Bible

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Do I Matter to God?

While reading a book about prayer I ran across the question: “What would you love to sit down and talk about with God?“

I thought about it for two days before I finally wrote down: “Why do I matter to you?”

It puzzles me. I don’t have a poor self image, but I am not extraordinary in any way, not strikingly beautiful and not a genius. Yet I matter to God. Why?

No answer was immediately forth coming. Did God hear me? Should I not have asked the Creator of the universe such a question?

A week later I remembered something that I had put away in a box in my closet years ago. It is a rag doll I made out of a sock when I was about 10 years old.

I found the instructions in my parents’ Worldbook encyclopedia. (Yes, I still have the encyclopedias.) As you can see it is not the most beautiful doll ever made, but it is one of the first things I made without any help. Over the years I have made much better ones. Why have I kept it all these years? I simply love it because I made it.

I started to think of other things I have made over the years. Quilts, paintings and other miscelaneous things. I love each one and made them with a purpose in mind.

Back to my question for God. “Why do I matter to you?” He answered me in very clear terms. He simply loves the things He makes. I matter because He made me. My value is wrapped up in who loves me. To be loved by God is extraordinary.

If I love a misshapen old doll how much more does He love me? How much more does He love you? Take heart. He is not silent. We just need ears to hear.

For Further study:

Genesis 1:31 “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good….”

Genesis 5:1 “when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.”

Psalm 139:14 – “I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.”

Isaiah 43:4 “Since you are percious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you,”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

I Corinthians 1:26-28 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. And the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,”

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Why Did You Ever Send Me?

Exodus 5:22 “…Why did You ever send me?”

As I look back on my life I wonder. There have been some crushing failures. I didn’t always make right decisions and even when I did, things didn’t always end well.

Becoming a mother was life changing. I had read many books and watched others succeed or fail. I was sure our children would be an example to all.

The reality was much harder. I didn’t have all the answers. Some days I didn’t have any answers. These children needed something I couldn’t give them. They needed the breath of the living God. So we taught and we prayed and we watched them grow and succeed and make mistakes. We made plenty of mistakes ourselves. It didn’t all turn out as we expected.

I went from thinking I was going to be a perfect mother to “why had God entrusted these children to me? I am obviously not succeeding at it.”

Then I remembered Moses. Rescued from death by Pharaoh’s daughter. Raised for a few years by his own mother. Grew up in a palace with every advantage. Murders an Egyptian when trying to stand up for his own people. Flees Egypt and lives in the wilderness until he meets God in the burning bush.

God had a job for him. Return to Egypt and get Pharoah to let my peole go. Moses was afraid. He argued with God about his abilities. God urged him on, even getting angry when Moses complained about his innability to speak well. (God gave him Aaron to be his mouth piece.)

Moses, with his brother Aaron in tow, confronted Pharaoh. He asked Pharaoh to let Israel go to worship their God. Pharaoh gets angry and takes it out on the sons of Israel. Their hard labor became impossible. The people turned on Moses and claimed Pharaoh was trying to kill them because of him.

Moses turns to God and says… “O LORD, why have You done evil to this people? Why did You ever send me?” (Exodus 5:22)

Can you relate? I have felt that way many times. But it isn’t about me. It is about God and what He will do in impossible situations.

God purposefully, step by step drew his people out of Egypt. There would be hardship and trial, but it is better to be in the wilderness with God than enjoying the leeks and onions of Egypt while under slavery. They had the promise of Canaan. They endured much to get there…and God was with them every step of the way…

So as I look back on my failures and my inadequacies I need to remember that God is a God of miracles who chooses frail and weak people to carry out his plans. It is because of my weaknesses that God’s power can be displayed. Any good that comes is not me. All the praise and glory go to Him.

Take heart. He has not left you here alone. He is with us each step of the way. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. This trouble will pass. There will be a better day. This testing will make you like gold.

Believe it!

So what do I do in the mean time? I faithfully do what God has given me to do. The results won’t always be what I expect. The beautiful ending won’t always happen. My job is simply to obey.

For further study:

I Corinthians 1:26-31

II Corinthians 12:9-10

Exodus 2-5

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Death of a Good Man

A good man just died. We think he died too soon. He was a necessary part of my sister’s life, of his children’s lives, of all of our lives. He was a man of integrity who had a big laugh and a gentle spirit. He was wise, kind, inquisitive, determined, generous, and most importantly he followed hard after God.

Why do good men die too soon? I have known several that were called home sooner than expected. We ask why and God seems to be silent. Rather, I think we don’t want to hear. God has a right to call those who love Him home. They belong to Him, after all, not to us.

Enoch is a case in point. It appears he was closer to God than any of the others mentioned in Genesis, but his time on earth was less than half the length of others. It says “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. “ (Genesis 5:23)

Elijah was another example of someone who went home sooner than expected, much to the dismay of Elisha. (See II Kings 2) Elisha knew God was calling Elijah home. He refused to leave his side. When other prophets told Elisha that his master was going home, he told them to be quiet. Elijah’s homegoing was a little more spectacular than normal. A chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind…and Elisha grieved. He didn’t celebrate; he tore his clothes.

So too, those of us left grieve. We know God has a right to call them home, but we grieve our loss. We put our head down and stumble on. We answer we are ok when people ask, but it will take us awhile to be ok. Our comfort comes in knowing they are home with the God who loves them. They are no longer struggling with sin and this world. They don’t have pain or sorrow; for God has wiped away their tears.

It says in Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones.”

God calls home those who have served him well to give them rest. Their work here is done.  Their new life has begun. We should not wish them back here.  We should pray that the God of all comfort would give us the comfort and grace we need to continue to serve Him well in their absence.

“Have I not given you your orders? Take heart and be strong, have no fear and do not be troubled; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”           Joshua 1:9 BBE

In memory of my brother-in-law Dennis J, Schilling (August 8, 1953 –  March 7, 2024)

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A Fresh Start

This year I stayed up with my Granddaughter, Arianna until midnight.  We started a fire,  watched movies,  made gingerbread houses from a kit. She insisted we write down resolutions.  I have quit doing resolutions years ago, but when pressured by a 10 year old I caved and got out a notebook. Here is my list. (I know enough not to make it long.)

Daily goals

1 – Morning and evening Bible reading.

2 – Play my guitar

3 – Practice my harp – (Something I was going to learn years ago.)

4 – Practice violin with Arianna – She has been patiently waiting for me to teach her.

5 – Write 100 words.

I am hoping I stick with this list of five, but the one that is the most important to me is #1. My life accounts for nothing if I don’t know the one who created me. He has written a living book. One that speaks if we listen. One that changes us if we let it.

Praying you find daily time to be in His Word.

“Make the Book live to me, O Lord,

Show me Thyself within Thy Word.

Show me myself and show me my Savior,

And make the Book live to me.” – R. Hudson Pope