronouncing them because:

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14

New Mercies

Undoubtedly, the year ahead will hold a mix of joys and sorrows, victories and defeats, successes and failures, just like every year. But when things don’t go as we hoped or planned, when we disappoint ourselves or others, and they disappoint us, let us remember the steadfast love of the Lord and His mercies that are new every morning and put our hope in Him.

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:21-24

Even though our planners may be blank, we know that God has declared the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and we can trust that He is always at work moving history to the conclusion He’s ordained, even if we don’t always see or understand His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

 “Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19

New Commandment, New Song

As we await the promised and ultimate renewal, we are to be obedient to the new commandment Jesus gave us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

And we can sing the new song of joy and gratitude to the Lord for our salvation, pointing others to the hope we have in Christ.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3

New Resolve

So we press on to cast off the old, put on the new, humbly and gratefully rest in the Lord’s steadfast love, and look forward to the day when everything will be made new, including us. No more failures, no more sin, no more disappointments. According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace (2 Peter 3:13-14).

I will endeavor to remember these things as I fill in my planner, work on my to-do lists, and jot nightly notes about God’s goodness in my journal. How about you? Are you looking forward to Jesus’ return when He will make all things new? It is our glorious hope!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:1-6).

A Reassured Heart

/ Patsy Kuipers / 5 Comments

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

Sometimes, I need to preach truth to myself. This is one of those times. I don’t know about you, but despite my best efforts not to get mired down in the election bruhaha, a sense of dread has seeped into my psyche as the day draws near. From political texts blowing up my phone to interminable campaign commercials zipping by as I fast-forward past them and even comic strips, I can’t escape the ever-present signs that the event is barreling down on us.

Thus, multiple times a day, I reground myself with what I know to be true. I thought I would use today’s post to share some passages and promises that help me maintain the proper perspective in case some of you might also benefit from the reminders.

God is Sovereign. Nothing will thwart His plans.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19).

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases (Psalm 115:3).

Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps (Psalm 135:6).

The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”. . . For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back (Isaiah 14:24, 27)?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing (Isaiah 40:22-23, NIV).

We’re not alone in times of distress.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 28:38-39).

We know the end of the story.

Both sides would have us believe that if the nominees from the other party win, the world as we know it will come to an end. One day, the world as we know it will end, but what a glorious day that will be!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Until then, we can live with the assurance that King Jesus is seated on the throne at His Father’s right hand (Luke 22:69-70). Seated, not pacing about or wringing His hands, or wondering what tomorrow will bring because God has ordained the end from the beginning and is ruling over every detail to accomplish His purposes until that end, just as He always has (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Therefore, let us fix our hearts and our hope on His unchanging character (Hebrews 13:8), His trustworthy promises (2 Corinthians 1:20), and His steadfast love (Psalm 103:8), not on earthly rulers or kingdoms.

Epilog

As I’ve been working on this piece, I realized that some of you who’ll read it aren’t facing an election or being bombarded by the messaging that goes along with it. But I’m guessing there may be something else that’s causing a sense of disquietude in your soul. The good news is that everything I’ve written can be applied to all sorts of worry-producing circumstances, so may we say with the psalmist, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

Groaning

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Romans 8:22

Intruders

I heard a noise above me and looked up. The sound was coming from the gutter and was accompanied by the shuffling of leaves. I could see a few stems and tips moving along the edge.

Well, great. (Insert eye roll.) Something else for the wildlife guys to deal with. They’d already been working on ridding my attic of rats. Maybe the varmints were using the gutter to gain access to their new digs.

My grandson Joshua was with me when the fellows showed up the next day. One climbed the ladder they brought while the other one steadied it. Elmer lifted the gutter cover just enough to see a tail. But it wasn’t a long, skinny, hairless one. It was fluffy and belonged to a half-grown squirrel, one of three inhabiting a nest the mother squirrel had managed to construct in the narrow confines of the gutter.

As Joshua and I watched the eviction process, I lamented as I often do when some critter or another takes up residence in an off-limits part of my house, “I left plenty of trees for them to live in! Why do they choose to get in/on my house?”

Joshua piped up, “It’s like the garden of Eden, Grammie! There was only one tree Adam and Eve weren’t supposed to eat from, and that’s the one they wanted!” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Delighted that Joshua had made that spiritual connection, I asked him if he wanted to expand on his observation like he’d done earlier this year with the parable of the bulbs.[1] However, he was more interested in accompanying Elmer into the attic to check the rat traps after he and his helper gently removed the baby squirrels from the gutter. 

But, once Joshua had planted that thought, I just had to ponder it!

Forbidden Attractions

What is it that’s so attractive about things that are off-limits? Regardless of our age, humans have an inborn desire for the forbidden. Sadly, original sin resides deep inside us, making us vulnerable to the enemy’s whispered, doubt-producing innuendos and causing us to question God’s goodness as Adam and Eve did (Genesis 3:1-6). What if He’s holding out on us, keeping the best to Himself?

Nope! We can squelch any doubts about God’s goodness by looking to the Cross. God gave us the very best He could have given us in Jesus, and Scripture assures us that if He gave us the most priceless gift, He won’t withhold any lesser thing (Romans 8:32).

Then there are the sinful tendencies passed on from more recent generations – frailties and misconceptions that continue to affect decisions and behavior until someone recognizes the familial brokenness and says, “Enough! This stops with me!”

Jesus’ sinless life, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection made the ultimate declaration. Praise God, our enslavement to sin ended with His selfless sacrifice on our behalf (Ephesians 2:4-7)! Though we will continue to battle the remnants of our sinful nature until Jesus calls us Home, the Spirit is transforming us more and more into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Repeat Offender

The day after Elmer took the juvenile squirrels to their new home in a nearby state park, the noise-from-above scenario replayed. I was watering plants in front of my house when a snippet of sound and motion got my attention. I looked up and saw the mama squirrel with a mouth full of leaves heading to the end of the gutter. Sigh.

By the time Elmer and his helper returned the following week, she had crammed twice as many leaves into the gutter as before. Now that we knew how she was getting in, they closed the hole she’d made at the end of the gutter; however, she or one of her relatives has found a way into the attic and has spent several nights cavorting with the rats.

Such is life in a broken world.

Longing for Home

I suppose the mother squirrel thought the gutter offered excellent protection from predators, but a hollow in a tree would have been more appropriate as the babies grew. They didn’t get a say in their mother’s choice, but they suffered the consequences, first from being cramped and then evicted.

I felt some remorse the first night they were taken away, wondering what their mother thought when she returned and found them gone. Then again, I knew they couldn’t stay. Given the chance when grown, the baby squirrels might have set up housekeeping in the gutter since that was the example they’d been given. Or maybe they would have gnawed a hole in my deck railing, dug up my plants, or knocked one of the birdfeeders off its hook, all things prior generations of their family have done.

All creation is groaning because things aren’t as God intended them to be. There are days when I join in the groaning, longing for Jesus to return and set all things right. From misplaced critters and weeds in my garden to the ravages of cancer and a swath of destruction left by a powerful hurricane, the vestiges of sin are all around us. But evidence of God’s love surrounds us as well. We can rest in the assurance that Jesus is preparing a Home for us where we’ll dwell with Him forever, never to be evicted again (John 14:2-3)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8:18-25).

[1][1] You may find Joshua’s parable in “Faith Connections,” Archives, August 2023.

Have We Forgotten?

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
Hosea 1:10

A Challenging Message

This fall, we’re using Paula Miles’ “No Empty Word: Relentless Pursuit a Study on Hosea” for our Women’s Bible study. We’ve agreed that Hosea is a challenging book, not the first one we think of when in need of a comforting verse to put on a counted cross stitch. God didn’t hold back when proclaiming what would happen if His people refused to forsake their wicked ways and return to Him. Some of us have even found it difficult to read parts of Hosea aloud since it contains words we wouldn’t dare utter in conversation.

However, as the study has progressed, we’ve realized there is much comfort in Hosea because it recounts God’s unending love and compassion for His wayward people. Time and again, Hosea depicts the tension between God’s judgment and mercy, between His righteousness and covenant fidelity. Despite our faithlessness, He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

One recent Tuesday morning, we were working our way through chapter 8 of Hosea. In verse 13, we read that God told His people He would remember their iniquity, punish their sins, and send them back to Egypt, which was a foretelling of their captivity under Assyria. By this point in their history, the book of the Law, which the king was supposed to keep by his side and read every day (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), had been misplaced, and the priests were greedy and unfaithful. Thus, it was unlikely God’s people had consistently passed on the story of His miracle-filled deliverance from generation to generation as He’d commanded (Psalm 78:4-6). Given all that, I suggested that the threat of being returned to Egypt might not have meant much to them or carried much weight. Perhaps no one had told them how dreadful it was to be a slave or how marvelous God’s rescue was.

Although Hosea 8:2 says the people still “knew” the Lord and called on His name, simply knowing about God and crying out to Him in times of desperation isn’t the same as having a relationship with Him and a heart that wants to please Him.

Sobering Questions

As our discussion moved on, a whisper arose in my spirit: How about you? Do you remember how bad it was to be enslaved by sin? The thought convicted me. After walking with the Lord for nearly 50 years, have I forgotten how hopeless my situation was before He rescued me? Dead in my trespasses, unable to contribute anything to my salvation. Left to my own devices, I would have perished. Eternally.

But God, in His mercy, chose to redeem a people for Himself (Ephesians 2:4-5). May we never forget how remarkable and costly His rescue was! Redeemed by the Son’s precious blood, none of God’s children will ever be lost. Like a loving Father, He disciplines us (Hebrews 12:5-11), but He won’t ever forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Throughout No Empty Word, the study questionshave challenged us to identify our idols, those things we allow to usurp God’s rightful place in our hearts and lives, things we look to for security instead of depending on the One who is our Provider, Rock, and Refuge, the One who is sovereign over every detail. Self-reliance, autonomy, self-glory, peace, wealth, fame – we’ve mentioned all of these in our discussions. Several times,  those discussions have reminded me of God’s warning in Deuteronomy 8:

Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deuteronomy 8:11-18).

It’s a warning that applies every bit as much to God’s children today.

O Lord, please help us never to neglect the reading and hearing of Your Word or tire of telling the coming generations about Your glorious deeds so that they, too, will know how awful it is to be a slave to sin and how awesome it is to be a child of God. And may we never forget that everything we have and are, from our salvation to our daily bread, is a gift from You.

Epilog

You may be wondering about the photo I selected to accompany this post. Years ago, I saw a short video of a guy sitting behind a table in a cemetery. He’d posted a sign with the message along the lines of, “Anyone interested in eternal life step right up!” No surprise, but not a single person exited one of the graves and took him up on his offer. I often think of that clip when I contemplate what it means to be dead in our trespasses, unable to contribute anything toward our salvation!

Scars, Epilog

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
Psalm 71:14-15

Secrets?

A longtime friend texted me after she read my last post to tell me she’d suffered an injury almost identical to one of the ones I described. It happened years ago, as did mine, but I never knew of our common experience until now. Admittedly, decades have passed since we lived near each other, and talking about such minor injuries isn’t at the top of our conversation topics when we schedule phone dates. But the fact that I didn’t know got me thinking about more serious things we intentionally hide, even sometimes from those closest to us.

I’m not implying that this particular friend has deep, dark secrets she’s never told me despite our five decades of friendship. No, I’m thinking about how reticent I’ve been to share things from my past for fear of rejection or condemnation. Yet, when situations arose that made it fitting to do so, I’ve not only been freed from my self-imposed isolation, but I’ve also made it safer for others to share their hard things. There is wonder and relief in knowing, “I’m not the only one!”

When someone further down the road assures us that God can redeem our brokenness and bring beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3), relief and hope unite as the Light leads us out of darkness.

Credentials

My dear friend Sharon Betters refers to the hard things the Lord brings us through as our credentials. As we call back to others, our experiences make us credible witnesses of God’s steadfast love, goodness, and faithfulness.

On a recent episode of her Daily Treasure podcast[1], Sharon included a quote from Oswald Chambers, which contained the following:

“There is no such thing as a private life . . . for a man or woman who is brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ’s sufferings . . . We are not sanctified for ourselves, we are called into the fellowhip of the Gospel, and things happen which have nothing to do with us . . . Why shouldn’t we go through heartbreaks? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son . . . If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.”[2]

Thank Him for breaking your heart? That’s unthinkable apart from our eternal security in Christ (2 Corinthians 16-18) and believing that God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him, those called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We can find great comfort in knowing that our little stories are part of God’s great big story. He’s weaving the plot lines together in ways we may not understand in the moment or possibly not even this side of Heaven, but we can always trust His character.

For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men.
(Lamentations 3:31-33)

Propriety

There are appropriate times and places to share how the Lord has brought us through challenging circumstances. Not all the stories He’s entrusted to us are meant to be broadcast from a public platform. Some are best processed with wise counselors and trusted friends. Even so, we need to be willing to share when God sovereignly places someone in our lives who would benefit from hearing how He’s worked in and through even our darkest places.

There are some things I’ll probably never write a blog post about. However, I pray for discernment to know when God has ordained a crossing of paths and is nudging me to bless someone with the assurance others have passed on to me: you are not alone, and God can redeem even this.

Before I close, I also want to remind us to be slow to judge since we don’t know all the experiences that have gone into making a person who they are, much less how far along they are on their journey of restoration (1 Samuel 16:7; John 7:24). I’ve had several instances when a piece or two of information has completely changed my perspective on someone’s behavior. And I’ve had others make similar comments when they’ve learned more about my past.  

There are still tender spots in my soul, scars that will cause me to retreat in situations that evoke painful, long-ago events, but I trust God will use even those lingering scars for His good purposes.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

[1] “A Private Life?,” Daily Treasure, August 31, 2024. Daily Treasure is one of many resources available through MARKINC Ministries.

[2] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, November 1 devotion: “Ye Are Not Your Own.” (Grand Rapids, Discovery House.)

Scars

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

My right hand bears several scars, some the result of injuries, others from surgery. They’ve become less visible with time, but I can see them if I look hard enough. Let me tell you about those scars and some spiritual parallels I came up with when I realized the ugliest scar has faded along with the rest.

Pesky Pop-tops

I started drinking diet sodas when I was a teenager. Back then, the pop-tops weren’t attached to the cans. I would wipe the lid, peel off the tab, and drop it into the opening. Mom was horrified. “Someday, you’re going to drink one of those things!” I assured her I’d bent them enough that they wouldn’t come out. But one day, I left a tab on the kitchen counter instead of putting it in the can. When I washed my hands later, I dried them with a paper towel someone had placed on the counter, never thinking the metal tab might be underneath. The sharp edge made a small cut on top of my hand and accounts for my oldest scar.

Mom was right – those tiny tabs belonged in the trash!

Fast forward 50 years. Those little pull tabs are now securely attached to the top of cans, but you can pry them off if you bend them back and forth a few times, which is what my 13-year-old grandson was doing recently. I showed him the scar on the top of my hand and told him the story behind it.

Is there a lesson you’ve learned from a poor decision in your past, something more critical than a small cut, that you can share to help others understand potential consequences and make better choices?

Surgical Relief

Then there’s the scar from carpal tunnel surgery. The surgeon carefully made the incision in one of the creases on my palm, knowing it would help hide it. Sure enough, it’s barely visible.

I’m not a fan of surgery because I don’t like to be put to sleep or deal with the downtime associated with recovery, and I often say “elective surgery” is an oxymoron in my vocabulary. But the carpal tunnel operation was so helpful I didn’t hesitate to have it done on the left side a year later, and I’ve recommended it to others who’ve experienced the pain and numbness associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Just as I try to avoid surgery, I’m not one to beg God to send difficult circumstances into my life to grow my faith. Yet I know He often uses hard things to discipline me, draw me closer to Himself, and transform me into the image of His Son. Thus, I pray with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting,” trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal and carefully excise things from my life that are hindering my walk with the Lord (Psalm 139:23-24).  

Stealth Attack

Next up in the catalog of scar-producing injuries is a cut from an unsheathed razor. I vividly remember the moment. We were on vacation at the beach. I reached into my toiletry bag, not realizing the protective cover was no longer on the razor. The sharp blade sliced a small chunk of skin off the upper knuckle of my pointer finger. I almost passed out from the unexpected injury and the gush of blood that accompanied it. The wound healed but produced a bump of thickened skin, known as a keloid.

The circumstances and raised scar associated with this injury remind me of relationships with people who I took at face value and trusted, only to have their true selves appear later, causing deep hurt and bewilderment. Doubting my ability to judge rightly and not wanting to experience that kind of betrayal again, I overreacted and built walls to keep others at a safe distance.

Graceless Stumble

And then there was the jagged, ugly scar I mentioned in the introduction. It resulted from a tumble I took on my front walk. I went to check the rain gauge, wasn’t being careful on the slippery pavement, and plummeted to the ground. Shocked and embarrassed, I lept up lest anyone see me prostrate. Lightheaded and unsteady, I sought my neighbor’s help to stem the blood flow and apply a bandage. Several weeks later, when I saw how unsightly the scar was, I realized it would have been better if I’d sought medical care and gotten a few stitches. I accepted that it would be there forever, glaring at me, reminding me of the fall.

But then, a few days ago, I realized that it, too, is barely visible.

There have been times when I’ve lost focus and slipped into sin. I never thought I would find myself in such a predicament, and tried my best to minimize the damage and cover my tracks. But my efforts were inadequate, like the bandage that barely staunched the flow of blood from my palm and the fig leaves Adam and Eve used to hide their nakedness (Genesis 3:7).

Redeeming Scars

We won’t pass through this life unscathed by the sin and brokenness inherent in our journey. Some of those injuries will be self-inflicted, others caused by people we encounter along the way, and still others due to generational sins that have simmered for decades.

It takes much more than self-applied treatments to wash away the sin and heal the hurts. Praise God for providing the spotless Lamb who was slain (John 1:29; Revelation 5:12)! Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, all of them. He can commiserate with our weaknesses, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He heals the brokenhearted and binds up our wounds (Psalm 147:3). Blessed assurances!

The memories of past indiscretions linger, but just like the jagged scar I thought would be there forever, they’ve faded, replaced by the truth of Christ’s sacrificial love for me and my identity in Him.

Jesus still bears the wounds from His crucifixion (John 20:27-28). It saddens me to think about Him carrying those scars forever. But I am oh so grateful those wounds will ever plead for me and other ransomed sinners, as Charles Wesley penned in his hymn, “Arise, My Soul, Arise.”

I’ll close rejoicing with the final stanza and chorus of a more recent hymn, “The Power of the Cross:”[1]

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering, I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love

This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God – slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

[1] Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty, “The Power of the Cross,” Thank You Music, 2005.

Swords Into Plowshares

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Micah 4:3

Recently, my daughter Jessie and I had the opportunity to visit England. A tour of Windsor Castle was high on my wish list of stops. When we entered the immense structure, threatening clouds filled the sky. Jessie and I agreed it made a fitting backdrop for the formidable fortress.

Many things about the massive compound impressed me, but one element reminded me of a Bible passage. When I saw a lush garden thriving in the gulley formerly occupied by the moat, I immediately thought of the phrase, “swords into plowshares.”

The phrase appears in Micah 4, a chapter brimming with future hope for the people of God. Take a look at the first four verses:

It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
    and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

Like swords becoming plowshares and spears turning into pruning hooks, the once-menacing moat, long associated with intruders and fierce battles, is now a serene site. However, it is not accessible to visitors. I longed to stroll the flower-lined paths, but I could only admire the beauty from a distance as I peered over the stone wall erected centuries ago.

I rarely watch the news since doing so can leave me feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Yet even a glance at the headlines informs me of ongoing wars and uprisings around the world. Closer to home, I have friends waging battles of a different kind as they or loved ones fight to overcome cancer, depression, financial hardships, or myriad other challenges.

And then there are days like yesterday when events command my attention, when the brokenness that permeates our world takes center stage, making me wonder what will happen next. Seasons of upheaval and uncertainty, whether personal, within my church family, or in the public realm, drive me to remember and rehearse what I know to be true.

We’re not Home yet, and we will face hardships in this life. But we belong to the One who promised never to leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8), the One who told us to take heart because He’s overcome the world (John 16:33), the One who will return to do away with the former things and establish His eternal kingdom (Revelation 21:1-5).

Though there are times when the waiting seems interminable, we wait in confident assurance of Jesus’ return. And while we wait, He graciously gives us glimpses of what it will be like when He makes all things new, like a once-ominous moat turned into a beautiful garden, even if we need to make the effort to peer over a wall to see them.

Epilog

By the time Jessie and I completed our tour of the magnificent state apartments in the Upper Ward, the sun had appeared. The blue sky and radiant light took the edge off the castle’s sinister side.

Jesus, the Light of the World, commands His followers to be light (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16). We have the hope of the Gospel (John 3:16) and the assurance of God’s promises to His people. May we endeavor to shine as beacons pointing others to the hope we have in Christ, making this dark world a bit brighter and less scary for all those God places along our paths.

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10).

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them” (Revelation 21:3).