Under the Circumstances

 

We've all heard, or perhaps said ourselves: "I guess I'm doing okay under the circumstances." So, it tickled me when I read this story in Nancy McGuire's book, "Rest Assured": "Author and Christian educator, Howard Hendricks, had a favorite reply to someone who said, 'Not bad, under the circumstances' when asked how he was doing. Dr. Hendricks would retort, 'Well, what in the world are you doing under there?'"

And really, friends, what are we doing under our circumstances when we have a GREAT God who guides and leads us through all things?

Nancy continued: "From my own experience, there is not a worse place to live than 'under the circumstances' whether good or bad. If we live our lives according to our circumstances, we're either pinned to the ground, floating in the clouds, or muddling along in neutral waiting for something to happen. God never intended for circumstances to determine our spiritual frame of mind."

I liked her title for this devotion: "Living Above the Circumstances." It's all in our mind. The way we think. What we believe. What we're used to doing. If we have a deep-seated confidence in our God, we should always be living above our circumstances.

It's not always easy when difficult times come, but we have so many avenues to pursue to help us live above our circumstances. First and foremost, we have our Bible. We have music. We have devotion books. We have Christian television shows that inspire. We have Christian friends. We are part of a local body of Christ. We have prayer. Let me say that again. We have prayer, and that's the best thing we can do. 

Don't ever live under your circumstances. Choose to live above your circumstances and be able to take each day as a new day, fresh with mercies from God.  Feed your soul and you will find the frame of mind you need to overcome.

Under my circumstances? No. Above my circumstances. Yes. We only need to ask the One who cares for us.

I guess you could say, 'I'm under the circumstances' looking at this flower,

but, you know, I like the beauty!

By His Grace . . .

Untilled Corners

I drove past this lightpost every morning on my way to work. I especially enjoyed seeing it

in the Spring when it was dressed in all its beauty. One lovely Spring morning when I

drove past, the light was on. I stopped and got this lovely picture which has spoke

to me of Jesus, the light of the world.

One of my favorite quotes always leaves me thinking about what I am doing and realizing it is never enough if it wasn't for Jesus:

"Few are needed to do the out-of-the-way tasks which startle the world, and one may be most useful just doing common place duties and leaving the issue with God. And when it is all over,  and our feet will run no more, and our hands are helpless, and we have scarcely strength to murmur a last prayer, then we shall see that, instead of needing a larger field, we have left untilled many corners of our single acre, and that none of it is fit for our Master's eyes were it not for the softening shadow of the cross."

George MacDonald

We all can do good things. We can serve God with the gifts given us. We can read the Scriptures every day. We can attend church and worship God. We can talk to others about Jesus. We can help those in need. We can pay our tithe. 

Yet, none of it is good enough alone to be acceptable to God. It is only through Jesus and His crucifixion and resurrection that we can boast. And, indeed, that should be the only thing we boast about. 

"Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling."

Augustus Montague Toplady

1740-1778

Author of the hymn "Rock of Ages"

By His Grace . . .

A Moment of Leisure

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope."

Acts 2:26

From the Just Breathe Facebook page.

Since the first of August I've taken a moment of leisure. A moment of rest. A moment of thought. It's taking a while to adjust.

I like to be productive, to have something to do that I consider worthwhile. Since November 2022, I have written hymn studies and enjoyed doing it immensely. When we first moved to NW PA, I became involved in the quilt ministry at church and worked at it for five years. I learned a skill I never thought I'd be able to do. It was a worthwhile project.

Although I'm always creating online with my pictures, writing for this and that, and enjoying the gifts I believe God gave me and using them for His glory, not having a daily purpose is hard to adjust too.

The first of August I prayed and asked God if He wanted me to continue writing hymn studies. I still have 28 new hymn studies to post online. Is there something else He wants me to do now? 

My life is changing with the advance of age of myself and my husband. I'm noticing the many changes that are becoming needs for me to meet. 

"Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."

Psalm 116:7

Unknown source.

The best thing I can do is continue my daily time with God, finding encouragement through study and singing, and resting my mind from the "I have to do this to be productive." It may be a few weeks or longer until I know I am ready to continue the work I have been doing, or God brings another avenue of service to me. 

Immersing myself into the story behind a hymn and finding Scripture that is relevant to each verse has been an inspiring and joyful activity. Just in these two short weeks I have missed the fulfillment of doing something with purpose. Resting isn't as easy as it sounds. 

I can be still. Being an introvert, solitude fills me up. Recharges me. But not doing something fulfilling, that is hard.

Allie Boman, on Biblestudytools.com wrote: "Waiting on the Lord is a deeply personal and transformative experience that requires trust, patience, and active faith. It's not about passively standing by but about confidently expecting God's perfect timing and guidance. For me, it's been a journey of learning to trust that God's plans are far greater than my own.

"Even when it's hard to see, God is always working behind the scenes, aligning everything for our good. Waiting on the Lord means believing that His timing is perfect and that He will fulfill His promises in ways beyond our imagination."

Between books that encourage and inspire me and hymns to sing and praise God with, I am blessed. I am thankful. I am grateful. I am loved. A moment of leisure. I am smiling. I'm trying to enjoy.

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him."

Psalm 62:5

By His Grace . . .

The Creator. He's Amazing!

 "All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made."

John 1:3

The four pictures on this post are of the four gardens God gave me after I retired. I had never played in dirt before, never wanted too. But God gave me this unknown joy after I retired. It was a joyful blessing in my life, and I miss God walking with me "In the Garden." I'm thankful to have pictures to remember it by, and I look at them often during this season of the year. This was the first garden created in the Spring, the Summer garden.

I don't always have words to share, and I didn't for this post. During times like this I pray and ask God to give me words to write. He has never failed me. Yesterday morning during my reading time, my heart was encouraged by an unknown hymn in my hymnal and words by Anne Graham Lotz in her book, The Joy of My Heart." They sealed my joy. This post is in honor of our wonderful Creator of all things.

This is the second garden created the following fall, the Spring garden. The bird house sign says: "God lives here" from a picture I saw in Karla Dornacher's book, "Down a Garden Path."

My daily devotion time always includes the reading of two hymns in the hymnal I have. I read straight through the hymnal every year. When I turned to the reading yesterday morning, I saw a hymn where I had previously highlighted all the verses. A hymn I was not familiar with and have never heard sung. I couldn't find a video of this hymn, so I don't know the music, but the words are enough.

Creator of the Universe

Wesley I. Forbis

"Creator of the universe, of cosmic wind and storm;

Creator of all life on earth, of atom, cell and form;

Of all the wonders that You are, or that You may yet be,

The birth of Christ, love's Morning Star, Your greatest gift to me.

"Creator of the universe, of matter, space, and time;

Creator of all life on earth, of body, soul, and mind;

Of all the wonders that You share, I tremble at Your call;

That I should go, that I should dare to share Your gift to all.

"Creator of the universe, of water, fire, and stone;

Creator of all life on earth, of wonders yet unknown;

The cross that shattered death's domain is love's triumphant call;

God's love in Christ, I must proclaim the greatest gift of all."

This is the Wildflower garden created the next spring. A buck statue guards the garden. 

Then I picked up Anne Graham Lotz's book, "The Joy of My Heart" and read these words:

The Greatness of God's Power

Anne Graham Lotz

" God created atoms and angels and ants,

crocodiles and chiggers and clouds,

elephants and eagles and electrons,

orchids and onions and octopuses,

frogs and feathers and sea foam,

diamonds and dust and dinosaurs,

raindrops and sweat drops,

dewdrops and blood drops,

and me! and You!

"The greatness of His power to create and design and form,

 and mold and make and build and arrange, defies the limits of our imagination.

And since He created everything, 

there is nothing beyond His power to fix or mend or heal or restore!"

This is the Peony/Hibiscus garden created the following fall. I was able to enjoy these gardens for four years before moving to NW PA. 

I thank God for always bringing words to my heart so that I can share them with others, hoping to encourage hearts and inspire readers to live for Christ. And I thank Him for my gardens that He gave me to inspire my soul and draw closer to Him as I walked through them.

The creator. He's amazing!

By His Grace . . .