A Strong God Who Never Fails

In 2009 the Lord led me to create this blog site, and at the beginning I posted often. Later I didn’t write as much and there are significant gaps of time between my posts. At one point I decided to take the dates off of the articles so that the gaps would be less evident, being somewhat ashamed that I had allowed it to happen. 

Taking another look at the circumstances, I realize that during those gaps I was living my life and going through some hard times that were not conducive to writing. I processed the events of my life privately, rather than putting all of my thoughts out there for the world to see. 

I lived through my first husband’s battle with cancer and his death and the resulting grief and pain. I was a single parent to my daughter as she completed high school and went on to college. After moving to another state for a new job, I went through my own fight with cancer—and the depression that followed. The losses of three of my family members—my Dad, my baby brother, and my Mom—in a little over two years were heartbreaking. Thankfully, there have also been good times as God brought new love and a new marriage into my life.

Even as you trust God, you still have to walk through hard times. And you do what you have to do. You put one foot in front of the other and keep going. You grit your teeth and live through each day. Sometimes as you look back on the difficulties you realize how hard those times really were, and you find yourself wondering how you made it. It is then that your eyes are opened to the miracles of God that brought you through. 

I’ve added the dates back to my blog posts. The gaps are me being real and admitting I have struggled. Some people have told me I am a strong woman. I don’t see myself as strong. But I do serve a strong God who never fails me!

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When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)

Living the New Life

"Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God” (Matthew 3:8). This scripture emphasizes the “turning away” from sins and the “turning to” God. This is repentance—a change of heart, a change of direction. After a person truly accepts Christ’s salvation, there is a definite transformation in that person’s life. Other people can see the difference—the move from the old life to a new one. You have become a different person. This is not something you do; Jesus does it. “The old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

The old way of life, the old way of thinking, is done away with, and there is a new life within you. But after our transformation we are not to have a lazy “let Jesus do it” attitude. After salvation comes living out the new life—allowing the new nature to be in control, and not letting the old nature take over again (see Ephesians 4:22-24). Diligence to intentionally live this new way is important, as our enemy does not give up and our flesh still wants its own way. 

This is an “every moment of every day” endeavor. You may say, “That’s too hard. That takes too much effort. I don’t have the self-discipline for that kind of life.” In ourselves, we don’t. The Word says, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). This is where we need to lean on the Lord. Our relationship with Him is to be cultivated daily. We humbly ask Him to lead us onto the paths He desires us to walk. 

Remember, the new life within creates a hunger for a close relationship with God. After becoming a believer our desires change and we don’t want to keep living the way we were before. Time previously spent in the pursuit of our own agenda is now devoted to prayer and Bible reading so that we can grow in our relationship with the Lord. He desires to live in a continual relationship with us. One name for Jesus is Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). 

Sometimes people think of all this only as it relates to the future: “I want salvation so I can go to heaven when I die.” But this life of being a believer is a “now” life. We can have peace with God, a “right now” relationship with Him that helps us through each day and changes us into people who care about others and who desire to bring them to the Light of the Gospel. 

My prayer is that God will teach me afresh how to live the new life He has placed within me. I often pray these words from one of my favorite hymns: Let my life be a light shining out through the night. May I help struggling ones to the fold, spreading cheer everywhere to the sad and the lone. Let my life be a light to some soul.*

*Let My Life Be a Light, J. R. Varner, 1942

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You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Let My Life Be A Light

I accepted Christ at nine years of age. I am thankful for the Light of the gospel that I received early in life. God's Spirit who was with me as a child has never left me. I have done wrong many times and have failed the Lord in so many ways. But as His Word promises, He has never left me; He has never forsaken me. At times I allowed the distractions of life to pull me away from close fellowship with Him. But He was always there drawing me to Himself. Thank You Father for not giving up on me!

I cannot imagine what it is like to not have the constant awareness of His Presence, because I now realize that since coming to Christ I have never felt the absence of His Spirit. His Light and His love were always with me, even in my dark moments.

I feel for those who don't know Him—who don't have the Light of His Love, the guidance of His Spirit, and the comfort of His Presence. Some who are without a relationship with Christ seem to live with no thought of needing Him and have no concept of what their lives are missing, living far from God and His ways.

We live in a world where the darkness is getting darker. But at the same time the Light is getting brighter. Lord help Your children to show others the Light! Help us to walk in the Light as You are in the Light. May we have fellowship with You and with one another. And may we reach out to those in darkness and bring them to the Light.

Father, let my life be a Light shining out through the night!

The answer for the darkness is Light. The answer for hate is Love. Satan has given to the world everything that is the opposite of what God gives. If something in your life is not the kind of thing God gives, then it is from the enemy of your soul. There are only two ways. No in-between. No gray area. There is Light and there is darkness. And we have to decide once and for all which side we want to be on.

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... For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7)

Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

A few days ago I was reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 13, and these words seemed to leap off the page: [Love] . . . keeps no record of wrongs (v. 5). When we have been hurt by someone, especially repeatedly, it is hard to stop thinking about it, and we tend to hold on to the memories instead of obeying God's admonition to forgive. From 1 Corinthians 13:5, I am reminded I need to let go of the hurts and not keep rehearsing them in my mind and heart. That is not easy because I feel I have the right to be angry—to retain the hurt. After all, I believe that person doesn't deserve my forgiveness. But neither do I deserve the forgiveness provided through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The Lord is continually reminding me that I must love with His love. I have even asked Him to make me a conduit of His love. That is not possible while I am holding anger and unforgiveness in my heart. The Holy Spirit is teaching me that with His help I can rise above the hurt and pain, and show the love of God even to those who have caused me pain and may never ask for forgiveness, and even to those who may never love me. 

Jesus is our example. The love and forgiveness provided through His sacrificial death were made available to all, including those who nailed Him to the cross. As He was dying, His prayer for those who crucified Him was, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

Mom's Quiet Light

A few days from now will be the first Mother's Day since my Mom went to heaven. In her honor, I am sharing something she wrote that I recently found among her things...

As I sit here at my kitchen table drinking my second cup of coffee after eating my breakfast, I am feeling the presence of the Lord. I am thinking of God’s goodness, the things we take for granted. All I can hear is the running of the refrigerator, for which I am thankful. Last night the electricity was off. For four hours I had no heat. I put an extra quilt on my bed and went to bed. It’s not a good feeling to be in the dark at night with no heat and not knowing when it will come back on. 

Before going to bed, I looked out my dining room window. The snow had covered everything. It was beautiful in some ways. Everything was dark except a very small light coming from one of my neighbor’s windows and the light of the night against the snow. 

I began to see a flicker of light coming from a car. As the car got closer, the light increased. It’s amazing how much light comes from the lights of one car when everything is dark. That’s how our lives are, shining in a dark world. The Bible says “we are the light of the world.” I would like to know I was that much light to someone. I would like to make a difference in someone’s life.

—Ruth Dean

I believe Mom’s light shown brighter than she realized. In her quiet way she showed the love of Jesus to the people in her life. Thank you Mom for your loving example! 

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You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

Remembering Wayne

Ten years ago today, my first husband, Bethany’s dad went to be with Jesus. Even though Wayne had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than two years before, and I was aware that without a miracle he would be leaving us, there is nothing that prepares you for the loss of your beloved spouse. 

I remember feeling so broken and alone as I drove Bethany and myself home from the hospital that morning. And I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I had become the single parent of my 16 year old daughter, who would soon be completing high school and entering college, and we were without her dad’s perspective and wisdom as she moved into adulthood. Contemplating what I would be facing in the following weeks, months and years without Wayne made my head spin and my heart ache. 

I am thankful to the Lord and many good friends who helped us through that devastating season of grief. Since then God has blessed me with a second wonderful husband, and I am so happy and grateful. At the same time, I am thankful for the life I had with Wayne. He was a loving, godly man, husband, father, pastor and friend. Today, Bethany and I honor him and celebrate his life. Wayne’s godly influence helped to shape us and make us who we are today. 

We love you Wayne and thank God for you and the years that your light shone bright in our lives! 

Eternity—One Breath Away

My Mom recently left this world for her eternal home with Jesus. 

There were six in my family of origin and with her departure, there are now only three. In a period of a little more than two years, three members of my family have died. Dad's homegoing in September 2021 and then my brother David's only three months later were heartbreaking and difficult. But for some reason that I can't explain Mom's homegoing more than the others changed my thoughts and feelings about the afterlife. My belief has not changed, but my perception has. 

Heaven seems so much more real. Eternity so close. I am more aware of the fragility of this life. And I think often of the fact that each of us is only one breath away from eternity. One breath! 

So, it is imperative that we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). It also says that we will all die and we will all face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). 

I want to remind you that there is nothing more important in life than making the decision to accept and serve Christ! Where you will spend eternity depends on it. 

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"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)